It was her.
When she shook hands with him, Han Su noticed a small scar on her forehead.
That face finally overlapped with the shivering little girl he remembered.
Was she about to become a big star now?
Han Su had never pursued such things, but he wasn’t unfamiliar either. At some point, every city had begun hosting beauty pageants for queens. Each queen's term lasted three years, during which they would become the city’s spokesperson, gaining immense fame and wealth.
And this was also the only path through which a woman from an ordinary background could cross class boundaries.
“You like this type?”
Only when Wei Lan disappeared from view did Xu Ji glance at Han Su curiously and say, “It’s hard, you know. Those who take that path aren’t easy to pursue. Once they’re selected as queens, don’t even think about dating them during their term.”
“Even after their term, it’s tough. Quite a few rich playboys in Qinggang City have had their legs broken by their old men for thinking about them…”
“...Like, actually broken!”“…”
Han Su came back to his senses and replied noncommittally, “Families like yours would be afraid of little celebrities?”
“Little celebrities aren’t scary, but queens are different.”
Xu Ji shook his head and said, “Even my dad flew back once because of her, specifically warning me not to get too close to them. Said they’re too dangerous, and that ordinary people can’t withstand their beauty and love!”
Xu Ji furrowed his brows, as if finding his own words strange, then added, “I made a snide remark at the time, and my dad stared at me for three seconds, saying they’re not even the same species as us. If I didn’t listen, he’d break my legs.”
“Scared the hell out of me. I thought he was just going to cut my allowance!”
“Of course, the Wei family isn’t to be trifled with either—no need to even mention that.”
As he listened to Xu Ji's rambling, Han Su also felt something odd, but that was all.
Before he found her, he had wished to see her again. Now that he had and confirmed she was doing well, there wasn’t much left to say. Instead, it was this whole “beauty queen” competition that gave him a sense of unease.
It felt incompatible with ordinary commercial activities.
Just as he was lost in thought, he saw Special Assistant Xu walk back looking distraught. He held a phone in his hand, his expression like he had seen a ghost in broad daylight, full of a worldview-shattering shock.
In a daze, he said, “The Master… The Master agreed…”
“Huh?”
Both Xu Ji and Han Su turned toward him with surprise. Special Assistant Xu was clearly trying to compose himself, but still looked as if he couldn’t understand what had just happened. He enunciated every word:
“The Master… The Master said, thank you for your hard work, Mr. Han.”
As he spoke, he tried to manage his emotions and continued, “The Ghost Freight Truck has had a negative impact, so it naturally needs to be resolved as soon as possible.”
“This was caused by the Young Master. If he has to take responsibility, then so be it. Mr. Han is a professional, so the Master’s intention is to let you handle it freely. The Young Master will cooperate with your actions, and so will the Xu family.”
“…”
“What?”
This truly surprised Han Su.
He had already anticipated Xu Ji’s potential role in the task, but it was difficult to bring up due to Xu Ji’s identity.
Now, the Xu family was being this generous?
They had employed top-level security measures for their precious son—so much so that it even affected him.
Such a big fool of a son, and they were willing to let him face the Ghost Freight Truck head-on?
“Oh, right.”
Special Assistant Xu, now composed, turned to Han Su and said, “One more thing—I just received a report. On the Black Table platform, the bounty related to your kidnapping case has been increased again, Mr. Han.”
“The person who issued the bounty raised the reward from three million to thirty million.”
“I think… you might need to be more careful.”
“…”
“Thirty million?”
Han Su hadn’t expected that. He frowned slightly. Those who had pursued the bounty previously had already paid dearly and disappeared. Now a new wave?
That person behind the scenes sure had money…
After joining the Disaster Management Bureau, he had thought about using its authority to uncover the person, but it wasn’t easy.
The Black Table was a world-class mysterious website. Even the most powerful figures in Qinggang City could only obtain a high-level account. Investigating someone deliberately protected by the Black Table was out of the question.
Thinking about the trouble the bounty might bring, he frowned and asked, “Now that I have a job, and the files are pretty confidential, do you think those people dare come after me?”
“Uncertain.”
Special Assistant Xu looked serious and lowered his voice: “From a purely commercial perspective, Mr. Han, causing trouble for you now would cost far more than thirty million. A smart person wouldn’t do it.”
“But this city is too big, and there are all kinds of people. Who knows if someone will do something incomprehensible? It might not be a major threat, but it’ll be annoying.”
