Chapter 7 Magical Girl Clashes with a Ghost
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After two-thirds of the world’s population got forcefully pulled into the two-dimensional world, Lin Zhaohe also dreamt of joining the big family of the two-dimensional realm someday.
To him, the two-dimensional world symbolized various protagonist stories and paths to happiness—at least for most works.
However, when his dream eventually came true, Lin Zhaohe realized the stark disparity between dreams and reality. While others started as leading characters on exciting adventures, he ended up being the least popular Yellow Banana Girl on a children’s channel. Even though he became a magical girl, his role got cut.
Lin Zhaohe felt hopeless, even in his dreams, hearing Fu Li’s soft voice saying, “Remember how to transform, just press your chest and shout ‘Yellow Banana Girl transform’… then you can save the world.”
Then Fu Li’s face transformed into a gentle smile from Zhuang Lao, and that smile grew brighter and brighter. Lin Zhaohe felt his heart filling up, as if something was about to overflow. However, before the overwhelming emotions could be released, his face abruptly turned into a black hole, and Lin Zhaohe heard a scream of despair—he woke up instantly, touching his face and neck covered in cold sweat.
“Am I dreaming?” Lin Zhaohe murmured as he lay in bed, his mind muddled. “What’s that noise…” He glanced towards the window, only to find the sky, which should have been bright by now, engulfed in darkness. Even the streetlights were nowhere to be seen.
He grabbed his phone and checked the time, realizing it was already seven in the morning.
“It’s seven o’clock,” Lin Zhaohe muttered to himself as he slowly sat up in bed. “Why isn’t it daylight yet?”
Not only was it still dark outside, but the whole world was eerily quiet, frozen in time. Just as Lin Zhaohe was about to rise, a sudden chill ran through his forehead. He felt something wet dripping onto it. He reached out and touched it, encountering a sticky dampness. Then, he slowly raised his gaze—there, clinging to the ceiling, he spotted something with a long, pale neck extending right in front of him.
His heart pounded violently, fear snapping Lin Zhaohe back to full consciousness. He gasped for air, struggling to distinguish whether he remained trapped in a dream or if he had truly awakened.
Sensing something dripping onto his forehead once again, Lin Zhaohe’s expression froze in an instant.
If he were a normal person, he might have instinctively looked up to see what it was. But Lin Zhaohe resisted that natural urge, showing his strong will. Instead, he got up and fled without raising his head. Only when he reached the doorway did he cautiously tilt his head back to peer inside the room and muttered, “What in the world is going on?”
There was nothing in the room except for the ceiling, which dripped water. Lin Zhaohe took a quick glance and angrily exclaimed, “What are they doing upstairs?”
The only reply he received was a profound silence.
Moonlight spilled through the window, casting a gentle glow on the floor. Lin Zhaohe felt a sense of disharmony with the world around him. He noticed the water stains on the ceiling steadily accumulating, forming a growing pool. Eventually, they coalesced into a dark, human-like figure. Something writhed within the shadows, as if struggling to forcefully emerge. Lin Zhaohe’s body became as stiff as a sculpture, immobilized and unable to move. Helplessly, he could only watch as a colossal presence broke free from the shadows, obscuring the moonlight that streamed through the window…
In the next moment, Lin Zhaohe jolted awake from his sleep, his heart pounding with fear. He raised his head and saw the strange water stains above.
Fortunately, daylight had already flooded through the window. Without daring to linger, Lin Zhaohe swiftly left the room, practically scrambling away.
“Darn it, darn it, darn it. What a stroke of bad luck,” Lin Zhaohe muttered, standing in the hallway without even washing his face. He couldn’t bear to go back inside, so he sported a disheveled hairstyle and donned his pajamas, hopping onto an electric scooter and heading towards the office.
Throughout the journey, he grumbled and complained like a disturbed madman, causing pedestrians to step aside, fearful that he might be some eccentric protagonist from a novel.
When the receptionist, Xiao Ci, caught sight of Lin Zhaohe in such a state, she exclaimed in astonishment, “Brother Lin, what happened to you?”
