Guilongchao: I played the domineering CEO to the bone.

Chapter 113 The Missing Little Light

"Biaozi? What are you doing at...Dragon Tide Pavilion?"

After working for several hours in the Mirage Treasure Vault last night, Tong was exhausted and had no energy to argue with Master Du about the 10/90 split. She kicked Master Du out of the room and quickly went to sleep on the sofa.

Tong slept soundly until dawn. Stretching, she walked out of her room and saw Biaozi sitting opposite Master Du in the main hall of Longchao Pavilion. She looked at the plaque of Longchao Pavilion with suspicion before confirming that she was inside.

I was really a little dazed from sleep—it was quite a strange sight to see Master Du and Biaozi having "breakfast" together.

The two cats were enjoying Mr. Du's near-expiry low-grade cat food together.

Why is it the low-grade cat food that Mr. Du usually only uses to fill his stomach?

Because a guest like Biaozi, who can't get a single penny out of a customer, doesn't deserve to be entertained with more valuable items by Master Du.

"What's wrong? Can't your Uncle Biao come?"

Biaozi greeted Tong without turning his head, his eyes filled with appetite and longing as he looked at the gold-rimmed crystal glasses worn by Master Du.

Unfortunately, Biaozi was a rather slow-moving tank, while Master Du was the type who was extremely agile, so Biaozi was destined to only be able to look at Master Du's gold-rimmed crystal-lensed monocle without ever getting a taste of it.

It seemed they were starving, munching on Mr. Du's cat food while frowning, while Mr. Du ate with great elegance and enjoyment—making one wonder if they were even eating the same thing...

"Where's Xiaoguang? Didn't Xiaoguang come?"

Tong wondered why Xiao Guang and Biao Zi rarely appeared at the same time.

Longchao Pavilion was only so big. Tong had been looking for Xiao Guang ever since she saw Biaozi, but she couldn't find him anywhere.

"Her... I have no idea where she went..."

Seeing that the bag of cat food was almost empty, Biaozi sped up his eating.

"That heartless little brat... she changed jobs again yesterday... and had dinner with her new boss last night... I ate too much and went to sleep first, so I asked her to take me home... who knew I'd wake up this morning on some random street... and almost get hit by a car..."

"That place...it's almost outside of Nakaura Ward..."

Perhaps the cheap cat food just didn't taste good, and because he was hungry and couldn't eat quickly, Biaozi couldn't help but gag and stick out his tongue. (Ridiculous, what kind of hardship hasn't your Biaozi endured?) before continuing:

"I guess that guy Xiao Guang was so happy because the new boss was so generous...? And then he skipped and hopped home and accidentally threw me out of his bag?"

"I've been home too... to the place Xiao Guang rented... I knocked on the door, but no one answered. I guess she's not back... I don't have the key, so I had to stay at Longchao Pavilion for a while and wait for her to come pick me up."

After saying that, the bag of cheap cat food nearing its expiration date was empty, and Biaozi ended his conversation with Tong with an abrupt "Ugh—".

Mr. Du listened the whole time but didn't participate in the discussion, simply elegantly licking the remaining cat food crumbs from his paws.

A bag of cat food costing 1900 yuan isn't too bad to treat this kind of cat... Consider it a contribution to deepening the relationship between the director of Dragon Tide Pavilion and the unofficial forces.

Tong found it strange after hearing this, so she used her Little Spirit Eye to send several messages and make several phone calls to Xiao Guang, but there was no response...

Not right.

"Actually, before the director woke up, Du had already tried to contact her, but like the director, there was no result."

Seeing that Tong's attempts were unsuccessful, Master Du finally stepped forward to take charge.

“In the past, Mr. Du would have assumed she had simply forgotten because she was busy with her new job, or that she had forgotten to bring Xiao Ling Tong. After all, the director knew her impulsive nature…”

"But today is different... Director, you know, right? Today is...?"

Tong squinted and pondered for a while before giving her answer:

"Is today payday for non-permanent staff?"

"Yes, at this time of day, Xiao Guang is always the first to rush into Longchao Pavilion. Even if there is a downpour, he will never be late, let alone absent."

Master Du nodded his head, then looked at Biaozi, who was both fond of eating and unhappy while doing so.

"At first, when I saw Biaozi, I thought it was Lord Guang coming to collect his salary... This extreme fanaticism for his salary made me suspect that she was some kind of humanoid dragon skeleton that was after money."

At this point, Master Du glanced at Tong with a sudden realization.

"Of course, you're not bad either, Director."

"Stop criticizing me now!"

The director rolled his eyes, gesturing for Mr. Du to continue.

