When we arrived at Great World KTV, it was already past 7 o'clock and night had fallen. As soon as I entered the parking lot, I spotted the Ghost Burial Squad's vehicle parked inside, just as expected.
Rufina Howard was petite and, being truly underage, there was no other choice—we had to find her a big hat to wear before heading to the front desk.
Hugh Thompson used his status as a police officer and easily found out which room my cousin and the others were in—they were in the 'Splendid Era' private suite on the seventh floor.
We took the elevator to the seventh floor. Many rooms already had their lights on; I hadn't expected so many people to come out and have fun so early.
Rufina Howard looked visibly excited. I glanced around—the suite was truly luxurious, large enough to accommodate dozens of people.
I had just pushed open the door when a scream, like a pig being slaughtered, startled me so much I nearly fell to the ground. It was my cousin, standing on a table in front of a small fountain, holding a microphone in one hand and a can of beer in the other, singing with all his might.
What stunned me even more was seeing Miles Mao lying comfortably on the white thighs of three women. The three women, dressed in short skirts and looking seductive, were chatting and laughing with him.
Dalton Fang was singing while embracing two women, looking utterly elated and already quite drunk. Justin Huang was in a corner on the second floor, sandwiched between two women who kept teasing him, while he still looked nervous.
The most outrageous was Mason Yu, who had stripped off his shirt and was left wearing only underwear. With a woman's undergarment on his head, he was playing excitedly, surrounded by seven or eight women.
Chief Stone was there too, sitting at a small bar with four or five women, chatting and laughing.
Everyone inside was already completely immersed in the atmosphere. I stared blankly at them.
"Next up, I'll sing another high-energy song. Thank you, thank you..."
My cousin was already drunk, slumped in a corner with a stack of beer cans piled high beside him. I glanced over—he'd finished off five six-packs, and on a nearby table, there was a mountain of half-eaten food.
"Damn it, cousin, what the hell are you doing?"
I finally couldn't hold back the anger boiling inside me.
"Now, let me formally introduce everyone—this is my younger cousin, Ethan Zhang. He's reserved and doesn't open up easily, so don't push him too hard, okay?"
Suddenly, a burst of laughter from the women echoed around the room. I glanced around, shot my cousin another fierce look, and felt my anger about to explode.
"Come on, Ethan, relax a little. Tonight, just have fun."
Hugh Thompson said, taking off his glasses and tucking them into his pocket. He grabbed a beer and headed over.
"Any ladies here know how to play rock-paper-scissors? Come challenge me—loser has to strip! Whoa..."
Hugh Thompson, grinning ear to ear, waved his hands and dragged two women over to a table, where they immediately started playing games.
My head felt like it was about to explode. How did I end up with a cousin like this? Shouldn't we be planning carefully, not partying with everyone in a place like this?
"C'mon, cousin, come play with us!"
Rufina Howard, face full of excitement, ran over, her curiosity piqued by everything in the room. She went straight to Chief Stone, who handed her a drink, and the two started chatting happily.
I ignored my cousin and went outside. I really couldn't handle all that noise.
Just then, I saw someone walking over with a cast on his arm—it was Howard Lee.
"Hey, Ethan, why are you standing out here?"
"What are you doing here? How's your arm?"
Howard Lee's arm was still in a cast from last time. What was he doing here?
"The guys told me tonight's all about having fun, so here I am! Haha, I'm gonna head inside and check it out."
With a mischievous grin, Howard Lee pushed open the door. My cousin's pig-slaughtering wail burst out again.
"Damn, that's all the girls we've got? Bring in more! Not enough—at least ten more!"
The door slammed shut behind him. I blinked and clenched my fists—I really wanted to punch someone.
Just then, the door opened again. Chief Stone, cheeks flushed, looked pretty drunk himself.
"Hey, Ethan, why aren't you coming in to have some fun?"
I shook my head helplessly.
"I don't know why, I've just always been like this since I was a kid."
"Too much time alone, huh? Heh, Ethan, you're a man—when it's time to have fun, have fun! When it's time to fight, give it everything you've got. Heh."
I looked at Chief Stone and nodded.
"I'm really worried about you guys heading into the Ghostrealm this time. But a bunch of young men are about to risk their lives, and I'm just an old man—what can I say? So tonight, let them enjoy themselves. Who knows, maybe they won't see the sun rise again."
"Officer Stone, don't worry, I..."
