I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 76
I did a simple tidy-up of the room, then entered the bright living room. I grabbed a pair of small scissors and carefully opened the packaging on the phone box.
This phone was released by a major manufacturer in January this year. Whether it’s the appearance or the width, thickness, and weight of the device, it falls perfectly into my sweet spot. Especially in that “Deep Sea Ice” color, it gives me a feeling similar to Hatsune Miku’s song “Deep Sea Girl (Shinkai Shoujo).” Moreover, the term “Deep Ice” sounds a bit like “Shenzhen.”
After unpacking it, I carefully inspected this phone, which is almost equivalent to all of my possessions at the moment. I couldn’t find any issues, so I brought it to my computer and opened a browser to check its authenticity.
It’s genuine.
Did that Grim Reaper really just… after having a meal at my place and in a heavily injured state, go to a phone store and buy a brand new phone?
No, she clearly changed her clothes. Even her socks and shoes are different. She probably didn’t go directly from here to the phone store.
Does that mean she changed her clothes before going shopping?
Wait, does the Grim Reaper have a home?
As I pondered this, I realized I didn’t have a clear understanding of the existence of the “Miss Grim Reaper.” After being transformed into loli and being able to see Grim Reaper in my daily life, my focus had always been on “what are the rules of this world.” I had been persistently trying to understand where people go after death, whether there is a hell, whether there is a King of Hell, whether there are grim reapers, or what the cycle of life and death is like. However, I hadn’t paid much attention to the “Miss Grim Reaper” herself.
I don’t even know her name, and the dreams I’ve had these past few days haven’t provided any hints either.
From the current situation, it seems that regular “Grim Reaper” and the “Miss Grim Reaper” are not the same thing. I’ve encountered the Grim Reaper twice, and both times, they appeared as figures you couldn’t see the appearance, body shape, wearing hoods, and carrying scythes. Whether they are “beings” is uncertain, and the Miss Grim Reaper is genuinely “alive.”
The Miss Grim Reaper can get injured, can use magic to transform me into a loli, and can use provocative language to disturb my emotions. According to her description, it seems she even worked to earn money before.
So what is her true nature? Does she need to eat? What special abilities does she have? How does she restore her magical power? Can she recover from severe injuries without going to the hospital?
Even if I can’t wrap my head around these somewhat fantastical aspects, it seems like I’m entirely in the dark about the more “everyday” aspects of the Miss Grim Reaper.
As of now, the information I can gather is that she should be a real, existing person, and not some kind of “concept.”
Where does she work? Where does she usually live? Where does she sleep? Does she have her own house? Why, as a Grim Reaper, does she still need to work and come to someone else’s place to eat? How did she live in this world before meeting me?
“…”
Why am I even concerned about these kinds of questions…?
I suddenly realized something in front of the computer. Nuo’er, have you gone crazy? Without the memories of a hero, you shouldn’t have any feelings for that Grim Reaper. She has been bullying you for days, and now, what you should do is get the phone and half-heartedly complete her so-called crossdressing task. Then, figure out a way to firmly suppress this existence that transcends science.
Yes, that’s right. You need to assert yourself, be more dominant. Your relationship with the Grim Reaper should be like… you’re above her, and she’s trained to be obedient, following your every command. With just a glance, she should know where you want to go and what you want to do, and then use that power that transcends science to wholeheartedly serve you.
As I thought about it, the image of the Miss Grim Reaper dressed as a white maid with cat ears, meowing and acting cute, floated in my mind.
Hmm, that’s it.
Since my past self was a “hero” or a similar existence, and that Grim Reaper is the “pet” I rescued, our relationship must be something like “master and maid” or “hero and sidekick.” In that case, it’s perfectly appropriate for me to be more dominant as the master and demand that the Miss Grim Reaper serves me, isn’t it?
It’s extremely appropriate.
Once I understood this, I pressed the power button on the new phone and removed the SIM card from the old water-damaged phone and placed it into the new one.
Great, the card is still good and can be used. By the way, should I apply for a new phone number with my new identity as soon as possible? My old self is already dead, and even the organs have been donated, so in this world, I’m considered a “natural death.” There’s a chance that one day, my phone number could be “recycled.” If this number encounters any issues, all my online accounts tied to it, including gaming accounts, QQ, WeChat, and email, would be affected.
Furthermore, if the phone number is reclaimed, it could end up back on the market. For instance, my current Alipay account is registered with this phone number. If the number is reclaimed and used by someone else, they could easily log in with the verification code and access all the savings in my account.
