Vol. 5 Chapter 2: The Mask

 Chapter 2: The Mask

Li Yuanfeng lay sprawled on his dorm bed. The dorm supervisor downstairs had given the final notice: he had to move out by tomorrow. Finding a place to rent would be another expense. His job interview today had ended in failure yet again. Opening his phone, he scrolled through his social media feed, watching his classmates post about their graduation trips. He could only lie there, feeling utterly useless.

"Envy, jealousy, and hate," Li Yuanfeng muttered, tossing his phone aside, his heart filled with bitterness. He wished he could travel and have fun like his classmates, but his family's poor financial situation meant he needed to find a job quickly and start sending money home.

"That job sounded good, but it's probably a scam. Do I really have to work in a factory? What's the point of my college degree then?" Li Yuanfeng propped himself up. "Forget it. I'll start packing. I have to move out tomorrow."

"With no clear future, I don't even know how to support myself. Why think so much? If worst comes to worst, I'll just work in a factory," he thought as he began packing. The dorm might not be great, but at least it was free. Unfortunately, he had graduated, and all the other students had already moved out. Only he was still hanging around.

"What's this?" Li Yuanfeng picked up a mask with a note beside it saying to use it well. "Did that guy leave it here?" he wondered.

The mask wasn't his, and he hadn't bought one. His roommates had already moved out without leaving anything behind. Had someone come in to steal something?

As he pondered, there was a knock on the door, startling him. Shaking his head, he tossed the mask aside and opened the door to find the dorm supervisor.

"Young man, it's not that I don't want to help, but the higher-ups have issued a notice. The school will be closed during the summer. You should have moved out days ago. I've been under a lot of pressure letting you stay this long..." the supervisor lectured for a while. Li Yuanfeng could only nod and agree apologetically.

Finally, the supervisor left. Li Yuanfeng, with a throbbing headache, turned to see several luxury cars pulling up to the basketball court, where some young men and women were laughing and playing.

He recognized a few of them as his classmates, famous rich kids. Enviously glancing at the luxury cars and the beautiful girls cheering by the court, he turned back to his packing, encouraging himself, "You can't choose your birth, but you can become the first generation of wealth. With my effort, I will succeed and live a better life."

With a self-deprecating smile, Li Yuanfeng continued packing. Hesitating for a moment when he saw the mask, he ultimately placed it in his bag.

Meanwhile, across the city, Xiao Zhang and Zheng Long had tracked down the bald driver through a taxi company. Xiao Zhang hadn't expected the license plate number he noted to come in handy.

Calling the driver, saying they needed a taxi, the two waited for the bald driver. Soon, a taxi appeared in their view.

"It's you..." The bald driver, Meng Xi, remembered Xiao Zhang, who had taken a mask to a costume party, feeling a bit uneasy about how this man had his number.

Meng Xi, whose poetic name didn't match his bald, chubby appearance, asked cautiously, "Do you need a ride?"

"No, we came specifically to find you!" Xiao Zhang said, pulling out a shadow mask from his bag and earnestly asking, "You mentioned you also received a mask like this. Is that true?"

Zheng Long squinted at Meng Xi, waiting for his answer. Meng Xi, taken aback, then relaxed and smiled, "I did get such a mask. Is there a problem?"

"It seems you haven't worn it. May I ask where it is?" Zheng Long asked eagerly. They urgently needed strength to fight another group, and finding a mask meant gaining a strong ally.

"Don't misunderstand. That mask is very important to us. We're willing to buy it," Xiao Zhang explained quickly, seeing Meng Xi's puzzled look. "Also, to be honest, keeping that mask might bring you trouble."

Meng Xi glanced between Xiao Zhang and Zheng Long, then nodded, "The mask is at my home. Get in, I'll take you there. You can have the mask, just cover the fare."

Xiao Zhang, delighted, got in the car, saying, "Thanks a lot. I'll treat you to a big meal someday."

"That sounds great. My only weakness is food and drink. That's why I can't lose weight," Meng Xi joked as he drove, feeling it was best to avoid trouble. He preferred a peaceful life with his wife and child.

While Xiao Zhang and Zheng Long rode with Meng Xi to get the mask, Fu Bin, wearing a mask, sat in a consulting room facing a seductive woman. "You said you found it?" he asked coldly.

"Why so serious? You have too many negative emotions bottled up. You need to release them. I guarantee you'll forget all your worries in pleasure," replied Luo Yan, Fu Bin's teammate and the host of the Lust Mask.

Seeing Fu Bin's cold eyes, Luo Yan sighed, "Yes, my darlings have located a mask."

After wearing the mask Fu Bin gave her, Luo Yan quickly developed the abilities of the Lust Beast type, transforming into a corresponding beast and controlling them. She chose cats.

Controlled by Luo Yan, the cats became her extension. Mask hosts had a vague sensing ability for other masks. Upon learning this, Fu Bin had Luo Yan send cats all over the city to search for masks. Finally, they found one.

"The mask is locked in a sealed room. My cats can't get in," Luo Yan said helplessly.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Fu Bin stood up but suddenly turned and said to Luo Yan, "You drive."

"Heh, heh, heh. How adorable," Luo Yan laughed, grabbing the car keys and setting off with Fu Bin.