Chapter 005

Ding Ding smiled and said, I have never seen a yin banner before, and I am a bit curious. I want to have more contact with it. That way, if I encounter it in the future, I will have some experience.

Lin Tian glared fiercely at Ding Ding, then grunted in acknowledgment. He pointed to the paper figure in his arms and said, "I will take you back first, and then deal with this thing. If I don't burn it, it will always weigh on my mind."

I forced a smile and said, I haven't received any notice about the holiday either

As soon as Wang and I stepped outside, we were overwhelmed by the noise, with our ears filled with the sounds of clamor and commotion

As he got into the car, Lin Tian threw the paper figure onto the back seat. This felt just like the last time he encountered a ghost; the two of us were sitting in the front, while a paper figure lay in the back. The atmosphere was unsettlingly strange

What captivated me, however, was not their argument, but the fact that a little girl, no more than three years old, was clinging to the back of that man. She appeared to have a somewhat grayish complexion, as if she had not seen sunlight for a long time and was lacking in blood. Her small hands were wrapped around the man's neck, tightly clasped together.

The leader said it's nothing, just a special situation. Originally, I planned to give you a few more days off. However, seeing that you seem to be in good spirits now, it should not be necessary.

Lin Tian finally started the car. I stood by the roadside watching him drive away, yet I still did not enter the workplace. To be honest, I felt quite anxious. After all, it was just a matter of making a living, and I still had to consider the leader's mood. I pondered for a long time about what to say in my explanation; naturally, I could not mention the ghostly incident and could only use the previous car accident as a topic.

The area beneath the office building is essentially the ticketing and boarding zone of the passenger station. Over time, one can encounter all kinds of people here

I said to Lin Tian, you should take me to the company now. I probably have nothing more to do with Mrs. Jiu, and I need to return to the company to inform my superiors and explain the situation regarding my absence from work.

I smiled slightly, and naturally understood in my heart. I just didn't want to continue this topic, so I asked, how will you deal with this paper figure

Before long, we arrived

Ding Ding listened from the side, and in the end, suddenly nodded seriously. He interjected and said, "Yes, if it weren't for your good fortune, this vehicle would have driven straight onto the road to the underworld."

I suspect that the employee he mentioned is referring to me, and there is an implicit suggestion that I have let the company down. This fills me with a great deal of anger, yet I do not dare to express it openly. I can only say, "Well, I will take my leave now, and I will be on time tomorrow."

I suddenly understood; this is still a scheme to swindle money! It's just that the approach taken is somewhat unusual

The leader nodded and said, "Alright, make sure to rest well tonight so that you will be in good spirits for work tomorrow"

I nodded slightly and did not enter the house to greet Lin Tian's mother and Mrs. Jiu, as I estimated that they probably did not wish to see me. I simply waved goodbye to Ding Ding.

This statement is almost printed from the same template as Brother Wang's, but as for the pleasantries, they all boil down to the same few phrases

I casually asked, so what should I do? Am I not also haunted?

I said I have nothing much going on, I have already been discharged from the hospital, and I missed work for a day. I came to apologize to my supervisor

Moreover, most of the passenger stations have now relocated to the outskirts of the city, and Lin Tian can reach them in a short time by car. This saves a considerable amount of time compared to taking me home

As soon as I went downstairs, I saw several men who had drunk too much alcohol shouting in the waiting hall. It was evident that they had started arguing over something while waiting for the bus.

As if sensing my gaze, the child suddenly turned her head, her face devoid of color. She looked at me and suddenly smiled darkly.

Lin Tian said that Mrs. Jiu asked him to take the paper effigy to the place where we had the car accident and burn it. She also mentioned that he should go alone and not let me follow.

I originally had my doubts, but I just didn't dare to be certain. If it were Lin Tian, I estimate that I wouldn't know how to explain it to him either, needing to make him understand that I do not blame him for this, while also clearly conveying the general reasons behind the situation

On the way back, neither Lin Tian nor I spoke. I knew that although Lin Tian didn't mind, the guilt I felt inside had not diminished at all. Therefore, after much consideration, I decided to try to avoid interacting with him in the future, lest something truly happen, for I would be utterly unable to escape blame. Even if I did not wish to die, his mother would not let me off the hook.