"Ethan, life is unpredictable. I've seen scenes like this too many times—lively young men, and the next day I'm collecting their bodies. Come on, don't overthink it. Just relax tonight."
The sound of high heels echoed through the hall as a group of beautifully dressed women—at least a dozen—walked over. Chief Stone smiled, pushed open the door, and went inside.
"Oh, you must be Mr. Zhang."
"If you're here to party, you can't hold back!"
"Ladies, let's get to work!"
I yelped, and suddenly a dozen women surrounded me, grabbing and lifting me up. I tried to resist, but it was too late—they carried me straight inside.
Once inside, they set me down. Seven or eight women pulled me over to a sofa, handed me a beer, and insisted I drink.
Strangely, the pig-slaughtering screams had stopped. A gentle male voice filled the room—it was Justin Huang, holding the microphone, head bowed, singing an old love song with deep emotion. His voice was so good, everyone was stunned.
We all listened quietly to Justin Huang singing that old love song. It seemed filled with longing for someone, the emotion pouring out with every note. When the song ended, thunderous applause broke out—I couldn't help but clap along enthusiastically.
As I ate and drank, my head started to feel fuzzy. My cousin, sweating and exhausted from singing, sat down next to me and shooed all the women away.
"C'mon, cousin, cheer up. Who knows, maybe one of us won't make it back this time. At least let's party hard before we go."
I shook my head helplessly.
"Cousin, don't say stuff like that."
"So, cousin, what do you think? Heh, when this is all over, maybe..."
My cousin clinked his beer bottle with mine. I took a sip, confused, and looked at him.
"Check out the girls here—the quality's not bad, right? I'm a super VIP here, you know. Later, if you want someone..." He gave me a sleazy look, and suddenly I wanted to smash my beer bottle into his face.
"If you like them, go for it yourself. Besides, you down there is basically a toothpick now—I'm afraid you..."
"Damn it, cousin, say that again and I'll get mad. Drink up."
Tonight was destined to be wild. I don't know if I was out of my mind, but after drinking, I joined in the games with everyone until I passed out—thud, I collapsed on the floor.
When I woke up again, Justin Huang was pulling me to my feet. As soon as I stood, I clamped a hand over my mouth. Justin hauled me to the bathroom and I threw up into the toilet.
After a while, I could finally see straight. The KTV was a mess—even the giant TV had a few holes punched in it, and a table had been completely overturned.
Howard Lee, Miles Mao, Mason Yu, and Dalton Fang were left in nothing but their underwear, hugging each other and sleeping in a pile. My cousin was sprawled out on the floor, snoring, while Rufina Howard and Chief Stone were nowhere to be seen.
"Old Stone took the girl home last night. I stayed to look after you guys."
I held my aching head and sat down somewhere. The huge pile of beer was nearly gone, and the floor was littered with crushed cans.
"You okay?"
Justin Huang took off his mask and chuckled.
"You guys can't hold your liquor at all. Last night, I drank most of those beers myself. My body's different, you know—I'm a monster."
I smiled, walked over, and slapped my cousin's face hard. It took a while, but he finally woke up.
"What? What happened?"
My cousin was groggy, and sure enough, as soon as he sat up, he clamped his hand over his mouth. Justin Huang hauled him off to the bathroom.
Then I went over to call Miles Mao and the others, but after shouting for a while, the four of them didn't respond. Howard Lee slowly opened his eyes—his cast was shattered, and as soon as he woke up, he clutched his hand and cried out in pain.
"Lan Ruoxi is here."
I shouted loudly, and suddenly the three guys from Team 17 on the floor scrambled up, babbling nonsense. Once they realized what was happening, they rushed to cover themselves.
By three in the afternoon, everyone had sobered up. Almost no one remembered what happened last night, but Justin Huang looked at them all, grinning.
"Hey, where's Hugh Thompson?"
"Hugh woke up before you guys and already headed to Fortune Telling Street."
Then we headed out. My cousin paid the bill, and the number made my scalp tingle, but he just looked pleased with himself.
"If Uncle finds out, he'll kill you."
"Hey, what's the big deal? Ethan, I'm my dad's only son. If he kills me, who's going to carry on the family line? Let's go, Ethan. Who knows, maybe I won't make it back this time and my dad won't even get the chance."
"Damn it, cousin, what the hell are you talking about?" My cousin started joking again.