Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 456 Commission
What the hell is this idiot talking about?

This was Zhou You's first thought.

But before he could speak, Li Da Nao asked again.

"Hey, what's going on over there? What's with all that banging and clanging?"

Zhou You looked up.

Alright, the black cat, carrying the little ghost girl, is almost flying away.

"It's nothing, my cat is just destroying the house."

"When did you get a cat? And this noise doesn't seem like something a cat would make; it sounds more like a husky."

Zhou You frowned, then casually brushed it off.

"Never mind that, just explain to me what you meant earlier."

Li Da Nao Nao immediately became interested when this topic was brought up.

"Old Zhou, you should know that Xuanxuan used to be particularly interested in the supernatural, right? She even asked you to deal with a haunted table once."

Zhou You's gaze shifted slightly downwards.

Even without the little ghost girl's possession, the round table still exudes a chilling aura, and is now being used as an air conditioner by the frugal self.

"I know, and I remember your fuck buddy."

"Wife!"

"Okay, honey—your wife has become interested in aliens again. What, this time the Martians are knocking on our door again?"

"That's right, they're Martians. No, Lao Zhou, don't interrupt."

Li Da Nao spat across from him and then said.

"My wife used to be in a club at her school that specialized in researching supernatural things like ghosts and monsters. Let's just forget about it this time; it's hard to explain over the phone. You should know about the recent uproar about the mass suicides of college students, right?"

"I do not know."

His tone was so decisive that it even silenced the other person for a moment.

"You didn't know about something this big? I couldn't get in touch with you for a while, Lao Zhou, did you hide away in some remote mountain village and become a wild man?"

"I guess so. There's absolutely no signal there. I also knocked down a golden statue while I was there."

"You went to work for a demolition team, tearing down temples?" Li Sanli scratched his head, but still left with a remark. "Take a look first, then contact me!"

Seeing the other person hang up the phone cleanly and decisively, Zhou You shook his head, but still switched to a webpage.

Indeed, as Li Sanli said, this was quite big news a few days ago. Several college students suddenly seemed to have gone mad, committing suicide one after another in various ways. Some hanged themselves in the deep mountains and forests, dismembered by wild animals; some jumped from rooftops; and others jumped into the river, only to be found bloated beyond recognition.
If it were just this situation, it wouldn't be a big deal. Life is stressful these days, and there are quite a few suicides every year. But the problem is...

These people all came from the same university, joined the same club, and committed suicide one after another within a short period of time.

This adds a touch of the bizarre and strange to the matter.

There are all sorts of opinions online. Some say that these people used Ouija boards and ended up inviting something they shouldn't have. Others say they worshipped some evil spirit, resulting in being haunted by vengeful ghosts. Still others are adamant that they definitely encountered a ghost, citing their own experience of livestreaming from a cemetery as an example.
Zhou You frowned slightly.

But soon, he shook his head and called Li Da Nao back.

"—Hey, Lao Zhou, have you finished reading?"

Zhou You's voice sounded much more serious this time.

"I've finished reading it, but what does this have to do with what you just said about dating a rich woman?"

"Tsk, you don't know this, do you? Xuanxuan used to be in that club. Although she left later, she still knows quite a few people."

Li Sanli sniffed, and his words became increasingly... well, you know.

“She knew one of the survivors. The girl was the only daughter of a boss. His family was currently recruiting Taoist priests and monks from all walks of life, hoping to save a life. As the saying goes, ‘Don’t let the good stuff go to outsiders,’ so you were the first person I thought of.”

Just like the last time in the deserted village.

Zhou You sighed.

Although he was unwilling to become famous, he couldn't stop rumors from spreading exceptionally fast. Once people really knew you were capable, they would always find you in every nook and cranny.

—But this time, I really don't want to get involved anymore.

The script is getting increasingly difficult. He's finally back in reality and was hoping to get some rest. He doesn't want to get involved in any more trouble and waste this hard-earned vacation.

Just as he was about to refuse, Li Sanli suddenly spoke again.

