Chapter 3 — I stayed at the funeral home to study investment with the owner

The news has spread. Not orchids among the living. Which spreads among the dead. The third day at work, when I pushed open the freezer door, my whole body immediately stopped. Not in the physical sense. The freezer compartment is still the same compartments. The lights are still the same light bulbs. But the sound is different. Previously, only General Director Truong and Mr. Vuong talked. And now—

"Hey, it's her, right? The one who overheard us talking?"

"How do you look? Are you young?"

"I heard he's a security guard, just over twenty years old."

"Security? Is the salary enough to live on?"

Voices overlap. At least five or six voices. I stood at the door, my scalp tingling. General Manager Truong's voice rang out from compartment number 3, carrying a strange sense of pride.

"Shut up everyone! This is the talent I discovered first, what are you guys so impatient about?"

He cleared his throat. How a dead person clears his throat... I really don't dare to imagine.

"Tieu Ha, come in here. Today I will introduce you to some friends."

I took a deep breath and walked in.

“Block number 7, Tran Thuc Phan, retired textile factory worker, just brought in yesterday.”

An elderly woman's voice rang out, extremely bright:

"Girl, can you help me make a phone call? My husband's ears are a bit bad, I'm afraid he doesn't know that there's a sweater in the washing machine that hasn't been dried yet. It's been soaked for three days, if I don't dry it, it'll probably stink."

“Block number 9, Ly Kien Quoc, previously opened a construction materials store.”

A deep male voice said:

"Miss, can you help me send a message to my son? My lease expires next month, the landlord wants to increase the rent. Tell him not to sign! Move to the next street, I've already asked, it's thirty percent cheaper."

“Compartment 11—”

“Wait.”

I raised my hand.

“One at a time.”

I took out my phone and opened the notes section.

"Let's talk, starting with Aunt Tran first. What color is the sweater in the washing machine?"

The freezer room immediately exploded. Seven or eight voices rang out at the same time, as noisy as a market at rush hour.

"I said it first! My work is urgent!"

"What are you in a hurry for? Can you die again?"

“Who are you to jump in line?”

"I came yesterday afternoon! It was my turn sooner or later!"

I stood in the middle of a group of arguing dead people, holding the phone, my face numb. I'm a funeral home security guard. Not the leader of the underworld neighborhood. The next two days, I officially became a "shipper for the dead". Help Aunt Tran call and remind her husband to dry his sweater. This is still easy. I found the family's information, then made up a big reason:

"Hello, the funeral home called to survey after the funeral. I wonder if Mrs. Tran had any unfinished housework before she passed away?"

The other end of the line was silent for five seconds.

“…Your funeral home still takes care of this?”

“We place a lot of emphasis on humanistic care.”

“…It seems like she said there was a sweater in the washing machine.”

“I suggest you go check it out.”

After hanging up the phone, I wiped the sweat from my forehead. My ability to lie is improving rapidly. As for helping Ly Kien Quoc send a message to his son... This is much more difficult. I can't call directly and say:

"Hello, your father's ghost asked me to tell you not to renew the premises."

Finally I thought of a way. I registered a new WeChat account. Image represented by a white chrysanthemum. Then texted Ly Kien Quoc's son:

"Hello, I was your father's friend when he was still alive. He once told me that if the other premises expires, don't renew it, moving to the next street will be more profitable. This is his last wish, please pay attention."

The other person responded almost immediately.

"Who are you? Since when did my dad have a friend like you?"

"It doesn't matter. Just do it."

“Are you a scammer?”

In the freezer, Ly Kien Quoc began to panic:

"You talked to him, asked if he wet the bed when he was a child until he was eight years old! Only I know this story!"

I hesitated for a few seconds then typed.

“My father asked me if I wet the bed when I was a child until I was eight years old.”

The other side shows a message input bubble for ten seconds. Then sent back exactly one word: Immediately followed by the second message:

“I know about the premises.”

Ly Kien Quoc in the freezer let out a long sigh.

"It's done. That kid needs to be treated like this."

I turned off the phone and fell onto the chair. What karma did I create in my previous life? But running errands is running errands. What really makes me unable to sit still is another matter. On the evening of Wednesday, the freezer room had a "new resident". Compartment number 12. The deceased's name is Chu Duc Hai, fifty-eight years old, owner of a real estate company, suddenly died of a heart attack. After arriving here, he quickly started a conversation with General Manager Truong. The two of them just chatted and found out they were in the same industry. They are all investors. So the topic quickly changed from "how did you die" to "what interesting project did you see recently?" Chu Duc Hai said something that made my ears immediately stand up.

"For that land in the East of the city, next month Thinh Hoa Group will announce its purchase plan. Before I died, I just saw the internal documents, the purchase price is forty percent higher than the current land price. The owner of the next row of premises is now selling it off, the price has been pushed to the bottom."

General Director Truong became very interested.

“Are you sure?”

"I saw the document with my own eyes. It's been signed and sealed, just waiting for publication. If I hadn't died, I would have paid the money a long time ago."

I squatted next to the freezer, my fingers frantically typing notes. East of the city. Thinh Hoa Group. Buy at low prices. Forty percent increase. My breathing began to quicken. This is no longer a few thousand yuan of securities. It's a truly life-changing opportunity. I stared at the text on the phone, unconsciously licking my lips. At that moment— Mr. Luu stood at the door holding an enamel cup, looking at me squatting in front of the freezer, holding the phone and typing furiously. I looked at him. He looked at me. The air freezes. Mr. Liu's voice was extremely calm.

“What are you doing sitting here…?”

My brain operates at the speed of light.

“I… I am reciting the sutra for the deceased.”

“Reciting by phone?”

“Look it up online, I don't know it.”

The corners of Mr. Luu's eyes twitched slightly. He lowered his head to look at my phone screen. Written on it:

“Place in the East of the city, Thinh Hoa Group, increased by 40%.”

He raised his head to look at me again.

“Your sutra of transcendence… is so modern.”

I stuffed my phone into my pocket, stood up, and forced a smile that was more unsightly than crying.

“Brother Liu, it's not what you think.”

“I didn't think anything.”

Mr. Luu turned around and left, took two steps and turned back head.

"Tieu Ha, this job is very stressful. Should I ask Manager Ma to register for psychological counseling for you? We have this benefit."

"No need, thank you Mr. Luu, goodbye!"

The door closes. I leaned my back against the wall and closed my eyes. In the freezer, General Manager Truong laughed so much that he wanted to die again.

“Miss, do your colleagues think you're mentally ill?”

“Shut up.”

Mr. Vuong also laughed gloatingly:

“Ha ha ha ha, recite the transcendent scriptures and look up all the stock codes—”

“Shut up for me!”