C2 The Handsome Researcher

Across the room, the researcher didn't look much older than twenty-three or twenty-four, likely just starting out in grad school. He was about 5'1" with a few traces of acne still lingering on his face. His features were well-proportioned, but his eyes were the most striking—large, double-lidded, and carrying a hint of a rebellious spirit.

This look gave him a bit of a bad-boy vibe, but as the saying goes, "Girls love a bad boy," making him all the more intriguing.

"Hey, handsome," Ji Jinfei immediately dashed over, grabbing his hand. "Do you have a girlfriend? Can I get your number? What's your name? Wow, your eyes are incredible."

Ji Yeying gave her a solid thump on the head, clearly not holding back. The researcher winced at the sight. These two seemed a bit off—one was acting like a lovesick puppy, while the other had a clear penchant for violence. He wondered if he had approached the wrong people.

"Who are you?" Ji Yeying asked the researcher coldly.

"Hello, I'm a researcher at this institute. My name is Lee Jiaxiang," he introduced himself.

"Oh." Ji Yeying dismissed him and turned to say, "Jinfei, let's go."

"Wait, wait," Lee Jiaxiang quickly stepped forward to block their path. "I need your help with something."

"Then spit it out. We're really busy," Ji Yeying replied, embodying the ice queen persona, not even sparing him a glance.

Lee Jiaxiang took a deep breath and said, "Here's the thing. About ten days ago, my professor and his team returned from an expedition with some items they stored in this underground lab. They were supposed to come back in three days, but there's been no word from them since."

"And what does that have to do with us?" Ji Jinfei asked immediately.

Lee Jiaxiang waved his hand and said, "That's not what I mean. Here's the thing: I went to see the dean afterward to ask about the teacher's whereabouts, but he was evasive and didn't give me any clear answers. I'm sure the teachers are in some kind of trouble; he's just not telling us. So I thought maybe if I could get into the underground lab and find what the teacher brought back, I might find some clues, but..."

"Oh, I get it," Ji Jinfei quickly responded. "So, there are monsters in that place, and you can't get in, right? Kid, this isn't a place you should be hanging around. You should find somewhere else to chill, or you could marry me instead."

Lee Jiaxiang immediately replied, "No way, I've trained for this. I've practiced Sanda, the real combat kind. Even researchers need to be in good shape. Want me to show you?" With that, he struck a pose.

Ji Jinfei looked him over, chuckled coldly, and said, "Pretty boy, forget it. You think being a Demon Suppressing Master is that easy? If it were just about throwing a few punches, those SWAT officers would have already stormed in."

Lee Jiaxiang was taken aback; he hadn't considered that. It dawned on him that it wasn't as simple as he thought. He glanced at Ji Yeying, clearly recognizing her as the leader of the two.

Ji Yeying smiled and said, "It's not impossible for you to get in, and you're pretty skilled, but you're unarmed. I do have a short blade for demon suppressing that you could use. But I have to ask, how much are you planning to pay us to take you in?"

Ji Jinfei slapped her forehead and said, "I knew it would come to this."

"How... how much?" Lee Jiaxiang was a bit frustrated. How did the conversation turn to money? He quickly asked, "Didn't the dean already pay you?"

Ji Yeying laughed, looking every bit the shrewd businesswoman, and said, "What your dean paid us was for the two of us to go down and deal with the monsters. If you want us to take you down there, that'll cost extra. But since you're just a broke student, I'll give you a discount—how about a thousand bucks? That's a pretty good deal."

"Ugh." Lee Jiaxiang felt sweat trickling down his forehead. This money-grubber was relentless. It wasn't a big deal for them to take someone along, but they still charged for it. And it wasn't just any amount—they wanted a hundred bucks. This guy would take any amount of money, big or small.

He glanced at Ji Jinfei, who quickly said, "Why don't you marry me? Then you'd be my master's disciple's husband, and I could ask my master to let you in. How about that?"

Upon hearing this, Lee Jiaxiang immediately pulled out his phone and said, "A hundred it is. Deal."

"You jerk! You'd rather spend money than marry me? I wasn't even asking for a dowry," Ji Jinfei fumed, but it was too late. Lee Jiaxiang had already transferred the money via his phone.

