The Eldritch Files

Han Su went downstairs, suppressing his anger, only to see a flashy red sports car parked in the narrow alley below. ”Give me one reason not to kill you.”

”Whoa, you’re this angry? I must’ve called while you were busy with your ’craft,’ huh?”

”...Stick your neck out!”

”Bro, my bad... I heard someone’s giving you trouble again?”

Giving Xu Ji a surprised glance, Han Su got into his car. Xu Ji immediately leaned in close, his expression grave.

”My dad’s assistant called me. My family’s security department detected a bounty on you posted online. They figured some idiots would come looking for trouble, and since we’re close, they were worried it might affect me, so they gave me a specific warning.”

Han Su was surprised. ”Then why’d you come looking for me in the middle of the night?”

Xu Ji said, ”I was worried you’d be in trouble! Of course I had to rush over.”

”Perfect timing, actually. You should come out with me tonight. I’ll introduce you to a friend. He’s a big deal here in Qinggang City. Once you know him, a lot fewer people will dare to mess with you.”

”There are plenty of shady characters in Qinggang, but they’re all small-time. They aren’t even that scared of my dad’s name, but they’re terrified the second they hear this guy’s.”

”Hmm?”

Han Su gave Xu Ji a somewhat surprised look.

In the kidnapping case all those years ago, this young master of the Xu Family had been one of the children abducted.

But after Han Su saved him, the entire world seemed to forget he had ever been kidnapped. Or rather, in the current world, the kidnapping had never happened at all.

Still, that kidnapping had made many of Qinggang’s elite families highly vigilant. They all strengthened the protection for their children, and Xu Ji’s family was no exception—in fact, their security was among the tightest.

Now, ten years later, although things weren’t as tense, the security department established specifically to protect him still existed.

The kind where on the surface, he could do whatever he wanted without a single follower in sight, but in reality, a security team was monitoring him at all times.

’But that security department... they’re even monitoring information related to me?’

’If they thought I was dangerous, wouldn’t normal parents just tell him to cut ties with me and be done with it?’

As for Xu Ji’s offer to help, he didn’t refuse.

In truth, Xu Ji had already helped him a lot at school. They were so tight that whenever people wanted to do something to Han Su, they had to consider Xu Ji’s existence.

Take, for instance, the Chairman of the Magic Box Group, who would show up at school from time to time looking for him.

If not for Xu Ji’s presence, there were probably many people who would have been more than happy to help the Magic Box Group’s Chairman ”persuade” him.

Thinking of those annoying private investigators, Han Su pondered for a moment before asking, ”Will he be willing to help me?”

”Not help?”

Xu Ji scoffed. ”That depends on who’s asking. If he’s not willing to help you, then he can forget about getting any more cellar-aged red wine from the Western Continent or imported Cigars from the Southern Continent from me.”

Han Su didn’t point it out.

The rich young masters of Qinggang City all liked to hang out with Xu Ji. And coincidentally, every single one of them had some small favor they happened to need his help with.

For example, certain red wines only Xu Ji could procure, or a certain Qinggang City professor only Xu Ji could make an introduction to, and so on.

They would ask Xu Ji, and Xu Ji would happen to be able to help with that small favor. Afterward, they would treat him to a meal as thanks. One thing led to another, and their relationships would become quite close.

The downside to this phenomenon was that Xu Ji often felt he was very important.

”Let’s go!”

”Awesome.”

Having been rejected so many times, Han Su’s rare, straightforward agreement made Xu Ji ecstatic. He slapped Han Su hard on the back and said, ”I knew it! You’re finally willing to corrupt yourself.”

”Don’t worry, this friend of mine loves to spend money. It’s his birthday tonight, and he said he wants to liven things up. He invited a few hundred beautiful women—mature, cute, every type you can imagine. Everyone will get ten each.”

”It might not have the precision and consideration of your own ’handiwork,’ but the real, living warmth is an acceptable substitute.”

”...”

Han Su was speechless.

’How could one person perfectly embody two such contradictory traits: rich kid and total loser?’

’A guy with his personality... how the hell is he so rich?’

’And why am I, such a respectable person, so poor and caught up in so much crap?’

Xu Ji picked up Han Su, and they drove on the intercity highway for over an hour, finally reaching the outskirts of the city.

In the world today, extremely prosperous commerce had given rise to countless megacities.

They started at twenty or thirty million people, and it was said that there were even super-metropolises with populations over a hundred million, or even several hundred million. The way these massive cities drained the population and industry from their surroundings led to the desolation and decay of vast swaths of smaller towns.

Nowadays, aside from specific industries and certain reclusive communities, towns and villages were largely desolate. Only undocumented people roamed there, surviving on smuggling or farming.

Many children born in the cities might never visit the outskirts in their entire lives, growing up and dying in the steel forest.

