Chapter 71 Kerosene Lamp Repair Materials Zhu Di's Experience at the Supervision Bureau...

Seeing the terrified and flustered look on the cleaner's face, Zhou Fangdong didn't press the matter: "Do you know where Quan Wuming is now... well, it's already afternoon, the one on duty should be Ming Wuqian, do you know where Ming Wuqian is?"

"He's on the third floor, I'll call him down right now." With that, the cleaner straightened his paper head and ran to the stairwell.

Zhou Fangdong followed him to the stairwell.

Zhou Fangdong had assumed he would run up the stairs and bring Ming Wuqian down from the third floor, but instead, he stood at the top of the stairs and yelled at the top, "Ming Wuqian—the landlord needs to see you—stop slacking off! Come down here!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a series of 'thump thump thump' footsteps sounded from the stairs.

Soon, a man in a cleaner's uniform ran down from upstairs, with blood still stained at the corner of his mouth.

He stopped abruptly in front of Zhou Fangdong, standing ramrod straight: "Landlord, you were looking for me?"

"Well, I'd like you to help me find the hidden room on the second floor."

After Zhou Fangdong said "find the hidden room," the paper-headed cleaner had already quietly slipped away.

Without asking what he wanted to do in this hidden room, Ming Wuqian simply peeled back the skin of his own chest and pulled out a familiar, warm, scarlet piece of flesh from his chest cavity.

Zhou Fangdong looked at the mass of flesh and blood with some surprise.

...Are Quan Wuming and Ming Wuqian's bodies still made of flesh-based Ganoderma lucidum?

With no money, he pressed the piece of flesh against the nearby wall.

The moment the piece of flesh touched the wall, it exploded. The flying fragments of flesh were like countless seeds scattered in the soil, taking root and sprouting at an extremely fast speed. They grew into thin branches that climbed rapidly up the wall, intertwined with each other, and eventually formed a strange door made of fleshy vines.

Upon seeing the door appear, Ming Wuqian stepped aside, making way for the entrance: "Landlord, this is the door to the hidden room."

Zhou Fangdong nodded and grasped the doorknob. Having obtained the hidden key, he easily opened the door.

As the door opened, a familiar, almost suffocatingly strong scent of gardenias wafted out.

The fragrance was much stronger than that in the activity room on the first floor, and when combined, it gave off a stench.

Zhou Fangdong took a few steps back uncomfortably and stood in the corridor, observing the room.

The first thing you see is a hand, a severed hand reaching for the door.

Then what came into view was the dense array of statues in the room—at first glance, they appeared to be countless clay deities, but upon closer inspection, one could see that hidden beneath the painted gold leaf and covered by broken pieces of clay were stiff, distorted corpses.

Unlike the activity room on the first floor, there wasn't a single ghost in this hidden room on the second floor.

When Zhou Fangdong opened the door, Ming Wuqian even took a few steps back. Although he didn't run away in fear like the paper-headed cleaner, his behavior suggested that he also disliked the things in the room and didn't want to go near them.

Zhou Fangdong only went inside after the strong scent of gardenias had dissipated somewhat.

Upon entering this hidden room, you are greeted by a large, open area, similar to the activity room on the first floor. However, it lacks any facilities and resembles a newly renovated, unfinished cement room. Inside, there are only complete or incomplete statues of corpses.

On the opposite side of the door, there were small, prison-like rooms divided into sections. The walls separating these rooms were also made of cement, and the inside of the cells was completely obscured without opening the doors.

Zhou Fangdong walked around the statues on the ground, came to the first small cell, and pushed open the door.

This was a torture chamber, with many bloodstained instruments of torture hanging on the walls, and hooks resembling those used in slaughterhouses dangling from the ceiling. The floor and walls were covered in bloodstains, the dark red bloodstains almost blending into the cement, forming unsettling, terrifying dark red patterns.

I opened three doors in a row, and they all had the same layout... until the fourth one.

The door had barely opened when Zhou Fangdong, before he could even see what was inside, heard a very familiar 'ding-ding' sound, followed by a system pop-up window:

[Kerosene lamp repair materials detected. Please collect them as soon as possible.]

Upon hearing the 'ding-ding' sound, Zhou Fangdong almost reflexively rushed into the room, and upon seeing the black jelly ball fleeing forward, he immediately threw a mid-level talisman to suppress it.

Having played so many games, this sound effect is practically ingrained in my DNA. If I don't hurry, the things in the room might just burrow into the ground like gem crystal bugs.

The fleeing little creature was instantly imprisoned in place by the talisman.

