Not even five million? What a cheapskate!
Shuyi asked the two monsters their names in the car: the little sparrow was called Zhizhi, and the flowery rat spirit was called Lili.
The name "Fancy Mouse Spirit" was given to it by its former owner. However, it was young and impetuous at the time and didn't want to live off humans, so it ran away. Later, it discovered that society was treacherous and it could no longer live off humans...
Shuyi finally found an opportunity to ask Lili how she became a spirit. She remembered that the lifespan of the fancy rat, an introduced species, was not very long. Logically speaking, it was already quite difficult for it to develop intelligence.
Lili retorted with wide eyes and puffed cheeks, "What? You local rats are allowed to become spirits, but we migrant workers aren't allowed to ascend? What kind of rat-based discrimination is this? Don't use human-centric tactics. Besides... actually, I only managed to take human form by using some technology and hard work."
This piqued Shen Zhizhou's curiosity. With the advancement of technology, besides human progress, monsters were also being prefabricated? How come he hadn't known about this before?
Lili hugged her knees and slowly recounted her past, from how much her master loved her to how big her old house was, big enough to fit a running wheel, and then... she forgot how she suddenly transformed into a spirit.
How come there's yet another demon who loses their memory at crucial moments, just like Shuyi? This matter kept Shen Zhizhou in mind, and he planned to take some time to investigate it thoroughly. If demons also have pre-made traps, it would add a lot of unnecessary workload for him. He was determined to nip the seed in the bud.
...
As expected, every question Shen Zhizhou asked had a reason behind it; that bastard wouldn't let go of any opportunity to make the most of something.
He led them to the hospital in Sheyang, went up to the third floor, pointed to a storage room, and explained, "This storage room hasn't been used in a long time, and we've lost the key. Can you open it, Lili?"
Lili checked the keyhole and found it was a bit clogged. "It's possible, but it will need some lubricant and stainless steel."
Shen Zhizhou searched around and came back with a bottle of cooking oil and a stainless steel bowl, asking if that was enough. Lili took them, compared the size to the keyhole, and quickly used her teeth to gnaw out the key and open the door.
Seeing Shen Zhizhou's stunned expression, Lili tugged at her clothes somewhat embarrassedly and whispered, "My teeth are stronger, which is why I was able to escape from prison back then..."
After recovering from his shock, Shen Zhizhou asked the little sparrow Zhizhi about her strengths. He had indeed underestimated these little monsters before. Zhizhi proudly puffed out her chest and said, "I can sing. Isn't that one of my strengths?"
"..."
It's clear that this sparrow really loves to sing.
Shen Zhizhou brought the two demons to Sheyang, who was wearing a white coat and preparing medicine. Her amber eyes looked at Shen Zhizhou through her gold-rimmed glasses, revealing her disapproval.
However, under Shen Zhizhou's insistence, Sheyang compromised and arranged corresponding logistical work for the two demons.
While Sheyang was showing the two demons around the hospital, Shuyi pulled Shen Zhizhou downstairs to bask in the sun and took the opportunity to discuss how to lead the demon race to become bigger and stronger in the human world and create new glories.
"Have you thought about how to manage these monsters if you actually make it happen?" Shen Zhizhou leaned back comfortably on the bench with his hands behind his head, lazily enjoying the warm winter sun.
"I've already thought it through. Humans have police stations, and we monsters can have a monster management bureau too! I'll register all the monsters who are willing to cooperate on the monster management bureau's roster. This will make management easier and reduce your burden~" As she finished speaking, Shuyi sidled up to Shen Zhizhou, resting her chin on her hand and blinking her big eyes in a fawning manner.
If I can get Shen Zhizhou's help, then I won't have to worry about anything later. With Shen Zhizhou's shrewdness, he can help me avoid pitfalls to the greatest extent possible.
Shen Zhizhou tilted his head and leaned closer to Shuyi. Shuyi's eyes were bright and shiny, and his face was always full of a happy smile. Most importantly, when he got close, he could almost smell the scent of the sun-baked everything. In fact, Shen Zhizhou sometimes didn't quite understand what this mouse was so happy about every day. Are there really that many happy things in this world?
"Why do you want to help those monsters? You are a divine beast, the Treasure-Spitting Rat. You could have simply ignored their lives. Why bother running around doing something so thankless?"
Shuyi was somewhat confused. After thinking for a long time, she still felt that Shen Zhizhou was wrong. "Whether I am the divine beast treasure-spitting rat you mentioned or the rat demon Shuyi, I don't think it matters. I won't stop doing what I want just because I am a certain species. Besides, do you have to have an ulterior motive to do things? Doesn't that go against the spirit of selfless dedication that you humans promote?"
"You've even learned idioms! You can't judge a book by its cover. You were an illiterate before." Shen Zhizhou teased Shu Yi in a lighthearted tone. He seemed to understand why he had impulsively formed a bond with this little monster he had only met once. Smart people always like simple-minded fools.
Seeing that Shen Zhizhou was in a good mood, Shu Yi knew there was room for negotiation, so she seized the opportunity to climb up the ladder, spreading her palms and baring her two big teeth to beg the court to release disaster relief grain.
