Chapter One, Junior Sister (1)

Then, close at hand were the wrinkled, purplish-black eyelids, and the grayish-white, lifeless pupils speckled with flies

I can't hear what you're saying... buzzing... hello? hello? Mengmeng...

Watch some television to divert your attention

A map of Qinghe City, pinned to the wall, has one corner rolled up and is fluttering in the wind

Xiao Zilie wore a stern expression, his dark eyes sharp as a hawk, surveying the empty, narrow corridor.

How are you

One of her eyes was in a terrible state, causing a sense of alarm; she tilted her head and looked at me with her other normal eye. The fact that she had only one eye made the situation rather uncomfortable.

Liu Lu quickly apologized, "Mengmeng? I am currently playing cards with friends outside, and I am afraid I won't be back tonight"

Li Mengmeng slumped down and played with her phone

"It's your turn." The young woman lightly pushed Li Mengmeng's shoulder, causing the girl to nervously grip the strap of her bag. She stood up and swiftly pulled aside the faded curtain.

"Thud, thud, thud." The metal security door emitted a dull thud, followed by a series of "crackle, crackle" sounds.

Call Sheng Junshu!

"It shouldn't be the case." Xu Xiaofeng casually reassured while tidying the headphone cable

Is it a person or a ghost?

There is a noise outside your house, I am so scared

"There, go measure your height and weight."

Where is it?

It is that piece again

"Commissioner Xiao?" The old police officer chuckled as he pushed the door open, leaning over to glance at the desk, "Even special commissioners have assignments to complete. Oh, let me see, it seems this function is not written correctly."

In the old-fashioned apartment, there was no restroom, and a group of young girls of similar ages stood up, their noisy chatter echoing down the hallway

The other girls immediately looked over, displaying expressions of surprise and envy

The sound of the lock cylinder rattling is enough to make one's scalp tingle

An arm hung limply at the side, and a foot clad in black sandals turned outward, the metal buckle undone, dragging on the ground, making a "clop" "clop" sound as it walked away

Hello

Li Mengmeng was almost brought to tears, put on her shoes, and pulled back the curtain

*

Moments later, Xu Xiaofeng returned to the waiting room, fastening her inner garment.

"Little, little, little Sixth Brother..."

The green trees outside the car window swiftly recede. The campus is desolate at six in the morning, with the sycamore avenue clear and unobstructed. Next to the coffee shop sign, a giant Kumamon mascot shakes its head, handing out flyers to passing pedestrians

Changhai Community

The girl curled up on the sofa is Li Mengmeng. After screaming and fainting in the private clinic, she woke up and called the police. The girls surrounded her, handing her water and tissues, trying to calm her down for a long time. The conclusion was that she had a nightmare. Once everyone dispersed, she felt scared and asked Xu Xiaofeng to take her to her boyfriend Liu Lu's rented apartment.

At first, Li Mengmeng thought she was just a common beggar on the subway, frowning at the crumpled paper cup, leaning back, and waving her hand to indicate that she had no change. After a while, she finally heard clearly that the woman was speaking in the local dialect of Qinghe City: "Sister, I am thirsty. Do you have any water?"

The phone call was disconnected

Li Mengmeng said nothing further and haphazardly stuffed the report into her bag

"I have matters to attend to right now, so I will not speak further." Sheng Junshu lowered his voice

Until she sensed something was amiss and looked up, she found the same old woman in the blue dress standing before her, staring intently. The paper cup in her hand was empty, yet it continued to sway towards her as she mumbled, "Sister, I am thirsty"

Did you drive them away

22

Jiang Sheng responded with a sound and walked outside. Just as he was about to leave, he remembered something and turned his head back, saying, "I said, Xiao Xiao..."

The bespoke suit, in medium gray, accentuates the cool white skin of the neck and wrists, with a square and straight jawline, and the side profile exudes a clean and sharp elegance.

When the curtain was lifted and someone came to hit her, she instinctively grabbed her bag and stood up, saying, "Are we leaving..."

