Chapter 27: The Evil Spirit Occupying the Car

Drake's eyes widened; even with his years of experience in Gotham, he had never seen such a heavyweight super iron coffin: "So, at least five people have died in this car?"

"Not exactly."

"Give it to me straight, brother, what's the deal with this car?" Drake pressed on: "I've worked for you for so long and have never seen this car once."

The boss, probably knowing this killing machine wouldn't sell, sighed: "Don't spread this around. This car belonged to a minor lieutenant of the Falcone gang. After he crashed it, it was sold off. It was being sold through their family's underworld operations, but every time it changed hands, something went wrong. The worst time, four people in the car had their heads blown off by two shotgun blasts."

"All in all, it was bought three times, and six buyers died—everything from car accidents to gang shootouts. The most absurd time was when a car dealer dumped the car in a deserted spot, only to crash that same noon, get sent to Wayne Hospital, and end up in the morgue by the afternoon."

"The Falcone family found the car too cursed, so they gave me two thousand dollars and forced it onto me. I refurbished it, even putting in over five hundred dollars of my own money, barely managing to fix it inside and out. The bullets I pulled out were nearly half a jin."

"What could I do? I sold it again, and it came back. At least this time only the glass was shattered, the tires ruined, plus a few minor dents, and two more lives were lost inside."

"Counting up, nine lives have been lost in this car. I really don't want to be the tenth. If you know anyone fearless enough to buy a car, send them my way. I'll give the car away for free."

"No."

?

The car dealer, whose speech had been interrupted, looked around in confusion, his movements almost perfectly synchronized with Drake's head-shaking beside him.

"No," Ma Ma Zhaodi repeated from the side: "At least three thousand."

"WTF, what are you doing, bro!" Drake's eyes bulged like copper bells as he stared at the calm Ma Ma Zhaodi: "There are nine lives in this car, bro, not nine lives in you!"

"Damn! Great! It's a deal!" The car dealer on the side was overjoyed: "No backing out! I'll get you the keys right now!"

"Remember to bring the money too."

"Huh?"

Ma Ma Zhaodi repeated: "I said, remember to bring the three thousand dollars, or I won't take the car."

"Huh???"

"Holy crap, you're a genius!" Drake was shocked again: "You're taking his car and still asking him for three thousand dollars?"

"I'm using my life to save his life, then asking him for three thousand dollars," Ma Ma Zhaodi corrected: "For something this dangerous, three thousand dollars isn't too expensive, right?"

"Are you sure your ancestors didn't have Jewish blood?"

"Just say if you're selling or not." Ma Ma Zhaodi flicked a Pocky stick from his cigarette pack and popped it into his mouth: "Hurry up. If you don't agree, I'll leave. Once this car finds the next dealer, I'll use today's recording to squeeze five thousand dollars out of him."

"."

The car dealer's face shifted between gloom and agitation. After a while, he turned to fetch three thousand dollars in cash and a set of car keys.

"You better pray that you..."

"Watch your words. If I die, the car will come back here."

"You better have a fortune as vast as the Eastern Sea's flowing waters, longevity like the evergreen pines of the Southern Mountains, celebrate this day every year and this year every century, live as long as heaven and earth, shine as brightly as the sun and moon, dwell in the twelve heavenly towers, enjoy eight thousand years of life, and be as eternal as spring!"

Ma Ma Zhaodi shrugged: "What I admire most about Gotham is this. The citizens are emotionally stable, quite polite, and willing to talk things through when trouble arises."

"That's truly awesome."

After spending two hundred dollars at the dealer to change the tires and service the car, Ma Ma Zhaodi sat inside while Drake stood outside, the two staring at each other.

"Aren't you going back? Get in the car?"

"I'll take a taxi back."

"?"

"Why are you looking at me? You drive back yourself." As Drake spoke, he pulled Ma Ma Zhaodi's phone from his pocket and showed it to him: "Memorize this one-touch dial. It's for Wayne Hospital."

Ma Ma Zhaodi let out a cold chuckle. After taking back his phone, he casually used a silver, gleaming car key to start the engine, then floored the accelerator, leaving Drake far behind.

"One-Time Soul-Imprisoning Car Key

Price: 300 dollars

Note: Evil spirit, get out of its body!

Evil spirit: You get out of its body first... Strange, I feel like I've had this conversation before when possessing little boys.

Note 2: Which genius thought of making a car key into a holy artifact?"

As the silver key was inserted into the car, Ma Ma Zhaodi seemed to faintly hear a shrill, venomous scream echoing from within the vehicle's body. Within seconds, the chilling atmosphere inside the car vanished completely.

"Beep, beep, you XX bastard!"

The guy sounded like he was scolding while acting spoiled.

Ma Ma Zhaodi paid it no mind, casually turned on the car's air conditioning again. This time, only warm air blew out; the cold blood mist that had attacked earlier vanished as if it were a hallucination.

He pulled over, removed the silver car key, and within seconds, it had turned completely dark and gloomy gray-black.

Opening the system interface again, he saw the text description had changed.

"Side Quest: Keep Up with the Times

Briefing: Still using traditional methods to possess people? That's so outdated. How can a person who possesses people compare to a car that possesses people?

Our Mr. Evil Spirit has already taken up residence in this car, and it seems he's searching for the tenth person to possess.

The priest in the church might not be willing to take on the task of exorcising a car, but you, my friend, you know what it means to keep up with the times, don't you?

Status: Completed

Reward: After capturing the evil spirit, it can be traded into an amulet, effective nine times."

Ma Ma Zhaodi casually selected "Trade." The black key vanished into thin air, replaced by a sparkling cross necklace appearing in his hand. Though made of iron, it didn't feel cold to the touch; instead, it carried a faint warmth.

He glanced at it briefly, then hung the necklace around his neck and continued driving home.

This cross was valued at five thousand asset points in the System Shangcheng. Since Ma Ma Zhaodi still remembered the Blessed Car Key in the Shangcheng, he accepted the task without hesitation, making a small profit.

As for exchanging the necklace for asset points, he had no such plans for now. Living in Gotham, luck was clearly important too.

(End of Chapter)