Escape from the Thriller World – Chapter 7
by Little PandaVolume One: The Old Corpse in the Mountain Village
Moving into the Tong Lau
【Successfully Entered the Tong Lau】
Ning Lan got a lead on Wei Jinye from Xu Sanduo. During her free time, she wandered over to the small shop outside the Tong Lau and bought an old soda in a glass bottle.
With this soda that was full of a sense of the times, she felt as if she was truly in the 1970s Hong Kong.
Next, the death watch on her wrist vibrated once more.
【Game System Notification】
【Spent 300 HKD】
【Unlocked storyline character: Wei Jinye’s clue】
【You received a new reward: 15 points】
Once enough points are accumulated, you can unlock the shop in the next level to exchange for new game items.
She asked the small shop owner for a straw, inserted it into the soda bottle, and sat down on a low stool outside.
While sipping her soda, Ning Lan caught sight of a familiar figure: Shen Qingyou, dressed in a qipao, also arrived at the Tong Lau.
Shen Qingyou had the same thought as Ning Lan and also asked Xu Sanduo about Wei Jinye’s whereabouts.
Xu Sanduo, being the security team leader, never turns down money. After receiving Shen Qingyou’s payment, he shared the information with her as well.
Not only did Ning Lan think of this, but Shen Qingyou did too.
The two of them really are enemies on a narrow road, bumping into each other even in such circumstances.
As Shen Qingyou approached, Ning Lan, holding her soda, slipped away sheepishly.
Taking advantage of this gap, Ning Lan inquired with the small shop owner about a camera store on the street and headed in that direction.
Shen Qingyou crossed her arms and watched her retreating figure, secretly following her.
She was curious to see what trick Ning Lan was up to.
The game’s setting allows for clothing changes but doesn’t provide tools, which is a bug. Ning Lan had no choice but to buy some props for decoration in this realistic game shop.
Shen Qingyou observed Ning Lan’s movements from the shadows. Ning Lan got an old-style camera from the camera shop and hung it around her neck. Combined with her outfit, she looked very much like a news reporter.
Ning Lan instinctively glanced back, and Shen Qingyou quickly dodged to avoid being seen.
One was in the dark, the other in the light.
Ning Lan had already noticed she was being followed, but she chose not to say anything.
Ning Lan returned to the small shop and asked for a bottle of orange soda, shaking it as she watched Shen Qingyou hurriedly buying snacks.
Walking beside her, she said, “I never thought Miss Shen had a hobby of following people.”
“I’m not interested,” Shen Qingyou replied.
Shen Qingyou was trying hard to hide her feelings, while Ning Lan gave a dry laugh and said nothing.
As they spoke, their common target, Wei Jinye, appeared.
An old red-plated car stopped in front of the Tong Lau, and Wei Jinye in the passenger seat waved to Xu Sanduo.
Xu Sanduo approached respectfully and greeted, “Master Jinye, you’re back quite early today.”
Wei Jinye has a distinct characteristic: he loves wearing a big gold chain around his neck, believing it shows off his boss-like style.
He jiggled the gold chain and smiled, saying, “Sanduo is sensible, more money at the end of the month.”
One of his lackeys gave Xu Sanduo a look and said, “Jinye is going to give you a raise, you better work hard!”
Wei Jinye’s lackey was busy buttering him up, looking attentive and flattering. He pulled out a pack of Da Qian Men cigarettes from his brown jacket and lit one for Wei Jinye, his face full of smiles.
Wei Jinye, smoking a Da Qian Men, patted the lackey on the shoulder and said, “You’ve got potential, work well with Jinye!”
The lackey flattered him, saying, “Jinye, you are like a reborn parent to our Er Pao!”
Wei Jinye laughed and took a few Hong Kong dollars out of his leather bag, tossing them generously as a tip. The lackey caught the tip and continued flattering Wei Jinye.
The lackey went to park the car while Wei Jinye, leaning on a cane, got out from the passenger seat. He wore black sunglasses and had a few gold teeth.
Wei Jinye is a businessman who specializes in acquiring properties and then selling or renting them to tenants. With high demand for real estate and many residential occupants, wealth came pouring in for him, and he spent his days in the Tong Lau counting money.
With a grin that showed off his gold teeth, Wei Jinye, full of pride, walked into the Tong Lau, leaning on his cane.
At this moment, a person dressed as a reporter rushed out in front of the Tong Lau to interview Wei Jinye, saying, “Mr. Jinye, would you like to expand your business in the newspapers? I’m a reporter from Hongxia News.”
“Ka-cha ka-cha,” Ning Lan operated the vintage camera, snapping several shots of Wei Jinye.
Wei Jinye took off his black sunglasses and looked at Ning Lan, saying, “From Hongxia News? Your editor-in-chief and I go way back. Did he send you to interview me?”
“Editor-in-chief Du Feng has tried to schedule a meeting with you several times, but you’re like a ‘mystical dragon whose head is seen but not the tail’ (meaning elusive or hard to catch). So he sent me for a special interview,” Ning Lan replied with a cheerful smile.
The game had uploaded the entire historical background of 《The Wicked Ghost》 into their minds, requiring players to use their own abilities to advance the storyline.
The only bug is that you need to trigger a storyline character to get the next clue.
The details of the game level are so realistic that she felt like she was in a live-action movie.
Ning Lan learned from Xu Sanduo that Wei Jinye is soft-eared (meaning easily swayed by flattery) and enjoys hearing praise about himself.
