Desainer kepala SI Corporation yang terkenal, Xiao Yu, masih muda, menjanjikan, dan penuh dengan bakat. Tetapi siapa yang mengira bahwa surga akan cemburu dengan kejeniusan kepahlawanan ini ?! Setelah bangun dari kecelakaan mobil, dia tiba-tiba terlahir kembali sebagai hamster!

An unlikely team, Snake and Hamster, put their heads together to escape the pet store on the only day of the year there is no staff; Christmas.

A one-shot for a writing prompt - target length 1k words.

Zhang Yun is a gaming hamster. For a special mission in the Lost Kingdom, he has been a hamster for ten years. To his surprise one day, the game suddenly announces that the server will be permanently going offline just as he's about to complete the mission…

However, at the moment the game goes permanently offline, he actually brings the game system to an alternate world. He also brings along everything in his inventory, including his hundred million summoning scrolls.

Uh?

For a ten-year hamster to become rich overnight, what worries does he have at conquering the alternate world?

Ah, I'm sorry. You're mistaken. I don't want to fight. I just want to be a silent hamster…

Zhang Yun has a habit of hoarding stuff in games. For the sake of a special quest in the game 'Lost Kingdom', he's been hoarding all kinds of items for ten years straight. Just as he's on the verge of completing that quest, suddenly there comes an announcement that the server will be taken offline.
And then, at the moment of shutdown, he's transported into the game world, along with everything in his inventory... including one hundred million summoning scrolls.
Huh?
Ten years hoarding all this loot... every challenge rendered moot?
Ah, but please, don't get the wrong idea. I'm not looking for any trouble--just a quiet little hoarder, nothing more...

In the world of Beast people, there is one rule that needs to be abode by all-- that hierarchy must be preceded. It is a place where strongest predators prey and immortals rule over others, it is only to ensure the balance in the cycle of life.

For Chii, coming from a hamster litter; it isn't an easy life.


Dragon!mainlead, hamster!maincharacter

Different friends offered to help. The products were designed by Teacher Rong, Sister Xue helped as well, and administrative processes such as the register and the tax calculation were assigned to He Ming.
As the first one among them to start up a business, Qin Guan cheered those idling, proud guys up.
They thought of Qin Guan’s business as their own and they ended up founding two companies. One was a commercial company qualified to import and export products, and the other was a high-ranking custom-made store of original brand manufacturers.
Qin Guan turned down Lan Jin’s proposal to expand and find a new location. The small company was like his and his girlfriend’s baby. It was Cong Nianwei’s favorite thing aside from her studies. As a naturally born designer, Cong Nianwei had fallen in love with the store at first sight.
This was the beginning of their new life.
A busy hamster knew its capabilities well. The beginning of their career had to be carried out according to their abilities.
It was not just a career for them after all. It was also an interest. They liked to work without pressure and do everything themselves.
 Cong Nianwei and Guo Nuoyan drove Qin Guan away from the store, as he had more important tasks to carry out. He had to shoot his first poster in the J Clothing store after the decorations were finished.
The photographer was an acquaintance of theirs, who had left them a card several days ago.
Thanks to his acute intuition, Guo Nuoyan got a general idea of the situation. The middle-aged woman was a freelance photographer working for many magazines and newspapers in New York. She preferred to live free and leisurely.
Guo looked at her with new eyes after assessing her perfect skills. The adventurous female photographer was good at focusing on detail and exploring beautiful elements amid extreme ugliness.
She didn’t ask for money as payment. She just wanted Qin Guan to model for her for free.
Qin Guan was okay with the agreement. It felt like destiny had brought him and the photographer together. He got a wonderful vibe from her, unlike from other ordinary fashion photographers.
It was Helen who designed the poster. First, she had abandoned the traditional studio. Sunshine was the best lamplight and the shade of real trees was the best background. They were enough for a good picture.
The ancient, gloomy style of the Chelsea Fair was the best site.
Wearing his dark green Harley sunglasses, Qin Guan put on the featured fall collection outfits. There were coarse dark red tiles, mottled fences and green trees behind him.
He looked like a fashionable boy walking down the New York streets in a grey cotton hoodie and a black waistcoat.
Helen pointed her camera at Qin Guan. "Relax. Posture doesn’t matter. Just relax."
She didn't want to see a serious business model through her lens. She preferred original emotion.
Qin Guan stood there calmly. The audience couldn't see his eyes behind his sunglasses, which increased their desire to get a clear look at them.
Qin Guan leaned his body against the wall. His fair skin contrasted against the coarse bricks.
He looked like the boy next door, like every girl’s first crush. That boy was the warmest memory in every girl’s childhood.
Helen pressed the shutter like a dying butterfly struggling in the deep autumn. She believed that she had discovered a rare gem. The Asian boy was quite different from how he acted in his ordinary life.
They began the second series of photos.
Breaking the standards of business advertisements, the photos only showed Qin Guan's backview to the audience.
It was a test not just for photographer, but also for the expressive force of the model.
Qin Guan didn't choose clothes of a fitting or complicated style. He just put on a pair of simple straight pants and a hoodie.
Standing on the hillside, he watched the sunset, turning his back to the photographer. Warm sunshine seeped into him, leaving a dim shadow behind him.


