Chapter 23: Cleaning Up the Mess, Nighttime Task

Chapter 23: Cleaning Up the Mess, Nighttime Task

"Uh... this is kinda messed up."

After listening to the backstory, the Dyed-Hair Girl fell silent for a long moment before finally summing it up with one sentence.

"Whether it's messed up or not doesn’t matter. What’s important is completing the mission."

Ji Yan kept an eye on the time while listening to the commotion inside the room, growing increasingly anxious.

Fortunately, after about ten minutes of interaction, the door slowly creaked open.

The Kanjing Gui stepped out, its face obscured by thick, sticky black hair like a drowned ghost’s gaze, sending chills down anyone’s spine.

The Dyed-Hair Girl hid fearfully behind Ji Yan.

"Thank you. Seeing my daughter settled safely here has fulfilled my last wish."

"It’s time for me to leave. I’ve caused you so much trouble."

The Kanjing Gui spoke slowly to Ji Yan, the tormenting obsession in its heart finally breaking like chains.

Ji Yan sighed in relief internally, but then his thoughts turned to the massive hole in the wall, stirring fresh worry.

How was this gaping hole going to be fixed?

Who would fill it?

The Kanjing Gui raised a hand, reached into its mouth, and pulled a key from its throat, handing it to Ji Yan. "If you ever run into trouble, use this key to open Room 801’s door."

"That guy has a bad temper, but... maybe, just maybe, he’ll help you out of a bind for my sake."

The Kanjing Gui’s tone sounded utterly uncertain.

But it knew Ji Yan had risked angering the entire apartment’s residents by breaking through the wall to let it in, stirring up no small mess. This debt had to be repaid somehow.

This was all it could think of.

Ji Yan’s lips twitched as he forced a bitter smile. "Bro, don’t give me ‘maybe’s."

"The residents on the eighth floor are all ruthless characters."

"If your face doesn’t count for anything, this isn’t repayment—it’s pure revenge."

The Kanjing Gui rasped, "I know how hard it is to survive in this apartment. I’ve done all I can."

"If you’re in trouble, you can also come to this room. My daughter will help you."

After saying this, the Kanjing Gui walked out of the room, the rats gathered at the doorway quickly scattering in its wake.

Ji Yan clutched the key in his hand.

A game notification chimed in his mind:

"Congratulations, Player, for obtaining an additional mission reward—Room 801 Key."

"Hint: The eighth-floor residents of the apartment are tied to complex backstories and eccentric personalities. Do you think the key in your hand is a blessing... or a curse?"

Even the game hints couldn’t be sure?

Holding the key, Ji Yan felt it burn in his palm.

Liu Yitong had mentioned before that, according to the Announcement, there were only four residents on the eighth floor. As the highest level of the apartment building, their Rent was double that of other tenants, and many rules didn’t apply to that floor. Each resident had multiple backstories, and the missions triggered there were at least A+ rank.

Each one was practically a mini-boss from an Instance!

Ji Yan fiddled with the key repeatedly, hoping to trigger his Talent, but no Hidden Information appeared. He had no choice but to give up.

"What are you spacing out for? Get out already."

"It’s almost dark. I need to hurry up and clean the room." The Dyed-Hair Girl rolled up her sleeves and spoke to Ji Yan.

Snapping out of it, Ji Yan apologized for the disturbance and quickly left the room.

"What the hell, in the end I got nothing and still have to clean up this mess," the Dyed-Hair Girl grumbled, clearly displeased.

But at least she hadn’t been expelled and could continue slacking off in Room 102 to survive.

Then, she received a summons from the Bleeding Wall and hurried into the room.

The wall oozed even more blood, its mottled surface writhing with crimson streaks that eventually coalesced into two words: "Thank you."

...

Meanwhile, when Ji Yan returned to the corridor, the Kanjing Gui had already left, taking the invading rats with it.

But the first floor was now a complete disaster after all the chaos.

Filthy water and trash littered every corner, the stench overwhelming.

"It got what it wanted and just left, but what about me?"

Faced with such a colossal mess, Ji Yan scratched his head in frustration.

No sooner had he spoken than a chill crept up his spine.

His heart skipped a beat as he turned to find the Landlord already standing behind him.

As the boss of this Instance, despite the old man’s amiable appearance, there was an indescribable pressure about him—like an abyss, terrifying precisely because its depths couldn’t be seen.

"Good news and bad news. Which do you want first?" The Landlord squinted, his smile sending shivers down Ji Yan’s spine.

Ji Yan hesitated. "Good news?"

"The good news is, those pesky rats are gone. Consider your Mission complete."

Ji Yan showed no joy. "And the bad news?"

"The bad news is, you chose the worst possible way to complete it."

"The rewards from the Mission won’t make up for the hole in the wall or this mess on the first floor."

Ji Yan didn’t pale at the words. Instead, he countered, "So, how am I supposed to compensate for it?"

The Landlord chuckled. "A brat like you, barely scraping by in Room 404, can’t even pay Rent—what could you possibly offer?"

Ji Yan shook his head. "If I couldn’t fix this, you wouldn’t be wasting your breath on me."

"Those first-floor tenants who hate my guts would’ve already torn me apart by now."

"You stopped them."

The Landlord tapped his old pipe, looking mildly surprised. "Hah, not bad, kid. Sharp mind."

"I’ll give you a nighttime Mission. Complete it, and I’ll overlook the hole in the wall."

A nighttime Mission.

The fatality rate was twice as high as during the day!

Ji Yan scrambled for an excuse. "But doesn’t the apartment enforce a curfew at night? Why not switch it to daytime?"

"This Mission can’t be done during the day."

"You’ve got a Night Patrol Permit, boy. Don’t try to fool this old man."

"You’ve got two choices. The other one is me handing you over to the tenants."

"What do you say, kid?"

Faced with the Landlord’s kindly expression, Ji Yan forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "Do I really have a choice, old man?"

The Landlord patted Ji Yan’s shoulder. "Kid, I have high hopes for you."

"We’re all tenants here. Shouldn’t we all do our part to maintain a good environment?"

"Don’t think of it as a loss. Do the Mission well, and I’ll personally reward you."

The more amiable the Landlord appeared, the more uneasy Ji Yan felt. He decided to cut to the chase: "Old man, no beating around the bush—how many people have taken on this late-night job?"

"So far, about eleven."

"Any survivors?"

"Young man, the way you phrase that..."

The Landlord shook his head with a chuckle before continuing, "Not many."

"..."

Ji Yan was utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally.

These life-threatening missions just kept coming one after another!

Was the heavens testing his resilience, or was someone pulling strings behind the scenes?

If he remembered correctly, his initial mission today was simply to deliver a sachet—a straightforward task that would’ve allowed him to wrap up smoothly and lazily survive another day.

But just because he took an extra glance at the announcement in the hallway, things had spiraled into this dire situation!

It truly fit the saying: Don’t pluck the tempting flowers by the roadside.

"Count yourself lucky. Compared to the other unlucky ones, you’re at least still alive."

Ji Yan knew the Landlord was referring to the other players who had taken on the mission. He couldn’t help but ask, "What happened to them?"

"Mission failed. They were all used to fill the walls."

"..."