Forging City.
When Yu Duanhong walked out of the police station, the sky was already completely dark.
In the distance, the factory lights remained lit, and giant billboards flashed with neon.
He pulled his head into his shoulders, tugging his hoodie lower even though there was no wind.
His mind was a bit dazed after giving his statement; the voices of the police officers still seemed to ring in his ears.
“When was the last time you saw the resident of 307 next door?”
“Did you hear any unusual noises?”
“What was your relationship like?”
Relationship? What relationship could there be?
The Hive Apartments where he lived were on the edge of the old industrial district of Forging City. The walls were as thin as paper; a single cough could be heard clearly next door.
But the people living there were mostly like deep-sea fish, keeping a wary, safe distance from one another.
Yu Duanhong knew that 307 was occupied by a man around his age. He’d occasionally run into him in the hallway, and a brief meeting of eyes was as much of a greeting as they ever shared.
That was it.
But this afternoon, the local police had suddenly swarmed the Hive Apartments, cordoning off the area with yellow tape.
Only then did he learn that a murder had occurred in the building.
The resident of 307 was dead. An unnatural death.
The police hadn't breathed a word about exactly how "unnatural" it was.
Following standard procedure, Yu Duanhong had been taken to the station for questioning and to give a statement.
The process had dragged on until late into the night.
Now, he was walking home along his usual route.
Very few people used this road at night. The streetlights were spaced far apart, some flickering, some dead, their dim yellow glow barely illuminating the sidewalk beneath his feet.
On the roadside were shops that had long since closed down, their rolling shutters rusted and mottled. The lampposts were covered in small, plastered advertisements.
Yu Duanhong was internally complaining about wasting an entire afternoon.
Suddenly, the hair on the back of his neck stood up.
For some reason, he felt as if he were being watched.
He stopped in his tracks and looked back.
The street behind him was empty, save for his own shadow stretched long by the streetlight.
At a distant intersection, the taillights of a night bus faded away, the engine noise quickly swallowed by the night.
Was it just his imagination?
Yu Duanhong frowned and quickened his pace.
Perhaps the police questioning had made him jittery, and he was just scaring himself.
After turning right at the next intersection, he should be able to see the dilapidated Hive Apartments building.
He made the turn.
His footsteps gradually slowed to a halt.
The scene before him was familiar. So familiar it made his heart go cold.
It was the same street. The closed shops, the dim yellow streetlights, the cracked sidewalk bricks.
He even saw the pile of dog s**t he'd almost stepped on earlier, still steaming.
Had he... walked back?
No, that was impossible.
He had walked this path hundreds of times; he could do it with his eyes closed.
He must have been distracted and taken the wrong turn!
Yes, that had to be it.
The layout of these old streets was all very similar; it was easy to get confused.
He took a deep breath, lying to himself. He headed in what he remembered was the correct direction again, almost breaking into a jog. His footsteps sounded exceptionally clear on the empty street.
The tap-tap-tap of his shoes echoed repeatedly.
He reached the intersection and turned right.
It was still the same street.
That pile of dog s**t lay quietly in the same spot, as if mocking him.
His heart pounded wildly, and cold sweat broke out instantly. Yu Duanhong felt a chill run down his spine.
A Ghost Wall?
The term, which usually only appeared in the idle gossip of elders or internet horror stories, suddenly leaped into his mind.
It couldn't be. Had he encountered a supernatural incident?
He shook his head vigorously, trying to force down the chill and fear rising within him.
‘I’m lost. I’m just lost.’
‘The night is too dark, the roads look too similar, and I’m too tired.’
‘Go home. Just get home, take a hot shower, swirl a glass of red wine, and go to sleep. Everything will be back to normal tomorrow.’
Yu Duanhong held up his phone to record a video while he started running at full speed, ignoring the burning sting in his lungs and the weakness in his legs.
His eyes were glued forward, desperately searching for any detail that might be different.
The broken streetlight, the dog s**t beneath it...
It was no use.
No matter which direction he ran or how many turns he took, he always ended up back on this street, back in this seemingly infinite loop.
The video recorded on his phone proved it: he had encountered a Ghost Wall.
The dog s**t on the side of the road continued to mock him.
S**t!
I don't want to get mixed up in a supernatural incident!
When ordinary people encountered such things, even if they didn't die, they would be quarantined for a long time afterward. It was a massive disruption.
Theoretically, those in quarantine were entitled to compensation for their trouble.
But in reality, that compensation would be delayed forever. They’d stall for three to five years, and you’d never get the money out. If you asked, they’d just say it was being processed.
