Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“What happened to the fifth man?” asked Li Du with concern.
“A couple of local urchins ventured here and then one died,” Benedict said. “The family kept it a secret because it was illegal and a trespass. The other thing is, they probably won’t like it when it gets out, but it’s only known to us who live here.”
Li Du touched his nose and frowned. The house seemed to have many problems.
Ghost or no ghost, he bought a house with a gruesome history for $2 million, and selling it would not be easy.
When he frowned and said nothing, Benedict said, “I suggest you get out of here. Don’t live here anymore.”
Li Du asked, “What about you? Aren’t you afraid to live here?”
Benedict shrugged. “We don’t live here all the time. We come by once in a while.”
“What if you met a ghost in that once in a while?” Li Du asked. “Didn’t that dead Montana rancher just come by once in a while?”
Benedict shrugged again. “He was hit by a car. Well, I mean, it’s none of your business. The ghost would only stay here, and it would not go elsewhere. Otherwise, the whole area would be in chaos.”
When he wanted to ask more, Benedict interrupted him by saying, “My last bit of advice to you is save your life and get out of here. It’s dangerous, I swear, it’s dangerous!”
Then, without another word, he turned away.
Li Du looked down at the ground. Benedict had just entered the house, though he only stepped over the doorway.
He could not help but wonder how Benedict, his neighbor, could have entered the gate if he was really afraid of ghosts in the house. Moreover, he was brave enough to live here.
The doubt passed through his mind, and he returned to the house without further thought.
The weather was not good. The sun appeared intermittently, and in the evening when there was no sunset, the sun disappeared without anyone knowing, and then gradually the sky became dark.
Their first night in the haunted house came.
Li Du brought a lot of food, including barbecue ingredients. He was good at barbecuing, so he set up the grill and prepared a meal.
The meat they brought was salted in advance and they put it directly on the grill. It was delicious.
Young Markelov pulled out a barrel and the others prepared for a barbecue and beer in the yard.
Lu Guan shivered and said, “Boss, let’s go in and eat, can’t we? I don’t feel at ease outside.”
“Don’t worry about ghosts,” Young Markelov said impatiently.
Lu Guan scratched his neck and said, “Who said anything about a ghost? What do you mean?”
Young Markelov grinned and said, “No ghosts, huh? Be careful in the middle of the night…”
Lu Guan panicked at once. “Are you going to act like a ghost and scare me? You can’t do that, f**k you. Boss, you look after this bastard!”
Li Du stared at Young Markelov and said, “Don’t cause a mess. What if something goes wrong if you scare him and we miss the real thing?”
“What could go wrong? Is there a ghost? Well, I’ll take care of it. How can there be ghosts in the world? Some people have a ghost in their hearts, though!” Young Markelov said without caring.
The Markelov brothers had been soldiers, they had killed, and some of their comrades were killed. They had seen much blood and death, so they didn’t believe in ghosts or anything supernatural.
Li Du was turning over the roast chicken. The little animals around the grill suddenly looked warily at the door, and Ah Ow ran out again.
Lu Guan got nervous. ” What did she find now?”
Young Markelov pushed him aside and said angrily, “What are you afraid of when there are so many people? Why grab my arm?”
Lu Guan stammered, “No… Not me, I didn’t grab you. Damn, I, I, I was sitting here!”
“Who grabbed me then?” asked Young Markelov.
Knowing his brother’s nature, Big Markelov made to cuff him over the head.
Young Markov laughed. “Don’t hit me, haha, hit the ghost…”
When Li Du asked Godzilla to come over for a barbecue, he walked to the door and saw Benedict, the neighbor who had appeared during the day.
They approached each other, and Benedict asked, “Are you still here? Do you want to die?”
Li Du pointed behind his back and said, “It’s OK. We really don’t believe in ghosts. Thank you for your concern. By the way, did you have dinner? We’re having a barbeque, and it’s delicious!”
The aroma of the meat has already permeated the surroundings. Big Quinn’s cooking was fantastic. The specially preserved meat was delicious.
Benedict sniffled and said, “Well, that’s a bit awkward, isn’t it? We’re not familiar.”
Li Du thought he was worried about the danger of this haunted house. He laughed at his reason and said, “What about it? Why don’t we get to know each other during dinner?”
“Yes, we’re neighbors, we’re going to get to know each other sooner or later,” Benedict said as if to give himself an excuse.
Li Du led him to introduce him to the others. When he saw a group of big men around a large grill, Benedict froze.
When he saw Godzilla roasting meat, Benedict gasped, “My God, this guy is so strong!”
“We’re all strong, except for the skinny monkey. Hey, you are brave enough not to be afraid of ghosts coming out of this haunted house, right?” Young Markelov said casually.
Benedict laughed. “I’m an atheist, just like you.”
“And you still advise me to move?” asked Li Du.
“Well… I’m an atheist, but I’m still afraid something will happen to you. After all, many things have happened here. Maybe there’s bad karma, right?” sneered Benedict.
Ah Ow came up to him and sniffed, then sneezed a few times as if she smelled something pungent.
Benedict recoiled, but Li Du stopped Ah Ow and called her back, laughing. “My dog doesn’t bite.”
Godzilla placed slices of roast beef on a plate, and the group began to gulp down meat and drink.
Benedict, too, was eating. He looked hungry. The freshly roasted beef was hot, but he kept shoving it into his mouth while blowing out hot air.
Li Du invited him not just to be friendly, but to learn about the situation.
Benedict, however, had no time to talk. He had come to eat, and he would come and get more food as soon as it was ready.
Godzilla was shocked. “This guy eats more than I do.”
Benedict ate not only because he was hungry, but because he was racing against time. When he had finished, he wiped his mouth and said, “Thank you very much for your hospitality, boys. I have something to take care of at home. I have to go now.”
