Xue Rong Rong spun around, her heart skipping a beat when she saw the spectral flas creeping up behind her. But then, the flas stopped, as if frozen in ti, and she blinked in disbelief.
When she looked over her shoulder, the duo she was clinging to seed completely calm, observing the eerie fire with detached curiosity. It made her question her sanity—was she the only one feeling a bit unhinged here?
“Wait…” The words died on her lips. “Shouldn’t we, I don’t know, be running for our lives?”
Mid-sentence, she saw the greenish spectre do sothing unbelievable—it bowed. Yes, it actually bowed!
Xue Rong Rong pinched herself hard enough to leave a mark, wondering if she was losing it or if this was so crazy dream. A ghost, bowing down? And to whom, exactly? They were a trio, after all.
Just then, Yu Xiao’s voice broke the tension, tinged with a hint of irritation. “Seriously? You’re out and about now?” She scowled. “My lawn better be picture-perfect, or else. Also, you’re freaking out my friend, you know.”
The fla ghost felt wronged, having put so much effort into scorching the lawn. It hadn’t realised that the intruder with a green thumb was Yu Xiao’s friend. Watching her undo its work, growing fresh grass where there was once scorched earth, the ghost lost its cool and started chasing her.
Mute as always, it couldn’t defend itself against Yu Xiao’s questioning, its frustration turning into a fiery dance.
Yu Xiao jumped back from a near miss with the flas, getting angrier. “Watch it! You’re about to singe !”
In a panic, the ghost flailed, looking like soone trying to rember where they left their keys.
“Fine,” Yu Xiao reluctantly conceded. “Go ahead, get back to it. If you do it properly, we’ll be even.”
With that, the fla ghost nodded its head, relief washing over it like a cool breeze, and zipped away as fast as its wispy legs could carry it.
“Kinda adorable, in a creepy sort of way,” Zhou Xiao Zhen mused, eyes tracking the retreating fire ghost.
Yu Xiao bit her tongue, turning to et Xue Rong Rong’s puzzled gaze.
“What’s going on?” Zhou Xiao Zhen wiggled her fingers in front of the girl’s wide eyes. “Feeling jumpy? C’mon, shake it off!”
Xue Rong Rong refocused, her already large eyes widening even further. She pointed a finger at Yu Xiao, her voice a mixture of awe and confusion. “Wait—you just bossed that ghost around? And it listened? Who are you?”
“Just Yu Xiao,” ca the response, accompanied by a grin. “And yeah, that fiery fella? He’s working for
now.”
The words hit Xue Rong Rong like puzzle pieces that refused to fit. “Working for you? Doing what, exactly?”
“Mowing the lawn,” She clarified. “You see, my track is over there, across the green. It needs so fixing up. But since I’m out here playing hide and seek with everyone, I can’t take care of the grass. So, I hired our ghostly friend.”
Though her explanation seed logical, Xue Rong Rong still looked at Yu Xiao with a perplexed expression. What did she an she couldn’t do it herself, so she hired a ghost? Can ghosts be hired just like that?
“And hey, I owe you one,” Yu Xiao added, expressing gratitude. “I used to think we were all on our own paths until I saw you on that balcony. That’s when I realised they’re all connected. It made
step up and gather everyone.”
The balcony? Xue Rong Rong’s mind raced back. “That voice… that was you?”
“It was ,” Yu Xiao admitted. “I wanted to have a chat, but you ran off.”
Xue Rong Rong: “…”
Xue Rong Rong’s inner monologue went into overdrive. Run? Well, duh. Creepy setting, creepier voice out of nowhere? That’s a hard pass.
Hand on her heart, she could swear it was thumping like a drum solo – today’s shocks were off the charts.
“What’s with the sprint?” Zhou Xiao Zhen prodded. “Are you on a mission? What’s your task?”
Pulling out a crumpled list with a gloomy air, Xue Rong Rong said, “Here are my assignnts…”
After sharing her initial experiences, she continued, “I was supposed to fertilise the lawn for the boss’s friend, so I assud the house across the lawn was haunted.”
Yu Xiao stroked her chin, musing. “The coins that Ye Lang has been searching for, you hid them?”
Caught off guard, Xue Rong Rong stuttered, “What?”
