Chapter 45#
Those Who Listen to Stories (Part 12)#
“…” Xia Wenshi exited the app and confirmed again that he had clicked on “Boss Recruitment” instead of “Recruiting Boss”.
Is this person really here to interview for an NPC and not for the boss position?
However, Xia Wenshi was very timid, afraid that this big shot who could accurately report his identity information and home address had a significant background and would retaliate against him. After sending a handshake emoji, he forced a smile and said: “Okay, I’ll wait for you at the store tomorrow.”
Ending the conversation, Xia Wenshi sent a message in the work group with a heavy heart.
[Xia Wenshi: I found the NPC to play the gravekeeper in the Ghost Bride scene. But our new employee has a somewhat unique personality.]
[Huang Qiqi: Huh? Unique personality? How unique?]
[Xia Wenshi: He has a lot of character.]
[Huang Qiqi: ???]
Could anyone have more character than Little Ye?
Ye Sheng had no interest in the new employee at all. He directly told Xia Wenshi about Luohu Mansion in the group.
[Ye Sheng: Senior, can I join you for your live broadcast event at the end of the month?]
[Xia Wenshi: Huh???]
Xia Wenshi sat up from the bed with a carp kip, rubbing his eyes vigorously, afraid that he had misread a single word. After all, after half a month of contact, Ye Sheng was already an immortal in his heart who had no worldly desires and did not eat the food of common mortals.
What is this now?
An immortal descending to earth?
[Xia Wenshi: Junior, don’t you hate these messy things the most?]
[Ye Sheng: I’m bored and want to find some fun. I’ll go help you hold the camera.]
Xia Wenshi: “…”
Refusing to appear on camera with such a handsome face and only wanting to be a worker, Junior, you are really wasting natural resources!
[Xia Wenshi: Alright. Actually, quite a few people are participating in this event. I heard the organizer also invited many internet celebrities. ‘Luohu Mystery’ is a joint venture between Luohu developers and Xingyun Live, aiming to create a big gimmick, smashing the pot and fighting poison with poison, to let everyone see that the haunted house is not that scary.]
[Ye Sheng: Mm.]
Ye Sheng didn’t pay much attention to those sensational rumors about the haunted house.
He had Duan Shi’s diary in his hand, so going there was basically like cheating.
The next morning, before the new employee, the haunted house welcomed a special guest, that master friend of Xia Wenshi.
When Ye Sheng walked in, the master was sitting on a chair, hitting it off with Li Guangyun who had run over early in the morning.
Li Guangyun hadn’t had an accident for two days but was still uneasy. Pointing to his forehead, he asked devoutly with tears in his eyes: “Master, look at my forehead, is it dark? Do I have an ominous look? Am I still being haunted by the female ghost?”
The master was wearing a tattered blue tunic suit, looking about thirty years old, with a long beard and sunglasses. He pinched his fingers calmly and finally sighed: “Young man, your fate is bad, bad, bad!”
Li Guangyun was shocked: “Ah? Master, save me quickly.”
The master looked troubled: “The female ghost you provoked has a heavy evil spirit. It is very difficult to eradicate it.”
Li Guangyun cried: “Then what should I do?”
The master said: “How about this? My ancestors have a peach wood sword specifically used to deal with female ghosts. I calculated with my fingers that this female ghost has heavy dampness and fierce killing intent. But if you put the peach wood sword stained with black dog blood by the window, I guarantee she will turn pale with fright and never return, never daring to entangle you again.”
Li Guangyun’s eyes lit up: “Good, good, good!”
The master said: “Alas, I usually don’t take out this peach wood sword. I only came up with this plan because you are Little Xia’s friend. After selling this wooden sword to you, I’m afraid I won’t be able to face my sect in the underworld, alas.”
Li Guangyun said eagerly: “Master, no, saving a life is better than building a seven-level pagoda. Your master will definitely forgive you. How much is it? Just for your lofty demeanor, I will buy it even if I go bankrupt!”
The master smiled and slowly held up an index finger.
Li Guangyun: “Ten thousand?!”
The master shook his head and sighed: “Young man, you are insulting my entire sect. One price, one hundred thousand.”
Li Guangyun: “…”
Ye Sheng who just came in: “…”
Li Guangyun only pondered for a while and nodded readily: “Okay! Master, let’s add contact information, I’ll go back and raise money right away!”
The master beamed with joy, took out his phone, and opened the QR code.
Ye Sheng: “…”
Damn, am I the only one in the world who thinks money is hard to earn?
Ye Sheng suppressed his depression, withdrew his gaze, walked quickly into the haunted house to the front desk, took out gloves, and started cleaning. Huang Qiqi leaned aside eating breakfast, slurping noodles while watching the show. After Li Guangyun rushed out the door happily, she just finished her breakfast, widened her eyes and muttered: “Wow, it seems the boss’s master friend has something.”
