After finishing a skewer of beef fat, Nora Scott tossed the stick aside and clapped her hands.
She raised an eyebrow at Henry Chapman, "You, a refined gentleman with an aura of restraint, how did you end up mixing with sothing as earthly as barbecue?"
Henry Chapman took a skewer of beef, took a bite, and savored it carefully, a slight furrow appearing in his brow.
After a mont, he glanced at Nora Scott and replied, "Aren’t you an ethereal heavenly beauty, yet there’s no discord having you at a barbecue table."
anwhile—
With two freshly grilled plates of skewers in hand, Humphrey Jennings and Benjamin Durant both stopped in their tracks at the door.
Benjamin Durant rubbed his ears in disbelief, "...Did I just hear them complint each other with rainbow words?"
"..."
Humphrey Jennings walked over with a sullen expression.
Benjamin Durant followed closely behind.
Brushing aside the skewers Henry Chapman brought, Humphrey Jennings handed the freshly grilled ones to Nora Scott, along with a bowl of soup to cut the grease.
Henry Chapman frowned and took another bite of his beef skewer.
... It didn’t quite compare to Humphrey Jennings’ skills.
Benjamin Durant placed his offering and asked Nora Scott, "Aunt, want to hang out tonight?"
"Clubbing?"
Nora Scott retorted casually.
Startled by her reaction, Benjamin Durant chuckled lightly, "Social dancing works too."
"Not going." Nora Scott picked up a chicken wing, took a bite, satisfied, and dismissed Benjamin Durant, "Too old to groove."
"Great, then we’ll do so wellness! Hot springs, just a two-hour drive from the city," Benjamin Durant persuaded, "Let’s go."
"Don’t go."
Henry Chapman stuffed his hand in his pocket, biting into his beef skewer, casually tossing two words.
Benjamin Durant hissed and shot him a warning glance.
Henry Chapman ignored it.
"Why?" Nora Scott tilted her head.
"They’re off to wreck a shop."
Henry Chapman didn’t bat an eye as he sold them out.
These two, discussing "illegal activities," never hid it, openly chatting in the shop. Discussing who they’d ss with tonight, and who tomorrow, each list was planned clearly by them.
— Apparently, a major hobby of theirs when not at the barbecue joint.
"...Oh."
Nora Scott glanced at the two, completely unsurprised.
Humphrey Jennings wasn’t bad.
Benjamin Durant... couldn’t sit still, always loved causing trouble. Finding displeasure in others was his greatest joy.
"You—"
Taking a breath, Benjamin Durant turned and pointed at Henry Chapman.
Henry Chapman looked at him calmly, his gaze filled with openness and composure.
"She’s a public figure, don’t drag her into trouble," Henry Chapman warned mildly.
Benjamin Durant Humphrey Jennings: "..." Completely forgot about that.
And it seed that Nora Scott suddenly rembered, glanced at Henry Chapman, and nodded in agreent, "Yes, I’m a public figure."
After pondering for a mont, Benjamin Durant shrugged, conceding, "In that case, just for fun. We’ve already booked the tickets. Besides, since coming to Fenton City, you haven’t hung out with us yet."
"Can we," Humphrey Jennings stood to the side, adding, "Just spend a night and co back."
"..."
Nora Scott gazed silently at the two.
Spending a night...
The idea started to stir within her.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated.
As if sensing sothing, coincidentally, it was a ssage from Pedro Langley.
[Pedro Langley]: Thirty-two thousand.
[Pedro Langley]: Don’t wander off tonight.
Nora Scott: "..." Damn.
This show-off even has a countdown fetish?
Glancing at the ssage, Nora Scott pocketed her phone with a slight embarrassnt but didn’t let it show.
Benjamin Durant pressed, "So, what do you say?"
"...Not going, maybe next ti."
Picking up a chicken wing to chew on, Nora Scott lowered her eyelids slightly, distractedly declining them.
She originally planned to spend the afternoon at the barbecue shop to check out the specifics of Henry Chapman’s barbecue joint; however, after Pedro Langley’s ssages, Nora Scott lost interest and left after finishing her al.