I’ve encountered similar issues before – when registering a new QQ account, I wasn’t sure if it wasn’t completely cleared of historical data during the recycling process or if it was a system error. There were a bunch of strange photos and diary entries on my QQ space, and when I tried to register gaming accounts with the email linked to that number, it said the account was already registered. I used the email recovery mechanism to retrieve the password and logged in to find several high-level accounts.
Once I had this figured out, I made a quick trip to the service center to register a new phone number and transferred all my money from Alipay. When I returned in the evening, I planned to change the phone numbers for my important social accounts like QQ and gaming accounts. It had to be done this way for now.
With this layer of understanding, I barely had time to admire the new phone. I immediately set up a new password, registered my fingerprints, connected to the Wi-Fi in my rented apartment, and swiftly opened the app store. I downloaded the apps I frequently used.
QQ, WeChat, the blue app, the pink app, the green app… and finally, the food delivery app.
I went to the kitchen, scooped the remaining Rice Pudding into a small bowl, returned to the living room, and began browsing nearby clothing stores while eating.
Hmm… even though wearing more “2D” style dresses like JK sailor suits, Loli, or cosplay uniforms is generally recommended for becoming popular on video-sharing websites, if I want to go all out, cosplay uniforms are the easiest, as they naturally come with the fanbase of the corresponding anime or game.
Just like writing a novel, an ordinary author would likely fail with a title like “War God.” Authors with a bit of savvy would add the word “Invincible” in front of the title, creating “Invincible War God” or “I Really Don’t Want to Be an Invincible War God.” This way, they can ride the wave of the “invincible” trend. However, with everyone writing novels and competing for attention, simply latching onto a popular label is not enough. Some authors go a step further and stack on more tags like “harem” or “reverse harem,” resulting in titles like “I, the Invincible War God, Really Don’t Want to Be Pushed Down by These Fairies” or “You Little Immortal Girls Aren’t a Match for Me, Who’s Not So Invincible.” These titles create a book with maximum buzz.
The same applies to videos. Taking gaming videos as an example, a plain “Me Winning a 1v3 in Battle Royale” won’t attract much attention. Experienced content creators would retitle it as “I, 13 Years Old, with 200 Hours of Gaming, a Top-tier Hunter, a Vegetarian, Nantong, Winning a 1v3 Chicken Dinner in the Game.”
Likewise, ordinary crossdressing dance videos won’t go viral. Some people add popular tags like “boys in crossdress” or “JK sailor uniform” or “cosplay” to make their content more appealing. “Boys in crossdress” would be a scam for me now, as it would be dishonest and go against my principles to gain views. So, if I want my videos to gain popularity, I’ll have to put effort into my clothing.
It’s either cosplay, or… something very cute like a sailor suit. Regardless of the outfit, the allure of a “skirt” is definitely greater than “pants.” In other words, before I get into this, I need to get used to wearing skirts. So, if I’m buying new clothes this time, I better start by trying out a skirt…
“Bam, bam, bam!”
I was still in the living room, sitting at the small dining table, looking at my phone screen, and eating lunch when I was startled by the loud banging sound coming from the nearby front door.
What’s going on? I put down my spoon, stood up, and carefully made my way to the front door.
“Bam, bam, bam!”
Another round of very rude knocking made me jump back several steps in quick succession.
Following that, I heard some muffled words from outside the door, like, “Why isn’t the password working… Ah, open the door! Open the door!” “Open the door! Hurry up and let me in,” and similar phrases.
Did they enter the wrong room? I took a few steps forward and peered through the peephole to see outside.
There, I saw a disheveled middle-aged man with flushed cheeks, seemingly a bit disoriented, impatiently mashing buttons on the door’s keypad.
“Beep, beep, beep… Wrong password.”
“Open the door! Who changed my password?”
“Is there a thief in my house… changing my password? Open the door… open the door!”
As he rambled on, the middle-aged man became increasingly agitated, banging on the door with even more force.
“Open the door! Damn it! What kind of crappy password is this? It’s obviously correct…”
Oh no, it’s a drunkard. I recalled the group of people from the apartment’s WeChat group who would always be clamoring to go out for a drink every evening.
Today is May 6th, a Sunday. For most working people, yesterday or the day before was likely their last day of “days off” or “flexible rest.” Sunday should be a working day without surprises.
However, some people might have lighter work or might be jobless vagabonds. They get drunk in the middle of the night and then, in the daytime, they’re disoriented and can’t find their way home…
What should I do? Right now, I’m just a little girl, Miss Grim Reaper isn’t here, and there’s no one else in the apartment. If I let this drunkard in, my safety is definitely at risk.
