Chapter 2: More money! We absolutely have to pay more!!

As night fell, Zhong Wan saw the cleaning staff off and finished fixing the doorplate.

She looked at the red words "The Miracles of the Namiya General Store" above, and curled her lip in disdain. Namiya General Store... Haha, it couldn't relieve any of her worries.

The brand isn't big, but Zhong Wan felt it was alright.

But standing at the doorway, I was dumbfounded when I looked up at the height.

Zhong Wan hesitated, then looked down at her phone to search for the installation fee and checked her balance.

Without hesitation, he rolled up his sleeves, went inside, and brought out a ladder.

Zhong Wan struggled to carry the plaque and, using the slightly shaky ladder, hung it up.

I was relieved to see that it was securely hung up.

Zhong Wan clapped her hands, stood in front of the door, looked up at the slightly crooked signboard, and said uncertainly, "Um, system, is this okay?"

...

She was met with silence, followed by a somewhat lifeless, static-like sound saying, "[Ding~ Host has successfully opened a shop...]"

[The initial funding of 9,000 yuan has been received.]

"What?"

Zhong Wan was shocked: "No way, how could you go back on your word? What happened to the promised ten thousand?"

[Host's attitude towards opening the store is perfunctory, deduct 1000 points!!!]

Zhong Wan couldn't help but take a deep breath, just about to speak...

I heard a ticking sound with my sharp ears.

She said rapidly, "I don't care, once I put the sign up correctly, you have to give me back the money you withheld from me!!"

Before the system could respond, she was about to turn her head when she saw the dim light in the room flicker and then snap off.

In addition, there was a faint, chilly breeze that I could feel.

Zhong Wan's heart clenched, and the hairs on her body stood on end instantly.

An indescribable chill crept up her spine and spread throughout her body. Zhong Wan hugged herself tightly. Trembling with fear, she cautiously turned her head back.

Her gaze lowered, and her sharp eyes spotted the footprints slowly appearing on the ground, one step, two steps...

One by one, blurry, invisible footprints were slowly approaching her...

"Uh...ha..."

Zhong Wan didn't dare look up at it, but she could clearly hear that the sound definitely wasn't coming from the location of her head.

Zhong Wan tried desperately to calm herself down, but her body was still trembling uncontrollably, even her teeth were chattering.

She wanted to run, but her legs wouldn't obey her commands, as if they were frozen in place.

"My head...my head..."

"Install..."

[Ding: Spirit detected, system task in progress...]

[Task: Help him put his head back on, restoring his facial features and body.]

[Task Reward: 10,000 RMB]

Ten thousand yuan? !

Zhong Wan's eyes widened instantly upon seeing it clearly. She took a deep breath to calm herself down, then turned around stiffly to look.

"ah……"

Although she was prepared, Zhong Wan was still nearly scared to death when she saw it.

She quickly covered her mouth with her hand and subconsciously bit her tongue.

"More money! We absolutely have to pay more!!"

The moonlight shone on it, passing through it as if it were nothing.

But Zhong Wan saw it very clearly.

It... really exists...

Zhong Wan's eyes were filled with fear, but thinking of the reward, she secretly pinched her arm.

She can do it!

As long as the task is completed, the insurance premiums will be paid...

But her expression remained unchanged, and she bluntly retorted:

"You didn't say ghosts were this scary! I have to pay extra! And I also need compensation for emotional distress!!"

"No extra money, no discussion! You can do this damn task yourself!"

Zhong Wan couldn't see its face clearly. Its eyebrows, eyes, and body seemed like a pile of mud, a bloody mess, leaving only a black, transparent phantom.

Zhong Wan swallowed hard, her eyes filled with fear and a thirst for money.

The creaking sound of the door in the slight breeze added to the sense of dread in the quiet room.

"You...can...see me?"

Its voice was hoarse and dry, and what was even more terrifying was the location from which it emitted the sound.

Zhong Wan subconsciously lowered her eyes and looked at the middle part of its body...

As if sensing her gaze, Zhong Wan watched in disbelief as the phantom slowly raised its arm, and the source of its voice seemed to shift upwards as well.

"Help me...help me...put your head back on...please?"

"Huh?!"

Zhong Wan's eyes widened instantly, and she repeated incredulously, "Put on... a head?!"

After Zhong Wan finished speaking, she couldn't help but swallow again.

He instinctively took a step back.

At the same time, she couldn't help but scream in her heart.

"Waaaaah (╥╯^╰╥), System, come out here! How am I supposed to have a head?!"

"What should I do? This is so scary!"

You can just draw it.

"that's all?"

【Yes. 】

"But I didn't bring a pen or paper..."

[...The items have been placed in the counter drawer. Please take them!]

Zhong Wan's eyes lit up. She raised her hand to soothe the ghost in front of her, and said while backing away, "Wait a minute, I need to go inside to get something, and I need to turn on the light, otherwise I won't be able to see what you look like in the dark."

She had barely finished speaking when she caught a glimpse of the lights inside flicker twice and then come back on.

I've opened it for you, you're welcome.

