MS Chapter 22

As soon as Lu Qingjia appeared, the player who had nearly lost his life let out a sigh of relief.

In just a few short days, they had developed a sense that Lu Qingjia was quite skilled with ghosts, and encountering him felt like an effortless victory.

Sure enough, the female ghost, covered in gruesome wounds and exuding a strong sense of resentment, froze upon hearing his words.

Lu Qingjia leisurely walked in and even closed the door behind him.

He smiled and said, “What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you’ve been in this line of work for so many years and have never encountered this kind of business.”

The female ghost gasped, glancing at the player who was nearly scared to death. Her eyes clearly expressed her doubts—

Had the world changed so much in less than two years since her death? Were ticket buyers now so stimulated that they were engaging in group activities with ghosts?

The player, terrified, was unwilling to take the blame and quickly denied, “What do you mean? Don’t think too much; the vast majority are still ordinary people with conservative interests.”

“Not everyone is like our Brother Lu, a real man who balances entertainment and health, maintains a good routine, and is a time management expert. Not everyone has the luxury to indulge in thrills.”

As he spoke, the player timidly shrank back, creating distance from the female ghost and getting off the bed.

He awkwardly said, “Hey, since Brother Lu wants to play, I’ll do the same another day. Don’t be polite; I’ll let you have the room, and I’ll go find them and make do for the night.”

Just as he was about to reach for the door, Lu Qingjia patted him on the shoulder and stopped him, smiling, “Don’t misunderstand; I have no intention of taking over someone else’s room. If I were to do that, what kind of person would I be?”

“Rest assured, I’m not here to disturb you; I’m here to join you.”

The sexually deviant player was nearly in tears. Just because you have a heavy taste and can handle anything doesn’t mean everyone is like you!

Although the players respected Lu Qingjia’s skills and intelligence, and the feeling of being carried by a big shot was indeed exhilarating, as men, they couldn’t help but tease him a little.

With someone as popular as Lu Qingjia, the women who had already emerged in the apartment, whether they were living women or female ghosts, were utterly devoted to him, obeying his every command. It was one thing for the young female students, but even other people’s wives were included.

Especially with several female ghosts having such tragic deaths, if they didn’t manage to conceal themselves well, the players would be startled.

But Lu Qingjia was never fazed; instead, he encouraged them to exist in the way that made them most comfortable, saying that their beauty shouldn’t be constrained by men’s narrow aesthetics.

To be honest, aside from guessing how many people Lu Qingjia had been with in real life, the other male players were somewhat suspicious that this guy might have a necrophilia fetish; otherwise, how could he genuinely appreciate them?

At this moment, taking advantage of everyone being thoroughly drunk, their suspicions were finally confirmed.

Poor him; could it be that he would really be caught up in this heavy-tasting group activity?

Pushed back onto the bed, Lu Qingjia slowly took off his coat.

It must be said that being good-looking makes everything more pleasing to the eye. If the female ghost were still alive, encountering such a customer would truly be worth paying for.

Perhaps Lu Qingjia’s statements were too shocking; the rhythm was completely in his hands. The female ghost, who had come with the intent to claim a life, now sat dumbfounded at the head of the bed, seemingly unsure of her surroundings.

Lu Qingjia tossed his coat aside, his white shirt casually unbuttoned, exuding a sense of restraint.

He didn’t know when he had acquired a roll of cash, and with his long fingers, he offered it in a gesture reminiscent of handing over a cigar—

“This is your payment, I’m giving it to you first. Don’t let me down with your performance next.”

Both the player and the female ghost were stunned to see him getting serious.

Lu Qingjia then moved a stool to sit at the head of the bed and said to both of them, “Let’s begin!”

“What? What—?” The player’s scalp felt like it was about to explode. “Bro, there are moral lines to crossing when it comes to scamming.”

“So your interest is merely in watching? Not only do you not save your bro, but you also pay to make it more intense?”

The sexually deviant player was nearly on his knees before Lu Qingjia: “I’m just a kid under forty, I’m still young, I’m very innocent, I don’t understand anything, I really can’t comprehend your adult world, please spare me, bro.”

Seeing the player’s foolish expression, the female ghost, for some reason, felt her resentment diminish significantly, thinking that this idiot had overestimated himself.

Lu Qingjia said, “Don’t be so nervous; I’m just interested in Sister Xia’s physical limits of distortion. I want to see what she can specifically achieve.”

“Don’t put on such airs; Sister Xia is a charming mature woman, different from the likes of Xiaoyu and the others. As a man, your attitude towards women shouldn’t change based on their appearance. Besides, with your qualities, it’s Sister Xia who is compromising herself, which is why I’m giving her money, not you.”