“The frozen at that Yang Xian received, that was your doing too?” Yu Xiao deduced. “So, by that logic, the person you’re delivering als to must be Zhao Yang.”
Xue Rong Rong was perplexed. “What are you getting at?”
“Co with .” The factory where the frozen at was stored wasn’t far from Ye Lang’s villa, so they decided to walk over.
Upon reaching the villa, Xue Rong Rong gasped, “How did you know about this place? This is where I hid the coins.”
Yu Xiao remained silent and pushed the door open.
Inside, Ye Lang and the fridge ghost were on the tennis court, digging. At the sight of the newcors, the boy in khaki trousers face lit up. “You made it!”
Xue Rong Rong’s eyes blazed with anger, and she bellowed, “What on earth are you doing?!”
Her roar left even Ye Lang montarily speechless. He squatted on the ground, his face etched with utter bewildernt. “What… What did I do wrong?”
The girl with ponytail hurried over, her hand sweeping through the air to scatter the coins from Ye Lang’s hand. “Why are you digging up my coins?”
“Huh?” Ye Lang’s confusion was evident.
“His mission behind the Wealth Door is to find coins,” Yu Xiao interjected, stepping forward to clarify. “He has to collect one hundred coins before tomorrow is over.”
Xue Rong Rong stood still, stunned, while Yu Xiao gestured towards her, informing Ye Lang, “She’s the one who hid all the coins you’ve been finding.”
Ye Lang’s expression turned to shock.
After a brief exchange, the group managed to sort out the misunderstanding.
Once it clicked for Ye Lang, his frustration bubbled up. “Hold on, isn’t this a bit unfair? If I find all the coins, doesn’t that an Xue Rong Rong will fail her task?”
Her face was filled with fear. “And I need to fertilise Yu Xiao’s lawn too. If I don’t fix the lawn in ti, I’ll fail my challenge as well.”
“Who designed this twisted ga?” Zhou Xiao Zhen burst out, her anger evident. “We’re practically hindering each other here.”
“Have you noticed?” Yu Xiao mused, her voice tinged with curiosity. “All of this seems to revolve around one person, or rather, one ghost?”
The three of them stared at her, disbelief written all over their faces.
Yu Xiao pointed at the ponytail girl and said, “The big boss, he owns this villa as part of your mission description.” She pointed at others and herself. “Yang Xian, Zhao Yang, and I are all friends of his. What did Ye Lang hear when he entered the villa? If he doesn’t find one hundred gold coins by the end of tomorrow, the villa’s owner will co after him.”
Zhou Xiao Zhen’s eyes snapped to attention, “Oh, it’s all connected to him.” She suddenly realised, “Does that an my task is also linked to him?”
“Maybe,” Yu Xiao conceded with a shrug.
Xue Rong Rong’s face fell, “What do we do now? I don’t know if I should keep working.”
Despair crept into her voice, “And ti… I never seem to have enough of it…”
Ye Lang, seeing her distress, tried to reassure her, “Don’t cry, we’ll find a way.”
Xue Rong Rong couldn’t stop her tears as she sobbed, “But what can we do? Your deadline is tomorrow, and I have to finish all my tasks by five o’clock today, or it’s a failed mission.” She lanted, “If only I had agreed to work overti…”
Her predicant was a tough nut to crack.
Yu Xiao pondered briefly, “Your tasks are all given by the big boss, right? Maybe he can tweak your to-do list?”
Xue Rong Rong looked up, hope mingling with her tears. “Is that possible?”
“It’s not impossible,” Zhou Xiao Zhen chid in, patting her back. “In the hospital, if sothing isn’t explicitly forbidden, then it’s usually allowed.”
Xue Rong Rong held onto this thread of hope but hesitated, “But… will the big boss agree? What if it’s dangerous?”
“In an instance, what’s the risk?” Yu Xiao pondered, her determination solidifying like concrete. She was determined to track down the elusive boss. “Plus, I’m not just playing hero for you. Zhao Yang is still scarfing down questionable food, and no one knows where Misty is.”
Ye Lang chid in, his declaration as firm as an oak tree. “If you’re going to confront the top dog, I’m tagging along.”
Xue Rong Rong looked at him, her surprise evident in her raised eyebrow.
