Chapter 2
Trying to make heirs in a place like this was downright unsettling.
It was no wonder that the Holt family offered 15 million right off the bat.
I glanced around the room and frowned.
I said, "How am I supposed to handle business in a dump like this? You gotta pay extra.
"Alright, I won't make things hard for you. Just make 20 million in total."
Fletcher looked at me with a hint of suspicion in his eyes.
He said, "You're quite skilled for someone so young.
"But you're not exactly what I pictured a corpse driver to be."
Back in the day, corpse drivers were all about transporting bodies and laying the dead to rest.
But times had changed so fast. Nowadays, there were all sorts of new ways to transport the dead.
Our trade had been on the decline for a while.
We were pretty much on the verge of extinction now.
To revive the Holt family, my grandma turned to ancient practices and discovered a new way to make money.
She used traditional corpse-raising techniques to extract the vital essence from the newly dead, making sure they could still have descendants.
As for the cleanup work, that was a side hustle I started, just trying to retire early.
Rich kids always had too much time and too little purpose.
Kids like Crispin, who ended up taking their own lives, weren't exactly rare.
Sometimes it was all about keeping up appearances, other times they were just hiding the truth.
There was always gotta be someone trustworthy to handle the cleanup.
After I finished explaining, Fletcher nodded, though he was still only half-convinced.
He paused for a second, then asked if he could take a look at my bag.
I handed over my backpack, stuffed with all my tools, without a second thought.
Fletcher carefully inspected my backpack, then took my phone.
He said, "Please don't take offense, Madam. This concerns the future of the Holt Group. We can't afford any risks.
"Once everything is settled, we'll return your phone along with the remaining payment."
I nodded in understanding and stated my own request as well.
After all, making sure the dead could have descendants wasn't exactly something I'd want to advertise.
Since I was dealing with the dead, there were tons of taboos. I couldn't mess around easily.
I said, "I'll light a candle at the door. Until it burns out, no matter what you hear, don't come in or interrupt.
"No watching, no filming, and keep things quiet. Don't draw any attention."
Fletcher agreed to all my requests.
As I closed the door, I couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure there's nothing wrong with the birthday you gave me?
"Everyone's birthday is fixed from birth. Each one is unique.
"To have children safely, both dates must be written on the marriage contract and burned for the spirit medium. Only then will the ceremony be flawless.
"If anything goes wrong because of your own carelessness, you're not getting a single cent back from that 20 million."
Fletcher quickly replied, "Rest assured, Madam, the birthday is spot on.
"As for everything else, I've followed your instructions to the letter. Nothing will go wrong, I promise."
He sounded so earnest that I couldn't really argue anymore.
So I took the talisman with Crispin's birth details and shut the door.
The moment the door clicked shut, the temperature in the room dropped sharply.
A chill swept through the air, and I felt a cold draft brushing against the back of my neck.
I frowned and started my usual sweep of the room.
It didn't take long before I realized something was off.
To keep the corpse in top shape, the temperature and humidity in the room had to be tightly controlled.
Everything was kept within strict limits for preservation.
I'd gotten used to these chilly, creepy rooms by now.
The only thing that really felt off was that it always felt like there were eyes on me, just quietly watching from somewhere in the room.
I couldn't let my guard down.
I began investigating the room, using the rituals my grandma had passed down to me.
I took out my spirit compass and activated the detector hidden inside.
Times were changing.
It was only by blending ancient techniques with modern technology that I could guarantee absolute safety.
I checked every corner of the room, making sure I didn't miss a thing.
Sure enough, I caught something suspicious.
It turned out that there was a tiny camera wedged between two books.
I made it look like I just happened to bump the books.
Once I was sure there weren't any other hidden cameras, I could finally relax a little.
Being a corpse driver was so obscure and mysterious that hardly anyone even knew what we were capable of.
Most clients couldn't help being curious about what I actually got up to.
But I had never met anyone as picky and suspicious as the Holt family before.
Just to make sure they wouldn't try to sneak another peek, I lit a candle and started getting ready.
I put on an ornate golden mask that covered my entire face and a bright red undergarment, designed to stir the blood of the dead themselves.
Once everything was ready, I slowly approached the bed where Crispin lay and murmured softly, "It's fate that brought us together.
"I don't know if you're really the one I've been searching for, but after tonight, we'll be bound as a couple.
"I'll carry on your bloodline, and you'll make sure I get to enjoy my retirement."
Anyone else would've gone insane after whispering words of affection to a corpse in a blood-soaked room,