Jerry Li was still going wild, while I lay on a bench nearby, arms crossed. Everything before me felt unbearable, or perhaps, a blessing I simply couldn't enjoy.
To every successful man, this place was nothing short of paradise—no sickness, no death, just endless pleasure. Even the TVs in the rooms were connected to the Living World’s internet; you could watch whatever you wanted.
But all of this felt distant to me now. What shocked me most was that the Ghost Cab Company in the Living World was actually working with King Hollowbelly. The employee from Handy Cleaners just told me a lot about it.
It wasn’t just King Hollowbelly—other places in the underworld had also started working with these ghost companies. All the houses here were built by ghost companies from the Living World, each competing for contracts, highest bid wins.
In the years I was almost never around, it seemed the Living World had changed beyond recognition. I casually asked, and found out that many of the female ghosts here came from the Living World. Many were once lonely, wandering spirits, but thanks to their beauty, they were picked up by companies specializing in ghost trade, packaged, and sent here to work.
“Boss, what would you like to eat tonight?”
A chef-like figure muttered this by the poolside. Jerry Li thought for a moment.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had human meat. Let’s have a human meat party tonight.”
Instantly, the female ghosts in the pool cheered. I swallowed, looking at Jerry Li with disgust.
“You should try some too. It’s really good, you know. Maybe you’ll even smell the aroma, maybe you’ll even taste it.”
There’s nothing wrong with ghosts eating humans, but I won’t do it, and I don’t want to.
Jerry Li finally had his fill of fun and got out of the water. The female ghosts gathered together, chatting and playing in a noisy cluster.
"So you’re a rich man. No wonder..."
Jerry Li raised a finger, picked up a drink with his left hand, bit the straw, and his black sunglasses slid down a bit as he shook his finger and head.
"Just a little trick, that’s all. Heh."
This guy wasn’t ordinary, and I realized it immediately.
"Everything here is free anyway. Eat, drink, play—enjoy yourself."
"Are you really going to eat human meat tonight?"
Jerry Li nodded, grunted in response. I didn’t say anything more.
"Actually, as ghosts, it’s hard for us to accept what we’ve become. When we first start out, most ghosts struggle with whether or not to eat human meat—after all, we were human once. But once you taste it, you’ll see how wonderful it is, that flavor... And you know, the difference between an Evil Ghost and a Wandering Wraith is whether or not they eat human flesh."
I looked at Jerry Li and asked.
Are you an Evil Ghost?
Jerry Li nodded, then pointed at me.
Aren’t you an extraordinary Evil Ghost too? We’re all the same.
I ignored him, stood up, and went straight into the house. The first floor was a spacious hall with sofas and tables, apparently for gatherings. I went up to the second floor, found a living room, sat down, and turned on the TV. Sure enough, I could watch all the channels from the Living World, and the computer worked too.
Suddenly, I put down the remote, eyes wide, staring at the TV. It was news about Leah King; reporters surrounded her. Beside her, besides her manager, what surprised me was Basil Bertram was there, dressed in a black suit, sunglasses, and with his hair cut short. Serena Jing was also there, her long hair now short, looking like a bodyguard.
What’s that guy doing?
Oh, isn’t that the owner of the Wooden Contract? Heh.
Jerry Li muttered beside me, and I looked at him in surprise.
Do you know her?
Jerry Li nodded.
The one next to her is Serena Jing. Heh, that little girl is pretty cute. Too bad she’s just as wooden-headed as Basil Bertram, but she’s adorably clueless. I like girls like that.
Who are you, really?
I asked again, seriously. Jerry Li shook his head.
Any ghost with some years behind them knows about the Ghost Sovereign, but I didn’t expect these two stiff characters to lower themselves to be bodyguards for a star. Still, she’s a good actress—her movies and shows are really popular now.
It seemed to be a press conference for Leah King’s new movie, called "The One Who Protected Me for 361 Days Wasn’t Human." Apparently, it’s a supernatural film.
Suddenly, a guy burst out from the reporters—a crazed fan, shirtless, rushing to hug Leah King. She was terrified, but Basil Bertram immediately grabbed him, threw him down with a slick move, and pinned him to the ground with a cross-lock.
Leah King looked relieved, the media kept snapping photos, and Serena Jing quickly stepped in front of her. I remembered that Ji Yuner was also her fan.
The report quickly ended. I lay on the sofa, blankly staring at the diamond chandelier on the ceiling. Everything here, everything I learned today, felt so distant. All these years, I wandered through countless factions, but I missed so much.
Even after returning to the Living World, I never really took a good look at the city’s bustle.
But I quickly returned to my own thoughts. Relying on Redmond was unrealistic; such a huge sum, if he really handed it over, his companies would be in trouble. I had to find a way to escape. If I couldn’t, I’d have to go back to Mount Shade.
Stop dreaming, Ethan Zhang. Escaping won’t be easy.
Jerry Li’s words made me realize—it was hard, but not impossible.
If there’s a way, can you tell me, Mr. Li?
I asked, and Jerry Li shook his head.
There’s a Ghost Array outside, created by King Hollowbelly himself. To get out, you need strong experience dealing with arrays—one misstep and you’ll be destroyed. And that guy set up mechanisms so no one inside can escape, and no one outside can break in. If you try to force your way, everyone inside will die too.
[Skipped: This passage is irrelevant to the novel.]
I was stuck. I looked at Jerry Li, who shook his head.
Don’t look at me. I’m not interested in Ghost Arrays, don’t know them, and don’t want to. Too much trouble for me.
Jerry, hurry up and come over! The girls are all ready.