Until it was eventually forgotten.
Right then.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Another set of footsteps rang out clearly from not far behind him.
Unchecked and steady in rhythm.
It wasn't the echo of his own footsteps; this sound was heavier and more forceful.
Yu Duanhong’s blood seemed to freeze in that instant.
He didn't dare look back. A massive wave of terror gripped his throat, making it impossible to even scream.
He could only run, using every ounce of strength to bolt forward. His lungs felt like a leaking bellows, and he started seeing spots from the lack of oxygen.
He regretted not exercising more; his physical condition was failing him at the critical moment.
But then again, most people at the bottom of society sacrificed their health just to make a living. Who had the time or energy to exercise?
After working all day and being physically and mentally exhausted, going out to exercise and breathe in the city smog was no different from seeking death.
The footsteps behind him maintained a fixed distance.
When he sped up, the other followed suit.
When he slowed down to catch his breath, the other considerately slowed down as well, but never disappeared.
He continued to loop on this street, the footsteps following him like a shadow.
The street was eerily devoid of cars and people.
There was only him, pacing back and forth on the familiar street over and over, seeing that same pile of dog s**t again and again.
The string of his sanity finally snapped under the weight of this endless, silent pursuit.
“Aaaah!!!”
Yu Duanhong let out a loud scream and skidded to a halt. He couldn't run anymore; his spirit had collapsed.
Deciding to just let whatever happens happen, he spun around to face what was behind him.
He saw it.
Standing less than ten paces away was a person.
Long hair flowed loosely, their skin was a strange, fluorescent white, and they held a black cat in their arms.
The figure stood quietly. Seemingly sensing Yu Duanhong’s gaze, they offered a smile.
Yu Duanhong’s breath hitched.
His first feeling wasn't fear or horror, but the sensation of a sinister, divine beauty.
...
Hive Apartments, Room 306.
An energy-saving fluorescent tube on the ceiling emitted a bright white light, but the room remained somewhat dim.
This was because the room was tiny and cramped.
Fortunately, it was relatively tidy.
The atmosphere was tense as Yu Duanhong stood awkwardly in the center of the room, not knowing what to do with his hands or feet.
His gaze couldn't help but drift toward the figure occupying his computer chair.
Not long ago, he had encountered a Ghost Wall on the street and then met this mysterious long-haired man.
He didn't know how it happened, but after a few lines of dialogue and a few moments of eye contact, by the time he came to his senses, he was already like a hypnotized man, leading this stranger back to his rented room.
Thinking back now, every step felt absurd and out of his control.
At the time, his mind had been a total blank; he only remembered that the other's voice was very pleasant to hear.
Yue Shi was completely oblivious to Yu Duanhong’s awkwardness, or rather, he didn't care.
He had commandeered Yu Duanhong’s computer desk and was leaning forward, browsing the backend of Yu Duanhong’s social media accounts with great interest.
The view counts for most of the videos were dismal, but a few suggestive videos featuring furry fursuits had very high play counts.
It seemed that no matter which world it was, suggestive content was the best way to attract traffic.
How morals have declined.
The private messages in the backend were even more unspeakable; one felt like they might catch a disease just by looking at them.
“How can there be such lewd language?” Yue Shi remarked calmly.
Yu Duanhong’s face burned with shame.
The works he had stayed up late to film and edit felt incredibly embarrassing under this mysterious man's scrutiny; he felt like he could dig out a three-bedroom apartment with his toes.
The black cat jumped from Yue Shi’s arms onto the windowsill and crouched there, its eyes a suspiciously vibrant amber.
Yu Duanhong’s logic was screaming.
None of this was right.
The Ghost Wall, the strange man, the eerie black cat—any one of these elements was enough to conjure a terrifying ghost story.
The mysterious long-haired man and that black cat were likely abnormal individuals with supernatural powers.
Yu Duanhong’s phone was gripped tightly in his hand, the lock screen lit up. With just a few swipes, he could dial the police.
But his thumb hovered over the screen, unable to press down.
Was it fear?
More than that.
There was also a deeper excitement that he didn't even want to admit to himself.
Supernatural power was right within his reach. It didn't seem evil; in fact, it seemed quite friendly—at least it had led him out of the Ghost Wall.
Yu Duanhong’s heart, which had been ground into mediocrity by reality, throbbed violently.
“Tsk. A content creator—plankton struggling in the era of traffic,” Yue Shi’s voice suddenly rang out, his gaze lingering on a dismal data chart.
Yu Duanhong’s Adam's apple bobbed, but he said nothing.
