People nearby all said that the snowfall was strange. Snowfall is not like rain; there's no saying of sunny days alternating with rain. When it snows, it snows everywhere, yet that snowfall never reached Black Tiger Ridge. People claimed that it was the great immortal on Black Tiger Ridge who buried the people, and that the Datong Goods Station was finished. No one expected that when spring arrived the following year, Bai Shanjun would come to the city with people to deliver a greeting card to the merchants, saying he wanted to sell a batch of good goods. All the major merchants thought they had encountered a ghost, but Bai Shanjun insisted that he had left with people before the heavy snow blocked the mountain, and that snowfall hadn't buried them. However, no one believed him. A group of twenty or thirty people coming out from Black Tiger Ridge surely needed a place to stay, right? In the surrounding dozens of miles, no one saw them come out. Besides, what happened to the coffins and the dead that were at the entrance of the Datong Goods Station at that time? They couldn't have just melted away with the snow. The owners of the major merchant houses, not knowing whether it was out of curiosity or some other reason, all went to the Datong Inn. That day, Bai Shanjun really displayed quite a few rare items, making a hefty profit and also raising the reputation of the Datong Goods Station. At that time, everyone speculated that Bai Shanjun must have taken people up to Black Tiger Ridge before the heavy snow blocked the mountain and had hidden there for the entire winter. Whether this claim was credible, no one could say for sure. The Northeast's winter lasts as long as five months, and by the time the heavy snow blocked the mountain, even the bandits on the mountain had to scatter and find a place to hide for the winter. How did Bai Shanjun survive on the mountain for nearly half a year? Bai Shanjun and the Datong Goods Station rose amidst all sorts of mysteries, becoming unstoppable from then on. When the last manager of the Datong Goods Station, Bai Chengye, wanted to build a department store on ancestral land, the legends of the Datong Goods Station's rise were not only dug up but also spread widely. Some said: Bai Chengye had been fooled by foreign devils, and moving the ancestral land would ruin the fortune of the Datong Goods Station. Others said: Bai Chengye had no choice but to move the ancestral land; Bai Shanjun must have used some method to disrupt the fortune of the Datong Goods Station. The Datong Goods Station thrived for decades, and if they didn't adjust the feng shui, it would easily shift from prosperity to decline. Various legends also drew countless curious people, and from the day construction of the Datong Department Store began, some started quietly keeping an eye on the Datong Goods Station. All kinds of strange events followed one after another.
After the news that Datonghao was going to build a department store spread in Shengtian City, many people proactively approached Bai Chengye, hoping to take over the business, but they were all politely declined by Bai Chengye. Instead, he found an old tiler from the northern region. When the old tiler came over, he only brought two apprentices.Just the three of them, and they want to build a department store?Who would believe such a thing? But that old tiler really didn't hire a single worker; he had the guys from Datonghao use canvas to surround the old goods yard three times, and then he moved in with his two apprentices. People who delivered stones to Datonghao said that once you entered that canvas circle, it was like stepping into a Bagua formation; you couldn't tell east from west or north from south at all.You can only follow the person in front of you, and before long, you become dazed, your mind goes blank, and all you know is to push the cart forward.By the time the materials were unloaded and I came out of the canvas circle, I felt as if I had walked over ten miles of mountain roads, so exhausted that I could barely stand. Daitong Department Store was renovated for a whole year and finally opened on the exact sixtieth anniversary of the Daitong brand. That day, there were quite a few people who rushed over to see the commotion, but not a single one dared to buy anything there.Anyone who entered Datong Department Store said it didn't seem like a place for living people to do business; the building was as cold as a cellar, and as soon as one stepped inside, the hairs on their body would stand on end. There are quite a few windows in Datong Department Store, but the interior is surprisingly dark and relies on hanging lamps for illumination.But those hanging lamps all used white wax, and when the light shone down, the floor was filled with shadows. In some places, there were more shadows than people, and the waitstaff's faces were illuminated to a ghostly white, making the place feel lifeless. The strangest thing is that in the clothing section of Datong Department Store, even though there is a long row of mirrors, they are all covered with black cloth, and the staff won't let anyone look in the mirrors no matter what. Daitong Department Store had been open for three days, and not only did they not sell a single item, but no one was willing to go into the store either. Datong Department Store, in an effort to attract customers, printed vouchers, gave away gifts, and even offered free meals.You have to understand, back in those days, there weren't so many promotional tactics like today. The department store was just there, and you could come or not come as you pleased.If it were free meals, even the biggest shop would go bankrupt. If Datonghao does this, it would be equivalent to losing money for the sake of publicity. However, no one dared to go to Datong Department Store. Many people, upon reaching the entrance of Datong Department Store, either felt extremely anxious or their hands and feet trembled uncontrollably, and they dared not step inside despite staring at the door.A few brave people went in to have a meal, but when they got home, they developed high fevers and couldn't get out of bed for several days; some even died. These were people who hadn't bought anything from Datonghao. As for those who had, they had all become the kind of dead people that even the undertaker dared not handle. Many people say that the tiler hired by Datonghao back then was not a proper craftsman, didn't understand the rules of tiling, and offended the deity when breaking ground. The deity got angry and caused a commotion in the store. This matter, in the local area, has become more and more exaggerated; the locals say that even if Datong Department Store offers silver dollars, they won't go.
Datong Department Store had no customers, and as a result, Datonghao's business also plummeted.In less than a month, they inexplicably lost goods several times, nearly ruining the reputation of Datonghao. When everyone at Datonghao was at their wits' end, the shopkeeper Bai Chengye moved in with his entire family and a few elderly members of Datonghao into Datong Department Store.Outsiders thought they moved in to prove that Datong Department Store wasn't a haunted place, but no one expected those people to disappear without a trace at some unknown time. If it weren't for the debt collectors who showed up at the time, no one would have known that Datong Department Store had become an empty building. It is said that when the debt collector went there, Datong Department Store still had its doors open as if it were conducting business, but the building was already empty inside.He shouted for a long time but no one came out. Already scared out of his wits, he suddenly heard someone ask, "Sir, do you want to buy something?"At that moment, he was so scared that he crawled out in a panic. After Bai Chengye and the others disappeared, Datong Department Store still opened and closed at the same times every day, but there were no signs of people inside the building. Over the years, many people have had their eyes on Datong Department Store, but once they went in, they never came out.Daitong Department Store became a notorious haunted place, and no one dared to go there anymore. Old Han paused here. I pondered for a moment before asking, "Really, has no one ever set their sights on Datong Department Store?"The little devils and bandits haven't made any plans to target Datong?Han Laogui said, "I've really looked into this matter carefully.""The Northeastern bandits, although lawless, rarely touch things that are taboo."They really never had anyone set their sights on Datong Department Store."The little devils did go to Datong Department Store once. It is said that at that time, a Japanese monk followed them inside, and in the end, only that monk managed to escape."However, that monk didn't last long after arriving at the gendarmerie and soon passed away.The gendarmerie not only said nothing about the monk's cause of death but also burned his body clean in a large vat.Since then, the gendarmerie sealed the doors of Datong Department Store, not allowing anyone to enter."After that, the legend of Datong Department Store seemed to have suddenly come to an end, and there were no more rumors about it.""Until half a month ago, some forums online started posting about Datonghao, but the interest was low, as if no one was really interested in Datonghao."I asked, "Can we find out who posted the messages?"I asked, "Can we find out who posted it?"