Having once again encountered a stroke of bad luck, Dr. Chen Mo grumbled as he pedaled away on his bike, pondering how he would explain the situation to the customer.
Behind them, the battered Jaguar remained overturned, with several robbers sprawled lifeless on the ground, helplessly awaiting the arrival of the police.
However, amidst this momentary calm, several whirlwinds suddenly appeared on the horizon, rapidly sweeping toward the scene in the blink of an eye.
As the gusts began to subside, several half-human, half-bull creatures emerged from the smoke and dust. Leading them was a massive, three-meter-tall bull demon, its sharp, golden horns gleaming, its muscles bulging with the power of a heavyweight boxer.
Without hesitation, the demons charged into the Jaguar, quickly smashing through the vehicle and greedily diving into the scattered black bags around them.
Indifferent to the valuables, they appeared to be searching for something of greater importance, but found nothing.
Breathing heavily in frustration, the golden-horned bull demon suddenly lunged at the bald robber, effortlessly lifting him off the ground and delivering a few harsh slaps.
The shock quickly revived the robber, but upon seeing the demon before him, though trembling with fear, he refrained from screaming in panic.
This was not his first encounter. When legendary creatures suddenly appeared and demanded that he steal something from the bank, he knew well that danger loomed. Yet, when faced with such powerful beings, what could humanity do to resist? Moreover, the reward they offered was undeniably tempting...
"Where is the thing you brought me?" The bull demon bellowed angrily, ignoring the weak grin the robber forced.
The bald robber froze for a moment, confused as he scratched his neck. "Boss, you mean the broken jade? Don't worry, I was afraid my brothers might pocket it, so I wore it around my neck... Wait, where is it?"
"You fool, are you mocking me?" The bull demon snarled, tightening its fist, the sound of cracking knuckles echoing in the air.
The sharp pain had the desired effect. The bald robber suddenly recalled, trembling as he stammered, "Wait... I remember now! It was that guy on the electric scooter, he attacked us!"
In just two or three minutes, the bald robber spilled everything he knew, though it was little enough to be of any help.
The bull demon furrowed its brow, scratching its head in confusion. "So you don't know his face, nor his license plate number... You just thought he was a delivery guy with a black electric bike?"
The bald robber nodded vigorously but suddenly hesitated, letting out a low hiss. In his last moments, he saw the bull demon smiling a wide, innocent grin while tightening its grip.
Still seething with anger, the bull demon tossed aside the body, then stomped on the remaining robbers in turn, muttering bitterly, "Damn it! If it weren't for those Daoist priests, I would've robbed the bank myself. What do I even need you useless fools for!"
After a few seconds of furious roaring, the bull demon turned to its subordinates, glaring at them with fiery red eyes and bellowing,
"What are you all standing around for? You heard what this idiot said, get into the city and find that piece of jade—search every restaurant, big or small, don't miss a single one, even check the alleyway spots!"
The demon lackeys exchanged doubtful glances, realizing the absurdity of the plan. Yet, who would dare defy the boss?
After a brief hesitation, one of the silver-horned bull demons finally scratched its head and, trembling, asked, "My lord, we're fine with searching restaurants, but we're not familiar with South City. Which area should we start with?"
"Idiot, I knew you'd ask that!" The golden-horned bull demon proudly pounded its chest, confident in its wisdom. With a smirk, it retrieved something from its bag, mystifyingly saying,
"Don't forget, the old man once said that when in doubt, remember this mantra—'For internal matters, consult Baidu; for external matters, ask a dog!'"
With a loud thud, the demon lackeys all collapsed to the ground, their eyes fixed on the golden-horned demon's laptop.
At the same moment, the shrill sound of police sirens could be heard approaching, the outlines of several police cars becoming clearer.
The golden-horned demon's expression darkened slightly. It swiftly kicked the silver-horned demon in the rear and barked, "Get to work, but don't attract attention! If any of you slack off, I'll make sure you catch mad cow disease!"
