Chapter 5 I Am the Host

The question of whether ghosts exist in the world is far more difficult than the age-old dilemma of which came first, the chicken or the egg. After all, most people are familiar with the taste of chicken and eggs, yet very few have seen the appearance of a ghost.

Everything seems to be aimed at breaking the norm, in preparation for this final question

Continue reading, 5 points can be exchanged for a Thai Kumantong (spirit child)

It is worth noting that a points redemption table is printed on the back of the agreement

This sentence is full of implications; the test has already begun the moment I stepped through the door

It crawled up the table leg, swiftly moving across the offering table

After feeling like I had been running for a long time, a light finally appeared before me: "It's the headlights!"

The lifespan can be extended by twelve hours for every one thousand parts.

"Where to?" A taxi stopped in front of me, and the driver was a balding middle-aged man

Mr. Gao, do you have any other questions

For various reasons, I have been rejected by numerous companies, large and small, in Jiangcheng no less than a hundred times. Having faced so many setbacks that I developed a psychological shadow, I never expected this time to go surprisingly smoothly. What is rather awkward is that at this moment, I do not feel the slightest joy at being hired.

... ...

No, you are the most suitable candidate we have encountered. If there are no further questions, let us proceed to sign the contract here." The person who had been sitting in the middle slowly stood up. He was about my height, and his strange paper-like face met mine across the table.

"Return to the new district, East Jiangcheng Tingtang Road." I eagerly knocked on the car door

"Alright, let's prepare to sign the contract," he said, pulling out a somewhat aged, yellowed and darkened scroll of paper from beneath the offering table, and pressing my right hand onto it.

The contract has been signed, and from today onwards, you are a member of the underworld show. The masked man released his hands, his tone remaining neither warm nor cold, as he moved the leather suitcase beside the chair.

How to choose us without intervention, but your current points are zero, and a single suspension will result in a deduction of 10 points

"You do not need to know this right now..." A cackling laughter emerged from beneath the paper mask: "Because you will soon experience that despair firsthand, and you will understand exactly where you went wrong on that question."

The starting fare is 20, and the latest regulation requires an additional fuel charge of 1.

You are overthinking it. I opened the suitcase to reveal the camera inside: "Rest assured, open the door, I am just a daredevil streamer active on the front lines of danger"

"How could there be none?" My mind is currently surrounded by countless doubts, yet these questions cannot be voiced, and even if they were spoken, the other party would certainly not respond, and might even bring about a fatal consequence for oneself.

"Rest assured, I have not yet had enough of life." With that, I picked up the suitcase and walked briskly towards the door, unaware of how long I had been in the room. At this moment, my legs felt numb, as if they were encased in plaster.

Are you joking? Currently, one gram of gold can be sold for 250 yuan, which means 100 grams would be 25,000 yuan

I believe that there are ghosts in the world, and that is my answer

Mr. Gao, I sincerely wish for your survival

There are indeed questions, having answered four out of five correctly, could you tell me which question I got wrong? A lapse in reasoning is fatal for a detective

"Stop the nonsense, open the door quickly." I was still in a state of panic, and I no longer cared about the money. Gasping for breath, I held tightly onto the suitcase

Surely, even a professional engaged in psychic research would be unable to provide a definitive answer at this moment, let alone a third-rate detective like me, who was born under the red flag and grew up in the spring breeze

Is this really the final decision? Isn't it a bit hasty?

What is this for? Before I could regain my composure, I saw a strange insect crawling out from beneath the floor. It resembled a centipede, but its forehead had a horn about one to two centimeters long, resembling that of a dragon.

As soon as the voice fell, the small room unexpectedly erupted in applause; on the other side of the offering table, three interviewers were stiffly clapping their hands

To spend this night peacefully, the wisest choice is to appear compliant, and once leaving this place, immediately report to the police and assist in apprehending these "mentally ill" individuals

Upon hearing this, I could no longer maintain a facade of calmness. The ability to make a person disappear without a trace so casually suggests the existence of a highly organized and large-scale criminal syndicate. Even more helplessly, it seems that I have inadvertently boarded a pirate ship.