"Unexpectedly, while this fat cat was feasting and drinking at the Dragon Tide Pavilion, there was still no sign of Lord Guang."

"Hey! Old Cat Du! I only ate one bag of your slightly soggy cat food and drank one cup of water from your Dragon Tide Pavilion, and you call that gluttony?!"

Biaozi couldn't stand it anymore. He wailed and got up from the ground, stopped gagging, and also wanted to rebuke Master Du to clear his name.

"It does not matter."

"How could my reputation not be important!"

"It's not important to me."

Master Du completely ignored Biaozi's accusations.

"The important thing is that someone like Lord Guang, who is so reluctant to show up on payday, must have encountered some force majeure event that is even worse than a natural disaster."

"Hehe... I must say, Mr. Du, your reasoning is as convincing as ever."

Tong nodded, agreeing with Master Du's opinion.

"Hey... is it possible...? Didn't Biaozi just say that Xiao Guang met a very generous boss? Is it possible that Xiao Guang has achieved financial freedom now, so he looks down on the meager salary of our Longchao Pavilion?"

Before forming the Tong Suo Zhu trio, Tong needed help with commissions. If the other members of Long Chao Ge were unavailable, she would first consider her cronies, such as Xiao Guang and Xiao Hui.

Even though the time when Tong Guang, Hui, and the others accidentally entered the Dragon Realm was their first time fighting side by side, Tong had already cooperated with Xiao Guang and Xiao Hui on many other commissions before that.

After a while, Master Du processed the onboarding procedures for Xiao Guang and Wang Hui as unofficial staff of Longchao Pavilion. As long as the two of them contributed to Longchao Pavilion's commissions that month, they would receive a salary—of course, much lower than the salary of Director Tong, a formal member.

"If you were the director, and suddenly a windfall came your way, would you choose to give up a month's worth of hard-earned wages at Longchao Pavilion?"

Master Du countered with a question.

"hiss........."

Tong was reminded of some unpleasant memories by Master Du's words...

I remember waking up in my bed at Kowloon Residence on her payday, the day she was a full-time employee...

Ahh! Don't think about it! Don't think about it!

"will not."

Tong shook the bad memories out of her head and responded to Master Du's own judgment.

"So, Xiaoguang is missing."

After a lengthy discussion with Tong, Master Du finally concluded that Xiao Guang, an unofficial member of the Dragon Tide Pavilion, had gone missing.

"Something seems a bit unsettled on the streets lately, and I have a bad feeling about it... I hope the director can help find Xiao Guang."

"Wait a minute? Nakaura Ward is so big, and there's not a single clue. Where am I supposed to find Hikaru?"

"Director, why don't you ask Mr. Biaozi? Maybe he'll have any clues."

Biaozi, rubbing his stomach with a sad expression, was suddenly struck by Master Du's words.

Thinking that my long-term meal ticket, human servant... oh no, I mean my partner who shares life and death with me might be in danger!

This humble one feels it's my duty to do it!

"Let me think about it..."

"I was fast asleep at the time, half asleep, and I only heard her say something about... a sedan chair? ... something about... Tong's strength is not enough? Something about saving her or something... I really can't remember anything else."

"You're only telling me now that it's so important!?"

Tong immediately realized that Xiaoguang might be in danger!

"Emmmm, I'm just too hungry to think..."

Biaozi avoided eye contact and silently shrank under Master Du's leather seat.

"Sedan chair... sedan chair... dumplings? Pride? Teacher's qualification?"

The only clue is this sedan chair, but this clue is just too absurd... Tong racked her brains but couldn't think of anything that was unsettling lately that could be connected to a sedan chair.

Sigh! That Xiao Guang... he really loves causing trouble for your sister Tong!

Who told me to be your sister, Tong? If I, the director, don't take care of you, then who will?!

Just when we were at our wits' end!

A red and gold-embossed wedding invitation suddenly appeared above the heads of the two cats and one person, emitting a pungent, fishy smell, enveloped in flowing red magical energy, and floated down slowly.

Although Tong wasn't very skilled, she was bold. She extended two fingers, using the tips of her fingernails to grasp the wedding invitation, carefully opened it, and pulled out a bloodstained letter inside...

Pshaw! This director thought someone was going to give us a red envelope...

The letter read: "At the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), at the crossroads, burn paper and set it aside. Borrow a bridal sedan chair to welcome you to the underworld. We will meet in the netherworld."

A sedan chair? A bridal sedan chair?!

Could this be it? What a coincidence!

Why does it feel like all sorts of dirty things are constantly flocking to the director...?

Hey——!

