Chapter 127: Surprise and Secret Delight

"Hello, sir. Are you here to pick out a school bag for your child?" the young sales clerk asked with a professional smile.

Generally speaking, whenever an adult brought a child straight into her shop, it was almost always to buy a school bag. Although the man before her looked more like a youth who had just turned twenty than the father of a five- or six-year-old child, she didn't think much of it. After all, this young dad might just happen to look young.

"I’m not really familiar with the kind of school bags kids like these days," Chang Yu said, seeking the clerk's advice. "So, I was wondering if you could recommend some of your best-sellers."

"You’ve certainly asked the right person." When it came to her area of expertise, the clerk became quite eloquent. "We are currently promoting two styles of children's school bags; they are both very popular models right now."

"Take a look at this one. It’s made with the latest waterproof material, it’s exceptionally durable, and the pattern is the most trendy cartoon design available..."

"And this one—although slightly inferior in material compared to the previous one, it has the advantage of being more budget-friendly."

"These two bags are 880 and 580 respectively. Which one would you like to buy?"

"Yangyang, which one do you like?" Since it was a bag for Yangyang, Chang Yu decided to leave the choice to him.

However, Yangyang didn't seem interested in either of the bags the clerk recommended. He walked straight to the end of the display shelf, stopped in front of one particular bag, and refused to move, his large eyes fixed on it without blinking.

"How much for that one?" Seeing Yangyang's expression, Chang Yu knew he had set his heart on it.

"Your child certainly has a great eye! That school bag is the newest 'life-saving' model our store has launched," the clerk said, beaming as she introduced it to Chang Yu.

"It is made with the latest, most advanced aviation-grade materials. It has excellent buoyancy and is completely water-resistant."

"If your child were to accidentally fall into the water, this school bag could serve as a life jacket."

"Many parents who worry about their children drowning are particularly fond of this bag. They feel that as long as they buy it, their child has an extra layer of protection."

"Although its safety performance is high, the price isn't cheap—this bag costs 1,500 yuan."

"But compared to a child’s life, these 1,500 yuan are just a drop in the bucket. After all, 1,500 yuan can buy a school bag, but it can't buy a child's life."

"This price... is indeed a bit expensive." Chang Yu felt like he was going crazy.

It was one thing for kindergarten tuition to be expensive, but why was even a small school bag so pricey? He felt that the moment he stepped into the world of moms and dads, he had embarked on a road of no return.

Spending money, spending money, spending money!

In just a few days, Chang Yu's wallet had deflated as quickly as a punctured blowfish. However, considering that Yangyang really liked the bag and that it did indeed possess the buoyancy of a life jacket with high safety performance, Chang Yu decided to buy it despite the high cost.

"We'll take it," Chang Yu said decisively, signaling the clerk to check him out.

For the rest of the morning, Chang Yu took Yangyang all over the shopping mall. He bought him pencils, erasers, and paper for writing; small scissors, colored markers, and modeling clay for art projects; a pencil case to hold his supplies, a pencil sharpener, and even a food container for his fruit.

Besides that, there were all sorts of other small items. In short, everything a kindergarten child needed, Chang Yu had bought for Yangyang.

Just as he was planning to take Yangyang home, the kid insisted on lingering at the entrance of a sour and spicy noodle shop on the street, demanding to taste this unique delicacy. Unable to refuse him, Chang Yu had to nod in agreement and take him in for a bowl of noodles.

The shop was bustling with many customers. Chang Yu and Yangyang sat in the middle of the crowd, listening idly to the chatter of the diners around them.

"Have you heard? A while ago, a high school nearby suddenly started having ghost sightings."

At this, a mysterious voice reached Chang Yu's ears, catching his attention.

"Really?"

Sure enough, everyone had a curious heart for gossip. Once this was said, other diners immediately became interested.

"Of course... I heard this from the seventh grand-uncle of my colleague's relative's neighbor."

"The seventh grand-uncle of my colleague's relative's neighbor is the night watchman at that school. By his own admission, many parts of the school always have wailing, ghost-like sounds when night falls; it sounds truly chilling."

"Every time it passes midnight, he is too scared to even step outside. And even more bizarrely, it is said that two high school students who lived on campus vanished inexplicably on their way back to the dorms at night."

"Upon learning this, the police immediately sent more men to search for the whereabouts of the two students, but they couldn't find a trace of them."

Hearing this, Chang Yu could no longer sit still. He looked at the diner who was speaking with enthusiasm: "My friend."

"Could you tell me in detail when the rumors of ghosts first started appearing at that high school?"

Although this was just a piece of local street gossip and likely a false rumor, acting on the principle of "better safe than sorry," Chang Yu decided to get to the bottom of it. As far as he knew, anything this bizarre was usually tied to a Calamity. If what this person said was true, it was very likely that a Calamity was at work.

"About three days ago." The diner didn't know much either and could only give such a vague answer. "I don't know anything more specific. It’s strange, why are you asking about this?"

"Just pure curiosity, pure curiosity." Chang Yu instinctively laughed it off and brushed the topic aside.

