“What is the Special Sunday special?” Gloria asked through the door.

  “There is no Special Sunday special! The only Sunday special is suhe voi the other side of the door answered without aation.

  “What is the ‘holiday but not Sunday’ special?” Gloria asked again.

  “The ‘holiday but not Sunday’ special is beer battered cake.” The voiswered once again without hesitation.

  “What is the secret coffee? Who order it?”

  “Secret coffee is mocha topped with whipped cream, with a shot of rum or vodka.” The voiswered: “Only adult returning guests order it. No takeout and overs.”

  Gloria let out a breath of relief and opehe door. It was indeed Luoshan Zi. It seemed she received the messages left for her, or she was just an insanely clever detective.

  “Okay, good on you to ask three questions.” Luoshan Zi was sweaty, her clothes were dirty and slightly ragged - she was in some kind of fight or scuffle, but she did not appear to be injured. “I don’t have a lot of time, so I’ll cut to the chase: I’ve put word out in seeking some old friends of ours. You know some of them as well, Gloria, they taught you. And - not gon into too much detail, but we are trying to formute a pn to rescue the sages and schors, hopefully soon.”

  “Oh!” Turner Ouyang and Tae Kuo gasped at the same time.

  “What?” Luoshan Zi narrowed her eye.

  “We know where they are - possibly.” Turner Ouyang raised the piece of paper with his sket it.

  Luoshan Zi rushed to Turner Ouyang’s side and snatched the paper from his hand before he could even realize what was going on.

  “Lake Aqiu - are these Qiyun Spots?” Luoshan Zi asked, her frown deepened.

  “ly - they are proposed locations of the electric substations - or - substations ied to serve as spots of the electric grid array.” Turner Ouyang nodded: “And I was just about to tell them - I think the schors, monks and sages are hidden somewhere underh the ke.”

  “But where could that be?” Luoshan Zi hahe piece of paper back to Turner Ouyang.

  “Cross Lake Express.” Turner Ouyang ran his fingers from the sketched ke, up to down: “Do you guys remember that?”

  “Yes. A subroject the city initiated, it was never finished because they ran out of funding really soon.” Tae Kued: “But that’s the official story anyway.”

  “So, you’re saying there are tunnels left in that project?” Luoshan Zi thought for a moment before nodding at Turner Ouyang: “Good - good theory. And it makes sense, if there is even a se of unfiunnel in the ke, they could just do it there.”

  “But - what about a boat? If they’re holding the schors on a boat or a ship, that would make it easier, right?” Sue asked.

  Luoshan Zi hesitated for a short moment before speaking in a calm but still furious tone: “Yes. But in order to actually use them as some kind of substitute pilr or blessing, you must have a steady tral altar somewhere, and the pilrs o be grounded.”

  “I - I see.” Sue sighed: “That means if we want to save all of them, the best ce is to go underground?”

  “I’m afraid so.” Turner Ouyang sighed: “And - even though I am very vinced of it, I must still say it’s still - still a theory.” His head got lower with almost each word out of his mouth.

  “Don’t.” Sue grabbed his right hand and shook her head: “It’s the best theory we’ve got so far.”

  “Yeah - but if you go there, you’d be risking - ”

  “It’s fine. We’ll be prepared.” Luoshan Zi shook her head: “We have our people, and we have the element of surprise. And most importantly, this is something we have to do. We’ll do some quick preparations, then head out tomorrow evening. Gloria, what do you say?”

  Everyone’s eyes fixed on Gloria at the same time.

  “I - I’d really love to - ” Gloria looked Luoshan Zi straight in her eyes and apologized: “But - I’m really sorry about this, Luoshan, but I ot join you on this quest.”

  “What? Why?” Luoshan Zi was genuinely surprised.

  Gloria took a deep breath, before responding to her boss and her mentor’s inquiry: “Because - because I already made a promise to Detective Cai. He has a pn to strike at them at their ter of operation, strike them right at their heart. I - I know the importance of resg those schors and sages, I really do. But - I must do this.”

  Luoshan Zi stared at Gloria for a few seds, before asking: “What are his pns? Tell me everything you think is proper to share.”

  Gloria thought for a short moment before responding: “He found out that these people - the people who are usiric substations and the electric grid as a rge scale array to suppress the paranormal. He pns to actually ‘reboot’ the array, and He ected with the master from the Temple of Fetfulness, and they are going to act the same time as you would tomorrow. I made a promise to him that I would go with him.”

  Luoshan Zi fixed her eyes on Gloria’s eyes for a few more moments, long enough to make others in the room unfortable. “We could really use your strength in this, you know. We are there to rescue schors, and take back the actual pilrs - baes of our unity. Whe them back, those people’s pn, whatever it is, will be foiled.”

  “Yes. But HIS pn would not only help rid the city of the corrupt Qiyun flow, it will also nd a critical hit right at those people at their own pce of operation.” Gloria responded, stern and unyielding.

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