Chapter 158 Renovation, Awesome! (Bonus Chapter) Three tenants successfully moved in...
The rental agreements for rooms 307 and 401 weren't too difficult to write, since we already knew the ghosts' past lives. We just needed to write down the precautions to avoid upsetting the tenants.
Zhou Fangdong quickly wrote the first version, and after submitting it to the system, he made some adjustments based on the system's suggestions. The third version was approved directly.
After putting the rental agreement into his inventory, Zhou Fangdong glanced at the furniture purchase order.
After confirming that the furniture had arrived and that he had moved into the room, Zhou Fangdong teleported to the fourth floor and arrived at room 401.
As soon as he entered the room, the task panel popped up:
Side Quest 21: Clean and rent out Room 401
① Find the ghost hidden in the room
② Eliminate the ghostly aura in the room and help the ghosts break free from their cycle of obsession.
③ Clean the room and tidy up the house.
④ Discard the damaged furniture and buy new furniture.
⑤ Figure out the patterns of ghosts and monsters killing people, draft a rental agreement, and find tenants to move in.
[Side Quest Rewards: 800 Ghost Coins, 2000 Experience Points, 1 Random Skill Point]
After triggering the side quest, Zhou Fangdong was teleported directly to an abandoned primary school in the eastern suburbs.
When he found the three tenants in the reserve, he discovered that they were also in the classroom studying with the kids.
Bai Mingdan, Da Song, and Xiao Song were also dragged away to write exam papers. Principal Xiao Di, a new official, was eager to make a name for himself and couldn't stand seeing students loitering in the teaching building.
Zhou Fangdong first took away the bewildered Da Song and Xiao Song, and then had the ghost bus take them back to the apartment.
Having escaped the sea of suffering from studying, the brothers Da Song and Xiao Song didn't care whether the bus led to another hell or not, and rushed on.
Judging that the two brothers were almost at the apartment, Zhou Fangdong put Bai Mingdan on the ghost bus.
From the moment Zhou Fangdong appeared, Bai Mingdan had been secretly observing him, and he also noticed the respect that the junior high school boy who commanded all the ghosts in the school showed him.
Therefore, he did not resist and obediently boarded the ghost bus.
After confirming that Bai Mingdan had boarded the car, Zhou Fangdong teleported back to the apartment.
When the ghost bus is carrying passengers, it can't go too fast. It takes at least half an hour to get from the abandoned primary school in the eastern suburbs to Liwan Apartment.
After he showed the two brothers the apartment, Bai Mingdan arrived at the apartment building.
When Zhou Fangdong returned, he saw Da Song and Xiao Song getting off the bus with trepidation.
However, before renting a house, you should ask the tenant about their willingness to rent, since he is not a human trafficker like God who directly kidnaps people.
"Hello, I'm the landlord of Liwan Apartments." Zhou Fangdong looked at Da Song and Xiao Song with a friendly smile. "Want to get rid of the haunted school completely? Want to avoid being bothered by ghosts and monsters? How about renting a room at Liwan Apartments?"
He's been brainwashed by the system's advertising slogans; he speaks in the system's format.
Although the two brothers, Da Song and Xiao Song, felt that today's experience was like a honey trap—first luring them into a terrifying and supernatural scene and then reappearing to save them, coercing and enticeing them to rent a room or something—they were indeed frightened and dared not resist at all.
Because what they were standing in front of was the infamous haunted building in Linjiang City, the Liwan Apartment.
Yesterday, when the sky turned blood red, this apartment was hanging there... Even the supervisory bureau was covering up for this haunted building, how could ordinary citizens like them have the courage to resist?
The two brothers exchanged a glance, and Da Song asked in a trembling voice, "After we move into the apartment, can we really get rid of that awful school completely? We won't have to go back to that awful school to do exams anymore, right?"
Completely unaware of how bad the apartment was perceived by ordinary people, Zhou Fangdong continued with a smile, "Really, you won't have to be afraid of ghosts or monsters anymore. Your roommates will protect you."
