Fourteen. The Sudden Attack

Thump, thump, thump—

Thick legs clad in dark red plush slippers descended the wooden staircase from the upper floor.

Oliver, who was holding the microphone, quietly shifted his gaze upward and saw Mrs. Slav in her floral nightgown arrive beside him, her slippers tapping impatiently against the floor.

A breath like that of a ferocious beast echoed overhead.

Oliver squeezed out a smile, not daring to look directly at the figure, with arms crossed in front of her chest, as thick as his thigh, "Mrs. Slav, the boss said he will be over in an hour."

The sound of a gust of wind whistled by his ear, a hand as large as a door panel came down, followed by a solemn voice.

"You did well."

In that moment, Oliver thought his head would be smashed to pieces; everything before his eyes slowed down, memories flashing by like a passing horse parade.

The large hand gently came to rest on Oliver's nest-like brown hair.

The vast silhouette turned and heavy footsteps climbed the stairs, the wood trembling softly as she returned upstairs.

Oliver's tense body slumped down, leaning against the table to keep from falling.

"Sorry, boss..."

Oliver felt a mix of guilt and anxiety, trying to convince himself. For instance, if Mrs. Slav succeeded in her designs on the boss, he would no longer need to risk exorcising spirits for money.

Hopefully, the boss wouldn't hate him for it.

Oliver thought.

...

Black Gold District, a place slightly "higher-end" than the Sailor District.

The inhabitants here generally held stable and safe jobs, whereas the residents of the Sailor District, just like the name suggests, primarily consisted of sailors and crew members.

As such, the sensory impression of the Black Gold District was more favorable: no persistent fishy odor in the air, no ragged poor people, nor malnourished children playing in the streets.

Occasionally, nobles dressed in sumptuous attire would pass through—a sight almost unseen in the Sailor District.

In front of Mrs. Slav's apartment stood a three-story building, roughly the size of a basketball court, its near 10-meter height making it stand out conspicuously on this street.

When Lu Li arrived at the entrance, Oliver was pacing back and forth with his hands in his pockets beneath the front steps, not immediately noticing the approaching Lu Li.

"Are you troubled by something?"

A familiar voice sounded from the side, Oliver lifted his head in surprise, seeing the tall and slender figure, "Boss, boss!"

His panicked appearance struck Lu Li as odd, "Is something wrong?"

"No, no! Come in with me."

Oliver, not daring to look directly at Lu Li, turned and entered the apartment with his head lowered, stumbling on a step from his nervousness, nearly colliding with the door.

Lu Li, standing behind, watched all this in silence and followed him into the apartment without a word.

The lighting in the lobby was somewhat dim. Belfast's buildings often lacked numerous windows; it was bearable in sunny weather, but during gloomy weather, the inside could become very dark.

"I'll take you to see Mrs. Slav," Oliver said as he ascended the staircase, not daring to look back for fear of being read.

"Hmm."

Lu Li followed behind, surveying the surroundings.

On the second floor, an extended corridor flanked by tightly closed doors, and just one window at each end, left the hallway so dimly lit one could barely make out shapes. A faint beam of light illuminated the dusty, faded wooden boards above.

Just a few steps behind Oliver, he suddenly remembered something, "Ah, boss, you go ahead to Mrs. Slav's room, it's the one on the right at the end of the hallway. I'll go back to my room and get the other commissions for you."

With that, Oliver opened the door next to him.

"I can wait here for you," Lu Li said.

Oliver's body stiffened, and he turned around with a forced laugh, "That's not very good..."

Lu Li watched Oliver for a few seconds, then imperceptibly nodded, "Then I'll go on ahead."

"Alright, I'll get the stuff and be right there!" Oliver quickly promised.

As Lu Li continued forward, the sound of a door opening and closing came from behind him.

Oliver's abnormal demeanor was so obvious that Lu Li didn't need to think twice to recognize there was a problem.

Although Oliver had no reason to harm him, placing his safety in the potentially good intentions of others was not something Lu Li would do. His hand reached into his bosom, gripping the handle of the flintlock pistol.

A dozen seconds later, Lu Li reached the end of the hallway. The door was ajar, and a subtle, barely discernible fragrance wafted from the crack.

"Is Mrs. Slav there?"

Lu Li raised his hand to knock, lightly tapping. The door creaked slowly open with just that gentle push.

Everything inside the room came into view.

The room was very bright, perhaps because of the four windows. Light streamed through the thin sheer curtains, blending with the pink tones of the room to create an ethereal girlish style.

As Lu Li approached the room, the scent of perfume became intense, uncontrollably quickening one's heartbeat. Lu Li's gaze fell on a photo frame on the nightstand. The picture inside showed a girl with a beaming smile and twin pigtails. She was pretty with a few freckles on her cheeks adding vitality, holding a teddy bear that was much larger than herself.

Now, that teddy bear sat in a corner, its faded and worn appearance seeming to suggest many years had passed since the photo was taken.

After a quick glance, Lu Li withdrew his gaze, turning to retreat back to the door to wait.

Entering someone's bedroom without their permission was quite impolite.

But as he turned, a ghastly pale cheek festooned with fat emerged from behind the door.

Lu Li's dark pupils suddenly narrowed to pinpoints as he stepped back swiftly, opening his coat and shouting coldly, "Evil spirit, be gone!"

"Mr. Luli, you've finally arrived!"

A voice cried out in surprise.

Lu Li halted his attempt to draw the flintlock pistol, frowning slightly, "Mrs. Slav?"

The figure behind the door was broad and sturdy, with blonde hair neatly tied into a ponytail. The floral nightgown stretched tight over her figure, with a pair of thick legs protruding from under the hem.

A woman with an impact in every sense, especially with her pallid face and fiery red lips.

"My name is Nova Slav, Mr. Luli, you can call me Nova," said Mrs. Slav, blinking rapidly, her gaze greedily fixed on Lu Li's face.

Her eyes were like those of a bear that had found honey.

Lu Li withdrew his hand, letting it hang naturally, "Alright, Mrs. Slav."

Mrs. Slav pushed the door further open, "Oliver has spoken to me about you; you're even more handsome and... unique than he described."

She moved closer to Lu Li unconsciously, lost in his eyes as deep as abysses.

Realizing something was amiss, Lu Li frowned and spoke up, "Mrs. Slav, please conduct yourself properly, I—"

His voice cut off abruptly. Lu Li dodged to the side, avoiding Mrs. Slav's sudden bear hug.

Before Lu Li could steady himself, that large figure came at him again, forcing him to leap onto the bed and roll to the side as Mrs. Slav bore down on him.

Bam!

A heavy thud resounded behind him, the floor trembling with the impact.

Seizing the moment, Lu Li pulled the door open and bolted out of the room.

After dashing down a corridor of some ten meters, he rushed back to the ground floor lobby, only to find the door firmly shut.

The apartment door had been locked.