Chapter 97 - A Chaotic Hong Kong Overrun by Demons, Master Zhong Fat Pak and the Gold Coin Explosion!
[Naruto Renji]: "What a shame. I've been brewing something big here too—looks like the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Rock want to take advantage of the chaos!"
He had already anticipated it. Given how the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Rock had a long-standing habit of leeching off Konoha whenever something happened, it wasn't surprising they'd try to extort benefits again.
What he hadn't expected was how the two villages managed to stay restrained even during the war, working in tacit agreement to bargain with Konoha.
[One Piece Renji]: "Isn't that great? Just fight them already!"
[Naruto Renji]: "I'm guessing the Fourth Great Ninja War is about to break out soon. If I wipe out both Hidden Rock and Hidden Cloud, capturing all the Tailed Beasts in the process, Black Zetsu probably won't be able to sit still!"
Once the entire Ninja World was unified under him, Renji didn't believe for a second that Black Zetsu wouldn't start pulling strings ahead of schedule.
[Hong Kong Movie Renji]: "You guys still have a long way to go. I just graduated from apprenticeship today and received my first commission!"
In the Hong Kong Movie World.
Renji got up early today—it was his day of graduation.
Ever since transmigrating into this strange world, he had been lost at first. As an ordinary person, surviving in a supernatural world like this was a real challenge.
But he hadn't given up. Since ghosts existed in this world, Taoist priests had to exist as well. After finding out where Zhong Fat Pak lived, he relied on his shameless persistence and decent talent to become his disciple and learn the arts of Maoshan Taoism.
"Renji, your talent has already surpassed mine. A few years from now, you'll likely be even stronger. The Maoshan lineage has always taken eliminating demons and protecting the Dao as its sacred duty. You must never fall into the demonic path, or your body and soul will be annihilated!"
Zhong Fat Pak lit three incense sticks and placed them on the altar, then turned and gave this earnest warning to Renji.
Renji's talent was simply too frightening. Zhong Fat Pak had originally thought it would take him years to graduate, but Renji learned everything he taught almost instantly. In the end, there was nothing more he could teach him.
For someone with such natural ability, falling into the demonic path would be catastrophic.
Especially in today's era, with the Daoist path being so difficult, many people sought shortcuts—falling into the demonic path to prolong life or gain strength.
"Relax, Old Man. I definitely won't fall into the demonic path."
Renji replied carelessly, making Zhong Fat Pak shake his head. Maybe he was overthinking. A guy this carefree probably couldn't go dark even if he tried.
He still remembered being fooled by Renji's 'sincere' demeanor during their first meeting. Only after they got familiar did he realize Renji was, frankly, a scoundrel.
He used to call him 'Master,' but later just started calling him 'Old Man' all the time.
Zhong Fat Pak didn't really mind the nickname though. In fact, he even found it a little endearing—better than being called 'Master' all the time.
"Now that you've graduated, you can't live here anymore. What do you plan to do? The evil aura in Hong Kong seems to be getting stronger by the day. If you run into anything you don't understand or can't handle, come back to me. Understood?"
Despite Renji's talent, Zhong Fat Pak still saw him as a fledgling.
As his only and most outstanding disciple, he hoped Renji would carry on his legacy.
Over the years, Zhong Fat Pak had tried to take other disciples, but suitable ones were too hard to find. Spiritual energy was polluted and those with the aptitude for cultivation were rare. So, he kept waiting.
Renji had become his sole hope. As long as Renji lived, he would surely surpass his master.
"Relax, Old Man. I'll go start a ghost-hunting company, make some money, and buy you a luxury villa!"
"A true cultivator should value cultivation, not material possessions!"
Zhong Fat Pak clenched his fists, restraining the urge to smack Renji.
Was this brat obsessed with money or what?
"So just say whether you want the villa or not. If not, forget it!"
"…I want it."
Zhong Fat Pak coughed awkwardly. As much as he wanted to act noble, he'd long grown tired of living in this rundown place.