...
Upon returning ho, Nora Scott suddenly received a ssage from editor Kieran Shawn.
[Kieran Shawn]: God Z, this year’s "Comic Rising Star Contest" is happening, and the organizers have contacted us, asking if you’d like to be a judge.
[Kieran Shawn]: I heard they reached out to White; White agreed.
[God Z]: White agreed?
[Kieran Shawn]: That’s what the organizers said.
[Kieran Shawn]: What’s your take?
[God Z]: Not going.
The annual Comic Rising Star Contest, organized by a comic organization and the only best-selling print dia, offers a platform for newcors. Achieving a ranking ensures a successful debut, promoting their work broadly, often becoming animated.
It’s the best platform for erging comic artists, with tens of thousands of submissions each year.
Those who stand out are the crè de la crè among newcors, likely to excel in the industry.
But she’s busy and can’t keep up.
[Kieran Shawn]: God Z.
[Kieran Shawn]: Can I ask sothing about White?
[God Z]: ?
[Kieran Shawn]: He’s been missing for two years. He used to be quite active, but now there are no updates on any social dia. Do you know his situation? His fans are speculating he may be too old for comic creation or facing health issues, they’ve been quite worried.
[God Z]: She’s a girl.
[God Z]: Younger than .
[God Z]: It’s not my place to comnt on her private affairs.
[Kieran Shawn]: ...
[Kieran Shawn]: You’re 25 this year, been in the industry for 8 years.
[God Z]: Yeah.
[Kieran Shawn]: To my knowledge, White’s been around for 7 years, and she’s younger than you?
[God Z]: Yeah.
[Kieran Shawn]: White, the pioneer of comic brutal aesthetics, is a girl?
[God Z]: Yeah.
The other side fell silent for a full five minutes.
Kieran Shawn drank three glasses of water to calm down.
Unbelievable...
Thought Nora Scott was a groundbreaking case, but didn’t realize these legendary figures appear in pairs.
Afterward, Kieran Shawn replied.
[Kieran Shawn]: Thanks to God Z for dispelling one of the top ten mysteries in the comic world, I’m in shock again.
Nora Scott: "..."
You editors need to improve your ntal resilience.
After receiving a definitive reply from Nora Scott and being shocked by her casual but explosive news, Kieran Shawn didn’t bother Nora Scott further.
Feeling bored, recalling Kieran Shawn’s ntion of White, Nora Scott suddenly went to the small study, rummaging around until she found White’s work, then started reading from the first volu.
Once she started, she couldn’t stop.
Night fell, ti slipped away.
Nora Scott read all the way to the last volu before gradually regaining her senses, her mind detaching from the comic’s story.
?
What ti is it?
Hearing the howling wind and rain outside, Nora Scott glanced at the pitch-black sky through the window, vaguely seeing raindrops flying at an angle against the faint light.
"Boom—"
Lightning flashed and thunder roared as the wind howled.
So engrossed, she hadn’t noticed the pouring rain outside.
Fumbling for her phone, Nora Scott checked the ti.
Ten-thirty.
There were a few WeChat ssages.
Benjamin Durant was complaining about not checking the weather forecast, almost getting caught in a landslide on the road.
Miguel Smith vented, saying the road was flooded, taking two whole hours to get out.
Oliver Scott forwarded a news article about soone getting electrocuted walking through a flood, and a passerby who tried to help perished too.
Rainstorm season had arrived.
After scanning through their ssages, Nora Scott suddenly realized—
No ssage from Pedro Langley.
Did he not co back?
Was he stuck on the road?
It’s nearly eleven...
Pressing her temples, Nora Scott wasn’t too worried but sent Pedro Langley a query ssage, then stretched, yawning as she went to fetch clothes for a shower.
Around eleven, Nora Scott, with hair dried, erged from the bathroom and casually picked up her phone to check ssages.
None from Pedro Langley.
She paused.
Nora Scott’s heart skipped a beat.
Instinctively, she dialed Pedro Langley’s number.
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