Chapter Two: An 874,000-Yuan Key

Wanxing looked at the two stars in her palm, unable to breathe. The counterweight had missed her. A fire barrier had struck Xiaoman instead. “Give me the ledger,” said a gentle voice from the doorway. The collector stood there, his skin like paper soaked in rain. He had no shadow, and his smile split almost to his ears. “The storage term has expired, Miss Lin.” The red threads came alive and bound Jibai's limbs. The collector's hand became a cluster of black spikes, thrusting toward Wanxing's heart. She backed against the case and instinctively searched for a happy result—then remembered the bandage around Xiaoman's head. If she survived, who would bleed for her? The spikes approached. “Believe you'll live!” Jibai shouted.