Chapter 51 Talking with the Demon In the Yokohama afternoon, sunlight streamed down...
In the Yokohama afternoon, sunlight streams into an elegantly decorated café, filling the air with the rich aroma of freshly ground coffee beans and the scent of desserts, while soothing background music creates a truly relaxing atmosphere.
This is a quiet cafe in a corner of Yokohama, with few customers, each enjoying their own leisure time.
In a seat at the far end by the window, Fyodor sat quietly, a barely touched cup of coffee in front of him, his deep purple eyes lowered in a somewhat absent-minded manner.
Regarding the incident in Echo Lane in Gangdong District, official information is vague, but he has already pieced together a general outline through his own channels.
When children went missing, the livestreamers claimed that they all fainted during the broadcast. Of course, the fainting incident was most likely a lie told by the authorities to avoid causing panic.
He noticed that the online information he was spreading had brought about unusual changes to Echo Lane, which was what interested him most.
Just yesterday, he received a message in his inbox. The message was encrypted using multiple layers of encryption, and its core content piqued his interest.
"Tomorrow at 3 PM, at the Warm Hearth Cafe, in the innermost seat by the window, I would like to discuss with you the recent unusual phenomena in Yokohama and another power system. I believe we will have common insights. Your potential collaborator, stay."
Without a signature or source, the frequent unusual events in Yokohama were enough to make Fyodor put aside his work and come to the appointment.
He was also very curious about who this collaborator, who knew the true nature of the ghost stories, was.
At exactly three o'clock, the doorbell of the coffee shop rang crisply.
A figure walked in. It was a somewhat thin young man, wearing an ordinary beige knit sweater and dark trousers. His face was slightly pale, and his wine-red eyes carried a perfect amount of fatigue and caution.
He first looked around, his gaze quickly locking onto Fyodor's location, and then walked over with steady steps.
"Excuse me, are you Mr. Fyodor?" The young man stopped in front of the booth, his voice gentle but with a hint of uncertainty.
Fyodor raised his eyes and looked at the young man in front of him. He was very young and had a clean temperament. He didn't seem like someone who lived in the gray area. He even had a scholarly air about him, like a college student who hadn't graduated yet.
This was far from the image of the behind-the-scenes manipulator he had imagined, but he did not overlook the calm composure in the other person's eyes and the unusual thing about him.
“It’s me.” Fyodor nodded slightly, a flawless, polite smile on his face. “Please sit down.”
The young man, Zhu Yi, sat down opposite Fyodor and ordered a cup of hot milk.
"Excuse me for bothering you, Fyodor. You can call me Takeichi." He introduced himself, his tone apologetic and nervous, perfectly playing the role of a visitor who had asked for something on their first meeting.
After all, he had never met Fyodor, or at least never actually met him.
In a sense, they knew each other, yet they tacitly played the roles of new acquaintances.
“Mr. Takeichi.” Fyodor placed his hands on the table, his posture relaxed yet carrying an invisible pressure: “Your information is very interesting. I am very curious about the other power system you mentioned.”
Takeichi held the hot milk brought by the waiter, gripping the cup slightly as if drawing warmth to ease his tension: "I believe that with your intelligence capabilities, you should have already noticed some things that have been happening in Yokohama recently... things that cannot be explained by common sense."
He paused, observing Fyodor's reaction, but the other simply listened quietly, his deep purple eyes as flat as a lake, revealing no emotion.
“These events are not caused by supernatural abilities.” Zhu Yi lowered his voice, his tone becoming serious. “They are more like the collective subconscious of humanity, negative emotions, and forces from another underworld. I call them ‘ghost stories.’ They follow certain rules, and once triggered, the consequences are unimaginable.”
“Ghost tales…” Fyodor repeated the word softly, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes: “A very interesting definition. So, Mr. Takeichi, what role did you play in the script of this ghost tale? An observer? A researcher? Or… a participant?”
Zhu Yi revealed a slightly bitter smile: "I guess I'm a victim who was unfortunately caught up in this, but managed to find some way to protect myself. My constitution seems to attract these things more easily, and I'm also more likely to sense anything unusual."
Takeichi concealed the fact that he was a summoner, presenting himself as a pitiful person with special abilities who was forced to deal with ghost stories.
"So, you found me?" Fyodor picked up his coffee, took a sip, and said with a playful look, "Because I'm better at creating chaos and spreading information?"
“No.” Zhu Yi immediately shook his head, his tone becoming sincere: “It’s because I believe you possess the wisdom to see the essence of things, as well as sufficient influence.”
“I believe what you’re looking for is a change that breaks the deadlock,” Zhu began, throwing out the bait: “And these strange tales, by their very existence, are a subversion of the existing order and cognition. Understanding them, the Bloodline can become a new variable in your game.”
He looked at Fyodor, his wine-red eyes filled with worry and expectation: “I can’t deal with these increasingly frequent ghost stories alone. I need partners, I need someone to help me monitor their appearances and, when necessary, control their influence through appropriate information guidance, and even raise public awareness before they cause greater harm.”