Zhou Fangdong breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did he see the situation in the room clearly.

This room was different from the others; it wasn't as bloody, nor did it contain as many gruesome instruments of torture. In the four corners of the room stood intact clay statues of gods, and in the center of the floor were summoning runes drawn in blood.

A dark, slime-like thing with a yellow talisman stuck to its back was motionless in the middle of the runes.

Zhou Fangdong stepped forward, about to pick it up, when he heard the system's cold electronic voice in his ear:

Please do not touch it with your hands; pick it up with your feet.

Zhou Fangdong was speechless.

...Does "pick it up with your feet" mean he should use his toes to pick it up?

Zhou Fangdong used his toes to pick up the lump on the ground.

The thing was a bit slippery; as soon as he picked it up, it slipped off Zhou Fangdong's shoe and fell to the ground with a 'thud'.

After landing on the ground, it flipped over, and Zhou Fangdong then discovered that there was actually a human face hidden under the slime.

Feeling a bit disgusted, Zhou Fangdong didn't pick it up again, but instead stepped on the face.

"System, is this okay?"

[Yes, extracting...]

The lump beneath Zhou Fangdong's feet dissipated at a visible speed. Looking at the weathering effect, he felt it looked somewhat familiar... It seemed to be the appearance of the evil god's clone in Penghu Home when it disappeared.

Extraction successful. Repair progress of the damaged kerosene lamp: 5%

Seeing the thing beneath his feet completely disappear, Zhou Fangdong immediately voiced his doubts: "System, was that thing an avatar of an evil god?"

[Not really, just a byproduct of the summoning ritual]

Please continue searching the other rooms in this hidden area and collecting repair materials.

Zhou Fangdong confirmed, "As long as I step on this thing, the system can extract it directly?"

【Yes】

Zhou Fangdong opened his character attribute panel.

After the last upgrade, he unlocked the [Dead Zone Invasion] skill, but he did not use the three attribute points he gained after the upgrade.

"System, add these three attribute points to my stamina bar."

There are probably seven or eight rooms left to check. If every room has this thing, it would be too extravagant to use 150 ghost coins to capture them all. It would be better to increase my stamina bar to make my reaction speed and sprint speed faster, so that I can step on it before it disappears.

[Okay, the stamina attribute points have been added.]

Zhou Fangdong stretched his body to adjust to his current physical condition before opening the next door.

*

While Zhou Fangdong was away at his apartment, the Control Bureau had already finished up the remaining issues at Penghu Homestead.

Currently, the head of the Paranormal Investigation Division is leading a team to conduct a thorough search of cult strongholds near Penghu Home, while Hung Chung is taking Su Wan, Chu Di, and other ordinary people who have been affected by paranormal events back to the Control Bureau for a more detailed examination.

Zhu Di and Su Wan were placed in the same ward. Su Wan was in a bad state because she had been completely replaced by the shadow. She was in a state of great fear and had not recovered even after arriving at the Bureau of Supervision. She even suffered from respiratory alkali poisoning due to hyperventilation.

Zhu Di sat beside Su Wan's hospital bed, looking worriedly at her best friend's pale face.

She gently patted Su Wan's hand, her voice as soft as if she were coaxing a child: "It's alright, Wanwan, it's all over now. We're in the ward of the Supervision Bureau now, it's very safe here."

Seeing that Su Wan was trembling with fear and unresponsive, she thought for a moment and tried to distract Su Wan with something else, "Wanwan, do you know Liwan Apartments? I heard from Miao Zheng that she lives there now. The apartment is very safe and won't be attacked by ghosts or monsters. Why don't we move there?"

Su Wan's gaze sharpened slightly, her hoarse, trembling voice filled with terror: "Zhu Di... are you injured too? Why don't you get checked out, maybe get a brain CT scan?"

“I’m fine, I’m serious.” Zhu Di squeezed Su Wan’s hand tightly, her expression serious. “A Ming and Hao Chuan are both missing, their fates unknown. I can’t lose you too. We’re already being targeted by bad guys, and we’ll definitely encounter similar things in the future… We have to find a way to survive.”

When Zhu Di mentioned their missing boyfriend, Su Wan paused for a moment, her mood clearly dropping: "But why did you decide to rent a place in Liwan Apartments? That's a notorious haunted building."

“Because I trust Miao Zheng. She’s a paranormal livestreamer certified by the Supervision Bureau. We were saved thanks to her this time. She said a safe place is definitely safe.” Zhu Di’s tone was very serious. “Wanwan, will you come with me?”

