NTNH Chapter 6: Elevator Rescue┃Ghosts on the Run

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   [Anti-Balding Alliance Chat Group:

Zhang Qingqing: Link: Local News—Several Cars in Gujing District Suddenly Lost Control, Nearly Hitting Pedestrians, Fortunately Avoiding Major Accidents]

   [Zhang Qingqing: You guys, check out this news! It happened right next to where I’m interning. I was just arriving near the company this morning when I saw it—scared me to death!]

   [Zhu Yan: Shocked.jpg. Is everyone okay?]

   [Zhang Qingqing: Yeah, everyone’s fine, just a big scare.]

   [Classmate A: Multiple cars losing control at the same time? That’s so weird.]

   [Hou Guangzong: No way, I’m actually at Qingqing’s company right now. Good thing I didn’t run into it.]

   [Zhang Qingqing: Huh? What are you doing at our company?]

   [Hou Guangzong: Haha, nothing much. I came with the project manager to discuss a collaboration with your company today. Didn’t expect to run into this.]

   [Hou Guangzong: @Zhang Qingqing, I should be done by noon. Want to grab lunch together?]

   [Classmate A: Wow, Guangzong, already negotiating deals during your internship?]

   [Hou Guangzong: It’s not that big of a deal. The company trusts me, but this time I’m working with a senior exec from Qingqing’s company—great learning experience.]

   [Hou Guangzong: Selfie.jpg. This is my outfit today. First time meeting a client, can’t embarrass the company.]

   [Classmate A: So jealous…]

Then, Hou Guangzong brought up Yu Zhengdu again:

   [Hou Guangzong: @Yu Zhengdu, are you really not coming to Xin Xing? I looked up the company you’re working for—it’s kind of small. Feels like a waste of your talent.]

   [Hou Guangzong: Look, I’m just an intern at Xin Xing, and I already get to negotiate with execs from a top firm. I really think you shouldn’t waste your time in a small company.]

...

Yu Zhengdu had just arrived at work. He hadn't even started yet and was casually eating breakfast while scrolling through WeChat. Ignoring Hou Guangzong’s comments, he clicked on the news link Zhang Qingqing shared:

   [@Local News: This morning during rush hour, several cars in Gujing District suddenly lost control, accelerating on their own and veering off their lanes, nearly causing accidents. Fortunately, after a brief moment of chaos, they returned to normal. The affected drivers claimed they had no idea what happened. Initial inspections show no mechanical issues with the vehicles, and the cause of the incident is still under investigation. [Video]]

Yu Zhengdu had only read half of the article when he heard Lu Lingxi call out to two coworkers:

Lu Lingxi: “Qu Lü, Chen Yangli, you two go on a field assignment with the boss.”

Yu Zhengdu raised an eyebrow. “Our company does fieldwork?”

Lu Lingxi glanced at him. “A ghost at the Gujing reincarnation point refused to reincarnate and broke out with a few others. They took control of several drivers while they were driving, almost causing a major accident. We need to go handle it.”

Yu Zhengdu: “…”

He looked at Lu Lingxi, then back at his phone’s news article, nearly choking on his breakfast.

Swallowing the last bite of his bread, he asked, “Is this the same incident reported on Local News?”

Just then, Shang Que walked out. He nodded slightly and said, “Yes. The impact this time is significant, so I’m handling it personally.”

Chen Yangli groaned, “But we still don’t know where the ghosts fled to. Finding them is going to be a pain.”

Qu Lü also looked annoyed. “Ugh, this means overtime again. So frustrating!”

Yu Zhengdu was about to say something when his phone’s WeChat screen started blowing up with notifications:

   [Zhang Qingqing: Oh my god, what is going on today?! The elevator in our company just malfunctioned—it’s stuck between the 17th and 18th floors!]

   [Zhu Yan: No way?!]

   [Zhang Qingqing: It’s so bad, there are like dozens of people trapped inside. The maintenance team has been trying to fix it for ages but can’t find the problem.]