Ye Lang grabbed Xue Rong Rong’s task list and quickly scanned it. “You need to deliver als to the restaurant five tis, right? That ans Zhao Yang has to eat there at least five tis. No one knows if the food is safe. Zhao Yang is like a brother to ; I can’t let him face that alone.”
Taking in the determined looks of her companions, Xue Rong Rong nodded in agreent. “Alright, let’s stick together and go!”
Yu Xiao glanced around, a frown appearing on her forehead. “We’re a bit tight on space. The car is already full.”
“No problem,” Ye Lang dismissed with a wave of his hand. “What about the back of the refrigerated truck? I can hitch a ride in that.”
“Hmm…” Yu Xiao pondered, “We’ll figure out the transportation later. First, Xue Rong Rong, you need to tell Ye Lang where you’ve hidden those gold coins. Let him complete his mission, and then we can all leave together.”
With Xue Rong Rong’s help, Ye Lang quickly located one hundred of the one hundred and five gold coins she had hidden. Then, they headed to the frozen at factory together.
Upon opening the back door of the truck, Xue Rong Rong and Ye Lang were greeted by the sight of the nightgown ghost, the basketball-playing youth, and Gentle.
Even though they had encountered the refrigerator ghost and the nightgown ghost before, Ye Lang couldn’t hide his surprise. “You have more helpers now?”
Zhou Xiao Zhen placed a hand on Gentle’s shoulder and declared, “This one’s mine.”
Gentle’s affection tre was dangerously close to reaching full-blown adoration for Zhou Xiao Zhen, hitting a solid 75. With soft, gooey eyes, he looked at her and murmured, “Xiao Zhen, my heart, what can I do for you?”
Amidst the spectators, Zhou Xiao Zhen blushed and took a step back with a chuckle, saying, “Take it easy, tiger. I need so breathing room~”
Xue Rong Rong: “!!” Ye Lang: “??”
Yu Xiao glanced at the puzzled pair and said, “They’re chilling in the cooler.” After a pause, she added, “Want to join them?”
Silence.
“Looks like we’ll take two cars,” Xue Rong Rong declared, “We’ve got plenty of wheels to spare.”
So, Xue Rong Rong and Ye Lang took the lead in one truck, while Yu Xiao and Zhou Xiao Zhen followed in another, accompanied by a motley crew of ghosts and frozen at.
They arrived in a neighbourhood bustling with activity.
Neon signs winked from every storefront, creating a kaleidoscope of brands. The street was filled with eateries, movie theatres, and karaoke bars…
Xue Rong Rong pulled up under a towering office block, and the gang, plus their spectral tagalongs, piled out.
She jabbed a finger skyward, “The head honcho is on the top floor.”
The receptionist was on them like white on rice, “Please identify yourselves and state your purpose.”
Xue Rong Rong stepped forward and said, “The boss wants to see them.”
The receptionist gave the ponytail girl a quick once-over and waved her through. It wasn’t a lack of security; it was just that no one in their right mind would try to deceive the big cheese.
The elevator dinged, and the group – four living people and four not-so-living – piled in. Xue Rong Rong chewed her lip and said, “I have a bad feeling about this.”
“Tch, tch, tch,” Zhou Xiao Zhen clicked her tongue, “Don’t jinx it, will you?”
Ding~!
The doors slid open to a scene straight out of a zombie flick—office drones dragging their feet, their eyes glazed over.
Xue Rong Rong’s face matched her white-collar, “If I don’t beat the clock, I’ll end up being employed forever.”
Ye Lang gulped, “So, corporate purgatory?”
Click-clack, click-clack…
The staccato of stilettos announced their arrival. They stepped out, and Ms. Red Power Suit was on them like a hawk.
She eyed them with suspicion, then zeroed in on Xue Rong Rong, “Back so soon? Is your work done? And who might these be?”
Xue Rong Rong’s eyes darted to Yu Xiao, panic written all over her face, “What now?”
Yu Xiao looked at her ghostly squad. Gentle was off-limits, according to Precious. The basketball kid? Too green. The nightgown spook and the refrigerator phantom…
“You,” she nodded at the chilly ghost, “put her on ice.”
The refrigerator ghost didn’t hesitate, wrapping the secretary in a frosty embrace.
