Chapter 196: The Fifth Floor

Damn.

Shen Yu still needed to find an opportunity to enter the restricted areas.

For example, without this sales order, he probably wouldn’t even have a legitimate reason to visit the fifth floor.

The elevator doors opened with a soft chime.

Ding!

Shen Yu stepped out.

The fifth floor was laid out almost like a hotel.

A long corridor stretched ahead of him, lined with identical doors.

501.

502.

503.

And so on.

Shen Yu quietly repeated the room number in his mind.

"512..."

As he walked past Room 502, he suddenly slowed.

He had called this room earlier during the company’s sales inquiries.

If he remembered correctly, the customer who lived here was named Peppa.

Then—

Shen Yu’s nose twitched.

"Hmm?"

A strange smell drifted through the corridor.

It smelled vaguely like egg whites.

His footsteps stopped.

For some reason, he instinctively leaned toward the door.

His eyes moved toward the peephole.

Through the tiny lens, he could vaguely see something yellow behind the door.

Then—

Hiss.

Hiss.

Hiss.

Hiss.

A strange sound echoed from inside.

Shen Yu’s expression changed.

He immediately straightened.

A chill ran down his spine.

Whatever was inside Room 502...

He had no intention of finding out.

He quickly moved away.

The livestream chat exploded.

"666! Shen Yu isn’t in a hurry at all!"

"If I had an appointment with a client and arrived this late, my boss would’ve killed me."

"Honestly, it was smart to avoid Mo Xian and leave later."

"But he’s still wandering around instead of doing the task!"

"What is Shen Yu planning?"

Under the barrage of confused comments, Shen Yu continued down the corridor.

Eventually, he reached Room 512.

The door was already wide open.

A foul smell drifted out.

Shen Yu stood outside and looked inside.

An old man was sitting motionlessly on the sofa.

His hair was gray and messy, with long white strands hanging behind him.

He didn’t move.

For a moment, he looked almost like a corpse.

Shen Yu knocked politely.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

"Hello, Mr. Fu."

The old man’s cloudy eyes slowly opened.

Immediately, an unbearable stench filled the room.

"Oh."

"So you’re the new employee from Evolution Food Company."

His voice was unpleasant.

"Your attitude isn’t very good."

"How long ago did I submit my request?"

"And you’re only coming now?"

"The young man who came before you had much more responsibility."

The old man’s neck suddenly twisted.

Shen Yu’s pupils contracted.

Only then did he notice the strange pores covering the man’s temples.

They were large.

Far too large.

And they were moving.

Opening.

Contracting.

Opening again.

Like something was breathing beneath the man’s skin.

Shen Yu remained outside the room.

"What good is responsibility?"

"These days, isn’t everything about results?"

"If I can solve your daughter’s problem, wouldn’t that be enough?"

"Even if I arrived late?"

The old man’s cloudy eyes narrowed.

Then his pupils slowly rolled upward.

His mouth shrank into an unnatural shape.

"What a solution..."

"Good."

"Very good."

"Go to Room 514."

"My second daughter is there."

"If you can convince her through simulated dating, I’ll continue purchasing from your company."

"But if you fail..."

"Heh heh heh..."

The old man’s neck twisted again.

This time, black feathers suddenly slipped from his back.

Shen Yu’s expression changed.

His head rotated nearly 270 degrees.

Then the old man looked directly at Shen Yu with an eerie grin.

Bang!

Shen Yu immediately slammed the door shut.

"Damn."

He stared at the door.

"This dungeon..."

"Everything seems to be connected to animals."

"Yang Hua had that strange white fur."

"Now Mr. Fu has bird feathers."

"What comes next?"

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"This is getting interesting."

Shen Yu slowly walked toward Room 514.

The door was wooden and decorated with intricate bird-feather patterns.

He stopped in front of it.

His eyes shifted toward the neighboring Room 513.

If nothing unexpected had happened...

Mo Xian should be meeting Mr. Fu’s eldest daughter right now.

The livestream audience was equally confused.

"666. This guy is still wandering around."

"What is Shen Yu doing?"

"Doesn’t he realize the client might get angry?"

"That old man was about to turn into a bird, right?"

"His neck literally spun like a top!"

Room 513

Mo Xian straightened his tie.

He sat upright at the dining table, maintaining a serious expression.

His gaze repeatedly drifted toward the bathroom.

Splash.

Splash.

The sound of running water came from inside.

A moment later, a woman wearing pajamas walked out.

Her features were sharp and thin.

She walked toward the table, examined Mo Xian from head to toe, then gave a slight nod.

She sat down and crossed her legs.

"I told you to wait half an hour while I put on makeup."

"You weren’t in a hurry, were you?"

Mo Xian maintained his smile.

"Of course not."

His eyes quietly examined her.

Then he realized something strange.

She wasn’t wearing makeup.

She had simply been fooling around in the bathroom before getting out of bed.

The woman narrowed her eyes.

"Your attitude..."

"I’ll give it a passing grade."

Then she raised her chin.

"Do you have savings?"

Mo Xian froze.

"Excuse me?"

"I asked whether you have savings."

"Beautiful lady, I’m here to help solve your single problem."

"I’m not here for an actual blind date."

The woman’s expression darkened.

"So we’re simulating a blind date."

"Fine."

"I have excellent conditions."

"Now answer me."

"Do you have savings?"

She slapped the table.

Mo Xian gritted his teeth.

"I just started working."

"I don’t have any savings."

"Oh?"

"What about a car?"

"I don’t have one."

"Then why are you here?"

"Are you planning to marry into my family?"

"I..."

Mo Xian clenched his fists.

"I can treat you well."

"I have potential."

The woman looked him up and down.

"Treat me well?"

"Then answer another question."

"Do you mind if I go out with my male best friend once a week?"

"Of course, it would be better if you booked the schedule in advance."

"Can you accept that?"

"I can."

She smiled.

"Then another question."

"If the house is under my name, will you pay the mortgage after marriage?"

"Sure."

"Will you hand over your salary every month?"

"Okay."

Mo Xian’s scalp began tingling.

One question after another.

He only wanted to finish the task, get the contract signed, and leave.

But then—

He smelled something.

An unpleasant odor.

It was getting stronger.

Mo Xian looked up.

The smell was coming from the woman sitting opposite him.

She leaned back.

"Although I’m already in my thirties, I’m still a high-quality woman."

"If you marry me, it’ll be the good fortune of eight lifetimes."

"I eat Haileo three times a month."

"Hot pot three times."

"And I go to three concerts."

"Can you afford that?"

"I..."

Mo Xian swallowed.

"I’ll try."

The moment he finished speaking—

The woman’s back suddenly arched.

Something beneath her nightgown appeared to swell.

The foul smell became overwhelming.

"I have absolute privacy rights."

"No background checks before marriage."

"After marriage, my mother-in-law will take care of the children."

"I don’t cook."

"You’d better know how to cook."

"Can you agree to these conditions?"

Mo Xian’s expression stiffened.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

The woman’s face began to distort.

Her features stretched downward.

Her mouth widened.

Then—

It transformed into a grotesque bird’s beak.

"Say it."

"Say it."

"Can you agree?"

"If you don’t agree..."

"Do you think you’ll find another woman like me?"

"Say it!"

Rip!

The nightgown tore apart.

Two enormous black wings suddenly burst from her back.

They spread violently through the room.

Flap!

Flap!

Flap!

Her legs twisted.

Human feet became enormous bird claws.

The chair shook beneath her.

The woman—or whatever she had become—let out a piercing cry.

Mo Xian stared at her.

His mouth hung open.

"This..."

"This isn’t human."

"It’s a giant old pigeon!"