   [Classmate A: That’s terrifying. If I were stuck inside, I’d probably have a heart attack.]

   [Zhang Qingqing: They’ve called the fire department. Looks like they’ll have to force the doors open.]

   [Classmate B: That’s dangerous, isn’t it?]

   [Zhang Qingqing: Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.]

   [Classmate A: ?? What’s happening?]

   [Zhang Qingqing: GUANGZONG IS ONE OF THE PEOPLE TRAPPED IN THAT ELEVATOR.]

   [Zhu Yan: Pfft—]

   [Zhang Qingqing: His company’s people just happened to take that elevator, so they’re all stuck together. Awkward.]

...

Yu Zhengdu read through the chat, thought about the location of the top firm, and cross-referenced it with the news report. A thought flashed through his mind, and he turned to Shang Que.

“Boss, I think I know where those runaway ghosts are.”

He stated his speculation. Shang Que thought for a moment and then said, "Chen Yangli and Qu Lü, go ahead and check the ancient well reincarnation point."

Then he turned to Yu Zhengdu and said, "You and I will go to the Twin Horn Building."

Yu Zhengdu rubbed his hands together expectantly. "How are we getting there? Flying? Burrowing underground? Or just closing our eyes and appearing there?"

Shang Que stood up, elegantly smoothing out his robe. "We'll take a taxi."

Yu Zhengdu: "…"

The Poverty Division really lives up to its name. Not only is there no supernatural element in their travel arrangements, but even the dignified boss of the underworld doesn’t have his own vehicle…

Twin Horn Technology was a long-established gaming company in Floating City, widely respected in the industry and referred to as "Bull Factory." It owned an independent building in the Ancient Well District of Floating City. When Yu Zhengdu and Shang Que arrived at the Twin Horn Building, there were already two fire trucks parked outside. Several firefighters in uniform were unloading equipment, while a crowd of onlookers gathered nearby.

Shang Que stopped in front of the building, glanced at its glass exterior, and his deep, unreadable eyes darkened. He said, "Hmm, there are a few ghosts in this building."

He then looked at the firefighters moving around. "They won’t be able to open the elevator on their own."

Due to the elevator malfunction, the Twin Horn Building had suspended entry for unregistered visitors and tightened access control for those entering and exiting.

Yu Zhengdu looked at Shang Que again and said, "Come on, Boss, use your illusion techniques to sneak us in."

Shang Que gave him a sidelong glance. "We are ghosts from a legitimate company. When operating in the human world, we follow human laws. Have your friend come out and get us."

Yu Zhengdu: "…Tsk."

When Zhang Qingqing saw him, she looked puzzled. "Why are you at our company?"

Yu Zhengdu clutched his chest dramatically. "I heard that Guangzong was trapped in the elevator, and I was so worried that I rushed over to check on him."

Zhang Qingqing was instantly touched. "I never expected you and Guangzong to be so close!"

Yu Zhengdu wore a sincere expression. "We’re classmates, after all."

Zhang Qingqing was moved by this genuine friendship. "True friendship shines in times of trouble. I’m sure Guangzong will be deeply touched…"

She was halfway through her sentence when she suddenly noticed Shang Que standing beside him. Her eyes lit up as she asked, "Is this your friend?"

Yu Zhengdu blinked and said, "This is my boss. When he heard that my classmate was trapped in the elevator, he was so anxious that he immediately brought me here."

Zhang Qingqing was once again touched by human kindness and sighed, "Your boss is such a good person."

Yu Zhengdu nodded but said nothing.

Zhang Qingqing said, "Come with me, then. Right now, the 17th and 18th floors are full of firefighters, and the scene is quite chaotic. Just observe from the side and don’t interfere."

She led Yu Zhengdu and Shang Que into the company. Since the elevator exits on the 17th and 18th floors were sealed off for the rescue operation, they had to take a different stairway to the 16th floor and then climb two more flights to reach the 18th floor.

