Chapter 036: I Propose a Four-and-a-Half Day Workweek.

Chapter 036: I Propose a Four-and-a-Half Day Workweek.

The bathroom was filled with an icy mist; droplets hung on the walls, forming streams that trickled down, making even breathing feel cold and damp.

Chi Shen watched as Li Xu bobbed up and down in the bathtub, seemingly attempting to drown himself, yet every time he was about to succumb, a surge of survival instinct had him clawing his way back up, only to submerge once more.

Chi Shen surveyed the bathroom, rather ordinary, even a bit old-fashioned. The toiletries on the shelf were in pairs, indicating someone lived here with Li Xu.

"I wonder if the person living with the boss is human or ghost," Chi Shen pondered. "No wonder our boss is so talented, creating such classic horror games."

Ghost Face, trembling with anxiety, whispered, "He's the master of this dream realm. If we wake him up, we should be able to leave."

"We can't," Chi Shen responded, "Our mission here isn't done."

Ghost Face felt like he was about to split in two: "Mission? You can't still be thinking of persuading the boss not to make you work overtime! Wake up! With such a terrifying boss, you should be looking for an opportunity to resign, not asking for no overtime!"

Chi Shen disregarded him and approached the tub. He reached down, grabbing Li Xu by the collar, and yanked him out.

Given that Li Xu was fully clothed in the tub, Chi Shen deduced that he wasn't bathing but trying to drown himself.

As Li Xu's head emerged, his tightly shut eyes quivered, slowly opening. Suddenly, a force from within the tub tried to drag him back down.

At the bottom of the tub, strands of black hair floated like seaweed, entangling Li Xu's legs and creeping around his waist, pulling him gradually deeper into the water.

"It's a ghost!" Ghost Face shouted, "Let go! There's a ghost inside!"

Chi Shen did not let go. Instead, with his other hand, he grabbed the hair around Li Xu's legs, tearing it away. He then hoisted Li Xu from the tub and, in one swift motion, hurled him out of the bathroom window.

Leaving Ghost Face agape, Chi Shen nonchalantly peeled him off and tossed him out too, leaving behind a remark: "Ask him nicely for me if we can avoid working overtime in the future!"

"Ghost slayer—” came Ghost Face's shout from outside, followed by a terrified scream, “Ah! Help!"

As torrential rain poured, Ghost Face darted terrified between droplets. He noticed the raindrops landing on the falling Li Xu. Perhaps due to Li Xu being the master of this dream realm, the droplets remained just that—raindrops, without morphing into crying transparent faces.

Noticing this, Gui Lian mustered his strength and rushed over to catch Li Xu. He realized that touching Li Xu's tear-streaked face turned it to raindrops. Without hesitation, he spread out like a pancake to envelop Li Xu, gently swaying as they descended.

If the master of the dreamscape dies, they might escape, but there's also a chance they'd be trapped in this terrifying and eerie place. He couldn't bear to let Li Xu die so easily.

Below was a kindergarten. Gui Lian adjusted their direction and set Li Xu down at the entrance, shielding him from the rain.

A child's laughter echoed from the kindergarten, causing Gui Lian to instantly shrink back, hiding inside Li Xu's clothes.

Upstairs, Chi Shen was engaged in a staring contest with a female ghost.

The female ghost, emerging from the bathtub, initially sought Li Xu. But as she moved, she realized her hair was caught. She turned around, baring her teeth at Chi Shen.

Chi Shen calmly pinned the female ghost back into the bathtub, politely inquiring, "Were you living with the boss?"

The ghost extended her swollen, waterlogged hand to grip Chi Shen's wrist, trying to pull him down. She strained twice but found him immovable. Frustrated, she attempted to drag him under with her hair, yet failed to do so.

"Guess not," Chi Shen observed, staring into the ghost's face, "If you were, you would've chased after him, not tangled with me."

The female ghost seemed confused by his words. With no other option, Chi Shen chose his way to communicate with her.

He looked deeply at the female ghost.

This spirit wasn't particularly powerful; even her lingering attachments were faint. All she desired was to act on her own accord. Her memories appeared fragmented to Chi Shen.

The fear of drowning, the cold abyss, the malicious intent to drag others beneath the water...

Yet Chi Shen discerned something peculiar.

He saw the subdued ghost, the grand doors of the Bai family mansion. She was brought into the mansion. That memory was quite blurry, but in a fleeting moment, Chi Shen glimpsed a handsome man, bathed in sunlight, standing outside the mansion.

The profile of that face bore a striking resemblance to Ji Xing Chen.

Afterwards, the ghost herself was unsure of the events that transpired. She found herself beside Li Xu, entering his dream. Here, she could endlessly attempt to drown him, acting on her deepest desire. As Li Xu would always revive just before succumbing, she could repeat her actions.

A perfect cycle, so it seemed.

After witnessing everything, Chi Shen pushed the female ghost back beneath the water. Pity flashed in his eyes. The figure of the ghost soon dissipated into a black mist and vanished.

Unable to communicate and devoid of conscious thought, Chi Shen chose to end her tormented spirit's existence.

