One year in the Underworld felt like ten in the living world. But at last, through working countless underpaid, backbreaking jobs, I managed to save enough ghost coins for something life changing: a Dream-Visitation Service.
At the counter of the Netherworld Dream Service Department, a chipper assistant with sharp red-streaked hair grinned while promoting their packages.
"Dear customer, big sale today. We have the deluxe visitation for eighty-eight million, the premium for eight point eight million, the practical package for eight hundred eighty thousand, and the special discounted set for eighty-eight thousand. Which do you want?"
My face flushed hot. Clutching my shabby coin pouch, I whispered like a broke tourist, "What's the cheapest?"
Her smile froze instantly and she deadpanned, "Eighty thousand flat. I'll scan your ghost wallet."
Ding. Balance gone, wallet empty.
But excitement surged in me again. At long last, I could pass on a dream message.
I, Lu Zhen, once had countless little brothers under me, notorious on every street corner of Beihai City. Yet after death, not one offering, not even a copper coin, reached me. Why? Because of my own mouth. When I was young and cocky, I spouted nonsense: "When I die, scatter my ashes into the ocean. Don't mourn, don't remember, don't send spirit money. Let me roam free with the tide, unchained and eternal."
Back then it sounded cool. Now it was the biggest regret of my afterlife. If I had known a bowl of ghost noodles costs one soul contract and a side dish another week of labor, I would have told my crew to build me a palace shaped grave instead.
But fine. Water under the bridge. After one long year of ghost labor, I'd finally bought my one chance to ask my crew to change my fate. If I played this right, I could go from broke ghost to Underworld mogul.
"Sir, please confirm your dream target and time slot."
A screen popped up and my blood pressure spiked. On it was the stone faced mug of Jiang Yuyan, my lifelong rival.
"Wait, no, no, no, switch it. Anyone else."
The clerk's face was full of disdain. "Sorry sir, the cheap package doesn't have multiple choice." Her look screamed, what do you expect for eighty grand, champ.
Me: ......
As the countdown began, regret swallowed me whole. Cheap things really are the most expensive in the end lesson learned too late.
Jiang Yuyan and I had been enemies since school days. I smoked a cigarette, he reported it. I sneaked booze, he reported. I ditched class, he snitched. I flirted with girls, he tattled before I got their numbers. Shameless. Despicable. Villainous.
And adulthood only made things worse. He became the right hand of my boss's fiercest competitor. From then on, not a day passed without clashes. He stole my clients, sabotaged my deals, and encroached on my turf.
With him in existence, my life was pain.
But I'm Lu Zhen the most handsome king of the street rats of Beihai. If Jiang Yuyan made things hard for me, I would not let him off easy either. Our whole dynamic was mutual destruction as a lifestyle.
So now, if you asked me whether this dream visitation was worth eighty thousand ghost coins, it was a complete waste. Knowing Jiang Yuyan, instead of burning me money, he would happily dig up my ashes, scatter them into a sewer, then dance on the empty grave to celebrate.
I curled into a squat, arms around my knees, refusing to speak or reconcile with the cruel joke of fate.
"Hey." A cold voice sounded above me. I raised my head.
How did this bastard get even more handsome? Back when I was alive, he already had that infuriating scholar vibe. Now with his golden-rimmed glasses and perfectly pressed shirt, he looked like some untouchable, abstinent male model straight out of a luxury brand ad.
Meanwhile, me? One year in the dirt, lousy temp in the Nether kitchens. Life is unfair.
Jiang's brows furrowed as if he couldn't comprehend why I'd suddenly appeared in his dream. The truth is, I couldn't either.
But thinking of the starvation wages I endured below, panic jolted through my legs. I clattered to my knees again with no pride left.
Jiang tried to take a step back in shock, but I lunged, clinging to him like an octopus.
"Jiang Yuyan," I bawled, "I beg you, please, for the love of all gods, burn me some damn money."
Jiang: ???
I ignored the weight of history, the years of mutual dislike. Survival trumped pride.
"Do you know what life is like down there? I'm worse than a dog. Even waiters at ghost restaurants need bachelor's degrees. I've got nothing, nobody, no credentials. I'm at the mercy of the market. Looted. Exploited. Ground down. And this one dream talk I spent my whole year's savings just to meet you. Jiang Yuyan, for the sake of our rivalry, of at least knowing each other, light me up with some paper cash."
I looked up and Jiang Yuyan's expression cracked his usually expressionless face almost shattered with tension. He suddenly bent down and yanked me to my feet.
This bookworm-looking bastard had strength. His grip felt like iron shackles digging into my shoulders.
His face was shadowed, but his eyes glinted unnervingly bright. He tightened his hold and asked low, almost trembling,
"You came just to see me?"
I froze. Something about his tone was wrong, but I didn’t have time to unpack it.
Because right on cue, a hollow bell like voice echoed in my skull: "Reminder: Half of your visitation time has elapsed. Please use wisely."
Time was running out.
I instantly shoved aside any weird feeling in my gut, slapped his shoulder with desperate conviction, and shouted,
"That's right, Jiang Yuyan. I came here especially to see you. My good brother don't forget to burn me some paper money, alright?"
His gaze flickered wildly. His grip on my arm nearly cut off circulation. In a voice heavy with something I couldn't name, he muttered,
"Burn? I already did. From the day you left, I've gone every week. I bought the finest offerings. Dozens of burns. Gold and silver sets. Just yesterday, I even burned you the latest iPhone, limited edition."
As his description continued, my jaw dropped, my pupils shrank.
Because according to what he said, my so called little brothers had built me a graveyard plot in Beihai's West Garden Cemeteries. They set ridiculous entry rules anyone visiting had to bring a premium burn set, otherwise no entry.
Meaning, every person who'd gone to see me included stacks of high-class spirit notes just to step through my shrine gates.
And Jiang said he alone had burned me millions. Millions. Fancy phones. Burned cars. Even a spectral villa.
Meanwhile, me? I'd spent a year wiping ghost dishes in underworld restaurants, cleaning haunted outhouses, scrubbing floors of the Soul Customs Building, only to scrape together eighty thousand for this one moment. And my ghost bank account balance was otherwise zero.
My soul nearly combusted on the spot.
I grabbed Jiang Yuyan by his pristine nightshirt collar, shaking like a wronged spouse catching their partner cheating. My voice tore raw from my throat:
"Who did you burn it to?"
The dream world buzzed on the verge of collapse, yet Jiang only stared in confusion, saying my name with trembling lips.
"Lu Zhen "
Before I could scream again, the final countdown hammered in my head: "Visitation time ending. Returning customer shortly. Please prepare for recall."
A crunching vacuum force wrenched me backward, an invisible hand dragging my entire body away. Jiang lunged, grabbing my arm with both hands, face twisted with panic.
"Where are you going?"
I cried, "Jiang, the money, the paper money, make sure it's me."
He braced against the pull, knuckles straining white, determined not to let go. But no mortal dream could resist the pull of the Netherworld.
At the last second, his eyes widened with a mad idea. He bit down on his thumb until blood welled and with speed faster than thought, pressed the blood to my forehead, muttering words I couldn’t understand, sealing something into me.
Chapter 01
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