MS Chapter 18.2

Lu Qingjia noticed that it was getting late, briefly shared his speculations based on the current clues, and said, “Xiaoyu and the others have already agreed to join my team. Now, I want to shoot my own script based on the director’s setup.”

He looked at everyone: “Do you want to join?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Several people nodded eagerly. Setting aside everything else, just the fact that this guy had the guts to recruit female ghosts was enough to make them want to stand by him. With that, the threat of the female ghosts was basically eliminated; only a fool would refuse.

Moreover, after a few hours in the instance, while they were still feeling lost like headless flies, this guy had already pieced together the conspiracy quite well.

Such a player wouldn’t stay in a low-level instance for long, and the feeling of being carried by a big shot was rare.

Originally, they thought the instance was quite difficult, but after lying down and finding the progress encouraging, their nighttime pressure was significantly reduced.

After Lu Qingjia explained a few more things, they each returned to their rooms to rest.

The next morning, Director An, who had been drunk the night before, was already up.

After tidying up and finishing breakfast, he enthusiastically began to guide the work.

Everyone understood what this guy was up to, but they all followed Lu Qingjia’s instructions and temporarily cooperated with his arrangements.

As a result, Director An came in with a heavy-handed approach.

“You want me to go out and secretly take pictures under girls’ skirts?” The player playing the pervert was ready to fight him.

“Don’t be so disgusting; do you think everyone is a sleazy piece of trash?” The pervert player exploded in anger: “Get lost with your character immersion.”

“You want me to learn to stare lewdly at beautiful women on the street, secretly buy adult magazines and DVDs? I can tolerate that, but what the hell is this hard requirement?”

“Steal the bras drying from nearby residents and sneakily take pictures under skirts on the subway? Are you trying to make a movie or a crime documentary?”

“If I get caught, do you have the ability to bail me out?”

Director An quickly tried to calm him down: “What did I say yesterday? Some sacrifices are necessary for the sake of art. Don’t worry, I’ll follow you with the camera. If someone calls the police, we can say we’re doing a social survey to test how girls react to harassment.”

“Get lost, even if you say it’s a beautiful flower today, I’m not doing it.”

Seeing that he couldn’t reason with him, Director An was about to explode but was patted on the shoulder by Lu Qingjia: “He really needs time to adjust.”

“Why don’t we adjust the order first, move the gambler’s arrangement up, and push him to the end?” He assured, “I’ll continue to persuade him.”

Director An thought it made sense and accepted Lu Qingjia’s suggestion, calling over the player playing the gambler—

“Your task today is relatively simple; just get into character. You usually play cards, right?”

“I do, I like playing mahjong, Dou Di Zhu, and chess.” The gambler player said, “I even bought a mahjong table at home.”

Hearing this, Director An was even happier: “That’s perfect. What I need now is for you to fully immerse yourself in the state of gambling, forget about work and restraint, and just focus on playing cards.”

He even handed the gambler player two stacks of cash: “This is your budget; you’re not allowed to leave the card table today.”

The progress on the gambler’s side went smoothly, and Director An turned to the player playing the junkie thief: “Your situation is a bit more complicated; I’ll spend a whole day guiding you later.”

“Today, I’ll assign you a task. Go to a place nearby where the local thugs do business—bars, arcades, or underground mahjong halls are fine. Just blend in and make a couple of friends.”

To the player playing the sexual deviant, he said: “The feeling I want from your character is one of repression and restraint. You don’t need to act flamboyant; just look like an ordinary person. But today, go watch some special foreign films for research, preferably bloody and violent ones. I want the tension of a deviant disguised as an ordinary person, understand?”

Finally, he looked at Lu Qingjia: “I don’t need to say much to you, right? You’ve invested so much money; I trust you won’t be so pretentious.”

“Today, just gather cases of scams targeting the elderly, at least in paper form, and study them at home. If you have time, there are plenty of idle old men and women around here. See if you can score some small benefits.”

“That’s all for today’s work. The one with the worst progress tonight will have their treatment deducted.”

After Director An finished his instructions, the female lead with a snake-like waist said sweetly, “What about me?”

“You? Your scenes aren’t up yet; just entertain yourself.”

The female lead was more than happy for an easy task. After the meeting, she took out her phone to take pictures and show off on social media that she was starring in a movie.

Director An also took the camera and followed the gambler out. At this point, the apartment was mostly left with players.

The player playing the pervert spat: “What a behind-the-scenes joke; we’re shooting the main film now. Once he gets into character, we’ll all be close to death, right at the climax of his ‘movie.’”