Qin Guan was reborn and sent back to his final semester in High School 18 years ago. Getting a second chance at life, he works hard to turn things around and eventually become a Prince Charming. What will his life be like the second time around? What will he have to go through? How will he succeed in turning from a loser into a Prince Charming? Read this story carefully and find out!

Another fic about a hit in Naruto and with the Gamer system

The main character of the picture
https://sun9-14.userapi.com/c854216/v854216756/bb41b/MJQuP8Xoguk.jpg
https://sun9-47.userapi.com/c830409/v830409466/12df2f/wAs36gSza4I.jpg

Though Yun-jeong had small eyes and a low nose bridge, her face was overall very small, and she had full, red lips like those often described in fairy tales. Therefore, she was most used to being called "cute" and "doll-like," but despite such an appearance, she was more greedy than her peers. Her gluttony was especially notable, though she couldn't really seem to eat much at once. Indeed, her gluttony manifested more along the lines of obsessing over different flavors. This meant that whenever food was nearby, she was sure to pounce on it.

For example, when someone had brought a snack to class, she unmistakeably sniffed it out and showed up before anyone could stop her. "Hey, what's that?" She asked excitedly. "Can I have some?!" At least she knew her manners enough to not touch others' food without permission.

"It's a macaron..." the classmate replied.
"Oh, so that's what a macaron looks like! It's my first time actually seeing one!"

Yun-jeong looked at her classmate with eyes full of wonder and expectation. Her doll-like features were an effective measure against girls just as much as boys, and there was no way her classmate could flat out refuse her.

"You can have one." As soon as permission was granted, Yun-jeong took a macaron in both hands and nibbled on it, looking much like a hamster. Food had to be respected, and tasting new things always required a certain level of focus and devotion. At least, Yun-jeong thought she looked poised and focused. She had no idea that to all her classmates, she only reminded them of a small, well-behaved hamster, happily wagging its tail about as it ate. She also didn't know that that was the exact reason they kept bringing snacks to class.

When Yun-jeong began her second year in high school, a strikingly cute boy had been admitted to the institute. All her friends had gone on and on about how he looked like a sculpture, but truth be told, she hadn't cared all that much. She simply didn't have the time to bother with a first grader, especially when there were still so many foods, so many flavors she had yet to discover. She was, after all, the only student who helped out the cafeteria cooks (with permission from the teachers, of course) in return for learning new recipes or using the leftover ingredients to experiment with her own cooking.

Then, one day, she saw the famous first grader in the cafeteria.

"Wow." The exclamation left her lips before she even realized, and her friend smirked at her.
"See? Told you. He's like, really good-looking. Which is ridiculous, cuz he's so little! Can you imagine what he'll be like when he's older?"

Yun-jeong didn't answer. Rather, she couldn't answer, because the boy's looks weren't what had grabbed her attention. It was his tray of food.

'Such deep respect!' She thought. What she saw was a boy who didn't waste a single grain of rice, who didn't leave any side dishes behind. To others, he might have been "just eating," but to an expert like her, it was so much more. She knew that this boy loved and respected food just as much as she did. And from then on, whenever she was in charge of handing out food, she would always make sure to give the boy a little bit extra. After all, he deserved it.

Then, when the institute was overcome with news of a terrible incident, one of the teachers came to Yun-jeong.

"There's an elementary schooler who really likes books, and he wants to go to the public library, but we can't send him alone. Could you make some time over the weekend?"
"Is it that "plaster face" kid?" She asked.
"Goodness, you older kids call him that, too? I thought it was just his classmates."
"We all do. It suits him. He does look really good."

And he eats well, she added in her mind. As things were, she had plans with friends anyway, so she gladly volunteered to chaperone the boy. She could use this opportunity to buy him some food and watch how he ate, which was, unbeknownst to her, the same reasoning her friends had for eating with her.

****

"Here, try this! And this, too! Do you want some of that?"
The street down to the public library was nothing short of a food adventure. From street foods to shops set up in alleyways, the two stopped by every single one to taste all the different morsels they found. If they had been in a food court with samples, they would have gone round and round, all day long. Thankfully, however, they weren't in a food court, and were instead headed towards the quiet peace of the library, which is possibly why their "food trip" ended so soon.

"What do you think?"
"There's... So many books."

As they walked into the library, Lucid smiled for the first time in a long time. However, that wasn't the answer Yun-jeong had wanted. As food wasn't allowed in the building, she had given the boy the last of the chicken skewers, and watched proudly as he ate it up like a cute baby hamster. Her question was more an attempt to get his thoughts on the food.

"And the taste?"
"Oh. It's good. They're good. Chicken skewers, I mean."