Lin Zhaohe, looking dispirited and disheveled, replied, “Don’t ask, I encountered a ghost.”
Xiao Ci: “Figuratively or literally?”
Lin Zhaohe: “Literally.”
Xiao Ci wore an expression as if to say, “If it’s about that, then I’m wide awake now.” She questioned, “How did you encounter a ghost? Weren’t you meeting Yuan Liang and Fu Li yesterday?”
Lin Zhaohe: “You still remember their names.”
Xiao Ci grinned foolishly. “Of course I remember. I’m a fan of their relationship. By the way, did they face any danger?” Otherwise, why would they come back to the insurance company?
Lin Zhaohe recalled Fu Li’s repeated advice. “Hmm… Fu Li cheated.”
Xiao Ci: “?”
Lin Zhaohe: “What’s the matter with you?”
Xiao Ci: “Who cheated?”
Lin Zhaohe: “Fu Li. What’s wrong?”
Xiao Ci: “Aaaaahhhhh!!!”
The shrill scream pierced through Lin Zhaohe’s ears. He had never expected that this soft-spoken girl could produce such a terrifying sound. Even during the end of the world, Xiao Ci’s reaction wouldn’t be as extreme. She wailed, “The CP I support—it’s over—”
Lin Zhaohe: “…” How could she be more terrifying than a ghost?
Lin Zhaohe didn’t dare to continue the conversation and quickly turned away, making his escape. He found a dressing room and changed out of his teddy bear pajamas. Just as he finished changing, he bumped into Zhuang Lao at the doorway. Their eyes locked, and memories from the previous day flooded his mind, diluting the fear brought by Xiao Ci.
“Boss, good morning,” Lin Zhaohe greeted Zhuang Lao, feigning normalcy.
Zhuang Lao: “Did you have a restless night?”
Lin Zhaohe: “Had a terrible dream…”
Zhuang Lao: “What did you dream about?”
Lin Zhaohe briefly described his dream, and Zhuang Lao pondered for a moment before suggesting, “You should ask Qi Ming. He’s an expert in horror films and might have watched the movie you mentioned.”
Grateful, Lin Zhaohe nodded. In such situations, finding the original work was the best solution; otherwise, dealing with those disturbing elements would be difficult. Qi Ming was their company’s specialist in this area, and it was said that there wasn’t a ghostly plot he didn’t know after joining the company.
After their conversation, Lin Zhaohe politely said, “Boss, I’ll take my leave.”
Zhuang Lao: “Go ahead, Yellow Banana.”
A radiant smile froze on Lin Zhaohe’s face. “…”
Zhuang Lao smiled and went to the restroom.
The fear in Lin Zhaohe’s heart was somewhat alleviated by the mention of “Yellow Banana”, and his fatigued toes couldn’t even scrape the floor.
In this bustling two-dimensional world, the company’s business was surprisingly thriving, and everyone was diligently engaged in their work. Lin Zhaohe roamed around the company and eventually dug up Qi Ming, who was huddled up in a corner, appearing lost in his own world. Qi Ming was a veteran employee who had been with the company for many years—still alive and not resigned.
“Qi Ming,” Lin Zhaohe called out to him.
Qi Ming raised his head, his face pale and devoid of any color, including his lips. Initially, one might mistake him for a freshly risen zombie emerging from a graveyard. Fortunately, his zombie-like face was rather good-looking, lest it truly terrify people.
“What’s up?” Qi Ming said sluggishly.
“I’ve run into something,” Lin Zhaohe said, “Can I seek your advice?”
Qi Ming glanced at his watch, “300 yuan per hour, payment by scanning or cash?”
Lin Zhaohe’s heart pained, “Could you make it a bit cheaper?”
Qi Ming replied, “20% discount for female clients.”
Lin Zhaohe remained silent for three seconds, then shamelessly said, “Actually, I’m a magical girl.”
Qi Ming: “?”
“I’m serious, would you like to see my transformation?” Lin Zhaohe believed it was worth saving those 60 yuan.
