No-Door Bar was a magical place, essentially a teleportation hub connecting the entire city of New York. Li Kang stepped out of the No-Door Bar and was already outside his small detective agency.
Li Kang returned to his office and, using the contact information on the business card, dialed Foggy's number.
"Hello, this is Murdock & Associates, dedicated to serving you. We provide all kinds of legal assistance…" On the other end of the phone, Foggy rattled off an automated advertisement.
"I don't know whether to pity you or admire your professionalism, Mr. Foggy. I'm Li Kang, and I've got the materials you wanted." Li Kang tossed the USB drive in his hand.
"That fast? That's incredible!" Foggy exclaimed in disbelief. "How did you do it? As far as I know, Osborn Group's defenses are very tight."
"At least the warehouse wasn't that tight. As long as you could get past the main gate, everything became simple. They guard their goods very strictly, and perhaps because of that, they don't pay much attention to trivial things like computer data. But I didn't get it easily either; it took some effort. As for how I did it, I'm sorry, that's a trade secret. Just bring the money, and the data is yours. Oh, and by the way, this mission incurred some extra expenses for me, which I'll need you to reimburse." Li Kang lit a cigarette. Work was done, and a celestial cigarette relaxed both his body and mind.
He calculated that giving Parker fifty dollars and buying Monark drinks cost about thirty dollars, plus some miscellaneous expenses. A hundred dollars just vanished. This five hundred dollars was being spent a bit quickly.
"That's only right. May I ask how much it is?" Foggy said calmly. This was industry standard; employers were obligated to reimburse private detectives for reasonable expenses.
Li Kang briefly reported the expenses. Foggy said he would come over immediately with a five-hundred-dollar check and pick up the USB drive. This money was enough to appease Mrs. Jason, the landlady. It was a pity he wouldn't get to see her double-barreled shotgun firing technique; that was also a regret, Li Kang thought mischievously.
Soon after, Foggy arrived. They needed these materials to overpower the formidable Osborn Group in court. The check was handed over, Li Kang gave up the USB drive, and both parties concluded a successful transaction.
Li Kang had just opened a bottle of beer, intending to celebrate, when his phone suddenly rang. The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number.
"No way, is business that good today?" Li Kang answered the phone, and Parker's voice came from the other end.
"Hello, is this Li Kang?" Parker asked weakly.
"That's right, is that Parker? What's wrong?" Li Kang remembered Parker being bitten by a spider and assumed he was in the mutation phase.
"I feel hot and cold all over, and I'm terribly hungry. I don't know what's happening. I'm so weak, covered in sweat. I feel like I might die." Parker's voice grew fainter.
Yes, this was exactly the state during the mutation period. If his memories from his previous life were correct, Parker just had to endure this period, and he would gain spider-like superpowers, becoming a superhero. From then on, he would live a tragic life of fighting without pay and doing good deeds only to be misunderstood. A long and bloody road awaited him.
"Brother, trust me, that's a normal condition. Everyone gets like that after a spider bite. It's nothing serious. I suggest you apply saliva to the wound; it will definitely have a miraculous effect." Li Kang took a sip of beer, feeling a bit hungry. He opened a drawer where there was a sandwich bought three days ago; it didn't seem to have gone bad yet.
From the phone, Parker's disbelieving voice came, "Saliva? Are you sure you're not joking? Is this also your mysterious Eastern wisdom?"
"Trust me, human saliva has an incredibly miraculous effect on treating spider venom. It's science; you can totally try it."
Li Kang took a bite of the sandwich. A peanut butter sandwich with lettuce wasn't exactly delicious, but he had to make do.
"You… are you eating? I'm practically dying, and you're still in the mood to eat?" Parker wished he could reach through the phone signal and punch Li Kang.
Li Kang washed down the sandwich with a mouthful of beer, let out a burp, and said, "Food is paramount to people. If I don't eat my fill, how will I have the strength to comfort you? You really don't appreciate good intentions."
"Beep beep beep…" Li Kang casually hung up the phone.
Parker said "hello" for a long time before realizing the phone had been hung up. He roared into the phone, "Li Kang! If anything happens to me, I won't let you off even if I die!"
After venting, Parker's gaze fell on a photo on his bedside table. It was a family portrait. Parker was only four years old then. His father held him, and his mother secretly kissed little Parker's cheek. The scene was warm and touching.
"Father… Mother… I will find out why you disappeared, I swear!" Parker's eyes were moist. The reason he risked sneaking into the Osborn building was because he had found his parents' diary under the floor yesterday. From it, he learned that his parents hadn't abandoned him, but rather, due to some matter, they were afraid of implicating him, which was why they entrusted little Parker to Uncle Ben and Aunt May.
In the diary, there was also a photo showing Parker's parents and Dr. Connors as former colleagues and close friends. That's why Parker was determined to see Dr. Connors again and uncover the truth.