“Whew…”
He sighed softly and said, “I’ve always felt that, compared to those things that penetrate reality, money is the greatest contamination—it drives people the most insane.”
“In any case, you still need to be careful.”
“…”
“…”
While Han Su and the others were speaking, on the other side of the venue, in the dressing room, Wei Lan had just watched the makeup artists leave. Only she and her assistant remained. She looked up at the mirror and zoned out a bit. Her assistant gave her a push and said, “What were you thinking just now? You didn’t even put on makeup and went out with that pale face to shake hands with someone—where’s your professionalism?”
Wei Lan chuckled lightly and said, “Maybe because he looks good?”
“Who in this circle doesn’t look better than him?”
The assistant curled her lip and said, “You’ve been acting weird for the past month. You had a 100% chance of winning in Ti City and joining the Queen Organization. But you insisted on dropping everything and coming back to Qinggang City. Now your chances dropped to below 70%...”
“What for? Don’t say it’s because of some family ties…”
Wei Lan just smiled and said, “I just felt that something good might happen when I came back.”
……
……
“I understand.”
Han Su nodded lightly, then suddenly remembered something. He said, “By the way, Special Assistant Xu, do you know a place called Lilac Courtyard?”
“Hm?”
Special Assistant Xu was momentarily stunned. Beside him, Xu Ji suddenly raised his head and laughed: “Old Han, you’ve fallen! Starting to look into those kinds of places?”
“Fallen? What do you mean?”
Han Su hadn’t expected Xu Ji to say that, looking a bit puzzled.
Xu Ji waggled his eyebrows and grinned, “Lilac Courtyard, isn’t that the place I wanted to take you to for fun?”
“Hm?”
Just as Han Su looked confused, Special Assistant Xu interrupted: “Mr. Han, Lilac Courtyard is a club I mentioned to you before—remember? Where drunk Investigators tell grotesque stories?”
Now Han Su understood: “Why couldn’t I find it on the map?”
Special Assistant Xu shook his head and said, “Many people don’t like their private properties showing up on public maps. The owner of Lilac Courtyard is one of them.”
“His club isn’t open to the public either. They only issue invitations and occasionally host auctions or entertainment events. If you’re interested, Mr. Han, I can…”
“…”
“Sounds good!”
Han Su nodded and smiled, “Just get me the invitation and address afterward. If possible, and it's within legal bounds, I'd also like to know what the owner does and their background…”
“Of course, for now we should focus on resolving the Ghost Freight Truck issue.”
“Yes!”
Hearing that, Special Assistant Xu tensed up and said, “Mr. Han, this matter… is too important.”
He couldn’t help but glance at the carefree Xu Ji and sighed, “I never expected something as grotesque as the Ghost Freight Truck to have such a huge impact on those who come into contact with it.”
“The Master just told me on the phone that the influence of Mysterious Power on fate is unavoidable. Rather than constantly avoiding it, it’s better to face it head-on.”
“I support your plan, and I believe in your ability. But…”
“…Is there anything we can help with?”
“…”
Han Su hadn’t expected Xu Ji to become an asset. He already had a plan, but seeing Special Assistant Xu so nervous sparked a thought.
He looked up and said, “Since Uncle Xu said it, I won’t be polite.”
“If the Xu family could find that Esotericism expert to help with Xu Ji’s problem, then can you find more people—those who might help deal with grotesques like the Ghost Freight Truck?”
“What I need now is reliable manpower!”
“…”
“Manpower…”
Special Assistant Xu thought for a moment, then looked serious: “Mr. Han, the Black Table allows the posting of any type of bounty, whether reasonable or not.”
“And I happen to know a friend with very high-level access—he’s a VVIP.”
“So in theory, I can post any kind of task!”
“Maybe you don’t know this, but since the Disaster Management Bureau was established, Qinggang City has become stricter in controlling grotesque contactees. But before the Bureau, many experts and scholars in Esotericism already existed. They need to make a living too.”
“Most of them are registered, and they usually dislike dealing with the Disaster Management Bureau. But with a high enough bounty, perhaps some would be willing to make some extra cash…”
“However, whether we can recruit top experts, especially on short notice, is something I can’t guarantee.”
“…”
“As expected, money is truly the greatest contamination…”
Hearing that, Han Su couldn’t help but laugh: “It’s great if we can get anyone at all. Whether they’re top-tier or not… we’ll leave that to fate!”