Chapter 018: Capital Loves Me.
With a cheerful mood, Chi Shen, stepping on the fragmented sunlight between buildings, entered the Tengfei Building. As he was entering, he ran into the boss of Le Dao Cultural, Li Xu, who had interviewed him the previous day.
Today, Li Xu looked exhausted with dark circles under his eyes, yet seemed slightly more spirited than yesterday. Chi Shen greeted him, and the two entered together.
The moment they stepped into Tengfei, Li Xu felt a cold breeze. Adjusting his coat, he felt something uncomfortable around his neck, as if his sweater was worn backward. He loosened it with some confusion, but continued walking in slowly.
At that moment, he seemed even more drained.
Chi Shen observed Li Xu intently. The moment the ghost in the floral dress saw Li Xu, she returned to his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck. The little girl, who seemed to have only her upper body, reached out to grab the hem of the floral dress.
At that moment, the shadow behind him rippled like a wave. Without making a move or asking Ji Xingchen out loud, Chi Shen slightly turned his head, glancing with his peripheral vision to see Yuan Yiping approaching briskly. Taking a step forward, he shielded Yuan's view of Li Xu, joining him in the elevator.
"Chi Shen!" He heard Yuan Yiping calling out to him, but he chose not to respond.
Yuan Yiping watched the elevator doors close before him and mumbled, perplexed, "Didn't he hear me?"
He turned around and started scrolling through his phone for Chi Shen's number.
Inside the elevator, the cold light cast a small shadow beneath Chi Shen's slightly drooping eyelashes. He looked down, turning his gaze to the side of Li Xu.
At that spot, only he could see the little girl with half a body, who was now looking up at him.
The girl's face was emotionless, her overly large eyes fixated on Chi Shen. Her complexion was pale, and her lower half was missing. An ordinary person would've felt chills, if not screamed outright, being stared at by such a ghost. But Chi Shen, accustomed to such sights, merely met her gaze for a brief moment. When the elevator reached the 14th floor, he naturally averted his eyes and exited.
The girl continued to watch him until he was out of sight, then looked up towards the ghost in the floral dress.
The floral-dressed ghost, hugging Li Xu's neck, had her eyes closed and appeared serene. Being with Li Xu felt like home, a solace for her.
Chi Shen first completed his onboarding procedures. He was then shown around the office and given office supplies for his desk under the guidance of a colleague.
The Le Dao Cultural office was spacious. Some desks still had personal items left behind by employees in a rush. Chi Shen chose a desk relatively isolated from others, and under puzzled glances from his colleagues, began to tidy up.
The desk seemed to have been abandoned hastily, with many miscellaneous items scattered about. Chi Shen methodically threw them into the trash bin. Noticing a note stuck on the computer monitor, he saw that the previous occupant had quit just the day before, which explained the untidiness.
The note read simply: "I must resign today! Starving is better than working here any longer!"
A colleague, noticing the post-it, attempted to provide some context, but Chi Shen calmly threw it into the bin, turned with a smile, and said, "Bro, focus on your tasks. I can handle this."
The colleague glanced a few more times at the note by the computer, then at Chi Shen's nonchalant expression. Ultimately, he said nothing and returned to his desk, feeling for some reason that the area around Chi Shen was cold, and thinking it better to leave sooner than later.
Once the colleague left, Chi Shen turned and continued tidying up, whispering, "Do you know Yuan Yiping?"
Ji Xingchen slowly emerged from his shadow, standing behind him, and replied, "No, but there's something off about him that makes me uncomfortable."
"Oh?"
Ji Xingchen, cloaked in the shadow, frowned slightly, "His yang energy is too strong. It affects me."
"So, he's a good person then," Chi Shen commented, noting that his and Ji Xingchen's concerns differed.
“Yes,” Ji Xingchen did not deny, noting, “He called you. Your phone is on silent.”
“Alright, thank you.” Chi Shen took out his phone and checked the missed calls.
There were three missed calls, all from Yuan Yiping. Chi Shen returned the call.
Yuan Yiping picked up immediately, asking, “Why are you at Tengfei Tower?”
“Working,” Chi Shen replied, “I found the job yesterday.”
“It’s not safe here,” Yuan Yiping warned, “It's better if you avoid coming for a few days.”
“I can’t,” Chi Shen chuckled, as if laughing at someone who's never known hardship, “Gotta earn a living, Officer.”
Yuan Yiping was taken aback and simply advised, “Then head home early after work. Don’t stay in the building after sunset. And if anything happens, call me immediately.”
Chi Shen glanced at his desk, “Thank you. I’ll remember that. Did something happen here?”
