Chapter 32 Summer Night and River Ice "Why did you have to be in the body of a monster..."

Jin Wanli's original form was a golden-feathered peregrine falcon—that's how the Super Management Bureau registered it. He himself firmly believed he was a golden eagle—in short, as one of the fastest birds of prey in the world, his travel speed was astonishing. While others would make appointments one or two hours in advance by phone, his phone call could be used as a doorbell.

Shu Qing invited him in, and he, probably thirsty, gulped down a bottle of water before wiping his mouth and starting to pique his curiosity: "Guess who the controlling shareholder is behind that studio and that merchant?"

Shu Qing's lips twitched, while Jiu Su gave him a death stare with a half-smile.

Jin Wanli immediately became honest and confessed, "Okay, he's the brother-in-law of your former boss of Huiyao Group."

Shu Qing's first reaction was to ask, "Which brother-in-law?"

No matter how many relatives the boss has, they have no influence in Shu Qing's lowly social circle. But the boss only has one sister, yet he has four or five young "brothers-in-law," and that gossip spreads very easily.

As far as Shu Qing knows, many girls are eager to become the boss's sister—wealth, power, and beauty are common ideals for people all over the world, regardless of gender.

"Of course it's that real brother-in-law." When Jin Wanli was investigating, he naturally didn't miss any related gossip, but he didn't have any special feelings about it. "Don't you humans all believe in contracts and agreements? It's obvious that this is being handed over to someone bound by a contract, which is a matter of life and death."

Huiyao Group is a highly influential company in southern China, headquartered in City S. Primarily focused on internet-related businesses, it started as a social media platform, riding the wave of the boom over a decade ago, and subsequently expanded into live streaming, gaming, and other sectors. A few years later, it merged with an e-commerce company in a rather romantic way – a business marriage between the CEO's sister and her "official brother-in-law."

Since then, the group has made great strides, opening branches in H City and G City, and expanding its business overseas. Two years ago, it even won the "Annual Cultural Export" award, making it a worthy recipient of the title "Big Factory".

Based on this marriage, Shu Qing initially thought it was a powerful alliance. However, a closer investigation reveals that when the marriage took place, the "real brother-in-law's" e-commerce company was on the verge of bankruptcy; it was actually an acquisition.

These widespread successes... that's something to talk about.

"Huiyao Group has always had a pretty good reputation." Qi Yun, from a family with a long history of learning, was very knowledgeable about business matters. "That chairman, Chen Minghui, has dealings with our family. My dad has known for a long time that his reputation is all an act! It's common practice for large corporations to keep a few monsters as guardian spirits, but using monsters to attack competitors is a first for me!"

Jin Wanli retorted sarcastically, "That just shows you're not very knowledgeable. Others are much more innovative than you."

The e-commerce company owned by the "real brother-in-law" had been secretly breeding monster babies. At first, the profits were quite good, but later it was reported to the Supermarket Management Bureau and was quickly shut down, causing its revenue to plummet.

At this time, Chen Minghui offered a helping hand. After the two sides became related by marriage, they secretly restarted the business and even developed a new production line—categorizing the products. The average-quality items were sold to suckers like Qi Yun, while the good-quality ones were used to set up a live-streaming studio.

As for those with special abilities, they have even more uses; whether it's forcibly changing one's fate or secretly killing someone, they can do it with ease.

This is truly a collective trampling of morality and law.

"According to 'modern' law," Jiu Su asked humbly, "what should be done?"

"Uh..." Shu Qing wasn't too sure either, but she wasn't going to miss any opportunity to help Jiu Su adapt to modern society. She said as she thought, "We should take her to court and then sentence her according to her crime..."

"Can we kill him?"

“Of course not,” Shu Qing said. “They didn’t come here to kill, and besides, it was an unsuccessful attempt.”

