Meanwhile, when the Hanged Ghost followed the staff member's lingering scent and found him on the first floor, the man was reporting to Sun Qiang, the head of logistics:
"Boss, I delivered the food. That little celebrity didn't even dare say a word."
"As if he'd have the guts. He's just some no-name D-lister. Getting on this show was already a huge stroke of luck for him. What right does he have to complain? Give him the same stuff tonight, with even less rice."
"Of course. Speaking of which, this money really was easy to make. Zhao Yuhao paid us so much just to mess with some nobody."
"Shh, keep your voice down. Don't let anyone hear. It's not like we haven't taken this kind of money before. None of the famous people in this business are easy to deal with. He must stand to gain something himself. All right, I've sent you the money. Get back to work."
"Sure. Thanks, boss. I'll get going." The staff member left the room, delighted.
The Hanged Ghost gave a sinister chuckle and followed him. Seeing the staff member head straight for the restroom, he thought this was the perfect opportunity and followed him inside.
The restroom was empty. The staff member whistled, thinking about where to go drinking later, when he suddenly felt a chill sweep over his back. He whipped around but saw nothing.
"That's weird." Muttering to himself, he paid it no mind and continued undoing his belt. Just then, the restroom lights flickered twice, and another icy draft swept past him, making goosebumps rise all over his skin.
"Is the light broken?" By now, he could tell something was wrong, but he could only reassure himself. "Nobody's lived here in ages. It's probably fallen into disrepair. I'll have someone replace the light when I get back. It's pretty creepy otherwise."
Suddenly, the restroom lights began flickering wildly. In the intermittent light, he saw his shadow stretch and twist, with what looked like a line attached above its neck.
He jerked his gaze toward the mirror, only to see a grotesque figure with a rotting face and an elongated neck appear behind him, grinning viciously!
"Aah!!!!"
He screamed in terror and turned to flee the restroom, but the moment he turned, that horrifying face appeared right in front of him, its bulging eyes staring venomously at him. Only then did the staff member realize that the figure's neck had no skin or flesh at all, only exposed bones streaked with blood and rotting tissue!
The staff member immediately struggled to breathe. His eyes rolled back, and he fainted, his crotch soaked. He had actually wet himself in terror.
Meanwhile, Sun Qiang, the head of logistics, was happily admiring his bank balance while considering how to make things difficult for Su Li tomorrow.
Knock, knock, knock.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Who is it?" "Boss, it's me! I just remembered I left something in here!"
"What a lousy memory." Sun Qiang got up and opened the door, grumbling, only to find no one outside.
"What's going on? Where is he?" He slammed the door shut with a bang. "You little bastard. I paid you, and you're still playing pranks on me? Just wait till I deal with you tomorrow."
He returned to his desk and sat down, only to discover a rope on it that had not been there before. The rope was old and covered in dark brown stains. One section of the noose was entirely black.
"What the hell is this?" Sun Qiang picked up the rope. Just then, he heard another knock from outside. "Knock, knock, knock. Give me back my things."
Sun Qiang felt nothing but anger and failed to notice the difference in the voice. He shouted, "Get lost!"
He sat down, only to suddenly feel a tug on the rope. Looking down, he saw a grayish-white, rotting hand gripping its other end.
What is this? How did it get in? There wasn't anyone in the logistics room!
His mind was a tangled mess. His heart gave a heavy thump, and he slowly raised his head. An utterly horrifying face appeared before him!
It came with a hoarse roar: "Give me back my things!"
Sun Qiang's mouth fell open, but he fainted before he could even scream.
The Hanged Ghost spat. "You've got even less guts than the last one, yet you still dared pull that sort of thing. You must have a death wish." He turned and headed back to the second floor to report.
By then, Su Li had already heard Yuan's account of everything the Hanged Ghost had done. He could not help chuckling. This ghost really did have talent.
Before long, he sensed that the talented ghost had returned, and the shadow opened the door to let him in.
The Hanged Ghost stepped into the room apprehensively and heard Su Li's gentle voice. "Well done."
The weight finally lifted from his heart, and he immediately relaxed, replying obsequiously, "Only my duty, only my duty. Serving you is my good fortune, my lord."
"Since you did a fine job, you should receive the reward you deserve."
Su Li extended a finger as white as jade, and a wisp of black-and-red Witch Energy flowed toward the Hanged Ghost.
The Hanged Ghost felt a stream of energy envelop him, followed by a clear increase in his strength! His soul body grew more solid, and his offensive abilities and methods became much more powerful than before!
He was immensely shocked and delighted. What shocked him was that Su Li had increased his strength by half with a mere wave of his hand. Just who was he? What delighted him was that he now served such a powerful, mysterious lord.
If I follow someone like him, devote myself wholeheartedly to his work, and remain loyal, won't my future be bright? the Hanged Ghost could not help thinking.
"Go guard the door. I'll call you if I need anything." Su Li waved a hand.
"Thank you, my lord! From now on, I'll brave any danger for you!!" This time, the Hanged Ghost truly meant what he said.
"Don't call me 'my lord' anymore. It makes me sound like some county magistrate from feudal times. Call me boss."
"Yes, boss! I'll go guard the door right away!"
He promptly hung himself by the door, his eyes darting around even faster. He did not neglect the floor below, either, staring at every person who passed for a long while.
"I didn't expect to come across a talented ghost like him. He could be useful," Su Li said to Yuan.
"Hah. It's his honor to serve you, Master. Otherwise, he'd never be anything but a lowly little ghost. But Master, why didn't you have him dispose of those two directly?"
"Although it couldn't be traced back to me, the livestream starts tomorrow. If someone dies today, it'll definitely be delayed. I don't want a trivial matter like this to delay my time to absorb nutrients. Besides, every day sooner Xiaoxue and Xiaohan mature means that much more support for us."
"I understand, Master."
Su Li stepped outside and leaned against the railing, watching the commotion downstairs. Someone had discovered a logistics staff member unconscious in the restroom, and even pressing the point above his upper lip had failed to wake him.
Before long, someone else discovered that the head of logistics had also fainted. Someone on the production team who knew first aid determined that both men had gone into shock after experiencing excessive fear.
The production team was puzzled. Although they had frightening props, those were still in the prop room and would not be placed in their designated locations until that afternoon.
The people playing the NPCs would not arrive until tomorrow morning. Everything in the building was normal right now. What could have frightened them?
The director hurriedly called an ambulance to take the two men to the hospital.
He felt both frustrated and baffled. The broadcast was starting tomorrow, so why had something like this happened today? And both men had fainted from fright.
"Director, are we still starting the livestream on schedule tomorrow?" the assistant director asked beside him.
"Yes, absolutely. The preview's already out. We can't let these two delay our schedule. Oh, and keep an eye on logistics for now."
"All right. I'll let everyone know that everything will go ahead as planned tomorrow."
Before you continue