20. Hearing a chorus of “Wow” sounds.

The next day, Qiu Rong walked into the laboratory looking refreshed and radiant, leaving Yuan Shang in awe of his appearance.

“I can’t believe the person who was on the verge of death yesterday is you,” Yuan Shang remarked mischievously.

Qiu Rong didn’t pay any attention to him. He casually put his hands in his pockets, took out a black card held between his fingers.

Yuan Shang exclaimed, “Don’t trick me.”

Holding the low-key yet luxurious and tasteful black card in his hands, Qiu Rong confirmed that he wasn’t mistaken. It was indeed a limited edition black card.

Although it was just a supplementary card, it was enough to impress him.

“I never expected you to be this kind of person!” Yuan Shang cautiously handed back the bank card of unknown value to Qiu Rong, expressing his disdain. “A single card and you’re hooked!”

Qiu Rong safely kept the black card that CEO had left on the empty box by the bedside table. He raised an eyebrow and said, “You don’t understand. This is the result of my hard work.”

Yuan Shang replied, “Fine, I don’t understand, as usual.”

While feeling envious, Yuan Shang couldn’t help but marvel at Qiu Rong’s mindset. Most people would consider such a gift a burden, but Qiu Rong saw it as a form of amusement.

Little did they know, Qiu Rong had already mentally accounted for his wealth. When the opportunity arose, he would “whitewash” his assets and openly hand them over to his spouse!

Below A University Library, there was Lucky O Coffee shop, permeated with the rich aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans, invigorating and awakening the senses, making people yearn for a cup.

The wind chimes lightly tinkled as the glass door, shielding against the scorching heat, was pushed open. Qiu Rong had just walked over from the cafeteria, carrying the warmth with him.

The air conditioning quickly dispersed the uncomfortable heat, and Meng Baichuan raised his arm and waved at Qiu Rong, who noticed him and walked towards their secluded corner with fewer people.

Today, Ruan Sijia brought his laptop, and next to him lay a brand new book on Roman history, still unopened. Qiu Rong wondered whether he had recently bought it or if it was compensation from Luo Haoxuan.

Making room for Qiu Rong on the sofa, Ruan Sijia moved his belongings and sat down next to Meng Baichuan.

Seeing their leader take a seat, Meng Baichuan pushed the iced latte he had bought toward Qiu Rong and said, “Boss, I have good news and bad news. Which one would you like to hear first?”

Qiu Rong opened the straw, took a sip of coffee, and casually replied, “Bad news.”

Meng Baichuan choked on his words.

Ruan Sijia and Meng Baichuan had just agreed that each of them would take turns speaking. Meng Baichuan believed that Qiu Rong, who had just had a fight with his partner, must be in a bad mood, and typically, when someone is feeling down, they prefer to hear good news first. So, Meng Baichuan took the initiative to ask the question, intending to leave the bad news for Ruan Sijia to deliver.

However, this well-thought-out strategy was disrupted.

Ruan Sijia adjusted his glasses and subtly raised the corner of his lip, saying, “Let’s start with the good news.”

Ruan Sijia continued, “The good news is that the Supernatural Control Centre has provided us with Danny’s contact information. I’ve already sent the number to Huo Ye, but the response came from Zhi Xing. He said that Huo Ye, along with a few younger members of the clan, is up in the mountains, undergoing wilderness survival training and studying supernatural abilities. They are not allowed to come down until they meet the required standards.”

“When Huo Ye returns from the mountains, he will personally come to express his gratitude.”

Qiu Rong, “…”

Qiu Rong added, “There’s no need for that.”

Based on Huo Ye’s demeanor that day, Qiu Rong felt that he could spend three days and three nights listening to his love story.

Qiu Rong had been curious about why there was no news after Huo Ye added him on WeChat. It turned out that his big brother had sent him to train in the mountains.

As werewolves were originally wolves, quadrupedal animals, it was easier for those who grew up transitioning between human and Werewolf forms. But for Huo Ye, who had joined the supernatural world later, he would need some time to adapt.

Huo Zhixing effectively dissuaded his younger brother from venturing into writing literature about youth and pain immediately after completing the college entrance examination.