Qi Ming gazed at Lin Zhaohe for a moment, hoping to detect a hint of joking in his expression. However, Lin Zhaohe’s sincerity was too apparent, as if he genuinely conveyed, “If you don’t believe me, I’ll transform right here and now—”
Suddenly, Qi Ming shivered, as if a thought struck him. He gestured for Lin Zhaohe to stop and said, “No need, I’ll give you a 20% discount. Go ahead, what’s the matter?”
Lin Zhaohe swiftly recounted the events from yesterday.
Qi Ming listened attentively, contemplating for a while, and said, “The information you provided is too scarce, making it difficult to ascertain. Currently, the only known details are a leaking ceiling and having nightmares— but numerous horror movies feature these elements. We need more specific details to narrow down the possibilities.” He looked at Lin Zhaohe and suggested, “Why don’t you try moving to a new place? Generally, after people move houses, nothing significant happens.”
In most horror movies, the main characters encounter trouble when they are confined to specific locations. However, in this world, there are plenty of vacant houses, so one can simply find a clean place to move into and be done with it.
Lin Zhaohe felt a pang of sadness. While Qi Ming’s words made sense, his current dwelling held significant meaning for him. Unless absolutely necessary, he preferred not to relocate.
Observing Lin Zhaohe’s hesitance, Qi Ming patted his shoulder reassuringly and said, “Houses can be found, but life is precious.”
“Alright,” Lin Zhaohe sighed, accepting that this was the only feasible course of action.
After seeking advice on his own concerns, he glanced at the neatly arranged stack of documents on Qi Ming’s desk and inquired, “What have you been occupied with recently?”
Qi Ming spoke deliberately, uttering each word with care, “Dealing with a troublesome client named Zhang Xiaoxiao. That’s been keeping me busy.”
Zhang Xiaoxiao, the unlucky newcomer assigned to horror films upon joining the company, elicited a concerned gasp from Lin Zhaohe. “Is he alright?”
Qi Ming replied, “He’s fine.” He paused briefly, then unexpectedly lifted his gaze to meet Lin Zhaohe’s eyes. “Do you happen to enjoy watching domestic horror films?”
“I don’t like it,” Lin Zhaohe replied honestly. “It’s quite dull.”
Qi Ming’s eyes sparkled. “Why do you find it dull?”
Lin Zhaohe explained, “Aren’t those films filled with lunatics? Where do ghosts even come from? Everyone knows that people can’t be possessed after the country was founded.”
Qi Ming, who had been slumping against the cushion, immediately sat up straight. “You have a point. Have you seen ‘Mysterious Grudge’?”
“What grudge?” Lin Zhaohe admitted he had never heard of it.
Qi Ming clapped his hands and exclaimed, “Perfect!” This film was incredibly famous, almost reaching a national level. He had asked everyone around him about it, even those who hadn’t seen the original film but had watched the trailer. He never expected that Lin Zhaohe, known throughout the company for his eccentricity, hadn’t watched it! It was a stroke of luck, effortlessly acquired. With Lin Zhaohe’s renowned quirkiness, he was the ideal candidate!
Lin Zhaohe expressed his confusion, “Why are you asking about this?”
A smile blossomed on Qi Ming’s calm face, “Saving a life is worth more than building a seven-storey pagoda…”
Lin Zhaohe remained vigilant, “Lives in the 2D world don’t count as real lives.”
Qi Ming smiled and asked, “What about Zhang Xiaoxiao’s life?”
Lin Zhaohe fell silent, contemplating the question.
Qi Ming: “He has a seventy-year-old mother and a three-year-old son.”
Lin Zhaohe: “???”
Qi Ming: “His wife is three months pregnant with their second child, and he is disabled!”
Lin Zhaohe: “…What is it that you want to discuss?”
Qi Ming: “Let’s go together to the ghost film that Zhang Xiaoxiao is working on.”
Lin Zhaohe was at a loss for words, unsure of how to refuse. After a brief silence, he managed to inquire, “What kind of disability does he have?”
Qi Ming: “He had one of his testicles surgically removed.”
Lin Zhaohe: “…” Fck.
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