Store by the Corner II

1 Read Mi Fu's messages

Group chat

2 Go to Aunt Tian's place to check the situation View on map 1 View on map 2

Dialogue

Mi Fu

Just gathering evidence, people. You're the last ones Aunt Tian saw yesterday.

A

Aunt Tian

Don't make things difficult for these darlings, Captain! I saw them leave myself!

Mi Fu

I know. Door locks aren't damaged. Windows are shut. It's either someone you know, or a truly skilled professional.

Perlica

Aunt Tian, can you tell us exactly what happened?

A

Aunt Tian

I came back and my house turned into a blighted mess. I can't even remember what I've lost...

Radio

Chen Qianyu

Where is he...? Did he run away? Oh dear, he's getting really sus.

Perlica

I don't think he ran away. The stall equipment is still working. We should take a closer look.

3 Investigate Aunt Tian's kitchen View on map

Radio

A

Ah Zai

SHOO! SHOO! GET AWAY FROM ME!

4 Investigate Aunt Tian's storage room View on map

Radio

Chen Qianyu

The kitchen's been searched. Let's check the storage room inside.

5 Talk about the investigation with Mi Fu View on map

Dialogue

Chen Qianyu

What's this? A fairy tale book?

A

Aunt Tian

Oh, just something from a kid. Found it two days ago while going through stuff, but left it outside.

Chen Qianyu

Well, the story's really interesting...

Radio

Chen Qianyu

Ah Zai really likes Wuling. I don't think he would do anything stupid...

Perlica

So, we should find Ah Zai quickly to learn about the truth.

6 Find Ah Zai View on map

Dialogue

Chen Qianyu

Hey, there's a jar of something. I don't remember seeing it yesterday.

A

Aunt Tian

Oh! My memories are really failing me. It's straw mushrooms. Found it during housecleaning, but forgot about it and left it here.

A

Aunt Tian

No, not anymore. We used straw mushrooms when there was no meat, but meat's aplenty nowadays!

A

Aunt Tian

What baffles me is that young people nowadays are adding the mushrooms to the noodles again. I just don't know why...

Chen Qianyu

Are you gonna add it to your braised meat noodles recipe, Aunt Tian?

7 Find out where Ah Zai went No map marker available

Story update

The Endministrator's team discovers that Ah Zai might be involved in the break-in at Aunt Tian's home. The team decides to find Ah Zai and ask him a few questions.

Radio

Perlica

This seems like a note he wrote for himself.

Chen Qianyu

Does that mean he went straw mushroom foraging? Let's go find him!

8 Go to the straw mushroom foraging spot and find Ah Zai View on map

Dialogue

Chen Qianyu

Endmin, found anything yet?

Chen Qianyu

This Connect-and-Win ... looks pretty familiar.

Chen Qianyu

Wait! Isn't this the same Connect-and-Win that Ah Zai showed us before?

Chen Qianyu

Don't tell me that... No. Does he look like that sort of person...?

Perlica

Try not to overthink it, Chen. We should just tell Mi Fu what we found.

Chen Qianyu

Yeah, let's do that. Better not let Aunt Tian know...

Radio

Chen Qianyu

What's this? A fairy tale book?

A

Aunt Tian

Oh, just something from a kid. Found it two days ago while going through stuff, but left it outside.

Chen Qianyu

Well, the story's really interesting...

9 Defeat the quillbeast and the waterlamps View on map

Dialogue

Chen Qianyu

Mi Fu, we found some clues. Maybe we can help investigate the break-in for you?

Mi Fu

Let me guess. The clues point to someone you know.

Mi Fu

It's Ah Zai, right?

Mi Fu

Spending years in the watchguards will sharpen one's intuition.

Chen Qianyu

We'll definitely get to the bottom of this!

Mi Fu

I'll take care of Aunt Tian. You can go ahead and take care of Ah Zai.

10 Talk to Ah Zai View on map

Dialogue

A

Ah Zai

Thank you all! Oh, this place is more dangerous than I thought! Imagine getting killed over some straw mushrooms!

Chen Qianyu

I'm just glad you're really here for the mushrooms instead of running away.

A

Ah Zai

Running away? No! Straw mushrooms are sold out everywhere. We can only forage for them.

A

Ah Zai

Sheesh. I wouldn't have had to come out here in the first place if she hadn't touched my stuff... I know my place is a dump but I know where everything is..

Chen Qianyu

Wha?

A

Ah Zai

Oh, I'm talking about someone else, not you of course.

A

Ah Zai

It's just a shroom, but it's got a really interesting story.

A

Ah Zai

This, my friends, is the very soul of my art! Without it, my plan would be a racing burdenbeast without a saddle!

Chen Qianyu

Hey, Ah Zai, before we get into that, we got some serious questions to ask. Kinda need you to be honest with us.

A

Ah Zai

Huh?

Perlica

Someone broke into Aunt Tian's house. Here are the clues we found at the scene.

Chen Qianyu

This evidence seems pretty unrelated to me...

A

Ah Zai

Wait! This is the jar of shrooms I lost! How did it end up at her place? I never brought it there!

Chen Qianyu

Hold up! You lost this jar? What do you mean you "never brought it there"...?

A

Ah Zai

What are you trying to suggest? She took my jar of shrooms!

