Eldritch Horror Theatre

In his original plan, the two visiting police officers were merely meant to serve as a communication channel with the Night Watchers.

They would uncover the hidden truth behind this ordinary public order case, thereby drawing qualified pawns right to his door.

Things had undeniably gone smoothly. The two of them hadn’t even needed him to guide them with a Lucid Dream; they had spotted the problem through sheer professionalism alone.

They had even pretended not to notice a thing, making the entire reporting process smooth as silk.

The only variable was the seemingly unreliable Brother Tommy. He turned out to be a bit overly responsible, actually intending to go interview the party involved.

Though as far as Fu Qian was concerned, they might not even get the chance to meet Mr. Rick.

...

Unlike Claire, Fu Qian didn’t think her husband was completely ignorant of his own situation.

And once Claire returned home, she would have no reason to hide today’s bizarre experience.

If Rick really was compromised, then upon hearing about this strange encounter with a charlatan, he likely wouldn’t share Tommy’s initial assumption of a technical crime over something from the Transcendent Tier.To him, this would serve as a bizarre and dangerous signal. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if he decided the wind was tight and pulled back.

That was exactly the goal Fu Qian wanted to achieve.

If he had just wanted a face-to-face conversation with Mr. Rick, he wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble; he could have simply paid him a visit.

The Warehouse’s overly cautious warnings, combined with the peculiar changes in Claire, had prompted Fu Qian to isolate himself as much as possible from the ”filth” he was dealing with.

Because of this, he wasn’t prepared to immediately confront Rick, the suspected source of the contamination. Instead, he chose to find someone else to monitor the man’s movements—namely, the Night Watchers.

Regardless of their reputation, Fu Qian was confident in their level of control, especially in a metropolis like this.

As long as he presented them with the right kind of anomaly, he could spur them into action to help monitor, investigate, and test the situation.

For instance, after receiving the police report, the initially nonchalant Night Watchers would suddenly discover that the suspected victim had vanished.

That would be the time for them to demonstrate their strength as a top-tier organization.

As for now, he figured he could stick to his promise to the police. When someone finally came knocking, he would help apply a little more pressure.

...

”So, where is he?”

As a top-tier supernatural organization, the Night Watchers certainly hadn’t disappointed.

Their response time was even faster than the police’s. While Fu Qian was still staring into the fridge to figure out today’s breakfast, a cold object pressed against the back of his head.

Accompanying it was an equally cold question.

”Sorry, I’d really love to help you, but I received strict orders from Officer Tommy to temporarily suspend my business.”

Faced with this sudden physical threat, Fu Qian didn’t even rush to turn around.

After casually explaining his inability to conduct business, he continued to rummage through the fridge before finally settling on a bottle of milk.

He even grabbed a glass from the side. Only then did he turn around to look at his third uninvited guest of the day.

Despite not being registered with the association, his business was practically booming.

Besides, just how much did the people around here love this type of weapon?

The object that had been pressed against the back of his head was undoubtedly a gun.

However, compared to the ones Brother Tommy and his partner carried, this one looked far more exaggerated.

The barrel was nearly twice as long, and the caliber looked large enough to take down an elephant—though its actual firepower was likely far greater.

Fu Qian knew perfectly well that this weapon held more than just mundane power.

In stark contrast to the weapon’s brutal style, the person wielding it was a slender woman.

She had flowing long hair, fiery red lips, and was dressed in a rather unrestrained leather jacket cut very low at the chest.

The front door remained shut; this hostile visitor clearly hadn’t come in through the usual route.

And despite her own rude intrusion, her expression somehow grew even more hostile as Fu Qian sized her up.

”Welcome. Care to take a seat over there?”

Fu Qian didn’t seem to mind her at all. After a brief look, he gave a satisfied nod and gestured for her to sit.

His reaction was entirely genuine. The pawn he had been banking on had not only arrived quickly but also appeared quite capable. How could he not be pleased with such smooth progress?

Of course, pleased or not, and despite his verbal invitation, Fu Qian still had no intention of grabbing a second glass to share his milk.

”...Alright.”

His blatant neglect seemed to catch her off guard.

The leather-clad woman stared at the bottle of milk in his hand for several seconds. To his surprise, she actually holstered the massive gun at her waist and accepted the suggestion.

Of course, this didn’t mean the threat had vanished. As far as Fu Qian could tell, even a barehanded swipe from her would be just as deadly.

...

”So, who were you looking for just now?”

Sitting across from her, Fu Qian poured himself half a glass of milk under her watchful gaze and took a sip before finally asking her business.

”I thought you couldn’t do business right now?”

Unfortunately, it seemed this visitor had an excellent memory. For a moment, she merely gave him a half-smile and repeated his own words back to him.

”That’s what the rules say, but you’re a Night Watcher, right?”

Swish!

That question was perhaps a bit too blunt. In an instant, she slammed her hands onto the table, looking as though she was about to lash out.

But she held herself back in the end, mostly because Fu Qian didn’t show any reaction at all to her sudden aggression.

”When I first got the report, my reaction was the same as everyone else’s. I thought those cops were just trying to slack off again.”

The brief standoff lasted until Fu Qian took another relishing sip of ice-cold milk. Only then did his third visitor relax her posture, scrutinizing him with a peculiar gaze.

”Now it seems there are actually a few reliable guys out there.”

”Yes, I am a Night Watcher. But what does that have to do with the question?”

”Of course it does. Officer Tommy restricted me to staying here to wait for further notice, and forbade me from working during that time,” Fu Qian analyzed with a serious expression.

”If you happen to be that ’further notice,’ then it means the restriction has been lifted, and I’m free to see clients again.”

”Alright then, I’ll have to trouble Master Grimshaw.”

Though she had listened intently, the third visitor’s acting was a bit over the top. After a brief pause, she burst into laughter, trembling like flower branches.

”My name is Winona. Can you help answer my question now?”

”The husband of your client from earlier, Rick Weasley, was just discovered missing from his home. Do you know why?”

That was fast. It seemed Mr. Rick really wasn’t just a simple, clueless victim.

”I do. It has to do with me.”

Things were progressing just as rapidly as he had anticipated. Quite satisfied, Fu Qian fully embraced his professional role and gave a direct nod.

...

”He sensed danger.”

The answer was incredibly blunt and striking. Before a stunned Winona could even ask another question, Fu Qian added one more sentence.