Chapter 8

Hearing Zhou Fangdong speak, Hong Zhong managed to call out to him just before he left. “My colleagues can help deliver the furniture you ordered.”

He was being proactive to earn the mysterious landlord’s favor, but he was also afraid of more ordinary people getting dragged into this terrifying apartment building.

His colleagues at the Paranormal Affairs Department were all experienced in dealing with ghosts and had the means to protect themselves. Furthermore, with him already inside the apartment, he could help move the furniture in so his colleagues wouldn’t have to risk entering.

Zhou Fangdong’s eyes lit up at the offer. “Then I’ll have to trouble you. I’ll send you the order details for the furniture I bought…”

As he said this, Zhou Fangdong suddenly realized his phone didn’t have any communication functions.

Fortunately, the system helpfully popped up a notification at that moment:

【Detected that the cleaner is willing to assist with furniture delivery. The delivery order has been merged with the cleaning order.】

Zhou Fangdong breathed a sigh of relief. “You can check your phone; the delivery order has been merged into your cleaning task. Please have your colleagues pick up the goods from that shop and bring them here.”

Hong Zhong tapped on his phone. When he saw the name of the furniture store, he fell into a stunned silence.

【Guijia Furniture Store】

This store had once been famous for its high quality and affordable prices, with branches large and small all over the country… before the hauntings began.

Since the supernatural outbreaks, a strange curse had fallen upon Guijia Furniture Store. Customers who bought furniture would randomly “unbox” ghosts from within the items.

Although most of what came out were low-level spirits, even the lowest D-rank ghost was lethal to an ordinary person.

After the store was cordoned off, the sheer volume of furniture—combined with the fact that nearly every set was haunted—made it impossible to destroy them all at once. Dealing with them was both troublesome and exhausting, so the haunted furniture was simply sealed inside the shops.

Heaven only knew how this landlord had placed an order in a sealed store. And what did he want with so much haunted furniture? Did he think the Liwan Apartments didn’t have enough ghosts and wanted to restock from the furniture store?

A forced smile twitched on Hong Zhong’s lips, and his voice sounded unusually hoarse. “Mr. Landlord, if you’re not in a hurry, I’ll go personally after I finish the cleaning. There’s a lot of furniture; my colleagues might not be able to carry it all.”

He couldn’t let others get involved. He would shoulder everything related to the Liwan Apartments alone.

Zhou Fangdong nodded. It didn’t matter who delivered it as long as the furniture arrived. “Alright, I’ll leave it to you then.”

Since leaving his starting room consumed Kerosene Lamp oil to ward off ghosts, Zhou Fangdong didn’t linger outside once everything was arranged. He teleported back.

Cleaning was much easier than high-intensity physical training like hauling ammo crates or carrying logs. It took Hong Zhong just over two hours to clear out Room 109.

Now, aside from the black plastic bags, not a trace of trash remained on the floor. Even the dust in the corners had been scrubbed clean.

Combined with Hong Zhong’s slight obsessive-compulsive tendencies, the cardboard boxes had been flattened, sorted by size, and tied into neat bundles. The broken furniture had been dismantled, and the parts were stacked tidily by the door.

After inspecting the results of the work, Zhou Fangdong nodded in satisfaction.

The man was thorough and efficient. He would definitely hire him again next time.

Under Zhou Fangdong’s escort, Hong Zhong made several trips to haul all the trash out of Room 109.

To prevent this refuse from the haunted building from causing any harm, Hong Zhong loaded it all into his car, intending to take it back to the Paranormal Affairs Department for disposal.

The trunk and back seats were stuffed with cardboard and wooden planks. Looking at his beloved car, now unrecognizable and cluttered, Hong Zhong sighed softly and decided he would just bring a pickup truck next time.

Just as he was about to get in and leave, Hong Zhong hesitated, then walked back toward the apartment entrance.

In the foyer, Zhou Fangdong still held that old Kerosene Lamp, standing quietly in the shadows. He looked like a pale specter manifested from this malevolent building itself, a being that kept company with ghosts and had waited for many years in the sunless dark.

Seeing that Hong Zhong hadn’t left and was walking back toward the building, Zhou Fangdong tilted his head in confusion.

Why is this cleaner back again? Did he leave something behind? How troublesome… I’ll have to walk him through it again.

