The Red Moon Curse had finally found its root cause, and soon, the true winter of the year arrived. With Christmas looming, followed closely by New Year's Day, this holiday period promised ample downtime. Zhou Huan’s Fushou Hall had settled into a rare period of calm. During this lull, Dongzi and the others immersed themselves in their respective studies, while Zhou Huan focused intently on dissecting the Red Moon Curse. Yet, no matter how deeply he pondered, the secret mechanism eluded him. In his quest for answers, Zhou Huan even brought in Long Sheng for consultation, but they still couldn't uncover a single clue.

During this time, Fushou Hall had practically transformed into a research laboratory. Days were spent meticulously examining talismans, complex mechanical tools, and efficient methodologies. Many of the lingering spirits within Fushou Hall even assisted them with their experiments. Every day, Zhou Huan and his companions ensured these ghosts received meals—specifically, the good food; the less palatable offerings rarely saw takers.

This period brought an unusual quiet to Fushou Hall; business had slowed considerably. Those like Da Luobo and Dongzi were practically vibrating with boredom, spending their days cooking, or in Dongzi’s case, rubbing the black residue from burnt talismans onto his battered shovel—a practice he called 'nourishing.'

“I can’t take it anymore!” Dongzi exclaimed, his hair, which had grown quite long, bristling as he frantically raked his hands through it. His hair stood almost on end as he loudly bemoaned, “What is everyone doing? Is there no one who’s free? Come out and play with me!”

“Dongzi, stop making noise. Can’t you see we are all reading and researching?” Shi Bingyuan gave Dongzi a disdainful glance before speaking.

Zhou Huan had just managed to grasp the structural relationships behind the formation of the Red Moon Curse. He was likely capable of conjuring a literal red moon now, but the issue lay in control—having manifested the moon, he lacked the necessary command over it. Thus, he dared not test it, forcing him to continue his slow, methodical study. Hearing Dongzi shouting downstairs like a lunatic made Zhou Huan profoundly irritated.

“Dongzi, what’s all the racket? Christmas is almost here. Go to the supermarket and pick up some supplies. If that’s too much trouble, go out and find some temporary work, just for fun. Work a short stint and then come back.” Zhou Huan said these words casually; his true intention was simply to rid himself of Dongzi’s restless energy, hoping to shunt him off to the side.

Dongzi blinked, his mind churning with unknown calculations. After a moment of thought, he decided, “Brother, you’re right. I think I should go find some odd jobs. Staying here is too stifling, especially with Da Luobo taking charge of the cooking anyway.” As he spoke, Dongzi retreated to his room, slung his tool bag over his shoulder, and emerged to face Zhou Huan. “Brother, I’m going out to look for work. I’ll try to be back before Christmas and New Year’s so I can bring something back.”

“Go on, go on. At least you won’t be shouting nonsense around the house. I hardly believe you’ll find any good work, though,” Zhou Huan stated, knowing Dongzi too well. It was highly probable this fellow would end up at Yang Xiaoling’s place, as she would certainly need extra hands right before the holidays when gatherings and dining events spiked.

Yet, Dongzi actually veered from Zhou Huan’s expectation. In an uncharacteristic move, he stopped outside a company holding a major sales promotion. He noticed the entrance adorned with various promotional goods—appliances, decorations, and sundry items.

Dongzi swaggered into the store. The two receptionists at the door greeted him instantly with overly sweet voices: “Welcome!” Dongzi closely examined the greeters, then scratched his head, calculating internally. He figured he couldn't handle the actual work anyway; his voice was far from pleasant, so helping out with shouting promotions might be better suited.

“Sir, may I assist you with anything?” A particularly delicate-looking sales associate approached Dongzi slowly. Dongzi casually unzipped his jacket, puffed out his chest, and adopted an air of deliberate bravado.

“Miss, could you please find your proprietor, the boss or the madame?”

“Sir, perhaps you should return later. The boss and madame are out and won't be back until noon. Otherwise, if it’s urgent, I can relay a message.”

“It’s nothing major. I just want to get some exercise here. I need my boss’s permission first, of course. What I mean is, I’d like to become your colleague, a fellow worker.” Zhou Huan’s phrasing was surprisingly refined, perhaps a bit excessive for the situation and certainly not his usual tone.

Most of the sales staff were women. Strangely, after Dongzi asked, these ladies didn't stare at him as if he were some sort of reptile. Instead, they responded, “We are indeed short-staffed, but this person needs a certain level of endurance and strength.”

“And what kind of work is that?” Dongzi was genuinely curious now; he wanted to stay for a couple of days before leaving.

“We have continuous activities from Christmas through New Year’s, about ten days total, so we need a large volume of products moved in and out of storage. How does that sound?” Dongzi was surprisingly good at following up. The woman speaking was the manager; with the owner absent, she held the authority, having been granted full hiring power by the boss.

“Then I’ll come work here for these days. Just assign me the labor,” Dongzi sounded eager now. It was truly bizarre; he must have been desperately idle.

The female supervisor suddenly snapped to attention, her demeanor instantly shifting as she clarified, “However, I must be clear about one thing: your time here will be a probationary period. You’ll receive only a twenty-yuan meal subsidy daily. After New Year’s, I will consider recommending you to the boss and madame as a core staff member, and your salary will increase then.”

“That’s fine, salary is secondary. I’m not interested in the long term. I just need something to do so I don’t go crazy from boredom.” After this thorough understanding, Dongzi agreed to help with lifting and hauling. Even this manual labor felt interesting to him, as the establishment was quite large—a major appliance distributor with over a dozen dedicated movers, one manager, and several dozen other employees. Dongzi’s role was hardly significant in the grand scheme.

It went smoothly. Dongzi worked the entire morning at the appliance mall. At lunchtime, the manager who had first greeted him said, “Oh, right, I never asked your name! Where do you live?”

“My name is Lin Dongzi, and I live at Fushou Hall!”

“What? You live at Fushou Hall?” It seemed Fushou Hall was quite famous, known to nearly everyone in Andong City. However, there was one persistent belief: that those from Fushou Hall were strange and unfathomable. The manager looked Dongzi over carefully this time. “But your bag is quite unique. It suggests you are someone important.”

Dongzi practically swelled with pride upon hearing he was considered important. His self-regard inflated rapidly. In that single moment, his expression shifted from placid neutrality to a constant, beaming grin. Dongzi immediately launched into a boastful history, highlighting only the flattering parts; he never mentioned his embarrassing moments.

Within moments, he had the manager completely dazzled. After a short wait, the manager handed Dongzi a set of cutlery. “From now on, this set is yours. We provide free lunch here daily; I’ll take you now. But I still believe you must have some special talents, otherwise Fushou Hall couldn’t be so formidable.”

After lunch, Dongzi enthusiastically started moving items in the warehouse and helping load trucks. However, the man driving the truck, who managed the manual laborers like Dongzi, spoke in a harsh, demanding tone. He nitpicked everything and never communicated clearly, making him unpopular with everyone there.

As a newcomer, this driver immediately planned to cause trouble for Dongzi. But Dongzi, being straightforward, did exactly as he was told without ever arguing with the foreman. This only confused and frustrated the driver and the foreman, making it hard for them to find grounds for a complaint.

Subsequently, these two men conspired to give Dongzi a nasty surprise. They placed a slick, wet bar of soap right at the main entrance—certain that stepping on it would send anyone flying.