Nightmare

Chapter 26

He Dazhuang was displeased: "Big cousin, why are you asking a question you already know the answer to? I shouldn't have died. It was because you made too much money and cut corners on the construction quality that the building collapsed and crushed me. I died unjustly. You have to give me justice."

Upon hearing this, He Zhenggang's body suddenly stopped trembling, and he stopped stuttering: "Brother Dazhuang, I swear to God, I, your cousin, have nothing to hide and have not embezzled a single penny."

He Dazhuang's eyes widened instantly, his face full of murderous intent: "Big cousin, you're still lying at a time like this? Aren't you afraid of going to hell? You should know that the King of Hell keeps a record of everything. Every penny you embezzled from the project is recorded in his account. If you keep being stubborn, don't say I can't help you later."

"No, no, no," He Zhenggang finally collapsed: "Brother Dazhuang, your cousin really didn't embezzle anything. He only took 50 million yuan in project kickbacks. Everyone gets that money, so it can't be considered embezzlement."

He Dazhuang stretched out his hand: "Where's the money?"

He Zhenggang was stunned for a moment: "Dazhuang, aren't you asking a question you already know the answer to? All the money went into your nephew's company account, and then your second niece, thinking she was being clever, issued a 40 million yuan receipt and gave it to them. They swindled it all away. Your cousin is also wronged! What am I working so hard for? Waaah!" He Zhenggang's willpower completely collapsed, and he couldn't help but burst into loud sobs.

He Dazhuang refused to believe it: "Not a single penny is left?"

He Zhenggang cried, “Brother Dazhuang, if there were still money at home, how could I have been kicked out of the hospital in my health condition? Now I don’t even have money for hospitalization and treatment. I’m really at my wit’s end. Waaah, I’m so sorry to your nephew and his family. I didn’t leave them a single penny.”

He Dazhuang was furious: "Damn it, you've wronged your own son, how can you face me?"

6)

Hearing He Zhenggang being driven to despair by the ghost He Dazhuang and crying loudly, Lin Hong was even more frightened and didn't know what to do. Suddenly she saw the phone and then angrily scolded herself in her heart, how could she be so scared and confused that she forgot to make a phone call for help.

She grabbed the phone and instinctively dialed Qin Fangcheng's number.

The call connected, and Qin Fangcheng's voice came from the other end: "Hey, it's the middle of the night, don't you know how to let people get some sleep?"

Lin Hong hurriedly lowered her voice and said, "Old Qin, come save me, save me!" Before she could finish speaking, she burst into tears due to overwhelming fear. Qin Fangcheng grunted and said, "Okay, I'll be right there." He agreed without even asking what had happened to Lin Hong.

After hanging up the phone, Lin Hong dared not turn on the lights or go downstairs. Hearing He Zhenggang's out-of-control howling coming from the second floor, she hurriedly hid behind the curtains again, nervously watching outside, waiting for Qin Fangcheng to arrive.

The lights downstairs were dim, and not a single person could be seen, but He Zhenggang's cries could be heard intermittently. This tough old man's crying sounded like a woman's, which made Lin Hong's hair stand on end. Several times, she worried that something had happened to He Zhenggang and wanted to go downstairs to check on him, but when she reached the door, she suddenly lost her courage. After all, she was just a weak woman. Even He Zhenggang's son was fast asleep in the main living room on the first floor, like a dead man. What use was she, a woman? She could only anxiously wait for that annoying guy Qin Fangcheng to come quickly.

"That annoying guy!" This wasn't the first time she'd called Qin Fangcheng that in her mind. This affectionate way of addressing him brought them incredibly close, even closer than when they first fell in love. This loss of distance filled Lin Hong with an indescribable frustration. Perhaps, they shouldn't have broken up in the first place!

But then again, considering the series of bizarre things they encountered, how could they not break up?

