Not far outside the gate of Mu's shop, there stood a "CCTV," which was only installed two months ago, reportedly as part of the city's security initiative. It was also the first reason the authorities had approached Mu after the four children went missing. According to the footage from the CCTV, the st pce the children were seen before their disappearance was Mu's shop.

  I watched the video content from the CCTV repeatedly—this wasn't difficult for someone like me, an old yaokai, to obtain from the relevant departments.

  There was definitely something to be gained. From these videos, which were taken at different times, I noticed a common issue—the footage only showed the children entering Mu's shop, and after they stepped through the door, the video seemed to be disturbed by some sort of interference. For nearly two hours afterward, all that remained were chaotic noise patterns.

  If Mu were to tell the authorities that the children left during the two hours when the CCTV malfunctioned, they would have no choice but to temporarily believe her, as there was no evidence at the moment to prove she was lying.

  In the absence of proof, the w of humans demands evidence. But I am a yaokai, an ancient one who has roamed the world for thousands of years. I trust my instincts and my ability to read people.

  I don't dislike Mu, but I am certain she has something to hide. The missing children are undoubtedly connected to her in some way.

  The fat man and the skinny one seemed quite pleased with the new task I assigned to them—transforming into handsome young men to investigate the school the four children attended. Their enjoyment of getting close to countless cute little lolis quickly filled the emptiness from the shop's poor business.

  Fortunately, these two weren′t too useless. They managed to bring back some useful information.

  The four children were all first-year students at the nearby Municipal No. 12 High School, with no criminal records, average grades, and performing at a middle level in their respective csses. None of them stood out in any particur way. However, they were regurs at Mu's shop.

  To be precise, many of the students at this school are regurs at Mu's shop. They say Mu's shop is a magical pce, not just because the cotton candy is incredibly delicious but also because the owner, Mu, offers free divinations using a tool called tarot cards. And what's even more remarkable is that the results she gives are always surprisingly accurate. So, they all love going to her shop because they have many questions about the future and confusions they can′t solve.

  Pang Zi and Shou Zi eagerly shared all the gossip they had overheard.

  "Tarot... divination..." I murmured, taking a sip of floating life tea. The bitter taste gave me a sense of reassurance. Recently, not only had the number of young customers in my shop decreased, but even the yaokais that usually harass me had also lessened. With no opportunities to offer others floating life tea. I made some for myself.

  "The owner, that woman, is probably not someone easy to deal with!" Shou Zi rubbed his chin and said. Pang Zi leaned in and added, "Right! She′s clearly the prime suspect, but she acts all calm and detached like it′s none of her business. Not a single fw in her behavior! Yesterday, I saw the parents of one of the missing children go to Mu′s shop, clinging to her and begging her to reveal the child's whereabouts. But the woman just coldly smiled at them and said she didn′t know anything about the children′s whereabouts! That woman is definitely not a good person!"

  "Not a good person, and you still keep going to her shop?" I gnced at Pang Zi, who still had cotton candy stuck to the corner of his mouth, and gave a cold snort. "Alright, you two keep working in the shop. No more pretending to be on business when you're just scking off. I'll handle the rest."

  Shou Zi rolled his eyes and asked curiously, "Boss, don't tell me you're pnning to go find those missing kids? Their parents aren't rich, so they can′t pay you with gold like those yaokais do! You never take a loss on your deals!"

  I took a deep breath, raised my hand, and pointed to the kitchen, my eyes fshing with menace. "You two... get back to cooking!"

  Having followed me for so long, these two had already developed a tacit understanding with me, and like rabbits, they darted off to the kitchen.

  I finished my cup of tea in one gulp, watching the snting sun grow colder and the number of pedestrians dwindling outside. I thought to myself—it was time to meet that woman again.