Chapter 13

After signing the rental contract for Room 109, Zhou Fangdong returned to his own room.

He didn’t check his newly unlocked skills immediately. Instead, he first looked at the now-illuminated Tenant Illustrated Guide.

Tenant Illustrated Guide: [Low-level Tenant · Supernatural Streamer Desperate for Fame]

Guide Description: A career-driven supernatural streamer with an intense thirst for fame. She values her career above all else and is constantly chasing viral traffic, even if it costs her her life.

Traits: Optimistic and adventurous. As long as it doesn’t kill her, she will never stop seeking out death. She has an incredibly high tolerance for stress and is not easily frightened. Unless evicted, she will never terminate her lease.

(Note: This tenant’s personality traits are unstable and may change based on Favorability levels.)

Guide Unlock Reward: 30 Ghost Coins.

Zhou Fangdong’s gaze lingered on the trait “As long as it doesn’t kill her, she will never stop seeking out death” for a long time.

…He was breaking into a cold sweat.

What kind of tenant had he just recruited?

“System, if I terminate the rental contract with her, will Side Quest 1 be marked as a failure?”

【Yes. If the Room 109 rental contract is terminated, Side Quest 1 will reset and the rewards will be revoked, though the unlocked entry in the Tenant Illustrated Guide will remain.】

【Would you like to add the Room 109 tenant to the Special Watchlist?】

“What is the Special Watchlist?”

【It is used to monitor tenant activities. If a tenant on the Special Watchlist makes any unusual movements, the system will notify the host immediately.】

【There are currently five unused slots on the Special Watchlist. More slots can be unlocked using Ghost Coins.】

“Does it cost Ghost Coins to put a tenant on the Special Watchlist?”

【No.】

Zhou Fangdong thought for a moment and said, “Put Zhao Dawei from Room 101 and Miao Zheng from Room 109 on the Special Watchlist.”

Even though Zhao Dawei was very honest, it was better to be safe than sorry. After all, he only had two tenants right now; these two precious seedlings had to be carefully nurtured.

【Understood. Room 101 tenant and Room 109 tenant have been added to the Special Watchlist.】

【Ding—Detected that Room 109 tenant Miao Zheng has left Room 109.】

Zhou Fangdong’s heart jumped into his throat, only to hear another notification from the system:

【Room 109 tenant Miao Zheng has left Liwan Apartments.】

Zhou Fangdong breathed a sigh of relief.

It was just a trip out. He had been terrified that Miao Zheng was going to start causing trouble the moment she moved in.

Going out was good. Leaving Liwan Apartments was even better. No matter what she was doing out there, as long as she wasn’t running wild inside the apartments, it was fine.

Closing the Tenant Illustrated Guide, Zhou Fangdong washed his hands and meditated peacefully for a minute. Finally, he used the Skill Point rewarded from the side quest to randomly unlock a skill.

Counting the character-exclusive skill unlocked by his level-up, he now had two skills… He prayed he would roll something related to exorcism so he wouldn’t have to spend Ghost Coins on exorcism props in the future.

Taking a deep breath, Zhou Fangdong cautiously opened his character attribute interface.

A system window popped up:

【Skill 1: Gentle Mind Reading (Grade B)】

[Skill Description: You can use this skill to touch ghosts. Most ghosts cannot refuse such a gentle touch. By making contact with a ghost, you can perceive their current emotions and sense the memory fragments of their strongest obsessions from when they were alive.]

(Note: This skill can be upgraded with Skill Points. Currently, it only works on ghosts below Grade A.)

【Skill 2: Plucking Feathers from a Passing Goose (Grade C)】

[Skill Description: Passive skill. When touching a ghost, you can randomly obtain varying amounts of Ghost Coins from them.]

(Note: Although this is a low-level skill, it works unconditionally on all ghosts. As long as the host can touch a ghost, there is a chance for Ghost Coins to drop.)