And what a lovely smile he had!

"God, I wish you were my little brother." She blurted out.
"What?"
"Hmm?"
"..."

She had only meant to think about it, and when the words left her mouth, she was just as taken aback as Lucid was. Still, she laughed it off, stroking his head and moving along. Yun-jeong was rather proud of her accomplishments for the day.

"So, how long will you stay here?"
"I'm not sure. How long can I stay?" Asked Lucid.
"Well... We need to get back by 6, so we should leave at 5 at most. I have some things to do, so I'll be back in a bit, alright? Be a good boy and just stay here and read up. If you have any questions, you can ask that teacher over there, behind the desk. Got that?"
"Yes."
"Still, I can't leave you all alone until 5, so I'll be back really soon. Maybe two hours? So you just have to hold on till then. Don't cry, even if you're alone, okay?"
"Yes, I don't mind. I'll just be here reading."
"And you're so polite, too!"

The library was section off into a children's wing, for infants and young students, and a regular wing for adults, with books ranging from novels to academic references. Lucid, of course, headed to the latter wing and began looking at all the available books. The subject that most recently grabbed his attention was, without a doubt, physics. As middle school physics was closely tied to math, he could make some sense out of it, thought it was difficult. It was, all in all, a perfect subjects to learn about in terms of efficiency. However, as he was self-taught, he took a rather long time to fully grasp each concept, and he therefore chose to consult as many references as he could so he could have a deeper understanding. Learning quickly was important, but Lucid had decided that being accurate and learning correctly was his top priority.

Click! Snap!

A faint sound resounded through the library, but Lucid ignored it. Rather, he didn't even notice it, as engrossed as he was in his book. This, however, also meant that he didn't notice the amount of people who kept gathering near him.

Everyone at the library watched Lucid as he read, observing him as if he were some rare specimen. After all, he looked so young, yet here he was, with a pile of books titled "Physics" next to him. But that wasn't all. He wasn't just a young child. He was a really, really pretty young child. This led some people to sneakily snap some pictures of him, and a few people even chose to upload the pictures to their social media.

"Weekend study session at the library. Gotta study hard! But look at what I found. An adorable little kid! #library #studyhard #littleprince"
"At the #library with some friends. There's a #littlekid here who looks #straightoutofapainting here! What do you think?"
"I've always heard about so called prodigies, but I think I actually saw one today. He's not only smart, but really good-looking too! #childprodigy #prodigy #lifeisntfair"

As people got more and more excited, so did the library grow noisier and noisier, resulting in the library staff having to dismiss them all. Still, the boy didn't once look away from his reading. He didn't even raise his head, simply moving his fingers turn the page every so often. People couldn't stop admiring this sight. Some parents pointed to him and told their children, "You have to study hard like him, if you want to succeed in life."

Students who had come with their friends and had spent their time chatting and loitering about all took a look at Lucid and, with newfound motivation, returned to their seats and began to read their textbooks. Adults who had been displeased with the commotion took one look at Lucid and smiled to themselves about how the future of the country was looking bright.

That day, everyone at the library focused on studying, their motivation fueled by this small child. And, on that same day, people who had seen pictures on social media all "liked" the photos of the boy, wondering if this was some new form of advertisement for the public facility.

When Yun-jeong returned to the library, she saw that everyone was immersed in their own studying. The place was full of people choosing books from the shelves and reading at their seats, and it almost felt overcrowded. Still, there was one person who stood out, who shone the most amongst everyone else, and it was none other than Lucid. Yun-jeong couldn't bring herself to interrupt his focus, and therefore waited until it was time to go. The fact that she had felt the need to fit in and thus chose a book to read herself was just an added bonus.

****

"Director, have you heard about the increase in library traffic ever since those pictures went up on social media?"
"Oh, yes. I'm not good with that tech stuff, so it still feels a bit surreal to me. Is this what they mean by word of mouth?"
"Yes," continued the Chief of Management, "and that's why one of our employees came up with a proposal."
"For what?"
"To put it simply, it's about shooting an ad. With that child as our model."

As the director paused to think things through, the chief quickly pulled up some photos on a tablet and showed them off.

"We're preparing for the fall exhibition anyway, and we were just in need of a publicity campaign. Isn't this the perfect opportunity? It's much more refreshing than using a celebrity or a professional model, and we all agree that it's not a bad look."
"... Is that so?"

Surely, the cost would be drastically reduced if they could avoid hiring a model or celebrity. However, they both refrained from pointing this out. It was an obvious fact, and there was no need to look greedy by stating this outloud. It looks good, on a marketing perspective, was a perfectly good way of referring to it.

"Who is this, anyway?" asked the director.
"We weren't quite sure, at first, but the clerk who worked the desk that day happened to know him. He's a child at the Agnes Institute."
"Institute?"
"Yes. An orphanage, to be exact."
"... Reach out to them, ask for cooperation. No, scratch that. We'll pay them a visit. I think this might prove to be a really good opportunity."