The red secretary’s shriek cut through the humdrum, “Pervert! We’ve got a creeper!”
Heads popped out from cubicles, tired eyes wide open, but no one moved. Yu Xiao glanced at Xue Rong Rong and said, “It’s ti to et the boss.”
“Follow ,” Xue Rong Rong beckoned. They walked towards a door that scread importance, with a plaque that read ‘Chairman’s Office’.
Yu Xiao, wanting to create a sense of ceremony, knocked on the door three tis. “Knock, knock, knock.”
“Co in,” ca the reply, a voice filled with years of experience and authority.
The door swung open, and they—two alive, three less so—stepped into the Chairman’s domain.
The office was a typical display of power: a desk that cost more than a car, a sofa that scread ‘I’m worth it’, bookshelves laden with heavy tos, and photographs showcasing the elite.
At the helm sat a middle-aged man, impeccably dressed with sharp wit. He looked over his spectacles with a frown reserved for subordinates. “Shouldn’t you all be out there, working?”
Xue Rong Rong stamred, “I-“
Yu Xiao interrupted, her voice calm and steady, “We’ve co to discuss the excessive workload you’ve placed on Xue Rong Rong. It’s impossible for her to complete it by the end of the day. We’re here to request a reassignnt of her duties.”
The Chairman, comfortably seated in his leather and wood throne, raised an eyebrow at Yu Xiao. “Overti was an option, but she declined. Everyone else is managing their workload, working tirelessly. She’s the only one dragging her feet, hoping for an easy way out.”
“Hmph,” Yu Xiao, internally scoffing at the idea of reasoning with a ghost, pulled a stack of talismans from her pocket, a sardonic twist on her lips. “Was hoping we could chat like civilised folks.”
With that said, she shook her hand and a fan-like spread of 【The Thunder Striking Ghost Repelling Talisman】 appeared. The big boss’s eyes flickered, his pupils contracting at the sight.
“Ti to talk terms?” Yu Xiao’s gaze bore into him, her resolve sharpened like a blade.
Behind her, Zhou Xiao Zhen struck a pose, her sneer as cold as the air in a crypt. “Hmph, hmph, hmph…”
**
The only one sensing sothing off, absent from the room yet omnipresent, was Zhao Lan. Her screen split into three fras, with everyone except Zhao Yang and Yang Xian in one section.
The feed wavered, with the big boss at its epicentre, reality bending and twisting. Oblivious, Yu Xiao and her crew remained blissfully unaware, prompting Zhao Lan’s frantic call.
“Sorry, the user you are trying to reach is not in the service area…”
Even Zhao Lan, usually unflappable, felt the urge to curse.
**
“Threatening ?” The big boss leaned back, his eyes locked on Yu Xiao.
She didn’t flinch. “Yes, I am.”
“It’s been a while since anyone dared.” The big boss rose, shadows pooling and light warping—a darkness that swallowed.
Yu Xiao felt her vision darken. Not because she was fainting, but because it was truly getting dark.
Ye Lang’s jaw dropped. “Damn it! A ghost with a domain!”
Yu Xiao’s mind reeled. She was utterly dumbfounded. A ghost with a domain? Seriously?!
The last ti she had faced off against a ghost with a domain, it had been the ex-Dean of Saint Elizabeth’s – quite the spooky encounter. Even with a pocketful of talismans, she didn’t have the courage to face it alone. Nope, she’d tiptoed around it, luring it out so that Dr. George could join the fight. Without that quick thinking, she’d be pushing up daisies by now.
Now, in the present, she found herself unexpectedly confronted with another ghostly domain showdown.
“Run!” Yu Xiao’s voice pierced the air.
They all took off, with three ghosts chasing closely behind, but the encroaching darkness was faster. Ye Lang’s hands gripped the doorknob tightly, panic evident in his voice, “It won’t budge!”
“No luck? Then give it the boot!” Zhou Xiao Zhen charged forward, her foot slamming into the door. Yet nothing. Nada.
Zhou Xiao Zhen was no longer an ordinary person, not after playing her strength cards. But even with her enhanced biceps, the door might as well have been a solid brick wall.
anwhile, the boss remained as calm as a cucumber, not moving an inch.
