The mascot of the wishing shop is a cat.

"This is even more suspicious. Such an obvious disappearance, and the disappearance of a wealthy person, hasn't caused any disturbance?"

Lin Xiyue muttered to herself, utterly puzzled.

"Oh? Miss Lin, it seems you've come here with another purpose? :D"

Mingxi's teasing voice rang in Lin Xiyue's ears as she was deep in thought. She felt that he was like a black sesame-filled dumpling, seemingly a melancholic artistic youth, but actually very rebellious at heart.

"Huh?! No, I didn't, don't talk nonsense!"

Lin Xiyue was startled, and then subconsciously began a triple denial, even waving her hands repeatedly to emphasize it.

"Hehe, it's alright, Miss Lin. We implicitly accept the purchase of information here."

Mingxi saw Lin Xiyue looking like a startled cat and explained to her with amusement.

"Oh → Oh ↗ Oh ↑ Oh ↘"

Lin Xiyue's few simple monosyllables vividly expressed her journey from surprise to acceptance.

"So, having said that, what brings Miss Lin here today?"

Mingxi asked further questions, easily seizing control of the conversation, and casually activated the blocking device. Suddenly, a bowl-shaped black dome rose up from the previously semi-open seating area, isolating the entire semi-open area and turning it into a closed space.

This place is perfect for some private conversations now.

"Sigh (╥w╥`) Okay, I'll say it all, but I can only say part of what I can say. Damn it, I knew I wasn't suited for this."

Lin Xiyue sighed, looked around at the enclosed space, and complained softly in frustration.

“I met a family in the slums before. They had already encountered some misfortune when I met them. The breadwinner of their family was caught in a scene of evil ritual, and then he underwent a transformation. I witnessed the last moments of his life…”

Lin Xiyue slowly recounted what had happened at An Qing's house, omitting specific people and locations in her words, and then spoke of the strange anomaly she had experienced.

"Speaking of which, hasn't any of you noticed anything unusual about the moon?"

Lin Xiyue was very curious, because even if many people don't have superpowers, there are always people with high intuition. How come no one sensed the abnormality of the moon? Moreover, the moon's light and color have changed. This color is obviously not normal.

“Miss Lin is joking. How could any of us possibly notice? This is a red-light district. Everyone here is nocturnal. Let alone noticing anything wrong with the moon, even if the moon exploded that day, I doubt any of us would be able to tell. Besides, most people in the slums are already struggling just to survive.”

Mingxi said these words with a hint of sarcasm, but there was also a lot of sighing in her words.

"So, you were all completely unaware?"

Lin Xiyue was clearly disappointed. She obviously wanted to know some secrets so that she could bring back some information she needed.

"Yes, most people are only concerned with what to eat tomorrow, where to sleep tonight, or whether they will wake up again after this sleep. However, as a semi-intelligence organization, we do know some secrets."

Mingxi said those words slowly.

"What! Can you tell me? What do I need to give in return?!"

Lin Xiyue immediately perked up, her big, watery eyes fixed on Mingxi.

"Uh... okay. Sigh, let me tell you, whether it's negotiation or a deal, it's best not to reveal your hand first. The boss asked me to teach you this, so you don't need to thank me. Back then, because you were a friend of the boss, this information was given to you by him."

Helpless, Mingxi first taught Lin Xiyue not to be so direct. Seeing her surprised look, she pointed to her ear, implying that it was an earphone.

Lin Xiyue looked over there and noticed that she was wearing a slightly larger pearl earring, which should be a contact lens.

After realizing that Lin Xiyue had figured it out, Mingxi reluctantly revealed the information.

"We noticed something was off about two weeks ago. Starting about two weeks ago, one after another, wealthy and loyal business owners suddenly disappeared. These kinds of business owners don't usually disappear suddenly; we've known them for years, not just a short time. So, after they disappeared, we sent people to their homes to ask if they needed any help. But, strangely enough, when we arrived, their families said they didn't know such a person. How could we possibly be mistaken? They've been our benefactors for years."

Mingxi's eyes visibly wandered for a moment as he spoke, as if he was thinking of someone. He paused and then continued.

"At first, we thought that their families were not allowing them to play anymore, since most of the people who disappeared were young people like young masters and ladies. But after another ten days, we realized that it wasn't that their families were not allowing them to play, but that they had really disappeared from their families' memories, along with their neighbors and friends. It felt like only we remembered them."

As Mingxi spoke, her whole body visibly trembled, as if there was an eerie or unsettling feeling about it.

"That's when we panicked and told the boss. The boss, Louis, is a superhuman, and it's because of his superhuman abilities that he was able to keep us running the shop here. After he found out, he went to investigate each location and said it was a formation, telling us to be careful. We remember them because we happen to be located near the center of the formation. He also told us that if anyone asks about this, we should answer truthfully for free, saying it would save our lives."

After Mingxi finished speaking, she looked at Lin Xiyue seriously and said something.

“You’re the only person who’s asked this question since we discovered this.”

Lin Xiyue was taken aback when she heard Mingxi say that.

He felt he might actually be able to save their lives, since he had brought a large number of law enforcement personnel with him. However, he had no confidence in whether he could actually save them.

"What...does this mean?"

Lin Xiyue was hesitant to admit it. After all, it was fine to keep it to herself, but if she said it out loud, she would have to bear greater responsibility and pressure.

"Let me explain. You go ahead and get busy. Using you as an excuse might cause you trouble."

Louis suddenly walked over from the side, first dismissing Mingxi with a nonsensical remark, and then sat down on the other side of Lin Xiyue.

"Huh?! I haven't paid yet!"

As Lin Xiyue watched Mingxi walk away without looking back, she suddenly uttered these words.

