The moment Old Wu said those words, I was completely stunned.
The name Tang Xiansheng was something Old Tang told me himself. There was no way I'd heard it wrong. And now Old Wu was saying he was the very first driver of Route 13—and that he'd been dead for ten years!
Thinking back, in the whole year since I joined the company, I realized something chilling: Old Tang never once spoke to anyone else.
Whenever we were together, it was always just the two of us.
He never showed up at company meetings either. Whenever I asked, he brushed it off, saying he was only in charge of maintenance, so he didn't need to attend.
But just last night, I had sat drinking with him until dawn. The scenes flashed in my head, each one more terrifying than the last. Cold sweat prickled at the back of my neck.
Old Wu saw me frozen in place. After a long silence, he finally muttered,"Don't tell me you made up this ghost story just to get out of driving the route?"
I swallowed hard and asked him seriously,"Brother Wu, no jokes—was Tang Xiansheng really the first driver of Route 13, and did he really die ten years ago?"
Old Wu sighed, lit a cigarette, and kept his head low."Little brother, ten years ago I wasn't a team leader yet. Tang Xiansheng was a coworker of mine. His family was poor. When the company first opened this line, no one wanted it. He volunteered, just to earn a bit more money. But only a month later, disaster struck. The bus crashed—everyone on board died. The biggest accident of the year. You think I could ever forget that?"
My legs went weak. Old Wu might've been drunk, but I could tell he wasn't making this up. My voice trembled, stuttering,"B-brother Wu, I can't… I can't drive this route anymore. It's cursed. I—"
Before I could finish, Old Wu cut me off."Xiao Li, say no more. You're right, it's my fault. But I meant no harm. I only thought, since you're the youngest in the fleet, your energy would be strong enough to suppress it. Fine. If you really don't want to drive, I'll request someone else tomorrow."
He stubbed out his cigarette, patted my shoulder, and sighed."You don't look well. Whether you really saw Old Tang or not, take a couple days to rest."
I nodded silently and walked away. Old Wu called after me a few times, but I ignored him. At that moment, all I wanted was rest.
I always thought Old Tang was my closest friend. But he wasn't even alive.
This world… my boss was fake, my coworkers selfish, and my best friend turned out to be a ghost dead for a decade. I didn't have a single true companion.
The thought made my eyes sting. Tears welled up. Strangely, the sadness dulled the fear.
Back in the dorm, I collapsed on my bed like a corpse, clothes and shoes still on. I glanced at the two wine cups on the table and sighed heavily."What kind of karma did I build in a past life, that all this crap has to land on me?"
If Old Tang was really a ghost, then everything he told me was suspect. Why did he mention the accident ten years ago? Why warn me about the old woman that every driver had met before their deaths?
Was he helping me—or toying with me?
The thought made me laugh bitterly. "What kind of ghost wastes time like this? If he wanted me dead, he could've taken me already."
As I wavered between fear and frustration, my phone buzzed. A message from Bai Fan:
"Li Yao, did you get back to the depot safely?"
It was already 1:40 a.m. She must've stayed awake worrying about me.
At that vulnerable moment, her words felt like a ray of warmth. Maybe there was still genuine kindness in this world.
I typed back simply: "I'm safe. Go to bed now."
As I set my phone down, my eyes caught something—underneath Old Tang's wine glass was a folded slip of paper.
I unfolded it. In neat handwriting, it read:
"Binhai District, 2386 Huaiyuan Road. Find Liu Qingzhu. He will help you."
I remembered Old Tang mentioning a master who could ward off evil. This must've been him.
I crumpled the note and tossed it in the trash."Damn it, a ghost introducing me to an exorcist? What kind of sick joke is that?"
And yet… that address nagged at me. 2386 Huaiyuan Road. My bus license plate was 2386. Too much of a coincidence.
I tried to sleep, but thoughts of Old Tang haunted me. Dawn crept in while I tossed and turned.
As I reached for a cigarette, I found a crumpled tobacco paper instead. Unfolding it, I read:
"Kid, I can tell you've picked up something dirty. I've ridden your bus twice. You're the only one who let me smoke on board—you're a good guy. If you want to live, go to 2386 Huaiyuan Road tomorrow and find Old Liu."
It was written on the paper of a pipe smoker. It had to be the old man with the white towel who'd boarded my bus.
I'd misjudged him. Last night Bai Fan had greeted him as "Uncle Liu," which meant he was real, not a ghost. And now he was warning me too.
So… two sources, both pointing to the same place.
I lit a cigarette and thought it over. Finally, I made up my mind."Fine. I'll go. Whatever's waiting at 2386 Huaiyuan Road, I'll face it."
At dawn, I washed up, grabbed a quick breakfast at a street stall, and headed there.
Huaiyuan Road was the city's biggest slum. Ancient buildings, peeling walls, filthy courtyards. Migrant workers crammed into tiny rooms, seven or eight people to less than ten square meters.
At the entrance sat an old man in a white vest, eyes closed, fanning himself. I walked up and asked,"Excuse me, sir, do you know a Liu Qingzhu?"
He didn't react, just kept fanning himself lazily. Deaf, maybe.
I raised my voice. "Old sir, Liu Qingzhu, do you know him?"
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. They were entirely white—no pupils at all.
I yelped and fell back onto the ground.
Just then, a woman in her forties rushed over, pulled me up with a laugh."Sorry about that. My father's been blind for decades. Did he scare you?"
I forced a smile, shaking my head. "Do you know a Liu Qingzhu?"
At the name, her face froze for a moment. Then she smiled again."Of course I know him. He lives here. A fortune-teller and ghost catcher. You're here for help, aren't you?"
My heart raced. So Old Tang and the old man weren't lying after all.
I nodded. "Big sister, can you show me where he lives?"
She slapped her thigh regretfully."Ah, not today. He went to the city to buy supplies. Won't be back until tonight."
I sighed. "That's fine. I'll come back later."
She nodded and led her father back inside.
Back at the dorm, I messaged Bai Fan:"The old man you called Uncle Liu last night—are you familiar with him?"
She replied quickly:"He's from our village, lives close to my parents. Watched me grow up, pretty much family. Why?"
Relief washed over me. He was trustworthy.
That night, I returned to Huaiyuan Road. By then, the streets were almost deserted, shadows pooling under flickering lights.
At the entrance sat the same old blind man. But this time, his eyes were open—those ghastly white eyes staring right at me.
My scalp tingled, cold sweat trickling down my back.
Then the same woman appeared again, smiling."You came. Liu Qingzhu's back. I'll take you to him."
Something about her was off—too warm, too eager. It made my skin crawl.
I followed her up the dark stairwell, littered with trash, reeking of rot. Dim bulbs barely lit the way.
Finally, we reached the eighth floor. She stopped at a shabby wooden door plastered with ads."This is it. Liu Qingzhu's home. Go on in. I have to get back."
She climbed further up, leaving me at the door.
Just as I raised my hand to knock, my phone buzzed. A message from Bai Fan:
"By the way, Uncle Liu just called me out of nowhere. He said the man you need to find is Liu Yunbo—not Liu Qingzhu. Whatever you do, don't go to the wrong one!"
Before I could react, the door creaked open.