Sure enough, at the 18th-floor elevator entrance, a crowd of Twin Horn Technology employees and firefighters had gathered. A firefighter, seemingly the team captain, was arguing heatedly with the building’s maintenance head over the rescue plan. The argument was so intense that they were nearly coming to blows.

Several others stood by the elevator door, knocking on it and attempting to communicate with those trapped inside.

Meanwhile, other employees paced around anxiously, worry written all over their faces.

"Whoa, that’s our big boss over there," Zhang Qingqing whispered to Yu Zhengdu, pointing at a middle-aged man wearing a modified Zhongshan suit. "I’ve been an intern here for so long, but I’ve only ever seen him on the company website. I can’t believe this incident brought him out in person."

She then gave her own explanation. "But I guess it makes sense. They’ve been trapped for over an hour, and there are several important business partners inside. The maintenance team insists that they conduct routine inspections every month and haven’t found any faults. It’s really bizarre…"

Yu Zhengdu glanced at Shang Que and silently asked with his eyes: What should we do?

Shang Que once again failed to decode his expression and asked, "What?"

Yu Zhengdu: "…What’s the plan?"

Hearing this, Zhang Qingqing turned to reassure him, "Don’t worry, they’re just temporarily trapped. Guangzong will be fine!"

Yu Zhengdu nodded calmly. "Yeah, I believe Guangzong will hold on."

At that moment, he suddenly felt his hand being grabbed.

He looked down and saw Shang Que holding his palm, their hands pressed together. Shang Que said softly, "Do you want to give it a try?"

"What?" Yu Zhengdu asked in confusion. At the same time, an odd warmth began to flow into his palm from their joined hands.

Yu Zhengdu thought to himself: The boss really does have some supernatural abilities.

The hand-holding lasted only a short moment before Shang Que let go. He said, "Go press the elevator button. The door will open."

Yu Zhengdu looked at him in disbelief. "Seriously?"

Shang Que only smiled at him.

Meanwhile, Zhang Qingqing’s ears perked up. She immediately tried to stop him. "Wait! I told you to just observe! You can’t interfere!"

But she was too late—Yu Zhengdu had already stepped forward. Shang Que turned back to glance at her and chuckled softly before following.

Zhang Qingqing stomped her foot in frustration. "Why are you like this? No matter how anxious you are, you should listen to the professionals! This is reckless!"

At the same time, the firefighters and other staff noticed Yu Zhengdu. One firefighter stepped forward to stop him. "Sir, this area is dangerous. Please step back and do not approach."

Yu Zhengdu said, "The elevator doesn’t look broken. Let me try pressing the button."

The firefighter, now irritated, said, "We are in the middle of a rescue operation. Please do not interfere."

Their dispute caught the attention of others. The middle-aged man in the Zhongshan suit, whom Zhang Qingqing had identified as the company boss, frowned and asked, "What’s going on?"

The firefighter turned around and responded to the boss, "What's going on with your company? We’ve already said this area is sealed off, yet you’re still letting random people in to cause trouble—"

Before he could finish speaking, another staff member suddenly shouted, "What are you doing!?"

The firefighter turned his head quickly and saw that Yu Zhengdu had taken advantage of the distraction to dart toward the elevator.

Enraged, the firefighter was about to rush over and push him away when, out of nowhere, his shoulder stiffened, rendering him momentarily immobile. Startled, he turned his head and saw a handsome young man watching him with an enigmatic smile.

A sense of confusion flickered through the firefighter’s mind. In that brief moment of hesitation, Yu Zhengdu seized the opportunity and pressed the elevator’s up button.

Everyone at the scene collectively gasped. The man in the Zhongshan suit shouted angrily, "Who is this guy? Why haven’t you taken him away yet?!"

Before his voice even faded, the elevator— which had been unresponsive for so long, with no apparent cause for its malfunction— suddenly chimed with a crisp ding and began operating again.

____

Author’s note:

Firefighters: Scratches head ( _ _ )

Yu Zhengdu: Successfully captured a big boss 🎉

T/N: Please give support on my ko-fi page, thank you🍁🍁🍁