CH 6

For Yin Ren, the last half of the day had been more exciting than the past thousand years combined.

When the rain stopped last night, Yin Ren gazed at the stars through the car window—under the seal, he had slept for a full 1,040 years. This meant that his 1,400th birthday was something worth celebrating.

Thousands of years had passed, and the vicissitudes of life in the world had changed.

People in contemporary metaphysics were extremely vigilant. Yin Ren was sure that he hid himself well, but since he broke the seal, thousands of spells within a radius of ten miles were poised, and there were also arrays that were further away. There were countless seals like petals on a thousand-layered lotus, wrapping the small city of Haigu right in the middle.

Unfortunately, no one thought that an Evil Spirit would be basking in the sun in the courtyard of the institution in question.

There was a decorative pool in the park of the Shian Group. The fountain continuously gushed, and there was a relaxing water bar set up by the pool. The sky was clear and blue, allowing the sun to shine through the clear edges of the parasols.

Yin Ren collapsed under the shade as he crushed the mint leaves in his cold drink.

Not long after lunch, they were brought here by the staff. He just ordered a berry soda with ice cream, and now his body was immersed in the impact of this new taste. Yin Ren stretched out from head to toe, exuding the aura of “I’m in a super good mood”.

The person who recommended the iced berry drink to Yin Ren was sitting opposite of him…

“I’m the HR person here, surnamed Fang.”

Miss Fang had a cheerful round face. She wore thick makeup, and her hair was permed into a big maroon wave. She wore a pair of caramel-colored contact lenses, and her long nails were plastered with fancy decorations.

She was wearing a fashionable parquet skirt with a work ID hanging on her chest. There was a strange black mark with “Fang Yuanyuan” on it.

The middle-aged man next to her was also wearing a work ID, but the seal on his name was standard vermilion.

“Professor Li has something to say. He always has a stinky face on, so I’m here to adjust the atmosphere.” Miss Fang pointed to the man sitting next to her and spoke in a playful and cute tone.

Yin Ren pretended not to notice the miniature magic array in her contact lenses and the powerful charms under her manicure. Conservatively estimated, this “playful and cute” Miss Fang could tear up a spiteful ghost within ten heartbeats.

He stuffed his mouth with a spoonful of ice cream and gave a look like he was all ears.

Zhong Chengshuo was sitting to Yin Ren’s right with a glass of ice water in front of him. He was more proactive than Yin Ren. “Professor Li? That Professor Li Nian?”

“Yes.”

Zhong Chengshuo’s sitting posture suddenly became more rigid.

Professor Li behaved just like his appearance, as if he were covered with thorns to keep people at arm’s length. This person was extremely careful with his words. Yin Ren could understand the meaning—Shian Group had decided to give them some special work. In order to show their formality, they sent their leader “Professor Li Nian”, to come forward.

As for what this special work was, Professor Li didn’t specify.

Yin Ren didn’t even know what “HR” and “Professor” even meant. He wisely remained silent and let the modern man, Zhong Chengshuo, go up to bat.

Sure enough, Zhong Chengshuo opened his mouth. “When I applied for the position, I checked the box ‘open to job transfer’. As long as the treatment remains the same and the place of work is in Haigu, I have no problem.”

“Thank you for your understanding. However, this job is relatively special and requires a short interview.” Fang Yuanyuan smiled sweetly.

Zhong Chengshuo glanced at Yin Ren. “Am I working together with him?”

It wasn’t that Zhong Chengshuo regarded himself too highly, but even patients with amnesia weren’t spared from this job, which was beyond his expectations.

Yin Ren reluctantly drank all his cold drink and stirred the cream at the bottom of the cup with his straw. “I don’t remember who I am, but never mind that. I like it here. Whether it’s sweeping floors, pouring tea, or washing dishes, I can do anything.”

He spoke sincerely.

Such an institution would definitely have relevant information, so the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. As an ordinary Evil Spirit without ambition, he just wanted to get his powers under control as soon as possible, keep his sanity, and then… enjoy life in this new era to his heart’s content.

“The interview is only a preliminary screening. In my experience, there’s a high probability that the two of you will not be in the same position,” Fang Yuanyuan continued with a smile. “I’ll begin.”

She didn’t wait for the two of them to respond and quickly threw out a question—

“Do you two believe that there are ‘ghosts’ in the world?”

