Monster Escape Room Re-Employment Chapter 2
by“Oh, you’re the boss… wait, what?!” Jiang Lingyi’s eyes widened in horror, and he hastily tried to explain, “I’m not, I didn’t, what I meant was…”
Lou Xian sat upright, his expression solemn, making it hard to imagine that the bizarre plans and decorations were his doing. He bowed slightly.
“Jiang Lingyi, there is something I wish to ask of you.”
Jiang Lingyi took a sip of tea to mask his increasingly uncontrollable facial expression.
“Please, become the manager of this establishment.”
“What?” He doubted his own ears.
“Is that not possible?” Lou Xian lowered his gaze, his raven-wing lashes casting a shadow over his eyelids, which made Jiang Lingyi’s heart flutter.
“It’s not a matter of whether it’s possible or not; this request is a bit sudden.” Why would Lou Xian choose him? Besides, he had a promising career. Should he really quit that to become the manager of this odd, deserted escape room?
“If we can’t pay the rent this month, my staff and I will be thrown out.” Lou Xian looked troubled. He rarely displayed such a wronged expression, and Jiang Lingyi felt a rush of emotion, wanting to tear out his own heart and liver for him, but he managed to retain a shred of rationality.
“I can lend you money, any amount, you don’t even have to pay it back, but becoming the manager is really a bit…”
Lou Xian persisted, “Actually, this place does have its advantages. For example, for example…”
“The NPCs are quite convincing,” Jiang Lingyi offered as comfort.
“Yes,” Lou Xian nodded repeatedly, “After all, they are genuine monsters.”
“Ah, are you referring to that unwritten rule? Like how people tell children at amusement parks that the mascots aren’t people in costumes? Since it’s an immersive escape room, I didn’t realize you had such a strong sense of conviction.”
Lou Xian said earnestly, “They are the real Midnight Clown, River God, and Ripper Woman.”
Jiang Lingyi worried, “Lou Xian, should I introduce you to some good psychiatric hospitals?”
“I understand,” Lou Xian’s demeanor gradually cooled. “You don’t believe what I’m saying.”
Oh no, did I anger him? Jiang Lingyi truly couldn’t bear it. He had spent two years trying to numb himself, only for this to happen now…
“Considering your perspective, this is understandable. However, you shouldn’t question the efforts made by my staff. I must make you understand this point.”
The next moment, Lou Xian’s face suddenly magnified before Jiang Lingyi. Simultaneously, a cold, soft sensation pressed against his lips. A clear, cold spring-like scent filled his nostrils, carrying a faint coolness. Lou Xian’s straight nose brushed against the tip of his, causing a subtle, tingling tremor.
Jiang Lingyi’s mind instantly crashed.
No… for Lou Xian, the concept of kissing didn’t exist; he had merely pressed his lips against Jiang Lingyi’s. Jiang Lingyi held his shoulders and, driven by lust, deepened the kiss, completely disregarding the consequences. He gently and timidly rubbed and sucked on Lou Xian’s lips—a move he had rehearsed countless times in his dreams.
Lou Xian’s breathing quickened. He pushed the presumptuous rogue away, a faint blush on his face, and pulled at his collar in a transparent attempt to cover his embarrassment.
“I used a Ritual to open your Spiritual Sight. You can now see things invisible to ordinary people. This way, you will believe me.”
Jiang Lingyi looked around in astonishment. Unbeknownst to him, many shadowy figures had appeared around them, becoming increasingly distinct, like the No-Face spirit from the Spirited Away animation. These black, misty humanoids had only a single, jarring white mask for a face, each with a different expression.
Lou Xian introduced them, “They are Wandering Spirits. You just saw them; they were clinging to the corridors and ceilings, and you even stepped over them.”
Midnight Clown, the River God (half fish, half human), and the Ripper Woman (who was currently stuffing her intestines back into her abdomen) all emerged from the staff door.
Lou Xian said, “Many staff members are on leave today, so not everyone is here.”
“Is he also a demon or monster?” Jiang Lingyi felt dizzy and shakily pointed to the front desk clerk engrossed in Honor of Kings. The clerk was oblivious to everything happening in the store; even if someone held up the place with a gun, he wouldn’t notice.
“He is a normal human.”
“Then why the zombie-like complexion…?”
“Lack of sleep.”
The three monster employees bowed ninety degrees to Jiang Lingyi in a disciplined manner. He stiffly waved back. The Wandering Spirits, lacking hands and feet, swayed slowly like wind-blown paper dolls as a form of greeting.
Lou Xian said, “You look uncomfortable.”
“I-I’m fine… Please tell them to leave.” Jiang Lingyi kept pinching the philtrum area to stay conscious, taking several deep breaths.
“Although it’s unbelievable, I’ll tentatively believe what you said.”
“Then…”
“But that’s separate from becoming the manager.” Jiang Lingyi felt it was a bit heartless to say this right after kissing him, but he was no longer the impulsive young man he was in college.
Lou Xian lowered his head and remained silent. Jiang Lingyi immediately surrendered.
“How about this: I can come over on weekends and after work to help out part-time…”
He had a subtle feeling of having been tricked onto a pirate ship.
“The mall operations manager will be here soon.”
“What…?” Things were moving too fast; he couldn’t keep up.
