Chapter 127 What is the Purpose?

Since the time Zhou Ze dug out Bai Yingying, he hadn't returned to this place. In truth, if he'd been a little more attentive, he might have discovered the abnormality here sooner.

But perhaps Madam Bai had taken advantage of this, so she hadn't bothered to conceal anything. She had simply announced she was going to hell and then openly left such clear traces here.

Perhaps,

Madam Bai had been standing in some dark corner, watching the bookstore for over a year. Through the bookstore's glass window, perhaps in the early morning or late at night, a white silhouette would silently appear and then silently leave.

And Zhou Ze,

including everyone in the bookstore,

hadn't noticed.

Licking his lips,

Zhou Ze looked at Bai Yingying standing beside him.

The Cold Clothes Festival was long past,

he hadn't burned anyone,

yet Madam Bai had popped up again.

What exactly was her purpose?

There were too many things he couldn't understand, and no way to get answers. At least, until he caught Madam Bai, these questions couldn't be explained.

Standing up,

Zhou Ze told Yingying to go back together.

Zhou Ze wasn't sure what level Madam Bai was at, but he didn't take her too seriously. Could that woman be more powerful than the Yama Kings of hell?

But being watched by this woman in the dark,

he felt uncomfortable,

like thorns on his back.

Moreover,

she might not be able to do anything to him,

but Yingying had been accompanied and nourished by her for two hundred years.

He didn't believe for a second that she didn't have some means of targeting Yingying.

"Yingying."

"Boss?"

"If Madam Bai suddenly appeared in front of you one day, what would you do?"

Yingying looked at her boss, lost in thought.

She knew what her boss meant,

and she understood that while he was asking a question, there was only one answer he wanted.

She hesitated,

she struggled.

If it were a typical boyfriend,

he would have already tried to comfort her. How could he let his little girlfriend be in such a dilemma?

But Zhou Ze just focused on driving his car,

ignoring her.

A straight man was a straight man.

Although Zhou Ze had been disgusted by Tie Hanhan's statement, "Without my original essence, you wouldn't be alive now, nor would you have achieved such a position,"

the two of them were really not that different.

Otherwise,

with Zhou Ze's good qualities in his past life, it wouldn't have been possible for him to remain single.

An excellent surgeon, he had risen quickly in the hospital, and he could be considered a "golden bachelor" at least among the common people.

But Zhou Boss had managed, without any physical or psychological problems or any external interference,

by his own ability,

to remain single.

Most people couldn't do that under the same conditions!

"Boss, if I see Madam…" Yingying mustered her courage and said firmly, "I will beat her to a pulp!"

Zhou Ze smiled,

nodding.

He wasn't afraid of Madam Bai attacking head-on.

In fact, if Madam Bai had that level of strength and ability,

why would she have been hiding in Disney, playing a game of smoke and mirrors?

Life wasn't a TV series, after all. What Zhou Ze wanted to avoid was the cliche of a naive, saintly character from a TV drama, such as Madam Bai walking up to Yingying and Yingying being unable to bring herself to do anything because of old affections.

That kind of plot development was the most ridiculous and infuriating.

Now,

with Yingying's promise,

Zhou Ze knew,

that he had buried this potential pitfall.

Yingying rested her head on Zhou Ze's shoulder,

closing her eyes.

This choice was indeed a bit cruel for her. It was like forcing her to choose between her parents and her boyfriend.

"Yingying."

"Boss~~~"

"I never thought about burning you."

"Mm, I know."

"So, don't be sad."

"Mm, okay, Boss."

"Good girl, say something nice."

"嘤嘤嘤…" (yīng yīng yīng… sound of soft whimpering)

"Hehe."

…………

Finally back at the bookstore.

In hell,

Zhou Ze missed the bookstore.

In Shanghai,

Zhou Ze missed the bookstore.

After leaving Tongcheng,

he had been missing the bookstore.

There was sunshine, newspapers, coffee, rock candy, a cook,

perhaps,

for Zhou Ze,

the bookstore,

represented a way of life. He was addicted to it, unable to extricate himself.

And this kind of life was the most precious and the one he was most willing to protect and maintain.

But,

after getting out of the car, Zhou Ze found that the bookstore's lights were off.

The little loli had sent a message saying she had gone home and would move back into the bookstore during winter vacation. Lawyer An had gone out to look for clues about Madam Bai. Lao Zhang should also be at the police station.

But there were at least Old Daoist and Xu Qinglang in the bookstore. It was impossible for there to be no one.

Pushing open the door,

Zhou Ze saw two candles lit on the bar.

Old Daoist was sitting behind the bar, his long horse-like face radiating a dark and strange glow in the candlelight.

"Did Qian Xiaohao come to scout locations for a ghost movie?"

Zhou Ze asked.

The other shops on the street were still lit, so it couldn't be a power outage.

"No, Boss, there's a reason,"

Old Daoist explained.

"Heh."

Zhou Ze reached out and flipped the switch. In an instant, the lights came on.

"Aaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!"

A low scream came from a corner.

Zhou Ze looked over.

He hadn't noticed it before,

but there was a student-like boy huddled in that corner, hiding.