Su Wanhui grasped her hand: "I won't let you go to such a dangerous place alone. Since you've already made up your mind, I'll go with you to take a look."

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door. A staff member in the uniform of the Supervision Bureau pushed the door open and came in: "Ms. Zhu Di, excuse me, we need your help to confirm something."

"Okay, I'm coming right away." Zhu Di pulled his hand away and tucked the blanket around Su Wan. "You get some rest, I'll be right back."

Su Wan nodded and gave her a pale, weak smile.

After leaving the room with the staff member, Zhu Di heard him say, "We've found your boyfriend, Li Ming, and we need your help to confirm it."

Zhu Di abruptly raised her head, her eyes flashing with disbelief: "A-Ming?! Where is he? Is he alright?" Then, as if suddenly realizing something, the color drained from her face. "Confirmation, confirmation means... a corpse, or..."

The staff quickly reassured him, "He's alive and well right now, in the 'meeting room.' He only has some minor abrasions and bruises. We've done a preliminary check-up, and his vital signs are all normal. There are no obvious supernatural fluctuations, and his DNA matches your boyfriend's."

Overwhelmed with joy, Zhu Di's carefully maintained composure crumbled instantly, her eyes welled up with tears, and they flowed uncontrollably.

"Thank you! Thank you so much! By the way, how is the other guy who's with A-Ming? Is he alright?"

The staff member paused for a moment, then said softly, "We only found Li Ming; He Haochuan, who went missing with him, has not been found."

Zhu Di pursed her lips, the joy of learning that her boyfriend was safe and sound instantly overshadowed by a strange sense of guilt welling up in her heart.

He Haochuan is Su Wan's boyfriend. Now A Ming has returned unharmed, but Haochuan, who disappeared with him, is still missing and his fate is unknown... She can't even imagine how much of a blow Su Wan will suffer after learning this terrible news.

Zhu Di followed the staff member to the meeting room.

The 'reception room' has a one-way mirror. Standing here, you can clearly see the people inside, but the people inside cannot see the people outside.

Inside the room, Li Ming sat in a chair, looking exhausted.

He was wearing clean clothes provided by the supervisory bureau. There were large red abrasions on his right temple and cheek, as if he had been dragged hard after landing face down. His left forehead was swollen and bluish-purple, as if he had suffered a hematoma after being hit hard.

Just looking at those injuries made Zhu Di's heart ache... She had no idea what terrifying things A-Ming had encountered during his disappearance.

Just as Zhu Di was about to push open the door to reunite with her boyfriend, she was stopped by the staff member.

"Ms. Zhu Di, are you sure this is your missing boyfriend, Li Ming?"

Zhu Di paused for a moment, then nodded firmly: "I'm sure. We grew up together. Even if his face is badly injured, I can still recognize him at a glance."

The staff member nodded and took out a few photos from his pocket, handing them to Zhu Di.

Zhu Di took the photos and discovered that they were full-body photos of Li Ming wearing underwear, showing his front, side, and back views.

Before she could figure out why the staff member had given her the photo, the person said again, "Please carefully examine the birthmarks and scars on his body. Are they the same as the ones you remember?"

After a pause, the staff member explained, "Because there was a paranormal incident where an ordinary person was replaced by a supernatural creature and then integrated into human society, which led to a family massacre, we need your help to confirm this."

Hearing this, Zhu Di's expression turned serious, and he began to examine the photos carefully.

After a moment, she said with certainty, "I'm sure, he's exactly the same as the Ah Ming I remember."

"Okay." The staff member put away the photos, then took out a belt and tied it around her waist. "Now you can go in and meet him. Don't take the belt off."

Zhu Di nodded and went into the room.

Hearing the door open, Li Ming subconsciously looked up. Upon seeing that it was Zhu Di, he immediately stood up.

"Ah Ming!" Zhu Di rushed over with a sob in her voice, hugged him tightly, and buried her face in his chest.

Li Ming also reached out and hugged her, his movements precise and his strength just right. His voice came from above her head, a slightly deep voice that Zhu Di was familiar with: "Zhu Di, I'm back."

Zhu Di responded with a choked sob, but quickly realized that something seemed amiss.

She expected her boyfriend to hug her back even tighter, bury his head in her neck like a large dog, and even cry louder than she did.

...Li Ming may look like a tough guy on the outside, but he doesn't hide his emotions at all in front of her. He has cried countless times in front of her since he was a child. Now that there are only the two of them in the room, he can't possibly react so coldly.

