Beneath the Floor

"Go tell that headless female ghost she can do whatever she likes to Liu Jinjian, as long as she leaves him breathing. Then go find Wang Xiang and tell him he can arrange wherever he wants on the fourth floor tomorrow morning, but where we go in the afternoon is up to me."

"Boss, will he listen?"

"He already knows this place is haunted and that something's off about me. Improvise."

Zheng Xing gave a sinister look at that. "Yes, boss."

Wang Xiang was in his room on the first floor, racking his brains.

He was staying here temporarily too, so he could get an early start directing.

He was wondering what to do tomorrow. After learning this place was haunted, he would have left long ago if Su Li hadn't threatened him.

He was afraid there might be a ghost in his own room too.

He had just stood up to take a walk outside when he discovered another person had suddenly appeared in his room!

Caught off guard, Wang Xiang stepped back, then got a clear look at the newcomer.

The man was tall and thin, dressed in a high-collared casual outfit, his face pale. Wasn't this Su Li's assistant, Zheng Xing? How had he gotten in?

He didn't think Zheng Xing was a ghost at this point, because he had seen Zheng Xing go out to fetch things for Su Li. How could he be a ghost if he could go out in the sun?

"You're Su Li's assistant? May I ask... what brings you here?" Wang Xiang asked cautiously, a little panicked.

Zheng Xing spoke coldly. "My master has something to tell you. He sent me to inform you." To sound more imposing, he had changed his way of addressing Su Li to "master."

Master? Did he mean Su Li?

Wang Xiang couldn't help swallowing and asked quietly, "M-may I ask who your master is?"

Zheng Xing didn't answer and continued, "My master told me to tell you that you can arrange tomorrow morning's livestream wherever you like, but it must be on the fourth floor. The afternoon's location is up to him."

This was clearly Su Li's message. What was he planning?

"May I ask... Mr. Su, he..."

Before he could finish his question, Zheng Xing cut him off. "You have no right to ask what my master intends to do. I'm only here to inform you. If you think you've lived long enough, you can refuse."

Wang Xiang lowered his head. He was furious. In all his years as a well-known variety show director, no one had ever spoken to him like this. Even if there was something uncanny about Su Li, he still wanted to argue back.

But when he looked up again, he discovered that the face before him had become utterly horrifying, and bloodstains were slowly appearing on the man's body.

"Ah!" Frightened, he dropped into his chair.

This Zheng Xing was a ghost!!!

He saw a sinister smile appear on Zheng Xing's horrifying face as he said hoarsely, "Director Wang, if you behave and do as you're told, my master will be happy. But if my master is unhappy..."

"Okay, okay, okay! I... I'll do exactly as he says!!" Wang Xiang trembled, his face deathly pale.

Zheng Xing's expression was icy. "You'd better not try anything clever, like calling the police. Otherwise, the moment you press the first digit, your head will fall off. Understand?"

Wang Xiang immediately covered his neck with his hands and said repeatedly, "Yes, yes, I understand! I'll obey!"

Then he saw Zheng Xing glance at him with lifeless eyes, his body gradually blurring before slowly disappearing.

After he left, Wang Xiang slumped in his chair and let out a long breath. His back was already soaked, and his palms were slick with cold sweat.

Su Li's assistant was actually a ghost! Who would believe that? A ghost who could stand in the sunlight!

Just what kind of powerful being was Su Li?! Thinking of his own attitude over the past few days, Wang Xiang felt as though he had taken a walk around death's door.

He wanted to stand up and discuss tomorrow's arrangements with the others, but discovered his legs had gone weak with fear. He couldn't get up for a long time.

Zheng Xing was reporting back to Su Li. "Boss, it's done. That Wang Xiang was so scared he collapsed. All he cares about is staying alive."

Su Li leaned against the sofa, scrolling on his phone. "Everyone's afraid of dying, especially someone like him. He knew the haunting was real, but he still didn't stop things then. He was clearly blinded by profit. Now that he's come to his senses, he's too scared to continue? He doesn't get to have it that easy."

"If you ask me, just for the way he treated you before, he should've been dead already if he weren't still useful for now." Zheng Xing really had wanted to kill him before.

Su Li's voice was lazy. "Anyway, he doesn't dare disobey now, and he's a well-known director in the industry. He's more valuable alive than dead, isn't he?"

"You're right, boss!"

Liu Jinjian was throwing a furious fit, while Fan Ping stood beside him trying to calm him down.

The reason was that Feibo's trending searches were now all about him:

#Liu Jinjian cheated#

#Liu Jinjian, a social-climbing husband#

#Liu Jinjian admits to cheating with four people#

People had even dug up when he had cheated and who he had been involved with. Three of them were actually college students!

The internet was flooded with people condemning him.

He had just posted a clarification on Feibo:

Author Liu Jinjian V: What I said during the livestream earlier was said while I was physically unwell and not thinking clearly. It was all nonsense and lies. Please don't spread rumors!

The comments below were all mocking him:

[Stupid and scummy. The proof is ironclad, so why are you still fighting it?]

[Lies? I don't think it could've been any more true.]

[I think you're the one talking nonsense now.]

[He thought it was a real ghost and spilled everything because he was afraid of dying. Then he found out it was fake. Bet he was dumbfounded, hahaha.]

[Would she have divorced you if you hadn't cheated? And with four people, no less?]

[Stop struggling. You're finished too. Huh? Why did I say "too"?]

[This is the third person to get canceled on this episode of Brave Challenge.]

"We can't let this continue! Hurry up and hire paid commenters and marketing accounts to turn public opinion around!" he yelled at his assistant.

He was just a writer without a team of his own. All he could do was pay for commenters and marketing accounts.

"I'll get right on it. Brother Liu, don't panic." With that, Fan Ping took his phone and went out.

He wasn't about to hire any paid commenters. He was going to write his resignation letter. With all the evidence right there, what was there to turn around? Who else could Liu Jinjian blame for getting canceled when he couldn't keep his own behavior clean?

This was the perfect opportunity to quit as soon as possible. There really was no future in being an assistant to someone like that!

Liu Jinjian panted heavily in his room. That damned production team, that damned Su Li, and all those viewers!

Every last one of them was making a fool of him. His reputation was completely ruined now!

"Knock, knock..." A familiar sound suddenly rang out.

Still furious, he thought the sound was coming from downstairs. He hurled his phone at the floor and shouted, "Shut up!"

The sound suddenly stopped, but returned a little later.

"Knock, knock... knock, knock." And it was closer, as though it were right beneath the floor!

Liu Jinjian regained his senses. Wasn't this... the sound he had heard at noon?

He felt a little uneasy. What kind of sound could be so clear beneath the floor?

Following the sound, he went to where it was loudest and looked down. There was nothing unusual about the floor. Why was it making that sound?

He touched the floor, only to feel that section vibrating!

Before he could pull his hand back, he saw bright red blood gush through the gaps in the floor!

What was this? Blood? Where was this blood coming from?

His eyes widened and his heart raced. Then he screamed, falling to the floor in fright.

"Knock, knock, knock... knock, knock, knock." The sound grew more and more urgent, and the floor shook, as though something were about to emerge from beneath it!

What was in there?!

Liu Jinjian grew more and more frightened. Cold sweat covered his forehead as he slowly edged backward, then scrambled to his feet and rushed toward the door.

He just had to get out. That thought filled his mind.

But when he tried to turn the doorknob, he discovered it wouldn't budge!