The little hedgehog was an intern librarian at this library. He couldn’t really remember what his original position was—just like how he no longer remembered where his home was or how old he was. It seemed that those "settings" weren’t important.

“Where did all the citizens of the city go?” Ruan Xing asked.

“The new municipal development plan has already started. Everyone went to the factory to help out.”

“What factory?”

“The factory. Our houses and all city infrastructure are built in that factory.”

It didn’t sound like a normal factory. Most factories made shoes and clothes—not everything.

“It’s true! Our mayor is also the factory director—he’s amazing! He can do anything!”

The little hedgehog tried his best to defend the claim, but he was still a little scared of Ruan Xing. So Fu Gui took over, its round belly quickly helping the hedgehog let down his guard.

“Why aren’t you helping at the factory?” Fu Gui asked.

The little hedgehog stammered, “I—I snuck out. It’s too exhausting in the factory, so I slacked off.”

It turns out there are slackers everywhere.

Fu Gui asked again, “Why did you think he was the candy merchant? Haven’t you seen the candy merchant before?”

The little hedgehog shook his head. “No, he always covers his face when he visits. We don’t know what he looks like, but he’s the same kind of creature as this one—usually called ‘two-legged beasts.’” He glanced nervously at Ruan Xing.

“Why do you want to kill the candy merchant?” Fu Gui asked. “You don’t seem like a bad kid.”

The hedgehog suddenly started crying. “The last time the candy merchant came… he killed my friend. I don’t want anyone else to die!”

Fu Gui looked at Ruan Xing. “Looks like this candy merchant isn’t some saint either.”

Ruan Xing tapped his chin with a finger. “I have an idea.”

—

The sky was clear, and the sun was warm. It was another lovely day in Fairy Tale City.

The mayor was in the candy factory, checking on construction progress.

This place had the most advanced equipment money could buy—procured at great expense by the mayor. As long as construction never stopped, he could keep expanding his territory.

Thinking about a future ruled by Fairy Tale City made the mayor squint his eyes with pride.

“Mayor, a strange fellow showed up outside the city…” A thrush (畫眉 Huàméi – a type of small songbird) stood at the window, reporting the situation.

“How strange?” The mayor lounged in his office chair, swinging a leg as his whiskers twitched.

“Wearing a black cloak with a completely covered face. Super tall, too, as it walked on just two legs!” The thrush was still spooked—it was the first time he’d seen such a strange living creature.

The mayor dropped his little white foot and glared at the bird. “That’s our honored guest—the candy merchant! Strange... Why’s he here so early? He’s days ahead of schedule. I’m not fully prepared yet.”

The mayor hopped around in excitement. “Whatever the case, we can’t afford to be sloppy. Fairy Tale City owes its development to him. We must treat him with the utmost respect!”

The mayor ordered the driver to bring out a limo from the garage. The vehicle gave off a malt candy aroma—it was cast from a single slab of maple sugar. No one knew how it was powered, but it ran surprisingly fast; its maple-sugar wheels could hit 12 mph.

They drove straight down the main road and finally saw a cloaked figure standing on the roadside with a crow perched on his shoulder.

There were no such tall, bipedal creatures in Fairy Tale City. It had to be the Candy Merchant.

“Hello there, merchant! Long time no see!” The mayor poked his head out the window, ears flapping in the wind. He leaned out and reached a paw toward the shadowy figure in greeting.

The merchant’s voice was hoarse. “Long time no see.”

The mayor opened the door. “Hop in. Seems you’re a bit earlier than last time.”

“Yes… have some matters to attend to.” Ruan Xing replied vaguely. With the air of mystery on his side, the mayor didn’t question it.

“This one doesn’t look like a city resident,” the mayor commented, glancing at Fu Gui.

Fu Gui responded solemnly, “I’m the candy merchant’s partner. You know, outstanding people are always followed by loyal companions.”

Ruan Xing shot him a subtle look.

The mayor nodded, not too interested in Fu Gui’s background. All he cared about was business. “This year’s goods aren’t quite ready yet—still missing a few things. You might have to wait a bit.”

“No problem,” Ruan Xing replied coolly.

Under his hood, Ruan Xing studied the rabbit before him.

Long ears, red eyes, and a small fluffy tail. The rabbit wore a dark brown three-piece suit with a black polka-dot tie and carried a candy-studded cane—a picture of a gentleman.

But Ruan Xing didn’t dare underestimate him. The crow had already warned him mentally—this cute, plush-toy-looking guy was actually a high-level pollutant, strong enough to take down multiple bosses.

The car rolled forward, and the mayor suddenly stuck his head out: “Huh? Why’s there a hole in that wall?”

Fu Gui squeezed one eye shut on Ruan Xing’s shoulder, staying silent in guilt.

The mayor waved a paw, and the wall seemed to come alive, squirming as it sealed the hole shut.

The mayor was a high-tier pollutant and had complete control over the city, which meant his combat strength was essentially doubled. At this stage, Ruan Xing wouldn’t stand a chance.

Fu Gui: [Don’t forget our mission—finding our companions is the most important thing.]

That was Ruan Xing’s conclusion after thinking things through. Thanks to the hedgehog’s info, they now knew that this city automatically captures any approaching humans—under the guise of “protecting” the city. But in reality, it might just be treating them like prey or food.

Only the candy merchant could move freely in Fairy Tale City. When asked why, the hedgehog wasn’t clear either—he simply assumed Ruan Xing was the merchant because of his appearance.

Ruan Xing said, “Your city is even more beautiful than last time.”

The mayor’s eyes lit up in surprise. “This is the first time you’ve complimented it!”

