Gaining Momentum

In the days that followed, Chen Miemie settled into a regular routine.

During the day, when he had nothing else to do, he would visit the [As the Moon Endures] outpost to inspect the construction work being overseen by Gongshu Feiliang, playing the foreman despite being an absolute amateur giving orders to professionals.

Sometimes he would watch Mian Ruyan prepare strange, distinctive dishes.

In the evenings, he would occasionally attend the Society’s gatherings or patrol the streets.

He also found time to make several Moonlight Wings for the members of the Society. After all, he had promised them, and putting it off for too long wouldn’t be right.

And just like that, more than ten days passed.

That evening, another meeting was held at home.

As usual, Qinghua began with a basic summary:

“We’ve now established roots in two cities, and our influence is firmly in place.

“Moon Library, centered around book Oddities, has stepped directly into the public eye. The three races coexist harmoniously, each supporting the others.

“As for Six-Symbol City, we remain hidden in the shadows.

“At present, the forces we control directly include the underground world managed by Joker; the Society Alliance controlled by Dawn, one of the Three Giants; the city’s largest hotel, [Fat Orange Hotel]; and Loop, who has recently become the deputy director of the East District Clinic.

“Those we don’t control directly, but can influence indirectly, include Fengling, the acting [Dean]; Commander Sun, one of the Three Giants; the newly established [Candle-Shadow Society] of the Witch clan; and the entire [Court of Silver Moon].

“In addition, the Feng family in city government, the Mian family in business, the Yi family of the Sun Church, and several other major families all maintain friendly relations with us.”

Chen Miemie was distracted. When Qinghua mentioned the various prominent families, he couldn’t help sighing inwardly.

At the beginning, the Jiang family had actually been the closest to him. When he had needed help most, Old Master Jiang had treated him exceptionally well.

Unfortunately, Chen Miemie later killed [Burying City Mourning], the maternal uncle of Madam Jiang. Although the Jiang family had no intention of seeking revenge, the incident had ultimately left a crack in their relationship.

Later, Chen Miemie grew increasingly close to the Mian family. The Jiang and Mian families were sworn rivals, which had led to the present situation: he had not contacted the Jiang family in a long time. It was a tacit distancing on both sides.

The Oddities sat in neat rows, each occupying its own section.

In one far corner of the sofa, Mian Ruyan sat as if on pins and needles, cold sweat beading on her forehead.

She kept her eyes lowered and tried not to breathe too loudly, terrified that anyone would notice her. Inside, she was screaming nonstop.

Is this really something I’m allowed to hear? Can I even make it home safely?

On Mian Ruyan’s lap sat a large platter. Bobo, Black Hole, and Formaldehyde—the three problem children—were squeezed together inside it.

Over the past few days, the three of them had discovered that Mian Ruyan was timid and weak, so they had tried to bully her. After Qinghua gave them a thorough beating, they changed tactics and began pestering Mian Ruyan to play with them. After spending so much time together, the four of them had actually grown familiar with one another.

“Has Fengling officially taken over as the [Dean]?” Chen Miemie asked after returning to the conversation.

“Yes,” Joker replied. He now controlled an entire intelligence network. “The formalities were still being processed before, but the school issued an official announcement yesterday.”

“What about Dean Deng? Did he retire and go home?”

This time, Loop answered. “At his age, he should have retired long ago. He has hidden injuries and has been forcing himself to carry on all these years. He only just retired, and immediately checked into a private ward at the East District Clinic.”

“Right. Loop, have you gotten used to being the clinic’s deputy director?”

“Everything else is fine. The problem is that the current director comes from a major family. I don’t know where he heard that I’m an Oddity, but every day he looks terrified that I’m going to kill him. The moment he sees me, he runs away. He’s even making a fuss about resigning. It’s inexplicable.”

Chen Miemie glanced at Loop. Loop gave him a sweet smile.

“Could it be because you really are a little too frightening to him? Even I know that whenever you look at someone, you like staring at the artery in their neck, as if you’re thinking about slicing it open with a knife.”

Loop spread her hands. “I can’t help it. There’s blood everywhere in a hospital. Seeing blood gets me excited.”

“Then have him pack up and leave. Loop, why don’t you become the director?”

“I’m afraid that wouldn’t work. I used to be a head nurse, so serving as a deputy director in a supporting capacity is no problem. But the head of a clinic should be someone with a medical background.”

Chen Miemie suddenly had a flash of inspiration and thought of a brilliant idea.

“If I remember correctly, Doctor Hua is hiding among the homeless, isn’t he? What if we bring him back and make him the director?”

Although Doctor Hua had wanted to break the seal during the trial, that had only been a thought. In terms of his actual actions, Doctor Hua had not violated any laws.

Qinghua reminded him, “I’ve heard that quite a few powerful people dislike him. Some have even wanted him dead. There will be considerable resistance.”

Chen Miemie blinked. “So what? If anyone objects, we’ll pay them a visit at home and let them see some blood. I’m sure even the powerful can be taught to see reason.”

Mian Ruyan curled herself into an even tighter ball, trying to make herself smaller.

The Mian family was one of the powerful families suppressing Doctor Hua.

Loop understood Doctor Hua better than anyone. “He’s a very opinionated man, and he has his own principles. Even if we put him in the position, there’s no guarantee he’ll listen to us.”

Chen Miemie sighed.

“I don’t need him to listen to me. A clinic director doesn’t need to do anything for me. I’m not putting him in the position to cultivate one of my own followers. I simply believe that healthcare and education are the foundation of a city. Those two positions need people with principles.

“As for Doctor Hua, I don’t intend to have him join us. I want him to remain independent, so he won’t have to bow and scrape to the powerful. I want him to hold on to his convictions and follow his own path.

“I want to see what kind of sparks he and someone like Moretti will create if Doctor Hua is given sufficient authority and resources.”

At the mention of Moretti, Joker began to laugh with a strange “heh heh.”

“What is it?” Chen Miemie asked.

Joker’s grin stretched all the way down to his jaw.

“Moretti is an interesting fellow. I heard he’s conducting some kind of ritual involving blood.”

Chen Miemie was slightly puzzled. “That was the rumor before, wasn’t it? His cellar was raided, and all the blood he had stored was turned into Rainbowglow Brew.”

Joker looked just as puzzled. “Who says that being inspected once means he can’t start again? No, no. I should put it this way: after being inspected, the place became even safer.”

“How did you find that out?”

“Heh heh. That’s the underground world for you. It’s full of either bad people or poor people. Lots of people go to Moretti for treatment, so naturally, information comes with them.”

“Do you know what kind of ritual it is?”

“No idea. But it isn’t the sacrificial ritual people were talking about before. Only Bloodborn can handle that kind of thing, and Moretti is human.”

Chen Miemie nodded. “If that’s the case, let him do as he pleases. He already has more than enough enemies.”

The meeting had just ended.

Chen Miemie’s watch lit up.

When he saw the message on its screen, his eyes widened.

Time: 8:20 p.m.

Sender: Chen Miaomiao

Message: I’m back! Why is the whole house covered in dust?