"You wish," Jin Wanli, who was standing nearby, couldn't stand it anymore and scoffed. "Do you think you're the only victim? Look, here's an example. The victim actually filed a lawsuit, went crazy on the day of the trial, and was diagnosed as a mental patient. Okay, no capacity for civil conduct. Later, it was confirmed that there were supernatural energy factors involved, but there's no real evidence of who did it. Do you want to be like him?"

These words didn't frighten Shu Qing, but Shu Tong instinctively made a protective gesture. Zhao Yuqing blurted out, "Then what should we do?"

Jiu Su and Jin Wanli exchanged a glance. Jiu Su didn't speak, but Jin Wanli crossed one leg and continued, "Now it's my turn. Isn't the Super Management Bureau's 'Special Operations Department' set up for situations like this, for forceful suppression? I'll go and submit an application first."

With Jin Wanli's arrival and departure, the hotel silently entered a state of preparedness. As the day passed, the "special agents" outside became even more vigilant. A stray cat nimbly leaped from the roof onto the windowsill, its eyes gleaming with a faint light; two small green snakes were coiled on the branches of a tree outside the window, hidden among the dense leaves, silently flicking their tongues.

When night fell, Shu Qing peeked out the window again and almost suspected that even the ants crawling on the ground were not friendly creatures.

She closed the window and looked back at the computer screen, where an unfinished storyboard for an advertisement was displayed, with a small snake sketched with just a few strokes, happily chewing.

She closed her laptop, no longer in the mood to draw. She clutched the white rose pendant Jiu Su had given her in her hand, stared out the window, and began to drift into a daze.

Jiu Su was not present.

Jin Wanli unilaterally declared war, and Jiu Su certainly couldn't stay out of it. He casually told her "Don't worry" and then disappeared without a trace, not showing up since.

How could Shu Qing not worry? She wanted to send him a message to ask how he was doing, but she didn't know what his situation was, and whether sending a message would distract him. So she held back and didn't ask.

She opened a game to try and distract herself, but she was restless and lost two out of three matches, only to receive a string of question marks from her teammates. Frustrated, she threw her phone down, collapsed onto the bed, and let herself continue to stare blankly.

She couldn't say how much she was worried about the outcome of their operation, how much about her own safety, or how much about Jiu Su. In short, she was distracted; whether playing games or watching videos, everything passed by like smoke, and she couldn't focus on anything for more than three minutes.

"What am I doing?" she asked herself in anguish. "Am I risking my life and leaving it to fate?"

She simply sat up, opened the new learning materials package that the Supermarket Management Bureau had later given her, and started self-studying again.

In such a tense situation, studying was surprisingly more attractive than playing. Shu Qing gradually became engrossed in her studies, and the various complex and mysterious symbols gradually calmed her chaotic mind. Shu Tong came in a few times to bring her snacks. Seeing how enthusiastically she was studying, she was quite surprised and gratified to find that her daughter, who had been living alone away from home for so long, was still quite composed.

The next second, the usually composed Shu Qing raised her face and caught a glimpse of a white shadow flashing past the crack in the door. She instantly sprang to her feet, shouting, "Xiao Hong!"

A whole host of questions welled up in her throat—what did you do? Did the operation go smoothly? Was the other party difficult to deal with? Are you safe and sound?

Jiu Su subtly stepped back half a step to avoid them smelling the eerie bloodstains on him, smiled at them, and explained, "I'm going to change my clothes."

Being able to maintain a head-to-toe white outfit for an extended period suggests a degree of obsessive-compulsive disorder regarding cleanliness. Jiu Su's "changing clothes" routine even included showering and washing his hair. Fortunately, he was quick and didn't keep them waiting too long; when he emerged, the ends of his silvery-white hair were still damp with moisture.

Shu Qing had been so anxious that she could only calm herself down by studying, but as soon as Jiu Su appeared, she was no longer in a hurry at all. Her heart settled down, and while flipping through the materials and waiting, she even had the mood to hum a little tune.