This was Chi Shen's redemption.

With the vanishing of the female ghost, the steam in the bathroom also dissipated. The water in the bathtub settled into a serene state, while the rain outside continued to pour heavily.

Chi Shen glanced at the rain outside, pausing to reflect. He believed that a normal person would take the elevator downstairs, rather than jumping from here. Hence, he opened the door to room 8-2 and headed towards the elevator. The damp handprints on the door faded, leaving the entire floor considerably drier.

The kindergarten below.

Li Xue awoke at the entrance of the kindergarten. As he opened his eyes, he found himself leaning against the door, with torrential rain pouring outside. A little girl stood beside him, cheerfully bidding someone farewell: "Goodbye! My daddy will pick me up soon!"

Li Xue followed the girl's gaze, but there was clearly no one there.

Ghostface also glanced at the girl. He remembered what Chi Shen had told him about persuading the boss, but with this little girl present, he didn't dare act.

After conversing with the air for a few moments, the girl finally turned her gaze towards Li Xue.

Ghostface promptly hid, trying his best to become inconspicuous, as if he didn't exist.

Though the situation was peculiar, Li Xue strangely felt no fear. When he saw the girl's face, he paused, "I've seen you before."

The girl tilted her head, looking at Li Xue, "Mister, are you waiting for someone to pick you up too?"

Her sudden question disrupted Li Xue's train of thought. He struggled to get up and shook his head, "No, I'm not sure why I'm here. Are you waiting for your family?"

"Daddy said he'd pick me up today!" she replied with a hint of sadness, "It's just that he often works overtime. I always end up waiting for a long time."

Li Xue smiled, "I'll wait with you."

The girl grinned, "It's okay! I can go home by myself. It's just that the rain is too heavy today. Once it lessens, I'll head home on my own. I'm a big girl now!"

Watching the mature young girl, Li Xue chuckled, "It's a pity I didn't bring an umbrella, or I could have escorted you home."

The girl quickly shook her head, "Daddy told me not to go anywhere with strangers!"

Li Xue laughed, "Your dad's right. Even if he works late, he's doing it for you. Don't resent him for it; he just wants to earn more to give you a better life."

"I know," the girl responded, her tone betraying her underlying sadness.

As the rain began to lighten and eventually ceased, the girl bid Li Xue farewell and skipped out of the kindergarten. Watching her spirited departure, Li Xue couldn't help but smile, thinking about how adorable and sensible children are—

Squeak—

Out of nowhere, a car came speeding. The little girl, who was just laughing under the sun, was suddenly struck and thrown into the air. Her legs were gruesomely crushed, and her pretty dress was soaked with blood.

The ghostly face on top of Li Xu trembled, its pupils quivering: "Why is there a car here?!"

Chi Shen, who had just descended the stairs to the entrance of the housing complex, was taken aback: "...?"

"So, there's more than just ghosts here?"

Without hesitation, Li Xu rushed over, cradling the little girl, urging, "Wake up!"

"Daddy..." The little girl reached out her hand to Chi Shen and then, in agony, closed her eyes.

Li Xu looked up, locking eyes with Chi Shen, who stared back intently.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them cracked open. Chi Shen felt as if he were spinning inside a washing machine before being thrown out. When he opened his eyes, he was back in the company's break room.

Glancing at the clock, Chi Shen realized that although he had traversed bridges and climbed buildings in Li Xu's dream, even defeating a female ghost, only a few seconds had passed in reality.

The hand that had been protruding from Li Xu's pocket was now gone. The beads on his wrist shone with a bright golden hue, and fragments of ghostly aura dissipated from his body. Both the little girl and a woman in a floral dress seemed pained but clung to Li Xu even more tightly, refusing to let go.

Chi Shen reached out, holding Li Xu's wrist. The luminosity of the beads gradually dimmed – not extinguishing completely, but allowing the little girl and the woman in the floral dress to stay close to Li Xu.

Li Xu came to his senses, clutching his head in confusion. With Chi Shen's help, he got up from the floor and asked bewilderedly, "What just happened?"

Without batting an eyelid, Chi Shen replied, "You suddenly fainted as you entered."

Recollection dawned on Li Xu. He ran his fingers through his hair, "Maybe I'm anemic. I heard some noise in the break room and thought something was wrong, but it seems all is well."

Chi Shen replied calmly, "Perhaps you heard wrong."

Li Xu nodded, a sudden realization hitting him. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a pale red bead that was now split in two. He sighed, "Seems like this charm saved me from misfortune."

Chi Shen took a closer look and inquired, "What is this?"

"Oh," began Li Xu, "I believe in these protective charms. Got it from a spiritual master some time ago. Didn't expect it to actually work."

A smirk appeared on Chi Shen's face, "Was this master's surname Bai?"

Li Xu, taken aback, exclaimed, "How did you know?"

"Just a wild guess," Chi Shen said.

Li Xu didn't dwell on the conversation with Chi Shen. After ensuring everything was okay in the break room, he returned to his office. As he entered, a weight of concern seemed to settle on him, as if recalling something troubling.

