Chapter 168

Lovecraftian World, But I Spread Curses – Chapter 168: Shenzhou's Three-legged Golden Toad?

Chen Xiaolin recounted her discovery about the Good Luck Bar in the car, with a high degree of certainty that the Good Luck Bar’s behind-the-scenes background was inextricably linked to this anomaly event in the Magic City.

After hearing Chen Xiaolin’s discovery, Yu Lianyun first showed a surprised expression, pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized, and said to herself somewhat excitedly: “So that’s how it is. If it’s them, then they can’t escape responsibility either. Yes, we should have thought of it earlier, but why… Never mind, it’s not important. This time, there’s an eighty to ninety percent chance we can take them all down.”

“Who are you referring to?” Chen Xiaolin saw Yu Lianyun looking as if she had seen through the truth and couldn’t help but ask curiously.

Yu Lianyun glanced at her and explained: “Do you remember those organizations I mentioned to you before?”

“I remember. You just mentioned the House of Cards, that former major conglomerate, now an abnormal organization everyone wants to beat. Are you saying the Good Luck Bar’s behind-the-scenes background is the House of Cards?” Chen Xiaolin nodded and asked doubtfully, “But that doesn’t seem right. From what I know, although the Good Luck Bar’s background is mysterious, it shouldn’t have much connection to the House of Cards.”

Yu Lianyun shook her head and said: “No, I know the Good Luck Bar’s behind-the-scenes background isn’t the House of Cards, but ‘Heaven,’ a giant in the catering service industry in the Shenzhou Region.”

“Heaven? House of Cards… Wait, aren’t those two conglomerates, along with another major Shenzhou conglomerate ‘Lihua,’ known as Shenzhou’s Three-Legged Golden Toad? No! When did you investigate the Good Luck Bar!?” Chen Xiaolin was shocked. She had never mentioned that strange bar to her.

“Two years ago.” Yu Lianyun’s face darkened as memories of the mountains of corpses and seas of blood she experienced in Cuizhu City flashed through her mind. The terror and despair from that time still hung over her like a guillotine. Recalling it again, she once more felt her life hanging by a thread, the despair of life and death beyond her control corroding her entire body. “After Cuizhu City’s name disappeared from the Shenzhou Region’s map that night, our Mysterious Group launched an investigation into the involved conglomerate, the House of Cards. After the anomaly event confrontation and handling organization surfaced and the House of Cards’ ugliness was exposed, almost all commercial partners who had collaborated with the House of Cards immediately distanced themselves. However, our Mysterious Group did not miss the opportunity to investigate them. Do you know which corporate conglomerate distanced itself at that time?”

“Yes.” Yu Lianyun nodded. “Before the House of Cards was exposed for its involvement in anomaly events, their businesses mainly involved real estate and railway transportation manufacturing. Real estate naturally intersects with the catering service industry. The collaboration between the House of Cards and Heaven, these two giants, was like a union of the strong, which didn’t seem strange to ordinary people. But with the House of Cards as a fish that slipped through the net, we specifically investigated the Heaven Group to prevent another ‘House of Cards’ from appearing in Shenzhou. However, the Heaven Group at that time was almost watertight, having cleaned up every detail of themselves, leaving us unable to find any evidence of them colluding with other anomalies beyond their business dealings with the abnormal organization House of Cards. Thinking about it now, that sole doubt is actually the most crucial.”

Chen Xiaolin’s heart pounded. The explosive news made even this well-informed reporter unable to suppress her surging excitement. “If that’s the case, with two legs of Shenzhou’s Three-Legged Golden Toad being crooked, can we guarantee the third leg isn’t crooked too?”

“Heh, of course not.” Yu Lianyun sneered. “I already know who that woman Li Duojin mentioned is. Woman, evening gown, red rose… Piecing these details together still seems vague, as this information is too commonplace—any woman could be a suspect. But when I suddenly thought about such a woman appearing in Wang Zijin’s memory, it felt extremely unreasonable. Evening gowns are clothing generally worn only on special occasions, and Wang Zijin’s family wasn’t well-off. She never attended any banquets or high-end venues, let alone ones where evening gowns would be worn. Yet she saw an evening gown. So, this means the woman in the evening gown might not have been seen by Wang Zijin at those special occasions, but in a very ordinary setting. What kind of strange woman would wear an evening gown out all day long? Then I thought of the ‘red rose’ mentioned by Li Duojin, and I immediately thought of Song Lu, the head of the Lihua Group, known to the outside world as a strong woman of her generation. Next, I discovered that this woman had no casual photos, only formal attire styles from attending major business events. She seemed to always wear an evening gown adorned with a vividly colored red rose.”

“…This isn’t some Three-Legged Golden Toad; it’s clearly a Hell three-headed hound!” Chen Xiaolin listened with her heart racing in fear. To think that in one Shenzhou, three golden mountains were all abnormal organizations piled with filth and despair. They wore the skin of capitalists, secretly creating countless anomaly events that brought devastation to lives.

“Yes, how fitting.” Yu Lianyun sneered, though her back teeth were chattering. Her heart was also trembling with cold. If no one had ever discovered the truth, how many more times would tragedies like Cuizhu City’s have to repeat?

Yu Lianyun stepped on the brake and stopped on the roadside.

Chen Xiaolin was startled by the sudden braking. She glanced at the scenery outside the window and immediately widened her eyes: “Hospital? Why are you dropping me here?”

“To do what you can manage. Or do you want to go with me to face those things?” Yu Lianyun smiled meaningfully.

Thinking of just escaping death from Jinma Mountain, she wasn’t prepared to court death again, even though she still held a “life-saving straw” bought from the forest cabin. Yet she still didn’t dare relax her vigilance.

Chen Xiaolin was speechless. After a moment of silence, she said solemnly: “Take care.”

“Take good care of Li Duojin. His situation might not be good.” Yu Lianyun nodded, reminded her, and then drove off.

Chen Xiaolin watched the taillights disappear into the midnight street. The roar of the engine resonated with the long night for a while before fading away. Her hand touched the grass ring on the wrist of her other hand. The hand wearing the grass ring clenched into a fist…

To mobilize the Mysterious Group against the “Heaven” and “Lihua” Groups, without firsthand absolute evidence in hand, even Yu Lianyun’s words wouldn’t work.

Tonight, Yu Lianyun only gathered the Tiger Group members she led, preparing to launch an anomaly raid on Song Lu, the head of the “Lihua” Group currently staying in the Magic City. She wanted to force Song Lu to expose her hidden flaws in a rather extreme manner.

As for the Good Luck Bar side, Yu Lianyun wasn’t worried.

She knew her companions would handle it well too.