She cleverly used a character from the Hongxia News background of this era.
Without attracting attention, she disguised herself as a reporter to inquire with Wei Jinye, who then invited Ning Lan upstairs for iced lemon tea.
Wei Jinye kept an entire floor vacant for himself; the 10th floor was solely for his use.
He transformed the 10th floor into his office area, leisure area, and play area, with the last room being his rest area.
Wei Jinye never lacked money to spend; he spent it as if tossing paper. He even had a few mistresses from “Heaven on Earth” karaoke lounges, who sometimes stayed on the 10th floor.
Ning Lan glanced around the quiet Tong Lau during the day. Most of the young residents had gone to work, leaving behind some elderly grandparents and children in the building.
In the hallway, a five or six-year-old child babbled while holding a doll, which was snatched away by another child.
Soon after, the hallway echoed with the cries of a child, eerily reminiscent of a cat’s mating call in spring, each cry chilling to the bone.
From deep within the corridor seemed to come a nursery rhyme:
“Sister carrying a doll, went to the garden to see mom, called out to the flower doll, earthworms on the ground, giggling.”
A child’s figure slowly approached her, and the face of a paper doll appeared before her eyes!
The paper doll’s cheeks were smeared with blush, its sunken eyes made of straw, and its mouth was sewn shut with thread!
“Stab me, stab me, mom stab me…” the paper doll repeatedly muttered.
A gust of cold wind hit her, sending a shiver down her spine.
It must be an illusion, a hallucination brought on by the butterfly effect.
Ning Lan walked to the center of the floor, breathing heavily, trying to calm herself down.
“Little reporter, can’t walk anymore?” Wei Jinye turned and asked her.
Ning Lan snapped out of it and followed behind Wei Jinye. One of his lackeys came up and asked, “Master Jinye, haven’t you always disliked interviews with these reporters? Why let her in?”
“I saw through her identity at a glance. I wanted to probe her intentions,” Wei Jinye whispered to the lackey.
Wei Jinye took Ning Lan into his lounge for tea, instructing the lackey to have the maid prepare refreshing iced lemon tea in the kitchen.
The maid brought up two glasses of iced lemon tea on a tray, and Wei Jinye, with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, gestured for Ning Lan to taste the iced lemon tea.
The lackey stood guard at the door while Ning Lan took out a notebook from her bag to prepare for the interview notes, saying, “Mr. Jinye, I’d like to ask you some questions for the next issue.”
Wei Jinye replied with feigned seriousness, “Reporters from Hongxia News have already spread all my trivial matters. You’re not a reporter, are you?”
Are the characters in the game really this smart? Did Wei Jinye see through her flaw?
【Game System Notification】
【Alert Warning】
【Mission is about to fail, entering a loop.】
Ning Lan was sweating with anxiety.
Ning Lan continued to feign ignorance, saying, “Mr. Jinye, you have a keen eye. I’m a new reporter at Hongxia News, and today is the first task given to me by Editor Du Feng.”
Wei Jinye tapped his cane a few times and said, “Nonsense! I suspected something was off at the door. Hongxia reporters always have a symbolic badge next to their left pocket, but you don’t, so you’re not a reporter at all!”
The lackey at the door’s face turned serious, and he walked in, ready to throw Ning Lan out.
Ning Lan quickly changed her tone, saying, “Jinye, I disguised as a reporter to meet you because I have information to exchange with you.”
Wei Jinye waved his hand and said, “Er Pao, hurry up and throw her out for disturbing my peace.”
“Jinye! Don’t you want to solve the ghost problem at the Tong Lau?” Ning Lan shouted desperately as the lackey was about to drag her away at the door.
Wei Jinye paused his gaze on her for a few seconds, then gestured for the lackey to release her, saying, “Hold on. Er Pao, let her continue.”
The lackey released Ning Lan, and she bravely said, “I have a way to solve the Tong Lau issue, but first, Jinye, you need to arrange for me to stay in the Tong Lau so I can start my investigation.”
Wei Jinye was taken aback and asked, “I’ve hired so many Taoist priests without success, and you think you can do it?”
“I have my methods. Jinye, I’ll pay the rent as usual and help you solve the Tong Lau issue—it’s a win-win for you, right?” Ning Lan, knowing Wei Jinye is a businessman who wouldn’t engage in a losing deal, replied.
Just as Wei Jinye was about to agree with Ning Lan, Shen Qingyou appeared out of nowhere in casual clothes and interjected, “Count me in too, and I’ll pay the rent without delay!”
Wei Jinye sneered, “So, you two are here to rent a place from me, Jinye?”
“Jinye, you’re sharp. I’m new here and really can’t find a place to stay. I heard the Tong Lau is cheap, so…” Ning Lan explained.
“No need to say more. As long as you help Jinye solve the Tong Lau issue, the rent is free!” Wei Jinye added.
With Jinye’s approval, their move into the Tong Lau was settled.
【Game System Notification】
【Successfully entered the Tong Lau】
Ning Lan finally felt a sense of relief. She glanced at Shen Qingyou, who returned her look with an eye roll.
Rivals, truly rivals!
How did Shen Qingyou get up here? She climbed in through the iron bars at the back door of the Tong Lau.
Ning Lan noticed the scrapes on Shen Qingyou’s hands, paying attention to this detail.
It seemed she had some injuries on her hands, likely from using some kind of “force” to break in.
A woman who doesn’t follow the usual path—Shen Qingyou.
Did Ning Lan suddenly gain a bit of newfound respect for her?
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