Chen Ge asked Old Wu to show their credentials to the landlord, and the two entered the rented apartment to take a look around.
Chi Ren had left in a hurry. Half-finished takeout sat on the table, all sorts of clothes were strewn across the sofa, and the drawers were left open. The room was a complete mess, as if it had been ransacked by burglars.
"Did Chi Ren tell you where he was planning to go?"
"No, but he's been on the phone a lot lately. It sounded like he was trying to get someone to take him in for a while. He even got into a few big arguments with whoever was on the other end." The landlord pointed at the wall. "Old building — the soundproofing's pretty poor. Chi Ren usually seems like a nice enough guy, but when he gets angry, it's actually terrifying."
"Did you happen to catch any important names or places?" Chen Ge's expression turned serious.
"They seemed to mention a deli called Shili Xiang. The owner's surname might also be Chi." The information the landlord could provide was limited. While they were talking, Chen Ge had already quietly let Men Nan out.
While the two chatted, Men Nan searched the entire apartment, but didn't find anything useful.
Leaving the apartment building, Old Wu drove Chen Ge to the Shili Xiang Deli.
The shop was located on Century Avenue, the most bustling commercial street in Xinhai. By a curious coincidence, Shangguan Qinghong's haunted house was also near Century Avenue — the two establishments belonged to the same commercial district.
"The Century Avenue district stays brightly lit around the clock with plenty of foot traffic. Hiding here really is a solid choice." In places teeming with people, vengeful ghosts found it extremely inconvenient to operate. Even Red-Robed entities would be affected.
"Brother Wu, just drop me off at the deli and you can go. I've really troubled you today. Once things calm down, I'll treat you to a meal, no question."
"Are you going to be okay on your own? This is Xinhai — you don't know the place at all. You really shouldn't go doing anything dangerous by yourself." Old Wu gave Chen Ge his phone number. "If you run into trouble, call me and I'll try to figure something out for you."
"Thank you."
Old Wu had come along with Teacher Wang and still had his own duties to attend to, so he couldn't stick around with Chen Ge for long. But just driving him all the way to Xinhai was already something Chen Ge was deeply grateful for.
Carrying two large bags, Chen Ge found the Shili Xiang Deli without difficulty.
The shop wasn't big, but business was booming. A long line snaked out from the entrance.
"Doing pretty well for themselves."
A full fifteen minutes passed before Chen Ge reached the front. He eyed the various deli items displayed in the glass case and took in the rich, mouthwatering aroma. "Boss, how come your deli smells so much better than everywhere else's?"
"Secret family recipe — the marinade's been passed down for generations. This flavor is one of a kind in the entire world!" The owner was a big, round man who looked rather comical.
"I'll take a little of everything. I'm a real meat lover." As he spoke, Chen Ge quietly observed the owner and the staff, but noticed nothing out of the ordinary. It really did seem like a perfectly normal deli.
After paying, Chen Ge left with a large bag of food.
Night had fallen, but the streets were still packed with traffic. If anything, the crowds had grown even livelier rather than thinning out.
"Xinhai really is a big city." Carrying his two bags and the bag of deli food, Chen Ge spotted Shangguan Qinghong's haunted house at the next street corner. Compared to the main road, foot traffic here was significantly lighter.
"Last time I came, this was still someone else's haunted house."
The moment Chen Ge stepped inside, an employee came over with an enthusiastic welcome — but the instant she saw his face, she stumbled back several paces.
"Ch-Chen Ge…" The female employee had far too deep an impression of Chen Ge. Her boss had been hospitalized twice because of this terrifying man standing right in front of her.
"From now on, call me boss. New Century Paradise has purchased this place." Chen Ge pulled a certificate of ownership from his bag. "Go gather all the available employees. I have something to tell you."
Their mortal enemy had become their new boss. The employees in the lobby all wore grim expressions, staring at Chen Ge the way people in TV dramas look at the main villain — the kind who drives a poor family to the brink of ruin and still won't let up.
"What are you standing around for? Go already!" Chen Ge had no intention of bullying these employees. Granted, this haunted house had started trouble with him first, but he was a magnanimous person — those old grudges hadn't stayed on his mind at all.
Ten-odd minutes later, several employees still in their monster makeup hurried out from the attraction scenes. Including the cashier and the maintenance staff who handled plumbing and general upkeep, there were a total of five employees standing in the lobby.
"Why are there only you five? Where is everyone else? Trying to give me the cold shoulder?" In Chen Ge's memory, this haunted house had at least a dozen employees.
"Visitors kept getting fewer and fewer, wages couldn't be paid on time, and on top of that there were rumors about the place being actually haunted — a lot of people just quit on their own," the female employee said quietly. "Because we don't have enough staff, we've only been running the two most popular sub-attractions."
"With a prime location like this, and visitors are somehow declining? Sounds like Shangguan Qinghong really needs to do some serious self-reflection." Chen Ge looked at the remaining five employees. "Shangguan Qinghong has sold this place to me. If you're willing to keep working here, you're welcome to stay. If not, I'll make sure you get every cent of the wages Shangguan Qinghong owed you, and we'll part on good terms."
Hearing that Chen Ge would pay out their back wages, all five remaining employees were tempted. In the end, four of them — including the front-desk employee — chose to resign.
Chen Ge settled their wages on the spot. "You don't need to come in tomorrow. I hope you all find better jobs."
After the handover was complete, the four employees removed their makeup and left. In the vast haunted house, only Chen Ge and one female employee remained.
"Why didn't you leave with the others?" Chen Ge looked at the female employee and thought she looked somewhat familiar.
"I live here normally. If I leave, I'll have nowhere to go."
"You've been working here a while — you must have saved up a decent amount. How could you not even be able to afford a place to rent?" As he said this, Chen Ge momentarily forgot that he himself lived in a haunted house every day.
"My younger brother's health isn't good. Medical bills, school expenses — they add up. I try to save wherever I can." The female employee spoke softly. She seemed quite afraid of Chen Ge, but for the sake of her wages and a place to live, she forced herself to stand her ground.
"Family troubles?" Chen Ge nodded. "Add me on WeChat first. I'll pay you the wages Shangguan Qinghong owed, and from now on you can continue working here."
"Thank you… boss."
"We've met before, haven't we? I keep feeling like your face is familiar."
"My name is Hu Die. Everyone calls me Xiao Die. Last time you came here to visit, you played the Pen Spirit game with me." The female employee answered in a small voice.
"Oh, that was you! Without the makeup, I almost didn't recognize you." Chen Ge remembered the girl now. Back then, he and Xiao Die had played the Pen Spirit game together. During the second round, he had pulled out the pen that actually contained a real Pen Spirit, and Xiao Die had fainted on the spot.
To avoid any awkwardness, Chen Ge changed the subject. "Everyone outside says our haunted house is actually haunted. You've experienced it firsthand — so why do you keep working here? Aren't you afraid?"
"There's nothing in this world scarier than being poor." Xiao Die clasped her hands together. Her family situation was clearly not good.
"Don't dwell on the unhappy stuff. Work hard and I can't promise you'll get rich, but at the very least I can double your pay — no question." Chen Ge didn't like making empty promises or giving polite nonsense. When he said something, he meant it.
"The employee benefits here will be much better than what you had before. You should really find yourself a place to stay first. I'm not kicking you out — last time I came, I noticed your haunted house does have a problem." Chen Ge stared into Xiao Die's eyes. "There seem to be unclean things wandering around at night. For your own safety, you should move out."
Xiao Die nodded, looking rather pitiful.