Chapter Summaries

Chai Si listened as the “Rumor” Phantasm explained how rumors could come true through their spread and the influence of environmental “butterfly factors.” He discovered that Wei Xilai’s final rumor concerned a Vulture entering the human world, and that it came true the day after Wei Xilai died.

• Chai Si sat in a park while the “Rumor” Phantasm commandeered his mouth and explained how rumors spread, gained credibility, and produced consequences.
• The Phantasm illustrated how unrelated “butterfly factors” could steer a rumor toward different outcomes, leading Chai Si to consider planting factors to guide a rumor.
• Chai Si learned that past hosts’ rumors remained recorded and asked about Wei Xilai’s last rumor before the “Subway Serial Killer.”
• The Phantasm said Wei Xilai had created a rumor that a Vulture in the Nest could copy a human and use its Pathway to enter the human world.
• Chai Si learned that the rumor came true on November 17, the day after Wei Xilai died.

After escaping the resident’s altered history, Jin Xueli recovered her belongings and continued her plan to obtain a Phantasm on Ninety-Ninth Street before returning to kill Anthony. She reached the subway station and found several Hunters gathered as a vending machine was being restocked.

• Jin Xueli accepted that she was the real Jin Xueli and recovered from the memories of her death and the resident’s copy.
• Jin Xueli left the enormous candle untouched, collected her backpack and phone, and set off to obtain a Phantasm and finish off Anthony.
• A taxi brought Jin Xueli to Ninety-Ninth Street in about half an hour, sparing her the dangerous journey on foot.
• Jin Xueli confirmed that the subway entrance said “Go down for a surprise” and descended to the platform.
• Four Hunters were waiting on the platform, and a woman pointed out that Jin Xueli had arrived as the vending machine was being restocked.

Jin Xueli and four other Hunters encountered the Vending Machine’s Restocking Resident and avoided its invitation by staying silent. Afterward, Jin Xueli raised the Vulture’s strange behavior, and the Hunters discovered that the Vending Machine’s soda had become drastically more expensive.

• Jin Xueli watched the Restocking Resident stock the Vending Machine and heard that it had many new products.
• The Resident invited the Hunters to try free samples and exchange phone numbers, but all five stayed silent until it left.
• The gum-chewing girl and the man argued over whether speaking to the Resident had been dangerous, and Jin Xueli stepped in to mediate.
• Jin Xueli told the Hunters that Vulture had taken her appearance and challenged them to check for a chalk hopscotch grid on Colorado Avenue.
• The baseball cap wearer revealed that a can of soda had cost over nine thousand dollars, prompting the gentle-faced female Hunter to inspect the product descriptions.

Jin Xueli found she lacked the credit to buy a Vending Machine product, so she borrowed a card from Moran Dao and bought a purple soda. The chapter ended with Moran Dao noticing the can, whose listed function was killing people.

• Jin Xueli considered how family-affiliated Hunters could profit from the Vending Machine’s products and envied their resources and credit.
• Jin Xueli asked the baseball-cap woman and her companion to lend her a credit card after explaining she lacked enough credit for a purchase.
• The baseball-cap woman, Moran Dao, agreed to lend Jin Xueli her card after taking her driver's license, credit card, and phone as collateral.
• Jin Xueli used Moran Dao's card to pay $12,000 for a purple soda from the Vending Machine.
• Jin Xueli turned and met Moran Dao's gaze after Moran Dao saw the soda, which was described as a product for killing people.

Jin Xueli lured Anthony to a bar and used the Purple-Can Soda, a phantasm, to deal with him without leaving evidence of murder. She left after Anthony disappeared, with the bar’s waitress believing she had simply spilled the drink.

• Jin Xueli called Anthony and persuaded him to meet her at the bar where they had first met.
• While waiting, Jin Xueli paid the waitress to help with her plan and learned that Anthony had called her lost phone, which Moran Dao had answered.
• Anthony arrived, refused the soda, and ordered a gin and tonic while Jin Xueli drank from the can.
• Jin Xueli confronted Anthony about his harassment, then left the table after blowing grape-scented breath toward him.
• Jin Xueli returned from the restroom to find Anthony gone and purple liquid covering his seat and the floor, then told the waitress she had spilled the drink.

Jin Xueli repaid Moran Dao and learned that Chai Si Monroe’s family wanted information about Vulture, prompting her to reconsider what she had seen in the Nest. She connected a resident’s interest in Wei Xilai’s history to the mysterious May convoy, then learned from Amber that a Morgan Family squad was missing in the Nest and needed urgent rescue.

• Jin Xueli entered Between the Backlight carrying an active Phantasm, alarming the Hunters until Moran Dao vouched for her.
• Jin Xueli explained the soda Phantasm’s effects and sold the remaining half-can to a Hunter before repaying Moran Dao twelve thousand.
• The bartender told Jin Xueli that Chai Si Monroe was seeking information about Vulture, and Moran Dao noted that the Kai Family usually handled such inquiries.
• Jin Xueli realized a Nest resident had watched Wei Xilai’s history in a candle and called Amber to ask about the bodyguard convoy that crashed into the bar in May.
• Amber revealed that Fu Tailan had ordered her to keep the incident confidential and that a Morgan Family squad had gone missing in the Nest, with its leader Jonah still alive and needing rescue.

The author reflected on the anxiety of losing readers while writing Phantasm, then found peace in accepting its niche audience and continuing at their own pace. The author thanked readers for staying with the story and promoted Wild Deer Convenience Store.

• The author said Phantasm had been posting for a little over a month and was much harder to write and less popular than expected.
• As readers left and dashboard numbers fell, the author struggled to write Chai Si and became anxious.
• The author found calm in accepting that Phantasm was a niche story meant to be written in a quiet environment.
• The author thanked readers for following along and urged them to read Wild Deer Convenience Store.

Phantasm explained why she had gone over a month without thanking her readers, then thanked the readers who had tipped her. She promised to thank them more promptly in the future.

• Phantasm said Qidian had blocked her leave note because of its wording.
• Phantasm explained that she had delayed posting thanks to save space in her author notes and make the list look more impressive.
• Phantasm thanked six readers who had tipped generously and offered them extra chapters or cameos.
• Phantasm thanked readers who contributed to her research-trip fund and estimated the money might cover a three-day trip to New York.
• Phantasm listed more readers who had tipped and admitted the long list made her feel as if her novel ranked near the top.
• Phantasm promised not to neglect her readers' thanks for so long again.