Qiu Rong thought they would have to go back and forth with the vampires to obtain the contact information, but surprisingly, they readily provided it. It could be considered good news. Qiu Rong asked, “So, what’s the bad news?”

Meng Baichuan reluctantly replied, “The bad news is that the Supernatural Control Centre has rejected our application to join the task force.”

Qiu Rong raised an eyebrow and asked, “What’s the reason?”

Meng Baichuan hesitated and said, “Uh…”

Ruan Sijia turned his laptop around, and on the screen was the official private website of the Supernatural Control Centre. The latest notification in the notification bar read: Anonymous Report | Based on the modus operandi, werewolves are highly suspected of criminal activities and are required to conduct a self-investigation.

Qiu Rong, “…”

The last time they saw a notification on the homepage, it read: Anonymous Report | Based on the modus operandi, vampires are highly suspected of criminal activities and are required to conduct a self-investigation.

There was no need to think twice; it was undoubtedly a retaliatory strike from the vampires.

Meng Baichuan explained, “The centre stated that until the suspicions are cleared, werewolves cannot temporarily join the task force.”

The Werewolf faction also received a private message notification, which even thoughtfully included a template for a self-investigation report.

Ruan Sijia opened and glanced at it. The content of the template was comparable to a practical report from their university, and it would likely require several tens of thousands of words to complete.

The website of the Supernatural Control Centre had maintained its simplistic design for decades, remaining unchanged with each update. It looked more like a semi-anonymous forum than an official website, with an outdated interface.

Clicking into the anonymous report notification, there was even a comment section below.

Apart from the individuals who logged into the website daily to check for messages, most people wouldn’t bother visiting this webpage out of boredom.

The last time vampires were reported, there were no comments below the notification.

…

Qiu Rong looked at the multitude of “Wow” comments in the Werewolf comment section, lost in thought.

The first person to reply to this notification still had a Werewolf avatar. The website followed a semi-anonymous rule for posting, with avatars typically representing different supernatural species, and this particular avatar was the symbol of the Werewolf faction.

Perhaps because someone took the lead, a cascade of “Wow” comments quickly followed, some from merfolk, vampires, feline-shifters… and there were also some avatars exclusive to individual users.

Qiu Rong, “…”

So, was everyone this bored?

Seeing Qiu Rong’s gloomy expression, Meng Baichuan suggested, “…Boss, how about we hack the website?”

Qiu Rong, “…”

Meng Baichuan continued, “This crappy website looks like it’s ready to crash at any moment.”

Qiu Rong said, “Stop with your dangerous ideas.”

“Didn’t Luo Haoxuan say he would give you a crash course in law? Where did that go?” Qiu Rong had a headache, wondering if Meng Baichuan behaved the same way in the team. Did his captain and coach never consider reporting them to the authorities?

Meng Baichuan thought that the boss would be angry when he saw the Werewolf faction being criticized with “Wow” comments on the main page of the center. However, Qiu Rong seemed to be in a good mood today and showed no intention of flattening the vampires with a blade. While Meng Baichuan let out a sigh of relief, he also felt a hint of regret.

It seemed like there was nothing to do today.

“What crash course? As soon as the superstar got in the car, he started twisting our words with me and Ruan Sijia,” Meng Baichuan nudged Ruan Sijia with his elbow and said, “But our little Ruan is quick-witted. With just a few sentences, he managed to confuse them.”

Ruan Sijia shyly smiled and said, “I stumbled upon a forum while looking up information about the Chunhe Road online. I didn’t expect it to come in handy.”

As for Meng Baichuan, he had contracts with both professional gaming and live streaming platforms, so he could indeed be considered a well-known streamer.

The two of them, relying on their advantage in age, engaged in banter in front of the professional actors. Ruan Sijia learned from Qiu Rong’s negotiation tactics with the center and subtly revealed half-truths to Luo Haoxuan, pretending to have something to hide. When Luo Haoxuan probed further, Ruan Sijia casually mentioned the other half, successfully making Luo Haoxuan believe that he had uncovered the truth.

Ruan Sijia said, “Later, I asked Teacher Luo what he and CEO Yan were doing at the club. He firmly claimed that he was there to cultivate the feel for a new role and even offered to show me a couple of script pages. He probably wasn’t lying.”