"Pfft. Hahahaha! ヾ(@^▽^@)ノ"

Upon hearing this, Louis suddenly burst out laughing. His laughter sounded different from when they first met; it was more relaxed and genuine.

"You're still so unreliable and can't find the point. Don't worry, he doesn't need your money."

Louis smiled and pulled Lin Xiyue to sit down properly, then patted her on the shoulder in a friendly manner.

"I know you don't know me yet, but I've known you for a long time. You can rest assured, I won't hurt you, and we are friends."

Louis said seriously.

"Huh? Another one like this? Did Meros say something similar before? I don't remember. Ugh, this is so annoying, I feel like I'm going to grow a brain. (╯︵╰)"

Hearing similar words again, Lin Xiyue couldn't help but mutter.

"Ah? What did you say?"

Louis didn't hear what Lin Xiyue was saying, but seeing her troubled look, he asked her curiously.

"No, it's nothing. Please continue. ヾ(=?w?=)o"

Lin Xiyue used a cute gesture to get away with it, and didn't want to discuss whether she had a brain or not with others.

“Alright, I’ll continue. I knew you would come during this time, so this is the only way I can tell you these things. I’ve discovered…”

Louis slowly explained how he knew Lin Xiyue was coming today, and how he met Lin Xiyue.

..............................

Meanwhile, on the other side, Meros and Earl also encountered some trouble.

After Meros and Earl jumped into the gap in the air, they walked through a long, narrow, strange tunnel.

This was a tunnel that kept changing colors, as if a palette of paint had been overturned. During Meros's exploration, he discovered that it was even a Möbius strip with its ends connected. Meros and Earl had been walking inside for two hours.

After walking for half an hour, Meros discovered that this was a Möbius strip, and he continued to lead Earl through it, searching for a breakthrough and sensing any discordant elements.

Walking through the tunnel, both Melos and Earl stumbled, their steps uneven and barely touching the surface. The surface was riddled with jagged, bright colors, making it difficult to discern the unevenness until they stepped inside. The tunnel also varied in width and size; some sections were incredibly wide, seemingly the size of a football field, while others were so narrow that Earl felt cramped. The constantly shifting and changing colors further amplified the feeling, making both Melos and Earl feel as if they were walking through intestinal tracts, experiencing a crushing sensation.

"Meros! How much longer?! I'm going to throw up!!! (。?`w′?)"

Earl walked behind Meros, stumbling and falling every now and then, so uncomfortable that he couldn't help but ask what was wrong.

"I don't know, but I feel it'll be soon."

Meros walked ahead. Because he was smaller, he had a better sense of his surroundings than Earl and could feel the exact location.

"Oh o(╥﹏╥)o Okay, can we run? This is making me feel so uncomfortable, I feel like I'll feel much better if I run!"

Earl started thinking of new tricks. He figured that even if Meros disagreed, it would at least distract him, which was better than throwing up.

"Shut up! We're here."

Melos, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped in a place that looked no different from any other place.

Then Meros suddenly jumped up and slammed his fist into a spot on the ground.

"Boom-"

"Boom——"

"Boom——————"

……

A loud crash echoed through the tunnel.

"Uh, is this some new move? Holy crap! (‵o′) The ground is shaking!"

Earl, standing behind Meros, peered ahead but saw nothing. He only saw Meros slam into the ground with a loud thud, which even shook the ground.

"Idiot, the vibration means this is a node. This is a man-made Möbius strip, so we can find a node to break through. What are you standing there for? Come help!"

Meros rolled his eyes at Earl and gave the order.

"Oh oh oh! I'm almost there! I'm coming! ||ヽ(*￣▽￣*)ノミ|Ю"

Earl, hearing that help was needed, excitedly pushed past Meros, arrived at the spot, and then suddenly jumped up and made a powerful impact on the next spot.

"Thump—Pfft—"

There was a thud earlier, and before the echo could appear, there was a popping sound, the sound of something breaking.

"Ah! Help! Ah! Ah!"

"I—fell—down—ah—ah—ah—"

Earl fell down, shouting as he plummeted, his voice becoming drawn-out tones.

Meros glanced at the hole and decisively jumped down as well.

Earl writhed in the air, howling as he did so. His long fur billowed upwards, completely obscuring his eyes. Earl now resembled a real dog, only one that could talk.

Meros landed a little above him without him making a sound. In fact, because he was a short-haired cat, he only felt a strong gust of wind.

"Stop yelling, we're about to land, get ready."

Meros glanced down and gave Earl a heads-up.

After saying that, Meros extended two clumps of slimy substance from his back, which quickly formed a black glider. The moment the glider appeared, it propelled Meros into the air, and then, under Meros's control, he began to glide.

"Huh?!—How—am—I—prepared—?!"

Earl was still in freefall, and he panicked even more after hearing that he was about to land.

"Idiot, you're not a real dog."

Even Meros couldn't bear to watch. Is the impact of being stupid really that significant?!

"Oh? Oh!!! I forgot! Hahahaha! (；OдO)"

Upon hearing Meros's words, Earl finally reacted. He immediately retracted his long fur, then conjured a pair of blood-red wings from his back, and his speech finally returned to normal.

"Wow! Meros! Wait for me! You've run so far carrying me! (((;???;)))"

By the time Earl finally regained his composure and looked at Meros, Meros had already glided a considerable distance forward.

"Hurry up, I've told you so many times that I'm in a hurry."

Meros said to Earl without turning his head.

"Waaaaah ┭┮﹏┭┮ Okay, okay, I'm catching up."

Earl flapped his wings forcefully, accelerating to catch up with Meros.

……