Ding Ding hurriedly approached and said, whether you burn or not makes no difference, after all, there are still many ghosts that will be hit by you. If you follow him, you might even drag him down.

I walked into the office building, intending to head straight to the manager's office. However, I had not gone far when I encountered an employee from the same department. His surname is Wang, and he is in his forties, so we usually call him Brother Wang. He was holding a report and, upon seeing me, quickly greeted, "Oh, Xiao Tan is here. You were discharged from the hospital so soon?"

I detest it when others speak only halfway, and I was immediately a bit annoyed. Lin Tian noticed that I was about to get angry and hurriedly pulled me aside to explain, saying that these were all words from Madam Jiu. She mentioned that because you carry a heavy aura of ghosts, it attracts them. So when we returned that day, we were targeted by those unburned paper figures in the mountains, who wanted us to help them find their way to the underworld to seek their master

I haven't even mentioned my hospitalization to anyone at work, so how did Brother Wang find out

I asked, didn't you just say that I can only wait to die? Then why do I need your phone?

As soon as I said this, I was still fine, but Lin Tian became unhappy, glaring at Ding Ding and scolding, "What business is it of yours to interfere in our matters as brothers? Whether we drag each other down or not has nothing to do with you"

Lin Tian considered for a moment before telling me that Mrs. Jiu said that paper effigies were originally burned during the burial of the deceased. However, in many places, open flames are now prohibited, so people usually just place the paper effigies beside the grave, allowing them to naturally disintegrate over time. This was originally a trivial matter. However, items in the graveyard, over time, inevitably become tainted with some ghostly energy.

They exchanged insults back and forth, attracting quite a few onlookers from a distance

Lin Tian had no objections, after all, for me at hetushu.com, even though this is just a job with a slightly low salary, it is still necessary to support the family and cannot be overlooked

I too could not help but take a glance, and saw one of the men had taken off his shirt, exposing his bare arms. Due to the effects of alcohol, his entire face was as red as a monkey's bottom

I advised, enough, enough, he is merely speaking the truth. In any case, whatever Madam Jiu says, just do it. After all, we do not understand these matters.

Lin Tian nodded repeatedly, looking at me innocently. I suddenly understood that his earlier fidgeting was due to his fear that saying this would make me feel guilty. Ultimately, it was similar to what Ding Ding had implied before. In any case, all of this happened because of me

Upon reflection, I suddenly felt a sense of relief. The anger I had just moments ago dissipated. After all, I am all alone, unlike Lin Tian who has a complete family. The root of the matter lies with me, which is certainly better than it being Lin Tian.

The man seems to be oblivious; every movement he makes in his desire to fight is quite large, yet he does not shake the child off his back.

He shook his head and said it was nothing

Lin Tian noticed that I had fallen silent and assumed I was still angry. He hurriedly grabbed my arm and said, "Don't misunderstand. Anyway, I am only half-convinced by these words. Regardless of the reason, I still consider you a brother."

I smiled slightly and ignored him

I noticed that he looked strange and asked him what was wrong

Wang Ge said that a few days ago, as soon as you were hospitalized, the leaders were already aware of it. However, in the past few days, as you know, everyone has been quite busy and plans to visit you in a day or two. I didn't expect you to be discharged so quickly. It seems that there is nothing serious, right

Ding Ding did not dare to respond, blinking her big eyes, and like a child, she pitifully hid behind me

I do not wish to say much more. If one truly cares to visit, they would certainly be able to find the time. However, apart from work, I do not have much interaction with my colleagues, so whether they come or not does not weigh on my mind. In Lin Tian's words, I would call this a lack of commercial awareness and an inability to engage with others. Therefore, over the past year, I have not made many friends.