"Thank you, grandma!"

Zhong Wan tried her best to calm her racing heart, gritting her teeth as she said, "Did I tell you to drive? And if you were capable of driving, why didn't you drive sooner?!"

You didn't say that.

The system claimed innocence, but Zhong Wan was quite angry.

"What……?"

Hearing its dry, hoarse voice, Zhong Wan quickly shook her head: "It's okay, it's okay, I'll go in and draw it for you right away."

She paused, looking at the blood-stained black mist before her, and asked hesitantly, "I can't even see what he looks like? How can I draw him?"

[The third shelf on the left against the wall contains old newspapers.]

Zhong Wan's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she said as she stepped inside, "I'll go in and get ready, wait a minute."

Using the dim light, Zhong Wan quickly went to the shelf and began rummaging through it. Sure enough, she found a newspaper under a pile of miscellaneous goods.

She carefully picked it up and looked at it. The most striking thing was the tragic news report. Next to it was a faded black and white photograph. The faces of the people were somewhat unrecognizable, but their smiles were still bright and radiant.

Zhong Wan, holding the newspaper, carefully walked around it to the counter, her hand trembling as she raised it, pointed to the photo, and asked softly, "Is this... you?"

"……yes."

After confirming it, it chuckled softly.

As if realizing something amusing,

"You...aren't...afraid of me?"

Upon hearing this, Zhong Wan quickly nodded: "A little, but I'm more afraid of being poor o(╥﹏╥)o."

"hehe."

As if it had heard something amusing, the illusory figure chuckled softly twice.

Then, in a hoarse voice, he said, "Yes... money... it really is a wonderful thing."

His voice was full of melancholy.

Zhong Wan had no desire to have a long chat with it; she just wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible.

She sat down in the chair, opened the drawer, and picked up the pen and paper stored in the system.

Just as he was about to pick up his pen to draw, something occurred to him, and he quickly shouted, "System! Remember to give me more money! Twenty thousand!!!"

You're dreaming!!! At most 15,000!

"OK, fifteen thousand it is."

Zhong Wan chuckled, picked up her paintbrush, and said hesitantly in a low voice, "I'll try drawing one first. It's been a long time since I've painted, so please don't mind if it's not good."

"If you're not satisfied, just say so. Please don't get angry. I can redraw it, but I can't stand being frightened."

"Hehe... okay."

A hint of amusement flashed in the phantom's eyes, then it stood quietly to the side.

Seeing Zhong Wan intently studying the newspaper,

Watching the characters slowly take shape under her pen,

A hint of nostalgia flashed in his eyes.

It looks so much like it...

How long has it been since he last saw his own face...?

"Okay, is it alright now?"

Zhong Wan finally finished the last stroke and breathed a sigh of relief.

She's finally finished drawing; hopefully her prize money won't be wasted.

Then she looked up, but to her surprise, she didn't see the illusory figure. She vaguely felt a chill beside her. Her gaze darted away, and she quietly moved aside, turning her head back with a look of utter despair.

Sure enough, the phantom figure appeared beside her at some point o(╥﹏╥)o.

Looking into her tear-filled eyes, the illusory figure smiled gently.

"Thank you, I'm very satisfied."

His voice became much smoother.

Then, as if the black mist had dissipated somewhat, his figure vaguely appeared before her eyes.

[The mission is nearing completion. The final step is for the host to burn the drawing in front of it.]

The sudden mechanical sound startled Zhong Wan. She hesitated, looking at the illusory figure before her, then at the drawing she had just finished, and tentatively asked, "Should I burn it for you?"

"good."

With his consent, Zhong Wan quickly got up, found a basin and a lighter, and then burned them in front of him. She even asked considerately, "Is there anything else you require?"

"That's all, thank you."

[Ding! Mission complete.]

[Rewards being distributed...]

[Distribution complete.]

The sudden mechanical voice made Zhong Wan's eyes light up. The moment it finished speaking, Zhong Wan's phone rang.

Zhong Wan got up, picked up her phone, glanced at it, and couldn't help but laugh after seeing what it said.

She breathed a sigh of relief, and the tears she had been holding back instantly streamed down her face.

Zhong Wan didn't care at all. She casually wiped her eyes and looked at the phantom with a smile through her tears. Seeing that he looked exactly like the one she had described, she said enthusiastically, "You're welcome. Come and find me anytime if you need anything. I'll give you a discount if you refer a new customer."

"Thank you, but I have to go now. There will be no more after this."

"Huh?"

His obsession was to regain his complete body and facial features; now that the obsession has vanished, it's time for him to leave.

"Where are we going?"

[They may be reincarnated and reborn, become guardian spirits to protect a region, or merge with nature and become part of the world.]

Zhong Wan remained silent for a moment, then, remembering something, she got up, took out gold ingots and paper money, and put them into the basin.

Smiling, he looked at the illusory figure and said, "Then let's go. I wish you all the best. There's nothing I can do to help you, and I don't even know if these things will be of any use."

"But they say you should be frugal on the road even if you're poor, so you should take some with you too, just in case."

"Thanks."

...