The ghostly face had also emerged, now resting on Chi Shen's shoulder. It lay there for a while, murmuring, "I'm out... finally out... that man is terrifying... I give up!"

Chi Shen turned, "Give up on what?"

The ghostly face promptly cowered, "Never mind! I chose to follow you; you're the real boss here!"

Chi Shen was pleased with that sentiment, thinking it was about time a ghost showed him some respect. Grinning, he said, "Good choice. From now on, stick with the boss."

Ji Xingchen, nearby, adjusted his glasses and pointed out, "You've been in the break room for too long."

Thus, Chi Shen returned to his office, looking for ways to while away the rest of the day.

With half an hour left to the end of the workday, Chi Shen felt that any idea he might have now would likely be forgotten by next week. So, he opted to continue his self-study.

After playing a classic horror game for a while, Chi Shen's hand rested on a cup of freshly poured hot water. Lifting his gaze, he saw the little girl seated on his desk.

Here, the little girl was missing her lower half, her clothes drenched in blood. She looked far more terrifying than the sweet and adorable appearance from the dream.

A chilling, eerie smile crept on her face as she said, "Big brother, did I do well?"

The ghostly face hiding in Chi Shen's clothes jumped out, realization dawning, "You brought the car! You were acting! You weren't killed by a car at all!"

The little girl continued smiling, her lifeless eyes gazing eerily at the ghostly face. In the dream, her smile was sweet, but in reality, it was terrifying.

"It's five o'clock; you can leave now," a voice suddenly interrupted the unsettling atmosphere. Li Xu scanned the office, his gaze settling on Chi Shen multiple times, seemingly wanting to ask something. Ultimately, he only said, "Head home early. Spend time with your family. Whatever's left can be done next week."

A question mark appeared over Ma Caijin's head as he cautiously inquired, "Aren't we working overtime tomorrow?"

His body, used to the 996 work schedule, was taken aback.

"We can write the proposal next week," Li Xu responded, "Even if we finish it now, it won't be produced immediately. No need to rush. We'll discuss after we hire more hands. You have a girlfriend, right? Spend more time with her; don't let her slip away."

"Oh, okay," Ma Caijin murmured, looking as if the sun had risen from the west, "So even a workaholic like me gets off work at five?"

Chi Shen had already shut down his computer and was standing up, phone in hand. He gave a light pat on the little girl's head, "You did well, but your acting needs work. No more stunts next time, Liu Lingling."

Liu Lingling, the daughter of Liu Huangqiang, the serial killer from the Harbour City murders.

The moment Chi Shen uttered the name "Liu Lingling," the little girl's aura turned sinister. Though she was already quite terrifying, the ghostly chill she now radiated made it feel like mid-winter, causing even Ghostface to shudder.

"Little ones shouldn't lie," Chi Shen said, gently patting her head. The ghostly chill dissipated upon contact with his hand. "Also, I'm not your father. Don't call people randomly."

Liu Lingling stared at Chi Shen with her eerie eyes. This time, without a smile, her face was emotionless. She quickly vanished from the spot, reappearing beside Li Xu, holding onto his shirt tail. With her neck twisted backward and her eyes fixed on Chi Shen, she followed Li Xu into the office.

Chi Shen smiled, feeling accomplished for guiding another young soul on the right path today. On top of that, he had successfully persuaded the boss not to work overtime. Indeed, a good day.

He had long realized that the overtime issue in Le Dao Culture stemmed from the company's work culture. Everyone assumed game companies required overtime. With Li Xu's generous salary package, even when there wasn't much work, everyone acted busy. Moreover, Li Xu was an overachiever, appreciating their diligence. So, it required Li Xu himself to change this mindset for everyone to leave work early.

This was why Chi Shen wanted Ghostface to talk to Li Xu. Despite some mishaps, the primary objective was achieved, and Chi Shen was pleased.

"Chi Shen, want to grab some food..." Ma Caijin turned around, only to find the newbie colleague already gone. He blinked, puzzled, "When did he leave?"

Two hours later, Chi Shen stood outside his ancestral house, having finished his dinner.

Winter was approaching, and daylight grew shorter. By the time Chi Shen reached the old house, night had fully set in. As he walked, he commented, "The commute is too long. I need to find a place closer soon."

Ji Xing Chen followed, breaking down the finances for him: "Renting in the city averages two thousand a month for a single room. With the first month's rent and three months' deposit, that's eight thousand in total. You'd need to work..."

Ghostface chimed in, "I can steal money for you! I've never tried, but I'm sure I'd be good at it!"

He had thought of escaping once but, having been caught and dragged back, now chose to stick with Chi Shen.

Ji Xing Chen gave Ghostface a cold look, "The normal approach would be to wait until you've saved enough money."

"I know," Chi Shen paused and chuckled, "I've grown fond of everyone here. Living here feels homely. I'd miss it if I left. Just that... there are too many disturbances living here."

Outside the old house, two figures crouched in the shadow of the trees, rubbing their hands together as they eyed the premises.