So I should thank you, huh?

Before he could complain, Lu Qingjia continued, “You’re just a target demonstration; you can think of yourself as a target. As long as your mental fortitude is strong enough, you can just lie down and sleep. I guarantee your safety.”

“How the hell can I sleep?” The player was on the verge of a breakdown. “You try sleeping with a blood-soaked female ghost?”

Lu Qingjia replied, “Do you think you look better than Sister Xia, who is covered in blood? When women sleep with you, it’s also out of necessity, forcing themselves to do so.”

“If they can do it, why can’t you?”

The player felt darkness before his eyes, his brain buzzing.

He saw Lu Qingjia turn to the female ghost, and that was another face entirely.

With an elegant and gentle smile, he spoke softly, “Thank you for your hard work, please go ahead!”

The female ghost was caught off guard, her face flushed as she was about to comply, but when she looked down at her bloody body, the deep wounds, and her nearly falling-off limbs, she suddenly came to her senses.

She let out a cold laugh and hoarsely said, “Do you think money still means anything to us?”

She could sense that the cash Lu Qingjia had given her was not ordinary; ghosts have a special sensitivity to things of value to them.

But what use was that? Right now, they couldn’t even step out of this broken apartment.

Lu Qingjia spoke gently, “Of course it does. Your current situation is only temporary. Do you think a homebody who hasn’t stepped out in two years wouldn’t find savings meaningful?”

Seeing the female ghost still showing a mocking expression, Lu Qingjia sighed and walked up to her.

He reached out to touch her neck, adjusting her nearly severed head back into place, and in his hand appeared a needle the size of a half bamboo skewer, connected to a red thread.

Lu Qingjia inserted the needle into the female ghost’s skin, and when she tried to pull away, he quickly said, “Don’t move, be careful not to pierce it wrong.”

Then, in the midst of the female ghost’s dazed expression, he began to sew.

His fingers were nimble, and his movements were quick. In less than two minutes, he had sewn Sister Xia’s head back on, the red cross-stitching perfectly aligned, and when he finished at the collarbone, he tied it off with a bow.

Suddenly, Sister Xia looked much less terrifying; instead, she resembled someone who had put on a beautiful yet spooky Halloween makeup. Although it was a bit unsettling, an average person could still appreciate the beauty.

Sister Xia looked at herself in the mirror, her previously fierce features had softened considerably: “This—”

Lu Qingjia smiled, “This is a ghostly thread, commonly used in the underworld. It’s generally used to mark souls, guide paths, and for simple suturing.”

“Not everyone can have a good ending. To start a new life with a better appearance, the underworld’s repair and integration technology is quite advanced. Even if one is reduced to a pile of flesh, as long as they can afford the cost, they can still be restored.”

“The ghostly thread is an outdated ancient suturing tool, originally meant to help souls maintain their integrity for reincarnation. Although it can only last for a while, temporary suturing is barely sufficient.”

Lu Qingjia held Sister Xia’s hand, which was painted with red nail polish, and revealed a hopeful and encouraging smile: “Your future is not bleak and hopeless; on the contrary, you have ample capital to start anew. Every soul that arrives in the underworld has a sum of original funds, enough for every new ghost to solve their basic survival issues.”

“Especially since you are a wronged soul, there are some preferential policies in place. You can definitely start a better life. So your current efforts are not meaningless; every bit you accumulate is solidifying your future.”

“Trust me, it won’t be long before you live like this.”

The female ghost’s heart raced, and the excitement and visions of the future made her feel an unprecedented sense of hope after death.

If someone else had said this, she would have definitely not believed it, but Lu Qingjia had proven with his actions and tools that his words were not fabricated.

The existence of underworld currency and the ability to stitch souls together indicated that the end after death was not endless confinement and loneliness.

The female ghost was overwhelmed with emotion, suppressing her excitement, and blushingly said, “You—you didn’t say you wanted to see my physical limits of distortion? How can you see after stitching me up?”

Lu Qingjia laughed, “I just want to confirm the filming techniques you can achieve in the movie, not that I hope you force yourself.”

“If a film crew excessively pursues the bizarre, disregarding the physical limits of the actress and whether she might get hurt, what difference is that from a crime?”

Who could withstand this? The sexually deviant player watched in disbelief as the gruesome, dismembered female ghost quickly fell for Lu Qingjia’s charm, his face no longer showing resentment but rather excitement and shyness.

Having witnessed the entire process, he could only think wildly in his mind.

He had learned, truly learned; the rest was just to save money for cosmetic surgery. Once he acquired this ability, what threats could ghosts and monsters pose in the future?