“Threatening …” The words slithered out from behind them, low and distorted. The boss motioned his hand toward Yu Xiao.
There was a gap of about four or five tres between them, and his hand was nowhere near her. But the mont he reached out, he grabbed Yu Xiao’s windpipe in a tight grip, like sothing you’d see in one of Darth Vader’s moves.
“Smiley!”
“!!” Yu Xiao swiftly placed talismans on the boss as if they were going out of fashion.
The wrath of the Thunder Strike Talisman descended, lightning zigzagging from the heavens. However, it was as if the boss was encased in his own protective bubble, the bolts fizzling out before they could even singe a single hair.
His grip was unyielding, and Yu Xiao’s neck? It felt as delicate as a twig on the verge of snapping.
**
In the midst of it all, Zhao Lan couldn’t look away from the screen. Her voice was a mix of hope and desperation as she declared, “I choose to help the ‘Deaf Descendant’!”
**
At that mont, ti seed to stand still for a split second. The nacing big boss paused, allowing Yu Xiao to slip from his icy grip. Yu Xiao held her neck tightly, her voice a ragged battle cry as she shouted, “Slap those talismans on!”
Zhou Xiao Zhen acted quickly, slapping three talismans onto the door like a high-stakes ga of Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Lightning crackled, the darkness wavered, and a glimr of hope appeared.
With a grunt, Ye Lang delivered a powerful Sparta kick to the door, causing it to surrender to his strength with a resounding boom.
The group of four, along with their ghostly companions, rushed out of the office, leaving a stunned group of employees in their wake.
**
With Yu Xiao no longer in imdiate danger, the screen presented another surprise.
【Question Six: Who was responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of the Wise Sage Hospital?】
Zhao Lan’s heart raced wildly, the close call with Yu Xiao leaving her nerves on edge. She tried to calm herself down. The current janitor used to be a delivery guy, but who was in charge before him? Nothing ca to mind. Could it be Qing Shi doing the dirty work?
Her thoughts were a jumbled ss, and she barely whispered, “Qing Shi?”
【Correct, now choose a friend to lend a hand.】
The screen switched back to Yu Xiao and the others, who were still alive and making their escape. Zhao Lan breathed a sigh of relief.
**
But even as Yu Xiao and her companions fled, the darkness was relentless. The sound of leather soles tapping in a sinister rhythm grew louder, and the big boss erged, as if crossing over from another realm.
They rushed towards the elevator, their hearts pounding like drumbeats in a chase scene. The elevator, their supposed safe haven, seed far away, idling on the ground floor below.
Workstations ford a labyrinth between them and Yu Xiao, yet it felt as if the boss’s influence extended across the entire room. Yu Xiao’s breath caught in her throat – literally – as the force tightened its grip once more.
— “I choose to help the ‘Deaf Descendant’!”
Like a glitch in the matrix, miraculously, she was released, causing her suspicions to soar. It was too convenient, too strange for the boss to let her slip away twice. Luck? She doubted it.
Zhou Xiao Zhen’s eyes shimred with unshed tears, her voice trembling, “What do we do now?” Yu Xiao had narrowly escaped death too many tis for comfort.
**
[Question Seven: What is Director Liao’s first na?]
Zhao Lan’s heart sank. She had no idea, absolutely none…
**
Ti was running out, and Yu Xiao wasn’t willing to leave things to chance. She pulled out an old copper coin from her pocket.
The boss reached out, the coin spun in the air, and for the third ti, Yu Xiao felt her throat being constricted.
“Daddy,” she stared intensely at the boss. “You wouldn’t actually harm , would you?”
Ye Lang, standing by the elevator, was utterly lost. “What?”
Xue Rong Rong felt like she might implode. Did she hear correctly? Daddy? Was that the secret password to cheat death?
Then, as if touched by warmth, the boss’s steely gaze softened, his grip loosened, and the shadows receded.
“My Daddy’s Girl,” he said, his hand that had been a noose now gently stroking her head. “You always know how to push Daddy’s buttons.”
Ye Lang’s mind was in chaos. “Did that just happen? What is going on?”
Xue Rong Rong stood rooted to the spot, one thought echoing in her mind: Did calling out ‘daddy’ actually… work?
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