Lu Qingjia smiled: “Don’t worry about his script. If we can cooperate with the script he arranged, let’s just go along with it for now.”

The pervert player said: “Boss, he wants me to take pictures under skirts?”

Lu Qingjia looked innocent: “Is taking pictures under skirts such a difficult task? Can’t you just shave your leg hair, wear a skirt, and take a picture? Isn’t that a temporary fix?”

The pervert player gasped: “I’m not going to wear a skirt to take pictures of my underwear; what would that make me?”

Ten minutes later, the pervert player stood shyly in a makeshift studio set up in the room of five beautiful ghost girls, awkwardly tugging at a skirt.

The five female ghosts guided him on angles: “Yes, yes, that angle is just right; it can cover the muscles on your legs. It’ll just look like a girl with thick legs.”

“Not to mention, his legs are quite long.”

“Too bad the rest is just average; he doesn’t have the looks to make a living in women’s clothing.”

“Still, Jia Jia has a good figure. Did you see that body proportion? Why didn’t he draw the pervert role?”

“If he were the pervert, he definitely wouldn’t provoke our resentment.”

“Why do I have to suffer secondary harm like this?” The pervert player complained to the group of female ghosts. God knows how many layers of psychological barriers he had to break through, from wearing women’s clothing to shaving his leg hair, then taking pictures under skirts, and finally facing a group of female ghosts to ensure he wouldn’t be scared into peeing himself.

The female ghosts waved their hands impatiently: “You should thank Jia Jia for this suggestion; this way of taking pictures under skirts is the only one that won’t anger us.”

“If you followed that director’s method, even if it wasn’t your intention, even if we agreed to stay rational for Jia Jia, we might not be able to control ourselves.”

They died because of men’s shameless lust, and the actions that triggered their hatred as vengeful spirits couldn’t just be ignored.

By the end of the day, the pervert player was thoroughly worn out and returned to his room to rest in the afternoon.

Lu Qingjia, however, followed Director An’s instructions, gathered some related case studies, newspapers, and books, and spent the afternoon chatting with the nearby elderly.

When he returned, he brought back bags filled with peanut candy, a few sausages, and a piece of cured meat.

However, Lu Qingjia wasn’t the type to take advantage of the elderly for the sake of completing tasks. Upon entering, he cleared their clogged drainage pipes and even bought them a new air conditioning filter to replace the old one.

This way, the unpleasant smell in the air-conditioned room was significantly reduced.

As Lu Qingjia returned with his things, he encountered a thin child in the stairwell on the third floor.

The child was quite skinny, but his eyes were large and round, staring at the cured meat in Lu Qingjia’s hand, drooling.

Lu Qingjia thought that with the price of pork rising these days, it wasn’t just people who were struggling; even ghosts were having a hard time. He wondered how long it had been since the child had eaten meat, seeing how it made him salivate.

Just as he was about to call the child over, a frail-looking woman appeared, apologetically pulling the child away.

The residents of the beautiful room sensed Lu Qingjia’s return and came out to greet him, just in time to see the mother and child leave.

They sighed: “That’s the gambler’s wife and child. It’s pitiful; all the money they earn goes to the gambler for gambling, and they can’t even see meat at home.”

“When we were alive, we often brought hamburgers, fried chicken, and takeout for that child, but his mother was too polite. Every time, she would come to us to give money, and we felt embarrassed.”

“Later, the gambler lost money and sold his wife and child off. A group of thugs came to harass them every day, trying to force his wife into selling herself, and the whole family ended up committing suicide.”

After saying this, one of them spat: “I admit, after we died, the luck of the residents in this building has gone downhill, but the gambler’s family can’t be blamed on us.”

“Having such a gambler, their family was doomed long ago.”

Lu Qingjia didn’t say anything but handed all the food in his hands to Xiaoyu: “Can you eat this?”

The female ghost replied: “Yes, if it’s specifically for us, we can.”

It was close to midnight when the director and the gambler player returned. The director was excited, holding his camera.

The gambler had a satisfied expression on his face; after all, while he wasn’t a real gambler in life, he enjoyed playing cards and had a great time throughout the day.

After the director checked the progress of the others and was quite satisfied, he finished his meal and went back to his room to rest.

The gambler player took a deck of playing cards from his pocket and handed it to Lu Qingjia: “Here, the ones you wanted.”

Lu Qingjia shook his head: “You keep them for now; I’ll come down to find you later.”

The gambler player didn’t understand but followed the arrangement and returned to his room.

The deck of cards was new and unopened. The gambler player tore off the plastic wrap and took out the cards.

