Becoming an Evil God and Stealing His Wife - Chapter 4

Hu Xiangxiang looked at him with slight surprise. “You want to come work as my kitchen assistant? Helping out in a kitchen is by no means easy labor.”

“I’m not afraid of hard work, Auntie,” Li Jiu replied earnestly. “I don’t know if you plan to open for business tonight, but if you do, would you let me try it out? I can do whatever needs to be done. If you’re satisfied with my work, you can keep me on.”

He pointed to the bamboo steamers on the table, where the plump meat buns remained completely untouched. “And if you aren’t satisfied, I’ll take just these two steamers of buns as my payment. Would that be alright?”

Hu Xiangxiang didn’t answer immediately.

Li Jiu pressed on, his tone sincere: “My cooking skills are decent, and I’m quite familiar with how a kitchen runs. Auntie Hu, could you give me a chance to show you what I can do?”

Sensing the genuine determination in his eyes, Hu Xiangxiang smiled and nodded. “Since you truly want to give it a shot, of course you can. As for those two steamers of buns, they are already yours. Even if it turns out the kitchen isn’t the right fit for you, you can take a few more with you when you leave.”

“Thank you, Auntie,” Li Jiu said.

That night, after the Xiangxiang Noodle House finally closed its doors.

As Hu Xiangxiang wiped down the tables, she chuckled. “If I didn’t know this was your first time doing kitchen work, and if I hadn’t seen how unfamiliar you were at the very beginning, I would have sworn you were an experienced worker with years of practice under your belt.”

Li Jiu carefully stacked the freshly washed bowls onto the drying rack. “It’s probably because I always handle these chores at home, so it was easy to get the hang of it.”

In reality, he had worked multiple part-time jobs as a waiter and a kitchen hand in his previous life, making him a seasoned professional. However, the original owner, Li Jiu, had no such background. To avoid drawing suspicion, he had intentionally feigned a bit of clumsiness at the start, asking questions to ensure his act aligned with his past experiences.

Once the entire dining area was restored to a pristine state, Hu Xiangxiang stood with her hands on her hips, looking entirely pleased. “I am incredibly satisfied with your performance tonight. Based on your efficiency, you absolutely deserve a fair wage.”

“I’ll speak plainly with you,” she continued. “As long as you can maintain tonight’s standard, I can offer you a fixed salary of 1,500 per month. As you get faster and gain more experience, we can negotiate a raise. You’ll also get four mandatory days off each month, and you can request extra leave if something comes up. How does that sound?”

1,500 a month was considered an excellent income in Wangdong City. Hu Xiangxiang was willing to offer such a generous rate partly out of her inherent kindness, and partly as a gesture of gratitude for his help earlier in the day.

Li Jiu nodded without a moment’s hesitation. “That sounds perfect. I have no objections.”

This amount was more than enough to cover the daily expenses for both himself and Li Mengmeng, and it would drastically improve their current living conditions. It far exceeded his initial expectations for an emergency job hunt, and it positioned him perfectly to gather information. He was immensely satisfied.

Furthermore, just as he had predicted, the entire evening had passed without a single strange occurrence. The Quality Inspection Department had likely deployed personnel to keep a silent watch over the area.

Meanwhile, inside an office across town.

“Captain, the Level 4 Anomaly that previously surfaced near the Xiangxiang Noodle House has completely vanished,” a young man reported, handing over a thick stack of documents. “I’ve thoroughly scouted the surrounding perimeter and found no lingering traces. It has likely fled the sector.”

“We’ve also run a background check on Li Jiu. Here is his personal file and his recent behavioral track.”

Ling Xiao took the folder, flipping through the pages one by one. “Give me your assessment.”

The young man continued, “He spent the entire evening working at the noodle house. He was quite diligent, picked up the tasks quickly, and has already signed an employment contract with the boss lady.”

“His behavior throughout the shift was completely normal no strange or suspicious actions. Although he adapted to the kitchen routine rapidly, it was evidently his first time doing that sort of work; he had to ask for guidance on almost everything and relied heavily on the boss lady’s instructions. It perfectly matches his background.”