Has a fart.
Ye Sheng was too lazy to expose this scammer.
However, the scammer took a fancy to him at a glance.
“Hey, that handsome young man over there, this old man sees fate in you. Do you want to come over and chat with this old man?”
Looking at him, Ye Sheng couldn’t help but think of the old man he met when he was a child. The old man could take out a pile of things belonging to the anomaly world, but he didn’t have any “charlatan” aura on him. With shifty eyes and cunning looks, he was full of the treacherous selfishness and smell of money of a merchant everywhere.
Completely different from the charlatan in front of him who wore a tunic suit, grew a beard, wore sunglasses, and was just short of holding a “fortune telling” banner.
But which one was real and which one was fake was clear at a glance.
Ye Sheng didn’t want to pay attention to him.
At this time, Xia Wenshi rode his small electric scooter happily to work. Pushing open the door, he heard this sentence and immediately chuckled: “Oh, Little Ye, go chat with him, just treat it as a free fortune telling.”
Ye Sheng was already wiping the lucky cat.
The young man was thin and upright, standing aside, and said lightly without looking back: “I can chat standing here too.”
The master had been swindling in the world for many years. Seeing Ye Sheng, he knew he was a tough nut to crack. He chuckled and said: “Young man, some words are inconvenient for me to say loudly. Anyway, this old man knows at a glance that you have gotten into big trouble recently.”
Ye Sheng’s hand wiping the lucky cat paused, and his almond eyes looked over sharply.
He had indeed gotten into big trouble.
Wanted by the entire anomaly empire.
—Could this master really have some skills?
Ye Sheng said: “What do you want to tell me?”
The master thought to himself, I really don’t believe this old man can’t take you down.
He took off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of squinting eyes, and said with a heavy tone: “I know you don’t believe me now, but let me tell you some things. You will know that this world is far more complex than you think.”
Ye Sheng raised his eyebrows, put down the rag, walked over slowly, and sat down next to the charlatan.
Huang Qiqi bit the soy milk straw, wanting to listen to their conversation with great interest, but was pulled back to her original seat by Xia Wenshi grabbing her ponytail.
“Qiqi, other people’s fate is not for us to listen to. Show some respect to the master.”
Xia Wenshi said: “I met this master once when exploring an ancient tomb. He is really powerful and knows many things we don’t know—Qiqi, do you believe there are superpowers in the world?”
Huang Qiqi widened her eyes: “Superpowers?”
“Yes.” Xia Wenshi’s eyes were full of admiration: “The master said that ghosts and monsters do exist in this world, and there are also people who deal with ghosts and monsters. They all possess superpowers to call the wind and summon the rain. In the unknown world, there is also a specialized organization secretly handling everything.”
Huang Qiqi was dumbfounded: “Damn damn damn, real or fake?”
Xia Wenshi said deeply: “Anyway, I believe it.”
Huang Qiqi: “Then does the master have superpowers?”
Xia Wenshi said: “The master said his superpower is fortune telling.”
As soon as Ye Sheng sat down, he heard the old charlatan ask him in a tone of “do you believe in light”: “Do you believe in superpowers?”
Ye Sheng: “…”
Ye Sheng nodded cautiously.
The old charlatan was happy and said: “It’s good that you believe—then do you know that there are quite a few people with superpowers in this world?” The old charlatan deliberately lowered his voice to create a mysterious atmosphere: “This old man has traveled north and south for so many years and met quite a few ability users. Some can manipulate wind, some can manipulate corpses, some can draw talismans, and some can dance with swords. They spend their whole lives fighting against demons and ghosts, helping rich people, oh no, helping people in need to obtain safety.”
“Ability users are basically lone rangers, occasionally forming unions. But above these ability users, there is a world-class mysterious organization. All ability users want to enter it, but the organization’s selection conditions are very strict. I heard they also judge ability levels, and those below C-rank are all passed.”
“…” Ye Sheng watched the old charlatan tell these things with a proud face and really felt he was wasting time. No need to call it a mysterious organization; he could directly tell the charlatan that the organization was called the “Non-Natural Case Investigation and Handling Bureau”.
The old charlatan said seriously: “Young man, this world is far more dangerous than we ordinary people imagine. Although this old man doesn’t have the ability to call the wind and summon the rain, my eyes have been struck by heavenly lightning and can peek into a glimmer of heavenly secrets. This old man can see at a glance that you are recently entangled by evil spirits. Do you often sleep poorly, often wake up in the middle of the night, and often shed tears for no reason?”