(Note: This is an exclusive skill unlocked by Character Level advancement. It cannot be unequipped or upgraded.)

After reading the descriptions of these two skills—especially Skill 2—Zhou Fangdong was speechless.

Why was his exclusive skill something like this?

What kind of garbage skills were these? If he had the courage to go around touching ghosts, he wouldn’t be carrying a kerosene lamp everywhere.

Zhou Fangdong sighed.

Although the unlocked skills felt quite useless, Gentle Mind Reading seemed perfectly suited for completing Roleplay Tasks.

With this skill, he wouldn’t have to struggle to find clues in Room 102; he could use the skill directly on the ghost in Room 102.

Just as the ghost in Room 109 was the former tenant of that room, the ghost remaining in Room 102 was likely closely connected to its former tenant.

In the Roleplay Task, he needed to play the role of the child who once lived in Room 102.

Zhou Fangdong could use the skill to view the ghost’s memory fragments, find memories related to that child, and thereby complete the Roleplay Task.

Furthermore, not only could he complete the task, but he could also use the skill to determine the Room 102 ghost’s killing rules. This would allow him to draft a Rental Contract for Room 102. It was truly killing two birds with one stone.

The only drawback was that the skill required him to touch the ghost…

Zhou Fangdong gritted his teeth, determined to toughen himself up.

He couldn’t rely too much on the kerosene lamp. When facing a fierce ghost, he needed the ability to fight back himself.

In addition to unlocking skills, leveling up provided three attribute points to be distributed among the Health Bar, Spirit Bar, and Stamina Bar.

The Health Bar represented life force. The Spirit Bar represented intelligence and the ability to withstand horror. The Stamina Bar covered physical functions, including vision, muscle strength, reaction speed, coordination, and running speed.

“System, put all three attribute points into Stamina.”

After weighing his options, Zhou Fangdong felt that Stamina was the most important. If a ghost retaliated while he was using Mind Reading, he could simply increase the force of his touch and turn Mind Reading into a physical attack against the ghost.

This kind of maneuver was a severe test of reaction speed and strength.

【Confirming: Does the host wish to allocate all attribute points to Stamina?】

“Yes.”

After adding three points to Stamina, although his physique didn’t visibly change, his perceived strength increased significantly, and his reflexes became much sharper.

Zhou Fangdong tested it out on the wardrobe in his room and found he could easily lift it with one hand. This was something completely unthinkable before.

After finishing with his attribute points, Zhou Fangdong opened the System Mall again.

For the sake of his upcoming plans and his own safety, he intended to arm himself to the teeth.

He had earned 300 Ghost Coins from completing Side Quest 1, plus the 30 Ghost Coins obtained from unlocking the Tenant Illustrated Guide. With a total of 330 Ghost Coins in hand, it was time to buy some ghost-repelling talismans for protection.

Upon opening the System Mall, Zhou Fangdong discovered that in addition to the [Low-level Ghost Repelling Talisman] and the [Low-level Purification Talisman], a new item had been unlocked: the [Low-level Amulet].

[Low-level Amulet] Price: 90 Ghost Coins.

Item Description: Guarantees the user immunity from attacks by Specters below B-rank for 30 minutes.

Although it was three times more expensive than the Ghost Repelling Talisman, this amulet felt much better suited for his next move.

While the Low-level Ghost Repelling Talisman could drive ghosts away, the repelled entity wouldn’t reappear for twenty-four hours. If that happened, he would have to wait until the next day to use Mind Reading on them again. The efficiency was simply too low.

After a moment of deliberation, Zhou Fangdong bought two Low-level Amulets and one Low-level Ghost Repelling Talisman.

With these three talismans in hand, paired with the Kerosene Lamp, it should be enough. He needed to keep the remaining 120 Ghost Coins as a reserve just in case.

After placing the talismans into his Inventory, Zhou Fangdong left his room and headed toward Room 102.

