Ghost Matchmaking: Ghost Emperor Husband and Campus Queen Wife

Before she could figure out what "enjoying the good life" meant.

The ghostly woman came to Yun Zhenyue’s side and patted her on the shoulder.

"Let me introduce myself."

"I’m Huang Ting, the line manager of the Flesh Workshop. You can just call me Ting."

The workshop’s incandescent lights cast flickering shadows on Huang Ting’s profile. Her wavy, chestnut-colored hair was tied loosely behind her head, and a pair of dark, panda-like circles under her eyes made her look utterly exhausted.

It was clearly the result of constant overtime and sleepless nights.

"Ting, my name is Yun Zhenyue."

"Mm, a nice name. Quite poetic."

Huang Ting said casually, a flicker of exhaustion in her eyes that she quickly masked.

It was then that Yun Zhenyue noticed two stars on Ting’s collar.

"Seeing as you’re new, let me give you a simple introduction."

Huang Ting raised a hand to rub her temples.

"Our factory has many different workshops, each with a different function. The one with the worst benefits? That’d be ours, the Flesh Workshop."

"We’re responsible for processing flesh-based food. This flesh either becomes food for the factory’s upper management or is offered to the Ghost Lord. There are no benefits to speak of. If you had to name one perk, I guess it’s that you can save on food costs."

"You can eat some of the scraps raw, but you can’t take them with you."

’Ghost Lord?’

Yun Zhenyue blinked upon hearing the unfamiliar term.

’Where have I heard that before?’

’Oh, right!’

’The ghosts from the Nightmare Hunters often called Gu Yuan their Lord.’

’It should mean the same thing.’

’In other words...’

’This place is actually an organization disguised as a factory?’

’No wonder I thought the structure of this factory was so strange before.’

’What kind of factory sends its employees out on missions?’

’Wait a minute!’

’I think I’ve seen this kind of setup in an anime somewhere.’

’Team... Team Rocket?’

’Is this Ghost Lord’s name Giovanni?’

"What are you thinking about? Regretting joining the factory?"

Huang Ting asked, seeing Yun Zhenyue’s pensive expression.

"I..."

"I was thinking about the section chief who assigned us to this workshop. Is he our boss?" Yun Zhenyue asked slowly.

"What, did you provoke him?" Huang Ting asked with interest. "Normally, volunteers don’t get assigned to our workshop. Don’t tell me you actually talked back to him?"

"But a newcomer like you shouldn’t even think about going against him."

"That’s a fight you can’t afford to pick!"

"He’s a four-star employee, a top-tier Crimson-robed Ghost, and he’s about to make it to middle management. He personally captured and dragged back many of the employees in these workshops."

"Not unless you can become a five-star and be his superior."

"After all, in this factory, the leadership’s word is law. You have to do whatever they tell you. If you piss off a superior, they could kill you and face no punishment—though killing too many employees is another story, of course."

At this, Huang Ting took a deep breath.

It seemed she felt she had accidentally said too much.

Things like four-star or five-star status were too far-fetched.

"I work my tail off, pulling all-nighters and overtime every day, but I’m still just a two-star employee."

"So just keep your head down and work hard. Put in a decade or so, wait for me to get promoted, and when this line manager position opens up, you’ll have your chance."

Yun Zhenyue replied obediently, "Okay."

’This boss of mine is a bit of a chatterbox.’

"Go get changed first. In our workshop, you have to work at least sixteen hours a day. Anything less counts as an absence. Not only will you not get paid, but you’ll also be punished."

"That long?!"

Yun Zhenyue was caught completely off guard.

’Only eight hours of non-work time a day?’

’Aside from eating and sleeping, doesn’t that mean you’re working all day long?!’

’No wonder that Ghost Section Chief called the employees ’consumables’.’

’Even a ghost probably couldn’t handle that!’

’Trying to raise your star-rank under these conditions would be next to impossible!’

’The only way would be to complete those special missions.’

’This marriage mission didn’t come with a time limit.’