Lin Hong shook her head sharply, her thoughts returning to reality. She heard He Zhenggang's desperate pleas for mercy, and a fierce voice pressuring him. The voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

A Mercedes-Benz sped up outside. Lin Hong burst into tears of joy. That annoying guy Qin Fangcheng had finally arrived! She waved frantically through the glass at Qin Fangcheng, who was getting out of the car. Although Qin Fangcheng was looking up at the three-story riverside building, he couldn't possibly see her. After a few seconds of hesitation, he finally stepped towards the door.

The door was open. Du Hongyuan hadn't closed it properly when he fled in a panic. As soon as Qin Fangcheng entered, He Zhenggang's voice from the second floor immediately lowered. Suddenly, footsteps sounded, rushing upstairs. Lin Hong was terrified and ran behind the curtains to hide.

The footsteps went upstairs and headed straight for the room where Lin Hong was hiding. The person pushed open the door, panting heavily, and plopped down on the bed. Lin Hong held her breath, not daring to move an inch, lest he discover her.

Qin Fangcheng entered the room and was shocked to find He Ming lying headfirst on the floor. He thought He Ming was in danger. He took a few steps forward and smelled a strong smell of alcohol. He frowned and guessed what was going on.

"Lin Hong?" He called Lin Hong's name and walked upstairs: "Lin Hong, are you there?" Hearing no answer, he became nervous. He first pushed open the door to He's mother's room to take a look, then pushed open He Jing's door. Both of them were fast asleep. Then he pushed open He Zhenggang's door and Qin Fangcheng was startled.

He saw a little old man with tears streaming down his face, kneeling on the ground sobbing. As soon as he saw him come in, the little old man stepped forward and grabbed his trouser leg: "Brother Dazhuang, Brother Dazhuang, I know you've been wronged, but all that money was really swindled away, not a single penny is left, sob sob."

Qin Fangcheng couldn't figure out what was going on. He quickly dodged the old man He Zhenggang and went out the door. He wondered why Lin Hong hadn't answered him. Could it be that she, like Fu Xiuying, had mysteriously disappeared?

With that thought, his gaze shifted to the third floor, his expression tense. He grabbed a mop and began to climb the stairs. After a few steps, a sense of fear crept in, so he called out loudly, "Lin Hong, are you upstairs? Are you alright?" He tried to bolster his courage as he continued up the stairs.

Hearing Qin Fangcheng's footsteps going upstairs, He Dazhuang panicked. He frantically hid in the room, seemingly never feeling safe enough. Suddenly, he saw the curtains swaying slightly, and he dashed over, pulling them aside and diving inside. Lin Hong was standing behind the curtains, trembling with fear. As He Dazhuang burst in, the two collided. Lin Hong was terrified and immediately let out a sharp scream.

The sudden scream startled He Dazhuang, who jumped up in fright, turned around and rushed out the door, running away as fast as he could. Just then, Qin Fangcheng walked up and quickly dodged him. Then, Qin Fangcheng tripped him, and He Dazhuang tumbled down the stairs.

Before he could even get up, Qin Fangcheng chased after him, wielding a mop handle and beating He Dazhuang mercilessly, shouting as he did so, "Stop thief! Stop thief!"

At the same time as Qin Fangcheng's shouts and He Dazhuang's cries, Lin Hong's screams rang out from upstairs. The three women on the second floor, He's mother and He Jing, who had been awakened, screamed in unison. The earth-shattering screams made the building tremble slightly. Despite the chaos, He Ming on the first floor simply turned over, smacked his lips a couple of times, and slept even more soundly.

After a moment of chaos, Qin Fangcheng threw down the mop handle, pinned He Dazhuang down, and shouted for Lin Hong to bring a rope. Lin Hong then snapped out of her daze and hurriedly found a luggage rope to help Qin Fangcheng tie He Dazhuang up. Then Qin Fangcheng sat down on the ground, panting heavily, and asked He Dazhuang, "Who are you?"

He Dazhuang blinked dejectedly and said, "I am Ma Biao."

