The Bizarre Detective Agency

Holding the phone receiver, Oliver’s gaze cautiously shifted upward. He saw Madame Slav, dressed in a floral nightgown, descending the stairs. Her slippers tapped impatiently against the wooden floor.

A heavy, beast-like breathing echoed above him.

Oliver forced a smile, avoiding eye contact with the thick, arm-sized forearms crossed over her chest. “Madame Slav, my boss said he’ll be here in an hour.”

The sound of rushing wind whipped past his ears, followed by the landing of a hand large enough to cover a doorframe, accompanied by a low grunt.

“You’ve done well.”

For a moment, Oliver thought she was about to crush his skull. Time seemed to slow, and his life flashed before his eyes in a series of fleeting memories.

But the massive hand gently landed on Oliver’s tangled, nest-like brown hair.

The towering figure turned and ascended the stairs. The creaking wood trembled under her weight as she vanished upstairs.

Oliver’s tense body slumped, leaning against the table to keep himself from collapsing.

“I’m so sorry, boss…”

A pang of guilt and unease struck Oliver as he tried to convince himself otherwise. Perhaps if Madame Slav succeeded, his boss wouldn’t have to risk his life exorcising ghosts for money anymore.

Hopefully, his boss wouldn’t hate him.

Oliver thought to himself.

…

The Black Gold District, a slightly “higher-end” area compared to Sailors’ Street.

Most residents here had stable, non-dangerous jobs, unlike Sailors’ Street residents, who, as the name suggested, were primarily sailors and dockworkers.

This difference made the Black Gold District feel more refined—there was no lingering stench of fish in the air, no poorly dressed paupers, and no malnourished children playing in the streets.

Occasionally, one might even spot a noble dressed in luxurious attire—a sight rarely seen on Sailors’ Street.

In front of Madame Slav’s apartment stood a three-story house covering an area about the size of a basketball court. Its nearly 10-meter height made it stand out like a giant among the other buildings on the street.

When Lu Li arrived at the entrance, he saw Oliver pacing back and forth at the bottom of the steps, hands in his pockets, preoccupied and unaware of Lu Li’s approach.

“Something on your mind?”

A familiar voice startled Oliver, who looked up with surprise to see the tall figure of his boss. “Bo-boss!”

His flustered demeanor puzzled Lu Li. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, nothing! Please, come with me.”

Oliver avoided eye contact, keeping his head low as he turned and entered the apartment. He was so nervous that he tripped on the steps and nearly slammed into the door.

Lu Li stood silently, watching everything unfold without a word, then followed him inside.

The lighting in the lobby was dim. Most buildings in Belfast lacked many windows; on sunny days, this wasn’t an issue, but during overcast weather, the interiors became oppressively dark.

“I’ll take you to meet Madame Slav.” Oliver ascended the stairs, not daring to look back, afraid his expression might give him away.

“Hm.”

Lu Li followed behind, his gaze scanning the surroundings.

The second floor of the apartment had a long corridor stretching forward. On either side were tightly shut doors, with windows only at the far ends. This left the hallway so dim that one could barely make out their surroundings. Muffled beams of light filtered in, highlighting the fine dust particles floating above the faded wooden floorboards.

As Lu Li followed behind, Oliver suddenly seemed to remember something. “Ah, boss, why don’t you go ahead to Madame Slav’s room? It’s at the end of the hallway, on the right. I’ll head to my room to grab the other commissions for you.”

With that, Oliver opened the door to a nearby room.

“I can wait here for you,” Lu Li said.

Oliver froze, then turned with a forced laugh. “That’s not very polite…”

Lu Li stared at him for a few moments before nodding slightly. “Alright, I’ll go ahead.”

“Yes, great! I’ll be right there after I grab the papers!” Oliver promised hurriedly.

Lu Li turned and continued down the hallway. Behind him, he heard the sound of a door opening and closing.

Oliver’s odd behavior was so blatant that Lu Li didn’t need to think twice to notice something was off.

Though Oliver had no reason to harm him, Lu Li never relied on others’ goodwill for his safety. His hand slipped inside his coat, gripping the handle of the flintlock pistol.

After about ten seconds, Lu Li reached the end of the hallway. The door was slightly ajar, and a faint fragrance wafted out from the crack.

“Madame Slav, are you there?”

Lu Li rapped lightly on the door. The knock was gentle, yet the door creaked open further.

The room beyond was revealed.

It was brightly lit, likely because of the four large windows. Sunlight filtered through sheer curtains, blending with the pastel pink decor to create a dreamy, girlish aesthetic.

As Lu Li stepped in, the scent of perfume grew stronger, making his heartbeat quicken involuntarily. His gaze fell on a framed photograph on the bedside table. In the picture was a cheerful girl with twin braids, her delicate features dotted with freckles that gave her a lively charm. She hugged a teddy bear much larger than herself.

The teddy bear now sat against the wall, faded and worn, suggesting the photo had been taken many years ago.

After a brief glance, Lu Li averted his eyes and turned to leave the room.

Entering someone’s bedroom without permission was impolite.

But as he turned, a pale, meaty face with thick features appeared behind the door.

Lu Li’s black pupils contracted sharply as he stepped back, quickly loosening the holster on his gun. His voice rang out coldly. “Evil spirit, begone!”

“Mr. Lu Li, you’ve finally arrived!”

A delighted voice called out.

Lu Li lowered his hand slightly, frowning. “Madame Slav?”

The figure behind the door was broad-shouldered and sturdy, with neatly tied blonde hair in a ponytail. Her floral nightgown stretched tightly over her frame, and two thick legs extended from beneath the hem.

She was a woman whose presence was overwhelming in every sense, especially her pale face and vivid red lips.

“My name is Nova Slav. Mr. Lu Li, you can call me Nova,” Madame Slav said, batting her eyes rapidly as her gaze hungrily fixed on Lu Li’s face.

It was the kind of look a bear might give upon finding honey.

Lu Li let his hand fall naturally to his side. “Alright, Ms. Slav.”

Madame Slav reached out to close the door behind her. “Oliver has told me about you. You’re even more handsome and… unique than he described.”

She unconsciously stepped closer to Lu Li, her focus lost in his abyss-like eyes.

Sensing something was amiss, Lu Li frowned and spoke. “Ms. Slav, please behave yourself—”

His sentence cut off abruptly as he sidestepped, narrowly avoiding Madame Slav’s sudden attempt to hug him.

Before he could regain his footing, the large figure lunged again. Forced to retreat, Lu Li jumped onto the bed, rolling to the side just as Madame Slav crashed forward.

Bang!

A heavy thud resounded as her weight hit the floor, causing the wooden boards to tremble.

Taking advantage of the moment, Lu Li flung the door open and dashed out of the room.

He sprinted down the long hallway, quickly descending to the first-floor lobby, only to find the entrance door tightly shut.

The main door of the apartment had been locked.