“We are meeting at the Western restaurant in the mall at six o’clock this afternoon to discuss future business plans.”
Jiang Lingyi finally understood the true purpose of this sudden date. It turned out Lou Xian had no intention of rekindling their romance; the sequence from the escape room to the dinner invitation was a seamless combo designed to lure him into a trap.
Lou Xian seemed to read his mind. “You can make your decision after hearing the full situation.”
“So, you’re assuming I’m going with you to the Western restaurant for a business meeting…”
Lou Xian sighed softly, “Jiang Lingyi, I am already very happy that you agreed to meet today.”
“Fine, I’ll go.”
…
Jiang Lingyi hadn’t expected the date to actually turn into a meeting in the end.
Generally, negotiations between the mall and its tenants could be held directly in the internal offices. It was outrageous that the operations manager expected Lou Xian to treat him to a meal.
The operations manager, Manager Wu Yunying, arrived half an hour past the agreed time. He was an experienced, worldly man around thirty, wearing a perpetual smile.
“Mr. Lou, hello.”
“Mr. Wu.”
Lou Xian shook his hand. Jiang Lingyi stared intently at them. Damn it, he hadn’t even held Lou Xian’s hand today.
Manager Wu Yunying noticed the suit-wearing, glasses-clad man watching them like a hawk. “May I ask who this is?”
“He is an intern.”
The three sat down, and Manager Wu Yunying clasped his hands on the table.
“Mr. Lou, according to the contract, besides paying rent and profit shares on time every month, you must also attract sufficient customer traffic. After all, our mall is in a prime location, targeting the middle class—it’s an inch of gold here. Countless brands ask me daily for a spot.” He paused deliberately and took a sip of coffee. “But your Phantom Immersive Horror Escape Room has been operating at a loss for two years. The grace period for recent graduate startups is almost over. Our operations department needs to report to management, so please understand my position.”
“Phantom has excellent potential. Please give us one more chance. We will definitely meet the target this month. Money is not an issue.”
“Mr. Lou, don’t you understand? The mall considers multiple factors. Even if you can afford the rent, the profit share is still zero. We have received many negative reviews for your store in our comprehensive surveys. Far from driving traffic to the mall, you are a tumor. Honestly, if you were the operations manager, would you let a store like this continue operating?”
To be fair, Manager Wu Yunying was being reasonable; Phantom’s business strategy was indeed problematic. If Jiang Lingyi encountered this kind of business issue at his own job, he would likely agree with Wu.
But he couldn’t stand seeing his former Ice Prince having to humble himself due to financial pressure.
“Mr. Wu, you said the period is ‘almost’ over, meaning it hasn’t expired yet.” Jiang Lingyi switched into elite corporate mode. “As long as we prove Phantom’s value within this month, we can theoretically keep the space.”
Manager Wu Yunying glanced sideways. “Stepping back, if you only meet the target one month out of twelve, what kind of value is that?”
“Business relies on future potential,” Jiang Lingyi began to bluff, maintaining a serious expression. “Four thousand visitors.”
Manager Wu Yunying was stunned. “What?”
Lou Xian had already reacted, looking at Jiang Lingyi in surprise.
Jiang Lingyi continued, “The contract states the required traffic is around four thousand people. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten the specifics.”
“What about four thousand people?”
“We’ll add another thousand—five thousand people—within this month. This is Phantom’s sincerity. Since you seem like a reasonable person, you’ve tolerated two years of losses; surely you can wait one more month?”
Manager Wu Yunying stared at him. “Sir, have you considered interning at iF Group?”
“Thank you for the offer,” Jiang Lingyi smiled. “I am an intern at Phantom.”
In the end, Manager Wu Yunying only drank some coffee and left. The negotiation process was much smoother than Lou Xian had anticipated. The two sat opposite each other at the original booth, eating their slightly delayed dinner.
Lou Xian couldn’t help but ask, “How did you know the contractual number? The correct answer is an average of 4,310 people per month.”
“Fermi estimation.”
Jiang Lingyi felt immensely satisfied at having subtly shown off in front of Lou Xian.
“Please take good care of us from now on, Manager.”
“Intern,” Jiang Lingyi corrected. “I haven’t agreed yet. I only agreed to help out when I have time.”
Lou Xian murmured, “If it’s you, you will definitely be able to save my subordinates…”
It was twilight when they left the mall. Jiang Lingyi lived alone in his apartment. Lou Xian insisted on walking him home, claiming that “the initial activation of Spiritual Sight can be taxing on the body.” Jiang Lingyi certainly wouldn’t refuse.
They arrived downstairs at the apartment building. Night had fallen, and countless lights flickered on, scattered like stars in the bustling metropolis.
“Would you like to come up for a cup of tea?” Jiang Lingyi’s heart pounded like a drum, prepared for rejection.
Lou Xian nodded and silently followed him inside.
“My place is quite spacious—”
Jiang Lingyi opened the door. His gaze fell directly on the living room TV. The lights weren’t on, and only the faint light from outside the window vaguely outlined the furniture.
Yet, he clearly saw a black-haired, white-robed female ghost, like Sadako from the movies, crawling out of the television screen.
Having been mentally strained all day, he had reached his limit. The female ghost was the final straw that broke him.
Jiang Lingyi’s memory ended there.