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墨書 Inktalez
Zhong Kui's Diary
I walked to the front hall and found a power strip under the Altar Table. The power cord extended straight towards the wall corner's power supply outlet, secured to the floor with thick electrical tape to prevent anyone from accidentally kicking it.
I unplugged the power strip and returned to the back hall to take it apart, discovering no signs of looseness. If this power strip had poor contact, I absolutely wouldn't believe it.
It was strange; the incense candles were fine, and the power strip showed no signs of malfunction. What could be causing the flickering of this incense candle?
When Qingfeng Daozhang passed by, I noticed that when the candle flickered, the other light sources in the hall remained stable without any flickering. This meant that the main switch of the entire power supply was also functioning properly.
Could it really be the work of a Demon?
Fatty, seeing me silent, couldn't help but say, "Ghost Brother, how about we check out what’s strange inside this coffin tonight?"
I nodded; that seemed like the only option. I glanced at the time; it was now four twenty in the afternoon, so we could still go out for a meal.
I called Qingfeng over and asked how he handled meals and accommodations. Qingfeng looked surprised: "We eat in the cafeteria of the funeral home or order takeout. I have a delivery number here. As for sleeping... didn’t you see that we all sleep in the back?"
"When does the staff usually come to close up?"
"Generally between ten and eleven at night."
"Oh, that's fine. Let's go out for dinner first, and we'll come back later!" I said with a smile.
"Zhong Gui, I paid four hundred bucks to hire you; you’re not planning to brush me off, are you?" Qingfeng looked at me suspiciously.
"Damn, do I look like that kind of person?"
"Honestly, it really does seem like it!"
I was furious upon hearing this and was about to leave without a word. But then I thought, what if Guo'er or Qingcheng called this guy, and he didn't help us keep it a secret? We would be in big trouble when we got back. The thought sent a chill down my spine, and my expression softened immediately. "Brother, if I can't find the reason, I won't ask you for money, okay?"
Qingfeng nodded. "Actually, money isn't important. I just want to know the truth."
What a cheapskate! You think this strange phenomenon isn't threatening you right now, which is why you're so bold? If two Demons were choking you, let's see if you'd still bargain with me! I called Fatty and was about to leave when my gaze swept over the Redwood Coffin, and I casually asked, "How did this girl die suddenly?"
"It seems she had a heart attack while taking the elevator. It's really unfortunate," Qingfeng said with a shake of his head. "This girl is truly a pity; she was probably only five or six years old."
"Do you have the phone number of the person who contacted you?" I had a vague feeling that there was something suspicious about this girl's family. How could there be a funeral without any family members showing up?
"Yes, I have a phone number!" Qingfeng took out his phone and gave me the number, which I noted down.
After leaving the funeral home, I first called Ma Zhenkai. In Moon City, he was the local big shot, and finding him would save us a lot of trouble.
When Ma Zhenkai heard that Fatty and I were in Moon City, he immediately complained loudly about our lack of loyalty for not notifying him in advance... he went on for quite a while. He repeatedly asked where we were so he could come pick us up for dinner.
"Forget it; this place has some bad vibes. You shouldn't drive over here. I'll take a taxi," I said with a smile.
Ma Zhenkai seemed taken aback on the other end of the line but didn't insist. He gave me the name of a street and restaurant, exchanged some pleasantries, and hung up.
"Something's off with Ma Zhenkai," I said to Fatty with a frown.
"What do you mean?"
"He's too enthusiastic!"
“Ghost Brother, are you feeling okay? Just because someone is a bit friendly to you, you act like they’re not right in the head?” Fatty looked at me in surprise, reaching out to touch my forehead. “Let me check if you have a fever.”
“Please articulate clearly. Even if it’s nonsense, it should be ‘fever’! Not ‘crazy’! Just because you’re fat, does that mean your tongue is also fat? Can’t even roll it properly?” I laughed and pushed Fatty's hand away. “Seriously, you’ve met Ma Zhenkai. He’s a mature and composed type; you can’t deny that, right?”
“Yeah, I think so too. Even if a hundred beautiful women ran past him, I doubt he would react!” Fatty casually provided a vivid example.
I chuckled, “Our interaction with him was just last time when we had dinner with Gu Shuchang. We had a conflict with his subordinates, and he came over to apologize. Although he later compensated us with a hundred thousand each, that was just a gesture of goodwill. Our relationship with him is actually quite ordinary.”
“And then?”
“But when I just called him, his attitude was very warm, as if… as if he encountered some big trouble and needed us to help him solve it.” I frowned, expressing my feelings.
“Tsk tsk, Ghost Brother, I think you’re overthinking it!” Fatty shook his head dismissively.
“Whether I’m overthinking or not, we’ll find out soon!”
