Chapter 2 (1/2)

Translator: Atlas Studios

Editor: Atlas Studios

Constable Wang’s gaze swept across the frozen crowd but failed to spot the young man.

“Strange things keep happening.”

Li Ang, who had turned and left, rubbed his chin, narrowed his eyes, and murmured, “There are indeed more and more of them…”

In the past few months, many kinds of strange events had been happening in the city.

For example, an old man had suddenly come back to life inside his coffin before the burial, delighting his family.

A gold-medal cowboy of a certain clubhouse had been torn into more than 100 pieces, but the primary investigator had determined that his death had not been instigated by someone else.

An archeologist had also gone crazy after exploring a grave. He had stripped himself naked, dashed into the toilet, performed a handstand by the wall, and pretended that he was a faucet.

Whenever gossip and news of these bizarre events spread widely, they would be blocked and removed on a grand scale.

The few surviving incidents could not be verified and spread, so they became gossip material for the bored masses.

“Who cares? I can hold up the sky with my height even if it falls.”

Li Ang pursed his lips and walked through the entrance of Building Three.

Unfortunately, there was an “Under Repair, Temporarily Closed” sign by the elevator’s entrance.

What was even more unfortunate was the fact that he lived on the 20th floor.

“What the hell? Why am I so unlucky?”

He sighed and obediently walked toward the stairwell.

The process of climbing stairs was very mundane. Upon thinking that he did not have a microwave at home and that the chives were about to go cold, Li Ang split the chopsticks into two and ate as he walked.

The chives, which could invigorate a man’s potency, were indeed good for the body. However, for singles, the long night could only be satisfied by the “traditional legacy of hand art”.

“Ge… Ge…”

Suddenly, an indistinct sound came from the floors above. It sounded like the difficult breathing of an old man when he could not cough out or swallow the phlegm in his throat.

Li Ang stopped fiddling with the box of chives and looked up through the gap between the stairs.

It was exactly midnight. The only light source on the stairwell was the dim voice-controlled sensor light installed on every floor.

Based on the light source, this cough should be coming from the 17th floor.

This district was considered resettlement housing, so most residents were elderly who moved there when their previous housing was destroyed. Perhaps an elderly had coughed while placing their trash near the stairwell…

Li Ang slowly chewed his food and continued climbing up.

Meanwhile, he was counting the steps. One, two, three… twelve. He had climbed to the 8th floor.

One, two, three… twelve. He had climbed to the 9th floor.

One, two, three… twelve. He had climbed to the 8th floor.

Li Ang stopped walking.

He stared without blinking at the red number 8 painted on the wall by the stairwell entrance, which indicated that this was the 8th floor.

“Ge… Ge…”

The indistinct cough came from the floors above again. Compared to the previous time, it seemed to be closer to where he was now.

If this was the 8th floor, the floor where the light was lit up should be the 15th floor.

Li Ang took a deep breath and slowly closed the box of chives. Then, he stuck his body very close to the wall, turned, and sprinted down the stairs.

8th floor, 7th floor, 8th floor, 7th floor, 8th floor, 7th floor…

Li Ang frantically sprinted down the stairs with all his might while silently counting the steps he had taken. In a few minutes, he had already run a distance that surpassed eight floors.

Li Ang took a deep breath and looked at the red number pasted on the stairwell wall. This was the 7th floor.

He unclenched his fists, walked to the balcony of the stairwell, and looked down.