Late Night Bookstore - Chapter 4

Zhou Ze was taken aback for a moment. So, the reason he was able to borrow the body of “Xu Le” for his own revival last night was because he had just been killed? Since his body was still warm, Zhou Ze had been able to take over? In hindsight, it seemed that he was indeed a bit lucky.

There was no disgust, no anger and certainly no panic at the possibility of his identity being exposed. Instead, he turned to face the man standing behind him, who appeared to be around the same age.

The man was momentarily stunned. He saw something unusual in Zhou Ze’s eyes— a look of joy, relief and perhaps even a bit of admiration.

Zhou Ze knew how perilous his situation had been the night before. As a wandering soul, if this man hadn’t coincidentally killed someone at that exact moment, Zhou Ze might have disappeared completely and unable to see the sun today.

“Sorry, I passed out last night and woke up with a terrible headache this morning, like a hangover. I can’t remember what happened yesterday,” Zhou Ze explained casually. He wasn’t worried that the man would figure out he was a ghost inhabiting another’s body—unless the guy was completely out of his mind.

“You’re not mad at me?” The man pointed at his own nose in disbelief. “Even though I already told you I knocked you out yesterday?”

“It’s fine. Actually, I should thank you for not taking my phone or computer from the table.”

“Uh… I just forgot.” The man scratched his head awkwardly. “Glad you’re okay. Here’s the money I took from you yesterday.” He pulled 300 yuan out of his pocket, followed by another 800 yuan. “The 800 is for your medical expenses and the 300 is what I took from you yesterday.” The man pressed his lips together. “I lost my wages gambling online and was desperate for cash. When I saw your bookstore, I thought I’d rob you. But after knocking you out, I realized you weren’t breathing and freaked out. I spent the whole night terrified the police would break down my door and arrest me for robbery and murder. I felt so stupid for taking only 300 yuan—it wasn’t worth it at all.”

The man reached out and patted Zhou Ze on the shoulder. “Man, I’m so glad you didn’t die. I was walking around outside all morning, waiting for the cops to show up, but then I saw you still in the bookstore. I almost got down on my knees to thank you for surviving! If you’d died, I’d be screwed. There are so many cameras around here, I wouldn’t have gotten away.”

Zhou Ze looked at the 1,100 yuan in his hand and then at the man, who was on the verge of tears, apologizing for being a “murderer.” The whole situation felt bizarre.

To be honest, “Xu Le” was indeed dead. It was only because of his death that Zhou Ze had been able to take over his body and because Zhou Ze had done so, this guy had narrowly avoided being a murderer. In a strange twist of fate, both Zhou Ze and this man had benefited, while the unfortunate Xu Le was the only real victim.

“Alright, no harm done. Maybe I just had the wind knocked out of me last night,” Zhou Ze said, removing the man’s hand from his shoulder. As a former emergency room doctor, Zhou Ze had seen all kinds of unsanitary situations. However, in those extreme environments, he developed a slight obsession with cleanliness. In fact, most emergency doctors have varying degrees of cleanliness issues. Having witnessed so much dirt and grime made him appreciate “cleanliness” even more.

“You really don’t blame me?” The man sounded almost delighted.

“No, I don’t,” Zhou Ze nodded. “Go back to work and live your life properly. Don’t make the same mistake again.”

“Thanks, man. You’re a real stand-up guy.” The man nodded earnestly, then left the bookstore to embrace his “new life.”

Zhou Ze picked up his phone, pondering whether to call the police. He decided to report the man, but not for the attempted murder. Instead, he’d report him for theft. Let the police investigate. If the guy had a criminal record or had done other bad things, he’d get what he deserved.

After all, Zhou Ze had taken over Xu Le’s body. He should at least do something for the poor soul. Although, given the man’s sincere apology and reimbursement for medical expenses, reporting him still felt like a pretty underhanded move.

Just as Zhou Ze dialed 110 and the operator’s voice came through, the man suddenly returned to the store.

“There’s one more thing…” The man stopped in his tracks when he saw Zhou Ze with the phone in hand. His expression froze and he pointed at Zhou Ze. “You’re calling the police, aren’t you?!”

Zhou Ze shook his head.

“Show me the phone! Give it to me!”

Zhou Ze shook his head again.

“You don’t keep your word, you bastard! I’ll kill you! Let’s see if you die this time!”

The man flew into a frenzy. He must have had some mental issues, likely exacerbated by a lifestyle of gambling and being disconnected from society for a long time. He was easily triggered by stress.

