Spoiled by Eight Uncles (Lily)

After an all-nighter, Cloud successfully traced an IP address starting from the internet café. He closed the system backstage, ensuring there were no traces left, and stretched his tired muscles.

“Hey, Calvin, I'm here. Sorry I'm late, there was a traffic jam,” the substitute network administrator hurriedly greeted Cloud.

Cloud smiled and reassured him, “No worries, | was just finishing up a game. Take your time.” The substitute network administrator marveled at how friendly Calvin was and began the handover process.

“Wait, something seems off with the 25 dollars,” the substitute network administrator remarked.

Cloud nodded, “Oh, there was this guy who went crazy and paid with underworld currency to access the internet.” He pointed to two underworld banknotes in the corner and whispered, “Have you noticed anything unusual happening in our county recently? Something that just looks abnormal at first sight?” The substitute network administrator was scared as he saw the underworld currency! Oh my...

“Well, nothing out of the ordinary...” The substitute network administrator replied nervously, “There was an elderly lady in the southern part of the city who committed suicide by jumping off a building. But that's unfortunately not uncommon... Could she be the one who was accessing the internet last night?” Cloud shook his head, “No, it was just a regular young man.” The substitute network administrator pondered for a moment and added, “I did hear about a man getting hit by a bicycle the day before yesterday and being rushed to the hospital. The doctors said he couldn't be saved... But the next day, he disappeared.” Cloud speculated, “Could he have come to our internet café?” The substitute network administrator cautioned, “Come on, Calvin, don’t say such things!” Cloud realized that he could not find any abnormal people or incidents in the county. He patted his colleague on the shoulder and said, “l was just joking. Let's get on with our work.” The substitute network administrator nodded while sending a voice message to his friend, briefly mentioning the incident of receiving underworld currency at the internet café. However, he quickly added a warning at the end, urging his friend not to talk about it, as it could affect the café’s business negatively and the boss might kill him.

Meanwhile, Cloud went inside to retrieve something, and when he returned, he noticed that the substitute network administrator was still recording a voice message: “Yeah, I'm scared! Hey, why don't | just take up that part-time job you mentioned yesterday? | can earn 2,000 dollars a month just by taking photos, which is only 500 dollars less than my salary as a network administrator, and it's much easier.” Cloud glanced at him, intrigued by the mention of a part-time job involving photography.

“What kind of part-time job is it? Count me in if the pay well!” Cloud joked.

The substitute network administrator replied, “I'm not sure if it's legit though. There's a rumor that an environmental research organization needs people to take photos to document the biodiversity in the western region.” Cloud asked, “What kind of pictures? Is it that hard to take a picture?” The substitute network administrator shook his head, “Doesn't sound too difficult. It seems they want photos of the vegetation, the overall forest environment, and such. They said they're looking for someone to go to Kongo Jungle for this purpose.” Kongo Jungle was right at the border, and on the other side of the mountain was Grookey. The area was densely forested, but there was a road that led up the mountain. Residents often went up the mountain to collect herbs and mushrooms, and it was also frequented by tourists exploring the county, although it remained relatively unknown.

Cloud nodded, “Okay, take me with you if you decide to go.” He did not ask for the substitute network administrator's WhatsApp or contact information, as he did not want to appear too eager or suspicious. After discussing the matter, Cloud finished his work for the day and prepared to leave.

However, as soon as he stepped outside, he came face to face with a man in black. The man had a sharp and somewhat sinister appearance, and their eyes met.

Unexpectedly, the man halted, positioning himself slightly sideways as if giving way to Cloud. However, his fixed gaze smirked at Cloud, who was puzzled.

If Cloud was alone, he would have approached the man and stopped him to ask what he was going to do. After all, the man appeared rather suspicious. But he reminded himself of his current identity. He was merely an internet cafe administrator.

So, Cloud responded with a perplexed expression and asked, “What are you staring at?” The man in black chuckled and scratched his neck as he continued to smile at Cloud.

Without hesitation, Cloud walked ahead, but as soon as he turned his back to the man, his eyes sharpened instinctively.

Something's definitely wrong with him.

The man’s action of scratching his neck, combined with subtle changes in his facial expressions, suggested a malevolent intent.

Drawing upon his professional training, Cloud's analysis led him to consider the possibility of an impending threat to his life.

Could his true identity be exposed? Cloud frowned and felt like he was being watched from behind. Pretending not to notice, he proceeded to a nearby shop, ordered a bowl of noodles, and bought a pack of cigarettes from a convenience store.

As he gazed into the reflective glass window, Cloud noticed the man in black standing silently across the street, resembling a ghostly figure.

Confirming his suspicions, Cloud averted his eyes, lit a cigarette, and was about to place it in his mouth when suddenly, a small hand reached out to him.

Emerging from a heap of plush toys, Lilly poked her head out and said, “Uncle Cloud, you shouldn't smoke!” Cloud was taken aback.

Lilly?! Why is she here? Behind Lilly, Blake leaned against something and waved his hand, assuring Cloud, “Don’t worry about us. He can't see us.” Cloud quickly realized that Blake referred to the man in black who had been tailing him.

Lilly whispered, “Uncle Cloud, keep moving forward and you should... Daddy said it's a game of tag now!” Cloud nodded in, even though he could not understand why Blake was so confident that the man in black would not find them.

Nonetheless, he chose to trust Blake, whose abilities far surpassed his own.

After lighting his cigarette, Cloud continued walking towards his destination, the cigarette dangling from his lips. The memory of Lilly earnestly warning him not to smoke lingered in his mind, causing him to curl his lips. Lilly was truly an adorable child, and he understood that holding a lit cigarette did not mean he was smoking. Spotting a nearby trash can, he stubbed out the cigarette and discarded it.

Uncertain whether Lilly and Blake had followed him, Cloud momentarily paused when the pedestrian signal turned red, calmly observing the bank across the street. The bank’s expansive glass windows had a reflective surface, allowing him to view the street behind him.

To his astonishment, Cloud was left speechless upon casting his gaze toward the reflection.

MMMWWLIIOIfIO&1 MMMWWLIIOIfIO&1 mmMwWLLIOfiflO& 1 MMMWWLIIOIfIO&1 MULL TO £2 E1061 mmMwWLIiIOfiflO&1