Upon hearing this, Su Tu was stunned. His eyes drooped as he looked at his own palm. Accompanied by a flicker of Immortal Light, the slender hand transformed into a tender little hand.

"There's truly no such thing as coincidence." he mused in his heart.

Then his mouth curled into a smile, and he said to Mo Chenghai, "The matter of the bait, leave that to me."

"Teacher, how do you plan to do it?"

"I..."

"I have a younger brother..." Su Tu's voice carried a hint of amusement.

"Huh?? Ah???"

On the other end, Mo Chenghai's expression turned into one of complete bewilderment.

=====

The world was gloomy, pitch-black disastrous clouds weighed upon the firmament, as if another realm was about to collide with it.

Tiny electric serpents surged within the dark clouds, nurturing an unimaginable storm, looming over the dome, threatening to crush the human world.

The crowd on the street hurried along; even the Martial Artists were unwilling to step outside in this accursed weather.

"Damn, what's up with this hellish weather? It shouldn't be like this. With Fengshen's protection, Celestial City Star hasn't seen such foul weather in years."

An old man dressed as a chef crouched at the store entrance, looking up at the sky with a furrowed brow. His slightly chapped lips smacked as he knocked his tobacco pipe against the threshold.

At that moment, a slightly youthful boy's voice rang out.

"Boss, check please. Your braised chicken has a truly authentic taste; it's definitely not pre-made!"

"Hahaha, I've been cooking half my life, and it's all my own craftsmanship." The old man chuckled as he walked over.

A small boy, carved of jade, dressed in a black suit, carried a small backpack and sat obediently.

When the boss approached, he raised his terminal to complete the payment.

"Mmm! Delicious! Next time, if I get the chance, I'll bring some friends to eat here together."

Despite his youthful tone, the way he spoke was like a little adult, making the boss smile broadly upon hearing him.

"Alright, we'll be waiting. Bring your friends along next time, and I'll give you half off."

Upon hearing this, the boy made an OK gesture, tidied his backpack, and prepared to leave.

However, before he could step out of the store, the boss's expression changed, calling out to stop the boy.

"Kiddo, hold on, don't move. Aren't your parents coming to pick you up?"

The boy turned back to look at the simple old man and said, "My parents are working overtime, very busy, can't manage me. I've always walked by myself; it's okay."

Upon hearing this, the boss quickly walked to the boy, speaking with a very serious expression.

"That's how it was before!! Don't you know what's happened recently!"

"What's happened?"

"Recently, the Chengqia District has been unsettling. Quite a few kids around your age have gone missing, and there's no news yet. Who knows what happened to them."

"Your parents are really carefree. In this situation, they're not afraid you'll get lost too, letting you go out for meals alone."

Though the boss's words carried an accent, it was peculiar, touching upon accents from various places.

"Ah, it should be fine. My family just moved here. My dad said the security in Celestial City Star is very good..." the little boy spoke with a hint of timidity.

The boss's voice bore some disdain.

"Hmph, good security in Celestial City Star; that's something for the other fourteen major areas. Chengqia District is the most remote in terms of location, with no resource properties surrounding it.

Those officials wouldn't bother with this place.

Those hateful ones love pale, tender children like you the most. When they catch you, hmph hmph..."

The old man hummed vaguely, then picked up his tobacco pipe again, intending to take a puff, but seeing the boy before him, he put the pipe down.

The little boy, who had seemed calm earlier, after hearing the boss's words, appeared a bit trembling.

Even his gaze towards the store's entrance carried more timidity.

"You're just bluffing; I'm not afraid." The boy said stubbornly, but was reluctant to leave the store.

Seeing this, the boss sighed helplessly, handed the boy a bubble gum from behind the counter: "You're lucky you met me, a kind person. Here's a candy for you.

Anyway, looks like it's going to rain heavily. Business is probably going to drop, I'll clean up and take you home."

"Really!! Thank you, boss!!"

The little boy happily took the bubble gum, without suspecting anything, unwrapped it, and stuffed it into his mouth.

After chewing for a bit, just about to say something to the boss, for some reason, his benevolent expression suddenly turned indistinct.

"What this..." The boy began speaking with some slurring,

And the next moment... he fell straight backward.

In the last moments of his fading consciousness, he saw the compassionate boss showing a cold gaze, looking at him like he was mere goods.

"Always said, those hateful ones love pale, tender children like you..."

The boss tapped his tobacco pipe several times in his hand, speaking with a cold voice.

Three or four figures swiftly emerged from the back kitchen, wrapping the little boy in a black bag before swiftly taking him into the kitchen. The whole process barely lasted ten seconds, evidencing their seamless coordination.

Rumble!!

The restaurant's electronic shutter slowly descended. The boss sat at a nearby table, tapped the tobacco pipe, emitting a puff of smoke. Next to him, a scarred-faced middle-aged man approached.

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