Chapter 21: An Unexpected Harvest

Only when he heard his name being called did Lin Xiao slowly snap back to reality.

"I'm fine. I just had a momentary lapse in cognition," Lin Xiao replied.

He looked up at Yue Chongguang, feeling nothing but understanding and respect.

"Mr. Lin, are you alright?" Yue Chongguang’s eyes were filled with concern.

"I’m fine, don't worry. I have good news for you: I can remove this memory of yours."

"Really?" Yue Chongguang asked, unable to believe it.

For so many years, he had been tormented by this memory, even going so far as to pull strings to find high-level ability users, all to no avail. And now, this young man before him had actually succeeded?

Yue Chongguang was first overwhelmed with joy, but then, remembering something, he asked with an embarrassed expression:

"About the fee... I recall the market price is 100,000, right? Could I pay in installments?"

This caught Lin Xiao off guard. Yue Chongguang was a Level 2 Inspector, after all; at 51 years old, how could he not have 100,000 to spare? Was an installment plan really necessary?

Yang Shubai, standing to the side, explained: "The children who survived the camp back then were all orphans. Inspector Yue took them in. He’s spent a lot of money over the years, so he’s a bit tight on funds. He really is a good man."

"A good man? I’m just atoning for my son's sins. The wrongs he committed can only be paid for by me, his father," Yue Chongguang said with a look of shame.

Lin Xiao shook his head and said sincerely, "You don’t need to pay me; in fact, I should be the one paying you."

"How can that be? Such a thing has never been heard of."

"It’s only right. This painful memory of yours is extremely useful to me. I’ve always paid when extracting painful memories in the past. If you don't believe me, look at these contracts!" With that, Lin Xiao pulled several contracts from his bag and handed them over.

Yue Chongguang took them skeptically, and upon flipping through them, realized that Lin Xiao had indeed been paying people in the past.

He still wanted to refuse, but Lin Xiao spoke first: "Aren't you short on money? It must cost a lot to raise those orphans, right? Please, just accept it for the children's sake."

Of the six orphans he had originally taken in, two were now adults, but the remaining four still required significant expenses.

Finally, Yue Chongguang gritted his teeth and said, "Then thank you, Mr. Lin."

The rest followed naturally: signing the contracts and handling the payment.

Lin Xiao didn't have that much cash on hand, so he had to borrow 40,000 from Miss Yang before proceeding to extract Yue Chongguang's memory as agreed.

Once everything was settled, Yue Chongguang stood up to take his leave. He first expressed his gratitude to Yang Shubai, then solemnly reached out a hand to Lin Xiao.

"I owe you a favor. Miss Yang was right—you really are a very special person."

"Inspector Yue, you’re too kind. It’s my honor to know you," Lin Xiao said earnestly.

Lin Xiao truly meant it. He didn't know why Yue Chongguang’s son hated his father so much, but from the memory he had just extracted, he knew that Yue Chongguang had done his absolute best to be a good father. He was also a fine inspector, a credit to his profession. At the very least, Lin Xiao felt he didn't possess such high moral fortitude himself—he wasn't sure he could ever bring himself to sacrifice his own flesh and blood for the sake of justice.

After saying goodbye again, Yue Chongguang pushed open the door and left.

Only Lin Xiao and Yang Shubai remained in the shop.

"You’re really something!" Yang Shubai said with a smile.

Lin Xiao: "..."

When a woman praises a man like that, it’s easy for one's mind to wander! But Lin Xiao didn't, because he knew exactly what Yang Shubai’s intentions were.

Lin Xiao simply asked, "I cured Inspector Yue, but that cost you a steady client. Why are you so happy?"

"Being owed a favor by an Inspector will save you a lot of trouble in the future," Yang Shubai said cheerfully.

Lin Xiao nodded. He understood perfectly well how important it was for an ordinary citizen like him to have the protection of a Public Security Bureau inspector.

"As for losing a steady client... money isn't important to me. As long as I can maintain my daily life, that’s enough," Yang Shubai continued.

What an enviable Dream-type ability user. She really wasn't just being humble.

Lin Xiao checked his watch and saw it was almost 2:00 AM.

"It’s late, I should head back. I’ll bring the money I owe you tomorrow," Lin Xiao said in farewell.

"Alright, but don't come in the morning; I’ll be sleeping. Come by after noon," Yang Shubai said with a yawn.

"Sweet dreams!" Lin Xiao laughed.

For Yang Shubai, that wasn't just a polite wish. If she slept until tomorrow afternoon, who knew what kind of beautiful dream she was preparing for herself?

Lin Xiao pushed open the glass door and returned to the entryway, where a rustling sound caught his attention.

There was Xiaobai, its fluffy bottom stuck up in the air, front paws pressing firmly onto a cleaning rag, while its hind legs pushed it forward with a rhythmic kick. It was pushing so hard that its round, pudgy body was swaying from side to side. Even more comically, it would stop every few pushes to tilt its head and inspect the floor.

Its soft, pink nose was almost pressed against the ground, and its whiskers quivered slightly with every breath—it looked for all the world like a dedicated cleaning dog.

Perhaps sensing his gaze, Xiaobai suddenly looked up, and upon seeing Lin Xiao, it let out a "woof." It picked up the rag and trotted over, its tail wagging like a propeller. It dropped the rag at Lin Xiao's feet, its wet, glistening eyes practically spelling out "Praise me!"

Lin Xiao crouched down and noticed the rag was covered in tooth marks, with suspicious traces of drool along the edges. Seeing that he didn't move, Xiaobai impatiently pawed at his pant leg.

"Alright, alright, you did a great job cleaning," Lin Xiao said, suppressing a laugh as he ruffled its head.

Xiaobai immediately tilted its neck back in triumph, a "purr-purr" sound rumbling in its throat, before picking up the rag to return to its "cleaning duties." This time, it was clearly putting in even more effort; its hind leg slipped while pushing, causing the entire cat-like creature to roll over like a ball of yarn, only to scramble back up and continue working as if nothing had happened.

It wasn't easy, working at two in the morning.

You could have been as happy as a cat, yet you're tired enough to be a dog. It was thanks to your hard work that your owner could sleep soundly until tomorrow afternoon.

Lin Xiao decided that the next time he came, he would bring more treats for this hardworking little laborer.

Stepping out of Yang Shubai’s shop, the night was deep, and Lin Xiao quickened his pace instinctively. The nights in East Sea City were not safe; cases of violence and homicide occurred from time to time, so Lin Xiao remained vigilant. The streetlights cast long shadows behind him, and the only sound in the silent streets was the echo of his hurried footsteps. What was usually a five-minute walk took him only three minutes today.

Pushing open the shop door, Lin Xiao hurried inside. Taking a deep breath, he couldn't wait to open his palm.

A lump of memory amber, black as ink, slowly materialized in his hand. That deep, abyssal blackness seemed to swallow all the surrounding light—it was far more concentrated than any he had ever obtained before.

"This time..." Lin Xiao’s throat tightened, his heart rate accelerating uncontrollably.

He had a vague sense that the energy contained within this memory amber would likely far exceed his previous gains.

As the energy from the amber surged into his body like a tidal wave, Lin Xiao’s eyes widened:

85 points of Source Energy!