Ji Yeying accepted the payment with a grin and said, "Alright, alright. Here, take this little dagger for protection. Be careful, though. I'm just taking you down there; I can't guarantee your safety."

"What? You're taking me down there but not ensuring my safety?" Lee Jiaxiang exclaimed in surprise.

Ji Yeying gave a sly smile and said, "Of course. We were clear earlier—I'm just taking you down. If you want us to ensure your safety, that'll be another two hundred bucks."

Lee Jiaxiang realized he'd been tricked. Ji Jinfei chimed in, "See? I told you, you got swindled by a hustler. You should've just married me."

"Deal," Lee Jiaxiang said, glancing at Ji Jinfei again.

"You!" Ji Jinfei felt her pride take a hit.

Ji Yeying laughed heartily, patting Lee Jiaxiang on the back. "You're a quick learner, kid."

"Hold on," Lee Jiaxiang said quickly. "This time, you'll take me to the spot without any more fees, right?"

"Haha, you're catching on fast, young man. Don't worry, it's just these two hundred. We'll make sure you see what you want to see. Now, come on, pay up," Ji Yeying assured him.

Lee Jiaxiang almost cried as he used his mobile payment app. Three thousand bucks! After receiving the money, Ji Yeying immediately said, "Jinfei, lead the way. We're heading out."

After a quick word with the SWAT officers outside, and thanks to the dean's authorization, they were allowed through. The place had a unique design. Above ground, it was a two-story building shaped like a semicircle, wider at the bottom. Inside, it was just a large hall with electrical panels and such, mainly to support the underground lab.

Being somewhat familiar with the place, Lee Jiaxiang began to explain, "There are three underground levels here. The deeper you go, the higher the security level. My teacher and I usually conduct our research on the second level. The third level is where my teacher stored the item he brought back last time."

"Hey, handsome, is it dark down there? If I get scared, you better protect me," Ji Jinfei teased, moving closer to Lee Jiaxiang.

Lee Jiaxiang quickly stepped aside and replied, "There's lighting underground, plus surveillance equipment. You can monitor everything from here." He pointed to another area, "Over there is a control room where you can see what's happening below."

Ji Yeying nodded, "Sounds good, let's go check it out."

In the control room, Lee Jiaxiang operated the computer, and soon the surveillance system was up. There were nine screens, but only one showed an image; the rest were static.

Lee Jiaxiang was puzzled, "No way, could these creatures be messing with the cameras? What the heck?"

On the only working monitor, a peculiar creature appeared. It had two heads resembling human heads, but the features were indistinct except for a large nose. It crawled on the ground with eight long legs.

Ji Jinfei frowned, "A new model? I've never seen this type before. Master, what is this thing?"

Yeying snorted and said, "I keep telling you to read more, but you never listen. This creature is documented in the demon records. It's called a Twin-Headed Fly Spider, an ancient mythical creature. It's strange to see it here. Wasn't it supposed to be extinct?"

Lee Jiaxiang looked at Yeying curiously and asked, "You know about this creature?"

"This thing can jump really high, so be careful. Plus, it can spit venom. Luckily, we have the antidote serum. Jinfei, get ready in a bit," Yeying instructed.

As they were talking, the creature suddenly leaped up. In a blink, it crashed into the surveillance camera, which immediately went static and broke.

Lee Jiaxiang stared at the screen, stunned. "Thirteen feet high? Can it really jump that high?"

Yeying glanced at him and chuckled, "Now you see how dangerous it is, huh? You can still back out, but just so you know, I won't refund the money. That's the rule in this line of work. Understand?"

"No, I'm going down there," Lee Jiaxiang replied immediately. "I need to see what my teacher brought back. I have to find him."

Yeying looked at Lee Jiaxiang and said, "You're really stubborn. Fine, I've been paid, so if you want to go down, I'll take you."

"The serum's ready," Ji Jinfei announced. Lee Jiaxiang turned to see Ji Jinfei holding a large syringe, smirking at him.

"You've got to be kidding," Lee Jiaxiang said, eyeing the oversized needle.