It’s a little after noon now, and I do remember there are a few working people in Building Three who come back to rest at this time, but I’m not sure if they come back every day or at this specific time.
Fortunately, the apartment’s door, because of the electronic lock installation, was one of those relatively heavy and solid wooden doors. A drunk person, unless completely out of control, shouldn’t be able to get in quickly.
Incidents like “wrong door knocks” and “food delivery to the wrong door” occasionally happened in the apartment. In the past, the old me, as a middle-aged man, rarely paid much attention to such occurrences. At most, when it was disturbing my writing, I would shout through the door, “You got the wrong place,” and that would be the end of it.
But now… I don’t know if it’s because I’ve become a girl with a smaller amount of courage, or if this body is naturally more delicate, but when faced with the drunkard outside, my first reaction was fear.
Stay calm, Nuo’er, you need to stay calm.
I reassured myself in my mind, and my panicked feelings subsided a bit. I looked around the living room, walked into the kitchen, stepped onto a small chair, and grabbed a kitchen knife.
Then, I quickly opened WeChat on my phone, which I had just installed, and found “Property Management” in my contact list. I sent a message:
?Hey! Someone is drunk and causing a scene outside my apartment. My sister is the only one living here. Please come over quickly.?
Usually, in a situation like this, I would directly call the property management for assistance. But this time, it was rather unfortunate that my old phone was broken, and none of the property management numbers were saved in the new phone.
?Is there anyone from the property management on duty? There’s a drunk person outside unit 301 in Building 3 causing a disturbance. Please come and handle it.?
I messaged the property management of Building 3, feeling uneasy. I then separately clicked on the profile pictures of property management for Building 1, Building 2, and Building 4 in Wujia Apartment and copied the same message to send to them.
?Who’s making all that noise outside Unit 301 in Building 3? Does anyone know??
Finally, I opened the Wujia Apartment WeChat group and sent a similar message again.
?Who’s making all that noise??
Soon, someone in the group replied to me, but it was all unrelated and unimportant information:
?What’s all that noise about??
?Why do they have so much free time to be drinking while everyone else is at work??
?Seriously, are these people not working at all??
“Hello? Hello! Open the door!”
The banging on the door was getting louder and more impatient.
“Open the door! I… I can have one more drink!”
?What’s going on? Unit 301 in Building 3??
Fortunately, after a while, the property management of Building 1 replied to me: ?Drunk? Right now??
?Yes, right now. Please send someone urgently. Unit 301 in Building 3. My sister is home alone. Make sure he doesn’t cause any trouble.?
After sending this message, I silently prayed in my heart, “I hope these property managers won’t find out that ‘Yin Shiren’ is legally deceased when it’s time to vacate.”
Otherwise… two deaths in the apartment within a week, one of them sending messages from their phone after death. Even with strong psychological fortitude, the property managers would probably break into a cold sweat upon learning of such incidents.
?Understood, I’ll have Mr. Yang over now.?
The property manager from Building 1 was quite responsible, responding to my message almost instantly.
?Tell your sister not to open the door, he’ll be there soon.?
Perhaps the property manager from Building 1 had called Mr. Yang, as the property manager from Building 3 quickly replied, saying, “Sorry, I was outside having lunch just now, didn’t notice the message.”
?It’s okay, just hurry over. My sister is terrified.
?Why didn’t you call me directly??
?My phone is out of credit.?
?…?
“Bam, bam, bam…”
“Open the door! Open the door…”
“Whoo… darling, open the door…”
“Zhou Xiao… I love you so much, why did you abandon me… Whoo…”
Sitting behind the front door on a small table with a router, one hand holding the kitchen knife, and the other eyeing the messages on my phone, I listened to the middle-aged man outside, who was clearly drunk, wailing and muttering. After waiting for about seven or eight minutes, a familiar voice from outside reached my ears:
“What are you doing here?”
Then came the confused voice of the intoxicated man, “What am I doing? I… *burp*… I’m going home!”
“Is this your home? Which building are you from?”
“Me? I’m from Building 2, Building 2… Unit 301.”
Immediately, the property manager scolded him, “This is Building 3, you drunkard! You’ve had so much to drink, and you’re vomiting in front of someone else’s door… Geez.”
“Huh? Is this Building 3?”
“No need to ask! This is Building 3! Can you even manage to walk to the wrong building when the two utility poles at the entrance of Building 2 are so distinct? You idiot! How many times have you done this?”
From the property manager’s tone, I could tell that this drunk person seemed to be a repeat offender, and he had irritated the property manager to the point of anger, with plenty of insults being hurled his way.
