After this night, most of the high monsters heard that Foul-tempered Ying Qiao suddenly adopted a cub.

Although nothing was mentioned about the identity and clan of this young cub, Ying Qiao claimed this cub was cute and good-looking, more handsome than everyone who might hear this news.

Of course, almost everyone expressed their doubts about the last point. 

As to why Ying Qiao made the calls in the middle of the night, Ying Qiao had run into a little difficulty in raising the cub. The cub was going through a rebellious phase and just threw a tantrum.

Flaunting his newly-adopted cub in everyone’s face was the last thing in his mind.

After receiving the calls, high monsters pooled prank ideas and funds to make fun of Ying Qiao. The same night, a boxful of the cub-rearing book was ordered and delivered to Ying Qiao’s villa.

Cheng Hua just heard from Tai Feng that Ying Qiao had made a round of calls to flaunt his cub in the name of seeking help. As mild-tempered as that little monster was, it was a wonder that Ying Qiao managed to ruffle his feathers.

So after handing over the Tai Su, he hurried over to Ying Qiao’s place to see if he could amuse himself by teasing him.

When he came in, he saw Ying Qiao was unpacking a big carton box.

Cheng Hua was surprised, thinking Ying Qiao wasn’t acting normal after his row with Jiang Lan.” You always claimed you would never order anything online?”

As a picky dragon with self-claimed good taste, Ying Qiao only uses luxury brand items and designer clothing. Shopping online was considered beneath him.

Ying Qiao gave him a contemptuous look.” These are the books Kai Ming and others sent to me.”

He opened the box, picked up the book one by one with titles like: 

How to communicate with adolescent cubs, Give freedom to the young cub, How to raise a cub….

Cheng Hua.”…..”

But Ying Qiao genuinely believed that his friends were trying to solve his problems out of the goodness of their hearts. After picking up a book titled: how to communicate with adolescent cubs, he started to read in earnest.

After turning a few pages, Ying Qiao mumbled to himself.

“You have to understand and respect the young cub’s individual preference. Young cubs in their rebellious phase don’t have a well-developed worldview. They tend to adore those dashing and powerful high monsters…….”

With a thoughtful look, Ying Qiao reread this passage and turned to Cheng Hua.” In the eyes of little monsters, is the Special Service Branch very mysterious and mighty?”

Cheng Hua raised his eyebrow.”Of course, each time I went to the ground floor on business, those little monsters treated me with the utmost respect. On a few occasions, some people even asked for my signature as if I am a celebrity.”

These further confirmed his speculation. He asked again.” ….What about Tao Tie? Those little monsters also look up to Tao Tie?”

Cheng Hua wasn’t sure about this point. Actually, he didn’t go to the Bureau that often to know about this. He had heard about the recruitment of the Tao Tie by the Special Service Branch long ago, but he hadn’t met him so far. Instead, it was from those little monsters he heard some rumors about him.

After a little thought, he answered.”Perhaps…… It appears so.”

It was in the nature of monsters to respect power. The more powerful the monster is, the more respect it commands among its kind.

Ying Qiao believed he had found the key to understanding Jiang Lan’s mood swing.

Jiang Lan got mad only after he mentioned the Tao Tie.

Although he wasn’t pleased about this discovery, he had to admit that the little monster perhaps adorns the Tao Tie, judging by his reaction yesterday.

In the long decline of the monster race, any distinctions between Evil and Auspicious Monsters were long gone. Even for an evil monster like Tao Tie, he could still command a loyal following among little monsters as long as he was powerful.

Especially a little monster in a rebellious phase.

With lowered eyelids and crossed legs, Ying Qiao held the book while contemplating his situation. He thought his priority now was to appease the little monster. After that, he had to figure out how to influence him and turn him towards a worthy idol with righteous power. 

Like himself.

The Ying Dragon Clan were gods who chose to live on earth. He was born to be an auspicious monster. Was he a more worthy idol than the Tao Tie?

Watching his shifting expression, Cheng Hua thought Ying Qiao was mentally unstable after the latest incident with that little monster.

After a while, Ying Qiao walked over to the door, preparing to leave. Then he turned to point to the pile of books on the sofa.” These are fine books. Could you select some gifts for me to return the favor? You can find them in the underground warehouse.”

He added after a pause.” And deliver a message for me. Asking them to prepare some greeting gifts and red packet^[1]Called 红包, it usually contain money, a form of gift, when the time comes, I will pay a visit to collect them.”^[2]TL’s note: it is a custom in China that when junior members of a big family first pay a visit to a senior’s home, the later would usually prepare gifts or red packet for juniors. But it was … Continue reading

Cheng Hua.”…..”

You have managed to survive this far mainly because no one has the power to overcome you yet.

Otherwise, your tomb must have long been covered with greenery.

*******************************

Half-past eight in the morning, Jiang Lan went to work, feeling a little tired.

He didn’t sleep well last night, for he had a messy dream.

At the beginning of the dream, Ying Qiao badmouthed him again in his face. He returned to his original form in his rage, and Ying Qiao passed out facing this terrible monster. He hurried Ying Qiao to the hospital. Eventually, Ying Qiao was revived but no longer recognized him. The sight of him drove Ying Qiao crazy, saying he didn’t have such a friend. After he left Ying Qiao with a broken heart, he remembered it was time for work. He hurried to the office but forgot to turn into human form, and his gigantic body knocked the building down.