With all the ghosts in a ten-mile radius having moved out, and not much business to speak of, he was living quite modestly.
Nowadays, Taoists barely scraped by. In the old days, people would turn to them when encountering the supernatural. Now, modern education had people believing less and less in such things.
Young people especially didn't buy it anymore. That meant fewer Taoists and harder lives.
"Alright, I'm off, Old Man!"
Renji waved and walked away. He'd been planning to leave for a while now. If he stayed any longer, he'd have to wait for the story to start—and that would mean missing out on countless opportunities.
Money was secondary. What he really needed were more chances at the lottery draw. Since he began cultivating, he'd noticed that the evil aura in this ghost-ridden Hong Kong was growing heavier.
It wouldn't be long before all hell broke loose.
He needed to raise his strength now—before things got too messy.
"Get out of here already! If you stick around any longer, you're going to drive this old man to his grave!"
Zhong Fat Pak shouted after him, but a trace of reluctance flickered in his eyes. Once Renji left, the house returned to its usual lonely silence.
Come to think of it, ever since he and his fellow disciples went their separate ways, it had been a long time since he'd seen them…
"Boss, this building's got some serious bad vibes. Want me to exorcise it for you? In exchange, just give me an office room. Once I'm stationed here, I guarantee no dirty spirits will dare come near!"
That morning, Renji had graduated high-spirited from Zhong Fat Pak's tutelage.
By the afternoon, he already wore a bitter expression.
He had just realized—he was broke!
His grand plans of starting a company required at least a place to operate out of. He couldn't just set up a street stall, right?
He needed some dignity!
And as a Taoist master, he still had to eat. Was he supposed to starve?
He'd forgotten to fleece some money off the Old Man before leaving.
"Get lost, you bum. Are you cursing me or something?"
The office building's landlord waved him off impatiently, but his eyes betrayed a hint of unease.
Seeing this, Renji didn't rush. He lazily continued, "If I'm not mistaken, your building sees nine deaths every year, right?"
Haunted Office!
That had been a childhood nightmare from his past life.
The moment Renji stepped in here, he had sensed what was going on.
Too bad he didn't have Yin-Yang Eyes—it made ghost hunting a bit inconvenient.
"Right now, give me a larger office for free. On top of that, considering your earlier distrust, you'll need to compensate me with one million HKD for emotional damages. In return, I'll resolve the issue here for good—after that, nothing strange will ever happen here again. Otherwise, all these empty offices must be costing you a fortune, right?"
Hearing Renji's words, the building manager did start to waver.
It was fine in the beginning, but over the years, the "nine deaths a year" curse had driven companies away, one after another.
Even in this modern age where people didn't really believe in supernatural stuff, the fact that four people still died every year had become a widely circulated tale in Hong Kong.
He was under a lot of pressure. While he managed the building, he still answered to a higher-up.
That higher-up had repeatedly ordered him to deal with the situation.
But damn it, he was just an ordinary guy—how was he supposed to solve this? If he could've fixed it, he would've done so long ago.
There were even times when he didn't dare step into the building himself.
He didn't believe in ghosts, but he still respected the building's tradition of nine deaths per year.
The number of companies in the building kept dwindling. Once people found out which company it was, many simply refused to work there.
At this rate, the place would shut down completely sooner or later.
He'd already brought in so-called Taoists in the past, but they were all flash and no substance—con men, every one of them.
He was mentally prepared to resign. No way was he going to bet his life on something like this.
"You really think you can solve it?" the man asked, extending a hand toward Renji. "Sorry if I was a bit rude earlier—this matter's been driving me crazy. I'm Liu Guang. And you?"
"Renji."
Renji shook his hand and introduced himself.
"Let's keep this brief. How exactly do you know what's going on here—was it from the media or something you saw yourself? If you don't have real ability, I advise you not to mess around. The last few so-called Taoists either died or went insane. If you're here just to scam me, and you expect to get paid up front, forget it. I want to see results."
