Chapter 114: Volume 1, Chapter 114 – Tenant (2)

After tidying up the room, the computer used by the original owner was placed on the only table in the somewhat cramped bedroom; the equipment was simple, and the computer configuration was also basic.

Jiang Zhi had no memories of the original owner, only the simple information given by the system.

Original owner's name: Jiang Xiao Zhi, 25 years old, singing on a certain live-streaming platform, gaining gift popularity by skating the line.

Most of the clothes in the wardrobe are what she needs to wear during streams, sexy and revealing, especially eye-catching.

Besides that, there is no more information about the original owner.

The phone signal displayed is very weak, and the information that can be viewed on it is even scarcer; the only noticeable thing is an app on the screen labeled as a news app, which when opened shows news about this old city area.

A few days ago, a murder occurred in this building: a young girl in her prime was dismembered, boiled until falling apart, and dumped into the sewer; to this day, the killer has not been found.

Moreover, in this old city area, people often disappear for no reason, and even their bodies cannot be found.

Jiang Zhi closed that news app, and her body shivered.

Even with so many murder cases, the people in this building never thought of moving out.

Sure enough, it's a Punishment Instance.

Besides the tasks issued by the system, Jiang Zhi also needs to go through the original owner's daily work.

For example, streaming.

The phone signal is poor, but her computer signal is surprisingly good, so streaming is not affected at all.

She needs to stream for more than three hours each day.

Jiang Zhi glanced at the somewhat old clock hanging on the wall; it was already 1 p. m.

She should go get a meal.

The discomfort from hunger in her stomach was especially vivid and clear, as if skipping a meal would cause her to starve to death.

Thinking that nothing dangerous would happen during the day, Jiang Zhi changed her clothes and prepared to go out to eat.

Just as she opened the door, a slightly chubby man with his upper body bare came out carrying a garbage bag; hearing the noise, he turned his head to look at her.

The fat man's gaze made Jiang Zhi uncomfortable; she pulled her collar to cover half her face, and as she lifted her foot to leave, he spoke first.

"Are you the new tenant?" the fat man said, as if he had just eaten roasted chicken, grease smeared around his mouth; his eyes, squeezed together by his facial features, narrowed into a slit, with a sharp, flickering, eerie light inside.

He gave her a quick up-and-down glance, as if inspecting merchandise, devoid of any emotion.

Jiang Zhi's eyes curved as she smiled, her smile tinged with nervousness: "Yeah, I just moved in this morning, big bro; you also live on this floor, right?"

Seeing her smile, the fat man felt an itch in his heart: "Don't call me big bro; just call me Hao Ge. I live in 602, right next to your room; if you have any problems, just come find Hao Ge!"

Jiang Zhi went along with his words, speaking amiably: "Thanks, Hao Ge. I was thinking that being alone here I don't know anyone, but with Hao Ge around I'm not afraid of anything."

Zhang Hao listened, his heart blooming with joy, dazed and turning, and answered all the questions she wanted to know.

Only after parting from the girl did he barely realize that he had not asked her for contact information.

Having left the apartment building, Jiang Zhi organized the information she knew.

The thin, weak boy who came to collect cardboard boxes lives in Room 608, together with his sick mother; his name is Shi Xuan, he just turned 18 this year, having dropped out of school to stay home and care for his mother.

The burly man who bullied the boy is named Li Dachao; he works as a security guard at a nightclub, the most domineering on the floor, relying on his strong physique to bully many people, and he lives in Room 606.

When she first moved in, the male student who helped her carry her luggage gave his real name, Le Zhou; he is a college student who also just moved in, living in Room 609.

Besides these few people, there are three other households on the same floor, whose identities are still unclear.

However, the fat man Zhang Hao also specially warned her: never provoke the household in Room 604.

Room 604 is inhabited by a particularly strange and frightening man; even the burly Li Dachao is quite wary of him.

Jiang Zhi is also quite curious: what kind of person is the one in Room 604?

The instance's range is not large; she can only walk the streets near the apartment building, and if she tries to go farther, she will see thick black fog blocking the way.

That black fog gives an ominous feeling.

Jiang Zhi stopped her steps and did not go further into the black fog.

After thinking for a while on the spot, she turned and went to a nearby restaurant to eat.

The restaurant had few people; the time was around 1 p. m., approaching 2 p. m., and there were even fewer people.

The restaurant owner stood there dull-witted, like a paper figure being led, walked up to her side and asked what she needed.

An unimportant NPC, even without a soul—this is the Punishment world.

Jiang Zhi casually ordered two dishes and took them to go.

Fortunately the dishes were normally stir-fried; otherwise she would really have starved to death.

On this street, only this restaurant serves stir-fried dishes with rice; most other shops are breakfast places that closed early.

And the only supermarket she checked opens at midnight.

It's truly a ghost supermarket.

Who goes to the supermarket at nine at night?

She also cannot cook in the rental unit, so she can only come to this stir-fry restaurant to eat each day.

She glanced at the phone number written on the wall and noted it down.

It actually offers delivery; then she wouldn't need to go downstairs to eat each day—having it delivered right to her door would be great.

Carrying her lunch as she left, Jiang Zhi had not taken two steps when a madman rushed out from not far ahead, holding a dagger, full of killing intent, his eyes blood-red, sprinting extremely fast toward her.

Before Jiang Zhi could even run, she saw a figure, like a martial artist, break the madman's wrist, seize the dagger, and press the man to the ground.

That aura of righteousness made her involuntarily want to applaud and cheer.

Soon the madman was taken away by the police; before leaving, those two officers treated this righteous man extremely well, almost as if they were about to serve him tea and water.

They called him 'Gong Ge'.

Jiang Zhi recalled that the fat man Zhang Hao had said among the three tenant households there was a police officer named Gong Shao; this must be him.

Before her eyes, Gong Shao wore a vest, had slippers on his feet, a bluish stubble on his chin, and a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth; instantly, his earlier fierce aura vanished.

The man lazily glanced at her, called out a couple of times, but she didn't respond for a while, so he lifted his hand and waved it in front of her: "Hey?"

Jiang Zhi came to her senses, met the man's eagle-like deep gaze, her heart tightened involuntarily, and she hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?"

Gong Shao raised an eyebrow, pinching the cigarette butt in his hand, and said impatiently, "I told you your stuff fell!"

Jiang Zhi lowered her head and saw that her lunch had slipped and fallen to the ground, the outer bag stained with road dust.

She hurriedly picked it up, and when she looked up, the man was already gone.

From afar, seeing his back as he went upstairs, Jiang Zhi felt as if she had spotted a lifeline and hurriedly followed after him.

Gong Shao, whom she had been following all the way, looked impatient.

"What the hell do you want?"

She had followed him all the way to his doorstep, and she was still following him.