Secretary Zhang Sen of Sheng Junshu cautiously glanced to the side

This smell is both fishy and salty, strangely familiar in some way

In this fleeting moment, the sound of "pat-pat" hurriedly cascaded down the concrete steps, spreading an aura of gloom. The broken orange sensor light in the corridor flickered a few times before suddenly illuminating.

Li Mengmeng glanced at her with a hint of resentment, "You are tall enough, so of course you are not worried."

"Do not tiptoe," the female doctor insisted, pressing down on the heavy ruler as if weighing it, recording the data in the booklet

The night outside the anti-theft window is as dark as ink. Inside, the lights are bright, illuminating two elongated streaks of brown mosquito blood on the wall. The yellowed ceiling fan creaks as it turns overhead

Li Mengmeng walked back to the waiting room, and someone immediately approached her, asking whether the examination was strict or not

Xiao Zilie suppressed his anger: "Let Sheng Junshu answer the phone"

Li Mengmeng stretched out her arms, tears streaming down her face, as she frantically pressed the buttons on the remote control

Li Mengmeng became impatient, "Didn’t I tell you it’s in the doctor’s office?" She stood up, simply slung her bag over her shoulder, pushed her way through, and walked straight towards the door, saying to Tu Shu, "I will take you there."

The girls gathered in the small clinic, despite being of similar ages, had vastly different styles and attire. In addition to Li Mengmeng, who was elegantly made up, there were also many wearing factory uniforms with rosy cheeks, holding hands as if they had come together. Upon hearing this, they all burst into laughter

However, this important matter has merely been a small item on the to-do list, lying in a tiny corner of his densely packed schedule for the past thousand years

Xiao Zilie began to play tricks: "What does my homeroom teacher have to do with my bow? I don't use the bow to kill the homeroom teacher"

Knock knock knock ... ... Someone is tapping on the car window

Li Mengmeng's face suddenly flushed red as she looked up: "I am at least 1.63 meters tall..."

The veteran police officer, familiar with the location, took a drag from his cigarette and asked, "Do you understand the case now?"

I am thirsty. Do you have water? I want to drink water. I am thirsty. Do you have water? I want to drink water

The car jolted over the speed bump with a "thud," and the person holding the phone had a pair of drooping triangular eyes, his expression marked by a sense of defeat and timidity: "I apologize, Xiao Liu, Liu Ge, I am Zhang Sen, we have important matters to discuss with General Sheng..."

At the intersection, the red light is on. A young man's long fingers rest on the steering wheel, his cuffs fastened tightly, and half of an expensive wristwatch is visible.

"Fine, if you want to stop me, so be it. The peach bow is a magical artifact bestowed upon me by my master. You are merely my senior brother; on what grounds do you claim the right to take it away?"

In the summer of Qinghe, around 5 o'clock, the dawn began to appear, and a row of sparrows chirped on the power lines. The printer at the old district police station was creaking and spitting out paper, with people coming and going.

The sound of the call echoed through the door frame, suddenly startling the young girls sitting beside the empty hospital bed, who had been dozing off with their heads drooping, and a faint buzzing began to rise.

The living room's main light is on, but the lampshade is filled with dust, flickering occasionally, and it is not as bright as the dawn sky outside.

Next, Xu Xiaofeng

No sound? Why is there no sound...

Senior sister, I am still a bit afraid

Li Mengmeng

I will go to pick up your second senior sister

I also want to go

The old-style tube buildings in Changhai Community are equipped with such security doors, and inside the metal railings, there is a green mesh similar to that of a screen window. The latter sound resembles that of mischievous children tearing at the mesh to play.

At this moment, he gazes intently at the road ahead, his profile exuding an air of precious aloofness.

Xu Xiaofeng gently touched her shoulder: "Don't be afraid, it's just like a chicken laying eggs. You don't need it, and it would be a waste to have it turn into Aunt Flo every month. I've had my eye on that Para Z dress for a long time, and don't you want to move out and live with Liu Lu soon?"

