Afterwards, Hugh Thompson forced himself to say a few comforting words to Mr. Qian and the others. Their expressions softened a little, and we used the excuse of needing to investigate further. I also told Mr. Qian that I would assist the police in searching for Lily Qian.
"What if something happens to Lily Qian, then what?"
Hugh Thompson smiled and shook his head.
"If that time comes, there will be a way. Don't worry about it. Even if the worst happens..."
"Tell me, what way?"
I asked.
Hugh Thompson let out a sigh.
"If the couple's child really has an accident, we can only make excuses for not finding her, drag it out for a while, and then bring in a professional counselor to try to persuade them. Once enough time has passed and the moment is right, we can tell them the truth, that..."
I grabbed Hugh Thompson by the collar.
"If you keep lying to them like this, won't it just hurt them even more? Wouldn't it be better to..."
"Those who have never been parents have no right to speak." Hugh Thompson said, brushing my hand away.
"Have you?"
Hugh Thompson gave a bitter smile, said nothing, and started the car.
We're heading to Trinity High School now, the best high school in the city. Its college admission rate is over ninety-five percent every year. It's famously hard to get into—you either have top grades or a wealthy family.
I held the red string in my hand and examined it closely. As I steadied myself, a strange odor wafted up—like leftovers gone bad, sour and bitter, with something else mixed in.
"By the way, Ethan, do you know anyone skilled in summoning ghosts? I asked Howard Lee, and although the Mount Mason Order has formal ghost-summoning rituals, they're useless for our situation this time."
I thought for a moment. Maybe I should just go ask John Chou directly.
"Bro, I have no idea. These modern kids play with stuff we never had back in my day."
I sighed. For a moment, all I could think of was that old couple from the Nether Syndicate. Then I nodded.
"Let's check out the high school first."