His reasons were absurd and plausible: for the safety of the city and to control harm, it was necessary to use Fyodor's information network for monitoring and limited public opinion guidance.
Fyodor listened quietly, his fingers tapping lightly on the side of his coffee cup.
He certainly wouldn't completely believe what Zhu Yi said. There were too many mysteries surrounding this young man. His special source of energy and his overly professional understanding of ghost stories all seemed suspicious.
However, the new power system of ghost stories and the concept proposed by Takeichi really aroused his great interest. This was undoubtedly an unknown field full of possibilities.
However, the previous experiments still yielded very little information about the ghost stories.
“Monitoring and guidance, huh?” Fyodor said slowly. “An interesting suggestion. So, Mr. Takeichi, what can you offer me besides warnings about these ghost stories?”
Zhu Yi knew that the other party was asking for "sincerity," and he was prepared.
“I can share with you my perceptions of the supernatural tales,” Zhu Yi said. “Once I discover a new energy focal point that could potentially form a large-scale supernatural tale, I will inform you of the specific unknowns and the characteristics that may trigger its rules as soon as possible.”
"This will help you better observe and preserve them. At the same time, when necessary, I can offer some suggestions on purifying ghost stories based on my experience." Zhu Yi deliberately obscured the methods of purification, implying that it was a difficult process that required sacrifice.
Fyodor looked at Takeichi, his deep purple eyes seeming to pierce through Takeichi's body and gaze into the depths of his soul.
The melodious music was still playing in the coffee shop, and the sunlight was warm, but the air around the booths seemed to freeze.
“A very good suggestion, Mr. Takeichi.” Fyodor said with a cold smile. “I am very interested in these ghost stories and your so-called purification. Well then… it would be a pleasure to cooperate.”
He didn't completely trust this suddenly appearing Zhu Yi, and he had also investigated the other party's background.
Zhu Yi secretly breathed a sigh of relief, a genuine smile of relief appearing on his face: "It's been a pleasure working with you, Mr. Fyodor."
Fyodor put down his coffee, extended his hand, and Takeichi, after a moment of surprise, broke into a big smile and shook it without any suspicion.
“It’s been a pleasure working together, but I’m much more interested in Mr. Takeichi than in ghost stories.” Fyodor pulled the other man closer and whispered in his ear.
The whisper was like a venomous tongue, and Takeichi's body stiffened for a moment. He subconsciously tried to pull his hand back, but Fyodor's fingers tightened slightly, not with great force, but with an undeniable sense of restraint.
“Mr. Fyodor is joking.” Takeichi tried his best to make his voice sound only awkward and uncomfortable, rather than guilty about his secret being exposed: “I, I’m just an ordinary ability user, nothing special.”
“Ordinary?” Fyodor chuckled softly, his voice low and husky, tinged with mockery. “An ordinary ability user who can accurately sense and even purify the energy of supernatural tales?”
Zhu Yi's pupils contracted.
Seeing the instant change in Zhu Yi's expression, Fyodor released his grip with satisfaction and sat back down in his seat, as if his almost offensive action had never happened.
“Don’t be surprised, Mr. Takeichi.” Fyodor picked up his now slightly cold coffee, his tone regaining its previous calm, yet more dangerous than before: “Perhaps you have a keen sense for ghost stories, but in matters I’ve personally orchestrated and closely monitored, I notice something far more noticeable than you—”
Fyodor didn't finish speaking, but gently swirled his coffee cup, his deep purple eyes fixed on Takeichi: "I spread the rumors in Echo Lane. I was curious to see what kind of catalytic effect fear and information would have on that anomaly. The result was surprising."
"It did indeed become stronger, more active, and even learned to hunt on its own."
“But what surprised me even more was,” he said, changing the subject, “that just as its energy reached its peak and was about to cause even greater chaos and death, a higher-level external force intervened, in an almost formatted way, cleanly and efficiently, leaving no residue for study.”
Fyodor leaned forward slightly, exuding an inexplicable sense of oppression: "Later, you, Mr. Takeichi, this self-proclaimed victim and researcher, proposed cooperation."
“It’s really…” Fyodor laughed out loud: “It’s too clumsy. You can go to Dazai-kun and the superpowered agents, but you only come to me, a criminal.”
"I don't know what your purpose is, but you must have been behind all these events."
“At first I didn’t realize something was wrong, it was like my thinking was being affected by something.” Fyodor sighed slightly. “I was very distressed during that time, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t get rid of the influence.”
"Your goal is neither to eliminate ghost stories nor to protect the city. Is it something you obtain from the ghost stories? I suppose that is your true purpose."
The café's melodious music continued, and whispers and the clinking of cups and saucers occasionally drifted from the neighboring tables. But in the corner where Takeichi and Fyodor were, the air seemed to freeze. Sunlight streamed through the glass window, elongating their shadows and casting them onto the polished floor.