“Beep, beep, beep…”
A few seconds later, the front door was knocked on again.
“Hello? Little sister, are you at home?”
Through the peephole, I saw the property manager outside, who had a very polite demeanor, saying, “I’m the property manager of Building 3.”
After a moment’s hesitation, I moved the kitchen knife behind my back, opened the door slightly, and then peeked my little head out. In an instant, an unpleasant mix of alcohol and fermenting food odors hit me.
“Oh, cough…”
Perhaps noticing me in my pajamas, the property manager seemed a bit embarrassed, saying, “Sorry for the disturbance, he got lost.”
He pointed to the man who had fallen asleep on the floor behind him and continued apologetically, “I’ll have someone come over to clean the floor shortly. I’m really sorry.”
I nodded to indicate that I didn’t mind, “It’s okay.”
“Really sorry, little sister. Please rest inside for a while. I’ll arrange for someone to clean up right away, and it won’t take more than half an hour.”
“Okay.”
With that, I closed the door.
At the same time, I received messages from the property manager on WeChat:
?I’m here, it’s the guy from Building 2 who got lost. He’s done this before, ended up in Building 4 last time?
?Yesterday, someone from our side ended up in the hospital due to drinking, and we property managers all sent messages, saying not to drink recently, but he just doesn’t listen?
?Your sister is fine, she probably just woke up and looks a bit bewildered. Quite cute.?
I thought for a moment and replied, ?No problem as long as she’s safe. Please take care of it quickly, my sister has plans this afternoon.?
?I’m really sorry, I’ll have the supervisor compensate you with 10 yuan in electricity fees later.?
“…”
The messages on WeChat left me somewhat perplexed. They were going to compensate for this?
It seemed that the drunkard was indeed a repeat offender, and he would likely face a fine this time. I had been living in the Wujia Apartment for a few years, and I could only recall receiving compensation once, which was during the “clogged water pipe incident” two years ago. At that time, for some unknown reason, the water pipes from the first floor to the fourth floor of Building 3 were all blocked, and they had to be inspected building by building. In that incident, everyone from the first to fourth floors in Building 3 received 30 yuan in electricity compensation as “lost work fees.”
In comparison, the penalties at the Wujia Apartment were quite extensive, including fines for parking electric bikes in the wrong place, charging from someone else’s outlet, intentionally leaving the first-floor door open past midnight, throwing trash out the window, littering in common areas with odorous garbage, and more. In all likelihood, the drunkard outside my door now fell under the category of “littering in common areas with odorous garbage,” carrying a fine of 100 yuan. Half of it would go to the cleaning lady, 50 yuan, 10 yuan as consolation for me, and the remaining 40 yuan would either end up in the property manager’s pocket or be confiscated.
Though there were numerous regulations regarding fines, I had managed to avoid them for several years. “Maybe I should consider moving to a different place,” I thought to myself.
After closing the door and taking a final look through the peephole at the property manager who was still on the phone outside, I silently returned the kitchen knife to its place.
Previously, I already felt somewhat out of place in this apartment building. I didn’t smoke or drink, and I didn’t have much in common with the other residents. Now, as a girl, I felt that I should look for a quieter, safer place, perhaps in a regular residential community.
Gated communities typically have security and older neighbors, most of whom are middle-aged or elderly with children. These places are relatively better compared to the apartments full of young people who squander their youth and spend their days drinking. At least in regular, mature communities, there won’t be as many people getting heavily drunk every day and getting lost on their way home.
At the very least, I should find a place like a staff dormitory, where I can share a rental with others. The surroundings should be bustling, at the minimum, not a shabby urban village or a young adult’s apartment complex. Before, as a middle-aged man, I was alone, unattached, and fearless. I could rent an apartment in an urban village or a young adult’s complex. But now, as a girl living alone in such remote and sketchy surroundings with bad neighbors, trouble is bound to find me sooner or later.
If I were to move to an older community or a bustling area, the rent would certainly be more expensive. I went back to the sofa with my phone and downloaded a rental app. There aren’t many valuable things in my apartment, apart from the computer and some clothes, many of my belongings have been acquired for free. If I were to move, it wouldn’t be a big issue to leave behind the furniture and appliances.
The primary concern is the rent.
Balancing affordable rent and safety can indeed be challenging. Looking at the various rental listings on your phone screen, you’re undoubtedly in a complex situation. Most of the lower-priced options are similar to my current “Wujia Apartment,” and they typically involve dealing with a “secondary landlord” or “property manager.” It’s rare to find reasonably priced listings from property owners who offer high-quality accommodations.
