I'm bombarding the Supernatural World with my firearms

"Uh..."

Zhou Shen hesitated before saying uncertainly, "Miao, don't you know? Hungry Monkey sent me a message saying his mom died, he's organizing a funeral, and told me to attend on time."

"..."

Chen Miao stood still with an expressionless face, walked over to Hungry Monkey, and looked at the black and white photograph in front of the small mound of dirt, the very photo that he had shattered that morning with a punch.

After a long while.

He started speaking with a hint of guilt, "Sorry about that, how about I buy you a new one tomorrow? Do you want a new mom?"

Hungry Monkey didn't speak, just knelt down on the spot with red-rimmed eyes and a tragic smile, slightly shaking his head. "No need, I know, I've been lying to myself all along."

"My parents died when I was very young; I don't remember them at all, I don't even know what they looked like. After that, I was sent to an orphanage."

"My only memory of my mother is her holding me, swaying slightly under some yellowing light, seemingly humming a lullaby."

"So warm."

"That warmth was the only thing that kept me going before I met Miao. After being cheated by that woman into buying this grave, I spent every night of those three years lying in the tomb, feeling the warm light above me, as if my mother was still with me."

"Telling me to keep living, to do my best to survive."

"But now the light bulb is broken, and it seems like my dream has ended too."

"My mom died a long time ago, there's no one else in this world who cares about me anymore, I have only..."

"Yuan Buping!!!"

Chen Miao took a deep breath, his demeanor slightly discomposed as he yelled loudly, interrupting Hungry Monkey's words.

"Present!"

Yuan Buping stepped forward instinctively, responding loudly.

"Now, immediately, right away, go to Fengtian City and buy a 2000-lumen light bulb, no, buy 10 of them, keep a few as spares, hurry!"

"Understood!"

Zhou Shen hastily tossed his car keys over, "Take my car, it's too late to hail a cab."

Only then did Chen Miao take a deep breath, managed to squeeze out a smile uglier than crying, and patted Hungry Monkey on the shoulder. "Get up, your mother will be revived soon, the funeral can be called off. She must want you to be happy in heaven."

"Cheer up."

"Yeah."

Hungry Monkey's face changed almost instantly as he reined in his emotions. He sprang up from the ground, stuffed the black and white photo back into his bag, then turned to the people standing in the snow behind him with umbrellas. "What are you all doing here?"

"..."

...

After dealing with all this, Chen Miao set up a tent in the snow and looked with some surprise at Zhou Shen, who had brought a copper pot for hotpot to the table. "You came for the funeral, and you even brought a few copper pots for hotpot?"

"Does your car have room for that?"

"No."

Zhou Shen replied while busying himself, "This was a takeout order I made when we came. It's a custom in Fengtian City that on the first snow, you must eat hotpot from a copper pot, especially seated outside in the snow—there's an atmosphere you just can't get anywhere else."

"It also signifies a prosperous year ahead."

"You can get takeout here?"

"No,"

"Oh?"

Chen Miao perceptive caught onto Zhou Shen's wording, raised his glass in a mock-toast and chuckled, "Did you get a raise?"

"Indeed."

Zhou Shen hastily got up, bowed slightly, and with both hands raised his glass to meet Chen Miao's glass from beneath.

"Back when my mom was putting me through college, I never imagined that one day I'd be sitting in this position,"

Chen Miao smiled, took a sip from his glass, and said nothing more.

Under the heavy snow.

Within the cemetery.

Eating meat with big bites, drinking booze with big gulps.

So liberating.

Zhou Shen might not have been the best at his job, but his ability to create ambiance was unparalleled. Originally Chen Miao thought it was just an average snowfall, but with Zhou Shen's touch, he began to feel this snow had a different significance.

As if it symbolized his proper standing in this strange world.

Claiming a place of his own.

No longer needing to tread carefully as he did when he first arrived.

During the conversation, Zhou Shen and everyone else grew closer, yet Zhou Shen never once mentioned the price he paid the night before, nor the 5 million he loaned to Chen Miao.

Who wouldn't like such a subordinate?

Certainly better than someone who pretends to hold a funeral for his mother but actually does it just to get something out of his subordinate.

...

Tonight, no one slept.

To adjust to the time difference, the next day as soon as it was light, Chen Miao took Yuan Buping and the others into Fengtian City to start the day's disposal process.

The first stop was "Zhang Liu Psychological Clinic".

The clinic was located in an office building, on the 17th floor. The company wasn't particularly large, roughly 150 square meters—not too small, actually. When Chen Miao entered with his entourage, half the office building came out to enjoy the spectacle.

After all, a troop of burly men in black suits marching into a business—no matter how you looked at it—resembled the scene of a hostile visit. And who wouldn't want to watch such an excitement?

"Miao, what's up!"

