Chapter 8: Murder

The factory remained dim during the day.

The machinery on the first floor emitted a buzzing sound, like people whispering softly.

As they went down from the second floor, they could clearly see many phantom figures appearing on the first floor. These phantoms wore work clothes and worked numbly next to the machinery. Their faces couldn't be seen clearly, but one could profoundly feel their exhaustion and emptiness.

What were these phantom figures?

Were they ghosts?

Xie De felt his legs go weak again. He absentmindedly thought for a moment: if they were ghosts, then these things must have a huge amount of resentment, because they were still toiling even after death.

In that brief moment of distraction, a floating spirit stood in front of them, glaring viciously.

"Why aren't you back at your workstations?"

Ah? Me?

Xie De's gaze focused on it, but before he could speak…

Wei Yanchi took a step forward and answered gently.

"Sir, we are inspectors invited by your boss, specifically here to manage romantic relationships between workers. We are administrators like you, so we don't need to return to our workstations."

The legless spirit maintained its same emotion, muttering impatiently, "Still can't date, what, do they really think this is high school? This old man is so troublesome."

As it muttered, the spirit blended back into the environment, aggressively patrolling around the numb workers, abusing what little power it held in its hands.

Standing on the stairs looking down at the first floor, one could clearly see that the entire floor was incredibly dilapidated. The abandoned machines were merely covered in a layer of pristine illusion, and those phantom workers were likewise toiling endlessly upon these pristine illusions.

Like earth-bound spirits trapped here.

Very good, relax, this is nothing.

Xie De turned his head to look at Wei Yanchi. With this big shot leading the way, he should be able to win effortlessly and completely unscathed, right?

Wei Yanchi noticed Xie De looking at him, smiled obediently, and then explained, "Mr. 39, do you still remember that dried rose you gave me?"

"Our mission is to solve the boss's troubles, and the boss's trouble is the inexplicable disappearance of these workers. During yesterday's investigation, we found a ledger of his relatives in the boss's office. From this, we can deduce that these missing workers are actually connected to the boss to some extent, and one of them is even the boss's female cousin."

"Although my speculation is a bit out of nowhere, I vaguely figured out that someone among these workers must have confessed their love to the boss's cousin, and then the boss violently broke them up. There's also the fact that men and women live in mixed dormitories here, yet there are hardly any open couples."

"Therefore, from this, I feel that in this factory, the boss likely forbade romantic relationships."

"As for why it was forbidden, we still need to find more clues and answers."

Good heavens, as expected of the protagonist.

Xie De expressed his admiration. Hu Wei didn't show any reaction; she just followed behind Xie De like a little tail.

They went down the stairs, truly stepping onto the first floor.

A damp, despairing aura hit them in the face, drilling straight into their bones, as if forcing the living to endure their pain. Furthermore, cries of despair echoed in their ears.

"Let me leave!"

"Save me!"

"I don't want to work..."

"I want to go home!"

It was very despairing.

Xie De shivered and stopped right in his tracks. He didn't want to walk among this group of floating spirits at all…

But right at this pause, Gibberish shouted.

"Host, step back quickly!"

Xie De had been with Gibberish for so long that he subconsciously relied on it. So, as soon as Gibberish spoke, his body subconsciously took a step back.

Exactly because of this one step, a living person lunged from the side and fell face-first right in front of him.

Gibberish sneered.

"How dare he sneak attack us! Host, kick him."

Xie De then subconsciously kicked out, sending the person flying right into the pile of floating spirits.

Then, his mind finally caught up, only to hear that living person's piercing scream, "Ahhhhh—"

It all happened too fast. Wei Yanchi, standing nearby, clearly saw Xie De's kicking motion. The next second, he saw Fang Jueshan being torn apart by the furious spirits. His flesh and skin were hauled onto the machines piece by piece, and the machines turned him into cans, all while he was still screaming.

Mr. 39 was expressionless, watching coldly, looking as if he felt offended. This scene made him look somewhat like a messenger from hell.

In the shadows, Li Luohan watched the horrific scene unfold, his eyes widening instantly. Then he glared deathly at the aloof man in the lead. Fang Jueshan just died like that?

He still had so many items on him, and so much money!

Just... just died like that?

In a scenario, people dying was all too normal. Li Luohan gritted his teeth and cursed silently.

‘Useless guy!’

He then hurriedly slipped away from the shadows, not daring to appear in front of the three of them.

Xie De almost threw up.

"Gibberish, I think I just killed someone, but you are the principal offender, I am an accessory."

"Is now the time to distinguish between principal and accessory? Host, that guy was trying to kill you just now."

"Hold on a second."

Looking at the bloody, gruesome dismemberment before him, Xie De could feel the acid rising in his stomach. The stench of corpses wafted past his nose again, and his head spun.

Unable to bear it any longer, Xie De lit himself a cigarette, letting the tobacco forcefully suppress the acid reflux in his stomach.

Gibberish sighed, "Host, you've been targeted. This guy clearly came prepared. The item on him allowed him to turn invisible. After killing you, he could have just run away. Moreover, I think his motive for killing you might have been to test your strength, or to dismantle this newly formed three-person team of yours. He just didn't expect to die like this."

Xie De remained silent, then said melancholically.

"Public morals are degenerating with each passing day. The world is not what it used to be. Openly fighting and secretly robbing in broad daylight... These scenarios are too complicated. I want to go back to reality."

Within the minute he was talking to Gibberish, Wei Yanchi had walked directly into the midst of the spirits to investigate, completely unafraid that he might also be strapped to a machine and turned into a human meat can. Relying on his exceptional skills and boldness, he wove through the spirits with incredibly light footsteps.

Looking east and west, who knows what he was looking at.

Hu Wei wasn't as gutsy as him. She only dared to stand beside Xie De. Watching Xie De slowly and methodically smoke, she suddenly said, "Is Mr. 39 going to look for Li...Luohan to take revenge? They chose to provoke you. You can kill the chicken to warn the monkeys, and kill Li Luohan as well to establish your image. I can help you find Li Luohan, and I can also help you kill him."

As mentioned before, Fang Jueshan and Li Luohan were in cahoots.

He almost lost his grip on his cigarette.

Oh my goodness, girl, your words are shocking.

Xie De somewhat wanted to ask Hu Wei if his image in her mind was really that cruel?

Unexpectedly, Gibberish voiced its agreement with Hu Wei's words. It said indignantly: "What would I do if they killed you? Host! We must teach them a lesson! We must let them know that fortunes rise and fall, and they shouldn't bully the young and poor!"

"What web novel have you been reading again?"

"Never mind that, repeat after me."

Xie De hesitated, "But I don't know how to kill people. Killing sounds simple, but it's actually very difficult to do. You don't really want Hu Wei to go, do you?"

Gibberish thought for a moment, then had a brainwave.

"Host, you forgot I can use electric shocks! As long as you get within five steps of him, I can electrocute him to death, although this skill has a cooldown."

"Oh for crying out loud, you have the nerve to mention that? I'd be caught in the crossfire 100%!"

Gibberish said angrily, "Can't there be a little more trust between people? Now, repeat after me."

Xie De went numb.

In Hu Wei's eyes, Mr. 39 crushed out his cigarette and let out a cold snort, "No need for you to take action. Lure him to me, I want to kill him with my own hands."

"Yes."

Sure enough, he felt he had been offended. Hu Wei watched the cruel light flash in Mr. 39's eyes, realizing that the person she was following was by no means a benevolent and kind master.