Edgy Girl Joins the Staff

"Uncle Xu, why has there been construction noise in the underground parking lot lately? Director Luo couldn't have sold it to Chen Ge, right?"

While Uncle Xu was busy.

Zhang Ze went over to strike up a conversation.

Seeing that it was Zhang Ze, Uncle Xu set down what he was doing and smiled warmly. "That's right. Little Chen wants to further expand the Haunted House business."

"Ah, it really makes one sigh. Little Chen is pitiful. His parents suddenly vanished, leaving him only this Haunted House. Maybe he wants to run it well because he hopes to find news about his parents."

Zhang Ze already knew everything Uncle Xu had said.

He only wanted to know how far Chen Ge had progressed.

Chen Ge buying the rights to use the underground parking lot meant that he was very likely about to acquire his true powerhouse.

Zhang Ya.

She was far more than merely a Red-Clothed Vengeful Ghost. Zhang Ya had even escaped from the Door-After World, making her much more terrifying than ordinary Red-Clothed ghosts. She eventually even became a Ferocious God.

"As expected of the protagonist."

"He managed to get such an incredible powerhouse right from the start."

Zhang Ze sighed inwardly.

After casually chatting with Uncle Xu for a few more moments, Zhang Ze returned to his own Haunted House.

Chen Ge's progress was certainly fast.

But Zhang Ze could not fall behind either.

He had specifically bought dish soap, toilet cleaner, and all kinds of specialized cleaning tools, intending to complete the system's Daily Quest.

[④ (Daily): Clean the Haunted House, remove dust and trash, and keep it tidy. Reward: Roulette Draw ×1]

"Time to get to work!"

Zhang Ze tied on an apron.

His Haunted House had originally been a bumper car arena. It was fairly large and had quite a few small rooms. He had to clean them all one by one to meet the system's cleaning standards.

Two hours later.

Zhang Ze, drenched in sweat, put down his rag.

The Haunted House had been cleaned up. Though it still felt deserted, at least it no longer looked as run-down as before.

[Quest Completed]

[Reward: Roulette Draw ×1]

The Daily Quest had been completed.

Now, only the last Daily Quest remained. Unlocking the second scene would allow him to refresh other Daily Quests, as well as the third Nightmare Mission.

Considering that the first scene, Crow's Nest, had already been a two-star Scream Index scene.

Zhang Ze still felt rather uneasy about this new scene.

He was not like Chen Ge, who had the protagonist's halo. Chen Ge's parents had been watching over him from the Door-After World, practically paving the way for him from the very beginning. Ever since Chen Ge was little, Shadow Brother had borne disasters and pain in his place...

Zhang Ze had died once in merely his first scene.

If he had not found a way to steal supernatural phenomena and reattached his severed hand, Zhang Ze would probably still be playing Dead by Daylight with Old Zhou and Li Yang in the World in the Painting.

"System, use the draw."

"Give me a powerhouse like Zhang Ya or Xu Yin!"

"If not, even Men Nan would do. I need to build up my combat strength."

A roulette wheel appeared before Zhang Ze.

Its pointer spun rapidly, but this time, it eventually stopped on something familiar...

[Damaged Videotape]

[Lost Media No. 008]

Seriously?

Zhang Ze now had two damaged videotapes, Lost Media No. 008 and No. 009. Over the past few days, he had actually asked someone to inspect them, but they were too severely damaged to be opened through normal means.

In other words, he had drawn two pieces of junk.

Zhang Ze was speechless.

If the draws could not provide him with Supernatural Place Quests, then he had to find supernatural incidents himself and build scenes.

After all, he could now paint. Strictly speaking, he could paint a new scene himself, but the workload would be unbelievably huge. Painting a scene required borrowing space from the Door-After World, designing the setting and props, and arranging every terrifying element.

"This damn system is such a scam. The drop rates are pathetic. Can't I trade cheat systems with Boss Chen... Sigh."

Though Zhang Ze complained aloud, his body honestly put away the videotape.

He returned to the Haunted House and continued receiving visitors.

Until nighttime.

The final shift.

After seeing off several visitors, Zhang Ze spotted a familiar face among them.

A girl who looked barely eighteen wore a short skirt, earrings, and even had tattoos...

Shen Yue?

"So you really are the Haunted House owner!" Shen Yue saw Zhang Ze too, her tone excited. "I watched recordings of your livestream online! That's why I came looking for you!"

"Crow's Nest was the place we entered after leaving the internet cafe that day, right?"

"I also find the Haunted House employee familiar, but he seems not to remember me. Still, I remember that he was the one who told me Speed Net Cafe had suddenly caught fire and that we'd been trapped somewhere haunted."

Shen Yue's eyes were wide open. Zhang Ze could even clearly see the color of her contact lenses. She had specially applied false eyelashes as well. At first glance, she looked less like someone visiting a Haunted House and more like someone going on a date with her boyfriend.

"What do you want?"

"I... I want to apply for a job. Speed Net Cafe burned down, and I have nowhere to work. Please take me in!" Shen Yue said bluntly.

Zhang Ze was stunned.

Were there really edgy girls this straightforward?

He had never encountered one before.

Come to think of it, edgy girls really did seem to be like that—direct and blunt, never beating around the bush.

"At your age, shouldn't you be in school? What if you run into something like last time again while working alone?" Zhang Ze said slowly.

"I just think you're reliable, Boss. If you hadn't saved me, my innocence would've been ruined." Shen Yue scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

She had specifically come all the way to Zhang Ze.

It was also because he had helped her out that day, which made her feel safe.

At the very least, when she was around Zhang Ze, she did not have to worry that her outfit would attract unpleasant looks. It was not like working at the internet cafe's front desk, where all sorts of men were always trying to take advantage of her.

Zhang Ze had originally wanted to refuse.

But then he reconsidered.

His Haunted House seemed to be short of someone to sell tickets.

Chen Ge at least had Xu Wan. When Chen Ge was not around, she could help keep an eye on the place.

If Zhang Ze was absent, he could not exactly have Crow watch the place, could he?

Old Zhou and Li Yang were both Lingering Remnants from the Door-After World and could not enter reality. Even if Zhang Ze forcibly brought them into reality, it would be difficult to explain if someone photographed them and posted it online.

After all, Old Zhou and Li Yang had both already died in reality.

The resurrection of the dead would be huge news.

Inside the Crow's Nest scene, it could still be explained as special effects.

But if they entered reality, there would be no way to clear their names.

"You can work here, but you need to rein in your personality a little. First, you'll have to sign a confidentiality agreement. Everything in the Haunted House is confidential. If people learn how it works, they won't want to come play anymore."

"And I'll need to see your ID. Minors can't work."

"If that's acceptable, I'll hire you on probation for a month first. If you perform well during the probation period, you'll become a full employee." Zhang Ze added, "You'll earn 5,000 yuan a month during probation, and 7,000 after becoming permanent staff. There will also be performance bonuses. How does that sound?"

"Awesome!"

Shen Yue immediately broke into a smile. "I knew you were the best, Boss Zhang!"

"I'm starting right now!"