Short, Light, Free Chapter 192

Chapter 192: Ghost Market (Part 2) III

Pang family's been down on their luck while here I am, earning decently . 1,300 from Pang Guang last week and 1,800 from Xiaomei today . Wouldn't it be great if this carries on?

I stuffed my dolls into my bag and walked toward the entrance .

I saw a Land Rover parked along the road with Dahai inside, sitting happily in his pink pajamas .

He waved for me to get on, which I did .

"Hey! Do you want to get breakfast? Minced pork noodles? My treat . "

"You're adapting to this too fast, aren't you, Dahai?"

"Well, I've stayed in Pang Guang's house for half a year when I was studying . My ancestors have ordered Pang Guang to take good care of me . Although we're not related in name, he does help me out whenever I need it . "

"All Pangs are dead but you have everything now . Could the severing of ties have saved your life?"

"Now that you're saying it . . . yeah, that seems logical . "

"Drive safe and we'll chat at home . "

"Alright, don't worry . I've had my license for five years now . "

"Have you driven at all in those five years?"

"Relax . This car is huge . Everyone gave way to me earlier . "

The moment we got home, or rather Pang Guang's home, I immediately asked for the bathroom .

Dahai pointed me in the direction of the loo and said, "Have you been holding your pee on the ride home?"

I rushed into the bathroom to observe the sink and the toilet bowl .

"Why aren't you closing the door?" Dahai asked, walking over .

 I waved him away dismissively . "Don't be noisy . "

"You're acting strange," Dahai commented .

"You won't understand even if I explain it . You came over yesterday, didn't you? Did you use this toilet?"

"Yes . "

"Anything amiss?" I asked, pointing at the bowl and sink .

"No . What could possibly be unusual about these?"

"Any burned rice straw or paper?"

"Oh, now that you mention it, I do remember seeing something black in the tub yesterday . I even gave it a rub . It should have a trace . "

I rushed to the tub and there really was a black stain .

"Why are you looking for this? And how did you know?" Dahai asked in confusion .

"Burnt marks left by the voodoo doll . Xiaomei burned it, and if she spoke the truth, the name on the paper is Pang Guang . "

"Oh, f*ck! You really did it?" he asked, astonished .

"I'm not that powerful . "

"What are you trying to say then?"

"It's a long story . I'm just going to do it straight," I said .

"Do what?"

"Where's his bed? Is there a safe by it?"

"Safe? I have no idea . "

"Bring me there," I instructed .

His room was very clean and tidy but there doesn't seem to be any safe in sight .

There was a burn mark in the bathroom but I couldn't find the safe .

Did she lie to me?

Why did she deposit 1,800 into my account, then?

Just then, I spotted a painting on the wall . "There's something behind that . "

"What? How do you even know about that?" Dahai looked comically befuddled .

"Check out the sides," I urged .

"Just some black lines . Probably because it's been hung for a long time . "

"Why would lines appear there if you don't touch it?" I volleyed back

"You mean there's something behind it?

Ignoring him, I walked over and reached up for the painting .

I lifted it up but no matter how hard I try, it doesn't budge .

"Let me help you," Dahai offered .

"Dirty," I told him subconsciously .

"He's not here anymore so I'm going to have to throw them away, anyway . Come, let's do this," he says .

With his help, I finally managed to push it aside, revealing a palm-sized crack .

"Why's it so tight?" Dahai questioned .

"That's hydraulic pressure . It's amazing that we even manage to open it this much . I'll count to three and we'll let go and find the switch . "

"1, 2, 3," the fatty shouted and we let go simultaneously .

"d.a.m.n! You're right, there really is something behind . "

"Search the room . The switch must be somewhere . "

"That's too troublesome . Wait here . " Fatty exited the room .

I continued looking around for clues and upon pulling the bed sheet out on the bed, I found a combination lock .

It was probably the key to the wall painting .

Dahai rushed in and plugged an electric drill into the powerpoint .

He started working on the crack and the painting quickly shifted .

"Where did you get that?"

"Pang Guang has this stuff in his storeroom," Dahai answered with a laugh .

There was a cupboard hidden in the wall, and there were four safe boxes and a few watches within .

The golden pocket watch sat quietly in a corner .

"Oh, my G.o.d!" Dahai exclaimed .

Ignoring him again, I opened up the golden watch .

The needles were in place and the clock was running .

There was a photograph of a man inside .

"This looks like a decent watch . Isn't that my second uncle's watch?"

"Your second uncle?" I repeated .

"That's Pang Guang's father . He's overseas," Dahai informed me .

"Do you remember the watch I received last week in exchange for two dolls?"

"Yeah," he answered .

"This is the watch I gave Pang Guang . Put a photo of someone you hate and he will die when the clock strikes 12 . "

"F*ck me! He wants his own father dead?" Dahai yelled, aghast .

"Isn't his father extremely wealthy?"

"Of course . Pang Guang himself is rich so how well do you think his father is living overseas?"

"But why are they all dead?"

"Wait, I remember this photo," Dahai said before pulling me out of the room and taking a cylindrical roll out from the storeroom .

"What is it?"

He pulled out a photograph with over 200 people in it .

"It's a very big photograph . It was taken last year during our reunion . Everyone had to go . He must've cut out his father's face," Dahai explained, pointing at a hole in the photograph .

"Are you inside?" I asked .

"No . I'm a Pang but I'm not one of them . "

"I think I understand now . All the dead victims are in this photograph…"

"Everyone attends the reunion every year without fail . "

I looked at the family photo . There were elderly and young children . All were present save for Dahai's family .

"Pang Guang had only intended to kill his father but he couldn't find a photo of just him alone . He did not know that this watch meant to kill whoever's in a chosen photograph…" I rationalized .