The Auspicious Restaurant stood midway along Fufang Street. Though not large, the decor was elegant and refined, ensuring a steady stream of customers.
But, as the jealous competitors often said, "The drunkard's intention is not in the wine! Even a fool could guess, among the many patrons every day, at least 90% come for the proprietress..."
There was a certain bitterness in this statement, but it did contain a kernel of truth.
The proprietress, Ye Rong, was only about twenty-five or twenty-six, with delicate features and a graceful demeanor. Her lily-like innocence was enough to make countless men throw caution to the wind.
Yet, from Chen Mo's observations over the years, it seemed no fool had ever won favor from her—on the contrary, anyone with impure intentions would find themselves financially drained and left weeping, warning each other, "Value your life, stay away from Ye Rong!"
For such high-level manipulation, Chen Mo had long held an unshakable admiration. However, according to the restaurant's female staff, the seemingly tough Ye Rong had once endured a heart-wrenching experience that would bring tears to anyone's eyes.
It was said that when Ye Rong first arrived in the city, she had met a handsome and successful man. Their budding relationship seemed like the stuff of a melodrama, filled with unspoken affection.
But, as life often unfolds, the so-called "prince charming" was already married and, upon being exposed, shamelessly suggested they enter into an affair.
Fortunately, Ye Rong didn't fall for it. Instead, she calmly used her charms to drain him of his wealth, leaving him destitute and broken. From that point on, she understood the art of "passing through a garden of flowers without letting a single petal touch her."
Having lost all trust in men, Ye Rong was the only female among the restaurant's eight employees, apart from the chef, Wang Fatty, with Chen Mo being the only male staff member.
Moreover, it was likely because Ye Rong's aura was too overpowering, causing every woman who worked there to quickly fall under her influence.
Fufang Street was only a few hundred meters long, and after several unsuccessful attempts, the men in the area had mutually warned each other to avoid the blossoming restaurant, deeming it a dangerous zone. This is why they were so surprised to see Chen Mo, who had lived there for six years, unscathed.
Thus, thanks to Ye Rong and a few of her beautiful colleagues, Chen Mo often found himself invited to gatherings, the theme of which was, of course, how to protect one's life and wallet. During these times, Chen Mo would never hesitate to order the most expensive drinks and dishes, then drunkenly offer a perfunctory response, "No secret, just peace of mind."
Of course, while the men in the area were wary, there were always those unaware of the situation who came from afar, keeping the restaurant's business booming.
For example, as Chen Mo hurried back to the restaurant, despite it being well past 1 PM, the lobby still had more than a dozen tables occupied by guests.
With a grin, Chen Mo greeted them before turning his attention to the counter, where Ye Rong, with her hair tied up, was carefully making notes. Her unmade-up face exuded a quiet elegance, dressed simply in a pale yellow dress that revealed just a hint of smooth skin and a delicate white arm.
Seeing this, a few first-time visitors were completely distracted, nearly pouring beer into their noses. Chen Mo sympathetically sighed, unable to resist glancing at Ye Rong for a few moments, thinking to himself, women truly are dangerous creatures.
As if sensing his gaze, Ye Rong suddenly lifted her head, smiling warmly at him, "You're back, you've worked hard!"
Although Chen Mo was more than an hour late, Ye Rong didn't even ask, instead greeting him with a soft smile.
Noticing her expression, Chen Mo instinctively stroked his chin, a sense of foreboding creeping over him. Sure enough, before he could explain, Ye Rong pulled out a calculator and, with a serious expression, began calculating,
"Half an hour's journey, and you took an hour and a half? Very well, according to the rate of 2 yuan per minute, that comes to 120 yuan, plus my emotional distress fee and the cost of calling you, which totals..."
"Two hundred yuan, no change," Chen Mo shrugged indifferently, handing over two bills, "This also covers your youth loss fee, abortion costs... by the way, shouldn't you be napping now? Why are you sitting here, waiting for me to return with trepidation?"
"Of course, how would I know if you've run off with the money?" Although her cheeks flushed slightly, Ye