The hug lasted only a dozen seconds before 'Ah Ming' gently and without hesitation released her.

His expression was calm, even 'perfect', showing the weariness of surviving a disaster, as well as the excitement and joy of seeing his girlfriend.

But Zhu Di felt a sudden emptiness in her heart.

Something's not right, this isn't Li Ming.

"You're scared, aren't you?" Zhu Di said, taking a step back and staring into his eyes, trying to find a familiar emotional fluctuation in them.

"Yeah, a little." 'Ah Ming' nodded, even giving a slight smile. "But I feel much better after seeing you."

This is a phrase that Ah Ming would say, but his tone was too calm, lacking that sense of dependence and coquetry.

Zhu Di's heart sank little by little. The bad premonition was like a tide, constantly spreading upwards, almost suffocating her.

She remembered what the staff member had just said… ‘There have been cases of ordinary people being replaced by supernatural beings.’

Zhu Di took a deep breath, trying to calm her turbulent emotions. She told 'Li Ming' what had happened to her and Su Wan in the neighborhood, emphasizing the danger Su Wan had encountered.

After hearing her finish speaking, 'Li Ming' breathed a sigh of relief, 'Fortunately, the people from the Supervision Bureau arrived in time, and thankfully you are alright.'

He didn't even spare a single bit of concern for Su Wan.

The four of them grew up together, from elementary school to university, and were each other's best friends. Hearing that Su Wan almost got into trouble, Li Ming shouldn't have reacted like this… He acted as if he was deliberately avoiding other women to prevent his girlfriend from getting jealous.

Seemingly noticing Zhu Di's wariness, 'Li Ming' suddenly smiled.

His expression changed instantly. There was no sympathy, no worry, and none of the anxiety one would expect after learning that their friend and girlfriend had escaped death. It was the curious look of someone observing a toy, tinged with pure, undisguised malice.

Zhu Di stared blankly at the stranger who was both familiar and strange in front of her, feeling as if a piece of her heart had been emptied.

It couldn't be more obvious.

Ah Ming would never look at her with that kind of gaze, and he would never look at anyone with that kind of gaze.

'Li Ming' seemed oblivious to her pain, casually saying, 'This corpse won't do. Let's find another one. It's too difficult to play the role of a human with whom you have a close relationship.'

Having said that, the perfectly healthy person instantly became a bloody, mangled corpse, and fell straight down.

The moment the body appeared, Zhu Di felt a tightness around her waist, and in a flash, she was outside the room... She was back behind the one-way glass outside the reception room, as if she had never been inside.

Zhu Di stared blankly at the corpse in the room. In front of the corpse, a tattered teru teru bozu (a Japanese doll shaped like a teru bozu) lay on the ground.

“Okay, it’s confirmed now, it’s not Li Ming himself.” The staff member quickly jotted something down in his notebook. “We’re going to do another DNA test on this body now… Ms. Zhu Di, I’ll take you back first, and we’ll let you know as soon as we have the results.”

Zhu Di nodded blankly, as if her soul had been ripped from her body. She followed the staff member back to the ward mechanically and unsteadily.

The moment Zhu Di saw Su Wan lying on the hospital bed, the pent-up pain in her heart burst forth. She hugged the bewildered Su Wan and burst into tears.

*

At the Liwan Apartments, Zhou Fangdong stared speechlessly at the strange object in the last cell.

"System, can you explain what's going on? How am I supposed to step on this?"

What appeared before Zhou Fangdong was a huge black slime, taller than him and almost taking up the entire room.

The issue is no longer how I stepped on it, but how I can leave the room alive without being swallowed up by it.

God knows how this thing suddenly grew from a tiny lump to this size.

If this thing hadn't been still inactive, Zhou Fangdong would have already teleported back to his room.

For some reason, upon seeing this giant slime, the system's electronic voice suddenly became very excited:

[Please immediately take out the ancient book recording the summoning ritual from your inventory and throw it at this jelly-like object. The system will assist you in capturing it!]

Zhou Fangdong took out the ancient book he found in the activity room from his inventory and threw it at the giant slime.

The next instant, the ancient book spontaneously combusted, and countless blood-red chains exploded like fireworks, binding the giant slime tightly like red-hot irons.

The summoning runes below the slime also changed, and at the same time lit up with a scarlet light.

A hissing sound rang out as the black jelly began to melt and deform rapidly, and a figure faintly appeared in the center of the slime.

Immediately afterwards, a puzzled voice rang out in the room: "Hmm? How did the new corpse teleport directly? Where is this place? It feels kind of familiar?"