“You tell me, what exactly are these things good for?”
After spending several hours catching Monster Insects, Lu Liang wiped the sweat from his face and, carrying a large sack filled with the captured creatures, suddenly asked Bai Wanqing this question.
“Huh?”
Bai Wanqing looked at Lu Liang in surprise, her eyes blank.
Before that, she had been staring at the few Monster Insects she had caught with a conflicted expression, wavering between releasing them and earning enough tuition.
“Forget it, never mind.”
Seeing Bai Wanqing’s reaction, Lu Liang pursed his lips and gave up on the topic.
But a lingering question continued to bother him.
These Monster Insects carry coins inside their carapaces—not many, but real money nonetheless.
So why would Monsters go through the trouble of collecting human currency?
Could it be… Monsters need money too? To support their families?
As soon as he thought this, Lu Liang felt foolish.
Monsters are monsters.
Once they appear in society, they are immediately attacked by Magical Girls.
They can’t even survive normally in human society, so how could they possibly need human money?
Wait a minute, he himself was a Monster too, and yet he had to work as a Scavenger to pay for his sister’s tuition.
Speaking of being a Monster, Lu Liang felt uneasy.
Ever since he became a Monster, he gained Miracle Power that ordinary people don’t have, but the price was steep.
Once he activated his Monsterization, the wealth of those around him slowly drained away.
And if his identity were exposed, not only would he become a wanted target, but his sister wouldn’t be able to attend public school.
If only there were a way to reverse Monsterization.
Lu Liang pondered this, his eyes suddenly lighting up.
He stepped into the sewage again, crushing a Monster Insect beneath his foot, then casually picked it up, emptied the coins from its carapace, and placed the creature into his sack.
There were already about 3 or 40 Monster Insects in the sack, which translated to roughly 3,000 to 4,000 yuan in coins.
At this rate, Lu Liang might just manage to collect enough money for Lu Xiaoling’s first semester of high school tuition today.
This earning efficiency was more than what Lu Liang had made in three months of work before.
If he could catch a Monster Insect Queen, the 400,000-yuan reward would be enough to cover all of Lu Xiaoling’s high school fees.
Lu Liang’s mood immediately brightened. This was the kind of return this job should have!
But… high returns also meant high risks.
Lu Liang wiped the smile off his face and suddenly looked toward a certain direction.
He held his breath, calmed his thoughts, and quietly listened to the sounds in the distance.
He faintly heard the splash of footsteps in the uneven, damp sewage, the agonized cries of trapped Monster Insects, and the hurried footsteps of Scavengers…
Someone was coming.
Bai Wanqing stared blankly at Lu Liang, not knowing what he was doing.
Only Lu Liang could hear these subtle sounds.
Since becoming a Monster, his senses had become much sharper than an ordinary person’s.
Nearby, at the sewage entrance where Lu Liang had come from.
“I didn’t expect such small Monsters to appear in the sewer…”
Lin Deqing from the Ye City Police Department held a Monster Insect in his hand, his sharp eyes fixed on the creature through his reflective glasses.
As a police officer, he usually handled minor public order issues.
Bigger cases were monopolized by Magical Girls.
Nearly 30 years old and lacking achievements, he was still a low-ranking officer.
But that morning, he received a report about Monster Insects appearing in the sewer.
Lin Deqing grinned with delight.
He thought he’d just be called out to handle some trivial complaints from ordinary citizens, but it turned out to be related to Monsters.
If he reported this to the Ye City department, even if the leadership took half the credit, it would still boost his year-end Performance Evaluation enough for a Promotion.
Thinking of this, Lin Deqing’s earlier resentment about being called to the sewer vanished, and even his gaze toward the informant softened:
“Good, very good. Your report is commendable. Normally, I would fine Scavengers like you and revoke your Good Citizen Certificate, but this time, I’ll let you off.”
Before Lin Deqing knelt a man wearing a hood nodded submissively.
A large bloodstain covered his crotch.
If Lu Liang had been here, he would recognize this man as Night Owl—the one Lu Liang had kicked in the crotch not long ago.
After being kicked, Night Owl endured the pain and reported to the nearest officer, Lin Deqing, claiming he found important Monster information in the sewer and asked for assistance.
Although as a Scavenger, Night Owl was usually at odds with Ye City police, the unforgettable kick made him willing to switch sides and seek help from the police to get revenge!
This sewer only had one passage. If they walked far enough, they would eventually encounter the two.
Night Owl didn’t expect to harm Lu Liang and the others.
At least… at least they could have their Good Citizen Certificates revoked, so their families couldn’t attend public school for three generations!
…
“Are you… okay?”
Bai Wanqing, seeing Lu Liang motionless, thought he might have been possessed. Not daring to get too close, she poked his face lightly with her finger.
Gentle, like spring rain on the skin.
Lu Liang opened his eyes.
“Someone’s coming. Looks like a police officer.”
He judged the visitor’s identity from the broken fragments of conversation.
“Ah? Someone’s coming…”
Bai Wanqing jumped in fright.
“Please, let’s not fight, okay?”
Her doe eyes trembled, as if afraid Lu Liang would attack again.
Lu Liang glanced at her, wondering why she suddenly told him not to fight.
Did he seem like the kind of guy to solve problems with violence?
If he could talk things through, he wouldn’t use his superpower, alright!
Of course, he had no intention of fighting the police.
Night Owl was just a sewer rat. No one would care if he died. But if Lu Liang laid hands on a police officer, that would be serious.
“It’s time to use my super intelligence.”
Lu Liang paused calmly, then made a decision.
…
A few minutes later, Lin Deqing and his team found Lu Liang and the others.
“Hm? More Scavengers?”
Lin Deqing frowned as he looked at Lu Liang.
Normally, he would welcome encountering Scavengers, since any illegal activity he dealt with counted toward his performance and year-end evaluation.
Catching Scavengers was naturally a plus.
But now, the information about Monsters before him was far more valuable than catching a few Scavengers.
“Officer! These two are sneaking around here, obviously up to no good!”
Night Owl, seeing his enemy again, glared red-eyed, voice trembling, staring daggers at Lu Liang.
If looks could kill, Lu Liang would have been dead hundreds of times over.
Lin Deqing felt more conflicted.
Should he arrest the two immediately?
But the Magical Girls were about to start their shift, and all he had so far was evidence of Monster activity in the sewer.
Still, this was an achievement that would be recorded on his year-end evaluation.
Yet Lin Deqing wanted more.
While he was contemplating, Lu Liang suddenly walked toward Lin Deqing, this unexpected move quickly raising alarm.
“What are you trying to do? Attack law enforcement?”
Lu Liang didn’t answer. Instead, he handed a wrapped package to Lin Deqing.
“What’s this? A bribe?”
Night Owl sneered coldly:
“What kind of officer would fall for such a bribe?”
Lin Deqing thought the same.
Although a low-level officer’s salary wasn’t high, he wouldn’t openly take money. It wasn’t worth throwing away his career for a small bribe!
But when Lin Deqing looked inside the package, his eyes went blank. His previous disdain vanished.
Inside the sack were densely packed Monster Insects, crawling and writhing.
These… these were performance achievements!
It was clear: handing these over and managing them properly would easily earn Lin Deqing a one- or two-level Promotion by the end of the year!
Which officer could resist such temptation!
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