Meng Baichuan reminisced, “I saw CEO Yan calling over almost everyone who was idle to his private room upstairs, and I also approached those people. They said that in CEO Yan’s room, they were also given a lot of alcohol and asked questions, nothing more.”

Meng Baichuan said, “So the words of the big star should be fine, it was just a misunderstanding.”

It was evident that everyone was deeply concerned about the happiness of their respective clan leaders’ families.

Ruan Sijia asked, “Have you made up with CEO Yan?”

Qiu Rong replied, “We didn’t even argue in the first place.”

Meng Baichuan suddenly realized something and looked at Ruan Sijia, saying, “Did you tell the boss about this yesterday?”

Ruan Sijia innocently replied, “I briefly mentioned the story we made up, just in case CEO Yan asked the clan leader what to do.”

No wonder Ruan Sijia didn’t stop him from asking the clan leader about the information first. The clan leader had already made amends with CEO Yan, so of course, he was in a good mood.

Ruan Sijia must have guessed that Qiu Rong would answer by listening to the bad news first.

Meng Baichuan said, “You tricked me!”

Ruan Sijia tilted his head and asked, “Huh?”

Qiu Rong, sensing their hidden motives, interrupted with exasperation, “Even if I’m angry, it’s directed at the vampires. What are you afraid of?”

Meng Baichuan, Ruan Sijia, “…”

Qiu Rong didn’t know that his battle with Meng Jiadong years ago had left a deep impression on many clan members.

In a harmonious society, the Werewolf clan hadn’t witnessed such intense fighting in years. Even if they weren’t present at the scene, the rumors were enough to make people shudder.

In the past few years, perhaps due to being in a romantic relationship, Qiu Rong’s temper had improved. When he first became the leader of the Werewolf clan a few years ago, he exuded a strong sense of hostility, and the younger generation was somewhat afraid of him.

If someone’s child misbehaved and turned into a Werewolf, causing chaos at home, mentioning the clan leader’s name was enough to make them shut up.

Skipping that question, Ruan Sijia clicked on the computer and brought up a few screenshots, saying, “In that forum I told Teacher Luo about, there really was someone offering a reward for people in City A to check out Chunhe Road and see what’s happening. Some even suspect that there might be some mutated bats in City A that have bitten people to death.”

Qiu Rong raised an eyebrow, tempted to send this screenshot to the vampires.

Ruan Sijia continued, “In the comments that followed, someone said it was more like the work of vampires than mutated bats. They claimed to have witnessed a battle between vampires and werewolves, and then the thread completely went off-topic.”

Qiu Rong, “…”

Ruan Sijia added, “But when I checked today, that forum has been shut down. They said they’re undergoing reorganization.”

Qiu Rong suspected that when Luo Haoxuan reported the club yesterday, he also reported the forum.

But it was good that it got shut down.

Internet users’ imaginations were always the most imaginative and nonsensical. The internet landscape changed in an instant, and no one could predict where the next moment would take things. Comments speculating that the culprit was a vampire might be seen as a joke by most people, but you never knew if someone would believe it.

In a case where the perpetrator was truly an ability user and hadn’t been caught yet, such words were planting a landmine for the entire supernatural community.

No one could predict the kind of massive wave that a small butterfly flapping its wings would eventually create.

Since the blood loss case, the center had been suppressing information, fearing that any delay would lead to the situation escalating.

Once the case was reported and the authorities couldn’t provide a reasonable response, it only added to public panic.

However, banning internet users wouldn’t solve the problem. News spread like wildfire, and the modus operandi of the latest case was even more heinous. If it were to spread online, it would undoubtedly have a tremendous impact. By that time, it was doubtful whether the internet monitors would have time to delete the posts.

Moreover, the perpetrator showed no signs of restraint. There was a high probability of future incidents occurring.

Qiu Rong asked Meng Baichuan, “Did you not ask anything substantial during the meeting that night?”

Because he was worried about a fight downstairs, Meng Baichuan didn’t stay upstairs for long, but he asked everything he could.

Meng Baichuan shook his head and said, “I didn’t find out anything substantial. They have heard about the blood loss case, but they don’t know if it’s true or not. It’s just idle gossip among themselves.”

“I asked if they noticed anything unusual about the guests. There are two pieces of information that may be related to the blood loss case.”

