Chapter 19

Duan Wenyu did not have to wait long at the bus stop before a brand-new bus slowly approached.

The bus did not stop at any other stations; instead, like a taxi, it pulled up directly in front of Duan Wenyu.

Duan Wenyu had lived in Linjiang City for seven years and had never seen such a strange bus.

There was no route number displayed on the front, nor was there even a license plate. The windows were completely opaque, making it impossible to see anything inside from the outside.

Furthermore, he wasn’t the only person waiting at this bus stop, yet it seemed he was the only one who could see this bizarre vehicle.

Duan Wenyu had a premonition that this was likely the bus mentioned in the post that could take him to the Liwan Apartments.

Glancing at the death-knell countdown, Duan Wenyu hesitated no longer and stepped onto the eerie bus.

The interior was empty. The driver’s seat was completely sealed off by a thick iron plate.

There were only three stops listed above the door: [Delicious Slaughterhouse] — [Liwan Apartments] — [Guijia Furniture Store].

Duan Wenyu had never heard of the Delicious Slaughterhouse, but both the Liwan Apartments and the Guijia Furniture Store were notorious haunted locations in Linjiang City.

Duan Wenyu picked a random seat and sat down.

From the moment he stepped onto the bus, he felt an inexplicable sense of panic and shortness of breath.

Something was wrong… Duan Wenyu furrowed his brows and patted his chest.

This inexplicable feeling of terror did not belong to him.

Duan Wenyu knew exactly what the consequences of moving into the Liwan Apartments would be. This was his choice, and he was not the type of person to regret his decisions.

So… who exactly was afraid?

Duan Wenyu looked toward the upper-left corner of his vision, at the countdown that remained suspended there.

He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but the pale blue numbers seemed slightly distorted, flickering as if the signal was poor.

Once Duan Wenyu was settled, the doors slowly hissed shut.

Sitting inside the bus, he couldn’t see the scenery outside through the windows. He could only confirm the bus was moving by the roar of the engine.

The vehicle swayed slightly, and the interior lights flickered unsteadily as if the current was failing.

Duan Wenyu noticed that the frequency of the flickering lights was gradually synchronizing with the flickering of the countdown numbers.

As the lights pulsed on and off, a different scene began to manifest within the cabin.

The clean, tidy interior became exceptionally dilapidated, with blood splattered everywhere. The barrier blocking the driver’s seat vanished, revealing a corpse slumped over the steering wheel. Pus oozing from the body had fused its flesh and blood into the seat itself.

Dozens of mannequins lay scattered across the aisle like dismembered corpses. The back rows were filled with people sitting bolt upright like statues, their faces hidden by yellow talismans stuck to their foreheads. The talismans swayed left and right in rhythm with the bus’s vibrations.

Duan Wenyu’s throat tightened, and his heart pounded. But even though he was terrified, he made no sudden movements. He simply sat stiffly in his seat with his head bowed, pretending he saw nothing.

After enduring thirty minutes of this torment, Duan Wenyu felt the bus come to a stop. Ignoring the pain in his ankle, he bolted out the door at maximum speed.

The moment he stepped off, an eighteen-story-tall, ominous building loomed before him.

Looking at the dilapidated structure with its doors and windows boarded shut, appearing long-abandoned, Duan Wenyu closed his eyes in despair.

That paranormal streamer’s check-in vlog must have been heavily filtered.

In reality, the Liwan Apartments looked even more ruinous than they did in the video. It was a textbook haunted building. The entire structure was shrouded in a gray haze, and visible plumes of cold, black energy drifted continuously from the building, replenishing the thinning gray mist surrounding it. This building was practically a massive tombstone suppressing countless ghosts; it was no place for a human to live.

However, Duan Wenyu no longer had the chance to regret it.

He didn’t dare get back on that Ghost Bus, and with his crippled leg, he couldn’t possibly walk out of this desolate wilderness.

Duan Wenyu took a deep breath, summoned his courage, and limped toward the dust-covered apartment entrance.

Zhou Fangdong had run into some trouble.

For the past two days, he had been walking through the apartments carrying the kerosene lamp and hadn’t noticed this situation. It wasn’t until today that he realized the apartment foyer seemed to be a playground for certain ghosts.

Although these ghosts wouldn’t attack him because he held the landlord’s keys, they no longer avoided him as they had when he used the kerosene lamp.

Because he was constantly using Skill 3, Zhou Fangdong—who now viewed the world through a “living person filter”—saw a beautiful long-haired girl sitting on the crystal chandelier above the foyer. Her legs swung back and forth as if she were on a playground swing.

Immediately after, a bride wearing a traditional Chinese wedding dress and a red veil appeared in the shadows by the elevator, her face obscured.

This bride crawled all the way up the wall to the ceiling, seemingly preparing to ambush the long-haired girl on the chandelier.

When Zhou Fangdong walked beneath the chandelier, war broke out.

The two “people” began fighting on the chandelier right in front of him. One grabbed a tongue while the other yanked at a veil. The chandelier’s chain let out an overburdened creak, sounding as if it might plummet at any moment.

