The Monster Bureau really isn't a place for humans... Hamo saw that...
After reading the entire text, Ai Lin sat up, smiled, and gave Huangfu Jun a big kiss on the cheek. "Love you, no one else matters. I'll focus on my studies and career, take over the family business as soon as possible, and guard everything that belongs to me and my mother."
Huangfu Jun smiled and nodded, her gaze very gentle on Ai Lin.
At that moment, she envied Ai Lin—able to steadfastly protect everything her mother left behind because of her mother's love for her.
She had no concept of her own mother or father. In her memory, her only relative was her grandmother.
So, in a way, Ai Lin was also very fortunate.
Sensing the subtle change in Huangfu Jun's eyes, Ai Lin felt her heart melt at the tenderness in her gaze.
Ai Lin threw herself into Huangfu Jun's arms again. "It's so good to know Miss Huangfu. If that dog couple is hard to deal with, I'll bring out Miss Huangfu as the trump card for exorcism. With the threat of demons, I'm sure to take back everything my mom left from those dogs!"
Huangfu Jun patted Ai Lin's thin shoulders and nodded firmly.
Two hours later, after handling all the follow-up matters, Huangfu Jun took a taxi home.
On the way, she received three text messages, all bank account credit notifications. One was a final payment of 100,000 yuan, one was 300,000 yuan from Ai Lin's father expressing gratitude, and one was a red packet of 100,000 yuan from Ai Lin.
Huangfu Jun felt her hand holding the phone trembling.
It was the first time she had seen so much money. With this several hundred thousand, her grandmother's retirement would be more secure.
Huangfu Jun put away her phone and called out in her brainwaves, [Bai Lin-gege? Are you there? Could you please take the trouble to teach me some knowledge about demons?]
After a long pause, Bai Lin's reply came faintly, [Talk after you pass the next trial.]
Huangfu Jun quickly added, [What trial?]
But no sound came back in her brainwaves.
It wasn't until the taxi stopped at the station that Huangfu Jun snapped out of it. She picked up her backpack, got out of the car.
The streetlights on the road at night cast dim yellow light. Watching the taxi fade into the distance, Huangfu Jun's brow furrowed slightly. Just as she turned around, she suddenly found a card in her hand—a glowing card.
It looked like a business card. On the front were clearly several lines of text, with a dense small print address below. The top two lines read: "Yaojing Construction Industry Co., Ltd., Chairman: Yao Jing."
Yaojing (yaojing), Yao Jing (yaojing)?
A vein throbbed on Huangfu Jun's forehead. So this company is a den of demons?
She turned it over; the back was blank.
This was clearly a business card imbued with demonic power.
As if to confirm her guess, a line of green fluorescent small print suddenly appeared where it had been blank.
Huangfu Jun's pupils contracted sharply. So this was the trial Bai Lin mentioned?
After all she had been through, there was no turning back.
She gripped the card tightly, a determined light shining in her eyes. Since there was no retreat, she would blaze a path forward.
She turned and strode toward home.
At five o'clock the next morning.
The beeping alarm sounded on time. Huangfu Jun opened her eyes, bounced up, and nimbly got out of bed. Wearing old gray-blue slippers, she strode into the bathroom.
After washing up, Huangfu Jun went to the kitchen and quickly made two bowls of porridge. Carrying the bowls carefully, she entered another bedroom.
The door was half open, and the light inside was already on.
An old woman sat on the bed, white-haired, with a kind face, smiling at her. "Up so early? Bao'er, you work hard."
Huangfu Jun raised her eyebrows slightly, nodded, and tried her best to respond to her grandmother.
Yesterday, after returning to the hospital, all of Grandma's test results came out. Fortunately, nothing serious; she could go home to recuperate slowly. After bringing Grandma home, her mental state was good, apparently unaffected by the fox spirit.
The old woman beckoned Huangfu Jun closer, her expression turning somewhat mysterious. "Bao'er, Grandma has a gift for you."
Huangfu Jun set up the small bed table, placed the porridge bowl in front of her grandmother, then sat down beside the bed.
Her grandmother's name was Tang Yaohe, 95 years old. She had rich life experience and always had unique insights.
Tang Yaohe took a notebook from under her pillow and handed it to Huangfu Jun, her eyes full of concern. "Grandma didn't expect you to find a job so soon, but it's good to have stability. The workplace is different from school. Don't harbor harmful intentions, but always guard against others. Grandma is old and can't help Bao'er much more; I can only write some little things. Where they're outdated, Bao'er should adapt and use them flexibly."
When she was in school, there was the "Tang Family Study Secrets." When she grew up and worked part-time to earn money, Grandma wrote the "Tang Family Work Secrets."
Now there was the "Tang Family Workplace Secrets." Huangfu Jun couldn't help but smile.
Seeing her granddaughter's obedient appearance, Tang Yaohe also smiled. She raised her hand, pinching her thumb and index finger together, tilting her head, and even made the trendiest cute little heart for Huangfu Jun. "Today's Bao'er is super awesome too!"
Huangfu Jun grinned broadly, returning a double hand heart to Grandma.
Ten minutes later, Huangfu Jun stepped out of the house, dressed in a brand new blue suit. The streetlights along the road were still on, emitting soft, hazy light. The street was empty of people and vehicles, spacious and quiet.
Several rows of colorful shared bikes were neatly arranged along the sidewalk. Huangfu Jun picked one at random and scanned the QR code to unlock it. Just then, a gentle meow came from not far away. She looked toward the sound and saw a black cat leisurely walking on the empty street, its tail swaying gently with its steps, tracing an elegant S-curve.
The corners of Huangfu Jun's mouth involuntarily lifted into a smile—this black cat was a stray that roamed the old neighborhood. Whenever she had free time, she would bring some leftovers to feed it.
But at this moment, watching its leisurely back, a sense of uncertainty suddenly rose in her heart: after entering the so-called Monster Bureau, could this simple, ordinary life continue?
With this complex feeling, she mounted the bike and resolutely rode into the deep, unknown darkness ahead.
Four hours later, following the address Bai Lin had given, Huangfu Jun took a high-speed train out of the city and then rode a taxi for a long time before finally reaching the destination.