On the other end, Yuan Yiping rubbed his furrowed brows, hesitated, then shared the truth, “Your place is haunted. Don't go to the 14th floor; the source of the haunting is there. The other floors should be fine. I guess by now you can see ghosts. If you see one, run immediately and call me, okay?”
Chi Shen’s gaze remained fixed on the desk, not on any particular object but at a point in space where a young girl sat, her piercing black-and-white eyes tilted, watching him.
Were it not for the girl missing her lower half, it would have been a charming sight.
Chi Shen smiled gently, replying, “Got it, thanks for the heads-up.”
After hanging up, Chi Shen continued to tidy up his desk, placing each office supply in its spot.
“Brother, what did you do to Aunt Zhao?” The girl suddenly asked. Her voice was sweet and childlike. She leaned forward, propped up by her arms on the desk. Were it not for her missing legs, she might have even playfully swung them.
Chi Shen paid her no mind. After tidying up, he left to meet a colleague. The girl remained, watching him, not following.
Chi Shen returned shortly, now with an assignment from his colleague - to study!
Too many had left the company to operate as usual. To “study” was simply a way to let Chi Shen settle in.
Always believing in earning his keep, Chi Shen launched a popular horror game to “study.” The company’s computers, well-equipped, supported his in-game learning effortlessly.
Once he started his "study session" — or rather, the game — it consumed his entire day.
At 5 pm, the end of the workday, Chi Shen looked up and noticed that no one in the office was preparing to leave. So, he stayed seated, continuing his "studies."
"Overtime is pretty common in the gaming industry," a colleague remarked as he was getting ready for dinner, reminding Chi Shen, "You might need to adjust. But I heard you were a software developer before, so you should adapt quickly. Want me to order you some takeout? We can get a discount if we combine our orders."
"Braised pork rice, thanks." Chi Shen glanced at his colleague's phone and promptly transferred the money.
After ordering, the colleague lingered, hesitating for a moment before whispering, "Don’t use the restroom here after dark. If you need to go, use the one downstairs. Just don't say I didn't warn you if something happens."
Chi Shen gave his colleague a puzzled look. The colleague appeared untouched by anything supernatural, probably why he could still work here. Chi Shen was surprised by the cautionary advice.
Hurrying to explain, the colleague said, "There are some things you just can't dismiss, especially in our line of work. Do you know our latest game script is based on a real-life murder? Li Zuce visited the crime scene for research, and he's been off ever since."
Chi Shen nodded. He'd seen it in fragmented memories: even before that visit, Li Zuce was already surrounded by murky energy.
"I suggest getting a protective talisman," the colleague advised. "I bought one last time. Costly, over a thousand, but ever since I wore it, I haven't seen any of the eerie stuff others talk about. It works."
An idea flashed in Chi Shen's mind. He casually inquired, "Can I see it?"
The colleague revealed a segment of red cord from his collar, attached to a red cloth packet. Chi Shen found it strikingly familiar—it resembled the one thrown by Lu Xiangyang, even the white writing on it was identical.
Seeing Chi Shen's belief, the colleague said cheerfully, "Previous newcomers didn't take my advice. They all fled, even forgoing their salaries."
Chi Shen responded with a smile, "I understand now."
As the colleague returned to his desk, he called back, "Remember to get that talisman."
"I will. When I was a developer, I often burned incense in the server room," Chi Shen mentioned.
After dinner and another two hours, the colleague prepared to leave. Seeing Chi Shen still working, he came over, "It's your first day. You can leave early since there's not much to do. No need to stay late with us."
Chi Shen shook his head, stating matter-of-factly, "Today I realized that as a newcomer, I have much to learn. I plan to be the last to leave."
The colleague's perception of him shifted. Slapping his thigh, he exclaimed, "Alright then, I'll stay and work overtime with you tonight. It's rare to see such dedicated young people like you!"
Chi Shen was puzzled, "…?"
During the "overtime," Chi Shen completed a horror game. He also received a message from Yuan Yiping, which he chose not to reply to.
Eventually, even the colleague couldn't keep up with Chi Shen. When Li Xun was leaving, the colleague decided to head home with him.
The office dimmed, save for a lone light glowing in one of the cubicles.
Chi Shen rose from his workstation, pushed back his chair, and set out for the restroom.
Below the Tengfei Tower, Yuan Yiping held his phone, gazing up at the 14th floor.
After a few rings, the call connected, and Yuan Yiping inquired, “Have you left?”
“Not yet,” Chi Shen looked at the little girl blocking his way, “I'm putting in some extra hours to ensure a comfortable working environment.”
Yuan Yiping: “?”