“Some people said that a regular customer hasn’t been coming recently, so something might have happened to him. He said that the customer hasn’t been doing well lately, looking haggard, as if he has been engaging in excessive indulgence. He even asked if the other party was keeping someone elsewhere.”

Qiu Rong: “…”

Meng Baichuan: “Then the guest said that he has been having dreams every night, chatting with a beautiful person in his dreams, and when he wakes up, he feels exhausted.”

Qiu Rong: “…”

Qiu Rong: “Are they really just chatting?”

Meng Baichuan: “I asked that too.”

Meng Baichuan couldn’t bear to look back. “Then that young man said, ‘Why don’t you chat with me for a night and find out if it’s exhausting or not.'”

Qiu Rong: “…”

The two points Meng Baichuan mentioned that were worth paying attention to are the increasing haggardness and the dreams.

Ruan Sijia also mentioned in the reports he saw at the center that many of the deceased showed signs of weakness, anemia, and kidney deficiency before their deaths.

If we consider it from this perspective, Qiu Rong still suspects that this matter is related to succubi, but he didn’t sense any significant energy fluctuations on Chunhe Road that night.

Succubi are an alien race that exists between the physical and astral realms. They can freely transform between the two states, but each transformation generates a strong energy fluctuation. Most succubi prefer to remain in one state and are not easily discovered.

When in the astral state, succubi can enter a person’s dreams and feed on their spiritual and life force.

There is also another race, dream demons, who are even rarer than succubi. They are physical beings who can directly manipulate a person’s dreams and also feed on their spiritual and life force. However, they are naturally timid and rarely venture outside.

Nevertheless, they cannot be completely ruled out as suspects.

Qiu Rong pondered and said, “The case probably has nothing to do with the club itself. It seems more like the culprit targeted a specific group on Chunhe Road.”

“Based on the current situation, the victims chosen by the culprit are most likely lascivious individuals. By entering their dreams, the culprit consumes their lives until they die.”

“But whether it’s succubi or dream demons, they generally have no interest in a person’s physical body…”

The clues in hand were still too few, and the events seemed even more elusive without any leads. Qiu Rong glanced at Ruan Sijia’s computer screen showing the Control Center webpage and remembered the tens of thousands of words in the self-investigation report. He coldly laughed and said, “At a time like this, the Vampire Clan still wants to play the reporting game.”

Ruan Sijia, Meng Baichuan: “…”

Although, in a sense, it seems like we were the ones who started this game first…

Despite saying that, Qiu Rong decided to conduct an internal investigation of the Werewolf Clan as required by the center. The wounds found on the latest victim in the case indeed resembled those inflicted by a large wild beast.

It is believed that besides the Werewolf Clan, other animal-like races will also receive self-investigation notices in due course.

Next week is the exam week at University A, and Ruan Sijia has to use the remaining time to review. Qiu Rong also has exams for his general courses.

Meng Baichuan is about to enter the new season and has equally limited free time.

After considering for a moment, Qiu Rong delegated the internal investigation task to Huo Zhixing.

Without obtaining more information, Qiu Rong couldn’t make any progress in the case even if he wanted to investigate further. He decided to focus on daily life and temporarily set aside these matters.

With only two days left, senior colleagues in the laboratory urged Qiu Rong and Yuan Shang to go back and prepare for the exams.

While reviewing, Qiu Rong would also pick up and drop off Yan Ling from work. He felt that when he held Yan Ling’s waist that night, it felt a bit slimmer. He even bought some ingredients to spoil the cat during the weekend.

The ordinary days quickly passed by. Since the exam was scheduled for Monday morning, after Qiu Rong finished reviewing, Yan Ling promptly urged him to sleep.

It was another night of harmonious embrace, where warmth and coldness intertwined.

That night, a piece of news quietly climbed up the trending topics.

Author’s Note:

The next chapter will be released on a paid platform! This pigeon can’t accumulate three chapters, so I’ll write as much as I can tomorrow. Please don’t be disappointed QAQ.

This pigeon is also working hard to let the two husbands fall off the horse as soon as possible!

CEO Yan, Puppy Qiu: … We truly appreciate it.

Thank you all for your support~ Randomly dropping small red envelopes~