"Who is Ma Biao?" Qin Fangcheng didn't recognize him. Lin Hong suddenly remembered: "Ma Biao? Aren't you the God of Wealth Ma?" Ma Biao nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, I am the God of Wealth Ma. I was invited by General Manager He to treat Secretary He's illness."

"You? Treat the Party Secretary?" Qin Fangcheng kicked Ma Caishen: "Even when you lie, there's a limit. If you keep spouting nonsense, do you believe I'll break your legs?"

“I’m telling the truth,” Ma Caishen hurriedly defended himself. “Secretary He’s corruption caused the deaths of his relative He Dazhuang and dozens of workers. So Secretary He is always afraid that the wronged spirits will come to settle scores with him. Since I look a bit like He Dazhuang, Boss He hired me to pretend to be He Dazhuang to comfort Secretary He. If you don’t believe me, go ask Boss He.”

"No need to ask." Realizing that this guy was just a coward, Lin Hong's courage returned immediately: "He Ming hired you years ago, and my father's illness has long been cured. Now you've come into our house, you must be stealing or burglarizing, so why don't you tell the truth?"

Seeing Qin Fangcheng raise his hand as if to hit him, Ma Biao got anxious: "What you said is not wrong, but Secretary He's illness keeps recurring. I pretend to be He Dazhuang to comfort him once, and he feels better for a while, but then he gets sick again. So President He often calls me over. If you don't believe me, go ask him!"

"What are you asking!" Qin Fangcheng shouted, "Even if I asked you to treat Secretary He's illness, you should have left by the time you were cured. What are you doing, sneaking around on the third floor? Tell me, did you harm Fu Xiuying?"

"Fu Xiuying?" Ma Caishen blinked. "Who is Fu Xiuying?"

Qin Fangcheng was furious and raised his fist to strike, but Lin Hong quickly stopped him: "Don't hit him yet, finding Sister Fu is more important than anything else." Then she described Fu Xiuying's appearance to Ma Caishen. Upon hearing this, Ma Caishen's pupils suddenly widened, his face turned pale, and his lips trembled uncontrollably, as if something had terrified him, and he couldn't speak. It wasn't until Qin Fangcheng couldn't wait any longer and kicked him several times that he finally mumbled:

"You mean that nanny? She was taken away by He Dazhuang's ghost. The reason I'm hiding on the third floor and don't dare to come down is because He Dazhuang's ghost is blocking the way on the second floor. He hates that I impersonated him without permission. He's blocking me from leaving."

7)

Ma Caishen was indeed telling the truth. Several years ago, He Zhenggang was suffering from self-destructive personality disorder and intense guilt. He Ming hired him to impersonate the vengeful spirit of He Dazhuang, which cured He Zhenggang's delusions. However, while He Ming was hospitalized, He Zhenggang's delusions relapsed because He Jing had unwittingly swindled him out of the kickbacks he received from the International Exhibition Center building. Overwhelmed with anxiety and anger, He Zhenggang's delusions returned.

Afterwards, He Ming's eldest sister flew back from the United States. She first helped her brother find Lin Hong and arranged their marriage. Then, He Ming secretly sought out Ma Caishen, who prescribed the same treatment, and He Zhenggang returned to normal. However, this time He Zhenggang's normalcy only lasted a short time before he began to have frequent relapses. He would suddenly burst into tears, calling out He Dazhuang's name and weeping loudly. As a result, Ma Caishen began to frequently visit the He family home; this gambler became He Zhenggang's psychologist.

Ma Caishen frequently visited He Ming's house for medical consultations. Finally, he had enough money to redeem his wife, who had been lost to someone else. Sometimes, when others asked about Secretary He's recent situation, he would ramble on and on about things that were outrageous. He was too lazy to pay attention to such nonsense and never expected that such news would actually reach the He family again.

Just after Lin Hong arrived, He Zhenggang suffered another bout of delusions. Coincidentally, Lin Hong went to the housekeeping company and encountered Ma Caishen's wife. She bombarded Lin Hong with a bizarre and seemingly plausible lie, leaving her speechless. Meanwhile, He Ming brought Ma Caishen to their home to cure He Zhenggang. Because it was late, he let Ma Caishen sleep on the third floor. Before leaving, he told his mother to tell Lin Hong, but his mother forgot. Therefore, Lin Hong had no idea that a grown man was living on the third floor of their house.