Zhong Chengshuo’s expression froze while the mint that Yin Ren was kneading fell to the table. Professor Li Nian tapped the table with his index finger and swept his gaze between the two of them.

Zhong Chengshuo frowned, obviously thinking about how to respond.

Yin Ren: “…I do.”

This time it was Yin Ren who answered before Zhong Chengshuo, causing Professor Li’s eyes to dart towards him.

“Go on.”

“There’s nothing to say. I just believe what the ancestors passed down. To tell you the truth, based on my experience a while ago, you have to believe it, whether you did or didn’t before.”

After speaking, Yin Ren began to stir the bottom of his drink again.

Vanilla cream and berry juice were mixed into a beautiful pink color, which looks like fresh brain matter. When it was stirred around by the straw, it exuded a sweet aroma.

“Do you have any impression of the name ’Yin Ren’?” Professor Li asked calmly. “Yin from ardent, Ren from blade.”

Yin Ren stopped stirring the straw.

“I do.” His tone was solemn.

“Uncle Zhang told you? I even had the sensation of flying in the sky—it’s unbelievable—it was like a dream.”

“I told your people about the situation at the time… Let me think about it…‘Dizziness, everything sounded like a water film, chills all over, and my body wouldn’t listen to orders.’ Minister Li, do you think I was possessed by something wicked?”

Professor Li didn’t answer.

“In case I am really possessed by something wicked, I probably shouldn’t be called ‘Yin Ren’.”

Seeing that the other party was silent, Yin Ren continued according to the planned script.

“…But the name is not bad. I’ll just call myself ‘Yin Ren’. At least it’s better than ‘Zhang San’.”

Professor Li still looked cold. “You can register as that.”

He nodded slightly at Fang Yuanyuan, who quickly typed a few lines on her phone.

Then she turned to Zhong Chengshuo and said, “Mr. Yin’s answer is standard. How about you, Mr. Zhong? Have you thought about it?”

Yin Ren was relieved. He happily let go of the straw and looked at Zhong Chengshuo, who was sitting upright.

Zhong Chengshuo had not once touched the iced water in front of him. The ice cubes had all melted away and drops of water were flowing down the outer wall of the cup, forming a ring of water at the bottom. Though he himself had a difficult expression on his face, there wasn’t a single bead of sweat.

“I don’t believe in ‘ghosts’, but I don’t deny there are ‘phenomena that can’t be explained by modern science’.”

As Zhong Chengshuo spoke, he took off his glasses and wiped them carefully.

After sitting still for so long, Professor Li’s expression finally changed. “Oh?”

“For example, people in the past couldn’t explain the phenomenon of a mirage and called it a ‘ghost city’. Many people believed that it was evidence that ghosts and spirits do exist. Nowadays, even children know the cause of a mirage, which has nothing to do with the popular concept of ghosts and gods.”

“When the path of human science does not exist, ‘modern science cannot explain a phenomenon’ is unavoidable. People’s experiences lead them to classify them as a supernatural phenomenon or related to ghosts and gods… I just don’t agree with this classification.”

Fang Yuanyuan raised an eyebrow and rubbed the small decoration on her nails.

“In other worlds, even if there are ghosts standing in front of you—” she meaningfully stretched out the end of her sentence.

“Personally, what an atheist should do is not ‘stubbornly deny’, but ‘find a more reasonable explanation’.”

“Even if it’s rather anomalous and fits people’s descriptions of a ghost?”

“It’s still a phenomenon, and any phenomenon has its causes.”

Zhong Chengshuo’s answers were smooth, as if he had pondered such questions a long time ago. Stared at by those deep eyes, Fang Yuanyuan’s smile froze for a moment.

She quickly adjusted her state. “The two of you answered well. You can participate in our induction examination in the afternoon. Ah, do you have any questions for me?”

Zhong Chengshuo: “I just had a physical entry exam a few days ago…”

“Believe me, this one’s different. What about Mr. Yin?”

“Do you really have no shortage of handymen?” Yin Ren asked hopefully.

A smile ripped through Fang Yuanyuan. “This job is definitely better than ‘doing chores’.”

“Okay, I still have a few questions.”

“Please ask.”

“Will this job require frequent travel? It’s not convenient for me to move around, so I might not be able to do it—”

“Not the early stages. We’ll consider the employee’s personal situation. As for your health, Shian will bear all follow-up medical expenses.”