"Sigh, although the police say it's suicide, Xuanxuan says that given those guys' personalities, there's no way they would actually commit suicide. Several families have already been destroyed, and even several parents have gone insane. It's so pitiful to see, but you..."

Zhou You didn't attend the rest of the tour.

He looked at the news report again, and then at the vividly described tragic scene.

In the end, he just shook his head.

Oh well, what can I do? I'm just a busybody.
Besides, the curse of the Five Deficiencies and Three Shortcomings still exists, so let's make some extra money if we can.

—A few hours later.

When I saw Li Sanli again, he had lost a lot of weight.

It was clear that he was right; even his round face had shrunk, but when he saw Zhou You, he still came up to him with a smile and gave him a punch.

"Hey kid, what have you been up to lately? You've been disappearing like a ghost. We can't find you when we get together. Old Xu and the others thought you'd done something and fled abroad."

A slight smile appeared on Zhou You's face, and he returned the punch.

"It's nothing, just struggling to make a living. By the way, what do you think we should do about that?"

Li Sanli tilted his head and said.

"Get in the car first."

The girl was not far away, only about a 20-minute drive away.

Although they are in the same district, this place is completely different from the old and dilapidated apartment where Zhou You lived—this is a high-end residential complex built in recent years, close to a business district, and in terms of transportation, a single toilet would take an ordinary person several years to build.

However, according to Li Sanli, this place was just a residence that the boss bought casually to make it easier for the girl to go to school.

"This damn capitalism!"

Looking at the gleaming buildings, Zhou You couldn't help but let out a heartfelt sigh.

"Who says otherwise? That's why I told you, Lao Zhou, to keep things clean. If you really manage to snag this rich woman, you won't have to work hard for the next ten years or so."

"Stop being so glib. What if someone likes your type and decides to kidnap you so you can enjoy a steel wool treatment day and night?"

"That's not true. I'm absolutely loyal to Xuanxuan. She could never win my heart even if she tried to seduce me her whole life."

While they were exchanging barbs, Li Sanli had already passed through the access control, taken the elevator, and led Zhou You to a long corridor.

"According to Xuanxuan, that girl lives here—I've seen her picture, she's definitely a beauty, you'd better make a good impression."

—No, are you here to ask for help, or to find a partner?
Zhou You just rolled his eyes, but at that moment, Li Sanli suddenly spoke up in a puzzled tone.

"Hmm, why is no one answering?" He scratched his head and knocked on the door a few more times.

However, there has still been no response.

"That's strange. Could something have happened, Lao Zhou? Wait a minute, I'll call Xuanxuan."

Just as Li Sanli was getting his phone, Zhou You set his sights on the door.

It's an expensive, yet very ordinary door.

Expensive means that from the outside, this thing is definitely worth a lot of money; ordinary means that there are no traces of magic or evil spirits on it.

—Just like all the doors around it.

However, Zhou You looked at the door as if lost in thought—while Li Sanli wasn't paying attention, he stretched out his finger and scratched it.

Although the door was made of steel, Zhou You was no ordinary person at this moment. With a little force, some rusty red stuff was scraped off.

I held it to my nose and sniffed it. There was no strange smell, but a strange sense of nausea kept creeping into my mind.

"The materials for the ritual? No, the remnants of the formation? No, that's not right either. This thing doesn't seem to be from China."

"—Old Zhou, what are you muttering about?"

Turning around, he realized that Li Sanli had already finished his call and was looking at him with a puzzled expression.

"Nothing much. By the way, any news from your end?"

Li Sanli, being carefree, didn't care much and just said with a wry smile.

“We’ve come at the wrong time. That girl was taken home by her father a few days ago—but that place isn’t far. We’re not here, Lao Zhou, what are you doing?”

Zhou You didn't answer, but instead gently knocked on the door lock.

To be honest, it's a high-end residential area. It uses electronic locks and appears to have a security system directly connected to the security room, making it virtually impossible to force your way in.

but
Technology is technology, and fantasy is fantasy; the two are unrelated.
The evil energy seeped in slightly from the door lock, and after finding a few key points, it was gently twisted.