’Following the usual pattern, I’ll probably need to become a two-star employee at least before I can clear it.’

Yun Zhenyue’s skin crawled at the thought.

’She had no desire to spend a decade in this factory.’

With this in mind, she immediately asked, "I heard that employees can get promoted by completing special missions. Is that true?"

"Hm? Of course. Everyone knows that."

Huang Ting nodded, surprised.

"But someone like you... you’d just be throwing your life away."

"Those missions are either capturing more employees from other places or plundering resources. Basically, they’re all about doing evil things—there’s no line they won’t cross."

’So it really is a villain organization!’

Yun Zhenyue had just been wondering.

’Could Gu Yuan be this so-called Ghost Lord?’

’Now it seems completely impossible.’

’Gu Yuan would never be that evil.’

’Besides, he doesn’t need any resources.’

Noticing Yun Zhenyue’s surprise, Huang Ting rolled her neck, producing a series of CRACKING sounds. "Otherwise, why do you think there are so many workshops?"

"They’re for processing all those resources, of course."

"Ting, are you allowed to be saying all this?"

Yun Zhenyue asked subconsciously.

’Only now was she truly beginning to understand the structure of this factory.’

’The factory and the organization were intertwined, working in tandem.’

’The organization needed to periodically plunder resources and hunt down ’consumables’ to bring to the factory.’

’The factory, in turn, processed these things—be it flesh or Ghost Artifacts—to supply the organization.’

’The two formed a self-sustaining cycle.’

’Those with potential completed missions and rose to middle or upper management.’

’Those without potential just obediently worked the line until they died.’

’Yep, very fair.’

’This model...’

’...It had a certain ’the-sun-never-sets’ kind of beauty to it.’

’Aside from being a bit depraved, there wasn’t much wrong with it.’

"This is all common knowledge. Rather than have you waste time asking others, I might as well just tell you directly."

"Don’t worry, I have a good feeling about you."

Huang Ting patted Yun Zhenyue’s shoulder again.

"I can tell you have more potential than those other ’consumables’. If you get lucky, you might even become my superior one day. When that happens, be sure to look out for me."

Yun Zhenyue: "..."

’Where is all this confidence coming from?’

’Then again, maybe it really is possible.’

’She could use the resources at her disposal to complete those special missions.’

’Like calling over the little paper people?’

’Getting the kids from the orphanage to help?’

’Better not do the latter.’

’This isn’t child’s play; it’s doing real evil.’

"Oh, right. Since you’re so interested, don’t worry about working today."

"Come with me in a bit."

Huang Ting suddenly instructed.

"It’s your first day, anyway. The factory may be utterly depraved, but its system is very clear. You can use today to purchase any necessities and get familiar with the dorms and your post."

"Your official work hours will start tomorrow."

’Is that so?’

’I guess they have a little...’

’A tiny, almost nonexistent bit of conscience.’

Yun Zhenyue’s expression was complicated.

Huang Ting changed her clothes.

Yun Zhenyue followed her out of the Flesh Workshop.

Along the way, quite a few of the ghostly figures were familiar with Huang Ting and greeted her.

"Ting, you seem pretty popular."

Yun Zhenyue didn’t miss any opportunity to gather information about the factory.

"Hah, they weren’t like this before. It’s only because they see I’m about to be promoted," Huang Ting said with a sideways glance.

"Huh? Didn’t you say it would take another decade or so?" Yun Zhenyue asked, confused.

"Under normal circumstances, yes. But I completed a mission not long ago and got enough contribution points."

Huang Ting explained.

"We’re heading to the assessment room now. To get promoted, besides daily work, completing missions, and accumulating contribution points, you also have to be tested on your loyalty to the Ghost Lord."

"If you’re not loyal enough, it doesn’t matter how many missions you complete."

’Loyalty to that Ghost Lord?’

Yun Zhenyue was a little curious.

’She hadn’t even heard any stories about this Ghost Lord.’

’If I were tested, I’d definitely score a big fat zero!’