I deliver food in a bizarre world

What could Chen Cen have gotten into that requires me to come and see him? And why did he specifically emphasize that it's inconvenient to talk on the phone?

Thinking about his "side hustle," Chen Mo had some guesses in his mind.

He recalled that his notebook mentioned that people who work in certain professions for a long time or stay in certain environments are prone to getting dirty.

The "Three Guarantees of Good Fortune" team, especially the night shift security guards, is one of them.

When a person stays up late, the three "fires" on the top of their head and shoulders become weaker.

Chen Mo sighed helplessly; things had only been quiet for less than a day...

What was that saying?

As long as you can endure hardship, you'll have endless hardship to endure! As long as you can work, you'll have endless work to do!

He turned on the switch, and the electric scooter slowly drove out of the shade of the trees. He needed to get something to eat first, and then go see Chen Cen.

There might be other surprises!

It was just past seven o'clock in the evening, and it wasn't completely dark yet.

Chen Mo rode his electric scooter back to the entrance of the residential area and parked it in the non-motorized vehicle space next to the security room.

The security room was lit up, and through the glass window, you could see a young man in a security guard uniform sitting inside.

He looked to be in his early twenties, with a healthy bronze complexion, a buzz cut, and a hint of youthful naiveté in his eyes and brows. He stood up straight, as if he had served in the military, but at that moment he seemed restless.

Chen Mo pushed open the door and went inside; the bell on the door jingled.

Chen Cen seemed startled, looked up, saw it was Chen Mo, and immediately showed an expression as if he had seen a savior, and stood up abruptly.

"Brother Chen! You're here!" His voice was a little loud, with obvious nervousness and excitement.

"Hmm." Chen Mo sat down on the plastic chair next to him, his movements slightly sluggish due to the injury on his left shoulder.

"What's the matter? Why are you in such a hurry?"

Chen Cen rubbed his hands together, his face showing a conflicted and fearful expression: "Brother Chen, I... I think I've encountered a ghost."

Chen Mo asked doubtfully, "Are you sure?"

He lowered his voice and leaned closer: "These past few nights, when I've been patrolling, I've always felt something's off."

"What's wrong with me?" Chen Mo asked calmly, casually taking a glass of water from the water dispenser next to him.

"It's just... I keep hearing someone coughing behind me, like an old man, coughing really badly." Chen Cen gestured, "But every time I turn around, there's nothing there!"

"Also, um... several times, I went to the G area, and no one had moved in yet; it was a bare-bones area."

"As soon as I get close to that spot, the flashlight beam starts flashing erratically, even though the battery is fully charged! And there's something even weirder..."

He swallowed hard, and the color drained from his face.

"The night before last, I was patrolling the second basement level of the underground parking garage. Wasn't there some construction waste piled up in that corner? I think... I think I saw a white shadow, crouching behind those pipes, not moving at all."

"I shouted... and... I just asked who was there, and the shadow vanished in a flash! I mustered my courage and went to look, but there wasn't a trace of it!"

Chen Cen became more and more excited as he spoke, gesturing wildly: "Brother Chen, I told my uncle, and he said it's nothing... I didn't believe in these things anyway..."

"But... but it's been like this for several days in a row. I'm terrified when I'm on night duty, and I don't even dare to patrol remote corners alone anymore. If this continues, I'm afraid I'll lose my job."

Chen Mo looked at him but didn't speak immediately.

Chen Cen's expression didn't seem fake; his lingering shock was genuine.

"Besides hearing and seeing these things, have you felt uncomfortable anywhere? For example, feeling cold, dizzy, or weak, feeling listless, or having strange dreams?" Chen Mo asked.

Chen Cen paused for a moment, then thought about it carefully: "Now that you mention it, it does seem a bit like that... These past few days I've been feeling a chill down my back, like someone is breathing on my neck..."

"I can't sleep well either. I keep dreaming that I'm in a dark place looking for a way out, but I can't find it no matter what I do..."

As if remembering something, he quickly took out a small red cloth bag from his uniform jacket pocket and handed it over.

Upon opening it, Chen Mo found a yellow paper talisman folded into a triangle, with some wear and tear on the edges.

"This...this is a talisman my mom got for me from the temple, and I've been carrying it with me all this time. But it seems...it's not very useful." Chen Cen's tone was somewhat dejected.

Chen Mo took the talisman and pinched it with his fingers.

The paper was rough, and the cinnabar runes on it were drawn crookedly. He glanced at it and immediately realized it was a fake.

"The talisman is fine, wear it for peace of mind." Chen Mo returned the talisman to him without revealing the truth.

Chen Mo activated his spiritual eyes to look at Chen Cen. His aura was relatively clean, and his three yang flames were strong, showing no signs of being possessed by evil spirits or ghosts.

However, a very faint gray-black aura lingered around his back and shoulders.

In terms of severity, this isn't the kind of intensity one would expect from someone who's been cursed or possessed. It's more like a faint, sinister mark left by something sinister brushing against you.

This aura is weak and not very aggressive; it only makes people feel uncomfortable and uneasy.

"It's not a big problem," Chen Mo said. "You probably just accidentally picked up some unclean scent while on patrol. It's not like it's haunting you, much less like it's trying to kill you."

"It's this lingering scent that can affect your senses, making you prone to hallucinations and feeling a chill down your spine."

Upon hearing this, Chen Cen's eyes lit up, as if he had grasped a lifeline: "Really? Brother Chen, then...then do you have a way to get rid of it?"

"Simple." Chen Mo stood up. "Go get a bowl of water and find a pair of unused chopsticks, any ordinary ones will do."

Although Chen Cen didn't understand what to do, he immediately did as he was told, filling a bowl with water from the water dispenser and taking out a pair of disposable chopsticks from the drawer.

Chen Mo made him sit down with his back to him.

He dipped his finger in the water in the bowl and quickly traced three lines down Chen Cen's spine, while simultaneously reciting a simple mantra for cleansing the body and calming the mind.

This is also what's recorded in the notebook; it can only dispel this lingering gloom.

After reading it aloud, he picked up the chopsticks and gently tapped them three times on each of Chen Cen's shoulders.

Chen Mo glanced at it and saw that the yin energy had completely dissipated.

After doing all this, Chen Mo said, "Alright, stand up and move around a bit, feel it out."

Chen Cen stood up with some skepticism, twisted his neck, and stretched his shoulders, a look of surprise gradually appearing on his face.

"Huh? It feels...it really does feel much better! That chilly feeling on my back is gone!"

He patted his back forcefully, looking incredulous: "This...that's it?"

"Hmm." Chen Mo poured out the water, threw away the chopsticks, and clapped his hands.

"Get some sunshine these next few days, and find someone to keep you company when you're on night duty. Don't always go into dark places alone. You should be fine in a couple of days."

Chen Cen blushed with excitement and kept thanking Chen Mo while holding his hand.

"Brother Chen, thank you so much! You've really helped me a lot. I... let me treat you to a meal!"