While the two ghosts fought on the chandelier, a group of children came chirping out of the hallway to the left of the elevator, joyfully kicking a ball around the open space of the foyer.

While he could ignore the long-haired girl and the red-veiled bride fighting above, he had to deal with the children kicking the ball below, because Zhou Fangdong noticed his new tenant had already arrived at the apartment door.

The children running around the foyer completely blocked the new tenant’s path.

The college student who had made the appointment to see the room froze in place after pulling open the apartment door, his dark complexion turning a shade of green.

Seeing this, Zhou Fangdong hurried to clear out the little brats.

【Skill 1: Gentle Mind Reading】 allowed Zhou Fangdong to make physical contact with ghosts. Relying on the fact that they wouldn’t attack him, he activated the skill and grabbed the children by the scruffs of their necks, one in each hand. He tossed all dozen or so children back into the hallway and followed up by kicking the rolling ball back after them.

The moment he touched those entities, he triggered [Skill 2: Plucking Feathers from a Passing Goose], stripping 10 Ghost Coins from the little brats.

Zhou Fangdong’s eyes lit up.

Who said these three skills were useless? They were fantastic—practically a perpetual motion machine for earning Ghost Coins.

He would never insult the system again.

After clearing out the group of troublemaking children, Zhou Fangdong brushed off some non-existent dust from his hands. He turned to the college student at the door and said nonchalantly, “You’re the tenant here to see the room, right? I’m the landlord of Liwan Apartments. Sorry for the wait, please follow me.”

Duan Wenyu’s face cycled through shades of green, white, and black. His body was completely rigid, his feet feeling as though they were stuck in deep mud. He didn’t dare move an inch.

God only knew what he had just witnessed.

He had finally summoned the courage to enter the apartment, only to be greeted by a pack of headless ghost children playing soccer with their own heads in the foyer. The jagged cross-sections of their severed necks were still spraying blood.

Yet, the young man claiming to be the landlord seemed oblivious to the horror. He had reached out, shoved his hands directly into their neck stumps, and tossed the children into the side hallway like he was clearing bowling pins.

The frantic way he threw those little ghosts reminded Duan Wenyu of the way he used to kick dirty socks and laundry under his dorm bed whenever he got word his mother was coming for a surprise visit…

Agh, what the hell am I thinking! Duan Wenyu clutched his head in despair, letting out a silent scream toward the ceiling.

As he tilted his head back, he locked eyes with the two ghosts hanging from the chandelier.

One was a bloody mess, lacking even an inch of skin. Its joints were inverted, allowing it to cling to the chandelier like a giant gecko. A purplish-red tongue extended from its gaping maw, tightly strangling the Wedding Dress Ghost opposite it.

The exceptionally tall Wedding Dress Ghost was not backing down. Her withered hands, tipped with crimson nails, were buried deep into the gecko-ghost’s already raw scalp, tearing away a layer of flesh.

Upon closer inspection, the Wedding Dress Ghost’s vibrant red gown was stitched with layers upon layers of human faces. Those faces seemed alive, their expressions twisting in constant agony, their mouths wide open as if in a perpetual, silent shriek.

Duan Wenyu wanted to shriek too.

He had never seen such a concentrated nest of ghosts. Never! Even though he had mentally prepared himself before coming, he never expected the interior of the apartment to be this terrifying.

Zhou Fangdong followed Duan Wenyu’s gaze. Seeing the two ghosts brawling on the chandelier, he offered a soft word of comfort. “Ah, don’t worry. They’re ghosts, so they don’t have any weight. The chandelier might be shaking violently, but it won’t actually fall down.”

Duan Wenyu was on the verge of a breakdown.

Brother, is the chandelier the problem here? Do you really think I’m worried about the light fixture falling?

“If you’re really scared, you can hold my hand. I’ll lead the way,” Zhou Fangdong said, extending his hand.

To leave a good impression on a prospective tenant, he was being exceptionally patient.

Looking at the young landlord who was smiling like a fox, the already traumatized Duan Wenyu grew even more terrified.

Is this guy a ghost too? Will touching his hand trigger some death condition? Is he like a drowned ghost looking for a scapegoat? If I take his hand, will I be forced to stay in this haunted building in his place?

Driven by a surge of survival-instinct-fueled adrenaline, Duan Wenyu leaped backward, dragging his mangled leg right back out the apartment’s main entrance.

The pale blue countdown timer flickered back into his vision.

Duan Wenyu froze, a sudden realization hitting him.

It seemed that the moment he had entered Liwan Apartments, the countdown for the points system had disappeared!

Duan Wenyu hopped forward again, crossing the threshold.

The countdown vanished.

He hopped back.

The countdown reappeared.

Zhou Fangdong watched with utter confusion as his new tenant hopped back and forth across the entrance.

Was this new tenant a physical education major? Was this his workout time? To be so dedicated to exercising at the front door even with an injured leg… how resilient, how disciplined.

Just as Zhou Fangdong was considering how to persuade the man to actually look at the room, Duan Wenyu dragged his limp leg and lunged toward him. He grabbed Zhou Fangdong’s hand with the fervor and determination of someone clutching a stack of hundred-dollar bills.

