Chapter 6: A New Hidden Quest

Knock, knock, knock—

Duan Ming knocked on the door of the maintenance department’s office. Instantly, a face resembling a corpse turned around. The rest of the man appeared normal, except that half of his head was missing. The wound was a gruesome mix of ripped flesh and bone, fresh and bloody.

Swallowing nervously, Duan Ming spoke, “Uh, a tenant said their window needs repair. Should I hand this over to you?”

The corpse-like face gave no reply, expressionless as it turned back. Sitting opposite was Xu Kuang, a classmate assigned to the security department, with another student, Xiao Xueqi, standing nearby.

What were they doing here?

Duan Ming stepped slowly into the office.

The half-headed ghost spoke to Xu Kuang with a sinister grin, “Friend, you’ve already lost twice. If you lose this last round, I’ve made the outcome very clear to you. Heh heh heh—”

As Duan Ming drew closer, he realized they were playing poker—specifically, a game of all-in.

Xu Kuang’s visible cards were three nines and an ace, with his hole card face-down. The half-headed ghost held the spades 10, jack, queen, and king.

By probability, the ghost could only win if he had the remaining three aces or the last nine. If Xu Kuang’s hole card was a nine, the ghost would need the spade ace to win. Xu Kuang’s chance to win was high as long as the ghost didn’t draw these cards.

But their demeanor told a different story.

The half-headed ghost looked relaxed and confident, while Xu Kuang’s face was deathly pale, sweat dripping like rain.

“Show your cards. What are you waiting for?”

Xu Kuang clenched his fists tightly, but said nothing.

Impatient, the ghost’s expression darkened. “Stop stalling. My patience is limited.”

Suddenly, Xu Kuang erupted, flipping the table and scattering cards everywhere, revealing his hole card.

It was the last nine.

Xu Kuang screamed wildly, “This isn’t fair! How can you always have a straight flush? You’re cheating!”

The half-headed ghost chuckled, revealing his hole card—the spade ace.

“No matter what, the result is decided. I win.”

Before he finished, he bit fiercely into Xu Kuang’s head. With a sickening grinding of bone, Xu Kuang’s features transformed to match the ghost’s—half his head gone, eyes wide in eternal torment.

The sudden turn chilled Duan Ming and Xiao Xueqi to the bone. After a moment, Duan Ming remembered his special ability and quickly scanned.

[Jumping Ghost]

[Name: Zhao Gangmen]

[Level: Malevolent Spirit]

[Friendly Level: 0]

[Target Information: He was a hopeless gambler. In his last life, during his final game, he held four aces including his hole card and tried to raise the stakes. He mortgaged everything, borrowed heavily from relatives, friends, and even took out massive high-interest loans from the casino. Yet, his opponent had the straight flush, wiping him out completely overnight. Standing on the rooftop, realizing he had been set up, he deeply regretted it and jumped, landing headfirst.]

[Hint: The straight flush is both his obsession and his weakness.]

The Jumping Ghost smirked, looking toward Xiao Xueqi. “So, next up is you? If you beat me, I’ll fix your security equipment. If not, you’ll have to wait for a few of my colleagues to return. Judging by their missions, they won’t be back anytime soon. I wonder if your security department can hold out, heh heh.”

Xiao Xueqi’s scalp felt like it was about to explode. She waved her hands nervously, forcing a smile. “We can wait, we can wait. I’ll just wait for them.”

The ghost’s expression darkened as he spat out a bone fragment, then turned to Duan Ming. “What about you? Want to play? Beat me, and I’ll take your job.”

“Sure.”

“Duan Ming!”

Xiao Xueqi protested, unwilling to see him throw his life away.

Duan Ming smiled faintly without responding and boldly took the seat Xu Kuang had occupied. He set up the card table and gestured for the ghost to begin.

The ghost’s eyes lit up. “You’ve got some guts. Hope you don’t regret this.”

He pulled out a new deck, shuffled casually, then with a thoughtful smile, handed the cards to Duan Ming. “Don’t say I’m bullying you; you deal.”

“There’s no need.”

Still, Duan Ming took the deck, cut twice, then casually dealt five cards to the ghost and five to himself.

The ghost was momentarily stunned by his nonchalance. “You sure? Not changing your mind?”

“No.”

“Alright, your choice. Can’t blame anyone else then. Best of five or best of three?”

“One round decides it. More efficient.”

“Fine.”

The ghost’s smile vanished, eager to reveal the cards, but Duan Ming raised a hand to stop him.

“What? Want to back out?”

Duan Ming shook his head. “No.”

“But since you’re setting all the rules, I want to make one request.”

“Of course. About the game?”

The ghost leaned back confidently. “Go ahead.”

Duan Ming smiled faintly. “This round…”

“We’re playing for the lowest hand.”

Without giving the ghost time to react, Duan Ming flipped his five cards: 3, 5, 10, jack, queen, all mixed suits — clearly a poor hand.

The ghost’s face turned pale and unsettled upon hearing this. He straightened up, his expression wavering.

“Show your cards,” Duan Ming urged calmly.

The ghost hesitated, clutching his cards, but after a long pause, he threw them down and slumped back in defeat.

“How did you know?”

“No matter what, the result is decided. I win.”

The ghost didn’t reply.

Xiao Xueqi looked utterly baffled.

In truth, the ghost could only open with a straight flush—his obsession. This rule held even if someone else dealt the cards.

The ghost sneered, clearly displeased. “Fine, tell me. What needs fixing?”

Duan Ming handed over a note.

The ghost lazily took it, and when his single eye read the message, it widened enormously. His head shook like a rattle, spilling more brain matter.

“No way, no way. I can’t do this job.”

“But you already accepted it. Don’t you want to avoid punishment from the property department?”

The ghost pondered, then leaned in with surprising enthusiasm. “Actually, there is a way. You’re the client here. If you cancel the request, no one loses out. You can find my colleagues instead. I promise, no one will give you trouble. How about that?”

“That’s not how it is,” Duan Ming rejected outright. “What do you mean no one loses? You said your colleagues won’t be back anytime soon. If the customer service department punishes me, who takes responsibility?”

“I don’t care. I’ve done my part. It’s none of my business now.”

He turned to leave.

After a few steps, he suddenly felt a weight beneath his feet. The shameless ghost knelt down, grabbing Duan Ming’s calf tightly, his snot and brain matter smearing Duan Ming’s pants, his earlier arrogance gone.

“Brother—no, big brother, don’t do this! I rely on this job to feed my family. Have some mercy!”

Xiao Xueqi was stunned.

But Duan Ming showed no mercy, struggling to pull free while scolding, “Mercy for you? Who shows mercy to me? Your colleagues won’t come back. Am I supposed to fix the window myself with a hammer?”

Just then, a voice echoed in his mind.

[Hidden Task Triggered: Burdened by Family]

[Task Description: After the Jumping Ghost’s death, his family couldn’t bear the pressure and also committed suicide. They reunite in the spirit world. The ghost, aware of his sins, vows to turn over a new leaf and create a better life for his family.]

[Task Objective: Perform the maintenance job on behalf of the Jumping Ghost in Room 604 to avoid punishment.]

[Time Limit: 3 hours]

[This task is mandatory.]

[Advance Reward: Substitute Doll]

[Substitute Doll: Allows the owner to die once in place of another, reviving randomly within one kilometer of the death site’s safe zone.]

(End of chapter)