Chapter 21: "Struck It Rich"

With the assistance of Aunt Chen, Lin Yilin efficiently tidied up the mess scattered across the floor. Once the task was complete, Aunt Chen departed, citing other matters, leaving behind the woman she had brought with her.

As the office door clicked shut, Lin Yilin gestured toward the visibly flustered woman. "Please, sit wherever you like. Let us begin the consultation. How may I help you, miss?"

The woman sat cautiously on the edge of the large sofa, choosing to remain in the corner despite the ample space. Lin Yilin took a seat in a single armchair, refraining from immediate questioning; for clients who lack a sense of security, overly aggressive behavior only serves to drive them away.

Only after the woman appeared more settled and her posture relaxed did Lin Yilin ask, "Please, tell me, what can I do for you?"

"I... my name is Caprice," the woman said, her voice fragile and guarded.

*Married woman, showing signs of both fresh and old injuries. Despite the warming weather, she insists on heavy, long clothing to hide them. Evidence of childbirth. Two young children at home. Her clothing is of high quality but worn thin from repeated washing. Faint marks suggest she once wore jewelry regularly, yet she wears none now—or perhaps hasn't for some time.*

Even as the woman spoke her name, Lin Yilin’s mind was already racing, analyzing the clues etched upon her person.

"Domestic violence." Zheng Fan, leaning against the back of the sofa, had his shadow pressed against Lin Yilin’s. In this semi-attached state, he could easily read her superficial thoughts and blurted it out. After possessing Jiang Si, his grasp of this connection had sharpened, allowing for this level of shared perception.

"Originally a family with modest assets, but something happened. Such deep melancholy. The husband has changed significantly; he is the source of the abuse," Lin Yilin replied internally.

"Residual scent of alcohol, though she herself shows no signs of drinking. It comes from the husband," Zheng Fan added, sharing Lin Yilin’s keen senses.

"A mixture of mid-to-high-end liquor and the stench of cheap swill. Their economic status is plummeting."

Her thoughts organized rapidly. Before Caprice could finish hesitating, Lin Yilin spoke directly: "What has happened to your husband?"

Caprice’s eyes widened. "How did you..."

"Please, do not be afraid. While I am well-informed about most matters in the Xixike District and its surrounding areas, I have no interest in the trivialities of ordinary lives. As for how I know, you may simply view it as me flexing my muscles. I hope you can feel secure enough to tell me everything; I will do my best to resolve this for you."

When Lin Yilin spoke seriously, her gaze never wavered. She stared straight ahead, and paired with her steady, emotionless tone, it was an imposing sight.

Yet, for someone lacking a sense of security, this was perhaps exactly the shot of adrenaline needed.

"Yes... it’s my husband, Linde. He... he wasn’t like this before..." The woman’s eyes reddened. The ease with which her secrets were laid bare seemed to trigger a desperate need to pour it all out.

Zheng Fan glanced at Lin Yilin. This girl was a true professional—in her thinking and in how she handled people.

***

Caprice began her story.

Her husband had been a moderately successful merchant in the Xixike District, easily providing for their family and a promising future. But some time ago, a business failure left him in debt, and his breakdown was swift.

Up to that point, there had been no real trouble. Caprice had believed that if they worked hard together, they could weather the storm; after all, her husband still possessed the connections and assets he had accumulated over the years.

He had started drinking to dull the pain, but it remained manageable—nothing reaching the level of alcoholism.

Then one day, he went out looking for opportunities and returned very late at night. He was ecstatic, claiming he had found a new, lucrative job and had made a large sum of money on his first day. He showed Caprice a pile of cash.

His eyes were bloodshot, almost glowing red, which frightened her slightly, but she told herself that since things had suddenly turned around, a wife should be happy for him.

However, he used the money for "start-up capital" and left almost nothing for the household.

After that, his time at home dwindled. He left early and returned late, or simply stopped coming home altogether. The gap in his "start-up capital" grew wider along with his increasingly bizarre behavior. With no income, Caprice had to take on manual labor everywhere she could, selling off their belongings just to scrape by.

Even the most naive person would have known something was wrong.

She tried to contact him, but he was rarely reachable. When she did get through, the line was filled with garbled, incomprehensible sounds before he would impatiently hang up.

When he returned at night, he always reeked of alcohol. If she said too much, he would beat her.

Eventually, the abuse became naked and frequent, as if her husband had found a new way to vent his frustrations. She felt he was becoming a stranger, as if he had been replaced by someone else.

Every night, after drinking, he would sit in the unlit, gloomy living room and mutter to himself over and over: "I’m rich, I’m rich, I’m rich..."

Caprice dared not approach him. At those times, he was most terrifying—like a wild beast lurking in the darkness, waiting to devour its prey.

What finally pushed Caprice to the brink of collapse occurred just a few nights ago.

He returned carrying a suitcase, his gloom replaced by an eerie return to his old, gentle self. She was bewildered, but when he told her his business had finally succeeded and that all the cash was for the family, she chose to believe him.

***

She prepared several dishes, and for the first time in a long while, the family enjoyed a meal together.

Before they began, her husband smiled and said he wanted to show them his success. He brought over the large suitcase and slowly opened it.

The result made her scream, grab her children, and flee into the bedroom.

There was, of course, no money in the suitcase.

Inside was only a mass of sticky flesh and splintered bone... from some unknown creature.

Her husband was confused, though he paid little mind to their terror. He simply stared at the contents of the case with a fanatical gaze, cupping the gore in his hands and happily repeating: "I’m rich, I’m rich, I’m rich..."

***

"To be honest, until that final scene, I thought this was just a story about gambling addiction," Zheng Fan commented, arms crossed.

"I thought so too, but now it is clearly a matter within our domain," Lin Yilin replied in her thoughts.

"I left the house with the children early this morning. I worked at Aunt Chen’s shop before, and she took me in. When she heard about my situation, she told me she knew of an agency..." Caprice finished, her face pale, her body still trembling as she recalled the horror.

"I understand the situation. Now, what is it that you require?" Lin Yilin finished her notes, tapping her fingernail against her phone screen, her tone as level as ever.

"Er, require... I, well..." Caprice was stumped, unable to find the words.

To make her family’s life return to the way it was? Was that something an agency could handle?

To make her husband return to his old self... he had already changed so much. Even if he recovered, could she ever forget this time and live with him as if nothing had happened?

Lin Yilin continued, "If you cannot be clear, I will not know how to proceed. I need you to be honest about your desired outcome."

Caprice was silent for a long time before she whispered, "At least let Linde... let my husband return to normal. Let me know what has happened to him."

"Very well. I accept this commission."

Lin Yilin replied without a moment’s hesitation.