It was the rich kids like Xu Ji, however, who often fled the city to find novel amusements in these sparsely populated places.

At the end of a remote, weed-choked road, a variety of unidentifiable luxury cars were already parked. Burning waste oil barrels and several suspended high-powered lights illuminated the surroundings with a dazzling glare.

Countless young men and women in unconventional or exquisitely sexy outfits were gathered here. The blinding lights seemed to turn this patch of suburbia into a nightclub.

Han Su got out of the car and looked around. ’Xu Ji was definitely bullshitting. Same old habit.’

’Where are the hundreds of beautiful young girls who look like celebrities...’

’There are clearly only a few dozen.’

’It’s impossible for every guy here to get ten each. By a rough estimate, they’d be lucky to get two.’

”Why’d you bring him here again?”

Seeing Xu Ji arrive, some people who were on good terms with him immediately came over to greet him.

One of them, dressed in a dark blue casual suit, was someone Han Su had seen before. His name was Zhang He, the birthday boy tonight, and also the ”underground boss” Xu Ji had specifically wanted to introduce him to.

This man was also very rich, but unlike Xu Ji’s other friends who only knew how to spend money, he was a rich young master who also held a fair bit of influence in Qinggang City’s underworld.

The mere mention of Young Master Zhang was enough to make many street thugs’ legs cramp up in fear.

”You went back just to pick him up?”

Young Master Zhang himself walked over holding a glass of champagne. His gaze swept past Han Su as he asked the casual question. He then gave Han Su a polite but distant nod and said, ”Go find something to eat first. I have something to discuss with Xu Ji.”

The words were spoken with the kind of casual arrogance one would use to order around a lackey.

Han Su didn’t mind. He just nodded slightly and went to find food, but Xu Ji’s expression instantly soured.

Walking over to several long tables set up nearby, Han Su saw a lot of food laid out, though it was mostly simple fare like pizza and barbecue. Not far off, someone was grilling steaks over a fire barrel, the meat sizzling as the fat rendered.

’If I hadn’t come myself,’ Han Su thought, ’I never would have known these rich kids just eat this kind of stuff.’

Han Su casually picked up a few pieces of barbecued meat to eat while observing his surroundings.

In the circle of the rich, the concept of things getting lost or stolen didn’t seem to exist. Many discarded items of clothing, watches, camera equipment, and laptops were just tossed aside.

Han Su casually picked up a camera that was sitting on the hood of a car, turned it on, and zoomed in, aiming it in Xu Ji’s direction.

He used the camera’s view to watch the lip movements of the two who had walked off to the side.

His eyesight was excellent. While he couldn’t perform the miraculous feat of reading every single word from their lips, he could roughly make out the content of their conversation.

He could see Xu Ji looking displeased, venting at Young Master Zhang in the blue suit. ”What the hell is your problem?”

”I’ve told you many times, Han Su is my brother—we have a ride-or-die friendship. He’s not one of those lackeys trailing behind you.”

”I told you in advance I was bringing him this time. The way you talk to him makes me really uncomfortable. It pisses me off more than if you insulted my own father.”

”If you insulted my dad, I could at least respect you for having the guts. But giving my brother attitude right in front of my face? Are you trying to embarrass me? If there’s a next time, we’re done hanging out.”

”...”

The man named Zhang He didn’t seem upset. Instead, he smiled coolly and said, ”I know you two are close, but to be blunt, he’s not on our level. What’s the point of you forcing an outsider into our circle every single time?”

Xu Ji sneered, looking at him intently. ”Only people who expect to get something out of others are picky about who their friends are.”

”Unlike you, I don’t have to fight seven or eight siblings for the family inheritance, and I don’t expect my friends to help me with anything.”

”So I hang out with whoever I damn well please.”

”...”

The remark was extremely blunt, but Zhang He actually chuckled and said, ”Well said. If we’re really going to be precise about it, we’re merely rich. Your family, on the other hand, has status.”

”But you don’t have to be angry with me. Perhaps after this birthday, I really won’t have the chance to hang out with you anymore.”

Xu Ji was taken aback. ”What do you mean?”

All this time, he was always the one who chose not to hang out with others; he’d never seen someone not want to hang out with him.

Zhang He smiled.

Unlike the faint arrogance on his face when he spoke to Han Su, the demeanor he showed Xu Ji was tolerant and gentle, as if he had no temper at all. ”I’ve recently decided to stop being a playboy messing around in Qinggang’s underworld. I’m going to wash my hands of it all.”

?”

Xu Ji was stunned. ”Can you wash your hands of it *after* you do my brother a small favor?”

”...”

Zhang He said, ”Didn’t you just say you don’t expect people to help you with things...?”

Xu Ji retorted, ”Do I look like I’m in a class that needs to worry about saving face?”