Ling Xiao nodded slowly, processing the information.

“Though, Boss, I do have one question,” the young man noted, scratching his head.

“Speak.”

“He usually limits his job hunt to the outskirts of the South District. Why did he suddenly venture into the urban center today? The positions here either require a formal education, or they heavily discriminate against people from the outskirts based on their clothing and lack of urban experience. If he hadn’t crossed paths with the boss lady by pure coincidence, it would have been impossible for him to secure a job here.”

Ling Xiao closed the file. “Setting aside whether someone from the outskirts can find work in the city district, let’s look at his situation. His parents were casualties of an anomalous incident and are deceased. He himself is a survivor of a separate incident, barely escaping with his life, which cost him his previous job. On top of that, he is solely responsible for a younger sister suffering from a severe case of Black Mist Disease.”

“Why do you think he came to the city center?”

The young man pondered for a moment, an expression of realization dawning on his face. “Ah… I see.”

“A severe case of Black Mist Disease requires at least 800 a month just for the stabilizing medication to keep her alive. A typical wage on the outskirts could never cover that. As for Li Jiu’s previous encounter, I recall the files stating that the victims of that syndicate were all lured in with promises of quick cash. So, his brushes with anomalies and his desperate search for high-paying urban work… it’s all for his sister. For the money.”

“Yes.” Ling Xiao set the documents down on his desk. “Li Jiu’s suspicion index and danger rating are low. We can lift surveillance on him for now. Redirect our available personnel to hunt down the Level 4 Anomaly that escaped from the noodle house. We cannot allow it to claim more victims.”

“Understood, Captain!”

Once the young man left the room, Ling Xiao stared quietly at the folder left on his desk. He vividly recalled the way Li Jiu looked at the hospital this afternoon completely calm, with an entirely clear state of mind.

“To gaze directly upon a Level 2 Anomaly and survive with one’s sanity intact… and to recover this quickly and thoroughly…”

“Though, given that he holed himself up in his room and acted like a madman for half a month after returning home, I suppose it’s barely within the realm of a normal psychological reaction…”

By the time Li Jiu left the noodle house, it was already pushing nine o’clock in the evening. The bustling crowds from earlier had thinned out significantly, leaving the streets quiet and barren.

The black mist that usually lingered in the air had dispersed, revealing two perfect, full moons hanging side by side against the dark horizon. In this world, the sky possessed twin moons, and even the moonlight they cast was a stark, bleeding red.

Li Jiu had always preferred a classic silver glow, but here, a silver night was a luxury he could never glimpse.

However…

He lifted his right hand, looking down at the heavy paper bag filled with leftover meat buns, and found his mood lifting. At the very least, he wouldn’t have to choke down dry, fishy grey taro for breakfast tomorrow. He had secured a job with a stable income. It was an excellent start; things were finally looking up.

Thinking of Li Mengmeng waiting for him at home, Li Jiu picked up his pace. He hadn’t intended to stay out this late, but he figured the steaming meat buns he was bringing back would easily appease the young girl’s anxieties.

He kept strictly to the well-lit avenues, preferring to take a slightly longer detour back toward the outskirts rather than cutting through the pitch-black alleys. He hadn’t forgotten how incredibly dangerous this world could be.

Since the trek was quite long, Li Jiu began passing the time by mentally reviewing the text he had skimmed in the handbook that morning, trying to commit every illustration and note to memory. Though his understanding of this world’s mechanics was still rudimentary, he instinctively knew that the contents of that handbook were invaluable. They might save his life in the future.

After nearly an hour of walking, he finally crossed the perimeter road of the South District. Spotting the familiar landmarks of his neighborhood, Li Jiu let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, his stride turning lighter.

Suddenly, a bizarre, rustling noise echoed from a dark alleyway to his right.

Li Jiu instinctively glanced over. The interior of the alley was a vacuum of absolute darkness, obscuring everything from sight. The moment his eyes drifted toward it, the strange noise abruptly ceased.

Given the late hour, the main street was entirely deserted; there wasn’t a single soul around to offer help.

A sudden, sharp instinct of imminent danger flared in Li Jiu’s chest. Without a second thought, he bolted.