Additionally, many landlords require a two- to three-month deposit, which can be a significant financial burden. This practice is often due to concerns about potential damages caused by tenants. For instance, if you’re looking at a 1,000 yuan monthly rental, you would need at least 3,000 yuan to secure it, which you might not be able to afford at the moment.
As I’ve realized, money is a significant issue. What might have seemed like a substantial income from working at the anime convention for a day may not be sufficient for my current situation.
Considering the “Cat Maid Café” flyer Pipi mentioned, it’s indeed worth inquiring about their accommodation options. Perhaps they offer living arrangements as part of the job, and this could potentially ease your housing concerns. It’s always a good idea to explore all potential options for a suitable and affordable place to live.
It seems like I’m considering the option of sharing an apartment with someone else, but I’d prefer to have female roommates, which is a reasonable choice. I mentioned that my daily routine involves going to bed early, which most people wouldn’t mind, and it eliminates the need for a deposit, which can be beneficial.
When searching for shared accommodation, I’ve noticed various requirements from potential roommates, such as having regular schedules, stable jobs, no friends visiting, and no pets. Many individuals offer a room in their larger apartments or houses and are looking for suitable roommates to help share the rent.
However, you came across an intriguing listing for a large two-story house with specific requirements like female tenants, freelancers preferred, and preferably someone who can cook. This might seem unusual, but the price is attractive.
Keep in mind that these requirements can vary widely based on the preferences of the current occupants or landlords. They might want someone who can help with cooking or maintain a certain atmosphere in the house. You could always inquire about these details if you’re interested in the place. Additionally, discussing these aspects with the current tenants can help you understand their expectations better. It might turn out to be a unique but ideal living situation for you.
Online novelists are considered freelancers, and I can “cook.” Plus, their rent is quite affordable, 500 yuan per month, with no deposit required. The location is on the top floor of an older community in Nanqi District, just two kilometers from the newly opened “Shangjing Cat Café,” which is perfect for my needs.
However, I can’t shake the feeling that something’s off.
How about trying to call them to inquire? After all, asking won’t hurt. Realizing this, I copied the phone number of the person who posted the roommate listing, switched to my phone’s homepage, and pressed the dial button.
“Ring…”
“Hello?”
The call was quickly answered, and on the other end, I heard a somewhat familiar and casual voice, “Hello?”
“Hello, are you Miss Ai?” I tried to speak with a mature tone, “I saw your rental listing and wanted to inquire…”
Before I could finish my sentence, I was interrupted by the voice on the other end, “Are you ‘Uncle’?”
Huh? I couldn’t react immediately, “Uncle? What do you mean?”
“Uncle loves loli? Your pen name, right?”
Why is it suddenly about my pen name…
“I… I am,” I replied cautiously. “May I ask who you are?”
“I am your editor, Ai Luodi,” the girl on the other end said.
Ai Luodi? How is this even possible?
“Uh… yes,” I hesitated. “I’ve been thinking about finding a new place to live recently, and my current… lease might expire soon…”
In reality, it wasn’t anywhere close to expiring. I had just paid my May rent for the Apartment, and it was only May 6th, with over twenty days left in the month. But I really didn’t dare to stay there any longer after the recent “drunkard at the door” incident. Compared to a few hundred yuan, my “safety” was far more important.
“Alright, when are you coming to see the place?”
To my surprise, Ai Luodi didn’t seem to care about whether I could cook or not. She said in a lazy voice, “I’m still busy working at the comic convention, so I might not be back until this afternoon.”
“No problem, I also need to look for work in the afternoon,” I replied. I thought for a moment and continued, “Do you already have one tenant there?”
“Yeah, but she only comes back to sleep late at night, and we have no idea what she does the rest of the day. When she returns, she just goes to bed and is very quiet.”
Ai Luodi still had that lazy tone in her voice, “Don’t worry about her disturbing your writing.”
I wasn’t concerned about any disturbances. The level of noise from her wouldn’t compare to what I was already experiencing here. What worried me was the idea of an author like me moving in and renting with my editor. Would it feel like a “lamb entering the tiger’s den”? If I faced writer’s block or delayed a project, would it land me in a tough spot?
“Ai Luodi!”
While still hesitating, I heard the voice of what seemed to be my editor Tuzi. “Stop slacking off and come help with this!”
“Alright!”
After responding to Tuzi, Ai Luodi leaned back to her phone and said, “We bought this house five years ago, and the other tenant has been there for several years. Her personality is fine, so don’t worry.”
“This is my phone number. When you arrive this afternoon, just call this number.”
“……”