<Misunderstanding (2)> End.

A boy who was living an ordinary life in another world suddenly came to the present world.

Social systems, way of life and morals... They have all changed.

How will the boy try to survive?

What kind of life will the boy live?

"What did he say to me? Why should I tell you? " Qin Sheng was deliberately angering Nie Feng.
What Nie Feng wanted to know was naturally what Gong Mochen wanted to know. She was not going to tell Nie Feng Let Gong Mochen worry about it on his own!
Nie Feng grabbed Qin Sheng's arm. "What exactly did you say? Tell me quickly! "
Qin Sheng's arm was gripped so tightly by the man that it hurt. "Let go of me! Nie Feng, who gave you the guts to grab me? "
Nie Feng quickly let go of Qin Sheng. He really did not have the guts to provoke this girl.
"What exactly did Li Ang say to you? No matter what he said, you can't believe it! "
Qin Sheng's gaze shifted. It was as if Nie Feng Knew What Li Ang wanted to say to her. "I can't believe what Li Ang said? "
"He said that when you were young. " Suddenly, Nie Feng Shut his mouth. He almost LET it slip!
He hated himself so much that he wanted to hit himself. Why was his brain like a block of wood? Just like that, he was almost tricked out by this little woman.
"What happened to me when I was young? " Qin Sheng's nerves became alert.
"No, I mean, if Li Ang said something bad about the president, don't believe it. The president is really not looking for a woman in the flashy moonlight.
I can guarantee it with my life Give the president a few more days. When the time comes, you will know the truth!"Nie Feng explained.
Qin Sheng looked at Nie Feng, who was so anxious that his face was red, and nodded. "If uncle really isn't looking for a woman, I will give him a chance. If he wants to know what Li Ang told me, ask him to come and ask me personally! "
She raised her small head and held Qiao. Anyway, she couldn't let a man off easily. Even if he hadn't found a woman, he had neglected her for so many days. She had to settle this score!
"Alright then, I'll go and tell the president that you two should eat. Oh right, don't pour any more soup into Li Ang's porridge. There are medicinal herbs here to protect the fetus. Aren't you afraid that he'll notice? " Nie Feng instructed the two girls.
Fortunately, they were excited enough just now to make Li Ang believe that Chu Xia really had a miscarriage, but the food that Chu Xia ate could not be exposed.
The only fortunate thing was that Li Ang came instead of Sikong Jue. Otherwise, Sikong Jue would know the truth just by looking at the medicinal ingredients in the food.
He turned around and walked out of the room. He also instructed the bodyguards at the door not to let anyone in.
Qin Sheng sat on the chair weakly, stirring the Porridge in the bowl with a spoon.
Chu Xia comforted Qin Sheng, "Nie Feng, this blockhead, said that your uncle did not find a woman. It means that he really did not find one. Just believe it. I think CEO Gong must have something to do with the flashy moonlight. Don't be angry with him! "
Qin Sheng bit her lips, "but Nie Feng just said that if Li Ang mentioned my childhood, I wouldn't believe him, and Li Ang really did. "
So she didn't believe Li Ang's words, but after Nie Feng said that, she believed Li Ang.
Was there a reason why she couldn't remember her childhood, and Li Ang really knew about her childhood?
"What happened to you when you were young? " Chu Xia asked curiously.
Qin Sheng shook her head, "I don't know, I don't remember. "
What exactly happened to her when she was young And what exactly happened to that photo?
Mou Ran stood up. "Chuxia, you eat by yourself. I have to go home first. "
She ran out of the ward and took a ride back to the Qin family's old house.
The stolen photos and earrings were hidden in Xiao Cang Jing's nest. Because this was the safest place, Li Ang, who was obsessed with cleanliness, would not touch the hamster even if he was beaten to death.
"Xiao Cang Jing, you come out and I'll use your nest for a while. " She released the Hamster and took out the hamster's nest. She took out the photos and the earrings from the bottom of the nest.
The photo was sealed in a plastic bag so it wouldn't get dirty.
She opened the plastic bag and took out the photo. The girl in the photo was smiling very sweetly.
It was her, right She looked at the face in the photo and found her own shadow. There was indeed something similar.
And where was the manor behind the little girl?
The girl was standing on the hillside. Behind her was a large manor.
Her head throbbed. Every time she thought about her childhood, she would have a headache.
There was a knock on the door. She quickly hid the thing back into the hamster's nest.
"Who is it? " She asked.
The door opened and Qin Ze walked in, "why did you come home so early? Didn't you take care of Chuxia at the hospital? "
Qin Sheng was stunned. So her grandfather knew her whereabouts. Her grandfather was indeed shrewd.
"Chuxia was fine, so I went home to rest. By the way, grandfather, did I leave h nation when I was young? "
"No, you've always been in h nation. Your body wasn't good when you were young and you were hospitalized for a period of time. Later on, you were discharged and Mo Chen carried you back. Do you still remember? " Qin Ze asked.
The corners of Qin Sheng's lips twitched. "I remember uncle carrying me home. "
This was the beginning of all her memories, and all the memories that she had lost had been brought back by Qin Ze with a single sentence of hospitalization.
"Mo Chen has been a little busy recently. You have to be sensible and don't give him any trouble. You should rest. " Qin Ze seemed to be unintentionally instructing Qin Sheng as he walked out of the room.
Qin Sheng's brain had never been clear before. She definitely wasn't in h nation when she was young!
However, that damned Li Ang wouldn't tell her the story in the photo. If she wanted to know, she had to listen to Li Ang and leave with him.
Her lips pursed into a straight line. If she left with Li Ang, what would happen to her uncle?
At night, she still did not see Gong Mochen coming back for dinner. He Fen had been advising Qin ze to transfer Qin Zirui back to h nation. However, Qin Ze did not agree.
Qin Sheng immediately saw he fen's resentful eyes.
Damn What did she do to offend he fen? What did it have to do with her whether her second uncle came back or not?
However, she could see that Qin Zixian was also very unhappy. After dinner, she was stopped by Qin Zixian in the corridor.
"You're the one who made third brother unhappy. He won't even go home! "
"shouldn't Auntie be happy that I quarreled with uncle? You just happen to have a chance to be with uncle, or would uncle rather find another woman than find you? " Qin Sheng said in a bad mood. Qin Zixian was obviously deliberately finding trouble with her.
Qin Zixian was choked by Qin Sheng so much that she couldn't say a word. That was what made her angry. Gong Mochen would rather go to the flashy moonlight to find a woman than find her!
"Just you wait. Third Brother can only be mine! " Her words came out from between her teeth, and she quickly returned to her room.
No matter what, she had to get Gong Mochen tonight!
She put on her evening gown, gave Qi Qi a call, and told her that she would go to the flashy moonlight to play with her, and then drove away from the villa.
Qi Qi was her new friend. Although Qi Qi was the princess of the flashy moonlight, she could use Qi Qi to enter the flashy moonlight.
Since Gong Mochen was not going home, then she would go to find Gong Mochen!
Qin Sheng watched Qin Zixian run out of the door in full dress from the window. Thinking of what Qin Zixian had just said, a thought flashed through her mind, and she hurriedly ran out of the door to catch a taxi to the flashy moonlight.
When the taxi arrived, she saw Qi Qi holding Qin Zixian's arm and walking into the guild hall.
She got out of the car. The problem was, how was she going to go in and destroy her aunt's attempt to climb up Gong Mochen's bed?

