"What did you say..."
Hailey and the others felt that Lucien's words seemed to have lowered the temperature in the entire antique shop.
"Did I hear that right?"
the chubby boy asked blankly.
Peggy suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
So, when he said Lucas looked like he was about to die, he meant this!
"The order of death isn't based on the order of the divination?!"
Hailey suddenly remembered a crucial point.
"Of course not, didn't I say? The power of evil spirits isn't that strong."
Lucien explained slowly, even making a cup of tea in front of everyone.
"If you really encounter one that's vicious, it can come to take your life even in broad daylight."
Freddy and Death are typical examples.
"But didn't Madeline go out with him? It shouldn't be like this."
Peggy asked in panic.
"He's crazy in love, and you need to be careful going to places..."
Hailey murmured in a daze.
"It was because he took Madeline home that he went out alone at night and was killed by the evil spirit in the tarot cards..."
Hearing this, Grant felt that he had grasped the key point.
"Does that mean we can avoid trouble just by sticking together?"
"If the curse were so easy to get rid of, what would you be doing here? Just hang out on the streets during the day and go to parties at night."
Lucien scoffed.
"The only way to survive now is to bring me that tarot deck."
"You...aren't you worried about the evil spirits haunting you?"
"Sir, perhaps we should discuss this properly..."
Peggy hesitated.
She had just lost her friend's life because of the tarot cards and didn't want to drag more people into this.
Lucien didn't bother with further words and raised his hand.
The laptop on the table automatically closed and flew neatly back into the fat man's backpack.
Everyone was utterly shocked by this.
Especially Grant, whose expression could only be described as dumbfounded!
"...Now I know why my dad insisted I find him..."
the fat man said dreamily, his face blank.
"Do you have any questions now?"
This time, everyone shook their heads in unison.
"Then go back and get the deck."
Lucien finished speaking and was about to send them away.
"What if we encounter strange things on our way back?"
Hailey reacted the fastest, thinking of the crucial details.
"To save your life, there are smart people and foolish people. Which one do you choose?"
"What's the smart person's approach?"
the chubby boy asked.
"It's interpreting your tarot readings to avoid being hunted by evil spirits."
"We choose the foolish person's approach."
Hailey didn't hesitate, choosing the second option directly.
Lucien took out a talisman from the counter.
"This kind of talisman can ward off evil and bring good fortune. Keeping it with you can save your life in a critical moment."
Everyone's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this.
Hailey immediately reached out to take it, but saw Lucien extend his hand instead.
She subconsciously thought he wanted to shake her hand, but Lucien disdainfully slapped it away.
"Unwilling to use your brain, and don't you know how to pay?"
Hailey was a little embarrassed.
"How much is this talisman?"
"Ten thousand."
"How much?"
"Ten thousand US dollars, no bargaining."
Originally, the talisman should have been five thousand US dollars each, but Lucien didn't like these arrogant young people.
So he raised the price on the spot.
"Why don't you just rob someone..."
The chubby boy was about to complain when Grant covered his mouth.
"We'll buy one, one for each of us."
"What about Madeline? She's gone home, should we buy one for her?"
"Buy it… even if she doesn't want to, an extra talisman is an extra layer of protection."
The group pulled out their credit cards, and Lucien also took out his POS machine.
The renovation wasn't just about upgrading the interior and exterior; he also purchased the necessary equipment.
Thanks to his hard work, the shop was now completely different!
Old Su, your antique shop back then wasn't big enough, and it wasn't strong enough!
Watch me take it to the next level.
Hailey was the first to swipe her card, then turned around somewhat strangely.
She wondered if it was just her imagination, but when the owner pulled out the POS machine, there seemed to be a hint of pride on his face.
Was it because he had just received a huge sum of $60,000?
She couldn't figure it out.
Cash on delivery.
Before long, the group had all put the talismans in their pockets for safekeeping and left the shop.
——————
The next day at noon.
In the spacious activity room of the university, Hailey and her group gathered again.
However, this time, the original group of seven was missing one person.
"Lucas died in a train parking area in the subway station, a no-entry zone."
"The tarot card curse came true. The evil spirit led him to the wrong place."
Hayley's voice was heavy.
A group of people surrounded her, with Peggy comforting Madeline, whose eyes were red and swollen from crying.
Their relationship had just begun to progress when they were suddenly separated by death.
The sudden emotional blow, coupled with the knowledge that she was cursed, left Madeline looking haggard and somewhat dazed.
"The tarot cards weren't taken; they're in my bag. Just take them to the shopkeeper, and the curse will be lifted…"
"He told you all this?"
Madeline turned and looked around.
"You believe him."
"It's not a matter of belief; it's a fact right before our eyes."
The fat man didn't know how to explain.
A magical scene was unfolding before their eyes, allowing no room for doubt.
"Anyway, that shopkeeper is a formidable character; trusting him is the right thing to do."
With that, Paxton handed her a talisman.
"This was bought for you through crowdfunding. It's for self-defense, so wear it carefully."
Madeline stared blankly at the yellow talisman, not taking it for a long time, before suddenly speaking in a low voice.
"Do you think all of this was the work of that shopkeeper?"
"He silently placed a curse on it when you came in, and then killed one of us."
Hearing this, Hayley looked at her friend in disbelief.
"How could that be? We were complete strangers before, what reason would he have to harm us?"
Madeline showed no intention of shutting up.
"Tarot cards should be handled by someone with divination skills. That shopkeeper doesn't understand astrology or mysticism, does he…"
"Compared to her, I'm more willing to believe the mysticism expert I found online…"
She glanced at everyone's chests.
"You bought these talismans, they must have cost a lot of money… Maybe that's his purpose?"
"Not only can he extract money from us, but he can also complete his evil plan to kill…"
"If he really wanted to save people, why didn't he save Lucas too?!"
As she continued to speak, Madeline's expression grew increasingly venomous.
Hayley, Paige, and the others stared blankly at each other, feeling for the first time how distant their close friends had become.
"Enough!"
It was Grant who interrupted Madeline.
Anger flashed across his brown face.
"Madeline, I know you're still grieving his death, but you shouldn't lose your basic sense of right and wrong."
"Don't you think your thinking is incredibly cynical? Accusing someone based on your own assumptions without any evidence."
"I don't remember the Madeline I know being this despicable!"
"Heh, who can say for sure..."
But Madeline clearly didn't change her mind because of the rebuke.