Working: Start by earning the boss a hundred million!

Chapter 53 Evil Cloud City
Shang Xingjian gestured for her to leave, telling her to close the door behind her so as not to disturb his game.

Cheng Mai didn't ask any more questions because she knew very well that even if she did, Shang Xingjian wouldn't say another word to her.

After leaving Shang Xingjian's office, he went out to find Shen Luo.

Shen Luo had just ordered a small amount for everyone, and when she saw her come out, she waved for her to come over.

"Yan Wang is temporarily in charge of Fengcheng. Xuantian Temple is being renovated, which will take about three to five months. Sanze and the others will be in charge of the renovation for the time being."

Cheng Mai nodded, and the matter of Fengcheng was considered to be temporarily settled.

At this moment, Luo Linwen was still in the reception room, and Chongchong had just gone in not long ago.

"Let me see Shen Yuanbai's requirements." Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.

If Shang Xingjian really wanted to bend the law for personal gain, no one could stop him.

And he didn't need to explain it to himself.

Shen Luo found a request form with Shen Yuanbai's name on it among a pile of documents. "There's nothing special about it, he just thinks his ex-wife is possessed by something evil and wants us to go and take a look."

However, their people went there but didn't find anything wrong.

If it's puppetry, then it makes sense.

Puppetry is a harmless little spell with no side effects and leaves no trace after use. It is one of the little spells they often use to play pranks on people.

"It is said that this puppet technique was a little gadget that the Xuanji God created out of boredom back then. After all, it was created by a supreme god, so it won't hurt anyone."

Xuanji, one of the twelve gods, is skilled in magic.

After reviewing Shen Yuanbai's request form, Cheng Mai said, "So if Luo Linwen hadn't accidentally knocked on my door this time, would you still not have guessed it was puppetry?"

"The third group mentioned this possibility, but puppetry leaves no trace, and without firsthand observation, even the boss wouldn't dare to draw a conclusion easily," Shen Luo explained.

Cheng Mai never expected that this spell could be so seamless that even the merchant's swordsmanship couldn't detect it.

"Is this spell difficult to learn?" Cheng Mai asked.

"If it were in the past, when spiritual energy was abundant and the cultivation world was thriving, it wouldn't be difficult. But now, even small demons who have cultivated to a certain level would find it hard to learn." This is also why they didn't consider puppetry techniques immediately.

Do you think Luo Linwen might be a victim?

Shen Luo smiled and said, "I really didn't know that. Luo Linwen is supposed to have a good life, but it seems that her life hasn't been smooth."

Cheng Mai returned Shen Yuanbai's request form to Shen Luo, then turned to look at Chongchong, who appeared listless, as she emerged from the reception room.

"How about it?"

Chongchong looked very tired; she wasn't this tired even when she went to recall General Meng'an's memories last time.

"This Miss Luo has too much stuff in her head. I finally managed to find something strange in those messy memories. Half a month ago, this Miss Luo went to Yuncheng, but I can't see what she did. It's all a blur."

Shen Luo raised an eyebrow slightly, "Even you can't see it, it seems someone has tampered with her memories, a formidable person indeed."

"Half a month ago? Yuncheng?"

The insect nodded.

"Shen Yuanbai first sought out Xuan He about half a month ago, so after Luo Linwen returned from Yuncheng, she went to the Shen family to cause trouble." If that's the case, then what Luo Linwen did in Yuncheng becomes crucial. Luo Linwen's memories that were replayed are currently dormant.

Cheng Mai crossed his arms and looked down at the sleeping Luo Linwen. Why did she go to Yuncheng, and what happened there?
And what does the brief statement from the business manager mean by "this is her exam"?
"What are you thinking about? I ordered macarons for you." Shen Luo brought in the desserts and, seeing Cheng Mai lost in thought, handed her the macarons. "I paid for them with the boss's money."

Cheng Mai took it and opened it. "He still has money?"

"An advance on next month's salary." Shen Luo was now bolder; after all, the boss's money might not necessarily belong to the boss in the end.

Shen Luo glanced at Luo Linwen; she was still unconscious.

"You're not planning to go to Yuncheng, are you? That place is eerie; you'd better not go."

"Strange? How so?" Cheng Mai asked while eating, feeling it would be a waste not to eat the food, given the owner's money.

How can the threat of gaining weight compare to the pleasure of having your boss pay the bill?

"To put it simply, Fengcheng may have a few more lawless criminals, but Yuncheng has been a battleground since ancient times. What's most prevalent in such a place?"

"Soldiers who died on the battlefield? But is that scary?" They were all heroes, there's nothing scary about them.

"Hey, here's the problem: Cloud City doesn't have an underworld, but it does have a ghost army of tens of thousands of people."

"How many people?"

“Ah, a ghost.” Shen Luo quickly changed his words. “The boss once talked to their general, but that general was a tough nut to crack and refused to submit to anyone. Moreover, this ghost general has an eccentric personality and does things entirely based on his mood.”

"So the boss just let him be?"

“The boss said it was what he deserved.” Shen Luo smiled. “Anyway, the boss said after he came back that Yuncheng is that Ghost General’s territory, and no one has the right to interfere.”

Another ghost general with a story.

"Later, an earthquake struck Yuncheng, killing many people and also exposing many evil creatures from underground. These evil creatures were all torn apart overnight, and the malevolent energy in Yuncheng gradually accumulated. As a result, Yuncheng's economy failed to develop that year, and everyone who went to Yuncheng would fall ill upon returning. This is how Yuncheng came to be known as the Evil City."

Cheng Mai's memory of Yuncheng was limited to what he learned in geography textbooks. He only knew that the city was located on the outskirts of the country, and his only impression of it was that it was economically backward.

"Everyone who has been to Yuncheng gets sick. Has no one noticed such a strange thing?"

"How many people go to Yuncheng in a year? At most, they think they have a cold. Besides, ordinary people can't see the malevolent energy, so they just feel uncomfortable because of the damp climate."

Cheng Mai nodded to indicate that he understood. "So Luo Linwen's puppetry skills may have been brought back from Yuncheng, but don't you think that makes sense?"

Yuncheng is thousands of miles away from City A. Even if there is a lot of gossip about wealthy families, it only circulates within this circle. How could it possibly spread to a place like that, and be used as a prank?

This seems more like something someone did intentionally.

“Once she’s awake, you can ask her yourself.” Shen Luo nodded at Luo Linwen with his chin.

Sure enough, Luo Linwen frowned and slowly woke up.

Shen Luo picked up the empty food container she had finished eating. "I'll go out first. Call me if you need anything."

Cheng Mai saw that Luo Linwen had woken up and gently supported her, "Miss Luo, are you awake?"

Luo Linwen patted her head, seemingly still recovering, and after a while replied, "Much better."

Cheng Mai cut to the chase and asked directly, "Miss Luo, why did you go to Yuncheng half a month ago?"