Chapter 6: Renovation

“Holy crap! Is this for real? How do I get those… points?” Lü Yang instinctively blurted out.

“Eerie Points. You gain Eerie Points by completing Tasks. Regular Tasks are divided into Red Text Missions, Orange Text Missions, Yellow Text Missions, Green Text Missions, Cyan Text Missions, Blue Text Missions, and Purple Text Missions. Tasks are assigned randomly. Finishing missions of varying difficulties rewards different amounts of Eerie Points. Special Tasks are marked with distinctive font colors. Additionally, being forcibly sent into a Mysterious Domain by The System or completing relevant Main Quests and Side Quests also awards Eerie Points… More details can be found under ‘Mysterious Domain Info’…” As if understanding Lü Yang, the computer immediately displayed a long message.

Lü Yang stared blankly at the Apple IPAD2 in his hands like he’d seen a ghost. How did this tablet know Yi Yi’s name? His own name? And it understood human speech!

What the hell! Is this even an Apple IPAD2?

He rubbed his face and flung the iPad onto the sofa, cursing inwardly… Who was playing such a sick joke? Creating something like this? Erasing a living person right out of existence?

Screw this! Like hell I’ll believe it!

But recalling how Yi Ya had claimed not to have a sister, Lin Yin saying she’d grown up with Yi Ya and never seen any sister… cold sweat broke out across Lü Yang’s back again.

Could this all be… real?

Just as Lü Yang’s thoughts spun wildly, his phone rang. Sister Mei, his landlord. Startled out of his intense focus, he quickly grabbed it and answered.

“Xiao Lü, when are you coming by? We agreed yesterday to order the sand truck early today, right? Don’t want it dragging late like last time.” Sister Mei was clearly referring to the renovation of her two-story Duplex Apartment in Qingyuan Residential Area.

“Be there after I eat. Half an hour.” Lü Yang gave a brief reply and hung up.

Sister Mei’s real name was Mei Jing. Yi Yi used to jokingly call her ‘Mei Jin’—‘No Energy’—behind her back. Lü Yang disagreed, arguing Sister Mei looked lively and wasn’t the ‘no energy’ type. Plus, without her husband around after two years of ‘dry spell’, she’d be plenty ‘energetic’ if anyone got her into bed.

For that remark, Yi Yi had smacked Lü Yang’s head several times.

Sister Mei was a widow, unemployed, with fair, lovely features. She still had a full figure—full breasts, slim waist, ample hips—drawing plenty of glances when she walked. Clearly a beauty in her youth. Of course, Mei Jing wasn’t old yet, still under thirty. For a twenty-year-old guy like Lü Yang, seeing a woman like her naturally led to some wandering thoughts.

Occasionally, when his hormones raged, he’d picture her in his mind and rub himself vigorously. More than once.

In reality though, Lü Yang never showed her any disrespect. Because Sister Mei was proper and honorable, having stayed faithful to her dead husband for two years. He admired that deeply, believing no more loyal woman like her existed in the world.

Sister Mei’s husband had died in a car accident two years prior, leaving her four properties. She lived in one, rented out two, but the fourth—an over two-hundred-square-meter bare Duplex Apartment—sat empty. Too big, too costly to furnish.

Lü Yang happened to rent from her. Over time, they became familiar. He was helpful and handy. The last time her lived-in apartment had a leaking bathroom, causing trouble with the downstairs neighbor, repairmen quoted five thousand or more—cheapest offer three grand.

With her husband gone, no income besides rent, plus paying her own medical insurance, Sister Mei didn’t splurge. Lü Yang happened to be free then. Armed with tools, he fixed it himself, only costing her a few hundred bucks in materials. Didn’t charge for labor.

It paid off too. Rents later spiked in the area, but Sister Mei didn’t raise his. Labor cost returned. Since then, she treated him differently, warmer. Sometimes brought over stewed pork rib soup in a pot for him and Yi Yi.

The unrenovated Duplex couldn’t be rented. Decorators demanded ten or twenty thousand easily. Rag-tag crews? Untrustworthy. Often pricey too. So it stayed empty, while she paid several hundred monthly property fees.

She’d saved a bit of cash lately and decided to do a basic refurb: water, electricity, solar water heater. Throw in secondhand furniture and rent it out. That way, property fees would be covered, plus bring steady monthly income. Secure her life from then on.

Remembering his bathroom fix, she asked Lü Yang if he was free to look things over. Maybe do the job if the budget fit.

Out of sympathy for her situation, Lü Yang planned an extremely simple, bare-bones renovation—functional only, priced at rock bottom labor costs. He’d still do solid work, ensuring it lasted seven or eight years at least.

Untrained in specifics, her trust in his character led her to hand him full control. She still joined him daily to buy supplies and watched him work onsite—part supervision, maybe wanting to help.

He truly didn’t need it. Her helping only hindered. Last time she insisted, he let her cut wires. She only managed painful blisters on her fingers… and wires he mostly couldn’t use.

…

As he prepared to leave, Lü Yang hesitated, then turned back, stuffing the Apple IPAD2 into his bag before heading out.

How to get Yi Yi back? Take this Eerie Computer to the Public Security Bureau? Report her disappearance?

And if… that angered it? What if she got completely Erased?

He couldn’t decide. Better first help Sister Mei confirm that river sand truck… then slowly figure out this mess.

After grabbing a quick meal outside, Lü Yang met Sister Mei at their spot. They went to a building material shop near Qingyuan Residential Area, haggling with the boss selling cement and sand. One truck of river sand today, plus a few bags of cement.

With Lü Yang’s tough bargaining, three tons of river sand went for two hundred yuan. The boss declined delivery, calling a Porter over for Sister Mei to negotiate fees.

In Guishe City, physical laborers like this were traditionally called Porters. During his hard times, Lü Yang had been one too.