The sound of something with far too many legs moving at a terrifyingly high speed erupted from the alley, tearing after him. The entity was closing in right behind his back.

You’ve got to be kidding me…

Am I seriously this unlucky?

Li Jiu didn’t dare look back. He poured every ounce of his strength into his legs, sprinting forward like a madman. Yet, the moment he increased his speed, the rapid skitter-skitter behind him grew higher in frequency, relentlessly closing the gap between them.

With his heart hammering against his ribs, Li Jiu sprinted until his lungs burned and his muscles turned to lead. Clutching the bag of buns tight to his chest, he ran until he was completely spent. When the sounds behind him finally seemed to fade into the distance, his pace inevitably slowed as he gasped for air.

In the very next second, a powerful grip snapped onto his back collar. Before his eyes could even register the movement, his vision blurred, and he was violently dragged backward into the absolute darkness of an alleyway.

I’m dead.

Reacting on pure adrenaline, Li Jiu spun around and threw a vicious elbow strike toward his captor’s chest. But the attacker neutralized the blow with effortless precision. With a swift twist, Li Jiu’s arm was forced behind his back, and he was pinned ruthlessly against the brick wall, his face pressed hard against the cold, rough surface.

The grasp was firm, solid, and structurally precise. A human? Who is this?

“What do you want?!” Li Jiu hissed through grit teeth, preparing to launch a secondary struggle. But as he tried to shift his weight, a strand of hair shining with a brilliant, moonlike silver—fell gently across his strained shoulder.

“It’s you?”

Silvery-white hair. Li Jiu had only ever seen that specific trait on one person: the mysterious individual who had saved him in the basement.

Faced with this entity, Li Jiu knew any attempt at physical resistance was entirely futile. If this person truly wanted him dead, it wouldn’t take them a single second to snap his neck.

Li Jiu immediately went limp, ceasing all struggles as his mind raced at a frantic speed. “Why were you looking for me? Do you need something?”

The figure behind him remained entirely silent. Sensing that the young man had stopped fighting back, the crushing weight pressing him into the brick wall gradually eased.

“You can let go of me,” Li Jiu said, keeping his voice steady and non-threatening. “I won’t run. If you need my assistance with something, just say the word. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

After a tense, heavy silence, the grip on his arm finally vanished, releasing him from the clamp.

His muscles ached terribly from the strain. Li Jiu massaged his shoulder slightly, slowly turning around to face his captor, making sure his movements were entirely telegraphed and devoid of any hostile intent.

Standing before him in the shadows of the alley was indeed the enigmatic savior from the syndicate’s basement.

However, the mysterious man looked distinctly different from their first encounter. The heavy cloth mask that had previously obscured his features was gone, and his dark hood had fallen back, fully revealing his face to the red moonlight.

He was exceptionally tall, standing roughly half a head taller than Li Jiu. His features were strikingly beautiful almost ethereal with a pair of ash-grey eyes that shone as cold and pristine as polished glass. His skin was incredibly pale, resembling finely carved white jade.

But his most captivating feature was the long, silver hair that flowed down past his shoulders, catching what little light entered the alley like a cascade of pure starlight. Even though it was slightly disheveled from whatever ordeal he had just endured, the messiness only heightened his otherworldly, sacred aesthetic.

Aside from his stark black clothing, the man’s entire palette was incredibly light, giving him an almost spiritual, untouchable aura.

A flash of genuine awe flickered in Li Jiu’s eyes, but he forced himself to snap out of it instantly. He quickly noticed the fine beads of sweat lining the silver-haired man’s brow, and the distinct, unhealthy pallor of his lips.

Though the beautiful man maintained an icy, expressionless facade, he was clearly in a state of immense physical distress.

“What do you need me to do?” Li Jiu asked, keeping his tone calm.

A voice as crisp, clear, and frigid as cracking winter ice broke the silence: “Take me to 116 Changnan Street. Ensure absolutely no one spots us. If we are seen… I will kill you.”

Before the final syllable could echo in the alley, a faint, cold hand came to rest lightly against the pulse point of Li Jiu’s throat.