The Eldritch Files

’I wonder if that one cryptic thing I said yesterday will be enough to help Rong Qiyue get it done.’

Han Su was thinking about this very problem as he got up.

He couldn’t have been more specific; it would have exposed Rong Qiyue. If his own identity as the Heir was ever revealed, someone could use Rong Qiyue to track him down.

Still, he was genuinely concerned about Rong Qiyue’s lab. Even if he didn’t have the right conditions now, Han Su had to figure out what the Emperor’s writing was and what made it so special before his next trip back to the Ancient Castle.

Otherwise, he’d have no confidence when facing that mysterious opponent on the other end of the phone.

However, Han Su had a backup plan. If things at Dingxiang Mansion really didn’t work out, he would try asking Zhang Chiguo.

After changing his clothes, he picked up his old suitcase and headed out.

Even though his head throbbed just thinking about all the things he had to deal with, there was one other matter Han Su had to take care of right away.

Following a memory, he first went to the Public Security Bureau. After flashing his credentials, he got an address, hailed a cab straight there, and went to pay a visit. The door was opened by a young woman in loungewear, her ponytail tied up messily.

”Who are you looking for?”

The woman looked quizzically at the man in the trench coat holding a suitcase at her door.

”Do you remember me?”

Han Su looked at her intently. ”My last name is Han. I’m the sole survivor of that kidnapping case. You were my counselor back at the Public Security Bureau.”

”Ah, it’s you...”

The woman only remembered Han Su because of the unique nature of the kidnapping case, but her expression turned wary and scrutinizing.

She didn’t let him in. ”You... why have you come to my home? What is it?”

”I remember... we haven’t seen each other in a long time...”

”...”

”That’s right.”

Han Su nodded. ”So, you don’t have a cat that does backflips, do you?”

The woman found his words too strange. Her gaze grew more scrutinizing, and she didn’t answer.

”Sorry to have bothered you.”

Han Su let out a soft sigh and turned to leave. As he walked downstairs, an inexplicable emptiness settled in his heart.

Although he had already suspected it, seeing it for himself finally confirmed one thing: Miss Ai was, for now, gone.

Black Rose had only ever been an illusion in his life.

It was Miss Ai, using her electronic double, who had accompanied him through his first three years of confusion and uncertainty.

But then, after solving all his problems for him at the very end, she had left just as she said she would, leaving behind only the two words, ”See you.”

Leaving the home of the psychologist he once thought he knew so well—but who was, in fact, a stranger—Han Su took a bus to the Disaster Management Bureau base. Being mixed in with a crowd would help dilute some of his bad mood.

Amidst the swaying crowd, some young people were playing a video on speaker, discussing the live broadcast of the Queen’s Organization beauty pageant finals.

”Wei Lan is about to win the Empress title?”

Han Su craned his neck and saw the results of the finals on the young man’s phone.

The massive beauty pageant had been building hype for two months. In the end, four contestants made it to the final stage. Each was unique in her beauty—some slender, some voluptuous, all exquisitely gorgeous—and every one of them possessed a beauty breathtaking enough to steal one’s breath away.

But Wei Lan was undoubtedly the most outstanding. Just before the finals, the bleeding wound on her face had finally healed with the death of Bai Shi, becoming exquisite and perfect once more.

The moment she walked down the T-stage, followed by countless cameras, her heart-stopping beauty sent a shockwave through everyone watching.

This was a common, and indeed, an expected state for the Queen’s Organization.

In the contests of the Queen’s Organization, it was rare for contestants to be evenly matched and indistinguishable. Even if they appeared to have similar strength and looks when standing on the same stage, the moment of final judgment would instantly reveal a world of difference between them.

It was as if, at the very moment the title of Empress was decided, the winner would instantly absorb all the splendor and charm of the losers, achieving a kind of bewitching coronation.

This was the case with Wei Lan now. Previous news reports hadn’t given her high odds of winning, but now, standing on the stage, her beauty seemed to have grown exponentially, almost bursting through the screen.

The other three contestants, in contrast, were dim and lackluster, reduced to mere foils.

The result was undoubtedly unexpected. Many experts had commented that when Wei Lan first returned to Qinggang, she was in poor shape and seemed to have no chance at the Empress title. But no one knew what she had done in the past month or so to undergo such a world-shaking transformation.

Her theme for the finals was ”War Doll.”

Han Su didn’t understand these things, but he could see Wei Lan’s pride and confidence through the camera, as well as an extremely strong sense of vengeance.

This gave her a mental state that overwhelmed all the other contestants.

’Wei Lan has found something to be loyal to...’

By the time Han Su got off the bus, he was already quite sure of this conclusion, thinking, ’When she first came back to Qinggang, she said she couldn’t bring herself to worship the Empress wholeheartedly—that her mentality was off.’

