Chapter 596: When Money Speaks

What do you do when you’re short on cash?

Of course, you rely on your own skills to earn some.

As a man, after that sting of regret and disappointment, you have to pull yourself together and make a few bucks…

When an opportunity to earn money is right in front of you, how can you not seize it?

Lu Xin recalled how Han Bing once told him that the Qinggang Cleanup Department didn’t forbid its employees from taking on side gigs.

……

“What?”

The group gathered around the table was startled by Lu Xin’s words.

Soon, one surprised smile after another spread across their faces.

Only moments before, they’d felt a distance from Mr. Lu, as if they lived in entirely different worlds.

His calm, silent demeanor—and that penetrating, almost sharp gaze—made everyone feel uneasy.

Couple that with the tales spun by Xiao Yuan and Gao Yan, and his mysterious aura was almost indescribable.

So although everyone hoped he’d solve their odd problems, despite their anxiousness and the bizarre nature of these incidents, none had the confidence—or dared to push—for fear of offending the master.

Who would have thought that simply stepping out to take a phone call would have Mr. Lu speak so boldly…

Changing his tune, he added, “Don’t worry about the cash; money-making is our strong suit…”

What is the scariest type of person in this world?

It isn’t the top-tier assassin who kills for money, but rather the fool who has no idea just how valuable money can be.

……

……

“Great, great—I’ll go first…”

A man in his forties raised his hand excitedly and said, “Excuse me, Mr. Lu, for one job, this fee…”

“I’ll do it—I’ll do it…”

“Let’s have Mr. Lu come over to my place first; we can’t delay any longer…”

“……”

In an instant, the room’s subdued mood erupted, all sparked by one word: “money.”

Everyone’s restraint melted away; even their glances towards Lu Xin became noticeably warmer.

Even Vice President Xiao was both shocked and delighted.

They had worried that Lu Xin might be displeased with their plans, but he not only agreed to help, he even claimed it was on his own accord—Brother Lu was gracious enough to lend a hand…

Vice President Xiao felt, in that moment, it was completely worth it—more than worth it.

So, with equal parts surprise and relief, he quickly added while eyeing Lu Xin, “We’re all friends here, so no need to rush. Now that Brother Lu has agreed, all these strange occurrences will surely be resolved…”

“But what about the fee…?”

Seeing no response in Lu Xin’s eyes, he tentatively ventured, “Two hundred thousand?”

With nothing else to use as a reference, he quoted the price of a watch.

After all, it seemed that last time Lu Xin charged Gao Yan for a watch—and Gao Yan appeared quite pleased.

“What?”

Lost in thought, Lu Xin suddenly paused and turned to look at President Xiao.

A pang of worry hit President Xiao: “Did we quote too little?”

“Or maybe too much?”

Lu Xin mused that it was just a side gig—how could it possibly be priced at two hundred thousand?

He was actually a bit concerned that such a price might scare everyone away.

Yet, to his surprise, after hearing the fee, apart from a recently graduated high school teenager surnamed Meng who frowned slightly, everyone else fell silent, exchanging glances filled with contemplation and unexpected delight…

“Fine!”

The eldest, Mr. Wu, clapped his hands and asked, “Mr. Lu, when will you be available?”

“I’m available too. Two hundred thousand isn’t outrageous; after all, that Zhang ‘Half Immortal’ next door demands a full house for his feng shui consultations…”

“Right, and our Mr. Lu deals with real ghosts, doesn’t he?”

“And what about the fee for the talisman work—is that separate?”

“……”

Lu Xin was completely dumbfounded.

Why were all these people so forthright?

He remembered that when he once treated the Xu Father and Daughter from Main City, they only paid one hundred thousand—even though the case was more severe. Yet now, these people are ready to hand over two hundred thousand for inexplicable phenomena?

Why?

After a moment of reflection, Lu Xin quickly understood.

It wasn’t that these people were being generous—it was that his own value had soared.

In their eyes, having managed both President Xiao’s and Gao Yan’s cases, he had certainly earned a name for himself in the circle.

“Phew…”

Seeing their satisfied expressions, the uneasy Lu Xin finally relaxed.

Since they were willing to pay, he might as well accept…

Especially when he was staring down an astronomical renovation bill and desperately needed cash.

Over thirty million in total…

Even if he emptied his bank account, added the payment from Heichao City, the side gig from Xia Chong, and even sold those few cars, he’d still be short by over ten million. Now, these side jobs were just enough to patch things up.

At two hundred thousand per case, handling fifty to sixty cases would nearly cover it…

If he took on two or three hundred cases, the money would essentially pay for everything…

Two or three hundred cases—not too many!

In that case…

Lu Xin smiled warmly at the group and said, “Shall we get started now?”

……

……

Although Han Bing mentioned that the Cleanup Department had agreed to cover the renovations for now, the payment on his end could be made gradually.

But being an honest man, Lu Xin ensured that he paid as promptly as possible.

He decided to check out the first case.

It belonged to the eldest, Mr. Wu—who appeared the most stable and trustworthy, paid quickly in cash, yet his case was the most bizarre of all.

