The Superpower used by the bald man from the Red Blood Gang had knocked out the driver and the young woman in the carriage, and even the horse was put into a deep sleep.
Lin Li walked up to the carriage and patted the horse on the head, waking it from its deep sleep.
"NEIGH..."
The horse neighed a few times as it woke, looking around in a daze.
Lin Li climbed onto the carriage. Before entering the compartment, he gently shook the driver, who was sound asleep on the footboard.
"Huh?" The driver sat up. Just like the horse, he looked left and right in a daze. The blank expression on his face, however, was quickly washed away by the intensifying rain.
He took out a straw raincoat stowed in the carriage and put it on. Then, he flicked the reins, signaling the horse to move.
"NEIGH..."
The horse neighed in response to the command and immediately started forward, pulling the carriage along.
It was as if the horse knew the rain was about to get worse and it needed to hurry home for shelter, so it picked up its pace considerably.
The pitter-patter of the rain grew more intense. Bead-sized drops linked into lines, driven by the howling wind to smash against the carriage windows with a RAT-A-TAT.
Streaks of rain appeared on the transparent glass, running down from the windowsill.
The wheels rolled through small puddles, sending up splashes of water.
The downpour arrived swiftly, but it had given people more than enough time to prepare for its arrival.
By the time the carriage left the developing plot of land and entered a bustling district, the streets were nearly empty of pedestrians. Everyone knew the downpour was coming and had already taken shelter.
Lin Li sat on the bench, listening to the rain outside the window with his eyes closed. ’Who should I ask for information about the Red Blood Gang?’ he wondered.
The young woman who had shown Lin Li the house was still slumped over the small table, fast asleep. After entering the carriage, Lin Li had simply let her be.
"BOOM..."
A massive clap of thunder rang out. A brilliant, silver-white bolt of lightning flashed, branching out in an instant and illuminating a vast stretch of the dim sky.
The young woman, who had been fast asleep on the table, was startled awake by the thunder. She lifted her head, seemingly unsure of where she was.
It wasn’t until she saw Lin Li resting with his eyes closed that it all came back to her: she was with a client, having just done a site visit, and they were on their way back to the office to sign the purchase agreement.
"Huh?!!!"
’How did I suddenly fall asleep? That was so unprofessional! I hope Mr. Lin isn’t angry,’ the now-awake young woman thought, her heart filled with worry.
If Lin Li could read her mind at that moment, he would have concluded that she was a person of very volatile emotions.
Still, people who wore their happiness and worries so openly on their faces were easy to read, and Lin Li didn’t mind people like that.
It was unlike a certain cunning woman on Blue Star, who sometimes showed no trace of her emotions, making her impossible to read and incredibly difficult to deal with.
Lin Li sensed that the girl had woken up and opened his eyes to look at her.
By now, the young woman had wiped the sleep from her expression and was sitting up straight with a professional posture.
Seeing her like this, it was clear that—just like the driver outside—she hadn’t given much thought to why she had suddenly fallen asleep. She was completely unaware that a Cultivator had used a Superpower on her just a short while ago.
This was for the best. Their ignorance was what kept them safe.
The young woman noticed Lin Li looking at her and said, slightly embarrassed.
"Mr. Lin, I’m so sorry! I accidentally dozed off just now..."
Lin Li replied nonchalantly, "It’s alright. It’s only natural to get drowsy when you’re overworked."
He said this intentionally. If the young woman later wondered why she had fallen asleep so suddenly, his words would guide her to conclude it was simply due to exhaustion from work.
Lin Li’s guidance was a success. Upon hearing his explanation, the young woman nodded in agreement, finding it quite plausible.
As a newcomer to the real estate agency, she had spent the last two days learning from senior employees and poring over documents. It really had been exhausting...
After a bit more small talk, Lin Li casually asked a question.
"Miss Wang, do you know anything about the Red Blood Gang?"
Although he suspected that this girl—who wore her heart on her sleeve—was unlikely to know much about the Red Blood Gang, Lin Li was eager to start gathering intelligence, so he decided to ask on a whim.
"The Red Blood Gang? I do! Why do you ask, Mr. Lin?"
Her answer surprised Lin Li. He hadn’t expected her to know anything about the Red Blood Gang, contrary to his assumption.
"I overheard some people talking about them at a teahouse earlier, and it made me curious," Lin Li said, inventing a quick excuse.
"Mr. Lin, let me tell you! The Red Blood Gang is full of bad people—well, actually, I should say they’re *all* bad people. If we regular folk run into them on the street, it’s best to get away from them immediately.
"Oh, and since you’re asking, you probably don’t know how to spot a member of the Red Blood Gang. Let me teach you how to recognize them!" the young woman said enthusiastically.
"Members of the Red Blood Gang all have a strange tattoo on the back of their hand. The design looks like a caterpillar. Plus, they act really crudely and will start cursing at the drop of a hat.