……
Funeral homes are usually located in remote areas. Don’t expect to catch a taxi; fortunately, there was a bus stop at the entrance. After waiting for about ten minutes, a bus arrived. We got on and rode for seven or eight stops before getting off in a lively area and then took a taxi to Ma Zhenkai’s location.
Upon finding the private room and pushing the door open, we saw four people inside. Among them were Ma Zhenkai and Luo Yun, whom we knew. The other two were a Middle-Aged Man and a tall beauty.
Seeing us, Ma Zhenkai and the others stood up to greet us warmly. After exchanging pleasantries, Ma Zhenkai introduced the two: the Middle-Aged Man was his cousin Ma Xingrui, and the tall girl was Xi Shaohua, the top expert of the Ma Family.
Hearing that Ma Zhenkai and Xi Shaohua were from the Ma Family, I couldn’t help but take another look at her. It was hard to believe that someone so beautiful could also be so skilled. If beauties like her are thriving in this world, how can the rogues survive?
After everyone settled down, Ma Zhenkai handed me a menu and said with a smile, “The dishes have already been ordered; take a look and see if you want to add anything else.”
I smiled and declined, while Ma Zhenkai waved to the waiter, and soon the dishes were brought out in a steady stream.
When we had eaten most of the food, Ma Zhenkai clinked his glass with mine and asked, somewhat intentionally, "Zheng Nan, the place you were at earlier seemed rather ominous. Was it a funeral home?"
"Yeah, I was right at the entrance of the funeral home when I called you!" I replied casually. "The only places that can be associated with bad luck are probably funeral homes and prisons, right?"
Hearing this, Ma Zhenkai exchanged glances with Ma Xingrui, both showing a hint of discomfort. I was slightly taken aback and chewed on a piece of twice-cooked pork before casually asking, "Do you have something to say?"
Ma Zhenkai cleared his throat. "Zheng Nan, did you see a Spirit Tent at the funeral home? Inside there was a Redwood Coffin."
I was surprised. "Yes, that Spirit Tent is actually the reason I came to Yue City. Why do you ask?"
Ma Zhenkai coughed lightly again, and Luo Yun giggled as she stood up. "Sister, come with me to the restroom!"
After Xi Shaohua and Luo Yun left, Ma Zhenkai forced a smile, seemingly unsure of how to proceed. He gestured to Ma Xingrui, who chuckled and raised his glass toward me. "Zhengnan Brothers, I'll drink this one; you do as you please."
He tilted his head back and downed a glass of beer in one go. After putting down the glass and wiping his mouth, he said, "Zheng Nan, there are no outsiders here, so I won't hide it from you. The girl lying in the funeral home is named Chen Fei'er."
"Huh?" I responded in confusion.
Ma Xingrui's face showed a trace of bitter smile. "She is my daughter."
At this revelation, my jaw dropped in shock. Wait, that girl is actually from your Ma family?
Huh? Why hasn't anyone from your Ma family come forward? And besides, your surname is Ma while this girl’s surname is Chen.
Just as I was about to ask, I noticed Ma Xingrui's expression seemed filled with immense pain, so I immediately fell silent and waited to see what he would say next.
"Everyone has their own past that they do not wish to revisit, and it has nothing to do with whether you are rich or powerful." Ma Xingrui shook his head and smiled bitterly, "I have such a past as well. Six years ago, I met Ali, and she had my child. But at that time, I already had a wife. That is not the most important part; the most important part is that Ali was just a hostess, and our family would never accept her."
"This Chen Fei'er...?" I asked in confusion.
"Yes, Chen Fei'er is the child of Ali and me. I could only secretly give them some money, and Ali never disturbed my life. I feel very guilty about this!" Ma Xingrui sighed.
"Wait." I interrupted Ma Xingrui's lament without hesitation, "Then why didn't we see Chen Fei'er's mother at the funeral home? It's impossible that she doesn't know the situation."
"Ali died in a car accident a week ago!" Ma Xingrui said, his voice choked with emotion. "I secretly hired a nanny to take care of Fei'er, but I didn't expect this incident to happen."
"Since Ali is already dead, why don't you bring Fei'er back?" I was somewhat angry. Damn, this is your child; she has your blood running through her veins.
Ma Xingrui remained silent, while Ma Zhenkai coughed lightly beside him. "Zheng Nan, six years ago my cousin almost got expelled by my father because of Ali. Fortunately, my grandmother spoke up at that time, which saved Xingrui. If my father finds out that Xingrui is still in contact with Ali now, he will definitely kick him out without a second thought." Ma Zhenkai smiled bitterly. "Although the Ma Family is not a large family, there are many rules. Getting involved with women from entertainment venues, secretly keeping mistresses or illegitimate children, and causing scandals within the family are all taboos for us."
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