"Uncle, I was punished for being late! " "Buy the school. "
"Uncle, I was bullied! " "SEND THEM TO HEAVEN! "
In this era of competing for fathers, Qin Sheng never competed for fathers. Those things were too extravagant. She didn't have them, she only competed for uncles!
Ever since she had a rich uncle, she lived a life of fighting and being cleaned up by others, causing trouble and being scapegoated by others.
Her three big goals in life were to make him fall in love with her, fall in love with her, fall in love with her!

---
 
Unang pinaimbestigahan ni Kaeden sa mga pulis ay ang customer na laging tumitingin kay Frenchesca. Siya si Rowaldo Bentrez, matagal nang house boy at hardinero ng isang mayamang pamilya. 52 years old. Pinakamalapit na suspek sa pangba-blackmail dahil halos nasa magkaparehas lang na henerasyon sa biktima. Napag-alaman ng mga pulis na dati pala itong gaffer ng isang nagsara nang kumpanya noong 1986. 
 
Si Ritchie Espiritu, 25 taong gulang, ang cashier ang sumunod na hinanap ang detalye. Ayon sa imbestigasyon, maagang nawala ang kaniyang mga magulang. Naninirahan ito sa isang lumang condo at nagsa-sideline sa weekends bilang isang "moveout" boy – o yaong mga naghahakot ng gamit ng mga taong maglilipat ng bahay.
 
Personal naman na minanmanan ni Alfred ang iba pang maaaring maging suspek, pero lumipas ang isang araw ay wala parin itong makitang maaaring magpakita na ito ang hinahanap nilang gumagawa ng blackmail.
 
Sa pangalawang araw, naisipan ni Kaeden ang mag-on-location investigation. Una niyang pinuntahan ang tinitirhang condo ni Ritchie. Luma ang pintura ng condo na dalawang palapag lamang. Naka-model ito sa mga Japanese Old Condo, kaya maaari mong puntahan at walang security guards na kailangan dahil nakatira lamang sa itaas ang mismong may-ari ng condo at naniningil ng renta kung kinakailangan.
 
Napansin niya ang mga basurerong dumating na hinakot ang basura ng buong condo. Nilalagay nila ito sa clear plastic bag para madaling i-segregate kung kinakailangan. Dahil sa segregation code, kinailangang magbago ng mga basurero ng paraan para hakutin ang basura – dahil sa local government order.
 
