After riding the steam bus to its final stop, the cityscape before Luo Wei's eyes had completely transformed.
The streets were dirty and chaotic, buildings were dilapidated, and passersby were not as well-dressed as those in the upper city, with many wearing tattered clothes.
This was the old town of Saint Callen City, located downstream of the great river, with a significant elevation drop, hence its nickname "Lower District."
"We're here," Evelyn said softly.
Modern transportation didn't reach beyond this point, so they had to continue on foot after getting off.
Luo Wei nodded and followed Evelyn toward the slowly opening bus doors.
As soon as he stepped off, Luo Wei sneezed, his nose feeling uncomfortable.
There was a pungent odor in the air.
He saw strange colors in the river water, which was covered with foul-smelling household garbage and industrial waste from factories – the source of the strange smell.
"Is the young master having trouble adjusting to the slum environment?" Evelyn teased when she saw Luo Wei continuously sneezing.
"Not really..." Luo Wei shook his head; it wasn't like he had never been here before.
Though his previous visits had only been in games – this was his first time experiencing Saint Callen's Lower District in person.
Evelyn led Luo Wei through the chaotic district, winding through alleys filled with sewage and past rows of low-rise buildings that had existed since Saint Callen City's founding. As they ventured deeper, the buildings on either side grew increasingly tall.
But this wasn't the same kind of height as skyscrapers. Clean living spaces were scarce in the Lower District, leading to constant "vertical development." The haphazardly constructed illegal buildings seemed endless, blocking what little light there was and creating an oppressively dark atmosphere.
Luo Wei instinctively looked up.
Steam pipes from the factories crisscrossed overhead between buildings, intertwining with the bizarre architecture of the Lower District. As night fell, their black silhouettes created an irregular, menacing effect, like a man-eating monster.
This was the darkest corner of Saint Callen City, the "Steam Capital" known for its prosperity and wealth.
Gangs, drugs, murderers, and cultists ran rampant – truly a den of vice and corruption.
"I really don't understand, Teacher Evelyn..."
Luo Wei mumbled, "Do you really live in a place like this? You're not actually hiding here because of massive debt, are you?"
Looking at Teacher Evelyn's gracefully curved silhouette, he couldn't reconcile her with such living conditions.
Honestly, his mind had conjured up an entire "fallen noble lady living in the slums, working hard to earn money, persevering towards a new life" inspirational story...
"What are you imagining now!" Evelyn gave Luo Wei's head a light smack.
"I'm just curious..." Luo Wei said with a smile.
Evelyn looked into his eyes and sighed silently.
"It's complicated. I'll tell you about it another time."
Since she was unwilling to discuss it, Luo Wei didn't press further and instead shifted the topic to the cult they were investigating.
"No wonder the police haven't made any progress – this cult gathering in such a hard-to-find place."
"I wonder what their purpose is in capturing people for sacrifices..." Evelyn muttered to herself, "Could they really be trying to summon evil gods? That would be troublesome..."
Luo Wei silently followed Teacher Evelyn's footsteps. He wasn't particularly worried about "evil gods" and such things.
Those beings only existed in background stories, especially since this was just after the game update.
What he was actually worried about was something else entirely...
At eight o'clock at night, the narrow sky above was pitch black.
A cold breeze swept through the quiet alley, making Luo Wei, who had been walking for hours and was covered in sweat, shiver.
He looked back; the nearest streetlight was far away. Even within the Lower District, the place where Teacher Evelyn had brought him was one of the most desolate and remote corners.
Dark night, secluded alley – perfect place for murder and silencing witnesses.
"Tired? Just a bit further, hang in there, we're almost there."
Evelyn noticed Luo Wei's slowing pace and urged him on.
Luo Wei responded with an "oh," but maintained his unhurried pace behind her.
Only when her steps grew increasingly rapid and she kept glancing back at him,
Did he slowly speak up.
"Actually, there's something I haven't told you, teacher..."
"What is it?"
"It's about the analysis of these disappearances. Some clues were uncertain, so I didn't mention them earlier."
"Oh, that."
Evelyn seemed uninterested in what Luo Wei was saying. She just slowed her pace to walk alongside him.
But Luo Wei deliberately slowed down again, maintaining a distance between them.
"Has our little detective found some clues?" Evelyn asked with a smile as she walked ahead.
"A common thread."
"Common thread?" Evelyn asked, "What common thread?"
Luo Wei smiled too, slowly pulling out his notebook from his shoulder bag.
He took out several library cards with photos and showed them to Teacher Evelyn in the dim moonlight.
"These are... Callen University library cards?" Evelyn frowned slightly, "What use are these?"
"I actually discovered this by chance yesterday after class, thanks to my desk mate."
Luo Wei explained with a smile: "After learning from the police chief that the missing senior had been spending time in the library before disappearing, I got curious and went to the library to steal her library card."
"My female desk mate, while not good at much else, has a keen eye for appearances – she's completely looks-obsessed."
"She mentioned casually to me, 'That senior was quite pretty, such a shame...'"
"At that moment, I seemed to catch onto something."
"So I went to Chief Raymond and reviewed all the missing persons' files again."
"And guess what?"
Luo Wei spread out all five library cards like playing cards.
"Among these five missing students, some had recently visited the library, some hadn't, but that's not the key point. The key is their appearances."
"These poor seniors – not a single one of them was unattractive. Do you think the perpetrator specifically targets good-looking people? Could they be looks-obsessed too?"
At this point, Evelyn finally stopped walking and turned to face Luo Wei.
She raised an eyebrow, her expression changing.
"Oh? That's an interesting lead, but it's not enough on its own, is it?"
"If you could think of this, those useless police officers probably could too. Even if the perpetrator's motive is as you say, we can't exactly hide all the good-looking students in school, can we?"
"What we need now are more clues about the perpetrator – appearance, whereabouts, any possible traces left behind..."
"No, no, no." Luo Wei smiled as he looked at her, "We have enough clues already."
"Enough?" Evelyn asked in surprise.
Luo Wei carefully observed her expression. Those beautiful dark green eyes showed surprise mixed with confusion, as if she truly knew nothing.
So.
"Too ugly! I hate ugly things the most!!"
He repeated, mimicking Evelyn's tone from before.
"Teacher," Luo Wei asked with a faint smile, "What do you think of my appearance?"
The atmosphere grew quiet for a moment.
Suddenly, Evelyn broke into a charming smile.
"Little Wei is very handsome, the most handsome boy teacher has ever seen~"
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