Case: Midnight Wailing

Description: At 43, Mr. Wu lost his wife three years ago, leaving him with a twelve-year-old child. His business had flourished, yet he never remarried until recently. With his career finally secure, he decided to take a second wife, splurging millions on a luxurious mansion in the Second Satellite City. But the very night his new girlfriend arrived, she fled in terror…

In the dead of night, waking up in a daze, he heard the sorrowful wailing of a woman—a cry filled with misery.

After sending his girlfriend away, Mr. Wu suspected that his late wife was somehow cursing him for remarrying, tormenting him.

So the next day he solemnly offered incense and explained at length.

Yet, in the days that followed, the wailing persisted at midnight, growing ever more intense as if his late wife were warning him.

……

“Don’t hurt her, please.”

At one point, Mr. Wu’s voice broke with emotion as he said, “I just want her to understand me—to let me live a normal life.”

“She’s been dead for three years. I’m a man too…”

“……”

Lu Xin expressed his understanding and planned to head over that very night.

Meanwhile, everyone at the table, though a bit frightened, was excited to tag along.

Mr. Wu didn’t object to having his friends join—after all, bolstering courage is always welcome.

Lu Xin thought it over and agreed to let them come along.

It would serve as an opportunity for a bit of publicity.

Besides, some of them had known his late wife when she was alive, so if they encountered any ghost, they could offer some personal comfort.

Before long, the bill was settled, and a lavish convoy of luxury cars set off towards Mr. Wu’s mansion.

By the time they arrived, it was already past 10 p.m.; his son had long since gone to sleep, leaving only an old nanny.

Seeing so many people show up, the nanny’s face flickered between worry and unease.

Mr. Wu explained that recently, even the nanny had heard the woman’s wail—and it had driven her nearly to a nervous breakdown. He had even suspected that his late wife might be so jealous that she resented the nanny; after all, when she was alive, he couldn’t even keep a cat.

Oddly enough, his son had never heard it; the nanny loved him too much to scare him.

……

……

He instructed the nanny to stay in bed and warned her not to come out at any sound, while he himself served everyone a bowl of noodles.

Thus, a group of well-to-do young men sat in the living room, slurping their noodles as they waited for the ghost to appear.

But despite waiting late into the night with no strange noise, they sat in silent disbelief, speculating whether the overwhelming presence of masculinity had kept the female ghost at bay.

Lu Xin also found it odd—he had circled the mansion and found no trace of Mental Radiation.

If not that, then what sort of contamination could cause a ghostly wail at midnight?

He shot a questioning glance at Mr. Wu, wondering if the problem might lie with Mr. Wu himself.

Perhaps his guilt over remarrying made him hallucinate the woman’s cries?

But if that were so, how did the nanny hear it?

While they ate until they were full, their initial excitement gradually faded.

Just as a few people began dozing off on the sofa, Lu Xin suddenly lifted his head, his expression one of surprise.

Immediately, Mr. Wu’s hand trembled so violently that he nearly dropped the remote; then President Xiao, the high school teenager, and everyone else lifted their heads one by one, their faces paling.

It was the sound of crying!

A woman’s cry.

The cry was soft and nearly imperceptible—one of those unexpected, fleeting sounds.

It came and went in broken intervals—a mournful, pained cry that filled the room.

It didn’t seem to come from any one direction but echoed throughout the space.

Within that cry, there was even a hint of a strange, unexplainable cold laugh.

The cry was utterly eerie…

Hearing it made everyone’s hairs stand on end.

Just the sound alone was enough to conjure an image in their minds of a blue-faced, fanged female ghost—crying bitterly, laced with chilling mockery, resenting the man before her…

Love and hate, tears and smiles—emotions so tangled they defied description.

……

“Whoosh!”

Lu Xin abruptly stood up, his hand diving into the Black Bag.

Several of the influential men grew pale and trembled; some even clutched each other in fear.

Though these prominent men sat in the living room, an aura of dread overcame them.

“B-Brother Lu…”

President Xiao stammered, his voice barely audible as all eyes fixed on Lu Xin’s face.

Eyes filled with hope.

Lu Xin stood quietly by the coffee table, frowning as he contemplated and sensed something.

Finally, he seemed to remember something; he stepped forward, withdrawing his hand from the Black Bag, and lightly snapped his fingers as if ready to clench his fist at a moment’s notice.

With everyone’s hearts in their throats, they watched as Lu Xin walked toward one of the rooms.

“This…”

Mr. Wu stared at the room in shock, his eyes wide with worry and terror…

Then, Lu Xin slowly reached for the doorknob and yanked the door open.

“Oh dear…”

Inside, darkness reigned; as the door swung open, a fleeting Black Shadow suddenly darted upward.

It grabbed a glimmering Screen and, with a soft ‘swish’, darted under the covers, feigning sleep.

Lu Xin recalled that in that fleeting image, three figures—a man with graying hair and another with jet-black hair—were entwined, fiercely fighting while emitting a chaotic medley of love, hate, tears, and mocking laughter…

……Once the door was open, the crying subsided significantly—perhaps because the Tablet Computer had been removed from the radiator.

……

……

“Hmm…”

Lu Xin studied the scene intently, then quietly closed the door once more.

Turning to the pale-faced Mr. Wu, he softly explained, “The source of your contamination has been identified.”

“It isn’t that your late wife has returned; it’s because your child has grown up…”

“But you must discipline him well. If these cries continue every night, the frequency won’t be low at all…”