As soon as Liu Fugui received Lu Fei's call, he immediately asked his staff to watch the store and, under the scorching sun, hurried to Sinisterium Pawnshop.
There was no one in the shop.
"Brother Xiaolu, where is everyone?"
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he heard some noise from the backyard and quickly went to check it out.
Lu Fei was sitting on a chair, holding a 5L bucket of mineral water, and carefully giving water to the little black dog with a concerned look on his face.
"Blackie, it's so hot today, you should drink more water."
"Come on, drink a little more."
The little black dog's belly was round and full, shaking its head at Lu Fei.
"No, you still want more."
"Drink a bit more."
He kept pouring until the little black dog burped, bubbles of water coming out, before he finally stopped.
"Brother Lu, it's been a while; this little black dog has grown quite a bit," said Liu Fugui as he curiously walked over, not sure what Lu Fei was doing.
"Sure has, this little one can really eat and drink."
Lu Fei patted the little black dog's fluffy head, finally stopping giving it water, and put the 5-liter water bottle aside.
The little black dog immediately ran to the base of the wall and lifted one of its hind legs.
Lu Fei had already placed a stainless steel basin in that spot.
The slightly yellowish liquid dripped into the basin with a pitter-patter sound.
Liu Fugui had no clue what was going on.
After the little black dog finished urinating, Lu Fei smiled satisfactorily and then turned to look Liu Fugui up and down.
"Hey, Old Liu, you've been eating well recently, haven't you? You've put on quite a bit of weight."
"I've given up on women now. Every time I get involved with one, it causes trouble. I don't dare to mess around anymore, so all I have left is my appetite."
Liu Fugui smiled bitterly and patted his large belly.
His belly was round and plump, as if he had swallowed a stone boulder.
"This won't do; being too fat can cause health problems," Lu Fei said, suddenly showing concern.
Liu Fugui was both flattered and helpless, replying, "Losing weight is too hard! Gaining weight is like a landslide, but losing it is like pulling silk. Anyway, I'm not looking for women anymore, so I might as well enjoy being a little fatter. Life is short, and you need some enjoyment."
"Let me show you something good."
Lu Fei laughed and ran into the room, bringing out a small bottle.
"Is this your new treasure?"
Liu Fugui's eyes lit up, and he quickly took the small bottle, examining it curiously.
Inside was a little thing shaped like a chestnut.
"This is called Slimming Treasure," Lu Fei made up a name on the spot.
"The name sounds impressive. Does this treasure make people lose weight?" Liu Fugui immediately became interested.
"No wonder you're so smart, Old Liu! You got it in one! Put this treasure where you want to slim down, and it will absorb your fat. The effect is immediate," Lu Fei said, clapping his hands with a smile.
"There's actually such an evil thing!" Liu Fugui exclaimed in amazement, "Isn't it tailor-made for people like us who are overweight?"
"Exactly! Since we're old friends, I'll let you try it first." Lu Fei unscrewed the cap of the bottle.
"Hey, wait a minute! Brother Lu, all the treasures from Sinisterium Pawnshop have taboos. Doesn't this one have any?" His sudden enthusiasm made Liu Fugui a bit uneasy.
"Of course, the usage time for one session cannot exceed five seconds." Lu Fei smiled.
"What happens if it exceeds five seconds?" Liu Fugui asked curiously.
Lu Fei suddenly became serious and said in a deep voice, "You might slim until you die! Literally, die!"
"Wow, that's incredible!" Liu Fugui gasped.
"So, are you still going to try it?"
Liu Fugui thought for a moment, then slapped his thigh and said, "Try, why not? With Brother Lu here, what do I have to be afraid of!"
"Then sit down properly."
Lu Fei pulled a chair over and let Liu Fugui sit down.
Then, he poured a little water into the bottle.
The chestnut-like small object inside seemed to come alive, wriggling around.
"You're here."
Before Liu Fugui could see what it was, Lu Fei quickly poured it onto his round belly.
He felt a chill on his belly, followed by a taut sensation on his skin.
The thing's body rapidly unfolded, like a black patch tightly adhering to his stomach, sucking wildly.
"This... isn't this just a leech?"
Once he recognized the object, goosebumps covered Liu Fugui's entire body, and he instinctively resisted.
But then, he saw the leech getting bigger and bigger, while his plump belly visibly deflated.
"Five seconds, that's it."
Lu Fei picked up a stainless steel bowl and poured the pale yellow liquid with some foam over the leech.
The leech wriggled a few times, detached from Liu Fugui's belly, and spat out a clump of thick, yellowish-red substance. Its body quickly shrank back to its chestnut-like shape.
Lu Fei picked it up with pliers and put it back in the bottle.
"This, this..."
Liu Fugui was drenched in cold sweat, his body trembling uncontrollably.
A red mark was left on his pale belly, but his stomach was noticeably flatter.
"How is it, Old Liu?" Lu Fei smiled at him.
"It's effective! But..." Liu Fugui swallowed hard, looking worriedly at the red mark on his belly, "Are there any side effects?"
"No, it's the same as cupping; it will fade in a few days. The only thing to note is that the application time should not exceed five seconds. Once the time is up, you need to use Jin Yang water to remove it."
"Jin Yang water? Isn't that just dog urine!"
Liu Fugui then remembered that his stomach was still wet and quickly pulled out some tissues to wipe it.
Dog urine, which is of the metal element and carries yang energy, is exactly what can counteract leeches, which thrive in damp, yin environments.
After cleaning up, Liu Fugui stood up and was pleasantly surprised to find that he felt much lighter.
"The belly is the hardest part to lose weight from. I've tried so many methods, even diet pills, which not only made me miserable but also didn't work."
He tightened his belt to keep his pants from falling down.
"This effect is truly amazing!"
Although there was a bit of an odor, he became increasingly happy as he looked at his belly, and the previous discomfort had completely disappeared, replaced by excitement.
"This thing might be a bit disgusting, but it works! No need to diet, no need for medication, just one use and you see the results!"
Compared to the difficulty of losing weight, a little disgust is nothing.
"I heard some women even intentionally eat tapeworms to lose weight!"
"Brother Lu, this is really a good thing! Safe and side-effect-free weight loss, the dream of so many overweight people. I'd even like to keep it for myself. With this, why bother with any dietary restrictions? I can eat all the delicious food in the world!"
"Sure, I'll sell it to you!" Lu Fei laughed. "As a favor to an old friend, buy one get one free. Buy the Slimming Treasure, and I'll throw in the Golden Yang Water."
"Um... how much?" Liu Fugui was genuinely tempted.
A bit of a smell, what's the big deal? You can just wash it off and it'll be clean.
"What do you think?" Lu Fei asked with a smile.
"Me?"
This really put Liu Fugui in a tight spot.
If he offered too little, it wouldn't be appropriate, but if he offered too much, it would hurt his wallet.
He pondered for a moment, then suddenly hit upon a good idea. Rubbing his hands together, he said with a grin, "Brother Xiao Lu, what do you think about this?"