“Even with my ability, I didn't get much information, just that this building is dangerous, and the residents are all people with questionable backgrounds. People often leave without checking out, and some even commit suicide in their rooms.”
No one was surprised by this. Renting here didn't even require an ID card, and there was even an A-Wang who specialized in fake documents in the building. It clearly wasn't a legitimate place.
Some probably had legal troubles, hiding out here, so their sudden departure wouldn't be surprising.
Others might have been desperate and impoverished, coming here with nowhere else to go, so it wouldn't be strange if they decided to end their lives.
“How many people died?”
Yin Qian shook his head. “They didn't say, but Jiang Haoyu and I walked around. The wonton shop owner next door asked why we'd come to live in such an inauspicious place.”
“They didn't want to say more, so I assume quite a few incidents have occurred.”
Nan Yue nodded. “Take your time. What's the deal with the first-floor stairs?”
Yin Qian's face darkened. “It's because this building was originally slated for demolition, but the residents refused to move. So, the first floor was sealed off, leaving only the fire escape.”
Jiang Haoyu added, “This is common. Many places cut off water and electricity to force residents to move out by making their lives inconvenient.”
“Is the first floor really inaccessible?”
Jiang Haoyu nodded. “We checked it out. It's blocked with stones, and... it's really dirty.”
Seeing Jiang Haoyu's grim expression, Yin Qian added.
“The quality of the residents here... they relieve themselves and throw trash everywhere.”
There were only trash cans by the road, and many people didn't want to walk that far, so they just threw their garbage on the first floor.
Since the first floor was sealed off with stones, no one lived there anyway, so it wouldn't affect others.
“It stinks to high heaven, absolutely disgusting,” Jiang Haoyu grumbled.
“Thanks.”
Just as their discussion ended, Yang Xufeng finished moving his belongings. His dark face finally showed some color from his heavy breathing.
Jiang Siyan wasn't panting or sweating at all; it was impossible to tell he'd done any physical labor. His collar was unbuttoned two buttons, and his rolled-up sleeves highlighted the strong muscles in his arms.
“Don't mention it. We're neighbors now, so just say if you need anything.”
Xie Hui blinked and leaned closer. “Can you help me with anything I need?”
Jiang Siyan smiled. “Of course.”
Strange, Xie Hui thought, rubbing her arm. Why are my hairs standing on end?
Jiang Siyan walked towards Nan Yue, took off his mask, and his gaze was focused and gentle.
“I'll stay on this floor with Jiang Haoyu.”
Of course, he wanted to live with Nan Yue, ideally stuck together with glue, inseparable.
But he knew that clearing the pollution and establishing a path was crucial for Nan Yue. Whatever Nan Yue needed to do, he would assist without reservation.
Jiang Haoyu and Yin Qian were the weakest in the team, so their pairing had to be a strong-weak combination.
Gu Xiang Kai had already teamed up with the NPC Shi Xiaojie. Compared to Yin Qian, Jiang Haoyu was more naive and lacked experience, so it was most suitable for Jiang Siyan to lead him.
Chi Yu, who was sharing a room with Yin Qian, also remained behind.
This way, with her and Jiang Siyan together, protecting their two relatively weaker companions wouldn't be a problem.
Xie Hui's gaze shifted to Yin Qian and Chi Yu. “Are you two a couple too?”
Although the girl with one eye covered by an eye patch was also very pretty, she looked fierce.
Yin Qian seemed so gentle and delicate; she hadn't expected them to be a couple.
Yin Qian smiled. “Yes.”
Jiang Siyan walked over and took his jacket. “Be careful on the fifth floor by yourself. Contact me... us if anything happens.”
Nan Yue nodded. “Interact more with Xie Hui.”
Yin Qian's ears perked up, and his heart skipped a beat. He was worried Jiang Siyan would go crazy.
A woman he liked wasn't jealous and even told him to interact more with other women. Any ordinary man would be angry, let alone a potential psychopath like Jiang Siyan.
To his surprise, Jiang Siyan smiled, his eyes bright, his smile unrestrained and warm. He chuckled softly, his voice gentle. “Don't worry.”
Yin Qian looked as if he'd seen a ghost. Sure enough, he's a madman. His mind is just different from normal people.
Jiang Siyan clearly saw Yin Qian's subtle movements. He couldn't be bothered with others; what did they know?
Nan Yue fully trusted him, and...
...being able to do something for Nan Yue was enough to make him happy.
Compared to the somewhat reserved neighbors on the upper floors, Xie Hui was arguably the easiest person to extract information from.
Nan Yue and the others took a general look at their future living arrangements, then each returned to their rooms to organize clues.
“Let's eat together tonight.”
Nan Yue's meaning was clear: they would meet again in the evening to share clues. Everyone understood.
Nan Yue returned to the fifth floor, where Zhu Xi Ning was already organizing the room.
The conditions here were as expected; a clean and tidy living environment was impossible. Even the previous occupant's belongings hadn't been fully cleared out.
Fortunately, they were lucky. The previous occupant wasn't some strange pervert, but simply someone with poor health.
The simple furniture was heavily worn, but there wasn't much dust. Perhaps the tenant hadn't left too long ago, and had been diligent in cleaning before.
The room was very small, a two-bedroom apartment. It looked similar in layout to a clinic, with a sofa outside, a small bed inside, and a cramped, windowless bathroom that felt suffocating.
The bedroom had a wardrobe with half a door broken, and the living room had a chest of drawers. That was all there was in the room.
The bed was too small; even one person would worry about falling off when turning over, let alone two. Nan Yue decided to sleep on the sofa outside. It was acceptable; the springs hadn't poked through yet.
“The two people next door, the one we just met is named Su Xiaoxi, and inside there's her friend from the same hometown, Mu Qing.”
“They came from the county town to work. They used to be at a garment factory, and now with the new residential area built, they work as property managers there. This place is close by and rent is cheap, so they moved here.”
“Granny Li across the hall seems a bit senile and doesn't like to talk to people. She looks rather fierce. Her body appears healthy, but she loves taking medicine.”
“When people get old, they always have some discomforts. There's a clinic right next door that prescribes medicine for Granny Li every day. Whether it helps or not, I don't know, but the smell is absolutely awful.”
Nan Yue quietly listened to the information Zhu Xi Ning had gathered. The current Zhu Xi Ning could freely switch identities, and in critical moments, both personalities could coexist simultaneously.
Therefore, Nan Yue didn't need to worry about Zhu Xi Ning's self-preservation ability.
“How does it feel?”
Zhu Xi Ning frowned slightly. “Su Xiaoxi and her friend are fine, but this building...”
She hadn't noticed it before. When she first entered, she thought the building was clean and empty.
But after entering the room, she felt a bit uncomfortable.
“It's not like there are ghosts and monsters, but the 'vibe' just isn't right.”
Rate on N.U.
