Chapter Seventy-Eight: Return to the Factory

Time passed slowly in the long wait. Soon, night fell, and in the haze, my heart grew increasingly tense.

For some reason, I had a feeling that tonight’s operation by Red-Eyed Demon Eye would not go as smoothly as planned. Yet I couldn’t say exactly why, nor could I tell what was lurking behind the scenes, stirring trouble.

When the clock on the wall pointed to ten, Red-Eyed Demon Eye rose from the sofa. Little Bell, without my noticing, had already curled up asleep in Lin Wei Yan’s arms. Watching Red-Eyed Demon Eye stand, Lin Wei Yan carefully carried Little Bell back to her room, gently closing the door behind her. She must have known all along that something was going to happen tonight.

No one spoke a word. Red-Eyed Demon Eye was the first to step out of the villa, followed closely by Feng Zi Mo and Lin Wei Yan. As the villa door shut, Feng Zi Mo spoke up.

“Let’s make it quick tonight. I’m waiting to get back and watch Crayon Shin-Chan.”

His words nearly made me laugh out loud. I had to admit, Feng Zi Mo was always Feng Zi Mo—fearless, no matter what he faced. Perhaps the word “fear” simply didn’t exist in his vocabulary.

Lin Wei Yan shot him an exasperated glance, then fixed her gaze intently on Red-Eyed Demon Eye’s face. I knew she wasn’t really looking at Red-Eyed Demon Eye, but at me. Yet she didn’t realize that it was Red-Eyed Demon Eye inhabiting my body now.

Under her scrutiny, Red-Eyed Demon Eye seemed a little uneasy; I could sense his eyes darting away, just slightly. Though it wasn’t obvious, I believed Lin Wei Yan could detect this subtle oddity, but she wouldn’t dwell on it.

As we walked toward the factory, the dim streetlights stretched our shadows long. At some point, rain began to fall from the night sky—a gentle, fine drizzle, drifting down like threads of silk.

Having grown used to the rains of the south, this weather quietly stirred memories of when I first arrived here. I remembered then, too, it rained this way—lightly, and for a whole month. There was a little episode in that time, a story about sharing an umbrella with someone. If there’s ever a chance, I’ll tell you all about it.

But back to tonight.

Braving the drizzle, Red-Eyed Demon Eye, Lin Wei Yan, and Feng Zi Mo reached the factory. The stone path beneath our feet was slick with rain, and under the streetlights, it shimmered faintly like starlight.

From a distance, I could see the factory standing alone, dark and empty, not a single light glowing within. Even the police who had guarded the entrance yesterday were gone, leaving only the guard’s room lit with a dim glow.

I knew it must be Old Zhang, the gatekeeper, steadfast at his post. Speaking of Old Zhang, he was an outsider too. Other colleagues said he’d always lived alone, with neither children nor family. He was a decent fellow, diligent and responsible, but his face bore scars—disfigured, it seemed, by burns.

To avoid trouble, Red-Eyed Demon Eye simply climbed over the wall as I had done yesterday, with Lin Wei Yan and Feng Zi Mo following suit.

The familiar hallway greeted us as we climbed step by step to the third floor. Red-Eyed Demon Eye pushed open the door first, and at that moment, my heart tightened, my gaze locked on the workshop.

What unfolded before me was wholly unexpected.

The workshop was pitch dark, nothing like yesterday; even the signs of last night’s struggle had vanished. Red-Eyed Demon Eye’s brow furrowed—he was just as baffled.

There’s a saying: “The bold are skilled.” Red-Eyed Demon Eye, undaunted, strode into the workshop without hesitation, with Feng Zi Mo and Lin Wei Yan on either side.

A chill wind swept through, making the place feel eerie. Had it been me tonight, I’d have been at a loss. But Red-Eyed Demon Eye moved as if nothing were amiss, wandering the workshop as though searching for something. Before long, he’d checked every corner.

Yet nothing appeared—not even a shadow.

Unable to contain my curiosity, I asked Red-Eyed Demon Eye silently, “What’s going on?”

He replied that he didn’t know either.

I wondered—could whatever it was have been scared off? If so, my cousin would be in even greater danger.

Anxious, I couldn’t tell if it was really scared away.

Fifteen minutes later, Red-Eyed Demon Eye found a stool and sat down. Lin Wei Yan and Feng Zi Mo stood close by, weapons drawn.

They waited, ready for anything.

Time ticked by. Soon, midnight had passed. In my usual night shift, this would be the time for a late snack.

Red-Eyed Demon Eye remained seated, as if waiting for something to arrive.

Finally, at one o’clock, a shadow flickered past.

Feng Zi Mo darted forward, his halberd appearing instantly in his hand. But when he reached the spot where the shadow had vanished, it was as if that darkness had melted away entirely.

At the same time, I sensed that the real battle was about to begin.

The shadows came more frequently, and soon it was clear—there was more than one. Even the skinny demon I’d fought to the death last night appeared, though I remembered Yin Yin had killed him. How could he be here, alive and well? Clearly, whatever was orchestrating this from behind had powers beyond the ordinary.

As more and more shadows appeared, Red-Eyed Demon Eye didn’t rush to act. He seemed to be waiting for something, gazing at the scene with an expressionless face. From his eyes, I could tell he wasn’t concerned about the shadows themselves, but about the entity behind them. Whether he could draw it out, I didn’t know.

Yet from his calm, steady demeanor, I was certain his purpose was to unmask the mastermind.

But after a long wait, nothing happened except the increasing number of shadows. The entity behind remained silent.

Did it really believe these shadows alone could destroy us?

If so, it was sorely underestimating Red-Eyed Demon Eye’s abilities.

The shadows, once darting about, now stood their ground, baring their fangs and glaring at us.

Tension filled the air.

Another bloody, violent battle was about to unfold, though who would emerge victorious remained unknown.

Red-Eyed Demon Eye curled his lips in a sneer, disdain flashing in his eyes. Suddenly, he stood, then vanished in a blur. When he returned to the stool, every shadow before him had collapsed to the ground.