He scratched his head awkwardly and said, it's not quite like that. Just think, if you encounter a little ghost, I could help you chase it away. Perhaps you could live a bit longer; what a worthwhile deal that would be

It is now summer vacation, but the peak period for students returning home has already passed. The flow of people at the station is not as large as imagined, yet there is still a continuous stream of comings and goings.

At that moment, I heard someone calling my name. I saw it was Brother Wang, and I didn't bother to put on a pleasant expression.

After speaking, we went down the stairs one after the other

His complexion was not very good, and he seemed to have been quite exhausted during this period. Upon seeing me, he managed to pull himself away from the documents on the table, forced a smile, and said, "Xiao Tan, you’re here? How come you were discharged? I’ve been busy these past couple of days and was planning to visit you in a day or two."

Lin Tian pondered for half a day, hesitatingly saying that usually there was nothing to worry about; when encountering strangers, the yang energy would disperse the ghostly aura on these things... However...

I uttered a brief "en" to indicate reassurance, saying not to worry, I would just explain it to the leader, and there would be no issues.

Ding Ding saw that we were about to leave and kept reminding me not to forget to call him

Upon leaving the office, I immediately put on a stern face, filled with pent-up anger with no outlet, feeling quite displeased.

In the dream, he also appeared to have the same sullen expression, identical to the current scene

I casually brushed him off with a few words and made an excuse to leave, heading directly to the leader's office. I knocked on the door, and a voice responded from inside. I walked in and saw the leader sitting at the desk, engrossed in the documents before him

I slapped my thigh and scolded, "You little rascal, do you take me for a guinea pig?"

I got out of the car and greeted Lin Tian. He said, if you have any issues, just give me a call; my dad has some connections and can help you resolve it

However, after hearing what Brother Wang said, I feel somewhat reassured. Since the leadership is aware, there is no need for me to fabricate anything further.

I contemplated how to begin the conversation before I made my way to the office, feeling quite uneasy. It was then that I realized that sometimes dealing with people feels eerily similar to encountering a ghost, making you tense and overly sensitive.

I am quite puzzled; please continue.

Hearing this, I truly wish I could slap myself; who told me to come running here so eagerly

Lin Tian also realized that perhaps the last experience had left us all a bit fearful. He turned back again and placed the paper figure in the trunk. This made him feel somewhat more at ease

Lin Tian stepped out, his complexion looking quite poor, holding a paper figure in his hands. At the sight of him, I suddenly recalled the dream from last night

I let out a sound of "oh," but I really don't have the heart to look at it right now. I said, "Brother Wang, let me take it home and review it tonight. If there are any issues, I can make corrections and submit it to the leader tomorrow at work"

The leader remained composed and said, "Xiao Tan, as you know, we are currently short-staffed, and some employees have encountered difficulties. We, as leaders, are also quite troubled by this, and it is understandable that we cannot attend to everyone at once. However, since you are fine now, take a good rest today and come to work tomorrow."

He stopped speaking at this point and closed his mouth

As I looked at this business card, my first impression was that I had encountered a madman. Who, at such an advanced age, still plays around with handwritten business cards

I was too lazy to pay him any attention, and just then the door opened again

Ding Ding said, keep it safe, if you have any issues, just call me, and I will come to take a look

The place where I work is a passenger transport station. Recently, a group of employees retired, and we are still short-staffed as new employees are still in the recruitment phase. Our workload has significantly increased all at once

I wonder, why are you holding onto this cursed thing

Wang Ge nodded repeatedly and said it was fine, advising to take your time looking.

Wang Ge approached, holding up the report in his hand, and said, "Look, Xiao Tan, I really am getting old and forgetful. I intended to give this to you earlier, but after saying a couple of words, I forgot. This is the financial report you prepared before your leave. I have already completed my part. You can take a look at it, and if there are no issues, it can be submitted to the leadership."

I smiled and said it was nothing, just a little scraped skin

He spoke halfway and suddenly fell silent.