Phone ghost

Ye Li had been playing games for the entire morning and was feeling tired. He picked up his phone and started browsing through some paranormal forums. In this era of supernatural resurgence, these forums had suddenly gained popularity, with various rumors and eerie legends spreading like wildfire. Of course, many people treated them as mere stories without firsthand encounters with the supernatural.

Ye Li, going by the username "Bai Fan Yi Shiuan, Yi Zhixiang, Yi Shiuan," was an active member of one such forum. His interest was piqued as he stumbled upon a highly popular post with millions of likes: "Terrifying! The Murder Rules of the Phone Ghost: Never Answer Unknown Calls!" To his surprise, the IP address indicated that it originated from Jiangcheng, his own city. Intrigued, Ye Li clicked on the post.

"This is the firsthand experience of my friend's friend," the post's author began. Seeing this cliché opening line, Ye Li was initially hesitant to continue reading. However, curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to give it a chance.

"The Phone Ghost randomly calls people, and once you answer the call, the Phone Ghost will target you! It will come for your life within a day! The Phone Ghost is highly powerful, estimated to be at least B-rank, and has already claimed the lives of over a hundred people, including many supernatural hunters!" The post continued with chilling details of the Phone Ghost's killing spree.

"My friend was also a victim, and before he died, he revealed the Phone Ghost's murder rules to me. Everyone, remember, never answer unknown calls! Never!" The author concluded the post with a strong warning.

As Ye Li scrolled down, he came across various comments, some of which were absurd and even speculated on whether the Phone Ghost was female and its impact on pregnancy. Ye Li couldn't help but find it amusing. These people had clearly never experienced the true horrors of the supernatural. He decided to exit the forum, not fearing the so-called Phone Ghost. If it dared to come, he would simply perform dribbling tricks right in front of it.

Just then, his phone started ringing. "???" Ye Li looked puzzled. Could it be the Phone Ghost for real? He cautiously picked up the phone, answering the call without speaking, waiting for the other person to speak first.

"Hello! Is this Mr. Ye? Are you renting out a house?" came a gentle voice from the other end.

Ye Li was taken aback, then remembered the apartment he had posted on the rental platform three days ago. Could someone be interested in it already? Was the housing market that hot?

"Yes, it's me. Are you interested in renting the house?" Ye Li replied.

"Yes, I'm interested. Are you available now? Can I come over to see the place?" the person asked.

"Sure, you can come. It's Cloud Peak Estate, Apartment 703. I'll wait for you at the entrance," Ye Li responded.

"Great, thank you. I'll be there in half an hour," the person said before hanging up.

"Sigh! Can't continue lounging at home, have to go out again!" Ye Li sighed in resignation. His plan of lounging around on the first day had already gone bankrupt.

As Ye Li grabbed his keys and prepared to leave, something seemed to occur to him. "I remember there was a spell called 'Teleportation' in that collection of spells." The Teleportation spell was incredibly powerful, costing 790 points, and required a speed of at least 500 to learn. It allowed instantaneous travel within a range of 10,000 kilometers.

To be honest, compared to the previous Blue Star in Ye Li's previous life, the current Blue Star was ten times larger in size, so 10,000 kilometers was nothing significant.

"Teleportation!" Ye Li softly recited, and in an instant, he disappeared from his original location. He felt a momentary blur, and when he regained his senses, he found himself standing at the entrance of the apartment.

"This spell is so convenient," Ye Li exclaimed with joy. Now he wouldn't have to travel around everywhere.

He had just arrived when, after two minutes, the elevator doors opened. A fashionable urban woman, dressed in slim-fit jeans and a white blouse, walked towards him. Her brown wavy hair cascaded down, and the jeans accentuated her long and slender legs. The white blouse added a touch of elegance, while her prominent curves caught the eye with every step.

What a stunning beauty.

Ye Li's admiration flickered for a moment. However, for him, being lazy was the way to go. Getting into a relationship was too tiring, expensive, and troublesome. It wasn't worth it. Love would only hinder his progress in being lazy.

So, even if the other person was beautiful, he had no interest.

"You must be Mr. Ye!" Mu Zhiqing approached with a gentle smile on her face.

"Yes, that's me," Ye Li replied.

"Pleasure to meet you, I'm Mu Zhiqing," she said, extending her fair and soft hand.

Ye Li nodded and reached out his hand, lightly touching hers before pulling back. He didn't have the habit of taking advantage of others.

As Mu Zhiqing observed Ye Li's behavior, a flicker of appreciation passed through her eyes. It was rare to find such a gentlemanly man these days.

"I'm Ye Li. Let's go, I'll show you inside," Ye Li said, shaking the keys in his hand before proceeding to open the door. He was eager to get back to being lazy and couldn't waste too much time here.

The two of them entered the apartment. To be honest, Ye Li's apartment was decent. It was around 50 square meters, with one bedroom, one living room, one bathroom, and a small kitchen. The furniture was complete, and the decor had a simple Scandinavian style, which was very suitable for living.

"How is it? Is it okay?" After taking a few rounds with Mu Zhiqing, Ye Li asked.

"Not bad, I think it's pretty good," Mu Zhiqing replied, looking up at the ceiling.

"Let's settle for 2,500 yuan per month. I won't ask for more. If you're okay with this price, we can sign the contract," Ye Li straightforwardly proposed.

"2,500 yuan, that's reasonable. Okay," Mu Zhiqing nodded. The price was within her acceptable range.

"Alright, take a look at it. If there are no issues, we can sign," Ye Li said as he handed the contract to Mu Zhiqing.

"Mm, it's fine," Mu Zhiqing replied, casually flipping through the pages and preparing to sign with a pen.

However, at that moment, something unexpected happened. The interior of the apartment suddenly darkened, plunging into pitch-black darkness where one couldn't see their own hand in front of their face.

"What the hell?" Ye Li was bewildered. The curtains were still open, how could it be so dark? He leaned towards the window, but all he could see was an abyss of darkness, nothing visible.

"What's going on?" Ye Li shook his head and decided to go towards the door.

But then, a stern voice rang out, "Don't move! Come to my side!"

With Ye Li's powerful vision, he could see clearly even in the darkness. He noticed that the once gentle Mu Zhiqing now had a serious expression on her face. She was holding a short knife, its origin unknown.

"This is a wicked spirit. The ghostly aura is so intense, indicating that the opponent's strength is remarkable!" Mu Zhiqing continued to warn.

She assumed a combat stance.

"Um, it's rare to hear that you're a slayer of supernatural beings?" Ye Li asked curiously.

"Yes, so hurry up and come behind me. I'll protect you!" Mu Zhiqing urged, but Ye Li couldn't help but scrutinize her and couldn't see her as a powerful slayer of supernatural beings.

"Who protects whom is still uncertain," Ye Li muttered, but he still moved to stand behind Mu Zhiqing.

Just then, the lights in the room suddenly turned on, but quickly plunged back into endless darkness. However, in that brief moment, both of them saw clearly a small figure standing behind the curtains.

"Did you answer my call?" a sinister and chilling voice came from the figure. Mu Zhiqing couldn't help but shudder.

And yet, Yeli's face broke into a wide grin.

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear – the telephone ghost.