The Disappearance of the Shopkeeper

"Leader, reporting to you."

Hearing the call, Mori Ogai did not turn around, still standing with his hands clasped before the window, silently observing the sunset setting over the city of Yokohama. The reporter bowed and waited for a moment. Seeing that Mori Ogai did not stop him, he continued.

"According to your instructions, before the people from the Yineng Special Bureau could arrive, we had our subordinates disguise themselves as civilians, entering the shop in multiple waves and successfully purchasing a large amount of bandages."

Only then did Mori Ogai react. He turned around, his dark red eyes revealing coldness in the darkness.

"Did those people know anything when they bought them?" Sen Ou Wai asked. "Did they know they were about to face consecutive accidents, becoming the price for others to enjoy the 'Gift'?"

"Not at all. The order passed down was only to disguise and purchase, without explaining the reason." The reporter paused. "We have strictly complied with your instructions."

Mori Ogai nodded slightly. "That was a necessary action. Because according to the memories Zhong Ye obtained, the person who activated the rule was also in a state of complete ignorance. We need to maximize control over the differences from that 'memory' to ensure the 'Gift' rule is activated stably. After all, we don't have many experimental samples to try and fail. That shopkeeper did not agree to cooperate with us."

The reporter was about to say something but stopped.

"It seems you have something to say?" Mori Ogai tilted his head slightly.

The reporter swallowed, finally voicing the doubt in his heart. "...Actually, even if the 'rules' were made public, there would be no shortage of lower-level members willing to dedicate themselves to the Port Mafia. Why sacrifice those who know absolutely nothing? As for the experimental sample issue... It's just that the 'monopoly' was unsuccessful; we can still continue to purchase in large quantities, which would give us enough time for experiments. It's not necessary to force that shop to close——"

Mori Ogai glanced at him. The reporter knew he had misspoken, immediately shutting his mouth and kneeling on the ground, cold sweat drenching his back. But unexpectedly, Mori Ogai was not angry; on the contrary, his tone was extremely calm.

"Have you ever thought about what would happen if, in grassroots conflicts, the opposing side had people possessing 'Gifts'? It would be an overwhelming battle. In the eyes of outsiders, it would only prove one thing: Port Mafia can also fail. That is something Port Mafia cannot accept. Once the beast on the peak shows sluggishness, the ants below will swarm, and the underworld will fall into chaos and dispute again."

Mori Ogai looked out the window. The sunset had completely faded, and darkness began to envelop Yokohama. In the cold light, he said slowly: "Therefore, whatever blocks the way, Port Mafia will surely crush it with thunderous force. Everything must make way for the interests of Port Mafia—whether it is sacrificing those members, or the mysterious shop and that shopkeeper."

Mori Ogai used a cold, emotionless tone: "His strange abilities and miraculous goods only made me tolerate him for a bit more time. Blockading the shop is just a warning. If he still refuses to cooperate... then let's resolve this dangerous and troublesome character."

Cùng lúc đó, trong ánh sáng mờ ảo, Sakaguchi Ango nghe mệnh lệnh từ cấp trên mà sững sờ. Dù kết quả này không quá bất ngờ, nhưng không hiểu sao tim anh lại đập nhanh một cách bất thường, như thể bản năng cơ thể đang cảnh báo điều gì đó.

"That matter..." Ango was about to speak to stop it, but was ruthlessly interrupted by his superior.

"There are people guarding there, right? The shopkeeper should still be in the shop. Dispatch people over immediately, resolve it tonight, to avoid long nights and many dreams."

Ango's heart beat even more violently. As if to fulfill his uneasy premonition, the phone suddenly rang, making him jump. The voice coming from the other end of the line made everyone present tighten their hearts.

"Chief, we have guarded the only exit and closely monitored the shop, but... the shopkeeper has disappeared."

The moment those words fell, the last warmth of the sunset vanished, and night completely descended. The world plunged into darkness, and the phone in Ango's hand fell to the ground, shattering to pieces. But no one cared about that. Because everyone was feeling one thing. That was fear.

...

No one knew what had happened, nor did anyone remember clearly when it began. The feeling of tension and fear seemed to rise from the ground, yet also descend from the sky. The atmosphere of fear, which usually only appeared when war or major social upheaval was about to occur, now enveloped the minds of the citizens of Yokohama along with the darkness.

On the streets, everyone was pale, their expressions anxious. Shops no longer invited customers, friends no longer joked; everyone kept a strange silence, their steps hurried as they returned home. But even when they were inside their homes, they did not feel at peace. The darkness in the corners of the walls seemed to harbor monsters, and every corner was filled with malicious mocking laughter. Some tried to escape the fear through sleep, but under the pale moonlight, sharp screams from nightmares constantly echoed throughout the city.

While the fear enveloping the city was about to become a serious social issue, Li Nai didn't feel troubled at all. Because he was deep within the center of the Yineng Special Bureau, where strict security measures isolated all sounds from the outside world.

In this space that was originally impenetrable, a soft voice rang out: "Is this the 'Tian Shu'? I heard it's a kind of wish-granting machine... but looking at it, it's just an ordinary book."

Actually, he didn't come here for this. Right now, the most important thing was the new item worth one billion!

"Hurry up, let me see." Li Nai grabbed the small bat and asked with interest: "Is the last item of the little shop unlocked?"

The small bat trembled in his hand, and then a gray mist spread. The sound of iron chains clashing rang out from the void, and information about the new item appeared in Li Nai's mind.