Not a living person,

a ghost,

a performance bonus.

Lawyer An had told him before that he would go to Yunnan with him in a while to make up for the last bit of performance bonus, and be promoted directly to Head Constable.

But now,

even a mosquito leg was still meat.

Since a performance bonus had come to his door,

how could he not take it?

"Don't come over… don't come over… don't come over…"

The boy hugged his knees with both hands,

shivering non-stop.

"He's been yelling ever since the lights came on,"

Old Daoist said helplessly.

The boss wasn't back, the little loli had gone home, and there wasn't a ghost messenger in the bookstore. Old Daoist couldn't just chase him away, otherwise, knowing the boss's temper, if he dared to get rid of his performance bonus,

heh.

But the guy kept yelling,

and Old Daoist couldn't stand it.

If it was a living person, it would be fine; he could just tape his mouth shut with duct tape.

But this was a ghost,

what could you use to seal his mouth?

Therefore,

Old Daoist had simply turned off the lights

and lit candles.

As long as the lights weren't on,

the boy wouldn't yell.

The boy was wearing a sports outfit, looking about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a fairly handsome face.

Too bad,

to die so young.

Zhou Ze felt a little pity and regret, but didn't think much about it. He had also died at thirty, at a new stage in his career and life. Who would feel sorry for him?

Immediately,

Zhou Ze looked directly at Old Daoist. "Have you prepared the meal?"

Bookstore rule:

Before sending a ghost on its way,

treat them to a simple meal,

and take as much money as you can get.

"Not yet. What would I prepare if you weren't back?"

Xu Qinglang walked out at this time, carrying two cold dishes. Without a ghost messenger, no one could send this kid on his way.

"Then prepare it. Let him eat and drink well before he goes."

As he spoke,

Zhou Ze reached out and scratched his ear.

When female ghosts cried and screamed, they would pay attention to intonation, cadence, and melodiousness.

Listening to it a lot was quite interesting, and he could even appreciate a sense of piano music;

but this boy kept yelling in a low, suppressed voice,

which felt very annoying.

Zhou Ze understood Old Daoist somewhat.

He simply walked over again

and turned off the lights.

After the lights were turned off,

the boy stopped crying.

After Xu Qinglang had everything arranged,

Old Daoist invited the boy into the booth.

Small wooden table,

small bench,

old yellow wine and a few cold dishes. Just make do with it.

The boy sat there silently eating. After the lights were turned off, he had returned to normal and was eating heartily.

"Ah, poor child, gone so young."

Old Daoist sat beside him, sighing a little.

Old Daoist had always had more compassion for children.

"By the way, Old Daoist, how long has it been since you stopped your livestream?"

Zhou Ze asked.

It seemed like it had been a while since he had seen Old Daoist livestreaming to cheat people out of donations.

"I don't dare to start it. The regulations have been strict recently. If I'm reported by some scum with a maggot heart, a seed with no future;

and accused of promoting feudal superstition, not only will the livestream room be shut down, but I might not even get the donations from before.

I'll wait a while. I'll start broadcasting again when the heat dies down."

Old Daoist's livestream room had a lot of loyal fans. He had even managed to sell hell money according to the market value of the Tiandi Bank, which showed how awesome Old Daoist was.

At this time,

Xu Qinglang walked over with two cocktails, giving one to Zhou Ze and saying,

"How's the thing you're busy with?"

"Still no leads."

"Mm, how about hell? According to what Lawyer An said in the WeChat group before, something big happened?"

"Interested?"

"A bit curious."

"Let's wait for Lao An to come back and we'll have a seminar to talk about it together. I'm too lazy to say it a second time."

"Okay."

"Boss, are you going to take a bath?"

Yingying went to prepare clothes.

"Wait a bit, after he finishes eating."

He'll take a shower after sending the person on his way.

"Okay."

Yingying went upstairs to make the bed first. The boss liked to be clean, and no one had slept in the bookstore's bed for a week, so the bedding definitely had to be changed.

These things didn't need Zhou Ze to tell her; Yingying knew them herself.

"Squeak squeak squeak!"

The little monkey jumped in front of Zhou Ze at this time,

reaching out its paw to gently touch Zhou Ze's pocket.

It was touching the Yin-Yang Register.

"After the fox comes tomorrow, I'll let those two friends of yours go. I'll keep my word."

"Squeak squeak squeak!"

The little monkey danced happily,

holding a toy that Old Daoist had bought for it.

Old Daoist really treated it like his own grandson, with a huge pile of toys.

The little monkey was now holding a rake,

When the button was pressed,

the rake would keep flashing lights

and make a "zzzzzzzz" electrical sound.

Plus, with the lights off,

when the little monkey waved it around,

it really had the feeling of silver snakes dancing wildly,

except that the eldest brother had stolen the second brother's weapon.

And then a scream suddenly came from the booth next door.

The boy who had been obediently eating and preparing to go on his way suddenly knelt down from his chair,

holding his head with both hands,

shouting in horror:

"Don't electrocute me, don't electrocute me!

Please, don't electrocute me, don't electrocute me!"