------------
At that moment, dark clouds gathered overhead and raindrops the size of beans began to fall. The three of them found a private room in a restaurant on the street and sat down. Shawn Young and Rainie Bai had been 'fiercely battling' all night, leaving their stamina depleted. So Shawn ordered more than a dozen dishes at once. As the trio ate and chatted, they waited for the heavy rain to pass before heading out again.
David Yu looked like he hadn't had a proper meal in ages. As soon as the food arrived, he started gobbling it down without a care, like a starving ghost reborn. He devoured the food, choking back sobs, with tears glistening in his eyes. The blood on his forehead hadn't dried yet, making him look utterly miserable. Shawn Young and Rainie Bai couldn't help but sigh at the sight.
"Um—Boss Yu, don't eat so fast, be careful not to choke—" Rainie Bai kindly reminded him.
"Mmm—mmm—" David Yu nodded as he kept stuffing food into his mouth.
After finally finishing several meat dishes, he slowed down a bit, though he was still gnawing on a big chicken leg. Shawn Young laughed and said, "Haha—Boss Yu, relax, take it easy, there’s more food coming. With me here, you won’t go hungry!"
Hearing this, David Yu's plump body trembled, and tears welled up in his eyes again, dripping onto the chicken leg in his hand. He wiped his tears with his sleeve and clung tightly to the drumstick, looking both odd and pitiable.
"Mmm—mmm—Little brother, you—you have no idea, I—I haven’t had a full meal in over half a year! Now I realize, being able to eat till I’m full is true happiness! Damn it, everything else is just fluff, just fluff—mmm mmm—" David Yu said, crying with excitement. Thinking of the nightmare his life had been these past two years—losing his fortune, being betrayed by those he trusted—he couldn’t help but feel heartbroken.
Shawn Young said to David Yu, "Alright, you’re a grown man, don’t be so dramatic! Crying like that, what do you look like! Listen, I’ll find a way to break the spell on you! I’ll help you deal with them, but you have to try too! Remember, life is like gambling! Whether you win or lose still depends on your own effort!"
David Yu perked up, wiped away his tears, took a big bite of his chicken leg, and said fiercely, "Got it! If I don’t succeed this time, I’ll die trying!"
Shawn Young grinned and said, "Wrong! We’re only going to succeed! And you, buddy, you’d better get back everything you lost—with interest!"
"Yes! Yes! I—so, what do we do now?" David Yu asked excitedly.
"First, I’m going to summon the Five Cursed Ghosts trapped in your body and seal them! Once that’s done, your luck will return. The person who cursed you with that occult technique will sense something’s wrong and, feeling guilty, will show up soon enough! When that happens, I’ll have other ways to deal with them," Shawn Young explained.
"Oh! If you summon those Five Cursed Ghosts, my luck will really come back?" David Yu asked, his face full of excitement.
"Yeah, I’ve checked your face and your aura—you’re destined for wealth and prosperity! Your whole life should be filled with riches. But there’s a hint of misfortune at the corner of your eye, so you hit a major setback around age five. If you couldn’t overcome it, your fate would be bleak and you’d die far from home! Luckily, you’ve got some good luck—the Azure Dragon shines on your brow. That means, even though you were arrogant when you had money, you did enough good deeds that when you’re in trouble, someone will show up to help you! Heh—looks like that someone is me! Once I seal those Five Cursed Ghosts, your destiny will shift back to what it should be!" Shawn Young said with a laugh.
As soon as Shawn finished, David Yu was so moved he put down his chicken leg and stood up, looking solemn and respectful. Judging by his expression, he was about to kneel and thank Shawn again. Shawn quickly waved him off, exasperated: "Damn it! Are you addicted to this or what? You’re a grown man, always kneeling to a kid like me—aren’t you tired of it!?"
David Yu froze, then quickly waved his hands to explain, "Uh—Little brother, don’t get me wrong, I just ate too much and got a bit excited. My stomach’s acting up, so I need to go to the bathroom—"
Shawn Young was speechless and asked, "What the hell! Why do you look so serious and respectful just to go to the bathroom? I thought you were hooked on bowing to me!"
"I’ve always been like this since I was a kid! Is there something wrong with that? If you don’t like it, I’ll smile more when I go to the bathroom—oh, gotta go, I’m in a hurry—haha—" David Yu said, forcing a cheerful smile and clutching his stomach as he hurried off to the restroom.
"Damn! This guy is really something—so weird—" Shawn Young grumbled as soon as David Yu left.
"Hehehe—serves you right for being so sentimental!" Rainie Bai laughed so hard she was nearly in tears.
By now, the torrential rain outside had gradually stopped. The three sat near the window, giving them a clear view of the street. After the storm, a fresh breeze swept through, the clouds quickly parted, the sun came out again, and a brilliant rainbow stretched across the sky—it was breathtakingly beautiful.
"Wow—what a beautiful rainbow!" Rainie Bai gazed at the rainbow in awe.
"Yeah, but—no matter how beautiful, a rainbow is always fleeting," Shawn Young said, also gazing at the rainbow.
The two were lost in the beauty of the rainbow when, suddenly, a huge crowd poured out from the casinos down the street. People rushed onto the road, all staring up at the top of a building.
"Looks like something’s happening over there?" Rainie Bai peered in that direction, but it was too far to see clearly.
Shawn Young’s eyesight was much better. He focused and saw, on the rooftop of the New Orient Grand Hotel, a middle-aged man trembling at the edge, looking utterly lost and desperate.