002   Midnight Reaper of life

Ryan hung up the phone and walked to the reception room of the Anderson house. On one side of the brown leather sofa, there was a wooden triangular newspaper rack. Every morning, old Hank, the first to wake up, would walk up the dirt road in front of Anderson's house, and retrieve the newspaper of the day in the mailbox under the 'Anderson' sign. However, in the past two months, a magazine called "Urban Legend - Porto weekly" (Volume I, chapter 31) was added every Monday.

Ryan doesn't usually read newspapers. Usually, old Hank talked to Benjamin about interesting things after reading them. If something catches Benjamin's attention, he will bring it to Ryan for discussion.

Ryan took out today's newspaper and thought about it. He also took out this week's urban legend. He was too lazy to go back to the office and sat on the sofa reading.

The report in the newspaper is very 'plain'. The author has the objective of a journalist, and there is no personal judgment on 'suicide incident' in the text.

"The deceased used sharp utensils, such as knives, glass and tableware, to stab his left chest, resulting in his death on the spot. As of the deadline, the reporter had not received a reply from the police about the motive for suicide."

Then the report listed recent suicides, a total of eight people, and attached a scene photo taken yesterday to the last name. The environment of the picture is obviously the kitchen of a middle-class family. The police in civilian clothes and police uniforms try to block the reporter's lens, but in the crowd, we can still see the dead lying on the side of the desk and in the dried blood.

Ryan narrowed his eyes and found James' side face among the police officers. The homicide team were there, representing that the Porto police department no longer considered this a 'suicide' case.

The vampire stared at the picture for a while. The picture taken in a hurry didn't give him too many clues. Ryan put down the newspaper and picked up the magazine. Open the cover and look in the catalogue.

"Midnight Reaper of life! Suicide? Or repay with life? Take you to the little-known Porto midnight exchange"

Ryan raised his eyebrows. Such an ambiguous title actually attracted his attention.

The author weaves a place called "midnight market", where people can buy luck with their lives. Every suicidal person has traded in this place, but refused to pay for his life as money. So the debt collectors forcibly seized the 'fees' they deserved, creating such a strange way of suicide.

There are also a large number of interviews and quotations about the family members of the deceased, winning the lottery, getting a promotion, and completing a large order business, so as to prove the authenticity of the 'luck' transaction.

Finally, the author comes to a ridiculous conclusion: 'never buy a commodity that you can't afford!'

Ryan closed the magazine, touches his chin, picked up the suicide list in the newspaper, thought about it, and stared at one of the names, 'Chris'. Ryan was impressed by the name because he had seen it in Madison's work report.

First, he went back to the office and called Madison at the mill to confirm that Chris was still there. Ryan pushed open the kitchen door again and asked Benjamin, who was still kneading dough, "Benjamin, something has happened. Will you go with me?"

"No." Benjamin flattened, opened and twisted his dough... "I'm very busy."

"Benjamin." Alice ran to Benjamin and pressed the dough. "You go! we don't need any help here!" The Banshee needed her friends to be able to concentrate on preparing food. Otherwise, before [Parker primary school] finishes school, it won't be done at all!

"Oh." Benjamin stepped back from the desk and took a look at Ryan who was full of expectations. In Laura's disappointed eyes, he took off his apron and walked towards Ryan.

After a while, the efficiency of Anderson's kitchen was really improved. After all, Benjamin could do nothing but knead dough, and Laura was much easier to use.

Benjamin's van left Anderson's house for the mill. Ryan briefly described the case, and the topic turned.

"Ben." Ryan had a deliberate grudge: "you've been giving me a cold shoulder lately."

"Ben, ja, min." the Werewolve can't help getting goose bumps every time they hear the abbreviation, "you asked for it."

"All right." Ryan put away his grudge and said seriously, "I know you are unhappy. However, those hunters must be eliminated. According to my method or the method of Porto police department, we all know that the only reason they stay in Porto is to deal with you."

"I don't need your help." Benjamin was holding the steering wheel. It seemed that talking with Ryan was a nuisance. His right hand was playing on the radio, and the volume was turned to the maximum.

Ryan frowned. He couldn't agree with Benjamin's music aesthetics. He turned the volume back.

"You're alpha. Of course you don't need it. But Anderson does. I can't risk those hunters tracking down to Anderson's house."

"Hum." Benjamin snorted coldly, "so is it my fault? Do you mean that I have brought danger to the Anderson family?"

Ryan looked down and realized he had said the wrong thing: "you know, I didn't mean that."

"I'm sorry, that's what you sound like." Benjamie shook his head expressionless.

"Tell me, Benjamin." Ryan looked at Benjamin's side face with a serious expression. Now the vampire really wanted to know what Benjamin's indifference for half a month was for, "what have I done that makes you feel wrong? Apart from disposing of a few hunters, I always think we have the same view on hunters. In Anderson's house, we don't kill them to take care of hank, but why do you care?"

Ryan was right. Benjamin knew he had too much sympathy, but he is not sympathetic to the enemy who wants to kill himself. Alpha's anger at being attacked is no less than that of a Vampire.

"Because you decided to do it yourself." Benjamin glanced at Ryan: "you decided to do it behind my back."

Ryan raised his eyebrows and pressed his tail down. So it is. Benjamin was angry that he had no sense of participation. Ryan nodded helplessly and smiled with some self mockery: "and I failed. In the end, it is still you who 'saved' everyone."

"Yes." Benjamin had a smile on his lips. If the werewolf hadn't appeared at the critical moment, 'Toreador' would had disappeared.

"But you made me a real threat to Anderson." Benjamin's smile disappeared and he glanced at Ryan.

Ryan sighed. The werewolf changed his body to save him. It was a day earlier. Benjamin was right. In the space surrounded by three cars, the alpha wolf planed the ground and spewed dust. At that moment, it was a threat to all breathing lives.

"That won't happen again." Ryan patted Benjamin's sturdy arm.

After a moment of silence, Ryan wanted to relax the atmosphere. "Well, where did you go? Do you remember that day?"

Benjamin's head did not move, and his brown eyes turned to Ryan, just one eye. Ryan sat down honestly and stopped talking.