Chapter 69: The Character "Dian"
"Republic Street…"
"So it really is it!"
As everyone read through the mission details, Yu Guo suddenly turned off his livestream and looked toward Ji Li, who still had his eyes closed.
The action immediately drew everyone's attention.
Chang Nian, standing at the corner of the round table, frowned at Yu Guo's slightly surprised expression and asked, "What? You know something?"
Yu Guo pressed his lips shut and, seeing Ji Li remain silent, didn't answer. His attitude ultimately shifted everyone's focus to Ji Li.
Ji Li, meanwhile, felt a subtle unease. Though he had anticipated this, he hadn't expected the confirmation to be so precise. From experience, any ghost that made prior contact with the staff was usually extremely troublesome.
Slowly, Ji Li opened his eyes, grabbed a cigarette from the table, lit it, and spoke softly:
"Three days ago, Yu Guo and I were walking outside, passing through the newly built Republic Street in the southern district.
From that point, a ghost began following us, trailing all the way to the hotel entrance. Once it entered the moat, it disappeared."
Ji Li had chosen not to mention the events at Tiannan Drama Academy. In his view, knowing about such a powerful ghost in advance wasn't necessarily beneficial. The upcoming mission was crucial for promotion, and he was exercising extreme caution.
"Walking?" Chang Nian scoffed. "You two grown men, wandering that far at midnight?"
"Republic Street…"
Tongguan lowered his gaze, thought for a moment, and then took out his phone to search for the location.
"Republic Street is on the eastern side of the southern district, near the edge of Bai'e Flower Avenue. It's a standalone long street, open as a tourist attraction.
It was just completed recently, with few visitors, let alone any paranormal incidents. The hotel choosing this location for a mission can't be simple."
Fang Shenyan, on the other side, lazily exhaled smoke and yawned:
"Since the ghost appeared early again, this mission will likely be tougher than the last. You analyze, I'll go catch a nap before midnight."
With that, he turned and left without hesitation. His sleep had been poor lately, so the choice was reasonable.
Now, only five remained at the round table.
Tao Xiaoyi, the only newcomer, felt increasingly uneasy after hearing Tongguan and Fang Shenyan. Her unease wasn't purely fear of ghosts—it was also the seamless, tacit coordination among the senior staff that left her excluded.
Ji Li never trusted people, but he judged them accurately. Beneath Tao Xiaoyi's pretty exterior lay subtle ambition. She wanted to survive—and would do whatever it took.
Her gaze shifted gradually toward Tongguan, then, after sneaking a look at Chang Nian, finally rested on Yu Guo. Ji Li noticed this small action immediately. He had long suspected the newcomer's intentions and now saw she was skilled at reading the situation.
After a brief hesitation, Ji Li spoke before Tao Xiaoyi could:
"Yu Guo, come with me to inspect the ghosts on the second floor. A survival-type mission—there's nothing to analyze here."
The statement sent Yu Guo away while remaining true. Survival missions were usually short and simple. If they couldn't gather information on Republic Street online, they would have to investigate during the mission itself.
Yu Guo hesitated for a moment, then got up and followed Ji Li to the second floor.
With their departure, the hall immediately lost half its energy. The remaining three—Ji Li, Fang Shenyan, and Tongguan—were naturally quiet.
Tongguan waved his hand and lit a cigarette: "Good, everyone's gone. The air feels fresh."
Chang Nian glared at him impatiently. "Why are you smoking again?"
"I haven't smoked for half an hour. Isn't this enough?"
"Not enough? Didn't you say before you smoke a pack and a half a day? Look at you now…"
Tongguan and Chang Nian were accustomed to bickering, and everyone else was used to it. For the newcomer Tao Xiaoyi, however, it made her eyes light up. She could tell Chang Nian was Tongguan's partner, and in the heated atmosphere, she mistakenly thought she might get closer to Tongguan.
Amid their bickering, Tao Xiaoyi suddenly spoke up: "Sister Chang, Big Brother Tang is under so much pressure. Let him smoke—if he overworks himself, it won't end well."
She even deliberately used a coquettish tone. Tongguan's eye twitched sharply at her words, feeling an almost greasy discomfort.
Chang Nian looked at Tao Xiaoyi in surprise. "Oh… so you're a green tea type!"
She rose abruptly from her chair and said irritably, "Then take good care of 'Big Brother Tang' yourself."
Gradually, fewer people remained in the hall.
Tao Xiaoyi finally seized the chance to move closer to Tongguan, speaking in a delicate tone: "Big Brother Tang, don't be angry at Sister Chang. She's mad at me, not you…"
Before she could finish, Tongguan waved his hand in irritation and walked away, leaving only a single word: "Moron."
...
Time passed as everyone rested. The six staff members, fully prepared, stood at the hotel entrance.
Ji Li checked watches with the others and spoke quietly:
"This is our critical task to promote the hotel to two stars. We can't afford to fail."
Everyone understood the importance of the mission, including the newcomer Tao Xiaoyi.
With one hour until midnight, the six staff members split into two cars, leaving the hotel for Republic Street.
Fang Shenyan still felt drowsy despite having napped all afternoon.
"I suspect this tattoo might be draining my mental energy," he muttered.
Yu Guo had already started his livestream and, hearing Fang Shenyan's words, even showed his hand tattoo on camera.
Ji Li adjusted the collar of his coat, put on gloves, and focused intently on the road ahead.
"No matter what, we must complete this mission."
For Ji Li, the higher the hotel's rating, the closer he would get to uncovering the truth about the hotel and himself. Currently, he still had very few pieces of the puzzle.
Republic Street was a forty-minute drive away.
The trip was uneventful, and Ji Li's nerves remained taut. He knew the smooth journey was due to task protection and began anticipating how the mission would unfold.
A row of iconic red lanterns came into view, densely packed, signaling the approach of the mission site.
The wind stirred the old-fashioned lanterns, their candlelight flickering pale. Upon closer inspection, each red lantern bore a paper-cut that shouldn't have been there.
It was a single, strange, and deeply symbolic Chinese character:
'奠' (Funeral).
You can read Eerie Overseer ahead by 50+ chapters ad-free and for free at htt ps://ravenarchives. com/book/eerie-overseer]. Bulk uploads are a bit tricky, so updates here might be irregular, but they'll keep coming.