The man lunged at him and Zhou Ze put down his phone, started to back away. Zhou Ze, in his previous life, had been a doctor, not a fighter, and this body was weaker than his original one. So, when it came to face-to-face fighting, he felt quite flustered.

Bang!

The man slammed Zhou Ze against the wall and his hands began to tightly grip Zhou Ze’s neck.

“I told you not to call the cops! I’ll kill you this time! Let’s see if you come back to life after I strangle you and drain your blood! Let’s see if you still live!” The man shouted through gritted teeth.

The poor bookstore was empty in the afternoon. There were hardly any customers and even fewer passersby.

Zhou Ze’s neck was almost numb and he could no longer breathe. He struggled desperately and during the struggle, his fingernails turned black and elongated.

Then, Zhou Ze wrapped his arms around the man’s back.

“Hiss…” The man shuddered, his eyes rolling back as he let go of Zhou Ze’s neck and stumbled backward, knocking over a few bookshelves before collapsing to the ground.

Zhou Ze managed to escape from his predicament and massaged his neck. He hadn’t been too frightened—after all, his nails could injure even the fiercest evil spirits from hell. So, dealing with an ordinary person shouldn’t be a big problem, right?

However, Zhou Ze wasn’t entirely clear on the specifics of what his nails were or what they could do. He only knew that they were “infected” by the elderly man he had treated before the car accident.

As expected, Onychomycosis¹ can spread easily, with one person infecting two others.

Zhou Ze crouched down and patted the man’s face. Fortunately, he was still alive and breathing. Zhou Ze shook his head and picked up his phone to call the police again.

……………

After taking the statement, the police officer asked Zhou Ze to wait in the small hall. The situation he reported was rather bizarre. He claimed that someone had come to rob him but ended up being knocked out by him and now this “murderer” was still in the hospital. They would have to wait for him to wake up to confirm further details. At least the police didn’t put handcuffs on Zhou Ze.

Next to him squatted a middle-aged man whose left hand was locked to a radiator.

“Hey, man, you’re pretty tough. That guy tried to rob you and ended up getting taken down by you?” The somewhat disheveled middle-aged man said while rubbing his dirty long bangs. ” Reminds me of my younger days. For these clueless thieves, you just have to beat them to a pulp!”

“Hey, you better behave yourself,” a young police officer scolded as he walked over. “How many times have you stolen electric bikes since winter started? It’s almost New Year, can’t you just settle down? Or find a proper job to earn some money to send home? You’re too old for this.”

“Working is impossible for me. Not in this lifetime. I don’t know how to run a business, either. Stealing bike batteries is the only way I can get by. Going to the detention center feels like going home. Everyone there is talented and they speak so nicely. I really like it in there!”

“Hmph.” The young officer didn’t want to deal with him anymore and walked away.

“Bro, how was my little speech just now?” The greasy middle-aged man asked Zhou Ze with a wink.

“Pretty entertaining,” Zhou Ze replied with a smile.

“Che Guevara² is my idol. Che Guevara, do you know who he is?”

Zhou Ze nodded.

“I’m telling you, life should be…” The greasy man trailed off as he caught sight of something at the door. “Oh my goodness, how beautiful! Is she a police officer?”

Zhou Ze glanced over. A woman in a blue down jacket and tall boots was walking toward them with another female officer.

” She probably is,” Zhou Ze said.

The woman was beautiful with a delicate figure and fair skin. Most importantly, it was the aura she exuded that added to her charm.

“But she’s not in uniform,” the greasy man countered.

“Maybe she’s in plain clothes,” Zhou Ze speculated.

“You’re right, a beautiful police flower. Tsk tsk, it seems I need to come here more often,” the greasy middle-aged man smacked his lips, looking wistful. “If I could marry her, I’d gladly give up ten years of my life.”

Zhou Ze shook his head. He didn’t dare to joke about life spans anymore.

“You don’t agree?” The greasy man became agitated. “You’ve got no taste, man. A woman like that, trading ten years of life for her is definitely worth it…”

At that moment, the female police officer and the woman in boots walked up to Zhou Ze.

“Xu Le, your wife is here to take you home. The investigation’s over. You’re free to go,” the female police officer pointed at Zhou Ze and said.

“……” Zhou Ze.

“……” The greasy middle-aged man.

TL Notes:

1. Onychomycosis – A fungal infection that affects the nail. Symptoms includes discoloration of the nail, thickening of the nail and separation of the nail from the nail bed.

2. Che Guevara – A theoretician and tactician of guerrilla warfare, a prominent communist figure in the Cuban Revolution (1956–59), and a guerrilla leader in South America.