[Stone Whisperer]

Chen Miemie had just finished annoying the "Logic Pledgor" and walked out of his office when two men in security uniforms were waiting for him at the door.

"Mr. Chen Miemie, I presume? Master Stone Speaker requests your presence."

Chen Miemie had done a bit of research before coming. As far as he knew, Stone Speaker was also something of a grand scholar.

Stone Speaker's office was on the fourth floor.

The Logic Pledgor was the city's financial godfather, skilled in the art of flattery and farewells. Even when Chen Miemie slammed the table in front of him, he just kept up his grinning facade.

Stone Speaker was the opposite. His gaze was sharp as an eagle's, and not a trace of a smile crossed his face.

He was in charge of public security and penal affairs, and he looked at everyone like they were criminals under investigation.

"Sit," he said, his speech short and curt.

Chen Miemie sat down across from him.

"Last week, fifteen people died in that villa. The investigation revealed it was caused by a freak incident involving an anomaly known as Water Gaze, which triggered a curse placed on them by the Shedding Clinic. In the end, Water Gaze was taken away by you, Mr. Chen. Is that correct?"

Chen Miemie grew wary. "The original Water Gaze is gone now. Coming to me won't do any good."

"Relax, Mr. Chen. That murder case has been closed. I'm not here to make trouble for you or Water Gaze. I'm seeking your help."

"Huh?" Chen Miemie was a little surprised.

This eagle-eyed man actually wasn't here to pick a fight?

"What kind of help are you looking for?"

"I've been overseeing interrogations and investigations for decades, and I've never believed in pure coincidences or accidents. Everything was arranged seamlessly, but I believe there's someone pulling the strings behind it all."

"But didn't you say the case is already closed? Why keep investigating?"

"The villa murder case is closed. But the case involving this mastermind is not.

Yesterday, another similar incident occurred.

A member of the Burger Workshop made a fugu dish that poisoned two peripheral members of the Shedding Clinic to death.

The investigation found that the deaths were caused by fugu poisoning from the dish."

Chen Miemie listened with some confusion. "That doesn't sound very similar."

"Ah, right. My surname is Shi. You can just call me Scholar Shi or Detective Shi.

The mystic who made the fugu dish couldn't have made such a basic mistake. Besides, his Mystic ability wouldn't allow that to happen.

According to the investigation, the stomachs of the two victims contained a rare type of seaweed—discarded appendages from an anomalous seaweed creature.

That seaweed itself is non-toxic, but when combined with fugu, it causes poisoning.

This case also looks like a coincidence on the surface, but neither I nor the people from the Burger Workshop or the Shedding Clinic buy it.

If you connect these two cases, the deaths themselves are just surface-level. The real motive is someone deliberately trying to stir up hostility between the Burger Workshop and the Shedding Clinic."

This Scholar Shi was precise in his explanation. A few sentences were enough for Chen Miemie to grasp the situation fully.

"What can I do to help?"

"Help me find the mastermind behind it."

"Why should I help with this?"

This had nothing to do with him. Even though Chen Miemie had ties to the Shedding Clinic, helping out would only make sense if they invited him first, putting them in his debt.

Since they hadn't asked, butting in would be thankless and feel like interfering in someone else's affairs.

Scholar Shi was serious. "You're already in this mess. I've dug deep into this. The fishmonger who sold Water Gaze, the people involved with the seaweed—some of them have already died in 'accidents.' Water Gaze ended up in your hands. If we don't find the mastermind, he'll likely come after you too."

Hearing this, Chen Miemie's face lit up. "Great."

Chen Miemie was no saint.

Half of him played the shopkeeper, helping people settle their troubles, expressing kindness.

The other half of him was restless, itching to stir up trouble, to unleash his darker side.

"Huh? Great what?" Scholar Shi couldn't keep up.

"Oh, I meant 'terrible,' of course." Chen Miemie wasn't about to admit it. Deep down, he hoped some troublemaker would come after him, so he could have some fun dealing with them.

"Right. Well, you're not a security officer or a member of the Librarium's guild. For your safety, I don't need you to take any direct action. But did Water Gaze say anything to you in the end?"

Chen Miemie was waiting for some bad guy to come after him. There was no way he'd leak crucial information. If he just blurted out the name "the Steward," his target might get caught before the fun started.

He shook his head vigorously. "No. Water Gaze was an idiot. All it knew was that it got sold along with the fish, ended up in some family's fish tank, and just kept winking at people."

"Who bought it?"

"No idea. Why would I ask that?"

"Can you ask it now?"

"Impossible. I've already disposed of it." Chen Miemie was quite pleased with himself. Trying to pump him for information? No way.

"Fine. Thank you for your cooperation. Oh, we need to do a quick registration. What's your address at the Librarium?"

Chen Miemie thought for a moment.

19 Fairytale Road was an address that simply didn't exist in the official system. Reporting it would sound like he was making things up.

Then he had a flash of inspiration. "I'm the director of the Chenpi project team. For now, I'm living with the project, on level B4 of the library."

Scholar Shi's brow furrowed. "Master Chenpi? You've joined her project?"

"That's right."

"I'd advise you to drop out as soon as possible. That project will never produce any results. Don't waste your time."

"The Logic Pledgor told me the same thing. But I want to give it a try."

Scholar Shi wasn't one for long speeches. He offered only one piece of advice and then fell silent. He picked up his teacup, signaling the meeting was over.

Chen Miemie walked out of the Scholar Academy building.

He passed by the Prismatic Mailbox at the main entrance again.

He leaned in for a closer look, finding it quite fascinating.

At the Prismatic Mailbox in front of his own shop, the cooldown period was still active. Even though the slot was open, there seemed to be an invisible wall blocking him from dropping anything in.

The Forbidden Fruit Guide had told him that when the cooldown ended and the mailbox was usable again, that air wall blocking the slot would disappear.

Here at the Scholar Academy's Prismatic Mailbox, even though it was a different one, when he walked up to it, the same air wall was present.

"So this cooldown is tied to the person, not the mailbox? I switch mailboxes, and it still won't let me use it? Hmph!"

Not even he, nor the Forbidden Fruit Guide, understood the mechanism behind it.

After Chen Miemie left.

On the fourth floor of the Scholar Academy, in Scholar Shi's office.

Scholar Shi's eyes grew even sharper. "Chen Miemie, you're really a variable. Water Gaze should have been killed on the spot, but you took it away."

Then he pulled out his wrist communicator and sent a message to an unknown number.

I've tested Chen Miemie. So far, his behavior suggests he doesn't know the inside story. But it's certain that Water Gaze is still in his possession—it's still a potential danger. Also, he's become involved with Chenpi. That connection is especially dangerous. Recommendation: eliminate him.