Ma Caishen lives on the third floor and hasn't left, not because he doesn't want to, but because he can't leave.

That night, Ma Caishen was fast asleep when he suddenly felt a chill in the room. He opened his eyes groggily and was startled to see a blurry figure standing in front of his bed in the darkness, making a cold, snarling laugh at him.

Ma Caishen, still half-asleep, took a closer look and almost screamed. The blurry figure was none other than himself.

The man was wearing work clothes, riddled with holes and filthy dust. His safety helmet was askew, as if something had hit it. His face was also filthy, as if he hadn't washed it for days; the grime had scabbed over, and his cheeks were covered in numerous scars, obscuring his original features. His body was also strangely contorted, like a deflated balloon, with each joint twisted in odd ways. Standing at the door, before Ma Caishen's bed, he shrank back in fear, lowering his head, as if afraid Ma Caishen would see the scars on his face.

Ma Caishen stared blankly for a long time before suddenly shouting, "Who are you? Why are you impersonating me?"

The figure took a step back and asked in a shrill voice, "Who are you? Why are you impersonating me?" His voice was elusive, like a phantom, making it difficult to grasp its certainty.

Ma Caishen sat up abruptly: "Who exactly are you?"

The figure suddenly stepped forward, and the chilling aura emanating from him made Ma Caishen tremble violently. The figure then mimicked Ma Caishen's voice and asked, "Who exactly are you?"

Ma Caishen hesitated, then he began to understand. He had impersonated the deceased He Dazhuang and announced a pardon to He Zhenggang, who had caused He Dazhuang's wrongful death, which had angered the deceased, hence his visit. Still clinging to a sliver of hope, he stammered, "You...you...you...don't come looking for me! I was just taking money to help others, no...no...no...no...it has nothing to do with me..."

Before he could finish speaking, the blood-red figure suddenly stepped forward. Ma Caishen shuddered violently, and boundless grief and indignation surged in his heart. The crisp sound of the giant object crashing into his bones as it fell rang out incessantly, and the bone-deep pain that had just appeared vanished without a trace.

Then he saw the scene of the collapse of the huge international exhibition center building, and the gruesome death of the construction workers who turned into blood and mud between the huge concrete piles and slabs. All of this filled him with inexplicable grief and indignation. They died with him in a shoddy construction project, and the reason for their deaths was that the huge sums of money for the project were embezzled.

He was going to find the person who had harmed them.

So he came.

Ma Caishen floated up like a shadow, drifting over the silent third floor. The old man who caused him to turn into a blood shadow was upstairs. He knew this, and the old man knew it too. He could hear the old man's sobs in his sleep and feel the extreme fear in the old man's heart.

There was only fear, not pity.

There was only fear, and no repentance.

The old man never showed any compassion for the suffering of others, nor did he have any sense of remorse. It seemed that he took the harm he inflicted on others for granted. His fear stemmed solely from his inherent cowardice and desire for life, without any other reason. Even when the old man wept in his sleep, it was not because of the wronged souls who had died unjustly at his hands.

This fact enraged Ma Caishen. He floated down from the third floor, intending to confront He Zhenggang face to face, but suddenly, his blood-red shadow stopped.

A similarly elusive shadow stood in the empty corridor on the second floor.

She was a woman in white, her eyes filled with boundless hatred.

She stood before He Zhenggang's door, silently sneering. She said nothing, nor did she need to. She simply stared intently at He Zhenggang's door with her bloodshot eyes.

Ma Caishen felt a sense of resentment in front of this woman. The intense resentment was overwhelming, like a raging fire, forcing him to retreat repeatedly and preventing him from getting closer.

Now, Ma Caishen realized that He Zhenggang had more than one grudge against him.