A

Ah Zai

Yeah! She hates it when I add shrooms into the braised meat noodles... Can't stop going on about how her recipe is the popular choice...

Chen Qianyu

A photo of Aunt Tian's kitchen. There's a jar of straw mushrooms in it.

Chen Qianyu

This has to be yours, right?

A

Ah Zai

Ugh. No wonder I couldn't find this thing anywhere...

Chen Qianyu

What? Did you really break into Aunt Tian's place?

A

Ah Zai

Break into her place? Hey, I'm not a thief, okay.

Chen Qianyu

What?! The two of you are relatives?! Aunt Tian is literally *your aunt*?!

A

Ah Zai

Uh... Yeah... My Dad and Mom passed away, so it was my aunt who raised me.

A

Ah Zai

But I'm a grown-up now. Gotta start my own biz and go my own way... Hrrrngh. Let's just say my aunt and I don't really agree on everything.

A

Ah Zai

She's got tons of outdated ideas and kept trying to get in my way!

Chen Qianyu

Well, if you're family, why do you have to sneak around and act all sus?

A

Ah Zai

Isn't it obvious?! I don't wanna run into my aunt again!

A

Ah Zai

I'm a grown-up and I'm doing very well on my own. But someone refuses to believe in that!

Perlica

This affair's getting more and more complicated. We should head back and double check with Aunt Tian.

Chen Qianyu

A Connect-and-Win voucher found in the storage room. It is the same as those prepared by Ah Zai.

Chen Qianyu

Come on, Endmin. Go ahead and ask if you got a question!

A

Ah Zai

A diary...? Is this some kind of a joke?

A

Ah Zai

I don't read childish scribbles. Just a bunch of stupid nonsense. Ugh...

Chen Qianyu

...Maybe we should try the next.

Chen Qianyu

...Maybe we should try the next.

A

Ah Zai

Yeah... And I'm glad we got all that cleared up before you threw me into prison!

Chen Qianyu

Wait. Are you saying that Aunt Tian took your stuff?

A

Ah Zai

Sometimes her nagging is like a broken record! I can't take it anymore!

A

Ah Zai

"Get those strange ideas out of your head!" "NO! Stop adding weird stuff to the noodles" "What a mess! You can't take care of yourself...!"

A

Ah Zai

Just last year she wanted me to take over the noodle biz. But it's 'cos she doesn't want me to join the TGCC as a Catastrophe Rider...

Chen Qianyu

What is a Catastrophe Rider...?

Chen Qianyu

And I trusted you so much!

A

Ah Zai

I went back to my aunt's place for my stuff... My Band Residence ID was at her place, and I need it to get a temporary business license.

A

Ah Zai

We got into a big argument and I moved out after that.

A

Ah Zai

Alright. Gotta get back to work. Just go ask my aunt if you have any more problems.

A

Ah Zai

Someone broke into her place?! HOW?! WHAT HAPPENED?!

11 Talk to Aunt Tian View on map

Story update

After learning the entire story from Ah Zai, the Endministrator's team decides to return to Aunt Tian's home and ask her for details.

Dialogue

Mi Fu

Aunt Tian, things would have been easier for us if either of you told us about it.

A

Aunt Tian

I'm sorry, Captain Mi, for causing you so much trouble.

A

Aunt Tian

Ah Zai got all sorts of ideas and inherited his mother's temper. Once he made up his mind, not even ten burdenbeasts can rein him in. I hardly have time to take proper care of him.

A

Aunt Tian

I was hoping to get that available stall so I don't have to work from my noodle cart again. The kid might even decide to come back and help at a proper shop...

A

Aunt Tian

Really sorry about making a scene, Captain Mi. I'll make some extra sweet rice cakes for the watchguards tomorrow.

Mi Fu

It's alright.

Chen Qianyu

Mi Fu and Aunt Tian! You're still here.

Mi Fu

What happened?

Chen Qianyu

Ah Zai said that Aunt Tian took his stuff.

Mi Fu

Aunt Tian, I better leave this to you.

A

Aunt Tian

Oh darlings, you really went out of your way...

A

Aunt Tian

I really want Ah Zai to inherit my business so he'll have an easier time in life...

A

Aunt Tian

I tried talking sense but he raised his voice and riled me up. So after delivering some food to his place, I just decided to clean up his mistakes.

A

Aunt Tian

I'm not making things hard for him. As elders, we must rein in the young ones before they smash themselves into a wall.

Perlica

But Ah Zai told us he needs these straw mushrooms for an important event.

A

Aunt Tian

Oh...? Well, maybe I didn't know about that. But Ah Zai is a kid with all sorts of crazy ideas. I don't want him to feel defeated...

A

Aunt Tian

You're right... Ah Zai's all grown up now...

A

Aunt Tian

But he kept adding straw mushrooms to the noodles instead of proper meat... He's ruining the brand name!

A

Aunt Tian

We should let the competition decide, then. I should see, with my own eyes, what that kid is up to.

Radio

Perlica

It's just a misunderstanding. The best way for things to turn out.

Chen Qianyu

Oh, I should have seen it! They're both Zalaks, and they look alike! They got the temper, too!

Chen Qianyu

I'm now super excited about the competition tomorrow!

Brief

Unlock

Rewards

Steps

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