Ye Sheng looked at him with considerable surprise.
—Wow, impressive, what he said made absolutely no sense, not a single one was correct.
The old charlatan didn’t know how many people he had fooled with this secret news. Seeing Ye Sheng’s surprised expression now, he thought he was also deceived, showed a smile, and immediately followed up: “I have an ancestral jade pendant here, passed down from my grandmaster for three generations to me. It can protect you from evil spirits getting close for the next year. For the sake of you being Little Xia’s friend, I’ll charge you fifty thousand yuan, how about it.”
“Fifty thousand yuan?” As a poor person, Ye Sheng said expressionlessly: “Master, you’d better let the evil spirits possess me directly.”
The old charlatan: “…”
His experience told him that Ye Sheng was definitely not poor—could someone looking like this be poor?
The old charlatan didn’t give up: “Kid, don’t disbelieve, this is a matter of life and death.”
Ye Sheng twitched the corner of his mouth, cutting off the old charlatan’s retreat, and said lightly: “Indeed, it is a matter of life and death. Master, if I give you fifty thousand yuan, my life will be gone too.”
The master: “…”
Ye Sheng wasted a few minutes listening to the charlatan brag. After returning to the front desk, he picked up the rag again and started wiping the small flower pot.
Seeing them end the conversation, Xia Wenshi stepped forward quickly and said: “Master Huang, you finally came. I was waiting for you to get rid of the bad luck in my haunted house.”
The old charlatan was depressed because he didn’t get fifty thousand yuan from Ye Sheng, but Xia Wenshi, the sucker, came to the door again. He showed a smile again: “Hahaha, Little Xia, long time no see. I heard you were entangled by a female ghost, so I directly turned down several old clients and flew to Huaicheng non-stop.”
Xia Wenshi’s eyes filled with tears: “My dear brother.”
While the two were holding hands and looking at each other with tears in their eyes, the doorbell of the haunted house rang, and an arrogant young man appeared outside the glass door.
Huang Qiqi immediately stood up straight: “Welcome.”
“Heh.”
The young man outside the door tilted his mouth and showed a contemptuous smile.
This voice was really too familiar. Ye Sheng looked up while wiping the bottom of the flower pot and saw a head of red hair flying in the wind under the scorching sun.
Luo Xingyan was wearing a simple white T-shirt and black cargo pants, standing at the door.
The iron chain became smaller and was wrapped around his chest three times, like a chuunibyou decoration.
He originally had wheat-colored skin, with red hair and a pair of feline eyes, a typical non-mainstream idiot look.
Actually, if Luo Xingyan had a cooler expression with this outfit, he could be quite intimidating.
But he was irritable and arrogant, looking down on everyone. His crooked smile really looked like a street punk.
Xia Wenshi and Huang Qiqi were also frightened by this street punk.
“H-hello?” Huang Qiqi spoke cautiously.
Luo Xingyan’s gaze only stared at Ye Sheng. The Crown Princess looked at him like looking at an idiot as always, but he was used to being bullied in front of this pair of dog men and it didn’t affect his mood at all.
After leaving the Qin family last time, he quickly thought of a countermeasure. He wanted to find a new way to get close to Ye Sheng and must investigate this pair of dog men clearly for the General Bureau!
“Where is the boss? I’m here for an interview!”
Luo Xingyan showed a gloomy smile to the Crown Princess, then spoke carelessly.
Xia Wenshi: “…”
Huang Qiqi: “…”
Although this young man really looked like a street punk, looking at the muscles on his arms and the arrogance of not worrying about being beaten at all, he was probably a street punk they couldn’t afford to provoke.
Xia Wenshi ended his reminiscence with Master Huang, decided to find a reason to refuse later, and stood up with an awkward smile: “Oh oh, you are Little Luo here for the interview. Come come come, Little Luo, come in with me.”
Until he went in, Huang Qiqi said blankly: “This handsome guy looks quite good, why do I feel his brain is a bit abnormal.”
Ye Sheng glanced at the old charlatan sitting in the seat drinking the beverage served by Xia Wenshi himself, and then glanced at the direction where Luo Xingyan disappeared.
Thinking slowly, it’s quite interesting.
The old charlatan had been swindling in the world with “ability user matters” for many years. He probably didn’t expect to run into the S-rank executor ranked eleventh in the world in this haunted house.
Huang Qiqi was still struggling: “Is this our new colleague in the future? Uh, really has character.”
“Mm.”
After putting down the flower pot, Ye Sheng went into the Spirit Doll scene and grabbed Alice who was playing happily. Luo Xingyan was an S-rank executor and would definitely discover it.
Ye Sheng lowered his eyes and said coldly: “Starting today, if you dare to call my name wrong again, I will dismantle you, understand?”