Playing horror games as if they were harem strategy games, overcoming aesthetic differences and species differences, as long as one had the guts, next year Sadako would be on maternity leave.

But the one suffering was him, because after Lu Qingjia stitched up the female ghost’s wounds, she, in an effort to showcase her abilities, twisted herself desperately, demonstrating her killing prowess.

The next day, the sexually deviant player stepped out, looking like a rag doll that had been repeatedly kneaded, slumped on the small sofa in the dining room, his vacant eyes staring at the ceiling.

A player patted his shoulder: “Last night, I heard the commotion from your room.”

“Earlier, we admired Brother Lu’s skills, but it turns out you’re not bad either. Although we understand that encountering a female ghost at midnight requires survival strategies, we didn’t expect you to learn and even excel in Brother Lu’s skills.”

“Yeah, at least Brother Lu was just flirting verbally, but you, bro, are even bolder, actually—tch, in short, you’ve been wronged.”

“Hey, it’s not like that. What kind of quality does Brother Lu have? He sells his art, not his body, which is enough. The more he holds his value, the higher it gets. But he can’t; he’s just average-looking, and his enhanced physical qualities are only good for endurance, so he can only sell meat. It’s just how it is.”

As he spoke, he advised, “Bro, if you plan to go this route in the future, you should prioritize cosmetic surgery when you return to reality.”

The sexually deviant player raised his hand, trembling as he pointed at a few guys.

Those guys, however, turned to eat breakfast, their mouths clicking: “It’s clear we’re not perverted enough; we’re out of place in the world of the strong.”

“This guy has opened his eyes; he’s willing to sacrifice his face and morals, and the world is at his fingertips.”

A red streak slowly flowed from the corner of the sexually deviant player’s mouth, and then he rolled his eyes and passed out.

After breakfast, Lu Qingjia arranged tasks. With Director An still a few days away from being released, he took complete control of the entire apartment, and the other promised matters should also be fulfilled.

Each player received their tasks and got busy.

During this time, the police came to investigate, and everyone cooperated well. With the help of the ghosts, what should be found and what shouldn’t be found was naturally controllable.

At this point, there were still two households of ghosts that hadn’t appeared: the elderly couple who had been scammed out of their retirement savings and committed suicide, and a drug addict who had died.

According to Xiaoyu and the others, the elderly couple had already privately discussed things. Although they had been angered by Lu Qingjia’s seemingly scamming behavior towards the elderly, they had nearly come out.

But after a couple of days, they returned the money with interest and even notified the elderly’s family to be cautious of future scams. They felt that they hadn’t encountered good people while alive, so they didn’t want to come out now.

However, they had sent a message through Xiaoyu and the others, saying that if they ever needed their help in the future, they could just ask.

Lu Qingjia didn’t insist on disturbing them, but as for the last drug addict thief, he wasn’t coming out purely out of fear.

Having witnessed the entire apartment’s ghosts turning against him, he initially wanted to gain some benefits but had completely shrunk back. Otherwise, let alone that pretty boy, even the female ghosts in the building would tear him apart.

Why didn’t he take the initiative to come out and seek refuge? What a stupid question; look at the fate of the gambler! The head of the family had completely become a lapdog, not even qualified to eat at the table.

This clearly showed that the pretty boy either treated men and women differently or had occupational discrimination; how could he dare?

But the drug addict couldn’t hide forever; after all, his role was essential in the movie, and Lu Qingjia had even arranged a part for him. He couldn’t just skip work, could he?

So that night, in the room of the drug addict player—now a thief—Lu Qingjia directly pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

The players didn’t feel much, but the five female ghosts who had come to watch were a bit unsettled.

“Jiajia, what is this? Why does it smell like it’s getting more and more exciting?”

The thief player looked at Lu Qingjia with a face full of beastly expression—

Are you finally planning to make a move on the beautiful female ghost?

Lu Qingjia sensed a different energy stirring, distinct from Xiaoyu and the others, and maliciously increased the dosage, lighting another one.

He then said, “I was lucky during the selection test and got my hands on some good stuff.”

“Because these things won’t harm the soul body and can bring in a lot of tax revenue, they are as common as cigarettes in the underworld.”

After waiting for a while and seeing no response, he shouted into the room, “Aren’t you coming out? If you don’t come out, I’ll destroy it.”

Then, without hesitation, he directly extinguished one of the cigarette-like items on the table. Just as he was about to extinguish another, a lean shadow finally appeared, rolling in fear—

“Don’t, don’t, don’t extinguish it, bro, let me smell it a bit longer.”

As a result, he was bound tightly by the soul-binding rope, and after a round of threats and temptations, he signed a contract to become the lowest-level laborer.