A flash of inspiration struck his eyes!

Xiao Guang's part-time job + Xiao Guang's disappearance + a mysterious wedding invitation that appears while investigating Xiao Guang's disappearance = ?

Pupil triggered an unfounded association:

"Xiao Guang may not be very smart, but he's very capable. He's just a bit absent-minded at crucial moments, otherwise I wouldn't have tricked him into coming to Longchao Pavilion to work as a laborer... cough cough, what I mean is, is it possible that Xiao Guang's new boss is the thing behind this wedding invitation?"

Biaozi still had a deep impression of Min Moyou, so he jumped out to refute Tong's inference:

"No, Xiao Guang's new boss is a young, handsome, and wealthy man."

"Wow? Young, handsome, and rich?"

Tong's eyes lit up.

"Does Xiaoguang have any feelings for her new boss? Xiaoguang is so cute... Once Xiaoguang becomes a rich wife, she won't forget her Tong-jie, will she?!"

Although it was just a joke, Tong's mind was already filled with fantasies of Xiaoguang marrying a rich man, and then her using her silver tongue to swindle financial support from Xiaoguang in a rosy future...

"Ahem! Director, jokes can be made anytime, but the matter of Mr. Xiaoguang's disappearance is urgent and cannot be delayed."

After being reprimanded by Master Du, Tong realized that her inappropriate behavior was untimely, so she ended her conversation with Biaozi about Xiao Guang marrying a rich woman.

But a seed of an idea had already been quietly planted in Biaozi's heart...

"In my opinion, this should be a door card used in traditional wedding customs."

Master Du stretched out his cat paw and pointed to the few lines of illegible writing on the letter. The writing was strange and blurry, as if the person who wrote the letter had just learned to write.

"Although it's a bit hard to see, you can vaguely make out the words 'name' and 'place of origin' on it."

"Exchanging family profile pictures before marriage is a custom; these profile pictures, which record family backgrounds, help the families of the couple get to know each other better,"

The learned Master Du explained.

"Sometimes I really don't understand how a cat like you can know so much..."

Tong had another flash of inspiration!

"How did this thing end up in Dragon Tide Pavilion? Could it be...? Master Du, you're getting married?"

He started winking and making faces at Master Du.

"Director! Please be serious!"

"Okay, okay, go on, go on..."

Tong scratched the back of her head sheepishly and chuckled awkwardly.

I really don't know what's wrong with me today, I just can't control my mouth...

"Even if I were to get married, I wouldn't use something like this... because there are some abnormal aspects to it."

"It's more accurate to say that there's no such thing as a normal place at all..."

Ignoring Tong's complaints, Master Du was about to continue when he suddenly seemed to hear some commotion outside the Dragon Tide Pavilion.

"Let's go out and take a look... I have a bad feeling."

The man and the cat exchanged a glance, became more alert, and headed out of the Dragon Tide Pavilion.

Upon opening the door of Longchao Pavilion, it was discovered that the mailbox outside had been stuffed full of wedding invitations, the kind Tong was holding, some of which had even spilled and fallen to the ground, scattering all over the place.

"Director... it seems this post is not a coincidence. Perhaps our Dragon Tide Pavilion is being targeted by someone... or perhaps it's not a person."

"Oh, Mr. Du was referring to 'inhuman existence' in a true sense, not that he was cursing because the mailbox at Longchao Pavilion was full and there were wedding invitations scattered in front of Longchao Pavilion that were troublesome to clean up."

"I'd rather you were swearing..."

The fearless Director Tong reached out and took a wedding invitation from the mailbox in Longchao Pavilion, wanting to compare it with the one in his hand to see if there were any differences.

But the moment she touched the wedding invitation, a wisp of scarlet cursed power flowed up her arm and into her body, automatically conjuring countless scarlet words in Tong's mind:

Why don't you come? Why don't you come? Why don't you come?...

Why aren't you here yet? Why aren't you here yet? Why aren't you here yet...?

"Huh—what is that?!"

Startled, Tong shuddered and threw the wedding invitation on the ground.

As expected, the words in her mind disappeared as Tong let go. Recalling them, Tong still remembered those red words written with incantation...

It's really badly written.

"Settling down the engagement gifts signifies the betrothal; the arrival of the bridal sedan chair signifies the wedding procession—"

After pondering the sentence on the wedding invitation for a while, Mr. Du slowly began to recount the deduction he hadn't had time to finish earlier.

"That Netherworld abode must be the place where the wedding took place."

"Perhaps this marriage is not for the living."

"If Mr. Du is not mistaken, Xiao Guang has probably been taken to that place."

.................