In the corridor leading to Room 102, he ran into Miao Zheng, who was walking back carrying several large bags.

Miao Zheng must have just gone out to shop; the transparent plastic bags were filled with various daily necessities and food.

Compared to Zhao Dawei, Miao Zheng had clearly adapted to her identity as a haunted house tenant much faster. After learning that the ghosts in the building wouldn’t attack her as long as she carried the key to Room 109, returning to Liwan Apartments felt as natural as coming home.

Seeing Zhou Fangdong approaching, Miao Zheng waved enthusiastically. “Hey, Boss Landlord! I’m officially moving in today! Please look after me from now on!”

Just then, hearing the commotion outside, Zhao Dawei poked his head out from Room 101.

The middle-aged man looked at Miao Zheng, then at Zhou Fangdong, and finally asked cautiously, “Mr. Landlord, is this a new tenant for our apartment?”

Miao Zheng’s eyes lit up the moment she saw Zhao Dawei.

Before Zhou Fangdong could say a word, she dropped her bags, rushed over, and grabbed Zhao Dawei’s hand, shaking it vigorously.

“Hello, hello! I’m the new tenant, my name is Miao Zheng. ‘Miao’ as in sprouts, ‘Zheng’ as in iron-boned integrity. I live in 109. How long have you lived here, Uncle? Are you used to life in the apartments? Have you encountered anything strange? Would you be comfortable with an on-camera interview?”

Zhao Dawei looked troubled, his gaze constantly shifting back to Zhou Fangdong.

Miao Zheng was quick to take the hint and let go, saying with a laugh, “It looks like you have business with the Boss Landlord, so I won’t disturb you. By the way, Uncle, let’s exchange contact info. We live in the same building, so it’ll be easier to get in touch if anything happens.”

To get Miao Zheng to leave quickly, Zhao Dawei readily gave her his contact information.

Once Miao Zheng returned to Room 109, only Zhao Dawei and Zhou Fangdong remained in the corridor.

Zhao Dawei relaxed slightly and said with a sheepish expression, “Mr. Landlord, I know this request is a bit forward, but… uh, could you help me find a job?”

The terrifying experience at the Delicious Slaughterhouse had left Zhao Dawei too afraid to look for work on his own for the time being.

After returning to the apartments yesterday, Zhao Dawei had thought it over. He figured that since this mysterious landlord could re-lease a famous haunted building like Liwan Apartments, ensure the safety of tenants against the building’s ghosts, and even make the manager of the slaughterhouse back off just because he was a tenant…

Didn’t this mean the landlord of Liwan Apartments possessed terrifying power capable of intimidating all ghosts?

If it was a job introduced by this landlord, it would surely be safe, right?

Hearing Zhao Dawei’s request, Zhou Fangdong’s mind went blank for a second.

Did a landlord really have the responsibility of finding jobs for tenants? He couldn’t even step out of the apartment gates; where was he supposed to find a job for the man?

Just as Zhou Fangdong was wondering how to respond, the System’s cold, electronic voice suddenly rang out:

【The manager of Guijia Furniture Store is outside the apartment gates, requesting an audience with the landlord of Liwan Apartments.】

Hearing the notification, Zhou Fangdong frowned slightly.

The manager of Guijia Furniture Store?

He had indeed commissioned Hong Zhong to deliver the newly ordered furniture today, but why had the store manager followed him? Didn’t that shop lack a delivery service?

Zhou Fangdong pulled out his phone and checked the furniture order, confirming he had paid in full.

I’d better go to the entrance and see what’s going on…

Zhou Fangdong said to Zhao Dawei, “We’ll talk about the job later. I have something urgent to handle. Come with me to the foyer first.”

In front of the gates of Liwan Apartments.

Hong Zhong was leaning against his truck door, his left arm around a mannequin and his right hand holding a functional beverage, gulping it down with a heavy expression.

If it weren’t for the fact that active personnel weren’t allowed to smoke, a cigarette dangling from his lips might have better captured his current sense of helplessness.