Linapitan ni Kaeden ang mga basurero at doon niya nakita ang ilang plastic bag na may marka na "2-F". ito ang mismong marka sa pintuan ng unit na inuupahan ni Ritchie. Puro papel. May ilang mga newspaper itong laman at ilang noodles wrappers. Halatang mabilisan lang ang kinakain ng binata dahil sa hirap ng buhay at trabaho nito.
 
"No time to check the internet, perhaps? Kaya sa newspaper siya kumakalap ng balita…"
 
Kaeden thought it was an obvious statement. Ang blackmailer ay gumamit ng newspaper sa pagte-threaten sa biktima. Pero, at the same time, it makes Ritchie someone who can easily be detected as the suspect of the crime. Knowing this, alam niyang hindi niya dapat ipahalatang siya ito.
 
Pangalawang pinuntahan niya ang regular customer na si Rowaldo. Naisip niyang hindi magsasalita ang matanda hangga't hindi pulis ang magtatanong sa kaniya. Kaya si Alfred ang lumapit dito at ipinaalam ang pakay nila sa kaniya. Habang pinuputol nito ang mga hindi kailangang sanga ng mga halaman sa hardin, sinimulan ni Alfred ang pagtatanong sa matanda.
 
"Mr. Bentrez, gusto ko lang malaman kung ano ang koneksyon mo sa may-ari ng Mycroft Café na si Frenchesca Honorio?"
 
Tumingin sa kaniya ang matanda na para bang binabasa kung ano ang ibig nitong sabihin. Ibinalik niya muli ang tingin sa mga halaman bago sumagot sa kaniya.
 
"Dati akong gaffer sa studio na pinagtrabahuan dati ni Frenchesca. Hindi niya siguro ako maalala kasi part timer lang naman ako noon. Tsaka, mabilis siyang lumipat ng kumpanya dahil hindi rin naman talaga maganda ang patakaran sa pinagtatrabahuan ko noon. Karamihan sa mga model na nandoon ay X-Deal, dahil hindi pa naman talaga sila sikat sa industriya. Mga probinsyana na nagnanasang magkaroon ng break sa siyudad, o yung mga taga siyudad namang feeling nila isang break na ang maka-xdeal ang kumpanya."
 
"Baylands Studio, tama?"
 
"Oo. Isa si Frenchesca sa mga mabilis na sumikat kaya parang naging regular siya doon sa kumpanya, kaya lang, hindi talaga maganda ang ugali nung may-ari, hanggang sa mawalan na ito ng mga taong gustong makipag-transact pa sa kanila."
 
"Kung isa kang gaffer ng kumpanya noon, maaaring mayroon kang kopya ng mga ilang newbie shots at xdeal shots ni Frenchesca noon, na ginagamit mo ngayon para iblackmail siya na magbigay ng pera, tama?"
Tumingin muli sa kaniya ang matanda at tumawa lang ito sa nasabi ng pulis. For him, it sounds ridiculous.
 
"Sir, gaffer lang ako. Hindi ako cameraman o kaya director ng movie studio. Wala akong karapatang dumampot ng mga kopya ng shots ng mga model. Hindi ako ang hinahanap mong blackmailer."
 
"Kilala mo pa ba ang mga photographer at director noong nagtatrabaho ka sa kumpanya?"
 
"Ah, oo. Ang photographer na palaging andoon kapag xdeal ay si Juan Ricardo, siya yung photographer na kumukuha ng pictures ng mga bagong model o kaya yung mga kumikita na sa kani-kanilang mga photobook. Ang alam ko, buhay pa yun at nandito parin sa Pinas. Yung director, si Enrico Sanchez. Kaya lang, ang pagkakaalam ko, patay na siya. Last year lang."
 
Agad na sinulat ni Alfred ang mga ito sa kaniyang notebook at nagpaalam kay Rowaldo. Sinundan siya ng tingin ng matanda at napailing lang na bumalik sa kaniyang mga alagang halaman. Habang nasa police car, iniisip ni Alfred ang maaaring koneksyon ng blackmailer sa biktima. Ang pinakamalapit na suspect ngayon ay ang buhay pang photographer. What if he had those photos stored, and now that he needs money, he wants to expose those pictures for money?
 
Pero ang underlying question sa isip ni Alfred ay kung bakit photos pa ni Frenchesca ang naisip niyang i-expose. The woman is already out of her prime. Sure, people would usually be concerned about their younger photos getting exposed out there, pero – isn't it a better game to show photos of new models now with them earning millions?
 
 
---
 
Pinuntahan ni Alfred ang bahay ng photographer na si Juan Ricardo. Contrary to his belief, mayaman parin ang photographer. There is no need for him to expose anything at all. He had all he wants. Living in a large mansion, two maids, three expensive cars – what else would he need money to extort from a merely café owner?
 
Pinaghanda agad ni Juan ng kape ang isa sa kaniyang mga kasambahay at inimbitahan si Alfred sa salas para doon magusap. The place is cozy, alam niyang hindi ito mumurahing mga sofa lang.
 