Chapter 018: Capital Loves Me.
With a cheerful mood, Chi Shen, stepping on the fragmented sunlight between buildings, entered the Tengfei Building. As he was entering, he ran into the boss of Le Dao Cultural, Li Xu, who had interviewed him the previous day.
Today, Li Xu looked exhausted with dark circles under his eyes, yet seemed slightly more spirited than yesterday. Chi Shen greeted him, and the two entered together.
The moment they stepped into Tengfei, Li Xu felt a cold breeze. Adjusting his coat, he felt something uncomfortable around his neck, as if his sweater was worn backward. He loosened it with some confusion, but continued walking in slowly.
At that moment, he seemed even more drained.
Chi Shen observed Li Xu intently. The moment the ghost in the floral dress saw Li Xu, she returned to his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck. The little girl, who seemed to have only her upper body, reached out to grab the hem of the floral dress.
At that moment, the shadow behind him rippled like a wave. Without making a move or asking Ji Xingchen out loud, Chi Shen slightly turned his head, glancing with his peripheral vision to see Yuan Yiping approaching briskly. Taking a step forward, he shielded Yuan's view of Li Xu, joining him in the elevator.
"Chi Shen!" He heard Yuan Yiping calling out to him, but he chose not to respond.
Yuan Yiping watched the elevator doors close before him and mumbled, perplexed, "Didn't he hear me?"
He turned around and started scrolling through his phone for Chi Shen's number.
Inside the elevator, the cold light cast a small shadow beneath Chi Shen's slightly drooping eyelashes. He looked down, turning his gaze to the side of Li Xu.
At that spot, only he could see the little girl with half a body, who was now looking up at him.
The girl's face was emotionless, her overly large eyes fixated on Chi Shen. Her complexion was pale, and her lower half was missing. An ordinary person would've felt chills, if not screamed outright, being stared at by such a ghost. But Chi Shen, accustomed to such sights, merely met her gaze for a brief moment. When the elevator reached the 14th floor, he naturally averted his eyes and exited.
The girl continued to watch him until he was out of sight, then looked up towards the ghost in the floral dress.
The floral-dressed ghost, hugging Li Xu's neck, had her eyes closed and appeared serene. Being with Li Xu felt like home, a solace for her.
Chi Shen first completed his onboarding procedures. He was then shown around the office and given office supplies for his desk under the guidance of a colleague.
The Le Dao Cultural office was spacious. Some desks still had personal items left behind by employees in a rush. Chi Shen chose a desk relatively isolated from others, and under puzzled glances from his colleagues, began to tidy up.
The desk seemed to have been abandoned hastily, with many miscellaneous items scattered about. Chi Shen methodically threw them into the trash bin. Noticing a note stuck on the computer monitor, he saw that the previous occupant had quit just the day before, which explained the untidiness.
The note read simply: "I must resign today! Starving is better than working here any longer!"
A colleague, noticing the post-it, attempted to provide some context, but Chi Shen calmly threw it into the bin, turned with a smile, and said, "Bro, focus on your tasks. I can handle this."
The colleague glanced a few more times at the note by the computer, then at Chi Shen's nonchalant expression. Ultimately, he said nothing and returned to his desk, feeling for some reason that the area around Chi Shen was cold, and thinking it better to leave sooner than later.
Once the colleague left, Chi Shen turned and continued tidying up, whispering, "Do you know Yuan Yiping?"
Ji Xingchen slowly emerged from his shadow, standing behind him, and replied, "No, but there's something off about him that makes me uncomfortable."
"Oh?"
Ji Xingchen, cloaked in the shadow, frowned slightly, "His yang energy is too strong. It affects me."
"So, he's a good person then," Chi Shen commented, noting that his and Ji Xingchen's concerns differed.
“Yes,” Ji Xingchen did not deny, noting, “He called you. Your phone is on silent.”
“Alright, thank you.” Chi Shen took out his phone and checked the missed calls.
There were three missed calls, all from Yuan Yiping. Chi Shen returned the call.
Yuan Yiping picked up immediately, asking, “Why are you at Tengfei Tower?”
“Working,” Chi Shen replied, “I found the job yesterday.”
“It’s not safe here,” Yuan Yiping warned, “It's better if you avoid coming for a few days.”
“I can’t,” Chi Shen chuckled, as if laughing at someone who's never known hardship, “Gotta earn a living, Officer.”
Yuan Yiping was taken aback and simply advised, “Then head home early after work. Don’t stay in the building after sunset. And if anything happens, call me immediately.”
Chi Shen glanced at his desk, “Thank you. I’ll remember that. Did something happen here?”