The gambler was quite pleased because he finally didn’t have to squat in a corner alone during meals.

During the first meal after the drug addict ghost came out, the gambler even proactively moved a spot for him.

“Bro, you sit here; it’s comfortable. You don’t know, I’ve been looking forward to you coming out to keep me company.”

“It’s not embarrassing; it’s just that my legs are a bit cramped. Having you to chat with makes it a bit better, doesn’t it?”

“Hey, my wife made my favorite sweet and sour ribs for lunch today. My wife’s cooking is really amazing; you’ll know once you try it.”

The drug addict ghost was feeling quite sympathetic about his situation, and upon hearing this, he coldly mocked, “Is that still your wife? Didn’t your wife already get sent off? What she made for you, you’re even better at flattering than I am.”

The gambler showed his generosity, knowing that the ghost was in a bad mood, and not only did he not hold it against him, but he also patiently comforted him.

Finally, before lunch, the drug addict ghost was moved, and the two began to call each other brothers, determined to stand together.

However, during lunch, Lu Qingjia served a small plate of ribs to the two of them, but there were three pieces inside.

The two ghosts, who had just been calling each other brothers, soon started fighting over a piece of rib.

Lu Qingjia watched the farce while eating, and today’s meal tasted particularly sweet.

Since Director An’s wife still needed to settle things at home, his uncle arrived in this city first.

He didn’t notify anyone, but Lu Qingjia had anticipated this. From the moment the other party answered the phone, it was clear that this person was suspicious and cautious, so he wouldn’t act too ostentatiously.

Thus, they were well-prepared. Not to mention that the moment the other party stepped into the city, at least when he got out of the car in the residential area, Lu Qingjia and the others would know.

The old man’s surname was Li, and he looked to be in his sixties, but he held himself upright, full of spirit, with sharp eyes like an eagle, quite impressive.

He walked directly to the front of the apartment building, seeing two young men lazily sitting outside, playing games on their phones and chatting idly.

They were talking about how the director had been taken in, when they would start working, and whether the days of delay would count as wages. Seeing the old man, they didn’t even bother to get up and greet him, appearing completely indifferent.

The old man’s doubts eased slightly as he approached the apartment building.

Only then did the two react, “Hey, who are you? This isn’t a place for scavengers; it’s already been booked. Get out, get out.”

Just as Old Man Li was about to speak, a spirited young man came out from inside.

This appearance—

Old Man Li squinted his eyes, filled with envy and jealousy.

This young man had such a strong aura and a vibrant fate that it was impossible to see the end at a glance. A slight blink and he could no longer be perceived, clearly someone whose fortune was beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Old Man Li thought to himself, could it be that his foolish nephew had inadvertently attracted such a person? Because of what he had done, it might harm this person’s interests, and that strong fortune would retaliate, leading to frequent misfortunes and even being taken in, thus breaking the restrictions in the apartment.

That young man was clearly the one in charge here. Seeing him come in, he stopped the two lazy ones and spoke gently, “Sir, are you looking for someone?”

Old Man Li nodded, “I’m An Zuhui’s uncle.”

“Oh, so it’s you. You should have called us when you arrived.” Lu Qingjia said politely, “I’m the one who called you earlier, Xiao Lu.”

“I didn’t expect you to come so quickly. Look at how chaotic the whole building is right now; we’re like headless flies, not knowing what to do next. I’m really sorry for making you see this.”

“By the way, have you eaten? If not, there’s still something in the kitchen.”

“No need to be polite; I’ve already eaten.” Old Man Li replied.

Lu Qingjia nodded, “That’s fine. Director An is at the police station in this district. If you don’t need to rest, I can take you to see him.”

“Not in a hurry; where is his room? I want to take a look first.”

“Sure—” Lu Qingjia hesitated slightly but still agreed to the request.

Director An’s room was on the first floor, the first room at the end of the corridor.

Before the old man entered, he looked up at the wall corner directly opposite the room door, where there was a messy pattern symbol. At first glance, it looked like a lump of ash, but if one climbed up to take a closer look, some meanings could be discerned.

At this moment, that ambiguous symbol had become incomplete due to a piece of peeling wall.

A glimmer of understanding flashed in Old Man Li’s eyes; it turned out that a piece of the layout had broken, no wonder it was loose.

Then he opened the room where Director An was staying, originally intending to check if the other rooms were damaged. However, as soon as he opened the door, he saw a room full of ghosts.

Old Man Li’s scalp tingled; he had sensed the thick ghostly energy, but judging from his foolish nephew’s filming progress, it was normal for the ghosts in the apartment to have their resentment stirred up at this time.