“Mr. Landlord, if I live here, can you guarantee my safety?”

“Any tenant who follows the rules is safe.”

“Then let’s sign the Tenant Contract right now!”

He had become remarkably decisive. To prevent the tenant from having second thoughts, Zhou Fangdong didn’t agree immediately. Instead, he said, “We should still go take a look at the room first.”

“Yes, yes, of course. No problem.” Duan Wenyu was no longer afraid. With a look of absolute conviction, he followed closely behind Zhou Fangdong toward Room 102.

Once they entered the unit, Zhou Fangdong handed him the Tenant Contract.

【Room 102 Residency Rules】

① Room 102 is for single tenants only. Tenants are prohibited from bringing romantic partners into the room.

② Sleeping in the master bedroom is prohibited. Opening windows is prohibited. Turning on any primary light sources (living room chandelier, bedroom ceiling lights) is prohibited. No sources of fire may appear in Room 102.

③ The tenant must not feel hunger while residing in Room 102; dieting or weight loss is prohibited. When eating, an extra portion must be served and placed under the bed in the storage room.

④ Entering the storage room outside of mealtimes is prohibited. Opening the storage room door without food in hand is prohibited.

⑤ Outside of mealtimes, if you hear movement inside the storage room, you must immediately take a snack, open the storage room door, and place the snack under the bed.

⑥ If the tenant leaves the room for an extended period, they must leave sufficient food under the bed in the storage room.

⑦ On October 16th, the tenant must prepare a birthday cake in advance and place it in the storage room.

⑨ The tenant must carry the key to Room 102 at all times. Loss of the key will be considered an automatic termination of the contract. A monthly rent of 30 Ghost Coins must be paid in cash; failure to pay will be considered an automatic termination of the contract.

10. If you discover an outsider or a foreign ghost invading your private space, do not panic. As long as you follow the above rules, the landlord will arrive immediately to resolve the issue for you.

Duan Wenyu skimmed through the text and confirmed with Zhou Fangdong once more. “As long as I follow these rules, the ghosts won’t attack me?”

“Correct.”

Having received a definitive answer, Duan Wenyu quickly signed his name at the bottom of the contract. He then pulled thirty yuan in cash from his pocket and handed both the contract and the money to Zhou Fangdong.

【Tenant Illustrated Guide: [Special Tenant · Unlucky College Student] has been unlocked】

【Please open the guide in the system interface to claim your rewards】

【Detected Side Quest 2 has been completed — Rewards: 300 Ghost Coins, 1,000 Experience Points, Random Skill Point x1】

【Ding — Detected that the host’s Experience Points are sufficient for a level up. Character Level has increased. Random skill unlock attempts +1】

【Please check the Character Level page to view unlocked skills】

【Ding — Detected that a special tenant selected by the Main God System has successfully moved in. Hidden Quest triggered】

【Hidden Quest: Establish a Convenience Store】

[Quest Description: As more tenants move into the apartments, establishing a convenience store can solve their daily food and beverage needs. This will make the apartments more livable and increase the tenants’ happiness index.]

【Hidden Quest ①: Find a stable supply chain】

[Capture the Point Systems from Infinite Flow reserve players. Use these Point Systems to achieve zero-cost inventory procurement.]

[Quest Description: A Point System is a non-intelligent system program. Infinite Flow players earn points after clearing dungeons, which they can use to exchange for items from the Main God. Exchanging for ordinary supplies related to basic necessities like food and clothing is free and does not require points.]

[To ensure the smooth operation of the Liwan Apartments convenience store, the host must work hard to undermine the Main God System. Capture as many Point Systems from Infinite Flow reserve players as possible to provide the convenience store with a stable supply chain.]

[Current Progress: Captured Infinite Flow Point Systems 1/100]

【Hint: The new tenant seems to possess many clues regarding Point Systems. Speaking with him may speed up the quest progress.】

Translator’s Notes

• Main God System: This is a core term in the ‘Infinite Flow’ (无限流) genre of Chinese web fiction. The ‘Main God’ (Zhǔshén) is typically an uncaring, god-like AI or entity that forces ‘players’ to survive through dangerous horror or action movie-like scenarios to earn points and upgrades.

• drowned ghost looking for a scapegoat: This refers to the concept of ‘tì sǐ guǐ’ (替死鬼) or ‘substitute for death.’ In Chinese folklore, certain ghosts are bound to the location of their death and can only be reincarnated if they trick or pull a living person into dying in the exact same manner to take their place.

• traditional Chinese wedding dress: The ‘hóng hūn’ (red wedding gown) is a common horror trope in Chinese media. Dying in a wedding dress is believed to create a particularly powerful and vengeful ghost (a ‘Gui Xinniang’), as the red color—usually symbolizing joy—traps the spirit’s resentment and life force.

• yellow talismans: In Chinese folklore and Taoism, these are ‘fulu’ (符箓), strips of paper inscribed with incantations. While often used to ward off evil, when placed on the foreheads of the dead (as seen here), they are a classic trope from ‘jiangshi’ (hopping vampire) cinema used to seal or control a corpse.