In the end, angry Chief Cheng fired him.

He not only lost his friend but also his job.

The dream was so miserable.

Then Jiang Lan woke up with a start.

After such a dream, he changed his mind about confessing to Ying Qiao his real identity. It might be prudent to wait a while before his confession.

After they grew closer, Ying Qiao would realize that the Tao Tie wasn’t such a vicious monster as people said.

With this rumor out of the way, they could still be best friends.

After coming to this decision, he bought a Wuhan hot-dry noodle with sesame paste in a paper bowl, two tea eggs, and a cup of soy milk and went to the office in a good mood.

Chief Cheng was in the office earlier than usual. Seeing the dark circle under Jiang Lan’s eyes, Chief Cheng offered some health tips with a Thermo cup full of wolfberry tea under his arm.” Young man, you need to pay attention to your health. Staying up late would lead to hair loss. You will regret this when you become like me.”

Then he touched his bald head with a sign.

Jiang Lan was flabbergasted.

Xue Meng ran into them on his way to a trash can. After overhearing their talk, he could hardly conceal his amusement. When Chief Cheng was not in earshot, he whispered to Jiang Lan.” Don’t listen to his nonsense. His baldness was hereditary, passing down the generations from his ancestors.”

These put Jiang Lan’s mind at ease. The monster was not like a human. Besides the hair on the head, he had hairs on other parts of the body to concern about.

He tried to picture a hairless Tao Tie from top-down. What a sight it would make!

Returning to his desk, Jiang Lan peeled off the tea eggshell and poured the soy milk into a small shallow bowl—-this was Suan Ni’s breakfast.

With half a cup of soy milk, he gobbled down the noodles.

The office hours began just after he finished the breakfast.

Chief Cheng convened a meeting.

This was the first time Jiang Lan met colleagues from the other departments of the Street Administration Office. There were about twenty employees in five departments. Except for the Civil Affairs Department he belonged to, there were Party Affair Office, Family Planning Office, Accounting Office, and Economy Department.

There were five Chiefs of office, including Chief Cheng.

After the meeting was convened, the chiefs took turns addressing the staff.

Jiang Lan summarized the meeting: To answer the Party’s call to raise people from poverty, the Street Administration office decided to launch a new campaign this year to go to the countryside to lift villagers out of poverty, putting them on the path to prosperity.

Every department in this office will be responsible for one or two villages in their administration zone. Since the superiors in the municipal office stressed the importance of this campaign, they had to start early. Every department had to allocate resources to the campaign and develop a plan. When the campaign concludes, the municipal superiors will assess the result and reward outstanding performance accordingly.

This meeting took a whole morning.

Jiang Lan had never participated in this kind of activity, so he was unclear about what he was in. But Xiao Xiaoyu and Xue Meng were very depressed.

Aware of his ignorance, Xue Meng described the activities they had to endure in the previous campaigns.” Three years ago, we went to the countryside helping villagers planting rice. Two years ago we put on a culture show, dancing and singing for the villagers. Last time we brought gifts and paid visits to widowed elders and migrant worker’s children, we ended up cooking meals with mud stoves for a week…..”

A depressing look was on his face.” God knows what this year’s campaign would bring.”

Xiao Xiaoyu was also gloomy.” You can ask when Vice Chief Zhang Tianxing could end his leave. It is better if we have an extra hand to share the load.”

Jiang Lan.”…..”

Even though they had never met, he began to feel sympathy for this colleague.

At noon break, they went out to eat in a restaurant.

After they took seats in a Sichuan food restaurant, they heard Xue Meng give a cry of surprise. He showed his phone screen.” The murder cases in the district were resolved. The police announced that an evil cult was behind these murders. The jewelry shop we went to was the lair of that evil cult.”

Jiang Lan and Xiao Xiaoyu peered closely at the screen. On a Weibo^[3]A Twitter-like social media platform in China page, the official account of Jiang City Police just posted an announcement, claiming this evil cult worshipped an evil “Sui” God. This evil cult devised a fraud that convinced its followers that after buying lucky gems made by the evil cult, their fortune will be turned, and wishes will come true.

The announcement said in reality, these gems were made of suspicious material, and a rare bacteria was discovered in them during a lab test. The infection of this bacterium would lead to gradual weakness and possible sudden death. After the autopsies, the victims were found to be infected with this bacterium.

The address and photo of the jewelry shop named” Wish Come True” was posted in this announcement, which asked any people who had bought these “lucky gems” to turn in these stones to the local police station to prevent being infected by lethal bacteria.

Many comments below claimed they, their friends, or relatives had bought these stones and will turn in these gems.

After reading this, Xiao Xiaoyu marvels incredulously.” What idiots would believe in lucky gems.”

Xue Meng.”……”

After stealing a glance at Jiang Lan, Xue Meng looked at Xiao Xiaoyu with a hidden feeling of superiority, thinking to himself: you stupid mortal knows nothing.

The lucky gems were real, monsters were real, but they were deadly.