In Hong Zhong’s eyes, that head-tilt was chillingly reminiscent of a bloodthirsty predator’s pre-hunt ritual. Those dark eyes, upturned at the corners, always held an indecipherable sense of pity, as if mocking his weakness.

Hong Zhong’s footsteps faltered. He stopped at the entrance, not daring to go any closer.

He realized he truly couldn’t see through this landlord.

Though the mysterious landlord appeared easygoing, like a “Mr. Nice Guy,” the dangerous aura that occasionally leaked from beneath that gentle facade served as a constant reminder of his horror.

He was like a ghost trying its best to masquerade as a living person, wearing a human skin and a soft human smile, saying “we are companions” while turning around to serve those companions up on a dinner plate.

Hong Zhong took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm.

Even though his next move was risky, he had to summon the courage to ask the question that had been weighing on his mind.

Carefully choosing his words, Hong Zhong asked, “Mr. Landlord, may I ask what you intend to do with Room 109 now that it’s clean?”

Hearing the question, Zhou Fangdong became even more confused.

What else do you do with a clean room? You rent it out, obviously.

He replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world: “To rent it out.”

Hong Zhong couldn’t help but take a step back.

Upon hearing that answer, he could no longer hide his emotions.

While cleaning, Hong Zhong had noticed that this young man—the self-proclaimed landlord of Liwan Apartments—could not leave the front door. This suggested that the anomaly of the Liwan Apartments was currently contained.

Yet now, he was saying he wanted to rent out Room 109. Was he planning to let the uncontrollable supernatural forces of Liwan Apartments bleed into the outside world through a tenant?!

The thought of the ghosts from Liwan Apartments invading the world of the living through this channel made Hong Zhong’s scalp tingle with dread.

He had to stop this.

Hong Zhong fought to suppress the tremor in his voice, feigning a calm tone as he spoke. “Mr. Landlord, I’m actually looking for a place to stay right now. If you don’t mind, what would you think about me renting Room 109?”

“No,” Zhou Fangdong refused decisively. “I only rent Room 109 to women.”

After witnessing the past life of the ghost in Room 109, Zhou Fangdong had already decided against male tenants.

The vengeful spirit in Room 109 had been dismembered and discarded by her own husband when she was alive. If she saw a male tenant, it was highly likely she would be reminded of her past trauma, which would pose a direct threat to the tenant’s life.

Seeing that Hong Zhong wanted to argue further, Zhou Fangdong simply ignored him and teleported back to his own room.

He still wanted to hire Hong Zhong for cleaning services in the future. It wouldn’t be good if the man grew resentful and slacked off on the job because he had been rejected too many times.

Watching Zhou Fangdong’s figure vanish directly behind the main door, Hong Zhong’s mouth hung open, gasping like a fish out of water. Ultimately, he silently swallowed the words he hadn’t had the chance to say and leaned against his vehicle with a dejected expression.

Was it really impossible to stop this?

Just then, Hong Zhong suddenly heard heavy footsteps coming from inside the apartment building. He instinctively looked up and locked eyes with a short, pudgy middle-aged man carrying a backpack.

Zhao Dawei was startled to see someone standing outside the entrance of Liwan Apartments.

This middle-aged man had spent several hours in Room 101 mentally preparing himself before finally summoning the courage to step outside.

There was no food in Liwan Apartments, and he needed to get some supplies before nightfall.

Because he had already been attacked by a ghost in the hallway once before, Zhao Dawei was terrified to walk through those pitch-black corridors alone without Zhou Fangdong’s company.

Consequently, he had hung the key to Room 101 around his neck, clutching it like a crucifix as he walked out with trembling steps.

Perhaps his status as a tenant of Room 101 truly granted him protection. Although he encountered several ghosts along the way, none of them attacked him, and Zhao Dawei reached the apartment foyer without incident.

Then, the moment he opened the door, he saw a tall, burly man who looked like a professional bodybuilder leaning against the door of an off-road vehicle as if he were posing for a magazine cover.

…Is this bodybuilder okay? Why is he striking a pose in front of a haunted building?

Once he got a clear look at the newcomer, Hong Zhong was shocked. “Zhao Dawei?!”

Hearing the bodybuilder call out his name, Zhao Dawei was even more stunned. “You are…? D-do we know each other?”