After hearing what he said, both Da Song and Xiao Song felt a wave of dizziness.
Cohabitant? What cohabitant? Is it a ghost?
...This is probably the legendary "fighting poison with poison".
The two brothers dared not imagine what the consequences of refusing would be, after all, the person in front of them claimed to be the landlord of the haunted building... perhaps if they refused, he would turn into a ghost and eat them.
Just as Da Song and Xiao Song were hesitating at the apartment entrance, wondering whether they should rent a place to live, they suddenly noticed that another identical bus had stopped at the apartment entrance.
A tall woman carried a person off the bus.
Upon closer inspection, Xiao Song realized that the fit woman with dark circles under her eyes was actually the famous paranormal anchor.
He belatedly realized that this paranormal livestreamer also seemed to live in the Liwan Apartments. She had even filmed a vlog about moving into the Liwan Apartments, with her most popular series being "[Daily Life Living with a Female Ghost Sister]"...
Wait, cohabitation.
The landlord just mentioned the roommate... If the roommate is the ghost in the room, and all the ghosts in the room are as gentle and rational as Miao Zheng in the video...
Xiao Song nudged Da Song with his elbow and winked at him.
This house is available for rent! The landlord might not actually be trying to harm them by letting them rent the house.
“Landlord,” Miao Zheng waved and greeted Zhou Fangdong, “I brought He Yansheng back. He’s fine, just asleep. I’ll take him to his room first… By the way, he lives in room 202, right?”
Zhou Fangdong nodded. "Thank you for your hard work. You should get some rest after you take him home."
"Okay, thank you for your concern, landlord."
Seeing such normal interaction, Da Song and Xiao Song's wavering hearts were completely solidified.
This infamous haunted building is actually habitable!
What the landlord of Liwan Apartments said is probably true; living there might really protect you from ghost attacks.
The allure of being free from ghost attacks is simply too great for ordinary people like them.
Thinking of this, the two said in unison, as if making a vow, "Landlord, please rent the house to us, we are willing to move in."
Zhou Fangdong nodded with satisfaction and led the two to room 307 by elevator.
After the three entered the room, Zhou Fangdong took out two rental contracts and handed them to them.
"Take a look at the rental agreement, and if you're sure you can follow the rules, just sign your name at the bottom."
Both Da Song and Xiao Song glanced at it quickly.
【Room 307 Rental Rules】
① Occasionally, unfamiliar personal items may appear in the room, such as a photo album or a diary. Good roommates should respect others' privacy and refrain from looking through these items.
② The ghosts in the room are rational and can communicate normally. When they ask for help taking photos, do not refuse their request even if the camera or phone cannot capture their image.
③ Occasionally, unfamiliar pieces of furniture may appear in the room. These pieces of furniture can be used and even beaten at will. It is normal for the furniture to "cry" (make noise), so there is no need to pay attention to it.
④ No arguing is allowed in the room, and topics related to 'inheritance', 'romance', or 'cheating on exams' are prohibited.
⑤ Talking about interesting things from your university days will improve the mood of your ghost roommate.
⑥ The ghosts in the room like roommates who love life, so don't be too messy and keep the room clean and beautiful.
⑦ Tenants must carry the key to room 307 with them at all times. Losing the key will be considered an automatic termination of the tenancy agreement.
⑧ A monthly rent of 30 yuan must be paid in cash. If the tenant breaches the contract, it will be considered an automatic termination of the rental agreement.
9. If you discover that an outsider or ghost has invaded your private space, please do not panic. Provided that you follow the above rules, the landlord will come to solve the problem for you as soon as possible.
Following the rules isn't as difficult as you might think, and the rent is only 30 yuan a month—it's practically free!
The two brothers promptly signed their names and gave Zhou Fangdong thirty yuan in change.
After receiving the rent and the contract, Zhou Fangdong handed the keys to the two of them and reminded them to keep the keys safe. There was a copy of the rental contract on the table, which they could refer to at any time if they forgot the rental rules.