"Shen Zhizhou, could you give me some more money? An advance on my salary is fine too."
"How much do you want?" Shen Zhizhou took out his phone to transfer money to Shuyi.
“Five million,” Shu Yi replied honestly, her attitude sincere.
Shen Zhizhou quickly put away his phone, stood up, and waved goodbye to Shu Yi. Shu Yi hurriedly grabbed Shen Zhizhou, who stumbled from the force of Shu Yi's pull and fell onto the bench.
"You think I'm some kind of domineering CEO from a romance novel? Where am I supposed to get five million for you? If I had that kind of money, why would I bother eliminating supernatural phenomena? I'd just become a domineering CEO and reach the pinnacle of life."
“But I see a lot of zeros on your bank card…” Shuyi replied weakly to Shen Zhizhou.
Shen Zhizhou finally understood that Shu Yi was very good at reading people's expressions and taking advantage of their words. As long as there was room for negotiation, she would dare to act boldly.
Covering his ears, unwilling to listen to Shuyi's incessant chatter, Shen Zhizhou went inside the hospital, greeted Sheyang, and left. After seeing the two demons he had brought start working diligently, Shen Zhizhou was about to leave with Shuyi when he was stopped.
“I still disagree that there are monsters inside the hospital. You know, if you get too close, it would be easy for monsters to harm you. Have you forgotten what happened last time when you were seriously injured by the mountain spider?” She Yang, wearing a white coat, walked into the sun. The sunlight cast shadows on his face, reflecting his disapproval.
After a long silence, Shen Zhizhou gave a bittersweet smile. "You know, Mom has always hoped for peace between humans and demons, so that we can minimize the risk of sacrifice when we go on missions... Whether it's me, you, or Dad, Mom has always been worried about this."
When Shu Yi first heard someone mention Shen Zhizhou's mother, she looked at the two of them with curious and inquisitive eyes. In fact, Shu Yi had always found it strange that Shen Zhizhou, as a mystery eraser, was raised by a demon, while his biological parents were like invisible people. She couldn't quite understand it.
When Shen Zhizhou's mother, Wen Yi, was mentioned, She Yang fell silent for a moment. In his memory, she was a woman who appeared gentle and frail but was resilient and warm-hearted. When he was young and had just been adopted, it was this gentle woman who stayed by his side and took care of him.
Watching the two figures gradually disappear into the distance, Sheyang silently took off his glasses and sighed.
...
As winter draws to a close and the much-anticipated Spring Equinox approaches, Shen Zhizhou drags Shuyi out of bed early. Shuyi tugs at the scarf Shen Zhizhou has put on her, saying that a mouse covered in real fur doesn't need polyester fiber for warmth.
Shuyi, who had been following Shen Zhizhou around all morning, was already a bit listless and couldn't walk anymore. She knew that Shen Zhizhou was picky and fussy, but she didn't expect him to be this picky. After looking all morning without finding anything she liked, Shuyi simply sat down on a lounge chair in the mall and refused to get up.
"I brought you here so you could help me pick out some gifts that girls would like, but since you're tired, I'll shop by myself."
Upon hearing the word "gift," Shu Yi seemed to activate her gossip radar. She immediately stood up and blocked Shen Zhizhou's turn to leave, wondering if Shen Zhizhou had recently found someone he liked.
"The third day before the start of spring is Sister Ji's birthday, and it's also the day I met Sister Ji," Shen Zhizhou explained. In previous years, he would come alone to pick out a gift for Ji Yao, but this year he had a rat with him, so he thought about what kind of gift would make her happy from a monster's perspective.
Upon hearing that it was Ji Yao's birthday, Shu Yi immediately perked up and said that she would definitely help Shen Zhizhou pick out a gift that suited his taste, and that she would also prepare one for Ji Yao herself.
Grabbing Shen Zhizhou's hand, Shu Yi started wandering around the mall. She picked out jewelry but felt it was too old-fashioned, and she picked out fancy clothes but they didn't show Ji Yao's innate temperament. After browsing the mall, she still didn't know what to give her. After all, Ji Yao was a demon with profound magic and a glorious ancestor. She must have seen everything after living for so many years.
Shuyi chewed on his fingers as his mind raced, and suddenly a brilliant idea came to him.
Shu Yi leaned close to Shen Zhizhou and whispered her suggestion. Shen Zhizhou glanced at Shu Yi with some skepticism and politely declined.
"You don't believe me? I gave you advice from a practical point of view about monsters."
"So, who would send a gift in a flower basket with caterpillars?" Shen Zhizhou crossed his arms and glanced sideways at Shu Yi, somewhat speechless. He shouldn't have brought out that aesthetically challenged rat to annoy him.
"You... hey, what's she doing here?"
Just as Shu Yi was about to argue with Shen Zhizhou, her attention was immediately drawn to something else. Shen Zhizhou followed Shu Yi's gaze and saw an unexpected demon appear there.
The frivolous little rat, Lili... is even wearing a maid outfit, singing and dancing to otaku songs?!
Shen Zhizhou suddenly felt like the dimensional barrier had been broken, after all, it was impossible to compare monsters and otaku together.
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