Hong Zhong strode over to Zhao Dawei and pulled him away from the entrance of Liwan Apartments.

Before Zhao Dawei could struggle, Hong Zhong pulled out his credentials. “Hong Zhong, Paranormal Investigation Division. I’m the one who led the team to handle the homicide at your home this morning.”

Zhao Dawei’s heart skipped a beat as the images of his dead wife and child flashed before his eyes.

Though he felt deeply uncomfortable, the slickness he had developed from years in the corporate world made Zhao Dawei instinctively put on a smile. He bowed slightly and said, “Hello, Officer. Did you come here to find me because there’s been a new development in the case at my house?”

“No, I didn’t come to Liwan Apartments for you. I didn’t know you were here until now…” Hong Zhong sized up Zhao Dawei’s build and appearance, realizing that this man was the owner of the footprints he had seen at the apartment entrance. “What are you doing here? Do you live here?”

Zhao Dawei nodded. “Yes, Officer, I live here. My building was cordoned off, and while I was looking for a place to stay, I happened to see a rental post for Liwan Apartments, so I rented a room here.”

Hong Zhong’s spirits lifted. “Where did you see the rental post?” As soon as the question left his mouth, he glanced back at the apartment building as if remembering something.

“Tell you what, were you heading out? It’s hard to catch a cab around here. I’ll give you a lift, and we can talk in detail in the car.” Hong Zhong pulled open the passenger door and gestured for Zhao Dawei to get in.

Hong Zhong drove Zhao Dawei away from Liwan Apartments.

On the way to the city center, Hong Zhong learned from Zhao Dawei that he had found the rental post for Liwan Apartments on a rental exchange forum app.

After dropping Zhao Dawei at his destination, Hong Zhong immediately returned to the Bureau of Paranormal Oversight.

He first dealt with the trash he had brought back from Liwan Apartments, then found his colleagues in the Paranormal Monitoring Department and instructed them to monitor the rental app twenty-four hours a day.

Hong Zhong planned to arrange for someone to move in the moment a new rental post for Liwan Apartments appeared.

He was determined to keep the situation at Liwan Apartments within controllable limits.

After making these arrangements, Hong Zhong restocked his depleted equipment, grabbed a pickup truck from the Bureau, and drove alone toward the location of the furniture store.

Like other cordoned-off haunted houses and ghost buildings, the road leading to the furniture store was blocked.

Furthermore, because the number of ghosts inside the furniture store was incalculable, there were patrol cars monitoring the area around the clock.

Most branches of this furniture chain were located in the city center, unlike haunted houses in the suburbs that could be left alone. If the ghosts inside the furniture store were to leak out, it would cause a terrible disaster; therefore, its status required real-time monitoring.

Hong Zhong had already reported the anomalies at Liwan Apartments. With special clearance, he drove into the restricted zone and arrived in front of the Guijia Furniture Store.

Parking the truck at the entrance, Hong Zhong put on his gear and stepped out.

The modern building before him had clearly been neglected for a long time. The floor-to-ceiling windows were shattered beyond recognition, and the window frames were covered in rust. Only the thick layer of flyers on the ground, nearly fused with the pavement, spoke of the building’s former prosperity and bustle.

The only things that looked out of place in this scene of ruin were the several pieces of neatly packaged furniture sitting at the building’s entrance.

A single bed, a wardrobe, and a set of a table and chairs.

The packaging was brand new, and the furniture had even been meticulously reinforced with wooden frames to prevent damage from the jolts of transport.

Hong Zhong walked a full circle around the items, but he failed to find anything unusual about them.

However, while he was busy inspecting the furniture, the previously sealed entrance to the furniture store swung open silently. Several ghostly hands, their skin deathly pale and mottled with cadaverous spots, slowly reached out from the darkness like sprouts breaking through the soil.

The target of these ghostly hands was none other than Hong Zhong, whose back was turned toward them.

Translator’s Notes

• Guijia Furniture Store: The name ‘Guijia’ (归家) literally means ‘Returning Home.’ In the context of a horror novel involving ghosts (which are often referred to as ‘returning’ or ‘lingering’ spirits), the name is a dark pun. It suggests both a place to buy items for a home and a place where spirits ‘return’ or find a home within the furniture.