Grinning ear to ear, he said, “It has been almost a year since your last visit. Of course, there’ve been significant changes. Even the capture array has extended outward by several hundred meters.”

Capture array? So that’s how he caught people?

Ruan Xing remained composed. “Where do those captured people go?”

The rabbit waved a paw dismissively. “They’re in the factory. I don’t trust leaving them outside. Two-legged beasts like them—devious and sly—they’d kill our citizens. I know them too well.”

"It will take some time to prepare the materials, so I’m afraid you’ll have to stay here for a while.” The mayor spoke with a refined tone.

Ruan Xing nodded. “I’d like to visit the factory. Is it convenient for you?"

The car stopped. The mayor hopped out. "Of course, isn't it like this every time? We're already here."

Ruan Xing got out and looked up at the massive candy factory.

It was far from the city entrance, so he hadn’t explored it earlier. But he had seen it on the library map. It was about ten times the size of the library and was lavishly decorated with the words “Candy Factory” spelled out in interwoven red and white candy canes.

A sweet smell oozed from every corner of the building. The sound of machinery rumbled from inside—a scene of industrious chaos.

The main entrance was fancy, though a crooked banner hung above the main door—clearly a last-minute job. Below it, a zoo-like crowd of animals stood in orderly lines: hamsters, alpacas, otters, sheep—even a mama pig with piglets.

The animals stood upright on two feet, wearing brown aprons tied with red cords around their necks. Nervously wringing their paws, they bowed when they saw the mayor and Ruan Xing: “Welcome, Candy Merchant, to our city!”

Fu Gui: [They’re really putting on a show. I wonder what the real merchant traded with them to make these pollutants act so deferential.]

Ruan Xing: [They’re just bowing on behalf of their master.]

Mayor Bunny hopped out of the car, wearing a silk top hat and holding a cane embedded with fruit candy—looking every bit the refined gentleman. If he weren’t a high-level pollutant, people would probably shower him with praises varying from adorable to cute.

He waved. “Alright, back to work, everyone!”

The nervous animals dispersed, heading into the factory through an employee entrance and disappearing from Ruan Xing’s sight.

“Compared to your last visit, our factory has expanded in size and improved in equipment—all thanks to the technology you provided.”

Ruan Xing nodded coolly, letting the rabbit guide him into the factory.

The otter who had greeted them earlier now stood by a shuttle cart, wearing a too-small bowtie that squeezed his neck fat. He was waiting beside the shuttle bus with a serious expression on his face.

The cart moved slowly inside. The mayor gestured with his cane as he explained to Ruan Xing.

“Generally speaking, candy-making consists of three main steps: ingredient processing, cooking, and molding. Each of those can be broken down further, but I won’t bore you—you’ve heard it all before. Let’s just go straight to the workshop.”

“This is the fruit candy workshop.”

Through a clear glass window, Ruan Xing saw a tiny rabbit holding a massive spoon, furiously stirring a huge pot. Tears were streaming down his face as steam hit his eyes.

It was boiling syrup. The liquid in the pot bubbled thickly. The rabbit occasionally tossed in extra ingredients. When it moved too slowly, the mayor grabbed a megaphone and shouted through the glass: “No slacking! Work hard! Candy will be distributed tonight!”

Ruan Xing’s ears buzzed from the volume. If it was this loud through the thick glass, it must’ve been more deafening inside.

Candy was their wage. Upon hearing that, the little rabbit stirred even faster.

“What’s that?” Ruan Xing asked, squinting at the pot. The rabbit had tossed in palm-sized oval items, and the clear syrup immediately turned dark brown.

The mayor gave a mysterious smile. “That’s the secret ingredient that keeps the city perfect.”

The boiled syrup was transferred into a giant machine. With a loud rumble, colorful sugar blocks rolled out, then moved via conveyor belts for secondary processing—turning into transparent glass, household items, and furniture.

Afterward, the candy shuttle took them to the marshmallow workshop. Contrary to what Ruan Xing expected, the marshmallow wasn’t molded by cooling. Instead, it was puffed out using a special device. A fine tube injected air and fruit filling into a sugar base, creating round, pillowy shapes.

Ruan Xing watched in amazement. What was even more magical was that the freshly made marshmallows expanded and contracted rhythmically—like it was breathing.

Finally, it was the chocolate-making process. Unknown materials were transported into a square machine via a conveyor belt. When they came out, they had already melted into a gooey mass, which flowed into square molds. Then, a fully automated system processed this melted chocolate into smaller blocks of chocolate.

Fu Gui’s eyes widened: [Wait a second… did I just see—]

Ruan Xing saw it too. “What are those ingredients?”

The mayor gave him a suspicious look. “Isn’t it rude to pry into someone’s recipe? Even if we’re partners, you humans have a saying: better safe than sorry.”

Ruan Xing: “My apologies,”

They boarded the shuttle again.

“Why haven’t we seen the captured humans?” Ruan Xing asked.

The mayor yawned, flashing his big front teeth. “They’re in the factory, but I can’t show you before the handoff. What about you? Got your stuff ready?” A subtle threat crept into his tone.

“Why else would I arrive early?” Ruan Xing lied through his teeth.

“Alright then. Rest in your room tonight. I’ll have the staff clear one for you. In two days—no, by tomorrow at the earliest—we’ll sign the contract. Don’t wander around. The factory’s defenses are airtight,” the mayor warned.

“Of course,” Ruan Xing agreed immediately.

Then, that very night, he climbed out of his marshmallow bed and quietly snuck into the candy factory.

Listen to a rabbit? As if.