Speaking of curses, Wayne Baker did take the opportunity to add some extra ingredients. He wasn’t craving magic power, but the feeling of hunger in his empty stomach was all too real. The Book of Greed hadn’t devoured the curse energy, so for now, the only way to break the curse was to follow Veronica Smith and William Johnson.

“Gurgle gurgle gurgle～～～”

Hungry.

Nights in London are very dangerous—this is an indisputable fact. Reports of citizens disappearing while walking at night often appear in the newspapers, and combined with elusive urban legends, the nights in London become even more mysterious.

But compared to danger, what’s even scarier is having no money. The wealthy West and North Districts have vibrant nightlife, and Inner London in the Central District is even more so—brightly lit all year round, the later it gets, the more prosperous it becomes. It’s a paradise outsiders would do anything to get into.

Wayne Baker was lucky enough to catch a taxi, which got him back to the detective agency before he starved to death.

William Johnson, feeling guilty, took the initiative to cook a table full of delicious food. But before Veronica Smith could even pick up her knife and fork, all the food had already been devoured by Wayne Baker.

Veronica Smith looked at William Johnson expressionlessly. “What are you standing there for? Go to the kitchen!”

“We used up all the ingredients bought this morning. Only potatoes are left.”

“……” x2

Veronica Smith: Potatoes are fine. Better than going hungry.

Wayne Baker: Today, out of the goodness of my heart, I’ll give potatoes another chance to prove themselves!

……

After eating his fill, Wayne Baker continued to sense magic power. Monica Harris was a very responsible senior teacher, resting her hands on the desk as she tutored students and preached the Moon Goddess’s mercy to lost little lambs.

For example, the guiding moonlight—they were able to move freely through the mist precisely because of the Moon Goddess’s blessing.

Wayne Baker had seen the true form of the Moon Goddess, so he was skeptical of Monica Harris’s words. He didn’t say anything, though; whatever the teacher said, he agreed with. Being such an obedient and well-behaved student made Monica Harris’s sense of accomplishment as a teacher skyrocket.

The goddess above—this follower is worth developing!

Two hours later, Wayne Baker, trying to flatter the black cat teacher, asked which brand of dried fish it liked. The teacher, face dark, walked away.

Wayne Baker was sharp-eyed and spotted two little bells.

He turned around—black face...

Got it. When no one’s around, find a cute little female cat for the teacher.

Since staying up late is bad for your health, Wayne Baker decided to pull an all-nighter.

It didn’t go well. Near dawn, he kept nodding off and had a brief nightmare that startled him awake.

Or you could call it a hunger dream.

In the dream, he was feasting, clearing plate after plate, eating like a reincarnated starving ghost. Those who knew the reason would blame the curse; those who didn’t might think he was about to eat potatoes to end it all.

Beside him was a flustered William Johnson, serving up potatoes in all sorts of ways. Seeing all his dishes eaten up by Wayne Baker without a crumb left, William Johnson couldn’t help but blush with happiness.

After waking up, Wayne Baker covered his face with his hand. “What you think about during the day, you dream about at night”—he understood the logic. Dreaming of being hungry made sense, but why was it William Johnson? Wasn’t Monica Harris’s figure and looks more appealing?

As he was thinking this, he heard noises coming from the kitchen and was quite moved for a moment.

There’s a saying: gay guys may have ulterior motives, but they all have warm hearts.

Take William Johnson for example—he looks rough and violent on the outside, but is actually gentle and kind. Whether it’s his warm defensive magic or getting up before dawn to cook, it all proves William Johnson is a solid, trustworthy guy worth befriending.

This is someone you can get along with!

Wayne Baker: (＝_＝)

Damn it, Wayne Baker, calm down—he’s CPU-ing you!

Don’t fall for it. Boys must always stay alert in front of gay guys—never give them a chance to get the upper hand.

“Wayne Baker, breakfast’s ready! You still have things to do today!” William Johnson shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Coming.”

Chapter 9: Could He Really Be a Genius

At noon, a blue family sedan was driving along a country road.

The farther from London, the worse the roads got, but overall, it was much better than Wayne Baker had expected—mainly because the air was fresh, a hundred times better than in the city.

If only it weren’t winter, it would be perfect.

The car was bought at a used car market. Wayne Baker, entrusted by Dr. Leonard Clark to investigate used cars, uncovered quite a few shady dealings at this dealership. After some threats and bribes, the other party, out of respect for the Queen, readily recommended this almost-new black car.

The boss didn’t say where it came from, and Wayne Baker didn’t ask. He knew Veronica Smith would look down on a commoner’s car, so it was destined to be a disposable item. Sticking to the principle of speed, he completed the purchase in just half an hour.

No one knew whose name the car was registered under, so Wayne Baker bore no risk. The boss patted his chest and guaranteed everything was legal.

Compared to the civilian cars Wayne Baker had seen in his ‘previous life’, this four-seater blue sedan was extremely basic—so basic that the dashboard was the only thing on the console, not even a radio.

Part of the car body was made of wood, and the rear had double doors. The trunk was very spacious and could hold a lot.

Basic as it was, it really was almost new. The headlights were bright, the engine ran smoothly, the transmission was reliable, and there was no strange smell inside. After running for a bit, the engine even produced water.