After Da Song and Xiao Song received the key, a notification sound indicating the mission was complete rang out:
Side Quest 20 Completed. Rewards: 1600 Ghost Coins, 4000 Experience Points, 2 Random Skill Points.
[[Junior Tenant - Sunny and Cheerful Sports Student] Tenant Profile Unlocked. Please claim your profile reward promptly.]
[[Low-level Tenant - Trendy Male Magazine Model] Tenant Profile Unlocked. Please claim your profile reward promptly.]
[Five different types of low-level tenant illustrations have been unlocked, unlocking the achievement [Helping the Weak]. Please claim the achievement reward in time.]
I even unlocked an achievement...
Zhou Fangdong decided to watch it later.
Before leaving room 307, Zhou Fangdong casually closed the system pop-up and added, "By the way, room 104 on the first floor is a convenience store. Everything inside is free. If you need anything, just follow the convenience store rules and take it. If you want to go out, you can take the ghost bus. Just tell them the bus stop you want to go to when you get on."
The two brothers nodded in unison.
Is this a case of things turning around for the better? This Liwan Apartment isn't as terrible as the rumors say. Not only does it have a free convenience store, but it also has a shuttle bus to pick up and drop off tenants... The benefits are just too good.
Shortly after the notification sound indicating the completion of side quest 20 appeared, a system notification also sounded indicating that Bai Mingdan had appeared at the apartment door.
Busy with work, Zhou Fangdong hurriedly went down to the first floor to show the apartment to another tenant.
Compared to the hesitation and fear of the Song Dynasty, this man in his thirties appeared much calmer.
Having been an investigative journalist for so many years, he has experienced a lot and is no longer as easily alarmed as he was when he was younger.
And this Liwan Apartment...
Bai Mingdan stood at the apartment entrance, squinting slightly as he looked towards the fourth floor.
I never expected that the bus would actually take him to Liwan Apartments.
He remembered that apartment 401 had once been part of an underground clinic's surrogacy network. After investigating the area, he sneaked into the room, took many photos, and exposed the surrogacy operation.
After many years, he unexpectedly returned to the abandoned Liwan Apartments.
Just then, a young man who suddenly appeared at the apartment door interrupted his recollection.
Bai Mingdan looked at the young man who had suddenly appeared at the door and heard him claim to be the apartment landlord and ask if he wanted to rent a room. Without hesitation, Bai Mingdan agreed immediately.
As an investigative journalist, Bai Mingdan has acquaintances in the supervisory bureau and the police station, and is also aware of the recent changes at Liwan Apartments.
He had wanted to come and see for a long time, but the investigation into the Heirs of the Bone Society had kept him from doing so.
Now there's a great opportunity... and if he wasn't mistaken, the person who just walked past this landlord, yawning, seemed to be Miao Zheng, the paranormal news anchor from the Supervision Bureau.
The fact that the supervisory bureau staff had moved in meant that the danger inside the apartment was under control, which put Bai Mingdan at ease.
Zhou Fangdong was surprised that things went so smoothly today, and he successfully gained three tenants, which made him feel much better.
After confirming with Bai Mingdan that he was single and had no children, Zhou Fangdong led him to the fourth floor of the apartment building.
Upon entering the apartment, especially after seeing the view from the fourth floor, Bai Mingdan realized that the apartment was no longer the one he remembered; it had undergone significant changes.
The ceiling, walls, and floor were all brand new, without any stains, and the floor looked like it was regularly cleaned, with no trash in sight.
Although the decorations on the walls are a bit odd, it's much better than the previous Liwan Apartments.
However, when he turned a corner and arrived at the corridor where the tenant's room was located, Bai Mingdan almost lost his composure.
If the pink and purple colorful skull wall lamps and the upside-down string lights on the walls in the hallway can be considered normal Halloween decorations, then the decorations in this corridor are truly a bit eerie.