"What’s the big deal? I also have seventy-seven thousand." The speaker is a loud young girl, adorned with a pair of large round earrings, blue eyeshadow applied in a way that resembles a peacock. However, despite this flamboyant display, one can still discern a resemblance to Zhou Xun, which explains why it is worth seventy-seven thousand.

A young boy in a black T-shirt leaned against the peeling white wall of an old building, retracting his hand that was formed into a sword gesture. With a "click," he moved his wrist slightly, and beneath his feet, two piles of talisman ash were slowly emitting green smoke

Upon closer inspection, the office chair was completely empty, and a hastily affixed crumpled yellow paper resembling a flower was stuck to the notebook, while the central air conditioning system blew chaotically.

Li Mengmeng put down her phone and let out a sigh of relief. She was the only one left in the waiting room, which had become much quieter.

Ring ring ring ring ring ring

Xiao Zilie lowered his gaze at the paper, feeling increasingly annoyed by the sarcastic teasing, and his chewing of gum became more pronounced

Zhang Sen, in a fit of anger, closed his eyes and held his phone to Sheng Junshu's lips

"Wait a moment, I need to go to the restroom." Xu Xiaofeng put down her bag and hurriedly ran to the outer room

Next, Li Mengmeng

The little chicken said excitedly: "I will go to the restroom first"

The rental accommodation is less than 30 square meters, with a narrow and elongated layout, and the interior is dim and gloomy

Age

The young man stepped hard on the talisman ash and ground it down, pressing his phone to his ear: "Sheng Junshu, that old man has run away? On what grounds did you take my bow and block my ghost-summoning spell?"

This one, however, is a special commissioner from the Qinghe Police Station. Jiang Sheng was unsure whether his thoughts were correct; the individuals from the metaphysical sect were enigmatic, commonly referred to as ghost-catching Taoists, and were different from ordinary people

Li Mengmeng is much more lively in front of her girlfriends: "She noticed that my height is insufficient, will I be charged a penalty for breach of contract?"

The cold air rushed down along Jiang Sheng's spine, causing him to see stars. He had to lean against the wall to steady himself, his heart racing.

Li Mengmeng then noticed that although her clothes were old, they were not dirty, and her hair was neatly combed. She paused awkwardly and pointed to the door curtain, saying, "The water dispenser is in the doctor's office"

A thin partition separates us, and in our classroom, a yellow talisman is posted, fluttering up and down with a rustling sound

She held an empty disposable paper cup in her hand, shaking it towards herself and mumbling something.

Inside the transparent glass wall sat a boy of about sixteen or seventeen years old, wearing a black T-shirt. One arm was propped against his face, gripping his messy hair that resembled a bird's nest on top of his head, and he hung up the phone with a gloomy expression.

With a heavy burden on her shoulders, that strange smell suddenly intensified, right at the side of her neck. Li Mengmeng sniffed a couple of times, slowly turned her head, and her profile brushed against something resembling hair.

Name

It is done, you may go back

She suddenly realized that, at some point, the sound of "pat pat" behind her had disappeared. Turning around in confusion, she saw the map on the wall floating, the ceiling fan spinning, splitting the light into countless fragments, while the examination room was clearly empty.

I also want to go up

The voice of the young boy came through the hands-free microphone, sounding somewhat gloomy

Recalling the police's request to respond quickly, Li Mengmeng slightly composed herself, hugged a cushion, and pressed the television remote control.

Sheng Junshu should not be disturbed while driving, and he properly parked the car by the roadside: "Xiao Zilie, you have no manners"

She covered her phone with her hand, tears welling in her eyes: "Why aren't you at home?"

*

the sound coming from the television is not the original soundtrack, but rather ... ...

The old building likely has poor signal, and the network connection has also been interrupted

The one who initiated the conversation was an old police officer with a buzz cut, wearing his uniform draped over his body, gleefully stroking his stubbled chin, "Just pass it on to the 'special envoy'"

Is there no boss? The Mr. Sheng who coordinated with us last time...

