Unfinished Building, Awakening

The fourth floor was reached.

I stood at my front door, raising my hand to knock.

I didn't have my keys. Most days I spent at school, so carrying keys was pointless—I might even lose them. That's how I'd gotten into the habit of not bringing them along.

But that was fine. My mom should be home, because every time I knocked, she'd open the door right away.

I glanced at Xie Yi, then at Eccentric Song.

Eccentric Song had been to my place more than once before. So why had he said something like that in the car? It had to be Xie Yi—he must have done something to Old Eccentric.

"Dong dong!" I knocked lightly.

No response. Normally, my mom would have opened the door by now, but today there was nothing.

I knocked twice more, this time putting more force into it.

Still, the door didn't open. Maybe they were at work. I'd just have to wait.

"This isn't your home," Xie Yi said. His tone was flat, but there was a hint of helplessness on his face.

I sneered. Could I really mistake my own home? Once my dad and mom came back, we'd see what he had to say.

But just then, Xie Yi grabbed my shoulder with one hand and pressed the other against my forehead. I heard him muttering something under his breath, but I couldn't make out a single word.

Suddenly, he barked, "Wake!"

My whole head felt dizzy and groggy, then slowly I started to come around.

I was furious inside and wanted to push him away, but I found I had no strength.

He stepped back half a pace, and I nearly fell to the ground. That was when I got a clear look at my surroundings.

I was startled. This was nothing but an unfinished building. There were no residents at all. The rooms were empty, without even doors, and everywhere was cluttered with trash. I could even smell the stench of dead rats.

"Where is this?" I asked Xie Yi.

He said, "This is Green Garden Residential Area. It was originally planned during the old city renovation to be built as compensation housing for the residents of Little Ancestral Hall Entrance. But after what happened at Little Ancestral Hall Entrance, the developer decided to sell the units as commercial housing. Who would have guessed that right after that decision, the construction crew had a safety accident? Rumors said it was haunted. They switched crews a few times, but the same thing happened every time. So the project for this complex had to be halted. They couldn't build, and they couldn't demolish. Every time a construction team came in, someone would die."

So this complex had become Qiao City's most notorious unfinished building.

As he spoke, fragments of images flashed through my mind—chaotic, blurry. I tried to see them clearly but couldn't.

I said nothing more and turned to go downstairs.

Xie Yi didn't say anything either, quietly following behind me.

I didn't see Eccentric Song, but I knew he'd show up in front of me again on his own.

Leaving the complex, Xie Yi pointed across the street at a commercial strip and said, "Remember what that place is?"

I nodded. Of course I did. That was Little Ancestral Hall Entrance.

"What really happened that night ten years ago?" Xie Yi asked me.

I countered, "Did something happen to Uncle Long and Aunt Qin?"

Xie Yi looked a bit taken aback, but then he immediately smiled. "You're finally willing to care about them. I thought you were really planning to live in your own fantasies forever."

"Answer me."

I imagined my expression must have been ferocious right then. Actually, the moment I'd seen my surroundings clearly, some people and events had already started coming back to me—things I'd thought I would never remember again for the rest of my life.

"They're about to die."

Hearing him say that meant they were still alive.

"Was all of this your arrangement? The dreams I had, and me going to see Professor Wang—was that all your doing?"

He shook his head. "No. I did go to Qianzhou University looking for you, but I planned to see Professor Wang first before finding you. I never expected you'd come to me on your own. As for why you had those dreams—it's because you never really let that matter go. Or maybe it's because the time has come. But since you're here, I hope you won't run away anymore. I believe you also want to figure out what happened back then and save the people from Little Ancestral Hall Entrance, don't you? You should know that your parents are among them. Can you bear to watch them suffer the torment of their souls and die?"

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"What about the other two? How are they now?" I asked.

"Li Sen jumped off a building and killed himself last month. Xu Qiuyan is in a mental hospital. Uncovering the truth of what happened back then is up to you now," Xie Yi said seriously.

A chill of sorrow crept into my heart. I remembered now. There had been five of us who escaped from Little Ancestral Hall Entrance ten years ago: Uncle Long, Aunt Qin, me, Li Sen, and Xu Qiuyan. Strange to say, after that, the five of us never saw each other again. We had no contact at all. Maybe they, like me, wanted to forget that nightmare. I just never expected Li Sen to jump off a building and die, or that Xu Qiuyan—that lively, cheerful girl around my age, always full of laughter—would end up in a mental hospital.

"You said you're from Bureau Five, Section Nine. What kind of unit is Bureau Five, Section Nine exactly?" I asked, recalling the introduction Xie Yi had given himself. He thought for a moment and replied, "Bureau Five, Section Nine is a special department that handles unusual cases. Our section has an easy-to-remember codename: 'Ghost Domain.' I'm in Special Case Section One, and the Little Ancestral Hall Entrance case is my responsibility."

I asked again, "Does your department have a lot of authority?"

He paused, then nodded. "It's alright. Why do you ask?"

I said, "Just curious. I figure you guys must all be pretty capable people, right?"

Xie Yi nodded again. "You've got that right. Our Section Nine doesn't have many people, but every single one of them is extraordinary."

I laughed. This guy really liked to blow his own horn, and without even a hint of embarrassment.

"So, are you willing to come back with me now? Don't worry, we just want to get a better understanding of the situation from you. It won't take up too much of your time. Of course, when we need your cooperation, I hope you'll support our work."

I shook my head.

He frowned. "You still don't want to?"

I said, "I want to join you. I think your place suits me."

I don't know why this thought suddenly came to me. Perhaps it stems from the fear buried deep inside me. Though that incident happened ten years ago, it still makes my heart tremble whenever I recall it. That's why I hope to join Unit Nine and become one of them.

I remember someone once said—if you want to stop fearing war, then join the army. Only by truly throwing yourself into war can you no longer be afraid of it.

Xie Yi laughed again, a hint of amusement in his smile. "You think just anyone can waltz into our place? Like I said, Unit Nine doesn't have many people, but every single one is a formidable character, each with their own specialty. What about you? What can you do?"

I wasn't intimidated by his words. "You already know what I can do, don't you?"

This time, it was his turn to freeze.

Then he burst out laughing. "Come on, let's go say hello to your grandpa first. Then we'll head back to the provincial capital. I'll take you to meet Long Zhong and Qin Yueying."

He didn't give a clear answer to my request to join them, but I believed they wouldn't turn me down. I had that confidence.

On the way back, we spoke little. He focused on driving, his eyes fixed ahead, while I closed my eyes and lost myself in thought.

In my mind, Zhang Meili's face appeared—still a bit youthful, with two small dimples when she smiled. She was the Xu Qiuyan I remembered.

She must be twenty-two or twenty-three by now. I wondered what she looked like.

"What are you thinking about? She doesn't remember you anymore."

Hearing that, I glanced at the rearview mirror. Eccentric Song sat in the back seat, a wicked grin on his face.

I shot him a glare. This guy always loved ruining the mood.

Xie Yi seemed to sense something. "I'm curious—besides Eccentric Song, who else is by your side? I know about Eccentric Song, a top psychology graduate, impressive both in theory and practice. But I still haven't figured out what the other two can do."

I said flatly, "You'll find out someday."

With that, I turned my head to look out the window. Xie Yi didn't press further, just chuckled lightly. "Alright, I'll wait and see what makes you so special."