Chapter 34: Mr. Huang's Commission

Caught off guard, I barely had time to react. As I turned my head, sharp canine teeth were coming straight for my eyeballs.

"Bang!" Before I could even cry for help, a force sent me flying. When my vision cleared, I saw a scruffy yellow dog affectionately licking my wrist.

"Did you just save me?"

The shopkeeper was drenched in cold sweat. If his dog had blinded me, the consequences would have been dire.

"You okay, buddy?" he asked, crouching beside me.

"I'm fine, don't worry." As I was about to stand up, a tingling sensation spread through my wrist. Glancing down, I noticed the dog was fixated on licking one specific spot.

"This dog seems to like me... Wait a minute!" A flash of realization struck me. It's licking the scar left by the Hell Show's Plum Blossom Curse!

I quickly pulled my arm back, ignoring the shopkeeper's awkward grin. I crouched down to meet the dog's eyes. "Do you know what this is?"

The shopkeeper was baffled by my reaction. "Why are you lying down? Don't tell me you're planning to extort me."

"Boss, I want this dog!"

"Huh? What's going on?"

"I said, I want this dog!"

"Look, buddy, the dog's not for sale. That fifty-thousand-dollar price tag was just some drunk old Taoist rambling."

"What's its name?"

"Why are you so insistent? This dog's been waiting for its owner to come back. Even if you buy it, it'll sneak away to return here."

"Tell me its name!"

"Bai Qi."

"Bai Qi? As in the Qin Dynasty's greatest general, who slaughtered 400,000 men?"

"Well, the name's the same, but—"

"What a domineering name! Such murderous energy! No wonder it's unshaken by adversity or haunted by spirits. This dog is perfect—I must have it!"

Standing up, I pulled out my Hell Show black card. "Boss, I'll pay you the full fifty thousand—down to the last penny!"

"Buddy, calm down..." The shopkeeper was utterly stunned. What kind of logic was this?

"No need to hesitate. This is the one I've been looking for!" I reached into my pocket, pulled out two hundred yuan, and stuffed it into the shopkeeper's hand. "We'll pay in installments. Here's the first two hundred. Bai Qi! Let's go!"

Jogging away, Bai Qi, drawn by the scent of the plum blossom scar, followed closely behind.

By the time we'd run two streets away, I could hear the shopkeeper shouting. He was barefoot in his slippers, waving the two hundred yuan and chasing after us. "Hey, the dog's not for sale!"

"I'll definitely pay the remaining forty-nine thousand eight hundred later! No need to see me off!"

Once we'd left the pet market, I flagged down a taxi and quickly got in.

"Drive around the city for a while, then bring me back here. Hurry up."

"Sure thing."

When I finally returned to the pet market, I was relieved to see that the shopkeeper hadn't called the police and was back to running his business as usual.

"Maybe he thinks I'll sneak back tomorrow," I muttered, stroking Bai Qi's neck. The dog, now lying human-like across my lap, kept sniffing at the scar on my wrist.

"You know about the Hell Show too?" That was where the nightmare began, a place I could never forget. Admittedly, my fear of returning to investigate the Lightless Road was proof of the trauma it had left behind.

Back at Peak of Joy, Xiaofeng had already prepared dinner. She was seated at the table, diligently memorizing the names and prices of various products.

Watching her calmly recite one embarrassing name after another, I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Dinner smells great today. I could smell it before I even walked in."

"You're back!" Xiaofeng happily greeted me but froze when she noticed Bai Qi trailing behind. With a scream, she darted back into the shop.

"Gao Jian! W-What is that?"

"It's Bai Qi. From now on, he's part of the team."

As Bai Qi wagged his tail and leisurely circled Xiaofeng, the poor girl, her fate tied to the Red Luan Star, trembled in fear.

Seemingly satisfied with her reaction, Bai Qi barked three times before heading off to play with his tail in a corner.

"Xiaofeng, from now on, prepare three portions for meals. Make sure every meal includes meat. This dog is practically human—don't let him go hungry."

"I feel like you treat him better than you treat me."

Seeing Xiaofeng's fear and slight pout, I quickly sat beside her. "You've been working hard. I'll give you a raise. Tomorrow, we'll also buy you some new clothes..."

After saying this, I silently berated myself. Why do I sound like such a smooth-talking liar?

Watching her cheer up as she piled food onto my plate, I swallowed words that could never be spoken aloud.

The next morning, urgent knocking woke me from a sound sleep.

"Who is it?"

Opening the door, I was greeted by a man wrapped tightly in a trench coat.

"Buddy, coming to an adult store isn't something to be embarrassed about. No need to dress like a secret agent."

The man spoke in a cold tone. "Inside, please. I have a business proposition for you."

"Business?"

Once inside, I sent Xiaofeng out to tend the shop and poured the trench coat man a cup of tea. "What kind of business?"

Without a word, he placed a briefcase on the table and opened it. Inside were stacks of cash.

"A hundred thousand for the job."

"Quite a generous offer." Compared to Xiaoqing's trivial errands, this was serious business. "This is the kind of deal that sustains you for three years. Let's hear it."

The man stood and checked that no one was eavesdropping before removing his hat and sitting down again. "Mr. Gao, I'm Zhang, the personal secretary to Mr. Huang, chairman of Qianding Pharmaceuticals."

"Hiring male secretaries is trending these days? A pleasure to meet you." My gaze remained fixed on the alluring red stacks of cash.

"This hundred thousand is just the deposit. If Mr. Huang is satisfied with your findings, we'll pay another hundred thousand."

"Two hundred thousand total? What do you want me to do? Corporate espionage?"

"Not quite. Mr. Huang has three children: two daughters and one son. The eldest daughter works out of province, the second daughter is bedridden with a serious illness, and his only son, Huang Guanxing, is a twenty-something playboy."

"You're not asking me to investigate your boss, are you?"

"Of course not. Mr. Huang himself is the one commissioning this. He met you at the Jiang family wedding and was impressed by your abilities, which is why I'm here."

"Sorry for the misunderstanding. Please continue."

"Mr. Huang's son, despite being a hedonist, was his only heir. To ensure his safety, Mr. Huang had him closely protected at all times. Yet, despite these measures, Huang Guanxing recently died."

"Died?"

"Yes. The official cause of death was a drunk-driving accident, with full responsibility attributed to Huang Guanxing."

"Well, that's on him, then," I said, lighting a cigarette. "Mind if I smoke?"

Zhang waved dismissively. "Mr. Huang's son was severely allergic to alcohol. The idea of him drinking and driving is implausible."

"Moreover, the alcohol was only discovered during the autopsy, leading Mr. Huang to suspect foul play. He believes someone murdered his son and staged the accident."

Straightening his posture, Zhang continued, "Given the many rivals of Qianding Pharmaceuticals, identifying the culprit is no simple task. Mr. Huang, as the company's public face, cannot personally investigate, so he wants you to look into it discreetly."

Private investigators usually avoid murder cases, but the money on the table was tempting.

"Alright, I'll take the case," I said, stubbing out my cigarette. "I'll need all the information you have, including his devices and social media accounts, to trace his contacts."

"No problem. I understand your methods." Zhang pulled a folder from his trench coat. "Here are his two phones and a record of his social media accounts and passwords. This is my card—contact me anytime for assistance."

After seeing Zhang off, I locked the upstairs room and opened the folder.

"Two hundred thousand. Looks like I'll have to give it my all."

Taking out Huang Guanxing's phone, I logged into his WeChat account. A familiar username popped up.

"'Handsome, Skilled, and Loved by Ladies? Isn't this..."