"Oh, f*ck," Dahai breathed out .

"You gotta thank your ancestor now . You won't be here right now if not for him . "

Pang family 39 s been down on their luck while here I am, earning decently . 1,300 from Pang Guang last week and 1,800 from Xiaomei today . Wouldn 39 t it be great if this carries on I stuffed my dolls into my bag and walked toward the entrance . I saw a Land Rover parked along the road with Dahai inside, sitting happily in his pink pajamas . He waved for me to get on, which I did . Hey Do you want to get breakfast Minced pork noodles My treat . You 39 re adapting to this too fast, aren 39 t you, Dahai Well, I 39 ve stayed in Pang Guang 39 s house for half a year when I was studying . My ancestors have ordered Pang Guang to take good care of me . Although we 39 re not related in name, he does help me out whenever I need it . All Pangs are dead but you have everything now . Could the severing of ties have saved your life Now that you 39 re saying it . . . yeah, that seems logical . Drive safe and we 39 ll chat at home . Alright, don 39 t worry . I 39 ve had my license for five years now . Have you driven at all in those five years Relax . This car is huge . Everyone gave way to me earlier . The moment we got home, or rather Pang Guang 39 s home, I immediately asked for the bathroom . Dahai pointed me in the direction of the loo and said, Have you been holding your pee on the ride home I rushed into the bathroom to observe the sink and the toilet bowl . Why aren 39 t you closing the door Dahai asked, walking over . I waved him away dismissively . Don 39 t be noisy . You 39 re acting strange, Dahai commented . You won 39 t understand even if I explain it . You came over yesterday, didn 39 t you Did you use this toilet Yes . Anything amiss I asked, pointing at the bowl and sink . No . What could possibly be unusual about these Any burned rice straw or paper Oh, now that you mention it, I do remember seeing something black in the tub yesterday . I even gave it a rub . It should have a trace . I rushed to the tub and there really was a black stain . Why are you looking for this And how did you know Dahai asked in confusion . Burnt marks left by the voodoo doll . Xiaomei burned it, and if she spoke the truth, the name on the paper is Pang Guang . Oh, f ck You really did it he asked, astonished . I 39 m not that powerful . What are you trying to say then It 39 s a long story . I 39 m just going to do it straight, I said . Do what Where 39 s his bed Is there a safe by it Safe I have no idea . Bring me there, I instructed . His room was very clean and tidy but there doesn 39 t seem to be any safe in sight . There was a burn mark in the bathroom but I couldn 39 t find the safe . Did she lie to me Why did she deposit 1,800 into my account, then Just then, I spotted a painting on the wall . There 39 s something behind that . What How do you even know about that Dahai looked comically befuddled . Check out the sides, I urged . Just some black lines . Probably because it 39 s been hung for a long time . Why would lines appear there if you don 39 t touch it I volleyed back You mean there 39 s something behind it Ignoring him, I walked over and reached up for the painting . I lifted it up but no matter how hard I try, it doesn 39 t budge . Let me help you, Dahai offered . Dirty, I told him subconsciously . He 39 s not here anymore so I 39 m going to have to throw them away, anyway . Come, let 39 s do this, he says . With his help, I finally managed to push it aside, revealing a palm sized crack . Why 39 s it so tight Dahai questioned . That 39 s hydraulic pressure . It 39 s amazing that we even manage to open it this much . I 39 ll count to three and we 39 ll let go and find the switch . 1, 2, 3, the fatty shouted and we let go simultaneously . d.a.m.n You 39 re right, there really is something behind . Search the room . The switch must be somewhere . That 39 s too troublesome . Wait here . Fatty exited the room . I continued looking around for clues and upon pulling the bed sheet out on the bed, I found a combination lock . It was probably the key to the wall painting . Dahai rushed in and plugged an electric drill into the powerpoint . He started working on the crack and the painting quickly shifted . Where did you get that Pang Guang has this stuff in his storeroom, Dahai answered with a laugh . There was a cupboard hidden in the wall, and there were four safe boxes and a few watches within . The golden pocket watch sat quietly in a corner . Oh, my G.o.d Dahai exclaimed . Ignoring him again, I opened up the golden watch . The needles were in place and the clock was running . There was a photograph of a man inside . This looks like a decent watch . Isn 39 t that my second uncle 39 s watch Your second uncle I repeated . That 39 s Pang Guang 39 s father . He 39 s overseas, Dahai informed me . Do you remember the watch I received last week in exchange for two dolls Yeah, he answered . This is the watch I gave Pang Guang . Put a photo of someone you hate and he will die when the clock strikes 12 . F ck me He wants his own father dead Dahai yelled, aghast . Isn 39 t his father extremely wealthy Of course . Pang Guang himself is rich so how well do you think his father is living overseas But why are they all dead Wait, I remember this photo, Dahai said before pulling me out of the room and taking a cylindrical roll out from the storeroom . What is it He pulled out a photograph with over 200 people in it . It 39 s a very big photograph . It was taken last year during our reunion . Everyone had to go . He must 39 ve cut out his father 39 s face, Dahai explained, pointing at a hole in the photograph . Are you inside I asked . No . I 39 m a Pang but I 39 m not one of them . I think I understand now . All the dead victims are in this photograph Everyone attends the reunion every year without fail . I looked at the family photo . There were elderly and young children . All were present save for Dahai 39 s family . Pang Guang had only intended to kill his father but he couldn 39 t find a photo of just him alone . He did not know that this watch meant to kill whoever 39 s in a chosen photograph I rationalized . Oh, f ck, Dahai breathed out . You gotta thank your ancestor now . You won 39 t be here right now if not for him .