All the details are written in the contract agreement. Is there anything else you do not understand?

You may choose to exit at any time, returning everything to the starting point

You answered four out of five questions correctly. Congratulations, Mr. Gao, you will officially be hired by the Underworld Show and become a contracted host under our company.

However, not knowing does not mean one cannot answer. In life, many times it is not necessary to provide the correct answer; it is sufficient to say what others are willing to hear

I am not entangled in whether or not ghosts exist in the world, but rather I am reorganizing my experiences from that night: the legend of the unlit road, the old woman holding a doll on a rainy night, the interviewer with a paper-faced mask, and the five bizarre questions.

So cold ... ... The first time I had physical contact with the masked man, I found his body unexpectedly icy, a sensation akin to that of a corpse frozen in a morgue, awaiting identification

All your live streaming equipment will be provided by us; you only need to focus on the program and attract more viewers. He opened the suitcase, which contained all the tools needed for live streaming: a camera, a mobile encoder, a selfie stick, a tripod, and even a large-screen smartphone as a bonus

After each live broadcast, we will evaluate your performance based on popularity and gifts, and the points can be accumulated and exchanged for many unexpected rewards from us

Ah! The needle pierced my bone, and the excruciating pain made me cry out. However, the pain only lasted for a few seconds. When I regained my composure and looked again, I saw a plum blossom-shaped black wound on my right wrist, with blood staining the paper roll, while that strange insect lost its vitality, curled up, and fell into the crevice of the floor.

7 points can be exchanged for the Corpse Gu of Xiangxi, 10 points can be exchanged for the Filthy Earth Taisui, 12 points can be exchanged for the handwritten manuscript of the Jade Maiden's Joyous Spirit Technique, 15 points can open the mundane Heavenly Eye, 20 points can wash the tendons and cut the bones, 30 points ... ...

Your live streaming tasks will be directly published to your mobile phone. As for the method of live streaming, you may choose it yourself, but please be sure to remember that once you start broadcasting, you must use the tools we provide, as only our equipment can capture things that ordinary people cannot see

I did not hear clearly what the masked man said afterwards, but anyway, nothing good can come out of the mouth of that madman

Personal experience? What a terrible response. Anyone with a sound mind would not wish to experience the scenarios presented in those questions

I picked up the scroll that was soaked in my own blood, which contained numerous lines and boxes detailing that one must not actively disclose the existence of the underworld performance to outsiders, and must not refuse tasks, among other stipulations

The gaze continuously shifted downward, finally resting on the bottom of the exchange table

OK, I understand. Can I leave now? To be honest, I don't want to stay here for even a moment

The Masked Man stated at the beginning that to become a host in the underworld show, one must not only be skilled in communicating and interacting with the audience but also learn to protect oneself

I pushed open the door to room 444, groped my way upwards in the dark, and ran out of the corridor in one breath, disregarding the directions of east, west, south, and north, sprinting wildly along the street

If it were not for the traces of untreated bloodstains on these items, I would almost believe that this is a normal company

However, with rewards come penalties. When your points are in the negative, you will vanish without a trace, just like the summer breeze that led you here!

The first line states: One point can be exchanged for one hundred grams of pure gold

What is all this about? The dense and chaotic nonsense leaves me at a loss for words, it feels like we are completely in different worlds

I wanted to dodge, but the masked man's arm clamped down on me like a vice, rendering me unable to struggle, and I could only watch helplessly as the monstrous insect bit down on my wrist.

They have laid so much groundwork, and the answer they seek is actually quite evident

"Young man, it's not that I don't want to help you, but it's late at night, and you are anxiously holding a suitcase. Who knows what you have inside? What if..."

Having finished reading, please keep the agreement safe and familiarize yourself with the live streaming tools as soon as possible. Your first live broadcast is expected to take place tomorrow night

"If there is anything you do not understand, you can call me; the phone in the suitcase can reach me." The person held the paper mask with one hand and gently waved with the other, as the closed door slowly opened: "Mr. Gao, it is evident that you are a cautious and intelligent person. I hope you can take each live broadcast seriously and never joke with your own life."

Can I refuse