Zhu Yi lowered his head, looking at the milk in the cup that was no longer steaming, and remained silent for a long time.
When he looked up again, the feigned expression on his face had completely vanished, replaced by a silent calm. His wine-red eyes no longer held any emotional fluctuations, only unfathomable calculation and a hint of coldness after being exposed.
“As expected of the Demon, Mr. Fyodor.” Takeichi’s voice also became calm, no longer deliberately gentle: “Your insight is indeed amazing.”
He admitted it, though he didn't say it explicitly, but that was tacit agreement.
Fyodor's smile deepened, a smile of excitement at finding a kindred spirit, or rather, at finding something worth playing with: "So, now we can talk frankly. What exactly are you? Where do you come from? And what is the ultimate purpose of what you obtain from ghost stories?"
Zhu Yi didn't answer immediately. He gently put down the milk glass, quickly weighing the options. Fyodor was smarter and more dangerous than he had imagined.
The original plan is no longer feasible. Should we continue to feign compliance, or...?
“Where I come from is not important,” Zhu Yi finally spoke, avoiding the main point: “What is important is whether there is a possibility of cooperation between us.”
“Oh?” Fyodor raised an eyebrow: “After you tried to use me?”
“Isn’t mutual benefit a form of cooperation?” Zhu Yi raised his eyes and looked directly at Fyodor.
“We can establish a new partnership to help me catalyze the ghost stories, and I can share some of my knowledge about this power with you, and even give you some samples for research.”
He offered an even more tempting offer.
Fyodor fell into a brief silence, his deep purple eyes narrowing slightly as he seemed to be assessing the truth and value of Takeichi's words.
“That sounds much more interesting than the previous proposal,” Fyodor said slowly, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. “But how can I be sure you won’t format me after you’re done using me, just like you did with the power of that Echo Alley ghost story?”
"Because we have no fundamental conflict of interest."
Zhu Yi replied quickly: "Your stage is in this world, but my goal... is not here. Once I achieve my objective, I will leave. Our relationship is just a transaction where each of us gets what we need."
"Leave?" Fyodor caught the key word, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes. "Where to?"
"That's none of your business," Zhu Yi coldly refused to answer.
The atmosphere became subtle and tense again. Both of them were testing each other's bottom line, looking for a balance in their cooperation, while secretly accumulating strength and preparing for a possible falling out at any moment.
Finally, Fyodor chuckled, breaking the deadlock: "Very well, a deal based on mutual exploitation and limited trust. I accept this new framework for cooperation."
He extended his hand, and this time, it was not a polite handshake, but a gesture that carried a certain contractual meaning.
“But, Mr. Takeichi,” Fyodor’s voice carried a chilling warning, “remember, I am not a pawn on your chessboard to be manipulated at will. If you try to play tricks beyond the agreement in this deal, I will make you understand the consequences of breaking the agreement.”
Zhu Yi stared at the pale hand, his wine-red eyes revealing no emotion.
This marked the beginning of an even more dangerous game, and Takeichi reached out and shook hands with Fyodor once again.
"Likewise, Mr. Fyodor."
This time, their hands touched briefly before parting.
Cooperation was reached, but trust was completely destroyed.
All the words were a mix of truth and falsehood, and falsehood and truth.
Fyodor smiled. "By the way, I've got some interesting news."
"It seems that some people from the Armed Detective Agency are looking for you."
Fyodor's words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake. Takeichi, who was about to leave, paused slightly. A fleeting emotion flashed in his wine-red eyes, but he maintained the slightly distant calm that he had maintained after the cooperation was just completed.
Fyodor took in his subtle reactions, his deep purple eyes filled with even more amusement, and said slowly, "As far as I know, they seem to have had an... overly perceptive influence on you. I don't need to say more, you know who it is."
He paused deliberately, observing Zhu Yi's expression.
“I’m not entirely clear on the specific progress of the investigation,” Fyodor continued, his tone casual and detached. “But it seems to be related to some kind of strange phenomenon and the death of a father.”
Zhu Yi's lips pursed slightly, his brows furrowed, and his voice remained steady, but Fyodor could hear the subtle tension beneath the calm: "This is indeed a problem. Thank you for informing me, Mr. Fyodor."
By admitting his connection to the incident in the alley, Zhu Yi also steered the conversation toward trouble, implying that it might affect their newly reached cooperation.
Fyodor chuckled lightly: "No need to be polite. It's only right for partners to share some intelligence that can influence a deal."
"After all, if you get entangled with those overly righteous gentlemen at the detective agency, it will be trouble for both of us."
“Indeed.” Zhu Yi lowered his eyes to hide his emotions, then raised his head and smiled slightly.
“Then I’ll take my leave.” Zhu Yi stood up, this time without lingering: “I will contact you as soon as I have a new target.”
"Looking forward to your news, Mr. Takeichi."
...
"He's not in the same place anymore. We can't find any trace of Takeichi-kun at the moment," Ango Sakaguchi said to Osamu Dazai over the phone.
"I see."
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