“You don't want to be plankton forever.”
Yue Shi slowly turned the chair around. His face had a non-human quality under the light.
“Aside from the suggestive videos, you also film ruins, chase supernatural trends, and actively approach abnormal incidents. On the surface, it's for those pathetic clicks and tips, but in your bones, you’re yearning for that ‘different’ world, aren't you?”
Yu Duanhong wanted to argue, but his throat felt blocked.
“You’re twenty-four years old, a local of Forging City, graduated from a prestigious academy, but you can't find a job. You’ve delivered food, worked as customer service, and now you’re barely scraping by on online loans and this half-dead account.”
“Clearly, there are so many cultivation systems in this world that allow one to enjoy longevity and obtain great power, but you can only watch as others possess them.”
“You passed the rigorous testing back then and had the chance to go to an academy to cultivate, but someone stole your spot halfway through...”
“Are you... willing to accept that?”
Yu Duanhong’s face went deathly pale.
Yue Shi gave a light chuckle. “You can only be a short-lived ordinary human, struggling at the bottom of society, watching those true and false supernatural incidents online, watching the person who took your spot flourish in the academy, while that bit of resentment in your heart grows like weeds—burning but never dying.”
“Stop talking!” Yu Duanhong covered his ears.
Yue Shi stood up. He was very tall. He walked closer slowly, looking down at Yu Duanhong.
“Until today, when that unlucky fellow next door died. You were summoned to the police station to give a statement, and then you left.”
“On the way home, you encountered a Ghost Wall. You were afraid, and you ran. But did you notice? In your moment of greatest terror, besides fear, was there also a trace of excitement?”
“Because you finally encountered it. You encountered the other side of this world, even if it appeared in a terrifying form.”
Yu Duanhong clenched his fists.
Yue Shi pressed further.
“Now, look into my eyes and answer me. Do you want to call the police and have me taken away?”
“Perhaps you could even get a reward for the tip-off. Then everything goes back to the way it was. You continue filming your videos that no one watches, crawling through the mud at the bottom of society, watching others live forever and command the wind and rain, until you grow old and die of disease, or die inexplicably like your neighbor.”
Yu Duanhong was shaking all over. His dark, hidden desires had been laid bare.
Yue Shi reached out and took Yu Duanhong’s phone.
“Everything you crave can be given to you.”
“Power, wealth, longevity—you no longer have to look up at those children of destiny in the academies. You can possess things they can only dream of.”
“See? It’s so simple. One choice, a world of difference.”
Longevity, power, wealth—these words exploded in Yu Duanhong’s mind.
Reason told him that good things that came knocking on his door were mostly scams or ill-intentioned.
But he didn't want to give up this chance.
A chance to change his fate—even if there was only a sliver of a possibility, he wanted to try.
Yu Duanhong gave a bitter laugh. He used to mock old people for being stupid, for being swindled out of their fortunes by health product scams.
Now, he had encountered the scam suited for his generation.
Every generation has its own health products.
And besides, if he chose to refuse and call the police now, he’d probably be silenced, right?
He definitely would be!
Before Yu Duanhong could open his mouth to agree...
Knock, knock, knock.
A knocking sound suddenly rang out.
Yu Duanhong jumped, nearly leaping out of his skin as his internal struggle was pulled back to reality.
In the middle of the night, in an apartment building where a murder had just occurred—who would come knocking?
He didn't think he had any friends or family who would visit at this hour.
Yu Duanhong looked toward the wooden door and asked hesitantly, “Who is it?”
Yue Shi raised an eyebrow, a playful expression appearing on his face as the corners of his mouth began to curl up.
“It seems you’re very unlucky today, little friend.”
“Do you want to experience a supernatural incident firsthand? Do you want to feel exactly how thrilling the supernatural can be?”
He tilted his chin toward Yu Duanhong’s livestreaming equipment, his speaking pace quickening.
“Now, immediately, start your livestream and come up with an explosive title.”
“Huh? Start a livestream?” Yu Duanhong was dazed, his mind going blank.
Then, he seemed to think of a terrifying possibility.
“Right now, the person... the person outside is...”
Yue Shi announced the answer word by word, his voice gentle.
“Outside is the killer who murdered your neighbor. A ghost.”
The color drained completely from Yu Duanhong’s face.
Yue Shi pointed at the livestreaming equipment. “This is your great chance to soar to the sky. Livestreaming a ghost encounter.”
Knock, knock, knock.
The knocking sounded again, heavier than before. The walls themselves seemed to vibrate.
Rate on N.U.