The entire corridor was shrouded in an extremely eerie blue light.
Bai Mingdan stared in shock at the five face-shaped ceiling lights hanging from the corridor ceiling, his mouth slightly agape.
The ceiling lights, emitting a sinister and eerie blue light, looked exactly like grotesque and distorted ghost faces pasted on the ceiling.
...What kind of ghostly decor is this? It feels even scarier than a haunted house!
Compared to these five grotesque faces, the dense array of ghostly figures lurking in the apartment corridors seemed insignificant.
Seeing Bai Mingdan's stunned expression, Zhou Fangdong felt a little proud.
His new tenant really knows his stuff. He didn't react to the decorations on the other floors, but he immediately noticed the ceiling light he had carefully selected in the fourth-floor corridor.
That's classy!
Zhou Fangdong led Bai Mingdan into room 401 and handed him the rental contract.
Bai Mingdan quickly glanced at it.
【Room 401 Rental Rules】
① No children are allowed in the room; it is only available to single people.
② Ghosts may occasionally appear in the room. They can communicate normally, so please treat them as ordinary friends. During communication, do not look at their abdomen, and refrain from mentioning topics such as 'mother,' 'pregnant woman,' or 'child.'
③ Do not make phone calls to your parents while in your room. If you have a younger brother, do not attempt to help him in any way while in your room.
④ You can cook and eat normally in the room, but you are prohibited from eating liquid or mushy foods. If a ghost appears in the room while you are cooking, please cook the same food for it.
⑤ Never lock any door from the inside, and never make it feel confined.
⑥ Clean regularly to keep the room dry and tidy, but avoid any disinfectant smell.
⑦ Occasionally, you may hear a baby crying or a woman sobbing in the room. This is normal, so do not respond.
⑧ The most painful phase is over; it needs no pity, nor does it need to recall the past. If the tenant knows what happened in room 401 in the past, please never mention it.
9. Tenants must carry the key to room 401 with them at all times. Losing the key will be considered an automatic termination of the lease. A monthly rent of 30 yuan in cash must be paid; failure to do so will also be considered an automatic termination of the lease.
⑩ If you discover any outsiders or ghosts invading your private space, please do not panic. Provided that you follow the rules above, the landlord will come to resolve the issue for you as soon as possible.
Zhou Fangdong said, "If you are sure you can abide by these rules, just sign your name at the bottom of the rental contract."
Bai Mingdan nodded and silently signed his name.
He had already guessed that the ghost in the room might be a victim who died due to surrogacy.
After receiving the rental agreement and rent, Zhou Fangdong handed the keys to Bai Mingdan.
Side Quest 21 Completed. Rewards: 800 Ghost Coins, 2000 Experience Points, 1 Random Skill Point.
[Intermediate Tenant/Investigative Reporter unlocked; please claim your reward in time.]
After giving the usual instructions not to lose the key, Zhou Fangdong quickly left room 401.
The reason for the urgency is that, in addition to the notification sound indicating that the task was completed, another notification sound also appeared – the air purification device on the fifth floor has been installed!
He can start the renovations now!
Zhou Fangdong had already decided what he wanted to buy.
When the decoration interface was first unlocked, he saw many apartment designs that appealed to him. However, they were too expensive to buy, so he could only add them to his shopping cart in silence.
But now, with a full 460,000 ghost coins, he no longer needs to be frugal; he can finally freely express his art.
Bai Mingdan wanted to say something, but Zhou Fangdong left too quickly. He rushed over but only saw the elevator doors closing and the floor number on the elevator panel indicating that it was on the fifth floor.
He thought for a moment, then went to the hallway, found the apartment building's staircase, and walked up to the fifth floor.
However, when he arrived on the fifth floor and saw the landlord standing in the hallway, Bai Mingdan was stunned.
Even though he had seen many storms and waves, he had never witnessed such a scene.
The landlord, who appeared gentle, reserved, and like a refined gentleman, stood in the center of the hallway with an extraordinary air about him.
