Chapter 6

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Chapter 6: The World’s Greatest Detective

“Mister, would you like one?” The boy pushed forward the newspaper he was holding.

“Give me a copy of the Jeddy Brothers,” Chaoyang said as he reached for his change.

“Here you go!” The boy promptly smiled and handed the requested paper to Chaoyang with one hand.

Now he could see more clearly.

The position where the Wish Power resided was a small column that read like a missing-persons notice—under the Spiritual Eye’s Vision, language barriers were no longer an issue, so he understood its contents without difficulty.

Missing Reporter Kurt Dunn

“He went missing three days ago, male, thirty-seven years old, last seen wearing a duckbill cap, light-colored cotton shirt, and gray fur coat. If anyone can locate him or provide useful information, a substantial reward will be offered by the newspaper. For those interested in obtaining further details, please come to our office for a personal discussion at the address below.”

Registered by Zhu Di

This person must be quite anxious, Chaoyang thought to himself; otherwise, they wouldn’t have put so much hope on this printed material. The Wish Power contained within each newspaper might seem weak individually, but considering how many papers were distributed daily, it certainly added up.

But saying that it would surpass Shi Dong’s wish was unlikely, given the circumstances of the case at hand. Neither party involved was particularly important or influential, which naturally limited the potential for powerful wishes.

If the missing individual truly had been someone of great renown, why else would they seek help from the public?

That said, he didn’t have any better options right now, and since his next contract was urgent, there was no harm in investigating further.

“Hey, kid,” Chaoyang called out to the paperboy who was preparing to leave.

“Sir, is there anything else you need?”

“Where is this newspaper published?” He pointed toward the heading on the front page: Jeddy Brothers. “I suppose you know, right?”

“Of course, I know everything about this city!” The boy wiped his nose with one hand.

“Excellent,” Chaoyang said as he took out five cents and waved them before the boy’s eyes. “Lead me there, and this money is yours.”

***

The newspaper office wasn’t far from their location.

After navigating through the crowd for about fifteen minutes, Chaoyang arrived before a five-story building.

“This is it, sir,” the boy said.

“Not bad of a location.” Chaoyang looked up and down at the building briefly. It was situated right in the middle of a row of buildings, with streets on both sides; shops filled the ground floor, making it one of the most prime locations within the city. “Can we go straight in?”

“No, sir…” The boy pointed toward a small door beside the main entrance. “We have to climb up to the top floor, and the first room after exiting is where we’re heading.”

“Uh…” Chaoyang couldn’t help but twitch his lips slightly. If not for the boy’s guidance, he might’ve thought this was some sort of public restroom.

As soon as they passed through the rusty iron gate, the light dimmed significantly, effectively isolating them from the clamor outside on the street.

Not only were the stairs steep, but also the entire place was filthy, to the point that he suspected no cleaning had been done since construction. Even more nauseating was the faint urine smell lingering in the air—how many vagrants did God know truly considered this place a toilet?

There were no other doors in the hallway, as if the building had been specifically constructed for those wishing to reach the top floor directly. As Chaoyang climbed, the sign of the newspaper company came into view.

Chaoyang’s heart sank slightly.

This was far from what he expected of a media company; even its office address was so humble and shabby. How could this newspaper possibly afford to pay out such hefty rewards as advertised on their paper?

Demons may feed off Wish Power, but that didn’t mean they were capable of living solely on air and water. In any world, money remained an indispensable necessity—so if one wished to reduce the expenditure of Wish Power, the most effective method would be to replace personal ability with financial resources to achieve goals, hence why the saying went: “Money makes the world go round.”

It wasn’t a good sign that the wisher’s expectations were already diminishing before he had even seen the reward.

Chaoyang let out a small sigh, adjusted his expression slightly, then pushed open the door of the newspaper office.

The interior appeared much more spacious than it had from the outside. The first thing one noticed upon entering was a large hall occupying about thirty square meters, which housed five or six tables scattered throughout. Each table was piled high with thick stacks of paper, and the strong scent of ink quickly overpowered the foul smell lingering in the corridor.

“Hello, sir. May I ask who you are here for?” A young man approached Chaoyang, studying him carefully.

Chaoyang took out the copy of his own paper and pointed at the missing-persons section. “Is Zhu Di around?”

“I see,” the young man responded promptly. “Please wait a moment. I’ll call her over.”

The reception room was right next to the main hall; it only had a tea table and two lounging chairs inside. Judging from the blankets and pillows piled haphazardly on the furniture, this space must also be used as a nap area.

“… What? Someone actually came?” A tiny voice suddenly pierced through the walls and reached Chaoyang’s ears.

Clearly, the wooden partition wall did not provide perfect soundproofing, nor did the speaker realize they were talking next door to a demon with extraordinary hearing abilities.

“Boss, isn’t this good news? Without Mister Dunn, there won’t be enough content for our newspaper.”

“Of course, I want him back! But that girl insisted on putting up such a hefty reward—how am I supposed to come up with so much money?”

“She insisted because she said no one would ever bother looking without raising the stakes…”

A pause before the voice continued, “Anyway, don’t worry too much about it. Even the police haven’t found anything yet; how could an ordinary person possibly find her…?”

At this point, the conversation slowly softened until it disappeared altogether.

Chaoyang rolled his eyes. The situation seemed even more troublesome than he initially imagined. Not only was the hefty reward merely a facade, but even the search itself was fraught with conflict. The missing-persons notice hadn’t been issued by the newspaper owner at all, but Zhu Di acting on her own accord?

But at least wishes don’t lie.

At least on this matter of finding someone, the other party was sincere and earnest.

The door opened with a bang, and a young woman with twin ponytails ran inside.

“Hello! I’m Zhu Di!” She bowed deeply before grabbing Chaoyang’s hand. “How should I address you?”

“Chao,” Chaoyang replied shortly. “I am a detective.”

His current appearance was vastly different from how he had been only minutes ago; he looked to be around thirty years old, with firm features that were neatly sculpted. His attire now consisted of a leather jacket and wool cap that bespoke professionalism and vitality.

“So you’re a detective, Mr. Chaoyang! Wonderful!” Zhu Di exclaimed excitedly. “I’ve tried searching for private detectives before, but no one here would take up a case like this…”

It wasn’t that they refused—rather, it was likely because you haven’t offered enough money, Chaoyang thought, though he maintained an expression of sincerity and authenticity. “I differ quite distinctly from others, both in terms of my methods and approach.”

“That’s fine, as long as you can help me find Mr. Dunn.” Zhu Di didn’t seem to care about this, her eagerness clear.

“Then… please tell me all about this reporter, Kurt ‘Dunn’…” Chaoyang said softly.