Liu Guang was straightforward and cautious.
Renji's demands—he could accept all of them, as long as the problem got resolved. Not just one million, he'd give ten million if necessary.
This was prime real estate in Hong Kong. Without the curse, the building would've been full ages ago. Even now, some companies still rented space here.
Partly because of the location, and partly because the building had lowered its rent after the incidents.
Some business owners didn't care. After all, they rarely showed up. It was just employees on-site, and if anyone died, well, it wasn't them.
"I know. And the ghosts come out at this time every year looking for substitutes. Another nine are due to die this year. How about this—you pay me after I deal with it."
As he spoke, Renji raised his hand. A bolt of lightning arced across his palm and blasted a nearby flower pot.
With a loud bang, the pot exploded, startling Liu Guang and the people around them.
But it also sparked hope in Liu Guang's eyes.
Maybe… this guy was legit?
"Master, can you really take care of the problem here?"
Liu Guang's attitude flipped the moment he was convinced Renji wasn't some street charlatan.
Managing this building came with a nice salary and perks.
He didn't want to give it up unless he absolutely had to. Besides, the network he'd built here—so many big companies—was valuable. Chatting with their executives might open doors someday.
So no, he didn't want to walk away. But compared to his own life, self-preservation came first.
And if he could solve this mess and gain favor from the higher-ups, maybe a promotion was in his future?
"What do you think?"
Would he joke around with his life on the line?
"Of course I trust you, Master. If you fix this place, take any office you want—it's yours, rent-free for life. I'll also talk to the big boss and get you an extra ten million HKD!"
Liu Guang's plan was simple: if Renji really pulled it off, then he'd make sure to stay on good terms with him. Having someone like Renji around gave him peace of mind. And if he explained things to the big boss, odds were they'd agree.
After all, what was an office space or ten million in the grand scheme, if it meant securing the services of a powerful Taoist?
"Alright, sounds good."
Renji nodded, then pointed inside the building. "I'm going in. I'll tell you when it's done."
He stepped into the building, followed by a man and a woman.
Renji glanced at them—Pat and Ken.
The two scapegoats from the original movie?
He frowned slightly. Logically, if he came with them today, that meant only the three of them were alive.
And there was supposed to be one person with yin-yang eyes—but unfortunately, they had no power to actually deal with ghosts.
"Hey, are you here for the interview too?"
Ah Pan's eyes lit up as she looked at Renji beside her. She'd never seen such a handsome guy before, and she eagerly greeted him with a wave.
She was feeling kind of lucky. Who would've thought she'd meet a guy like this while job hunting?
"I work on the 16th floor, at a securities company. What about you?"
Renji only glanced at her without replying, which made Ah Pan nervous. Did he find her uninteresting?
"I'm here to scout the location for a company," Renji finally said, then turned to look at Ken beside him.
Surprised at being addressed, Ken quickly smiled and replied, "I'm from a game design company on the 12th floor!"
"Great."
Renji gave the two of them a meaningful look, then turned his gaze to Ba Jie walking toward them—the woman who, in the movie, picked Ah Pan to be her stand-in.
Now the question was, who would she pick this time?
Last time, there were only two people, so Ba Jie and another ghost, Ah Shan, each picked one scapegoat.
This time, there were three people.
Three choices—two deaths.
(End of Chapter)
{This takes place in a combined world of hong kong movies. the current one is Haunted office.
Overview:
Investor firm employee Pat (Karen Mok) overhear a group of girls talk about the haunting that takes place each year in their office high-rise, which leads to the deaths of nine people every time. Meanwhile, Pat's friend, computer game programmer Ken (Stephen Fung), runs into a mysterious woman covered all in white in an elevator while in the office on his first day on the job. These events precede three loosely connected stories involving Pat, Ken and other office workers' ghostly encounters in three different office divisions within the building.}
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