That woman was He Zhenggang's true mortal enemy; her resentment was so intense that it permeated the riverside building with a sinister, ghostly aura. She had been inseparable from He Zhenggang for a long time, awaiting her final moment of revenge. Compared to her hatred, Ma Caishen's blood feud was merely a trivial matter. Although Ma Caishen didn't know the details of the feud between her and He Zhenggang, he could sense the chilling and desolate atmosphere that had accumulated around the woman before and after her death.

Slowly, Ma Caishen retreated step by step back to the third floor and burst into tears for no reason.

He cried because he was also afraid of that woman. The fire of hatred she carried seemed capable of scorching him until he vanished without a trace, like water stains under the blazing sun, disappearing in an instant. This foreshadowed a terrible outcome: that Ma Caishen's grievances would never be redressed.

This riverside building was filled with a chilling aura of menace, and Ma Caishen's gaze shifted to the window.

Outside, the enormous red-scaled tortoise, resembling a tubular worm, leisurely crawled along the riverbank. This tortoise had not been seen for a long time, and the wounds on its mottled shell were increasing, but the bloodlust and violent aura emanating from its evil and cold eyes were growing stronger.

How many blood enemies did He Zhenggang have? This question filled Ma Caishen with resentment and distress. He could only huddle hopelessly on the third floor, waiting for the day he could avenge himself, perhaps countless generations later, when the grievances buried deep within would have long since weathered into stone.

8)

After hearing Ma Caishen's account, Lin Hong gasped.

If what this guy said wasn't just baseless speculation, then it can only prove one thing: this riverside building is surrounded by the vengeful spirit of He Zhenggang, who is attached to Ma Caishen's body. Besides the vengeful spirit of He Dazhuang, there is also a woman in white and a giant tortoise running at high speed in the dark and damp underground drainage system.

Who is that woman? And what irreconcilable grudge does that enormous tortoise have with He Zhenggang?

Lin Hong was terrified, her face ashen. Qin Fangcheng, however, did not believe Ma Caishen's nonsense at all. He was convinced that Ma Caishen was using these lies to cover up that he had murdered Fu Xiuying. He held Ma Caishen down and beat him, using torture to force the unfortunate man to hand over Fu Xiuying.

Ma Caishen was brutally beaten, howling like a pig being slaughtered, which finally woke up He Ming, who was completely drunk, and He's mother and He Jing, who were still in a daze.

He Ming, his face flushed with pain, staggered up the stairs. After hearing Lin Hong's account of what had happened, he was filled with remorse and kept punching his head. He stammered his thanks to Qin Fangcheng for saving Lin Hong, then proceeded to beat Ma Caishen, who was squatting on the ground, repeatedly. Qin Fangcheng, having calmed down, then advised He Ming not to act impulsively or hit anyone, and instead told him to call the police and hand Ma Caishen over.

Unexpectedly, He Ming's expression changed drastically upon hearing Qin Fangcheng's words. He kicked Ma Caishen down the stairs and roared, "Get out, get out, get out of here!" Watching Ma Caishen flee with a rat in his arms, he turned to Qin Fangcheng, who was full of confusion, and said with a wry smile, "Old Qin, this kind of thing involves the He family's dirty laundry. Family dirty laundry should not be aired in public. Please be more understanding."

Qin Fangcheng was unconvinced and blurted out, "He Ming, are you afraid that Ma Caishen will expose your father's bribery when he goes to jail?"

He Ming's face was extremely ugly. He turned his head away from Qin Fangcheng and said, "Say what you will. Ma Caishen is an alcoholic with delusions and wild ideas. What he said is just his wild imagination and has no weight."

"But what about your father?" Qin Fangcheng asked. "Your father admitted that he received a 40 million yuan kickback on the International Exhibition Center building project. Doesn't that count?"

