APP: Chapter 6

Xie Chi doubted the age of this little ghost. He pretended not to understand and picked up the eggs, handing it over with a laugh. “It’s okay, it is cooked and you can eat it. My eggs are really delicious.”

The little ghost stiffened and didn’t reach out. Yan Jing in the back secretly whispered ‘amazing’ and smothered a laugh. The little ghost didn’t talk anymore and led the two of them to the door of the pool room.

Yan Jing whispered by Xie Chi’s side. “He has no head and can’t see the ball. How can he play? Won’t you win?”

Xie Chi was silent. He felt that things weren’t that simple. Sure enough, the baby ghost laughed and said, “Brother, we are playing blind snooker. You should have a taste of how I play snooker.”

The voice came from all directions, sharp and short. Xie Chi’s eyes had adapted to the darkness and he could see a bit. After the baby ghost finished speaking, he was completely blind. The app was refreshed and this time, there was a thoughtful artificial voice.

[Blind Snooker Game Rules: There are three chances. The baby ghost will place the billiard ball anywhere on the billiards table. Actor Xie Chi is temporarily blind. By calculating the angle and strength, he must hit the billiard ball into the pocket requested by the baby ghost. Scoring two goals means victory. Note that you can only hit it against the table three times at most.]

“Fu*king blind!” Yan Jing heard the rules of the game and immediately cursed. “What fu*king playing? It is better to run away!”

At the sound of Yan Jing’s rage, the baby ghost’s pale white hand instantly formed long and thin nails. It seemed like he would kill them the moment they chose to give up the game.]

[It seems that this baby ghost has many grievances. He didn’t intend to let them go at all and just played with them.]

[Death is so miserable, it is strange not to be full of grievances.]

[This is death. They are both newcomers and have no points to buy props or body protection from the app mall…]

“Blind snooker… I won’t necessarily be able to play even with my eyes open.]

[Don’t say it. I’m questioning if I can even hit the ball with the cue.]

[You can figure out the position of the ball and frame by touch then judge using perception.]

“Have you thought about it?” The baby ghost’s voice was completely cold.

The atmosphere was tense.

“Brother Xie…” Yan Jing was sweating and ready to escape at any time.

However, Xie Chi had a playful smile on his face and sent Yan Jing a calming look.

“Brother,” Xie Chi thought in his heart.

A few seconds later, Xie Xinglan gave a low laugh. “Come, I’ll play with him.”

Yan Jing’s eyes widened. He couldn’t believe that Xie Chi was agreeing.

The baby ghost was laughing happily, the sound eerie. He sat on the chair and seemed to be underestimating the opponent. He didn’t believe that someone could hit the billiard ball when blind so his first ball was placed in the centre of the table. It was the easiest to hit.

The sudden blindness didn’t give Xie Xinglan any psychological pressure. He casually picked up the cue and used touch to figure out the position of the ball and the pocket. After he determined it, he lowered his body and used skillful and light movements to hit the ball with no hesitation.

The target ball was hit as expected and moved on the table, rolling in a slow and heart-wrenching manner. Yan Jing’s heart was in his throat.

After a touch, the target ball rolled more slowly like it could stop half-way at any time. Yan Jing couldn’t see the direction of the target ball but the audience outside the horror movie breathlessly stared as they saw the ball approach the designated pocket bit by bit, finally rolling in with a plop.

[Oh my god! He hit it in!]

[I’m blind.]

Yan Jing was completely frozen before finally reacting by jumping around in an excited manner. The temperature around them plummeted sharply and the resentment of the baby ghost reached a new level. It seemed that Xie Xinglan’s success had completely angered him.

“Don’t be too happy,” the baby ghost declared.

Xie Xinglan raised his eyebrows. His eyes were a bit lazy and he didn’t seem to care.

In the second round, the baby ghost learned from the last lesson and placed the ball in a very remote location. He repeatedly confirmed that the position of the ball was very hard. It would require an extreme angle to enter the pouch and he could rest assured.

Xie Xinglan shrugged. Just like the first game, there was no suspense when he hit it. Just as the ball was about to enter the pouch without any suspense, the ghost baby standing opposite the table suddenly stretched out long fingernails and gently touched the ball. The ball rolled away from the pouch and the baby ghost smiled.

[Hey, this is playing tricks!]

[Trusting a ghost, too naive.]

[It’s okay if he loses. It is two wins in three rounds. There is another chance after losing this round.]

Xie Xinglan heard the baby ghost’s nails subtly touching the ball and his lips slightly curved up. Just as the ball was about to touch the side of the table three times and be judged as a failure, he suddenly raised his feet and kicked the billiard table.

The place where the billiard table was kicked moved up and the ball slipped down the short end. It followed the original trajectory and… fell into the pouch specified by the baby ghost. It was two wins and the game ended perfectly.

[My god, this definitely can’t be true.]

[He didn’t violate the rules, cough. The rules only said that the ball wasn’t allowed to touch the edges three times. It didn’t say to not kick the table.]

[He can actually play like this, I have to kneel to him. What is this degree of accuracy?]

[Too strong ahhhh. It is the first time I’m seeing a person playing tricks on a ghost.]

[T-This is a win right?]

[My mood is very complicated. I have a hunch that this newcomer will climb very high and not lose anything.]

***

Once Xie Chi regained control of his body, a message prompt rang on the app.

[The personal plot has been updated. Congratulations on your victory in the game against the ghost baby. You have won tranquillity for you and Actor Yan Jing tonight. Due to your outstanding performance, you have an opportunity to ask the baby ghost one question. Pay attention. If you ask a question that the ghost baby doesn’t know, you will lose your chance.]

