The dilapidated security booth was rusted all over, filled with dust and fallen leaves.
I found a broom in the nearby sanitation shed,
Roughly swept the garbage and dust out of the booth,
Then took off my coat to wipe the tables and chairs clean.
After that, I lit incense, burned joss paper,
And laid out KFC, spicy strips, ham, cola, and other offerings.
As I burned the paper, I kowtowed:
"Brother, I don't know if you can receive the paper money and offerings.
You saved my life the night before last. I have nothing fancy to thank you with, so please accept these things.
If you lack anything in the future, you can appear in my dreams and I'll burn it for you.
By the way, nothing too expensive, okay?
I still have debts to pay every month, and I don't have much left after paying my salary.
Also, I heard you were a hero who saved people when you were alive.
I don't know why you haven't gone to the underworld yet, but I hope you'll be reincarnated soon."
I muttered on, and when I looked up, a pair of feet appeared on the ground in front of me—
Clad in black tactical boots.
Looking up, there were straight legs in handsome black security pants,
And above them—none other than the security guard from last night!
But he wasn't as cold as before.
At that moment, he was grabbing a cola in one hand and a Spicy Chicken Burger in the other, shoving them into his mouth frantically.
I stared, dumbfounded.
The brother said nothing and didn't look at me.
After finishing the KFC meal, he grabbed the ham sausage,
And only when all the offerings were eaten did he lick his lips, still wanting more:
"Next time I want barbecue, with beer—iced."
"Uh… sure."
The security guard smiled, scanning me up and down: "The yin energy that woman left on you is gone. It seems you found a way to get rid of her."
I said: "I met a master who sells sweet potatoes. He taught me a method—using a substitute doll to trick her."
The brother raised an eyebrow: "A master who sells sweet potatoes? You mean Old Ma Tou?"
I was shocked: "You know him?"
The brother scoffed: "What kind of master is he… Back then, he tried to get rid of me, but I drove him away."
I froze, recalling how when I'd told Uncle Ma about my recent experiences,
His expression had seemed off when I mentioned the security guard.
But I doubted: "Are you better than Uncle Ma?"
The brother looked displeased: "He's only good at roasting sweet potatoes. His ghost-sending skills are just so-so.
If he were really good, how come he didn't notice you're missing something?"
"Brother, I have all my arms and legs—I'm not missing anything." I retorted instinctively.
The security guard laughed: "You're a living person, but you deal with us underworld folks every night, and you say you're not missing anything?"
I immediately realized what he meant: I was missing something, which was why I'd been encountering ghosts frequently lately.
I quickly asked for advice, wanting to know what I'd lost.
The brother said: "Your yang fire is fine, and your body is fine, but you've lost a wisp of your soul—didn't you realize?"
Lost a soul?
That sounded unreliable.
I was perfectly fine, so how could I have lost a soul?
Before I could speak, the brother asked: "Let me ask you—what's your name?"
"Zhou Yi."
The brother said: "Where's your hometown?"
I answered: "Zhoujiagou, Lingyun Town, Baoshan County, Qingyuan City."
The security guard's ghostly face twitched: "From now on, if ghosts ask for your address or name, don't answer."
I chuckled: "I know. Besides, you're not some outsider ghost."
Unlike the red-cloaked fierce ghost, the security guard was just like a living person,
And since he'd saved me,
I felt no fear of him at all.
The brother rolled his eyes: "Such familiarity. Let me ask you another thing—what do your family members look like? Can you remember?"
That question was ridiculous.
Who couldn't remember their family's faces?
But the next second, I froze.
Because I suddenly realized I couldn't remember what my grandma looked like!
I was an abandoned baby, adopted by my grandma.
Back then, I'd had a strange illness, barely breathing.
Grandma took me home, and out of desperation,
Found a village herbalist who used folk remedies,
And somehow saved my dying self.
She was my only family, my closest relative.
She'd passed away when I was a sophomore in high school, leaving me alone in the world.
But now, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't recall her face.
Not only that—I found I couldn't remember the faces of many people:
Village neighbors, high school classmates…
At that moment, all their faces were a blur.
How could this be?
Realizing something was wrong, I stared at the security guard in shock: "I can't remember… I can't recall their faces. What's happening? Why am I like this?"
The brother wore a "I knew it" expression: "You lost a wisp of your soul, of course you can't remember.
A body missing part of its soul is easiest for yin creatures to possess.
That's why you've become fat meat in the eyes of evil ghosts.
Take me, for example—if I wanted to, I could possess your body right now."
The security guard narrowed his eyes, Leaning closer, his voice was eerie and sinister.
I processed this new information, then wiped my face: "Please don't possess me, brother. That'd be too intimate."
The brother's eerie expression collapsed instantly.
He stepped back, looking like he'd eaten something disgusting: "I shouldn't have bothered with you. Kid, you'd better figure out where you lost your soul.
People lose souls usually from fright. Think back—when was the last time you were scared recently?"
Last time I was scared?
My mind raced.
Before encountering ghosts, had I experienced any fright severe enough to make me lose a soul?
After racking my brain, I came up empty.
To be honest, ordinary people's lives are too monotonous:
Just going to work, getting off work, eating, sleeping.
The only entertainment is scrolling through phones in bed before sleep.
Daily life isn't scary.
Getting wronged, though—that's common.
After a long while, I shook my head: "I can't remember."
The security guard frowned too: "You've only been targeted by yin creatures in the past two days, and your yang fire is still strong.
That means you lost your soul recently—within half a month at most. How could you not remember?"
I forced a smile: "Not just half a month—I've thought back six months. The scariest thing that ever happened to me was delivery orders being late."
The security guard shook his head: "Then I can't help you… It seems I won't get that barbecue. You probably won't live that long.
Zhou Yi, don't say I'm heartless as a ghost. When you die, if you become a ghost, you can come work under me.
You take the day shift, I'll take the night shift."
He pointed to his security booth, grinning like he was welcoming a new colleague.
I nearly spat blood.
Even as a ghost, I'd still have to work?
And he wanted me, a ghost, to take the day shift?
In that moment, grief overwhelmed me.