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墨書 Inktalez
Because I had stayed up late the night before, I was deep in sleep, dreaming sweetly, when a loud knocking at the door jolted me awake.
“I don’t need room service!” I shouted, pulling the covers over my head, intending to go back to sleep.
However, the knocking continued relentlessly. Ruo Yu rubbed her eyes and went to open the door.
Two police officers in uniforms entered, taking in the sight of Ruo Yu’s bare, muscular upper body and me lying under the covers.
Their expressions brightened instantly!
The younger officer said, “Why don’t you two continue? We’ll wait downstairs in the lobby!”
The older officer, with a serious demeanor, added, “We’ll meet in the lobby in ten minutes!”
Seeing that they were official personnel, I didn’t dare to delay. After tidying myself up and getting dressed, I headed downstairs.
I sat down opposite the two officers. “Officer, I’m a law-abiding citizen!”
The middle-aged officer pulled out a photograph. The person in the photo was Zhou Shu, lying peacefully with his hands resting on his abdomen. “What is your relationship with the deceased? Witnesses claim you were the last person seen with him before he died!”
I was momentarily taken aback. “What? I saw him just fine last night; how could he be dead?”
I quickly explained, “Zhou Shu helped me find my previous rental place. Last night, I went back to terminate my lease and said goodbye to him. Then I came to stay at this hotel and haven’t gone out since!”
The younger officer reassured me, “Don’t be nervous; it’s just a routine procedure!”
“Did the deceased exhibit any unusual behavior before?” the middle-aged officer asked.
I shook my head and said, "No! I originally planned to open a store, and Zhou Shu was waiting for me to open it so he could treat me to drinks!"
After the two police officers asked a few more questions and I answered them all, as I was seeing them off, I quietly asked the younger officer, "How did Zhou Shu actually die?"
The young officer whispered back, "I don't know the specifics either; we'll have to wait for the forensic report. But based on my experience, it looks like a suicide."
After sending off the police, Shen Tao hurried over with a beaming face. As soon as he saw me, he patted my shoulder and said, "Ling Feng, you’ve hit the jackpot this time! There’s a property in the bustling downtown area that’s been vacant for years. It’s said to be haunted, which is why no one dares to rent or buy it."
I slapped my thigh in excitement; fortune had finally turned in my favor! Who cares if it's haunted? I'm in the cleaning business!
Monsters and ghosts? Others might be afraid, but I actually love that sort of thing. So I immediately called Ruo Yu to go check out the property with me.
"Tao Ge, from what you just said, this place can be rented or bought? What’s the price?" I asked curiously.
Shen Tao replied, "The homeowner is moving abroad and since no one dares to live here or buy it, they’re eager to sell!"
Before Shen Tao could finish his sentence, he paused and looked at me. "From what you're saying, are you interested in buying it?"
I nodded. "Let’s see the price first. If it’s reasonable, then I’ll buy it."
The car stopped by the roadside, flanked by tall sycamore trees. The shade blocked out most of the sunlight. As soon as I got out of the car, I instinctively shrank my neck. Even though it was spring and there was no direct sunlight, there was still a hint of chill in the air.
Shen Tao pointed to a two-story house with a yard and said, "This is it!"
The house looked quite old, with climbing vines covering one side of the wall. The shade from the trees nearly blocked all sunlight.
As I looked around, I felt something was off; there were huge trees both in front and behind the house. They obstructed any remaining sunlight. If nothing strange happened here, that would truly be odd!
The homeowner was a middle-aged man, with a slicked-back hairstyle and a bag tucked under his arm. Upon seeing me, a young person, he immediately frowned and complained to Shen Tao, "Aren't you just wasting time here?"
He turned to leave, but I called out one sentence that made him stop in his tracks.
“How much is this house? I want it!”
The homeowner, probably sensing my confidence, assumed I was some rich heir and turned back with a smile. He pulled out the keys and led us inside for a tour.
The downstairs had a living room with decent space, with the kitchen and bathroom located on the north side. There was also one bedroom.
The staircase was made of stone, and the handrail was a bit old. Directly opposite the stairs was another living area, along with three more bedrooms and another bathroom.
The layout was simple and clear! I liked it very much! However, I feigned skepticism and pulled Shen Tao aside. “Tao Ge, I want to buy this house. As for the price…”
Shen Tao winked at me, signaling me to relax.
The homeowner seemed eager to sell. Noticing my hesitation, he quickly added, “Handsome guy, you can see this house is well-ventilated from both north and south. The location is excellent too.”
I replied, “There are some issues with this house; I've heard about them!”
The homeowner swallowed his words back down. “Since you know everything, I genuinely want to sell.”
He extended his chubby hand and flipped it twice!
Shen Tao's eyes lit up immediately. “Ling Feng, the homeowner is a straightforward person; otherwise, you wouldn't find such a price anywhere else!”
My heart sank. Twenty thousand! Where on earth would I find the remaining fifteen thousand?
The homeowner, seeing my silence, assumed I was hesitant to buy. "Brother, this is already a fair price. Go ask around nearby; which similar house isn't going for forty or fifty thousand? If it weren't for the issues this house has had in the past, I wouldn't sell it for any price!"
I glanced at the house and, feeling a rush of impulse, said, "Since you're so straightforward, I'll be straightforward too. I'll take it for twenty thousand!"
As for the paperwork, I didn't understand any of it and left everything to Shen Tao.
On the way back, I was worried about how to manage the money, but Shen Tao was in high spirits. "Ling Feng, if it weren't for the problems with this house, I would have wanted it myself. Twenty thousand—you've really hit the jackpot!"
I chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Tao Ge, you know my situation at home. Besides the fifty thousand Jiang Zong gave me, where would I find extra money?"
Shen Tao laughed. "Don't worry about that! When I left today, I ran into Jiang Zong. As soon as he heard it was about you, he said right away that money wouldn't be a problem!"
Hearing this made me happy, but there was still an uneasy feeling in my heart—after all, one should never owe favors without having helped someone significantly.
I hadn’t really done anything to deserve this…
Seeing my hesitation, Shen Tao suggested, "Ling Feng, how about this? Consider this money as a loan from Jiang Zong. Just write him an IOU and pay him back with bank interest! It’s not every day you find someone like Jiang Zong who values you enough to help!"
After thinking it over carefully, I agreed. But since I was borrowing, I might as well borrow a bit more.
Now that I had the house, I would need to renovate it too.
I asked Shen Tao to drive me directly to Jiang Zong's house.
The servant who opened the door recognized me and welcomed me in politely.
Jiang Jianguo was quite straightforward and asked directly, "How much do you need?"
I felt a bit embarrassed. "Two hundred fifty thousand!"
Without a second thought, Jiang Jianguo placed a pile of cash on the table. In my entire life, I had never seen so much money before.
Rich people are indeed extravagant; they have this much cash just lying around at home!
I immediately wrote a promissory note, signed my name, and stamped it with my thumbprint. Jiang Jianguo was adamant about not accepting it, but when he saw my insistence, he finally took it.
When others borrow money, it's a matter of goodwill. But for me to do this is simply my duty!
Even among brothers, accounts must be settled clearly. I can't take advantage of someone for free! That would be unethical!
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