After receiving the delivery order from Liwan Apartments this morning, Hong Zhong had driven straight to Guijia Furniture Store.

When he arrived, the newly ordered furniture was already packed and waiting at the storefront, just like yesterday.

Hong Zhong had approached the furniture cautiously, standing guard at the entrance for a long time. Only after confirming that no ghostly hands or pools of blood had reappeared did he move the packed furniture onto the bed of his pickup truck.

However, when he pulled open the driver’s side door, he was shocked to find a mannequin sitting in his passenger seat.

The mannequin was dressed in a blue-and-white clerk’s uniform. Its wig was gone, leaving a bald head covered only by a blue baseball cap emblazoned with the words [Guijia Furniture Store].

Although someone had painted a new face on it with thick eyebrows and large eyes, the mottled, undried bloodstains beneath its eyes suggested this was the same mannequin that had been weeping tears of blood in the shop window yesterday.

Hong Zhong raised his gun immediately.

Before he could pull the trigger, the mannequin suddenly snapped its head around. The sound of its neck joints creaking coincided with the chime of a text notification on Hong Zhong’s phone.

The specific ringtone assigned to Liwan Apartments caused Hong Zhong to freeze.

He picked up his phone and saw a new order appearing on the delivery interface:

【Please deliver the Manager of Guijia Furniture Store to Liwan Apartments. Regardless of whether the delivery is successful, you will be rewarded with a set of Guijia Furniture Store’s most popular furniture (color random).】

Seeing this new order, Hong Zhong fell silent.

He ignored the mannequin in the passenger seat, pocketed his phone expressionlessly, slammed the door shut, and floored the accelerator, racing toward Liwan Apartments at top speed.

It wasn’t for the reward. He was hoping the mysterious landlord of Liwan Apartments could help him deal with this mannequin and this so-called delivery prize.

A reward of a set of Guijia furniture…

That wasn’t a reward; it was clearly a curse.

Translated into plain English, this new delivery order meant: Regardless of whether you deliver this mannequin or not, you’re getting a set of furniture that randomly spawns ghosts. This curse has already latched onto you. Surprise!

Rather than wasting time fighting the mannequin here, it was better to get the damn thing to Liwan Apartments as quickly as possible and let the landlord handle it.

When the car pulled up in front of the apartments, another message popped up on Hong Zhong’s phone.

【The Manager requests your assistance. Please carry it out of the car.】

Hong Zhong was beyond frustrated.

Was this ghost intentionally messing with him? It was perfectly capable of sneaking into his passenger seat unnoticed, yet now it needed to be carried out?

Despite his speechless exasperation, Hong Zhong wanted to be rid of the thing as soon as possible. He dutifully hauled the mannequin out of the car.

To prevent it from toppling over, he kept one arm hooked firmly around its body.

When Zhou Fangdong arrived at the apartment entrance, this was the sight that greeted him: Hong Zhong standing by the car, intimately embracing a man in a blue-and-white uniform.

Seeing two burly, hulking men huddled together so affectionately was truly an eyesore.

Translator’s Notes

• iron-boned integrity: The character’s name, Miao Zheng (苗铮), uses the character ‘zhèng’ (铮), which is part of the idiom ‘zhēng zhēng tiě gǔ’ (铮铮铁骨). This refers to someone of unyielding character and moral integrity. The note is a play on her name, contrasting her ‘upright’ name with her ‘death-seeking’ behavior as a supernatural streamer.

• Plucking Feathers from a Passing Goose: This is a literal translation of the Chinese idiom ‘yàn guò bá máo’ (雁过拔毛). It describes someone who is extremely opportunistic or greedy, never letting an opportunity for profit pass by. In the context of a ‘trash skill,’ it highlights the system’s cheeky or stingy nature, as the protagonist is forced to ‘pluck’ small amounts of currency from terrifying ghosts.