Chapter 107: Gimme Fifty Cents!

Chapter 107: Gimme Fifty Cents!

Late at night.

Under the cold light streaming through the window.

The ground seemed to crack open, revealing a black hole. A tiny, black hand emerged from it, resembling a newborn's hand but gaunter. Its fingers were elongated, tapering to sharp points.

The black hole pulsated, shrinking momentarily, before expanding once more as a second hand cautiously reached out.

Then a third, a fourth...

A pale, slender man's hand slid off the bed, reaching for the black hole. The little hands that emerged from the abyss suddenly animated, attempting to grasp the living hand.

The hand settled beside one of the black ones, palm facing down. The black hand danced briefly, a malevolent aura of decay wafting around. As it tried grabbing the man's hand, the latter playfully gave it a high-five before retracting.

Chi Shen sat on the edge of the bed, observing the dancing black entities on the floor, and withdrew his hand.

"They're still so endearing," he mused, cradling his head with his other hand.

Ji Xing Chen refrained from commenting. He sat by the bed, engrossed in the pile of documents Chi Shen had brought. Being a ghost, he could read them in the dark. Huang Lingling, who had intended to sneak a peek, felt discomfort upon witnessing this scene, her expression towards Chi Shen complicated.

"This is the curse that once afflicted me," Chi Shen teased the little hands emerging from the floor with an outstretched hand, "I've tricked them into thinking they're still devouring me, but they're actually targeting another curse."

Huang Lingling disdainfully commented, "Deceiver! Disgusting! Even deceiving curses!"

Chi Shen chuckled, "If I hadn't fooled them, I would've perished. It's a necessary ruse."

With a wave of his hand, the black hole began to shrink until it disappeared completely.

Chi Shen seemed lost in thought, his expression turning serene as he lapsed into silence.

Ji Xing Chen cast a glance at Huang Lingling, spoke a few words to her, and then ushered her out of Chi Shen's bedroom.

The bedroom light was off, and Chi Shen sat bathed in the glow from the streetlights outside. After a moment of contemplation, he remarked, "Coercion, enticement... these are rather commonplace actions."

Ji Xing Chen set aside the documents, adjusted his glasses, and watched him silently.

"I've employed them numerous times," Chi Shen continued in a soft tone, "They were among the means that kept me alive."

With half-lidded eyes, Chi Shen reflected on his experiences in the deadly games. He'd threatened children with their beloved dolls, and then used the children as leverage against their mothers. Such tactics were the norm in that world, enabling him to survive.

But as a person, one must always evolve.

Chi Shen let out a brief chuckle and took out his phone to dial Wei Zhuo's number.

Despite Wei Zhuo mentioning other potential choices, Chi Shen decided to make this call.

The phone was quickly answered, Wei Zhuo's indifferent voice inquired, "Hello?"

Chi Shen responded, "I can rid your family of their curses, but not the one plaguing you."

There was a brief pause on the other end, followed by Wei Zhuo's emotionless voice, "Explain."

"Every curse needs a vessel," Chi Shen began, "You are the ideal candidate."

"If I bear all the curses, my family will be safe?" Wei Zhuo's voice sounded relaxed, as if this wasn't of great consequence.

Surprised by Wei Zhuo's composure, Chi Shen explained, "Yes, but the curse on you will intensify, hastening your end."

Over the phone, Chi Shen heard Wei Zhuo chuckle lightly, "That's alright."

A night breeze wafted in through the slightly ajar window, Wei Zhuo's voice softening, "As long as they live, it's worth it."

Outside the apartment complex where Chi Shen resided, a man walked at a leisurely pace.

Deep into the night, even though Tongfu Court was in the city center, its entrance was desolate. The security guard had dozed off, leaving only the streetlights shining in solitude.

Beneath the streetlights was a man of refined appearance. Dressed in a black trench coat, with immaculately combed hair and a graceful gait, he exuded elegance. Oddly, even at this late hour, he sported sunglasses.

As he approached the entrance, several stray cats suddenly darted from the roadside greenery, skirting around him before scampering away.

A taxi abruptly pulled up at the entrance of the residential complex. As the car door swung open, a heavily inebriated man staggered out, reeking of alcohol, and made his way unsteadily into the complex.

A man in a black trench coat paused, seemingly courteous, waiting for the drunken man to depart before continuing.

The drunken man, with alcohol-reddened eyes, grumbled under his breath. As he passed the man in the trench coat, he halted momentarily, turning to challenge him, "Why are you wearing sunglasses at night? Trying to show off?"

With that, the intoxicated man reached out to snatch the sunglasses off.

The man in the trench coat didn't move away. The drunken man, his hand wavering, took two attempts to touch the sunglasses. Upon glimpsing the eyes behind them, a chill shot through him. His drunkenness seemed to dissipate considerably. He hastily replaced the sunglasses, appearing somewhat flustered.

"Did I startle you?" The man in the trench coat readjusted his sunglasses, politely remarking, "My apologies."

"So, so cold," the drunken man exclaimed, shivering, and began to sprint further into the complex, muttering without turning back, "So cold! So cold!"

When he had made contact with the man in the trench coat, he thought he heard indistinct noises, possibly illusions from his inebriation, yet he wasn't convinced they were just illusions.

The whispers seemed to say, "Master, he disrespected you."

"Master, he requires a lesson."

As his hand had touched the sunglasses, it felt as though it had passed through age-old ice.

The drunken man glanced back once more. Surely, he must be drunk to see the trees around the man in the trench coat start to warp, twisting as if something were about to emerge from them.

Clutching his clothes tighter around him, the man hastened away.

So cold—

The sunglasses once again concealed the man in the trench coat's otherworldly eyes. He didn't proceed into the complex but stood at the entrance, looking up towards the buildings within.

"Building four, unit four, 13th floor, apartment 4-4," he murmured softly, "Such a delightful sequence of numbers."

His voice trailed off for a moment, as though listening intently, before he whispered, "He took away your brother and that beautiful bride. Before entering that old mansion, he was but an ordinary man, knowing nothing."

Faint whispers filled the air. Soon after, the man in the trench coat chuckled, "In such a short span, do you think he'll emerge from that place?"