"Li Kang's magic isn't fake. Maybe his so-called mysterious Eastern wisdom really works. Never mind, I'll give it a try." Parker spat a little saliva onto the wound.
"Idiot, if you're uncomfortable, why aren't you lying down? Why are you calling? Your chatterbox disease is incurable." Li Kang put his phone back in his pocket and looked at the sun outside.
It was already evening, and it would be dark soon. The vampire girl should be arriving around this time. Li Kang took down a small ornament from the doorway. Inside the ornament was a very powerful magical amulet that could effectively harm supernatural creatures.
Beneath the carpet, a ritual circle for summoning spirits was drawn. This circle could cause massive damage to supernatural creatures; even vampire nobles couldn't withstand it. Li Kang made a small gap in the circle.
Li Kang opened a bottle of blood wine, sucked a drop with a dropper, and dropped it into a water glass. Then he put all three bottles of blood wine into the safe under the chair. After preparing, he mixed some tap water into the water glass. The blood wine instantly dyed the tap water a rich blood-red, with wisps of red mist swirling at the rim of the cup, emitting a strong, pungent odor. He carefully picked up the water glass and placed it on the table, covering it with a "Playboy" magazine.
After a busy period, Li Kang propped his feet on the office desk, his face also covered by a "Playboy" magazine, his entire face buried in the magazine models' voluptuousness. This day had been a bit of a hassle, truly exhausting. He drifted off to sleep in a daze.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but Li Kang felt the energy in the room was somewhat chaotic. Something had entered. He took down the magazine and saw the vampire girl sitting obediently at the other end of the desk.
"Hello there, when did you arrive?" Li Kang rubbed his sore neck, imagining those pale little hands massaging his shoulders as he looked at the vampire girl's hands.
But then he thought better of it. Getting a massage from a vampire was probably less safe than shaving with a chainsaw.
"I just arrived. Are you a magician?" the vampire girl asked softly, but her constant swallowing and the two bright red points in her eyes betrayed her.
Her hands were covered in bloodlines; she was on the verge of scarlet fever and could erupt at any moment. A berserk vampire would unleash astonishing bestiality, and their combat power would instantly skyrocket.
"My name is Li Kang, and I am indeed a magician. Before we begin our conversation, please drink this." Li Kang pushed the glass containing the blood wine towards her.
The vampire girl nodded and smiled charmingly. She was almost completely dominated by instinct now, and both her speech and expressions carried an unconscious allure. Although she looked dirty, she was indeed a very beautiful girl. If she were properly dressed up, she would surely not lose to the Scarlet Witch he had seen today.
After picking up the glass, the vampire girl wrinkled her nose. "What is this? It smells disgusting."
"It might taste even more disgusting when you drink it, but I want you to drink it. If you want me to help you, then obey." Li Kang pointed to the glass with an undeniable tone.
The vampire girl, helpless, pinched her nose and drank the blood wine. "Ugh, this taste is deadly. I've never drunk anything so awful. It's like drinking a mouthful of dirty water from a sewer that's been sitting for twenty thousand years."
The effect of the blood wine was immediate. The scarlet fever in the vampire girl's eyes receded, as if a virus had met its antidote, a curse its nemesis. The terrifying scarlet fever released the girl, at least temporarily.
"Strange, I don't want to tear out your throat anymore. The bloodlines on my hands have also disappeared. I feel really good now." The vampire girl stood up and raised her hands in the air.
"Now you can tell me, what's your name?" Li Kang's hanging heart settled. Monark hadn't lied; this was indeed genuine blood wine. Betraying Master Ancient One for it was worth it.
"My name is Angela Alba, sir. May I ask your name? And how did you cure me?" Angela excitedly clasped her hands, thanking God for letting her meet a savior.
Alba? Li Kang had heard that name. A New York noble. Before New York City was just an inconspicuous small fishing village, the Alba family had already established roots in New York City, one of the oldest families in the city. Angela was from the Alba family, no wonder she looked so familiar; she was a socialite.
Li Kang had a slight impression. It seemed Angela had even been featured in Vanity Fair magazine, rated as one of the five most beautiful faces in New York City. Normally, vampires wouldn't choose such high-profile targets because they were too conspicuous and difficult to control.
"Cure you? I don't have that ability. I merely alleviated your symptoms. The vampire virus, also known as scarlet fever, is the darkest of black magic, combined with some, how should I put it, according to the most fashionable term now, biotechnology. The two combined and underwent some chemical reactions that even the creators didn't anticipate. Scarlet fever can indeed be cured, but that ability is beyond my scope." Li Kang opened a bottle of beer and pushed it across the table to Angela.
Beer can help one digest all unfortunate news, at least it worked for Li Kang.