’Now, it seems she has not only solved her mental issues but has even taken a step further.’

’This is good for us.’

’In the Queen’s Organization, there’s a world of difference in status and power between someone with the title of Empress and someone without. Now that she’s won the title of Empress for the Qinggang region, it means Wei Lan has taken a huge step up the mystic ladder!’

’Pot Lid Head’s strength was already difficult to fathom, and Rong Qiyue is now the person with the highest public standing...’

’Does that mean our weak link right now is... me?’

’No, that’s not right. There’s still Xu Ji...’

”...”

”...”

Thinking it over, a real sense of urgency began to well up in Han Su.

He himself had only just completed the ”Understanding” level with the help of the Fishing Song.

The path of ”Stealing” was not yet clear.

No matter how many grand goals were discussed during meetings, they would all come to nothing if he didn’t hurry up and increase his strength.

When a critical moment arrived, he couldn’t just charge at the enemy shouting platitudes, could he?

”Mr. Butcher...”

”Ah, Investigator Butcher, hello.”

”Is that him? The Disaster Management Bureau’s strongest Investigator? He’s so young...”

”The record-breaking S-Class Investigator. Even the current Independent Investigators in Qinggang didn’t get an S-Class rating back in the day...”

”Worthy of an S-Class, huh? Look, he hasn’t even become an Independent Investigator yet, and he’s already using an old suitcase...”

Arriving at the Disaster Management Bureau base, before he even saw Zhang Chiguo, he was met with a wave of stares and awed whispers from the regular staff.

He really was famous now.

He had already become the Disaster Management Bureau’s one-and-only star Investigator, but after the Mother Divine Tree incident, his fame had reached a new level. He was now an S-Class Investigator who outshone even the original four great Investigators.

If it weren’t for the enemies lurking in the shadows, Han Su would have wanted to properly enjoy these looks of awe from those around him.

But as it was, he really wasn’t in the mood. He just picked up his suitcase and walked straight to Zhang Chiguo’s office. After knocking and entering, the first thing Zhang Chiguo noticed was the suitcase in his hand. A flicker of surprise crossed his face, followed by a soft sigh.

”Have a seat.”

Zhang Chiguo poured two cups of water into disposable paper cups, one for Han Su and one for himself. ”You submitted that report?” he asked.

Han Su knew what he was referring to and nodded. ”Yes!”

Zhang Chiguo was silent for a long moment before saying, ”You were very busy yesterday. When I got back to the Disaster Management Bureau, I saw a lot of reports on my desk.”

”There was the report on the resolution of the red-eye disease incident and its escalation into the Mother Divine Tree incident, as well as proof confirming you had nothing to do with the disappearance of Drunkard and the other Investigators, and so on.”

”It was only later that I learned you had even submitted the report requesting to open a case.”

”...”

Hearing this, Han Su also grew a little curious. ”And the result?”

Zhang Chiguo looked Han Su in the eye, nodded slightly, and said, ”The higher-ups approved your application to reopen the investigation into the kidnapping case.”

Han Su was stunned. ”What?”

This time, Han Su truly hadn’t expected it. The dumbfounded look on his face was completely genuine.

Yesterday, Miss Ai had seemingly used her last chance before being blocked again to solve a lot of problems for him at once, the most important of which was submitting this application.

But as he always felt, Han Su himself didn’t trust the Disaster Management Bureau and had no idea how the higher-ups would react to the application. Rather than having any expectations, he had been more interested in seeing what excuse they would use to reject the case this time.

In any case, his own private investigation would proceed regardless of what they did. He was already drafting a plan in his head to kidnap Secretary No. 2.

And yet, in just one night, they’d approved it?

”The data in the report was very detailed.”

Zhang Chiguo spoke slowly. ”So, the higher-ups had no reason not to approve reopening the investigation.”

”Judging from the approval notice, not only did they acknowledge the points of suspicion you raised, but they even specifically assigned an Independent Investigator to take charge of this matter.”

”...”

”An Independent Investigator?”

Hearing this, Han Su narrowed his eyes slightly. He was a little surprised that the higher-ups had agreed to reinvestigate the kidnapping case, but sure enough, he couldn’t get his hopes up with them.

He was clearly the one who submitted the application, yet they sent someone else to investigate?

He just gave a faint smile and said, ”As long as it gets investigated, that’s what matters. Do you know who they sent?”

”It’s Li Moxi.”

When Zhang Chiguo mentioned this person, his expression clearly grew serious, even showing the strain of someone reluctant to speak of him. ”He was once the Disaster Management Bureau’s record holder for handling anomalous incidents. He’s also the most efficient.”

”His Red Sea Studio has been officially withdrawn from the secret prison at sea and is preparing to begin investigative work in Qinggang.”