Jiang City, on Tingtang Road, inside an adult store called "Happy Peak," stood a pale and flustered high school girl.


    "Full service costs 9,900 yuan, and an initial investigation requires a 1,000-yuan deposit." I took a drag from my cigarette, sizing up the girl. Her delicate face looked even more youthful in her school uniform. She was slender, yet her chest was noticeably full.


    Under my gaze, the girl grew visibly uncomfortable. "A thousand... I only have seventy on me. Can I pay the rest later when I have the money?"


    "Seventy it is. Leave the money on the table, then get going. I''ll have an answer for you in three days."


    "You... you''re not a scammer, are you?" The girl hesitated, the seventy-yuan bill in her palm already damp with sweat.


    "Trust is the foundation of my profession. Truth, efficiency, integrity, and confidentiality are the principles I abide by. Your question just now insults my professional ethics." Snatching the money from her hand, I waved her off.


    At this point, many might misunderstand me, thinking I’m some kind of predator who exploits minors or lures young girls into trouble. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Everything I do is to help her.


    My name is Gao Jian, and I’m the owner of this adult store—though that’s just a cover. My real identity is a private investigator.


    Missing persons, corpse searches, corporate espionage, anti-counterfeiting, marital investigations, and all kinds of non-litigation cases—my agency handles them all.


    Back to the matter at hand. The girl who came seeking help was named Xia Qingzhi, a high school student in the city.


    The reason she showed up here was because of something utterly bizarre.


    "My brother, Xia Chi, disappeared a week ago. I suspect he’s already been killed." The moment she stepped in, her face was pale with panic.


    "If it’s a criminal case, you should go to the police." High schoolers don’t have much money, so I barely glanced at her before losing interest.


    "The police are useless. I’ve tried everything. No one remembers my brother’s existence—not even the household registration records. It’s like he vanished into thin air, every trace of him erased."


    "So you’re saying the only memories of your brother exist in your mind?" The girl didn’t seem to be lying, and that was the scariest part.


    "Yes. Everyone’s forgotten him… except me."


    Lighting another cigarette, I took a deep drag.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    If what the girl said was true, there were only two possible explanations: supernatural phenomena, or severe schizophrenia—with a hidden, twisted personality of a brother lurking inside her.


    "Did your brother act strangely before he disappeared?" The best way to get more information was to play along, so I wasn’t in a rush.


    "A week ago, my brother went to an interview for some live-streaming platform at night and never came back." She pulled out a crumpled card from her pocket, the kind you’d see plastered on street railings—advertising plumbing services or fake medicine.


    "Dream of becoming a star adored by millions? Want billions of fans worshipping you?"


    "Sign up as a ‘Netherworld Showroom’ streamer and launch your own channel!"


    "If you have the guts, the talent, and the time…"


    "You can turn all your dreams into reality—right from home!"


    "Netherworld Showroom… that’s a unique name." Studying the card, I grew even more convinced this was some prank by a bored kid. The company name aside, the details on the back were downright eerie. The interview was scheduled from midnight to 3 a.m., at No. 44 Wudeng Road, Underground Floor 4, Room 444. The timing and location were anything but normal.


    "You think I’m making this up too, don’t you?" Her reaction bordered on despair—her eyes filled with fear and resignation.


    "Not at all. No one has the right to judge before investigating." Even if it was just for the few bucks she had, I had to say it. My agency hadn’t landed a case in two months, and with the rise of self-service condom machines, the adult store’s profits were dwindling. At this rate, I wouldn’t even make rent.


    And so, I took on what seemed like a prank of a case, leading to the scene at the beginning.


    "Netherworld Showroom…" Live streaming had exploded in popularity in recent years. Some broadcast food, some games, some just flaunted their looks to lure in lonely guys—all understandable. But what the hell did "Netherworld Showroom" stream?


    "Are they broadcasting the daily lives of the dead?"


    Smirking, I urged Xia Qingzhi to leave. A high school girl lingering in an adult store would only raise unnecessary suspicions, especially since she was underage.


    Just as she lifted the thick curtain I’d made from an old military coat, she bumped into a woman radiating seductive charm.


    "S-Sorry." As if realizing an adult store wasn’t where she belonged, Xia Qingzhi hid her face with her backpack and bolted.


    "Even high schoolers buy your stuff?" The woman’s voice was pleasant, vaguely familiar.


    "Buying or not is their choice. I don’t interfere." She was undeniably beautiful—delicate ankles in high-heeled sandals, toned calves, a flowing lace skirt that couldn’t hide her curves. A perfect figure, though her face was hidden behind a mask and sunglasses.


    But I was used to it. People who came here had their secrets. If they didn’t want to reveal themselves, I wouldn’t pry. Harmony brought wealth—as long as they paid, anything was negotiable.


    The woman was stylish, head-to-toe designer, her handbag probably a Louis Vuitton worth a year of my rent.


    "What can I get you, miss? The store’s about to close, so everything’s 20% off."


    "Sorry, I’m not here to buy. I’m looking for someone." She removed her mask and sunglasses. "Gao Jian, five years, and you haven’t changed a bit."


    The moment I saw her face, my cigarette fell to the floor. "Ye Bing?"


    My first love. Back at the police academy, we’d always topped the rankings.


    But then I got expelled for involvement in a serial murder case, while she graduated smoothly and, with her new boyfriend’s help, went abroad for further studies.


    "Five years, and you’ve transformed from a sparrow to a phoenix—full-on goddess vibes." Lighting another cigarette, I watched the smoke curl. "You changed your number, cut all ties. I thought your plane crashed and you were sleeping with the fishes in the Pacific."


    "Five years still wasn’t enough to fix that sharp tongue of yours, huh? I admit I was wrong, but I don’t regret it." She smiled, exuding confidence, every movement stirring desire.


    "Oh? Then why come back now? Hoping to rekindle old flames, relive the passion?" My eyes shamelessly roamed her body.


    "I came today to talk properly, but seeing how you are now… maybe there’s no point."


    Ignoring my jab, she placed a bank card on the table. "There’s 100,000 yuan here. Consider it an apology for leaving without a word. Gao Jian, we’re not kids anymore. It’s time to move on."


    "In three days, Young Master Jiang and I are getting married at Century Gardens. If you’re free, you’re welcome to come. After all, I don’t have many friends in this city since returning."


    Her tone was casual, as if discussing the weather, but I caught the thinly veiled disdain and disappointment in her eyes. For a moment, I was speechless.


    No anger, no pain, no outburst. I just took a drag. "Keep the card. I’ll be there."


    I didn’t notice when she left. By the time I finished the pack, my lungs burned.


    No point complaining. The money in that card alone surpassed everything I owned. Instead of pointless rage, I focused on the task at hand.


    I placed Xia Qingzhi’s flyer by the computer. This was my first job in two months. Even if the client was a minor with possible mental issues, I couldn’t afford to mess up.


    Because I needed the money.