The electronic screen on the door lock went dark instantly—it had lost power.

Li Sanli watched in disbelief—he only saw Zhou You fiddle with it a few times, and the lock opened on its own—and after a while, he murmured something.

"Hey Lao Zhou, when did you get this skill? Wait a minute, you weren't away learning a trade for the past few months, were you? Holy crap, who's your master? Can you ask him to teach me too?"

"I hope you'll tell me first not to do anything illegal or criminal."

Zhou You shook his head, then pushed the door open and entered without any hesitation.

"A crime? Yeah, Lao Zhou, wait a minute, holy crap, this is trespassing!"

Ignoring Li Sanli behind him, Zhou You casually walked into the house and looked around.

Duan Xie trembled slightly within the Diancang Ring, seemingly somewhat dissatisfied, but quickly calmed down.

It knew which was more important: trespassing or a matter of life and death.

The room was very clean.

The house seemed to be an apartment specifically designed for single people. Although it was quite large, it was not divided into several rooms like a typical family home.

The only peculiar thing about it is that there are all kinds of dolls on the cabinets and tables, and there is even a whole wall dedicated to displaying a large number of figurines.

Li Sanli followed in and, upon seeing the view, couldn't help but sigh.

"I never expected this girl to be such a hardcore otaku. Hmm... Isn't this a limited edition Strike model? Even I couldn't get one back then. This girl has great taste."

Zhou You ignored the guy and instead frowned as he paced around the room a few times.

You can see the homeowner's lifestyle from the details. It basically revolves around figurines, models, dolls, game consoles, and computers. Although there are many things, they are kept very tidy, showing that the homeowner cherishes these things.

There didn't seem to be anything unusual.

However, this room is a bit too cold.

It wasn't the kind of cold you get from air conditioning, but a kind of chilling cold that seeped into your bones.

Zhou You closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

—The yin energy was like a raging river, almost drowning him!

This is no ordinary amount; usually, someone must have died there, and the death must have been extremely tragic, with the resentment lingering, for it to form such a burial site!
just
There are no ghosts here.

Just as I said, the house was very clean, with nothing else inside.

Zhou You turned his head and looked at Li Sanli.

"Big-headed Li".

"What's wrong? Why are you suddenly so serious?"

"Has anyone died here? Or was it a particularly gruesome murder, like dismemberment, skinning, or being bled to death?"

"Old Zhou, what nonsense are you talking about? This place is only a few years old, how could it be?" Halfway through his sentence, Li Sanli suddenly shuddered. "Old Zhou, you mean there's something in this house—"

"Don't overthink it. There's nothing else besides you and me, but it is indeed very strange."

After being calmed down a bit, Zhou You bit his finger and drew a few strokes on the door.

"Old Zhou, what are you doing?"

"It's nothing. This place is too yin, and if it's left like this, it's easy for it to become a yin pit. If there are no ghosts, then there will be ghosts. So I just drew a talisman to draw out the yang."

"Oh"

Li Sanli clearly didn't understand what this meant, but being the carefree guy he was, he immediately asked again with great interest after hearing that there was no ghost.

"So, Lao Zhou, what do we need to do next? Draw a formation, or...?"

"No, there's nothing left to see here. Let's go find the client for this case."

Even so, before pushing Li Sanli out, Zhou You still turned his head and glanced at the house.

The house remained quiet and deserted, with nothing unusual about it—but there was a vague feeling that something was amiss.

It's not serious, and it doesn't pose any real threat to me, but it's like scratching an itch through a boot—I just can't remember it.

"I feel like I've seen this question somewhere before, but I can't quite place it."

In the end, he simply shook his head, closed the door again, and shrouded everything in darkness.

I do not know how long it has been.

The talisman that had been casually drawn on the door suddenly lit up.

then.

A faint cracking sound suddenly came from somewhere.

(End of this chapter)