Volume 1 Beginning of Summer Chapter 17 Preparation
Jiang You knows Xia Xia.
She is a cosplayer. Three years ago, a set of cosplay pictures of Nine-tailed Daji made her famous on the Internet. After that, she endorsed some businesses and published some personal photo albums. For a while, she became the most popular person in the cosplay circle. Some rumors also gradually spread, accompanied by some large-scale photos. After a while, there was no news.
"It seems like I haven't seen her pictures for a long time," Jiang You thought for a while, "She seems to be very good at handicrafts. The clothes of Nine-tailed Daji, with all the tails, seem to be made by her herself."
"She died of esophageal cancer."
"That tattoo?"
Tang Butian looked at a cosplayer not far away with her arms crossed over her chest and a sweet smile at the camera. She said, "She also had the same tattoo."
"What is your relationship with Xia Xia?"
"Senior, she's a senior."
Jiang You looked up at the bright sun above his head. A thin layer of sweat had already appeared on his forehead. He wiped it with the back of his hand. "There is a convenience store and a cafe in the easternmost venue. Let's go there and sit down and chat."
Tang Butian nodded slightly.
She followed Jiang You and watched him skillfully make many turns before entering a less crowded exhibition hall. There were shops on both sides of the exhibition hall, and a whole row of lockers on the middle wall.
Some cosplayers were putting on makeup and fixing their hair in the open space.
After passing Lawson and KFC, Jiang You took Tang Butian into a coffee shop. There were not many people inside, so Jiang You and Tang Butian chose a seat by the window and sat down.
Soon, the waiter brought the menu.
The price is a bit high. Drinks that cost more than 30 yuan outside are priced at more than 70 yuan here.
"Coffee, or something else?" Jiang You asked Tang Butian.
"Black tea latte, no sugar, iced."
"Want some cake? Or ice cream?"
"No."
"OK."
Jiang You called the waiter over, "Black tea latte, iced, sugar-free, one portion of syrup for the iced latte, and a piece of signature chocolate cake, that's all."
The waiter took note and left with the menu.
Soon, drinks and cakes were served.
Tang Butian stirred the ice with a straw and asked, "Do you want to join the Special Operations Department?"
"Why, do you think I'm a good bait and want to recruit me as a professional extra?"
“There is a system.”
"So good? No need to take an exam?"
"You've passed the test."
"How come I don't know?" Jiang You thought for a moment, "That color blindness test chart?"
"right."
Jiang You took a sip of coffee and asked, "How many points did I get?"
"Thirty minutes."
"What about full marks?"
"one hundred."
"I didn't even pass this test," Jiang You forked a small piece of cake and put it into his mouth, "What about the salary?"
"No."
“No basic salary?”
"No."
"What about car allowance, housing allowance and meal allowance?" Jiang You asked persistently.
"None."
"This is worse than a contract worker. What about you? You don't have any either?"
Tang Butian looked out the window. "There are various exchange meetings, and some quotas, such as home purchase qualifications. There are fewer restrictions than others." She pursed her lips and turned to look at Jiang You. "Many people want this identity."
"Now I understand." Jiang You put down his fork. He had already eaten half of the cake. He leaned forward slightly and looked into Tang Butian's eyes. "Why did such a pie-in-the-sky thing happen to me?"
"Clairvoyance, you can see things that I can't see."
Jiang You pointed at his glasses and said, "Without them, I am no different from a blind person."
"You don't agree?"
"No, no, no, actually I've always wanted to take the civil service exam, but I don't have a diploma, and I can't concentrate on reading." He paused and took a sip of coffee. "Besides, myopia seems to be a tonic for evil spirits, so it's naturally safer to join the system. Are there any procedures to go through?"
"I'll let you know."
"Then I'll leave it to you. By the way, what happened to the Rake Company?"
"The bank increased its credit line to Xiaozha, pushing it to acquire Pazi. Liu Yong pleaded guilty and was jailed for economic crimes."
"Where's his secretary?"
"She wasn't involved much and will be free in a year."
"It's not easy to find a job or get married if you leave a stain on your reputation."
"You can marry her."
Jiang You finished the last bite of chocolate cake. "She doesn't like me. She works as a secretary for Liu Yong and interacts with the company's top executives... So what's the matter with that tattoo?"
"After she was diagnosed with cancer, the department organized donations and condolences. I went to the hospital with her. She didn't have a face that indicated she would die young, so I judged that some external force had changed her fate," Tang Butian opened the white envelope and took out a tattoo sticker and placed it on the table. It had a five-pointed star eye pattern. "So I went to her dormitory and found this."
Jiang You picked up the tattoo and looked at it carefully. "It seems to be surrounded by some red smoke, very faint, almost invisible. Can it change a person's fate?"
"I have done experiments. It is a seed. Once you stick it on your body, even if you wash it off, it will leave a mark that is invisible to the human eye. The more you use it, the deeper and stronger the mark will be."
"Then what?"
Tang Butian bit her lip and said, "When desire activates the mark, it will bring a lot, but it will also take a lot away."
Jiang You put the tattoo sticker back on the table and said, "I'm going to say something, don't be angry."
"What?"
"You might as well come to the comic convention with your wooden sword," Jiang You looked Tang Butian up and down, "It's tiring and inefficient."
"Is that so?"
"Get the purchasing channels, find the manufacturer, and find out the mastermind behind it. Your identity, these shouldn't be difficult, right?"
Tang Butian lowered her eyes, her dense eyelashes trembling slightly, "There's no way to file a case."
"Why?"
"It didn't cause any serious consequences. She bought it herself and died of illness. She has a complete medical record. All the evidence I have is these tattoo stickers." She bit her lip again. "There are many things with abnormal energy. It's hard to control them all. Generally, only after a case occurs and a case is filed, and if an inexplicable phenomenon is found, will we contact the Special Operations Department to participate in solving the case."
"I understand. The grassroots police force is not enough," Jiang You leaned back in his chair and asked, "Then what are you going to do?"
"Can you get in touch with that meatball guy?"
"Maybe." Jiang You glanced at his phone and called the waiter to pay the bill. "Let's go. It's time to line up for a group photo. I feel like today is the peak of my life."
"What's the meaning?"
"That fat otaku also has a goddess to accompany him to the comic convention," Jiang You stood up and glanced at Tang Butian. "When Rouwan Wanzi and I take photos together later, please help me take a few photos with your phone."
"good."