"Pagpasensyahan mo na at medyo matagal ako bago nakapagrespond sa tawag niyo. Sa katunayan niyan ay kababalik ko lang ng Pilipinas. Nasa Canada ako ng sampung taon. Kakarating ko lang dito months ago. Eh ang dami palang kailangang gawin dito sa Pilipinas ngayon bago tuluyang mapasa-iyo ang mga lupa at bahay," paliwanag ni Juan na may masayang tono sa kaniyang boses. Walang nababasa si Alfred na kung anumang kaba sa tao kung siya nga ang blackmailer. But then again, the best criminals don't show their weaknesses, especially to a police officer.
 
"Okay lang, sir. Alam niyo naman siguro ang dahilan kung bakit andito ako ngayon."
 
Tumango lang si Juan at tumingin sa labas ng kaniyang bahay.
 
"Unfortunately, officer, wala akong kopya ng mga sinasabi mong pictures ng model na si Frenchesca. Most of the company's stored photos were either washed away by the storm noong 1981, or the earthquake noong 1991. The company once had this archive that lasted even after 4 years of its bankruptcy. The late director had the archives, but sadly, wala na din siguro. He died without anything on his possession. Nabalitaan mo naman siguro, the director died with debts."
 
"So he could have been the one na nagbablackmail sa model, dahil siya ang may hawak ng archives, tama?"
 
"Ganun na nga, officer. Hmmm, teka…"
 
"Ano yun, sir?"
 
"Ang naaalala ko, I had a black plastic box where I had archives and notes of my X-Deal photoshoots, starting from 70s – 90s. Kaya lang, that was when I was still living with my grandparents. Since they died, napilitan akong ibenta yung bahay, go abroad and work, just to afford this mansion. Ang alam ko nasa bodega yun noon na kasama sa mga ipinalagay ko doon sa basement, pero come to think of it, wala siya doon."
 
"Ano po ba exactly ang laman pa ng black box?"
 
"Well, you see, when I was younger, I did have some crazy thoughts. May mga notes ako doon ng bawat model na may X-Deal photoshoot sa akin. I also took shots of them in different rooms. With their consent naman yung iba. But I was particular na aside from Frenchesca, I had five models na may mga risqué shots talaga na kinuha ko for my personal collection."
 
Tumawa lang si Juan nang makita ang expression sa mukha ni Alfred.
 
"I tell you, that was long ago. But I never intended to sell them to anyone or use it to blackmail someone. Those were like my collection only. Pero ang nakakapagtaka, when we moved out into this mansion, sabi sa akin ng mga caretakers ko, naisama naman daw. But I don't have it right now."
 
"Did you use a delivery service of some sort?"
 
"Yeah, I think I did. Blue Hamster Delivery Services."
 
Dito na nagkaroon ng tamang hinala si Alfred. Habang iniinom ang kape at nakipagkwentuhan sa photographer, alam niyang number 1 suspect na ngayon si Ritchie. Nagtatrabaho ito sa Blue Hamster Delivery Services.
 
---
 
Inireport ni Alfred ang lahat kay Basil, at itinawag naman kay Kaeden. It seems plain and simple for a crime, Kaeden thought. Para bang ang linis at madali lang hanapin ng mga pulis ang lahat. Though clearly, kung nasa kamay ni Ritchie ang mga litrato, and he recognizes Frenchesca, he is the one who sent all those blackmail letters.
 
Mabilis na pinareport si Ritchie sa interrogation room para imbestigahan. Nahanap kasi nila na isa sa mga naging client nila sa delivery ay ang bahay ng yumaong Soledad at Juancho Ricardo, grandparents ni Juan Ricardo.
 
"Alam namin na ikaw ang isa sa mga moveout boy ng pamilya Ricardo. Identified ka rin na ikaw ang isa sa mga naghakot sa bahay na iyon ayon sa record ng kumpanya kung saan ka nagtatrabaho," tanong ni Basil sa tahimik na si Ritchie. Nasa Observer's Room naman sina Kaeden at Frenchesca, na nakikinig sa interrogation.
 
"Ritchie, kung ako ikaw magsalita ka na. Mahahanap at mahahanap din namin ang mga pictures na iyon sa kwarto mo kung dumating ang warrant," patuloy ni Basil.
 
"Wala akong alam sa mga sinasabi niyo. Part-time lang ako doon at wala akong maalalang black box na sinasabi niyo."
 
"Balita ko ay dalawang buwan ka na raw na hindi nakakabayad sa renta mo. May utang ka din dawn a 50,000 sa isang loaning company at hindi ka pa nakakapagbayad. Isang malaking rason kaya mo ginagawa ang pangba-blackmail ng pera, hindi ba?"
 
"Sinabi nang wala akong alam dyan! Wala akong alam dyan sa mga pictures na binibintang niyo sa akin!" galit na sagot ni Ritchie at napatayo dahil sa naririnig na paratang sa kaniya.
 