With a wave of his hand, a scene of blooming flowers and abundant wealth appeared out of thin air on the left wall of the corridor, while a scene of tranquility appeared on the right wall.
Strangely, these wallpapers seem to be some kind of high-tech gadget, flashing around like PowerPoint photo effects, with large swaths of brightly blooming red peonies either gradually appearing or flipping and leaping forward... Good heavens.
Bai Mingdan felt he could no longer remain calm; his eyes were almost blinded by the light.
Landlord, what are you doing with such a serious expression...?
He thought the decoration on the fourth floor of the apartment was already extravagant enough, but he didn't expect the fifth floor to be even more outrageous... Could it be that all the strange decorations in the Liwan Apartment were done by this landlord?
Bai Mingdan looked up and sighed, wanting to look up at the ceiling to relieve his eyes from the pollution of colors.
Then he saw a dazzling, multicolored disco ball appear out of nowhere above his head.
The giant light sphere spun and jumped happily, reflecting the light emitted by the surrounding neon strips with all its might, painting the starry ceiling with rainbow colors.
Moreover, it wasn't just the disco balls that were flashing; upon closer inspection, the dense rhinestones on the starry ceiling were also twinkling frantically, contributing to the dazzling colors.
Good heavens!
The fifth floor was practically a horrific display of color bullying.
Bai Mingdan had lived for thirty-five years and had never seen such a rich variety of colors appear in the same area at the same time.
He squeezed his eyes shut and lowered his head.
That's great. The floor is just a regular red and green floral patterned floor, nothing flashy... I'm inexplicably touched.
Zhou Fangdong, who was completely immersed in his art and oblivious to the world around him, finally noticed Bai Mingdan's presence.
"What's wrong? Is there something you need from me?"
Because of habitual social etiquette, Bai Mingdan subconsciously looked up the moment he heard Zhou Fangdong's voice, and was then momentarily blinded.
Under the dazzling beams of light, he vaguely saw that the landlord's hair had also turned into a vibrant color.
Bai Mingdan forced a smile: "Landlord, I'd like to ask if I... may I interview the ghosts or tenants in the apartment? I'd like to write a few press releases, to present a different picture of Liwan Apartment than what the public perceives." His voice trembled slightly as he spoke.
But his strong resilience, honed over the years, allowed him to maintain a calm tone even when faced with such a terrifying scene of light pollution.
Zhou Fangdong nodded: "Of course, as long as you can get the consent of the other tenants or ghosts. But don't report anything too negative, and try to create a positive image for Liwan Apartments."
I never expected that the new tenant would bring free publicity. Once he publishes his press release, it might increase the apartment's reputation.
Bai Mingdan bowed deeply: "Thank you so much. Then I won't disturb you any longer while you're renovating your apartment, Mr. Landlord."
After saying that, he ran back to the fourth floor without even looking up.
Spending even a second longer on the fifth floor is cruel to the eyes.
The moment the pinkish-purple light emanating from the skull wall lamp in the fourth-floor hallway came into view, Bai Mingdan breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
After witnessing the dazzling nightclub-style decor on the fifth floor, he felt that the gloomy decor on the fourth floor was really quite good.
It's true that happiness comes from comparison... I wonder who's so unlucky to have to live on the fifth floor.
Zhou Fangdong watched Bai Mingdan leave. Bai Mingdan's mention of the news interview reminded him of the possibility of increasing the apartment's reputation.
Speaking of reputation...
The previous batch of lamp oil pendants in the online store has sold out, and the new batch in the basement should be finished by now. Before going to the ghost market, let's go and get a batch of lamp oil pendants to put on the online store.
Many facilities and items now require reputation to craft. Although I've achieved financial freedom with Ghost Coins, I'm stuck with reputation resources.
The fifth floor has been renovated, so let's go to the basement now.
I need to work hard to improve the apartment's reputation and try to get out of the negative range as soon as possible.
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