Chapter 9: A Sliver of Light

Officer Tang did not let his wariness show, instead offering a genial smile. “I just heard them talking about your exploits, Mr. Mo. I must say, your life has certainly been quite a rollercoaster.”

Mo Fei was well aware that he’d been to the police station four times in a week—now five—a record that was, admittedly, rather over the top. He rubbed his nose a little awkwardly. “I suppose I’ve just had some bad luck lately.”

Officer Tang scoffed inwardly.

Whether it was bad luck or something more, he would get to the bottom of it.

From what he could see, this Mo Fei was adept at putting on a facade—perhaps even had a touch of the histrionic. People like that were the most troublesome. It was hard to catch them slipping.

He pulled out his phone, tapped it a few times, and presented a QR code to Mo Fei. “In that case, why not add me on WeChat? If you get into any trouble, you can ask me for help.”

Mo Fei looked surprised. “Ah, but I already added Comrade Xiao Xu...”

Officer Tang pushed his phone forward, tone teasing. “You can never have too many friends. Or do you think I’m not as good as that kid?”

With the invitation so pointed, Mo Fei could only take out his phone and add him in silence.

As he did, Officer Tang leaned over, seemingly by accident, to glance at the screen. The new phone was spotless—nothing out of the ordinary.

He hadn’t expected to spot anything right away.

Once the contact was added, Mo Fei pointed toward the street. “I’ll be going, then?”

“Take care,” Officer Tang replied with a friendly wave. “Watch for cars.”

Mo Fei jogged away, leaving the bounds of the police station.

As soon as Mo Fei was out of sight, Officer Tang’s expression turned cold.

“Master, Master! Brother Zhang is calling you for the results!”

Officer Xiao Xu hurried over, and upon seeing Tang’s expression, couldn’t help but click his tongue. “What’s with that face? Did you just meet your future son-in-law?”

Officer Tang shot him a look. “That Mo Fei—are you close with him?”

“Sort of,” Officer Xiao Xu recalled. “He’s an actor. Bit unlucky, but a decent guy.”

Sensing something off in Tang’s questioning, Xiao Xu leaned in. “Why, do you think he’s suspicious?”

“It’s just a hunch. Maybe I’m wrong,” Officer Tang replied, unwilling to say more for now.

It was only a suspicion, after all. Better to wait until there was something concrete.

“Did you file the report? What did Lao Zhang say?”

At the mention of business, Officer Xiao Xu’s demeanor grew serious. “This one’s big. The higher-ups are sending people down.”

Officer Tang’s face grew solemn. “Let’s go.”

On the other side, Mo Fei finally exhaled deeply after leaving the station.

Perhaps it was the influence of the “Ripper,” but walking into a police station always made him uncomfortable, as if a demon had wandered into a church, an angel into hell.

Still, the trip hadn’t been without its rewards.

He patted the new phone in his pocket, unable to suppress the smile spreading across his face.

Good deeds truly were repaid.

His old friend could retire, and the banner could make a free wall decoration.

Now, with the contract signed and his payment in hand, he could finally treat himself to a spicy hotpot—and even splurge on two extra eggs.

Life was, indeed, looking up.

Mo Fei hummed a little tune, ready to walk back to his old neighborhood. The route was a bit long, but he had nothing urgent to do, and a taxi would be too extravagant.

Halfway there, his new phone chimed.

It was a bank notification.

Director Wang had always been direct—with the contract signed, the payment was transferred immediately.

Staring at his account, which was finally no longer stuck in the triple digits, Mo Fei’s eyes practically shone.

He counted the sum repeatedly, nearly laughing out loud when he confirmed he wouldn’t need to worry about expenses for at least the next six months.

Passersby who saw him couldn’t help but veer away—these days, you never knew if a lunatic might lash out, so better safe than sorry.

But Mo Fei didn’t care what others thought. He clutched his phone, bouncing along in joy.

As he skipped past a narrow alley, he heard a rustling sound.

He stopped, peering suspiciously into the not-so-deep alley.

Alley wasn’t quite accurate—it was more a shadowy corner: long and narrow, cluttered with debris and trash, the end visible at a glance.

Still, he hesitated, wondering if his passive skills were just making him overly sensitive.

Again, there was a faint noise from within the shadows.

Countless stories warn that curiosity is rarely rewarded, and though helping others is virtuous, it’s not always in one’s best interest.

Whatever was inside, the smart move was to walk away quickly.

Clutching his racing heart, Mo Fei kept walking.

On a weekday, the streets were nearly empty—no one would notice a thing in that shadowy nook.

From across the road, he watched for ten minutes before finally resigning himself, grabbing a stick, and venturing in.

He swore to himself: if there was a bloodied man inside, he’d call the police immediately.

If it was something else... well, he’d play it by ear.

After all, he had two officers’ numbers in his phone.

His passive abilities had always landed him in civil and criminal cases, so he instinctively feared the worst.

But when he carefully found a foothold, squeezed into the shadowy corner, and finally saw the lump huddled on the ground—almost blending into the darkness—he couldn’t help but let out a surprised “Eh?”

He poked the thing with his stick, and suddenly a pair of green eyes appeared in the darkness.

“The abyss... is staring back at me?” Mo Fei nearly jumped out of his skin. “Cthulhu? An eldritch abomination?”

Having experienced the card system and all manner of unlucky passives, Mo Fei wasn’t one to dismiss the supernatural—if anything, he was deeply wary.

Even with no evidence of such things, he maintained a healthy respect.

He fumbled for his phone. “Do the police even handle this sort of thing...?”

Just as he was about to call Officer Xiao Xu, the “abyss” let out a feeble, breathless yowl.

Startled, Mo Fei dropped his phone. The screen lit up, and in its glow, he finally saw that it wasn’t some nameless horror, but a pitch-black cat.

The cat looked to be in poor shape, curled tightly in the corner. With its eyes closed, its black fur nearly made it invisible—it was no wonder he hadn’t noticed it before.

Since it wasn’t something that defied science, Mo Fei’s heart settled back to its normal place.

He bent to pick up his phone, only to find a new crack in the screen.

He winced, then glanced at the silent black cat, scolding it fiercely, “This is all your fault!”

“If you hadn’t scared me, would my phone have a crack now?”

He pocketed the phone, took off his jacket, and wrapped the cat up completely.

The cat’s green eyes went wide in shock, its expression almost comically human.

Mo Fei let out a sinister chuckle. “From now on, you’ll be called Crack.”