As he waited for Lu Qingjia, he boredly shuffled the cards.

As he shuffled, he noticed something was off; the cards felt too smooth in his hands, flowing like water, as if he were a dealer with over thirty years of experience in Macau.

The gambler player felt a chill run down his spine and loosened his grip on the cards, and a magical scene unfolded.

The cards began to fly in the air, agile and orderly, as if controlled by an invisible hand.

The gambler player was so scared that he fell to the ground, desperately looking for other presences in the room.

Then he felt a tightness in his neck, as if something was being pulled out of his body.

Turning around, he saw Lu Qingjia holding something resembling a police baton, with a retractable noose at the end.

The noose was currently wrapped around a male ghost’s neck, and it seemed that was how the ghost was being pulled out of his body.

“Good evening, I’m here for the gambling invitation.”

The gambler player let out a sigh of relief, feeling some fear towards the ghost that could possess him, and nervously said: “Hey, I was just wondering what you wanted to play at night; you really anticipated it—Brother Lu, you’re indeed one step ahead.”

Lu Qingjia ignored the gambler player’s flattery and shook the male ghost in his hand: “Not with you, but with him.”

As he spoke, he loosened the soul-binding rope, and the male ghost gasped for breath, holding his neck, looking warily at Lu Qingjia.

Then he noticed the beautiful ghosts behind Lu Qingjia and immediately began to curse: “What? We’re in the same nest, and you’re siding with a living person? Didn’t you see what he’s holding? That could cost a ghost’s life.”

The five beautiful ghosts looked at him with disdain, not even bothering to talk to him.

Lu Qingjia pulled up a chair, sitting at one side of the desk, signaling the gambler to sit down on the other side.

“No need for small talk; let’s get straight to the point. I hope you’ll join my team.”

Seeing the disdain on the gambler ghost’s face, Lu Qingjia smiled: “Of course, I know you wouldn’t be willing to accept this just by my word. Promising you treatment and dreams doesn’t mean much.”

“So let’s do it your way; how about a gamble?”

Upon hearing this, the gambler ghost’s throat moved. At the same time, his wife and child—the mother and child Lu Qingjia had seen in the hallway—suddenly appeared, glaring at the gambler with resentment, as if they would tear him apart if he dared to nod.

The gambler hesitated, but Lu Qingjia bypassed him and addressed the mother and child behind him: “I have no intention of disrupting your peace.”

“However, rather than believing that a gambler can suddenly repent, it’s better to seek another way out.”

“Though the end of life is regrettable, looking at it from another angle, many limitations are gone. For example, even a child can now have the opportunity to be self-sufficient.”

“Join my crew; I guarantee to make your son a unique child star.”

The gambler’s wife and child had never thought it could be like this. They were stunned by Lu Qingjia’s grand promises, but ultimately, the fact that they hadn’t been able to cut ties with the gambler in life showed their lack of decisiveness.

Sure enough, the gambler was unhappy. He slammed the table: “Who do you think you’re trying to poach my wife and child in front of?”

Lu Qingjia smiled: “The one who sold off his wife and child still has the face to say that.”

As he leaned forward, he said: “Actually, you’ve long been unable to hold back, right? My friend brought back the smell of gambling from the mahjong hall, the scent of gambling tools, and the lingering excitement. If it weren’t for being trapped in this building, you would have probably flown to the gambling hall for a good time already.”

The gambler was left speechless, seeing that everyone in the room, both human and ghost, was looking at him.

He decided to go all out and sneered: “You want to gamble with me, huh? Just afraid you can’t afford it.”

“What do you have that you could lose to me?”

Lu Qingjia stretched out his arms: “Don’t I have a few chips? Ghost money offerings, weapons that can harm you, and even my life. There’s plenty that could interest you, right?”

This hit the gambler’s sweet spot, and he sneered: “Well, how embarrassing. Since you want to gamble so big, let’s bet your life.”

The five female ghosts panicked and scolded the gambler, but he spread his hands: “He wants to gamble himself; I didn’t force him to play. Why are you yelling at me?”

Lu Qingjia said: “Fine, if I win, just like before, you’ll give your wife and child to me.”

The gambler looked at Lu Qingjia with a fierce glare; every word struck at his pain points and obsessions.

“What are we playing?”

“It’s getting late; staying up late isn’t a good habit. Let’s play something simple; you set the rules,” Lu Qingjia said.

“Okay, let’s draw high or low. We’ll pick someone we both agree on to shuffle the cards. Each person draws one card, and whoever has the higher card wins. Aces count as 1, J, Q, K count as 11, 12, 13 respectively. Best of three, simple enough, right?”

