A Slumbering Master and a Million-Yuan Offer

Bai Wanwan listened in silence, her expression betraying no emotion, for it was undeniable that sleepiness still held her firmly in its grasp.

As the other party’s ceaseless introduction flowed, Bai Wanwan found herself entirely uninterested in any mention of the paranormal, the terrifying, or the gruesome.

“I am neither an official nor a police officer,” she stated, a hint of weariness in her voice. “For matters such as these, your first call should be to the authorities, not to me.”

Bai Wanwan punctuated her words with a long, drawn-out yawn.

Despite Liu Guochang addressing her as Master Bai, and Liu Hanzhi holding an unwavering conviction in Bai Wanwan’s power, deeming her a being of semi-immortal caliber, Bai Wanwan remained undeniably human. She hadn’t slept for two days and a night, and now, in the deepest hours of the morning, humanity’s profoundest weariness settled upon her.

As Liu Guochang continued his detailed account, she found herself slowly, inextricably drifting into sleep. The gruesome realities of those terrifying scenes, recounted with such earnestness, paradoxically acted as a soothing lullaby to Bai Wanwan.

Liu Hanzhi, hovering mid-air, observed Bai Wanwan, who was utterly spent and deeply asleep. ‘Even if there were mountains of gold to be made tonight,’ she mused, ‘she wouldn’t earn a single coin.’ To prevent the ‘donkey at the millstone’ from collapsing from sheer exhaustion, Liu Hanzhi recognized the imperative to halt Liu Guochang’s relentless monologue.

“Shush,” Liu Hanzhi whispered, “She’s fallen asleep. We can discuss the specifics tomorrow.”

Liu Hanzhi gently ended the call with Liu Guochang on Bai Wanwan’s behalf, then, resting her chin in her hand, drifted gracefully to Bai Wanwan’s side.

She observed Bai Wanwan’s exquisitely delicate features, now softened in tranquil slumber. As Liu Hanzhi contemplated her sleeping visage, an unexpected adjective surfaced in her mind: ‘Sleeping Beauty!’ She was, perhaps, ‘too’ beautiful, prompting an involuntary thought: ‘could such a face truly be flesh, or was it meticulously crafted from paper?’

With Bai Wanwan deep in slumber, Liu Hanzhi found herself without a companion, and a touch of boredom began to set in.

In the profound stillness of the late night, when Yang energy waned to its weakest, creatures like her—female ghosts—reached their peak of activity. Like an unchaperoned feline, she drifted idly through Bai Wanwan’s room, amusing herself in quiet solitude.

The paper effigy Bai Wanwan had fashioned for her was of such exceptional quality that her physical manifestation could endure for a considerable period, likely a full week without degradation. Its incredible craftsmanship led Liu Hanzhi to ponder: ‘If Bai Wanwan’s services weren’t exclusively offered to the living, might she not accrue an even greater fortune?’

After all, Bai Wanwan had pledged to assist her in reincarnation once her debts were settled. Having at last encountered a human of such formidable ability, she absolutely had to seize this invaluable opportunity!

Yet, before embarking on that grand endeavor, Liu Hanzhi felt it essential to personally ascertain the true extent of the paper effigy’s quality.

With this thought, she slowly lowered her gaze to her fingers. There were no prominent nails at her fingertips—a detail she had specifically requested…

****

“So weary,” Bai Wanwan mumbled.

Bai Wanwan’s eyes fluttered open. Each morning, without fail, at precisely six o’clock, the debt collection calls would commence, proving even more punctual than her alarm.

Truth be told, Bai Wanwan found herself incapable of truly rising to anger, largely because the debt collectors were, surprisingly, far too civil. They neither threatened nor cursed, nor did they utter a single harsh word. Their method was a relentless, polite inquiry: could Bai Wanwan repay the debt, when would she repay it, and a meticulous, daily calculation of the colossal interest accruing.

While undeniably irritating, there were moments when some would even offer polite advice, such as ‘take care of yourself’ or ‘mind the recent drop in temperature.’ Such unexpected warmth in their words was precisely why Bai Wanwan had never abandoned her commitment to repayment.

She remained ignorant of the exact sum the Bai family owed, knowing only that if this colossal debt were to remain unpaid and become a write-off, an untold number of individuals would suffer dire consequences. Even some working-class families might find themselves inexplicably ruined. As long as someone could bear the burden of the Bai family’s outstanding debt, at least a semblance of accountability could be maintained, preventing Bai City’s impending winter from becoming utterly unbearable.

Thus, this morning, she had no choice but to rise and strive for earnings.

Bai Wanwan cast a glance at her phone, recalling vaguely that an opportunity to earn six hundred thousand had presented itself the previous night. She wondered if that prospect still remained.

Upon unlocking her phone, Bai Wanwan’s gaze fell upon a trending headline: ‘Two Fatalities at Jinbaihan, Bai City’s Premier Nightclub; Investigation Underway.’ It was precisely as she had anticipated. Devoid of any现场images or intricate descriptions, news of this nature had proliferated over the past two years, and any report adhering to this particular format was typically, and tacitly, assumed to denote a supernatural occurrence.

Before Bai Wanwan could further immerse herself in the details, Liu Guochang’s call interrupted her thoughts once more.

– “Good morning, Master Bai,” Liu Guochang’s voice boomed through the receiver. “Are you well-rested? I’ve traveled to Bai City overnight. My friend, having heard of my predicament, absolutely insisted I come here to introduce you to him.”

– “Last night, the circumstances were dire, and my urgency may have caused offense. My friend and I have reached an agreement: should you resolve the issue, he is prepared to offer one million!”

– “If you are amenable, we can arrange to pick you up immediately. What do you say?”