Short, Light, Free

Chapter 189: Ghost Market III

I took the pocket watch out of the pouch once more.

It looked a little old under the moonlight. I opened it up and there was only a watch face inside – no needle at all. There was just an empty black hole in the middle.

It must’ve been taken out.

I shook it a little but there wasn’t any sound. It was just an empty shell.

Have I been scammed?

My voodoo dolls might not be worth much, but it still sucked to be cheated.

There wasn’t a point in getting this watch checked since there were no needles. How am I going to sell it? F*ck, the older the wiser!

Then again, why was this empty shell of a watch so heavy?

I lifted it up and looked into it from outside.

The workmanship was excellent, unlike that of cheap goods that get churned out in large quantities without regard for quality.

The watch cover was fine and there were a lot of words on it.

All English.

Frustrated, I took my mobile phone out and spent 10 minutes keying the seven rows of English words into the translation engine.

“Cut out a photo of someone you hate and place it inside. When all three needles point at the person you hate, vengeance will be sought and a spirit will grant your wish.”

A chill ran down my spine. It was exactly what I had written on my red paper but more ruthless.

Open the watch, put a photo inside, wait for the clock to strike 12 and a vengeful spirit will help you?

If this was real, wasn’t it much more effective than my voodoo doll?

But why were the needles missing?

Was it to prevent more harm from happening to people? I turned my phone light on and aimed it toward the black hole.

I tried squinting but I really just couldn’t see anything. When my eyes started hurting, I finally gave up.

Just then, a fatty crossed my vision.

Pang Guang, Dahai’s cousin and the person that was in charge of the Northern part of the market.

He trodded over with a lady, seemingly in a rush.

He’s done this before whenever he was looking for Dahai.

Since Dahai has already left, I figured that Pang Guang would ask me about it.

I shifted my attention to the lady beside him.

The lady was in a rather revealing outfit. It wasn’t very decent for them to be together like that, but I’ve yet to figure out their relationship.

I lowered my head as if I hadn’t seen them. I rearranged my voodoo dolls a little and placed the pouch on top of the golden pocket watch.

“Hey Qiao, where’s Dahai?” Pang Guang asked.

I raised my head and smiled. “He was complaining that business isn’t good so he went somewhere else to try his luck. Do you want me to call him?”

“That impatient boy…”

“Are you here to check on the accounts, Brother Guang? You’ve made a wasted trip if you are. Since when did Dahai ever record them down properly? No worries, though, he’s not a bold kid. He won’t take what he shouldn’t.”

“No, no. I’m here for you today,” he replied with a smile.

“I’m sorry? You’re here for me?” I asked, puzzled.

“This is my new girlfriend. She’s selling clothes in the department store,” he introduced.

“Hi, sister,” I greeted warmly.

She smiled but kept quiet.

Pang Guang grabbed one of my dolls up. “Hey Qiao, does this really work? Are there any side effects from this?”

“It’s passed on from my ancestors, but the materials we use now are slightly worse off. It’s real, though, so no worries.”

“You inherited this? Wow. It’s no wonder you’ve been selling them all this while. I’ve come here because I remember this and I’m thinking of getting one. Your sister over here has an enemy.”

“Take it if you want. It’s free for you since you’ve been taking care of me and letting me do my business here.”

“Alright. Xiaomei, tell Brother Qiao what happened so he can teach you how to use this doll. The person you hate will disappear forever,” he laughed and casually placed his hand over her bosom.

She took the doll and leaned in close to me. “Does it really work, Master?”

Master? Shocked, I answered, “Of course.”

“I have a colleague who entered this job with me. I work diligently, but because of her relationship with our boss, she is now my leader. She bullies me every day and claims my sales. She’s absolutely mean,” she explained, her voice getting increasingly nasal.

“I get it. Is it just her?” I asked.

“Yes. Will it work?” she repeated.

I picked up a red paper from the mat. “I’ll need her name and a tuft of her hair. Take a needle to jab the stomach and do not let go. That will give her a stomach cancer in half a month’s time.”

The lady was obviously fascinated. After a short pause, she said, “Thank you, Master! Won’t I be caught, though?”

“Burn it with fire after the jab. No one will find out, don’t worry.”

“Thanks again, Master.”

“Qiao, I hope it really works. If it does, I’ll give you more publicity. If not, we’ll be very disappointed,” Brother Guang told me.

“Wait, Brother Guang.”

“What is it?”

“The tradition’s been passed through many generations so it might be less effective. I have something good here, however, and it’s even better than my doll,” I shared as I took the pocket watch out.