In the moment when the talisman paper folded into a command arrow was consumed by flames, a blue ghostly light emerged like a cold blade, suddenly being suspended in the air by a crimson force with a resounding "bang".

Yet another voice was heard in my ear: "That Xu Xiaofeng just now, she is from Qinghe A University, and I heard that the agent offered her a starting price of seventy-seven thousand."

A very important matter

Li Mengmeng wore a mask that covered half of her face, her eyes glued to her phone, seemingly unwilling to engage in conversation: "What more can be strict about? It's not like we're selecting a consort."

The gazes of the two individuals simultaneously shot towards the window, where a punk girl in a low-cut tank top and hot pants leaned against the car window with a half-smile, her large round earrings swaying.

Li Mengmeng's face turned pale, and she suddenly screamed, the remote control "clattered" as it was violently smashed against the door panel, shattering into pieces, two batteries flew out, rolling onto the floor, the sound abruptly ceased

She held her arms and said: "With a face like mine, I might as well have been born in a doghouse. If I had money, I could also get into University A."

The old man squinted his eyes, looking up and down with unease, pressed his cigarette, and his expression grew serious: "Where is your boss?"

The young man wears a jacket with a crossbones skull design on the back, torn denim jeans, and a pair of thick-soled high-top canvas shoes. With his pale face and the action of chewing gum while shaking his leg—this is the appearance of a delinquent youth, squatting in a row at the base of the police station wall

The ceiling fan creaked as it turned, and beneath the strong smell of disinfectant, the musty odor of the carpet in the first-floor apartment lingered. The hands of the clock pointed to 3:00.

What can you do

Sheng Junshu did not glance sideways, lightly turning the steering wheel: "Acting rashly is inappropriate"

The police officer replied on the line: "Ma'am, please don't cry... just wait a moment."

Old Jiang, Old Jiang—"the glass door" was opened with a "whoosh," "I was looking for you, coming to disturb others at work again."

Li Mengmeng switched the playlist and inadvertently glanced to the side, startled. Standing in front of her was an elderly woman, approximately in her fifties or sixties, dressed in blue, with a frail and petite figure

The old woman looked at her for a while with a dull expression, then slowly turned around and walked outside

Xiao Zixin absentmindedly responded with a "mm"

The temperature difference between day and night in Qinghe City is significant, and my damp, cold hands slipped into the sleeves of my sweatshirt. My legs, clad in a pink mini skirt, rubbed together until I sat down on the cold bench, still uncontrollably shivering.

What catches the eye is a classic period comedy, with blue and white images flickering, yet the room remains utterly silent

Li Mengmeng put on her headphones, her eyes filled with indignation. She is also from Qinghe A University and came here with Xu Xiaofeng. She only has 50,000.

Xiao Zilie frowned: "There is no boss."

The old police officer, surnamed Jiang and named Jiang Sheng, chuckled as he left his seat, picked up his thermos, and wobbled over to the small office cubicle marked "Specially Assigned".

The doctor frowned: "How can you fill in 165 when you are only 159 centimeters tall?"

The sound of metal clasps "clattering" against the ground behind her echoed slowly, a damp chill swept across her neck, and Li Mengmeng suddenly caught a faint, peculiar scent.

Sister. At last, a sound emerged from the chassis

Zhang Sen made a "hurry up and leave" gesture of intimidation towards her, followed by a "beheading" gesture of threat, and she also knocked on the window repeatedly. It was only then that Zhang Sen remembered that the people outside the tinted windows could not see inside their car

If the homeroom teacher does not call me within one month, I will return it to you

"Over there, on the opposite side."

At this point, he momentarily lost his train of thought. He reflected that it was indeed a very important matter

The tofu pudding on the desk was steaming, rising into the orange morning light that seeped through the window frame. The police officer eating the tofu pudding slurped it vigorously, the receiver moved away from his ear, and he turned back, covering his mouth with his hand: "A girl said she was scared by the 'thing'."