"Of course it doesn't count!" He Ming said angrily. "My dad's been so sick that his mind is all muddled. He can't distinguish between reality and fantasy, so it's normal for him to say things that don't even exist." Then he turned to the side and said, "Old Qin, if you're really my friend, He Ming, then don't pursue this matter anymore. Believe me, pursuing it will definitely lead to a result you don't want to see, and it won't even be good for you. Even if you don't want to be my friend, I'll at least consider Lin Hong's feelings and let this messy matter go. My He family is very grateful. I won't say any more. It's so late, please go home."

Qin Fangcheng was so angry that his face turned ashen. He stomped his foot and left.

Then He Ming leaned against the wall, gave a bitter laugh, and said to Lin Hong, "I'm sorry, Hong Hong, this wine... Du Hongyuan put sleeping pills in it. I didn't expect him to have his eye on you all along. Now... I'm leaving the family matters to you... I'm sleepy..." As he spoke, his foot slipped on the ground, and he sat down with a thud, falling fast asleep again.

Seeing her husband in this state, Lin Hong trembled with rage. With all her might, she dragged the limp, drunken He Ming to the bed in the room, removed his clothes, covered him with a blanket, and then went downstairs to clean up He Ming's vomit. When she returned, she heard He's mother and He Jing groaning incessantly in the room.

"What's wrong? What's wrong? It's the middle of the night, and you're arguing and fighting. What happened? Can't you two let people have some peace and quiet? If you can make it work, then make it work; if you can't, then get out. Our He family doesn't need a hen that can't lay eggs." The mother and daughter were speaking in unison, and their target was clearly Lin Hong.

Lin Hong was so angry she felt like her lungs were about to explode, but she didn't even have time to say a word in her defense. He Zhenggang crawled out of the room on all fours and started wailing as soon as he saw her: "Little pig, little pig, don't abandon this old man! Little pig, little pig, don't abandon this old man!" His terrified face was covered in tears, making him look like a pitiful lost child.

Lin Hong rushed over and helped the frail He Zhenggang up, carrying him back to his room. He Zhenggang clung tightly to her hand, crying repeatedly, "Little Pig, Little Pig, don't go! Please don't leave me! Please don't!" He refused to let go. Helpless, Lin Hong could only sit by the bedside, keeping the elderly man, who was suffering from extreme anxiety, company, just as she had done at the beginning.

He's mother and He Jing were shouting and calling to Lin Hong from their room. They needed to urinate, which is a normal physiological need for patients, but the timing was terrible. Lin Hong hated that these two would fall into a deep sleep whenever something happened. Du Hongyuan and Ma Caishen had been making such a ruckus at home earlier, but they hadn't made a sound. Now that things were over, they were full of energy. What was most infuriating was that they were making veiled accusations, implying that Lin Hong and Qin Fangcheng had an improper relationship.

Lin Hong initially ignored them, and couldn't reason with them. He Zhenggang then grabbed her hand tightly, refusing to let go. However, He's mother and He Jing's voices grew louder and more impatient, their provocations escalating. Finally, she lost all patience, stood up, and roared:

"What's all this noise about? Shut your filthy mouths! If you dare spout any more nonsense, I'll tear your mouths apart!!!"

After shouting, Lin Hong was startled. This was the first time in her life that she had lost her temper so much without regard for her dignity, especially towards her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. This completely ruined her quiet and elegant demeanor and inevitably brought trouble to her in the family.

But this harsh roar had an unexpected effect. The quarrel between He's mother and He Jing suddenly subsided. Even He Zhenggang, who had been crying incessantly like a baby, rolled his eyes at the roar, let go of her hand, closed his eyes as if nothing had happened, and quickly began to snore.

Lin Hong was still incredibly frightened. She worried that this family would gossip about her to He Ming again. Her relationship with Qin Fangcheng had always been innocent, but now it was impossible to explain. Suppressing her anger, she first went to check on He's mother. Upon entering, she was met with a pungent stench. The old woman had likely been terrified by her fierce daughter-in-law and had soiled herself in bed. Lin Hong, suppressing her resentment and anger, cleaned up He's mother's room. Then she went to He Jing's room and found the same situation, as if the mother and daughter had a telepathic connection even in such matters.