“Not only the body, but I’m also worried about my mental health. Why don’t you tell me what this ‘special job” entails first?”

“I’m sorry. It’s not convenient to say right now. After you pass the physical examination, my colleague will explain the work content to you.” Fang Yuanyuan shook her head.

Seeing that he couldn’t get any more answers, Yin Ren took a deep breath and took out his ace hidden in his sleeve…

“Five insurances* and a full pension?”

*Refers to endowment insurance, medical insurance, unemployment insurance, work-related injury insurance, and maternity insurance.

Fang Yuanyuan: “……”

Fang Yuanyuan: “…In full. There’s also a supplementary provident fund, and the year-end bonus is extremely generous!”

Fang Yuanyuan felt a bit confused. When she first saw Yin Ren, she thought this person wasn’t easy to get along with. Generally speaking, people with excellent looks tend to be arrogant and usually possess a less-than-savory personality.

Unexpectedly, this beautiful rookie was someone who was worried about gains and losses.

On the other hand, Zhong Chengshuo was even more unusual—as a real newcomer to the workplace, he seemed completely uninterested in his transfer.

Were the conditions of these two people reversed?

Fang Yuanyuan couldn’t figure out why. Professor Li Nian had left to take a call and then never came back. She had to improvise on the spot and sent the two of them to Shian’s Building II.

“These are your temporary documents.”

Fang Yuanyuan jogged away from their sights and then came back panting.

When she came back, she had two more work cards in her hand. The cards were tied up in a soft gray color, with the letters “Shian” printed on them in a neat and simple font.

There was no photo on the card; only black letters on a white background.

Zhong Chengshuo: “0-1-1. Yin Ren, 0-1-2.”

The Chinese characters expressing the numbers were under the name of the person. The font was slightly smaller. Below that in a smaller font was the sentence “for entry examination”.

After making sure the two of them had hung their work ID around their necks, Fang Yuanyuan pointed them to the elevator. “The entry examination starts at 2:00 PM. Remember to get the entry exam paperwork at the door. Except for the first item, there’s no hard and fast rule on the order of the exam, but always remember—don’t go in the wrong direction and don’t run around.”

The elevator was large, with enough space to fit a bed. There were no messy decorations on the wall; just a soft, glowing metal surface. It rose slowly and steadily. Yin Ren curiously watched the numbers change one by one and finally stop at “21”.

A soft “ding” sounded, and the heavy elevator doors slid open.

Outside the elevator was a dark corridor with no windows on either side, and the end was engulfed in pitch darkness.

The elevator was facing a light-yellow wooden door. Two rows of chairs were lined up against the wall on either side of the door. The seats on the left were black, while the ones on the right were a dull vermilion. They were identical in style, and there were a few young people sitting on them.

A wooden table was placed diagonally in front of the wooden door, with a stack of forms placed on top of it. In terms of thickness, the stack of paper didn’t exceed ten sheets.

Yin Ren stepped forward first and quickly found the one that belonged to him. The name and number were labeled in the upper right corner of the form. The text on the paper was slightly different from what he knew, but he probably could still read it.

Under the title “Medical Examination Form” was followed by a line of large-print prompts in bright red…

[Note: Please be sure to check your eyesight first. Those who do not check their eyesight are not allowed to continue the entry examination!]

Only when Yin Ren raised his head did he notice the “Vision Examination Room” sign on the door. The words were followed by a moving eye, which he found quite thoughtful.

Yin Ren and the eye exchanged polite glances before looking away, seemingly unintentionally.

“It’s time for the entry examination. Please line up. We’ll check one person at a time.” Fang Yuanyuan clapped her hands with a smile, and a clicking sounded from the wooden door.

Yin Ren tensed his face and tried to make himself look nervous.

…Fang Yuanyuan was right. This exam was really “different”. As soon as the wooden door opened, evil qi rushed out. The force was so thick that it was pressing. If one were to compare the evil qi to flowing water, then the entire corridor had just been completely flooded.

Yin Ren was pretty sure there was something evil on the other side of the door, and there were certainly more than just one.

The author has something to say:

The false Ghost King: Cold and aloof, doesn’t say a word, and is inseparable from humans.

The real Ghost King: Rotten.jpg

I heard a friend say that the scabbard had been rotting for hundreds of years because Yin Ren had no idea how long he had been sealed. XD

Clues are hidden elsewhere (?