On the other end, Yuan Yiping rubbed his furrowed brows, hesitated, then shared the truth, “Your place is haunted. Don't go to the 14th floor; the source of the haunting is there. The other floors should be fine. I guess by now you can see ghosts. If you see one, run immediately and call me, okay?”
Chi Shen’s gaze remained fixed on the desk, not on any particular object but at a point in space where a young girl sat, her piercing black-and-white eyes tilted, watching him.
Were it not for the girl missing her lower half, it would have been a charming sight.
Chi Shen smiled gently, replying, “Got it, thanks for the heads-up.”
After hanging up, Chi Shen continued to tidy up his desk, placing each office supply in its spot.
“Brother, what did you do to Aunt Zhao?” The girl suddenly asked. Her voice was sweet and childlike. She leaned forward, propped up by her arms on the desk. Were it not for her missing legs, she might have even playfully swung them.
Chi Shen paid her no mind. After tidying up, he left to meet a colleague. The girl remained, watching him, not following.
Chi Shen returned shortly, now with an assignment from his colleague - to study!
Too many had left the company to operate as usual. To “study” was simply a way to let Chi Shen settle in.
Always believing in earning his keep, Chi Shen launched a popular horror game to “study.” The company’s computers, well-equipped, supported his in-game learning effortlessly.
Once he started his "study session" — or rather, the game — it consumed his entire day.
At 5 pm, the end of the workday, Chi Shen looked up and noticed that no one in the office was preparing to leave. So, he stayed seated, continuing his "studies."
"Overtime is pretty common in the gaming industry," a colleague remarked as he was getting ready for dinner, reminding Chi Shen, "You might need to adjust. But I heard you were a software developer before, so you should adapt quickly. Want me to order you some takeout? We can get a discount if we combine our orders."
"Braised pork rice, thanks." Chi Shen glanced at his colleague's phone and promptly transferred the money.
After ordering, the colleague lingered, hesitating for a moment before whispering, "Don’t use the restroom here after dark. If you need to go, use the one downstairs. Just don't say I didn't warn you if something happens."
Chi Shen gave his colleague a puzzled look. The colleague appeared untouched by anything supernatural, probably why he could still work here. Chi Shen was surprised by the cautionary advice.
Hurrying to explain, the colleague said, "There are some things you just can't dismiss, especially in our line of work. Do you know our latest game script is based on a real-life murder? Li Zuce visited the crime scene for research, and he's been off ever since."
Chi Shen nodded. He'd seen it in fragmented memories: even before that visit, Li Zuce was already surrounded by murky energy.
"I suggest getting a protective talisman," the colleague advised. "I bought one last time. Costly, over a thousand, but ever since I wore it, I haven't seen any of the eerie stuff others talk about. It works."
An idea flashed in Chi Shen's mind. He casually inquired, "Can I see it?"
The colleague revealed a segment of red cord from his collar, attached to a red cloth packet. Chi Shen found it strikingly familiar—it resembled the one thrown by Lu Xiangyang, even the white writing on it was identical.
Seeing Chi Shen's belief, the colleague said cheerfully, "Previous newcomers didn't take my advice. They all fled, even forgoing their salaries."
Chi Shen responded with a smile, "I understand now."
As the colleague returned to his desk, he called back, "Remember to get that talisman."
"I will. When I was a developer, I often burned incense in the server room," Chi Shen mentioned.
After dinner and another two hours, the colleague prepared to leave. Seeing Chi Shen still working, he came over, "It's your first day. You can leave early since there's not much to do. No need to stay late with us."
Chi Shen shook his head, stating matter-of-factly, "Today I realized that as a newcomer, I have much to learn. I plan to be the last to leave."
The colleague's perception of him shifted. Slapping his thigh, he exclaimed, "Alright then, I'll stay and work overtime with you tonight. It's rare to see such dedicated young people like you!"
Chi Shen was puzzled, "…?"
During the "overtime," Chi Shen completed a horror game. He also received a message from Yuan Yiping, which he chose not to reply to.
Eventually, even the colleague couldn't keep up with Chi Shen. When Li Xun was leaving, the colleague decided to head home with him.
The office dimmed, save for a lone light glowing in one of the cubicles.
Chi Shen rose from his workstation, pushed back his chair, and set out for the restroom.
Below the Tengfei Tower, Yuan Yiping held his phone, gazing up at the 14th floor.
After a few rings, the call connected, and Yuan Yiping inquired, “Have you left?”
“Not yet,” Chi Shen looked at the little girl blocking his way, “I'm putting in some extra hours to ensure a comfortable working environment.”
Yuan Yiping: “?”