Alice said weakly and aggrievedly: “Okay.”
Ye Sheng wasn’t afraid of what Luo Xingyan would do to Alice. Luo Xingyan’s purpose here was to monitor him.
In the room, Xia Wenshi originally planned to reject this applicant, but helplessly, this redhead performed too well.
The gravekeeper in the Ghost Bride instance needed to carry the coffin and the sedan chair, which required a lot of strength. As a result, hearing this, the redhead broke the fountain pen in his hand directly in front of him.
Xia Wenshi: “…”
Xia Wenshi: “…………”
Luo Xingyan got the work badge, put it around his neck immediately, and went to show off to Ye Sheng excitedly.
At the front desk, Huang Qiqi had been fooled by the old charlatan, and there were only the two of them here.
Luo Xingyan smiled fake: “Crown Princess, we will be colleagues from now on, please take care of me.”
Ye Sheng was already immune to the term Crown Princess. He stared at Luo Xingyan for a while and said: “Oh, hope you won’t regret it.”
Luo Xingyan curled his lips in disdain.
Thinking to himself, is there anything in this world besides you pair of dog men that can make me suffer?
After discussing with the old charlatan for a long time, Xia Wenshi finally decided to spend a huge sum of money to perform a ritual for his store to drive away bad luck. He busied himself, following the master to take down several things from the car.
Demon-revealing mirror, peach wood sword, cross, a stereo, and a large bowl of dog blood.
Because of his great strength, Luo Xingyan became the person carrying the stereo. Although his attention was on Ye Sheng, he was also a little annoyed by these broken things.
“What is this doing?”
To create a good haunted house environment, Huang Qiqi took the initiative to show kindness to the new colleague and said briskly.
“We encountered a female ghost recently. The master is performing a ritual to dispel the evil spirit for us now.”
Luo Xingyan: “???”
Luo Xingyan: “What???”
Huang Qiqi had just been brainwashed by the master and said seriously: “Little Luo, do you believe there are superpowers in the world?”
Luo Xingyan: “…”
Luo Xingyan looked at her suspiciously: “Believe.”
Huang Qiqi said meaningfully: “The master’s superpower is fortune telling. He saw at a glance that we were entangled by ghosts and worried that the ghost would come to the door, so he specially performed a ritual in front of our door. With the master’s ritual, this ghost will definitely never dare to come to the door again.”
Luo Xingyan was speechless.
Ghosts in the Non-Natural Bureau were either F or D rank. They were entangled by ghosts, why didn’t he see it???
Afraid of showing a wrong expression, Luo Xingyan ran to the water dispenser and poured himself a glass of water to drink.
At this time, the stereo in the haunted house was plugged in and played the Great Compassion Mantra.
Then he saw his boss and his colleague running forward excitedly to help the blind man with sunglasses.
The three of them splashed dog blood in front of the door. Then one held the demon-revealing mirror, and one held the cross. Leaving a big stage for the blind man.
“…”
Luo Xingyan had just returned from Jerusalem and really gained knowledge.
What the fuck is this ghost exorcism ceremony combining Chinese and Western elements and three religions?
Playing the Buddhist Great Compassion Mantra, holding the Christian cross, and wielding the Taoist peach wood sword.
And the master’s sword dancing movements were lively, like dancing square dance.
Holding the peach wood sword in his hand, turning around, pointing to the door, shouting: “Evil spirits retreat!”
Then turned around again, shouting again: “Evil spirits retreat!”
Finally, throwing up the peach wood sword with his right hand and catching it with his left hand, squatting in a horse stance, sinking his qi to the dantian, and singing at the top of his voice: “Evil spirits re~~~~~~treat!!”
Xia Wenshi and Huang Qiqi jeered oh oh oh.
“…”
“…………”
Luo Xingyan.
Luo Xingyan sprayed a mouthful of water directly, his eyes about to go blind.
Ye Sheng was assembling props in the back, assembling the phoenix crown needed for the “Ghost Bride”. Looking at the scene in front of him, he felt it was quite magical realism.
After the master finished the ritual jumping up and down, he took the 30,000 yuan labor fee with tears in his eyes.
Xia Wenshi greeted Luo Xingyan, who was standing at the water dispenser, to come over and pour water for the master.
Luo Xingyan came over with a stinky face to hand over the water.
The master rolled his eyes, not letting go of any potential business opportunity, suddenly leaned over and said: “Handsome guy, I see your complexion is weak. Have you been feeling a little uncomfortable recently?”
Luo Xingyan smiled fake: “Mm, I did feel a little uncomfortable just now.”
The master: “Where?”
Luo Xingyan: “Eyes.”