The Price

All day today, Chen Miemie had spent the morning at the [Book Chasers] base and the afternoon at the [Health Hall], but he had not gained much from either trip.

He had neither obtained detailed information about Kong Rong nor found Xia Chong’s medical records.

Still, Chen Miemie did not feel particularly disappointed.

This was merely another attempt.

If he could truly learn everything about a former customer’s circumstances in a single day, he would instead feel that no matter what he had done before, the outcome had already been predetermined.

In Chen Miemie’s eyes, if he did not know how his customers would end up, then their fates were like the cat in the box—full of possibilities. That gave his assistance across time and space room to operate, and meaning.

And so, another week passed.

The undercurrents surging through the upper levels of the Book-Sealing Library did not affect the city’s prosperity in the slightest. To the citizens, life remained unchanged. They went about their days as they always had.

Once again, it was a night beneath the Evermoon.

The sound of the shop door opening came from outside.

The paper wind chime tinkled softly.

When Loop saw who had entered, she smiled. “Mr. Xia Chong, the owner has been waiting for you for quite some time.”

Xia Chong looked at the familiar storefront, the familiar Loop, and then at The King in Yellow sitting on the sofa.

He slapped himself hard twice. “This really isn’t a dream? Or has the dream evolved again according to my wishes?”

The usual procedure followed: taking a seat and serving tea.

Since this was their third meeting, Chen Miemie got straight to the point. “How long has it been since I visited you at the [Health Hall] last time?”

“Not long—less than a week. Fei Liang has been nagging me nonstop to find the mysterious shop.”

“Hmm. It seems you’ve made a reliable friend.”

“Yes. He’s one of my closest friends. Oh, no—he’s my best friend. He knew that the [Health Hall] couldn’t cure me and that I had no other options, so he chose the shop owner as my last lifeline.”

“Then we’ll begin your treatment.”

“Thank you. What do I need to do?”

“Lie down on the sofa and get some sleep here. Oh, right—eat this.”

Chen Miemie handed Xia Chong a small piece of eraser.

Xia Chong took it.

He had originally thought it was medicine, but the moment it touched his hand, he realized it was exactly what it appeared to be: an eraser.

It was even one that someone had casually snapped in half. The piece in his hand was only half of it.

Chen Miemie pointed at his mouth, making it clear that he had no intention of explaining.

Xia Chong stuffed the eraser into his mouth, closed his eyes, and swallowed it with considerable difficulty.

Only after Xia Chong had finished swallowing did Chen Miemie leisurely add, “You could have chewed it.”

The corner of Xia Chong’s mouth twitched, but he said nothing and lay down on the sofa.

He was more than a little nervous about coming to the mysterious shop. In this unfamiliar place, surrounded by people he did not know particularly well, how could he possibly fall asleep?

For more than ten minutes, he lay on the sofa with his eyes closed, tossing and turning.

“Owner, I don’t think I can sleep,” Xia Chong said with his eyes still shut.

“Not even a little sleepy?” Chen Miemie asked doubtfully.

“Not at all.”

“Looks like you need a little help.” Chen Miemie sounded excited.

“Huh?” Xia Chong slightly opened his eyes and saw the tip of a gigantic syringe in Loop’s hand.

“Ah—!”

A needle pierced his backside. Before he could cry out a second time, he drifted into dreamland under the effects of the sleeping potion.

After an unknown amount of time, Xia Chong was shaken awake.

He had initially wanted to stay in bed a little longer, but for some reason, a black shadow flashed before his eyes, and his drowsiness vanished instantly. The effect was even more immediate than having a basin of cold water dumped over him.

Once he had taken in his surroundings, he said, “Owner?”

Chen Miemie sat across from him with his arms folded, as though everything that had just happened in the shop had been nothing more than an illusion.

Chen “Dream Master” Mie Mie had entered the scene. From this moment on, he would serve as [Dream Scum]’s mouthpiece.

“You have two illnesses. Using certain [mysterious] methods, I entered your dream and found their general causes. I have two pieces of news for you, one good and one bad. Which would you like to hear first?”

Xia Chong thought for a moment. “I don’t want to take a blow right now. Let’s hear the good news first.”

“The good news is that, as long as you cooperate, I can resolve most of both problems. The small portion that remains can be treated gradually on your own, and you should eventually recover completely.”

“They can be resolved? Really? That’s wonderful! This is the best news I’ve heard in years. Then, Owner, what’s the bad news?”

“The bad news is that, according to my assessment, you can’t afford the price of having your problems resolved. Even if I sold you, it wouldn’t be enough to pay for it.”

The joy vanished from Xia Chong’s face, and he fell silent. Only after a long while did he speak again.

“Owner, I grew up in an orphanage. I learned from a young age that everything comes at a price, and that there’s no such thing as a free lunch.

“If the problems afflicting me can’t be resolved, I may not even be able to survive. I know that I don’t currently possess much, but since you’ve gone to such lengths for me, you must have seen some value in me that even I don’t know about. Just name your price.”

Chen Miemie was very pleased.

Xia Chong had not tried to gain sympathy or begged for help outright. He had simply acknowledged the price of assistance, and that satisfied Chen Miemie greatly.

He clapped his hands.

Loop walked over and placed a thick stack of paper documents on the table.

The documents were as thick as a book, yet they had no cover. The first page contained only six large red characters:

Top Secret. Burn After Reading.

Xia Chong glanced at the documents before him, then at Chen Miemie. He did not reach for them, waiting for an explanation.

Chen Miemie quietly looked back at him.

“If this had been a week ago, you would have had nothing I needed. Your life, your [mystery]—none of it would have interested me.

“Fortunately, toward the end of last week, I came up with an interesting idea.

“I want to conduct an experiment with an unknown outcome.

“My experiment requires a participant who will cooperate fully with me over an extremely long period.

“Xia Chong, think this through carefully.

“The price you need to pay is your future.”