"Relax ka lang. umupo ka. Malalaman din natin yan kapag nahalughog na namin ang condo unit mo," kalmadong sagot ni Basil sa kaniya. Sinenyasan si Alfred na nakatayo sa loob para alamin ang progress ng warrant. Lumabas agad si Alfred at nang makitang naaprubahan na, mabilis silang lumakad para halughugin ang unit ni Ritchie. Nakakaisang oras na silang naghahanap pero wala parin silang makita. Idinial agad ni Alfred ang numero ni Basil sa kaniyang cellphone para ipaalam ang report. Wala silang mahanap na black box o kaya kahit isang litrato ni Frenchesca sa unit.
 
Sinenyas agad ni Basil mula sa Observer's Room ang resulta. Dito na nahulma sa isip ni Kaeden na hindi sila nag-isip ng tama sa imbestigasyon. There was rather something off from the start. Something simple they themselves overlooked. Pinuntahan niya agad ang interrogation room at kinausap si Ritchie.
 
"Ritchie, naaalala mo pa ba kung sino ang nandoon nung naghakot kayo ng gamit?" tanong ni Kaeden. Kapag ang nasa isip nito ang isasagot ni Ritchie, alam niyang ito na ang hinahanap nilang tao.
 
"Ang caretaker lang nila. Dahil nasa abroad naman daw ang may-ari ng bahay, siya ang inatasang magbukas ng bahay para mailagay na namin lahat sa truck."
 
"Inspector, hindi si Ritchie ang may gawa ng pang-ba-blackmail. We were wrong from the start. Ginamit niya si Ritchie para maiwala tayo sa imbestigasyon. Since the caretaker had the keys, maaari siyang maghakot ng kung anu-ano doon sa bahay. That includes the black box. If we can get hold of the black box from the caretaker, then he is our guy."
 
Mabilis na lumakad sina Basil at Kaeden para hanapin ang caretaker. Ngunit isang napakalaking balita ang bumigla sa kanila.
 
Natagpuan nila ang caretaker na patay na, left side of head shot. Gun in right hand. Nasa kwarto rin nito ang black box, naglalaman ng ilan pang litrato ni Frenchesca at ng lima pang models.
 
"So, we have one cased solved. Alam nating ang caretaker ang gumagawa ng blackmail letters, pero ang tanong, why would he commit suicide?" wika ni Basil habang hinihintay ang forensics para imbestigahan ang lugar.
 
"Konsensya?" sagot ni Alfred.
 
"Or that something came up. Why would someone risk his life dahil lang dito?" patuloy naman ni Kaeden, na nakatingin sa bangkay.
 
"Most likely, this would come up na sucide. Kapag sinabi ng nakakataas na i-rule out ito bilang suicide, yun ang lalabas. I would go with Alfred. Let us deal with this, Kaeden."
 
Tumango ang binata at ipinaubaya sa mga pulis ang pangyayari. It just seems so off that hindi pa naman nila nacocorner o nalalaman na siya talaga ang buong may kagagawan ng blackmailing pero magpapakamatay ito. Why would someone who knows he isn't cornered yet, commit suicide so he can't be taken by the police?
 
---
 
"So, why did you do that? You killed the caretaker, eh mahuhuli din naman na ng mga pulis?" tanong ni Sam kay Janus, na siyang nagda-drive ng sasakyan nila papunta sa bahay ng kanilang boss.
 
"Fan ng tatay ko yung model. Eh, naalala ko lang na kahit patay na siya, I think he wouldn't like his idol model getting harassed by someone. I just leveled up the punishment," paliwanag niya. napailing lang si Sam dahil sa totoo lang, Janus could've just waited for the police to arrest the suspect and that's it.
 
"Nasa policy ko kasi yan eh. Sometimes, I do justice," patuloy ni Janus.
 
"Well, all of us have our own policies. Nakakapagtaka lang at hindi nila inimbestigahan pa ang krimen. You made it like suicide, but surely, meron at merong magiisip otherwise."
 
"Police ruled it out as suicide. I made it so believable to be like that."
 
Ngumiti lang si Sam at tumingin sa bintana ng sasakyan. Napansin niya ang Mycroft Café na pagmamay-ari ni Frenchesca at nakita ang maraming taong dinadagsa ito. The people got interested of her again, dahil sa pangyayari. In a way, it was like a blessing. Dahil doon sa blackmailer at sa mga balita tungkol sa nangyari, she got popular again.

Kaeden Boa Vista is an architecture student who promised not to get himself involved in any form of police work,, opposed to what his father wanted when he was still alive. His life got tangled with a murder case that changed his life. As he succeeds becoming an architect, he gets involved in a series of murder cases and discovers a secret that his father kept from him. Crimes have gone up and the criminals are becoming more intelligent in their orchestrations. Kaeden later learns that a certain crime planning group has been doing it for many years, led only by a mysterious man named "Master Murderer from Hell".

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