Lu Qingjia nodded: “You choose the shuffler.”

The gambler generously pointed to the short-haired female ghost Xiaoyu behind Lu Qingjia: “She’s one of your group; you can’t say I’m taking advantage of you, right?”

Xiaoyu shuffled the cards a few times and then laid them out in a row on the table. The gambler raised his chin: “You go first.”

Lu Qingjia didn’t hold back, thought for a moment, and casually drew a card to place in front of him, not in a hurry to reveal it, signaling the gambler to draw.

The gambler scoffed, as if victory was in his grasp, and without hesitation, drew a card, flipping it over and slapping it on the table.

It was the highest card, a King.

He laughed triumphantly: “You think you can win against me? When I was alive, I had no skills, but now that I’m dead, I have an extraordinary memory. As long as it’s a gambling tool, no matter how shuffled, I can remember where every card is.”

“I’ve already memorized the positions of several Kings. No matter how lucky you are, at most, you’ll tie with me. As long as we continue, you’ll still lose—oh, wait, you’ve already lost a round because I know exactly which card you drew.”

Everyone in the room, both human and ghost, gasped, looking worriedly at Lu Qingjia. Several female ghosts wanted to flip the table and quit.

But Lu Qingjia remained calm, smiling as he revealed his card, which was a Six of Clubs, indeed much smaller than the gambler’s.

However, the gambler’s expression changed. He instinctively exclaimed: “How is that possible? You just had—”

He realized something was off halfway through and shut his mouth.

“Oh? What did you just have?” Lu Qingjia smiled at him: “According to your logic, you should have known my card by now. Just as you said, it’s indeed smaller than yours. What are you surprised about?”

The gambler forced a smile: “Heh, nothing, I might have misremembered a few cards.”

He then tried to cover up: “You, you’re just lucky. If the order of the cards differs from my memory, you still have a chance to win.”

Lu Qingjia nodded: “I think so too. Now, let’s start the second round. This time, you go first.”

At this point, the gambler no longer had the initial confidence, but he still felt assured. After all, as long as he had the largest few cards, the opponent wouldn’t be able to turn the tide.

He drew a card and placed it face down in front of him, signaling Lu Qingjia to draw.

This time, he kept a close eye on the young man’s actions and which card he drew. When Lu Qingjia drew a card and placed it in front of him, he confirmed it with a glance before letting out a sigh of relief.

“Let’s reveal our cards?” he said.

Lu Qingjia replied: “On three!”

Both of them flipped their cards simultaneously. The gambler’s face showed a triumphant smile as he said, “Best of three, you’ve already lost—” but before he could finish, his expression changed drastically, as if he had seen a ghost.

Even though he himself was a vengeful spirit.

Because he saw that the card revealed on Lu Qingjia’s side was a Spade King, while on his side was a Heart Two.

In the split second before revealing the cards, he had always been certain that their cards were actually reversed.

He had drawn the Spade King, and Lu Qingjia should have had the Heart Two.

Lu Qingjia smiled slightly: “It seems your so-called card memory hasn’t been practiced enough. You’re lucky; now it’s one win and one loss. The final round will determine the winner.”

The gambler slammed his hands on the table: “Impossible! You, you clearly had— you switched cards.”

“Where’s the evidence?” Lu Qingjia’s smile vanished: “Although I don’t know much about gambling, I do know that in a casino, accusing someone of cheating requires solid proof. Otherwise, the one making baseless accusations will be the one to lose a finger.”

“After all, this is a serious matter.”

The gambler was sweating profusely; how could he know how the young man had cheated? He hadn’t even seen the other’s movements clearly.

But the card switch could only be due to a few reasons.

He gritted his teeth: “You, you took advantage of my distraction to switch.”

Lu Qingjia chuckled: “So you’re saying you have no evidence?”

“Did I ever momentarily divert your attention? Your eyes were glued to the cards the whole time. To switch cards under such circumstances without leaving a trace, wouldn’t that require speed faster than a bullet?”

“I’m just an ordinary person; my abilities don’t exceed human limits. If you insist on this, then you’re just being unreasonable.”

The five female ghosts chimed in: “Exactly! With so many eyes in the room, your wife and child are watching too. What are you trying to pull?”

“Besides, isn’t there a rule in gambling that if cheating isn’t caught, it doesn’t count as cheating?”

The gambler couldn’t argue back. At this point, his face had lost its initial composure, and beads of sweat were rolling down.

Then he heard the young man say: “It’s the last round; you draw first.”