The baby ghost’s voice was full of reluctance but the nails on his small hands were retracted. Tonight, he couldn’t kill the two people and he was also restricted by the rules to answer Xie Chi’s question.

Xie Chi managed to restrain his smile as he asked, “How old are you?”

Yan Jing never thought that Xie Chi would ask such a plain question.

The baby ghost replied, “It has been 18 years since I died so I’m 18 years old.”

Yan Jing’s eyes widened and he became breathless. The baby ghost who didn’t even reach his knees was actually the mental age of a grown up. No wonder why he was speaking so innocently with them. It was deliberately pretending to be young to fool them in the game. If it wasn’t for Xie Chi, Yan Jing would’ve really been fooled.

The age algorithm of a ghost was different from humans. Their bodies were fixed to when they died but their wisdom will still grow with time. Yan Jing had almost forgotten this. The baby ghost disappeared after saying this sentence and the crisis had completely dissipated.

Xie Chi’s mobile app suddenly sent a message.

[Congratulations. In the game with the baby ghost, the main plot exploration degree has increased by 10 and the side plot exploration degree has increased by 15.]

Xie Chi was surprised. The main plot about the spirit in red clothes had increased, indicating that the baby ghost was related to the main plot.

The side plot had risen even more, indicating that his guess was most likely correct. The baby head Gu was originally refined from the flesh of the baby ghost.

He could even boldly guess that the death of the baby ghost was caused by the spider. The female boss raised a very special baby head Gu on the living baby boy and the boy died of the poison from the Gu’s bite. He lost his head and became a headless ghost.

The main plot and side plot should be tangled together and were inseparable.

Xie Chi was thoughtful. He had asked for the baby ghost’s age for another purpose. The ghost said he was 18 years old so it had been 18 years after his death. The ghost was born 18 years ago. Thus, he should next check what happened in his company 18 years ago.

In the blink of an eye, all the lights on the fifth floor were restored. Yan Jing sat on the sofa and gasped for breath, pale face full of blood. He coughed fiercely and spat out blood. Yan Jing just smiled. “Be at ease.”

Xie Chi handed him a piece of tissue and sat down. “Is it the side effects of the yin yang eyes?”

“Yes.” Yan Jing took it and wiped his mouth. “I’m used to it.”

Yan Jing didn’t want to be too tangled up in this topic and hit him in the arm, joking, “Yes, you really kept it a secret, that billiard hand.”

“It isn’t my credit.” Xie Chi had a faint smile on his lips. “My brother taught me.”

Xie Chi was always on guard. Xie Xinglan was the most important person in his life and he didn’t want to disclose Xie Xinglan’s existence to anyone unless necessary. His brother was his own.

“Is it your brother or your cousin? What does he do? Athletics?”

Yan Jing obviously didn’t understand that this brother wasn’t an actual blood related brother.

Xie Chi certainly wasn’t prepared to explain and endured his laughter. He told half the truth and half lies. “My brother is ruthless, cold and arrogant, an overbearing and obsessive king of the night. He is the youngest assassin on the Dark Web and a talented man with the potential to unlock the third potential.”

Yan Jing, “……”

“…Are you serious?” A male protagonist in an urban fantasy novel would have this type of setting. Yan Jing didn’t believe a word of it.

Xie Chi shrugged. “You guess.”

Yan Jing, “……”

Yan Jing didn’t want to continue this topic. “Thank you Brother Xie, what should we do next?”

Yan Jing glanced at the clock on the wall. It was two in the morning and three hours before work ended.

Xie Chi got up. “I haven’t finished my work yet so I’m going to work.”

Xie Chi paused. “If you are kind-hearted, you can go and tell the newcomers to be careful about the elevator.”

“What if I don’t have this interest?” Yan Jing was a bit curious about Xie Chi’s attitude toward the newcomers.

Xie Chi spoke casually, “Then go to sleep.”

Yan Jing sat up. “You really don’t care about them?!”

Xie Chi’s eyes were a bit indifferent. “They all came here for their own dreams. I have no obligation to care for them or pay for their dreams.”

Yan Jing thought this was true.

Xie Chi laughed. “Of course, if they pay me points then I would be happy to help them.”

Yan Jing, “……”

Yan Jing finally couldn’t bear it. He ran to each floor and told the newcomers according to Xie Chi’s instructions. It took a bit over an hour for Xie Chi to complete his work.

Yan Jing watched him take a comfortable position on the sofa to sleep and couldn’t help gulping. If the newcomers had a glass heart then Brother Xie probably had a diamond heart.

***

The 11th floor.

A newcomer with pimples on his face was forcing himself to work with a frightened expression. He knew how to use Excel but he was so nervous that he always made mistakes.

He had to stay alone on the 11th floor until he finished his work. He wanted to find someone to accompany him but these people were all indifferent. They finished their work and went down to the seventh floor where Zhou Wen was.

Hurry up, hurry up, then he could go downstairs to find Zhou Wen.

Zhang Lan thought so and finally, after saving his work, he let out a sigh of relief and collapsed on the chair. His entire body collapsed. He had finished his work. Zhang Lan raised his head and found that the wall clock showed it was now five in the morning.

He was off work!

Zhang Lan glanced down and felt ecstatic. He was so buried in his work that he subconsciously got off work. Zhang Lan instantly dispelled his plan to find Zhou Wen on the seventh floor. He turned off the computer and walked to the elevator.

Although the blind man reminded him not to get close to the elevator during work, it wasn’t work hours anymore. There wouldn’t be any ghosts.

Zhang Lan stepped into the elevator. It was too late for him to think about why his mobile app didn’t remind him that it was time to get off work. On the white wall behind him, the hands on the wall clock rotated counterclockwise and finally stopped at… 3:50 in the morning.