She even glanced with great interest at his new light green shirt—which she had personally picked out a few days ago. It had one less button at the collar than the other shirts, and Jiu Su felt it was too frivolous and refused to wear it out. Today was the first time she had worn it.

The slightly damp ends of her hair swayed at her collar, and Shu Qing silently whistled to herself.

Oh wow.

This could be considered a beautiful night, with a lovely person by your side... Unfortunately, it was a night for a surprise attack. The "lover" had washed away the eerie atmosphere that had settled outside, but could not wash away the chilling aura emanating from within.

She was certain: whether Jiu Su's safety was on his shoulders, or the success or failure of the operation hung on his shoulders; whether he was a friend or an unspoken lover, the one she cared about was him.

Longing is a dangerous yet unavoidable emotion that binds people together in countless ways, more intimate, softer, and more inescapable than any ethereal fate.

The chilling aura that Jiu Su couldn't shake off softened in this tender concern, and his gaze towards her became exceptionally gentle, almost with a hint of reassurance.

“I went to investigate the place where Huiyao Group keeps monsters.” Jiu Su’s tone was very gentle. “I have a general idea of ​​what kind of monsters they have, how they are arranged, the terrain, and how many people they have. Now that we know ourselves and our enemy, we don’t need to be afraid when we start fighting. Don’t worry.”

He spoke of everything with effortless ease, as if he hadn't traveled over a hundred kilometers overnight to spy on the enemy's headquarters, but rather casually finished reading an article, closed the book, and told her, "I understand."

Shu Qing asked, "Are you alright?"

“Of course,” Jiu Su smiled reassuringly at her, “I just went to take a look, we didn’t even fight.”

Okay, in her mind, Shu Qing marked the "level 6.9 superhuman creature" assertion presented to her by the Super Management Bureau with a big X.

Although Jin Wanli was a man of many actions and quick tempers, the Supermarket Administration Bureau, being such a large national institution, had to be meticulous in its operations. Having obtained the "details" provided by Jiu Su, he certainly wouldn't completely believe this well-meaning citizen of unknown origin who couldn't be held accountable, especially since the accusation this time involved Huiyao Group, a major taxpayer.

After going through a series of procedures, several probing attempts, and perhaps a few unspoken deliberations and debates, Jin Wanli's "application" was finally approved.

Meanwhile, they no longer needed to stay at the hotel, and all the individuals involved were transferred to the Super Management Bureau of H City for stricter protection, including Tu Nan.

The night was overcast; the moon and stars were nowhere to be seen, the streetlights flickered, and the only sound was the sultry chirping of cicadas.

This time, there was truly no other way but to wait. To prevent attacks combining modern technology and mystical magic, even cell phones and computers were unusable. Only a few paper magazines were available to pass the time.

For middle-aged and elderly people like Zhao Yuqing, who have been immersed in academia for many years, it's manageable; they can still read it with their reading glasses on. The younger generation, however, are used to watching electronic screens and don't have much patience for paper books. Moreover, having personally experienced the entire incident, they are even more worried about the Supermarket Administration's actions and can't concentrate on reading at all.

Qi Yun flipped through a couple of pages quickly, then tossed them aside and slumped on the sofa to chat with Tu Nan about celebrity TV dramas, trying to calm her anxiety. Shu Qing and Shu Tong sat in another corner, chatting idly.

Shu Qing was absent-minded, glancing out the window again and again. Shu Tong hesitated for a moment, then gently took her hand.

“Xiao Qing,” Shu Tong asked, “tell your mother, what exactly is going on between you and that… that Jiu Su?”

Shu Qing's heart skipped a beat, and she forced a smile: "Mom, didn't I already tell you... I just accidentally bought the wrong thing. He was still an egg back then, and I accidentally bought it."

As she spoke, she seemed a little dazed—the past two months had been so tumultuous that the memory of when she first met Jiu Su seemed like a long time ago.

It's as if they've known each other for a very, very long time.

Shu Tong looked at her with a deep gaze, her worried eyes almost seeing into her heart.