*Looks like I should tell Katerina about this,* Chang Yu thought while slurping noodles from his paper bowl. *As for whether it's just street gossip or the real thing, that will be for Katerina and her team to judge.*

*If it really is a Calamity acting up, I wouldn't mind taking Feng Sanpao and Shi Chengjin to that high school for a visit. If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll even find those two missing high school students.*

"What's wrong?" Chang Yu's odd behavior caught Yangyang's attention.

"Nothing, just finish your noodles," Chang Yu said, patting Yangyang's little head.

Working for the Calamity Investigation Bureau was an adult's business; he didn't want Yangyang exposed to these things so early. Although Yangyang was a little boy with explosive attack power—the battle at Songjiang wouldn't have been resolved so smoothly without him—Chang Yu still instinctively didn't want Yangyang to be too deeply involved with the Bureau.

*Knock, knock, knock!*

Back home, the first thing Chang Yu did was knock on the door downstairs.

"Who is it?" Katerina's cold voice came from behind the door.

"It's me!" Chang Yu instinctively replied. After a pause, he added, "The Imperial Army sent me to bring you a message!"

The door opened, and Katerina, wearing a sky-blue shirt and jeans, poked her head out. "Is there something you need?" she asked.

"Can I come in and talk?" Seeing that Katerina was actually wearing casual loungewear, Chang Yu was stunned for a moment. *So, Katerina doesn't just have that one suit after all...*

It wasn't Chang Yu's fault for being surprised; every time he had seen her, she was always wearing that invariable striped suit. Over time, he had assumed that was all she had in her wardrobe.

"No need to look so surprised," Katerina said, seemingly guessing his thoughts. "I just like to wear formal attire when working; it looks more capable and professional. In my free time, I like to wear more casual clothes—there’s nothing strange about that."

"You didn't think... I only had that one set of clothes for all four seasons, did you?"

"Uh? Ah, how could I?" Chang Yu laughed awkwardly, feeling that his previous assumption was indeed unrealistic. In this day and age, who would wear the same set of clothes for all four seasons?

Following Katerina into the room, Chang Yu subconsciously scanned the surroundings. The house had a minimalist and elegant style. Besides the essential furniture and appliances, there were very few personal items. Clearly, Katerina was not the type of girl who liked to clutter her room with knick-knacks. Compared to decorating with trinkets, she preferred a simple living atmosphere.

"Tell me, what happened?" Katerina wasn't one for beating around the bush; she was always direct.

Chang Yu picked up the herbal health drink on the coffee table and poured himself a large, dark cup. He took a sip and felt that same familiar taste and recipe. Yes, it was still that flavor. He had started to drink the herbal concoctions Katerina prepared for him voluntarily.

"I heard a rumor," Chang Yu smacked his lips, dispelling the bitterness of the herbs. "There's talk of ghosts at a high school lately. I think it might be related to a Calamity, so I thought I should give you a heads-up."

"Many schools have similar rumors; most are just students spreading hearsay," Katerina said, though despite her words, her expression grew serious.

"I don't think this time it's just a false rumor spread by bored students." Perhaps it was a man's intuition, but Chang Yu felt there was something suspicious about it. "Two students have gone missing. The police have deployed many people, but they still haven't found a trace... No sign of them alive or dead. This isn't the middle of the vast, endless river, so this situation is quite unusual."

"Of course, I’m just giving you a warning. It’s up to you and the Bureau to decide how to handle it."

After saying this, Chang Yu spread his hands and leaned back into the soft sofa cushions, waiting for Katerina's reply.

"I will report this to the Bureau. I believe they will send someone to investigate soon," Katerina nodded cautiously. "Whether or not there is a problem at that school, it never hurts to send someone to check."

Just like Chang Yu, Katerina wanted to report this as soon as possible to ensure the Bureau took it seriously. Even if it eventually turned out to be nothing more than a boring "urban legend" like those circulating in many other schools, Katerina didn't think it was a bad thing. It would only take a few people and minimal effort to investigate. If the investigation team did discover traces of a Calamity, she and Chang Yu would have done a great service.

Seeing that the matter had caught Katerina's attention, Chang Yu nodded and pulled out his phone. His fingers quickly swiped to a map showing three high schools in the area.

"I checked the area around that noodle shop; there are three high schools nearby. This one is the closest, less than a kilometer away. I suggest you prioritize investigating this one." Chang Yu tapped the icon of the school in the middle a few times to express his judgment.

Katerina carefully noted the names of the three schools and took an extra look at the one Chang Yu emphasized. "I'll make a call to the Bureau right now." Without hesitation, she stood up and walked toward the kitchen.

A moment later, her voice could be heard intermittently from the kitchen, clearly on the phone.

"The Bureau is aware of it now," Katerina said after returning. "For anything more specific, we have to wait for news from the Bureau. It will take a little time."

"Understood." Chang Yu felt relieved for now and prepared to leave.

Just then, Katerina suddenly said, "By the way, I've been keeping an eye on some nearby kindergartens for Yangyang lately..."