Zhang Liu hastened to his feet, greeting them with a mix of reverence and excitement, "Miao, sending someone would have been enough; why trouble yourself to come in person? It's so demanding; in fact, we met last night. I was in the crowd."

"But you were too busy at the time, Miao, you didn't see me."

"Is that so?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Chen Miao's eyes, "Why would a psychological doctor like you be at a place like last night's?"

Last night's gathering was of the Lower Nine Streams of North City District in Fengtian City—not a single decent person in sight.

"Ahem, I used to be a Thief; I've got a bit of a record. You've caught me before, Miao. You forgot? I even told you about it, and it was only after you spoke with your guys that I was spared from harsh punishment."

"Is that so, no wonder Zhang Liu... I was too busy yesterday, forgot a lot of things."

"But that's not important."

Chen Miao shook his head, stating his reason for visiting, "Remember what I mentioned on the Hell Bus? I'm going to need you to run an errand to Broken Pot City for me and fetch a permanent valve for old pal Doctor Gou."

"My old buddy has gotten into some trouble and can't leave Broken Pot City, so I'm going to have to trouble you with this task."

"No problem."

Zhang Liu's expression became serious, "Rest assured, Miao, I'll handle it beautifully. You can put your full trust in me when I take care of business."

"Mhm, I can't let you do this for nothing, though."

Chen Miao smiled and waved his hand, and Hungry Monkey quickly pulled out a Taboo Item from his chest and handed it over to Zhang Liu, "An F-rank Taboo Item, just a trinket, not worth much, but it seems particularly suited to your Attributes as a psychological doctor."

"I hope it helps you out."

"This..."

Looking at the Taboo Item's panel in front of him, Zhang Liu immediately became emotionally overwhelmed and burst into painful sobs, kneeling on the floor, tearing up, "Miao, I can't believe you remembered this. Miao, you're truly my savior!"

"Whenever you need me for anything in the future, just say the word!"

「Taboo Item Name」: Words of Kindness at Death's Door.

「Taboo Item Rank」: F-rank.

「Taboo Item Effect」: Only those with cancer can possess this Taboo Item. Upon possession, their current state of cancer will remain permanent, never healing, but also never spreading or worsening.

It makes every word the owner speaks more convincing.

「Taboo Item Introduction」: "As a man nears death, his words turn kind."

「Formation Condition」: When a cancer patient hears 10,000 lies told to deceive patients within a week before their death.

At this moment, the stress that Zhang Liu had been under for many days suddenly eased, and his emotional state became highly disorganized. He had been selling his belongings and venturing into secret realms to address the tumor in his body.

No one can face death indifferently.

With this Taboo Item, even though the cancer wouldn't heal and his body would still be uncomfortable, at least it wouldn't spread, meaning he wouldn't have to worry about the tumor suddenly erupting and killing him.

It felt as though a weight had been lifted from him, as if he was given a new lease on life.

"It's nothing."

Chen Miao patted Zhang Liu on the shoulder, shaking his head with a smile, "Relax, this Taboo Item is useless to anyone but you. Alright, I've got things to do, so I won't keep you any longer. We'll chat next time."

Zhang Liu, with a name like yours, it's hard for people to forget you've got a tumor.

He then turned and walked out. He had a lot to do that day, with a schedule packed tight with no time to waste here, first needing to clear out the full items in the Nothingness Space.

"Hey."

Seeing Miao leaving and preparing to depart himself, Hungry Monkey couldn't hold back and stealthily tugged at Zhang Liu's sleeve, pointing at a woman sitting across the company's workspace.

"What does that woman do in their company?"

The woman had incredibly long legs, sensuously clad in black stockings and red high heels, her legs neatly crossed on the desk. She reclined lazily against the back of the chair, wrapped in a fur coat with a black, thin undergarment beneath.

Her attire accentuated her figure while exuding a mature and sexy charm unique to a woman.

"She's probably the boss's mistress, I guess..."

Yuan Buping followed Hungry Monkey's gaze, speaking with a strange expression, "That kind of attire doesn't look like that of a normal person at all."

"What normal person would wear that to work? Can someone dressed like that for work be considered normal?"

"Her?"

Zhang Liu, about to see the guests out, had an epiphany and nodded knowingly, looking at Hungry Monkey with a meaningful smile, "What, you like that type? Her position in that company isn't actually that of a mistress."

"She doesn't have to do anything on a regular basis, just collects a salary."

"Her position is the annual bonus."

"Annual bonus?"

Confused, Hungry Monkey paused, a hint of bewilderment flitting through his eyes as he murmured, "What does 'annual bonus' mean?"

"It's literal."

...

ps: I have one piece of good news and one piece of bad news.

The good news: My editor has resigned. No one's hounding me for drafts anymore, I'm free.

The bad news: My editor has resigned, and I've lost my promotional spots. This book hasn't gotten a single recommendation.

Well...it's fine.