The young man looked to be about my age—23 or 24—his hair slicked back with gel and his shiny leather shoes polished to perfection. But his appearance left much to be desired. Though his facial features were neat and orderly, when pieced together, they somehow gave off an unsettling vibe. The more I looked, the more sleazy he seemed. Especially that smirk—it carried such a "punch-me" energy that it made my fists itch.
That said, he had a luxury car, so he was clearly well-off.
As I debated whether to greet him or wait for him to make the first move, the young man sauntered over, a toothpick dangling from his lips, exuding a carefree attitude.
"Hey, buddy. That exorcism trick you pulled back there? Pretty slick. How about we be friends?" he said, extending a hand and introducing himself. "Name's Xie Chen. My line of work? Paranormal consultant."
Ah, that explained it. No wonder he wasn't scared after witnessing something so creepy in the middle of the night.
I'd heard of "paranormal consultants" during my university days. They're nothing like traditional exorcists; they're mostly con artists who claim to "use science to fight spirits." Their so-called "science" involves a bunch of flashy electronic gadgets designed to confuse people. They'd hook up some gaming devices to play pre-programmed 3D ghost visuals and fool their scared-out-of-their-wits clients into thinking the haunting was resolved.
With that in mind, I couldn't help but look down on him a bit. Still, I shook his hand. "Wang Lin."
"Pleasure to meet you, Wang Lin," he said with a grin.
Pleasure my foot. I'm just a broke, unemployed nobody. What's there to meet?
But Xie Chen had that smooth, slick-talking aura of someone well-versed in the ways of the world.
"How about I treat you to a couple of drinks tonight, Wang Lin?" he offered.
I was taken aback. It was nearly 1 a.m.—where on earth were we going to find drinks at this hour? But before I could refuse, Xie Chen added, "Come on, hop in my car. I'll take you to a 24-hour spot."
"Why not?" the ghost girl Yanzi whispered in my ear. "This guy's probably got a job offer. Could be a big payday."
The thought of money made my heart race. I'd been so broke lately I couldn't afford to say no to any opportunity. So, I got in his car, and he drove us to a place called Everbright City, a 24-hour luxury hotel and entertainment complex. They had everything—restaurants, karaoke, nightclubs, spas, you name it.
Inside, even at this late hour, the place was buzzing. Most of the patrons were couples enjoying the nightlife. I guessed they were planning to drink and dance before heading upstairs for some "quality time."
We found a corner table, and Xie Chen ordered a couple of dishes and some beer. On the way here, he'd mentioned that he wasn't local but from Luoyang, Henan. He'd come here for a job he found online. The guy was chatty and easygoing, and before long, we were laughing like old friends.
Once the food arrived, he started talking about the job that brought him here. Clearly, he wanted my help; otherwise, why keep harping on about it?
Apparently, he'd already negotiated the payment with his client when he stumbled upon my little tree-demon exorcism. He was so impressed by my skills that he wanted me to team up with him for the job. "We'll split the earnings 70/30," he offered—70% for him, 30% for me.
"Wait, what's the total payout?" I asked, worried it might just be a few thousand yuan. But then he held up three fingers. "The client's offering a million yuan. Your cut would be 300,000."
Holy crap. Did I hear that right? What kind of job pays that much? That's three years of living expenses for me. Was this the legendary "one big score"?
Seeing my jaw practically hit the table, Xie Chen smirked and explained. "I don't take jobs under 100,000 yuan. This one's about finding someone—a missing young woman. She and her boyfriend disappeared while hiking in a remote mountain range in Henan. I did some calculations and determined she's still alive. I'm 90% sure we can find her."
Missing person cases usually go to the police or private detectives, right? Why hire a paranormal consultant?
Xie Chen seemed to read my thoughts. Flashing a sly grin, he said, "Because that mountain's haunted. None of the other professionals dare take the job. But me? I live for this kind of thing. The only problem is that the place is crawling with ghosts and monsters. That's why I need a skilled partner like you. So, what do you say?"
I was just about to agree when Yanzi interrupted, her voice laced with caution. "Ask him where exactly you'll be going."
I relayed her question, and Xie Chen replied, "It's called the Great Wild Mountain in Henan."
My heart skipped a beat. Could it be…?
He continued, pulling out some photos. "And in the mountain, there's an abandoned village called Juehu Village. That's where they went missing."
Damn it! I knew it! That cursed village again. I grabbed the photos, my hands trembling. The scenery matched the images on Moxi's camera—same creepy vibes, different angles. But the last photo nearly made my heart stop: it was of a stunningly beautiful girl.
It was Xiao Xiang.
"She's gorgeous, isn't she?" Xie Chen asked with a lecherous grin. "If we save her, who knows? She might fall for you. Money and a love story—it's a win-win!"
Yanzi immediately protested. "No way. We're not going. Absolutely not!"
But this wasn't up for debate. I slammed my hand on the table. "I'm in!"
Yanzi, furious, muttered a curse under her breath. Suddenly, my forehead slammed into the table, splattering oil and food all over my face. Damn it. Could I embarrass myself any further?
"Are you okay, Mr. Wang?" Xie Chen asked, looking genuinely concerned.
Wiping my face, I forced a smile. "No worries. I'm going. No matter what!"