Shu Qing maintained a playful smile, but she was a little flustered, and the thick skin she had developed in the workplace was starting to wear off.

“I was always worried you wouldn’t get it, but I never expected… this is what I’m worried about now.” After a long pause, Shu Tong sighed very softly, “How come you had to get it from a monster?”

Shu Qing pursed her lips and said frankly, "He is better than the others."

“No,” Shu Tong rejected outright. She was used to making decisions and had never been associated with words like “virtuous” or “gentle.” This time, she was even more forceful and brooked no dissent than ever before. “Even if you never want to get married, if you want to pursue your own career, or even if you fall for a girl, I won’t stop you. But she’s a monster.”

Shu Qing instinctively wanted to retort: ​​How is this species discrimination?

“It’s not that I look down on monsters,” Shu Tong said before she could speak. “It’s just that humans and monsters are so different that even the law doesn’t recognize such a relationship. You might be willing to help him adapt to human life and each other’s habits, but what about the future? Are you going to bear the cost of living for both of you forever?”

"If I were to find a girl, the current laws wouldn't recognize it either," Shu Qing said helplessly. "Besides, how could I be the only one bearing the cost of living? He gets a share of the money I earn from making videos."

“Okay, the cost of living isn’t the most important thing, let’s leave that aside for now,” Shu Tong said. “But look at him, he goes on field missions with the Special Operations Department of the Superpower Administration, and all those ‘superhumans’ in the Special Operations Department listen to him, even the so-called strongest Special Operations Director.”

Shu Qing recalled the last time the apartment manager broke into the apartment and laughed, saying, "Isn't this a good thing? It's a good way to ward off evil spirits."

“If you two get along well, you can bring good fortune to the house.” Shu Tong seemed genuinely anxious; in the dim light, her eyes were almost glistening with tears. “But what if there’s a conflict? Then we’ll be completely helpless!”

The young girl still harbors courage, yearning for boundless horizons and deep, enduring love; while the old doctor, who has witnessed countless life-and-death situations and seen too many bloody lessons, is already taking precautions ahead of time.

Even the story of a prince and Cinderella makes people worry about whether they are a good match or not, let alone a sickly, sedentary woman who doesn't like to exercise and an uncontrollable high-level monster.

"Besides, monsters like him are rare and exceptional, beyond the reach of the law. Even if he does something extreme..."

Shu Tong's voice trembled almost imperceptibly, "Even if he killed someone, he might not necessarily have to pay with his life!"

The monster, who "kills without consequence," gently withdrew its dagger from a person's abdomen, turned its face to the side, trying to avoid the spurting blood, but was still splashed with a few drops.

The creature struggled and fell to the ground, its face contorted with grotesque feathers. In just a few seconds, it transformed into a large, disheveled bird, lying on the muddy ground of the outskirts of S City.

With a flick of her fingers, Jiu Su silently slipped the nimble murder weapon into her palm. He committed the murder in the dead of night, refusing to even change his clothes for concealment, remaining entirely white from head to toe, as he stepped onto the open field beneath the highway, like a premature funeral procession.

He came alone, without any companions to help him pursue and intercept him, nor did he need any—the leader of the Radiant Group, who had fled here, still had a dozen or so thugs and a group of carefully trained monsters to guard the place. He didn't think this powerful monster who had come alone could break through the encirclement and do anything to him, so he didn't try to escape at all.

Chen Minghui wanted to kill or capture this arrogant demon and raise it. He never expected that after more than ten years of hard work, he would be defeated by an insignificant low-level employee. He was so angry that his eyes were about to bleed.

Fortunately, he still has businesses overseas. As long as he's alive, he can always make a comeback. As for this troublesome person who came to him, he can use it as capital for his resurgence.

Jiu Su laughed silently and stepped into the enemy's well-prepared encirclement.

A pure white chill permeated the night; the temperature tonight had exceeded 30 degrees Celsius, and the river had frozen over.