18: Chapter 18 Community Optimization and the Dinner of the Earthbound Spirits

Three days later, under the care of Dr. Li's special medication, Lin Yuan's injuries had mostly recovered. The weariness of his soul and the lingering pain in his meridians had not completely faded, but at least they no longer affected his basic movements and low-intensity spiritual operations. More importantly, those 50 points of Power of Faith were like an adrenaline shot, giving him a sense of steady confidence from the inside out.

The sign for the "Optimization Studio" hung in a corner on the third floor of an old residential building in an urban village. It wasn't large, only about thirty square meters, originally a warehouse for a small company. Lin Yuan had rented it using a sum of "confidentiality and additional compensation" (secular currency) paid by Chairman Liu. He had it simply painted and purchased second-hand office desks, chairs, computers, filing cabinets, and a small tea room for receiving guests. The layout was simple, without any superstitious decorations, looking more like an ordinary psychological or management consulting studio.

The sign was designed with Hu Wei's help—a simple Mobius strip symbol with the characters "Optimization" embedded within the loop, symbolizing cyclical improvement and breaking boundaries. The opening was quiet; there were no flower baskets or firecrackers. Only on a few specific niche forums and within the small circles introduced by Boss Qian and Zhang Qiming did the news spread that "Consultant Lin has a permanent studio."

On the afternoon the studio opened, Zhang Qiming visited in person, bringing with him an unexpected commission.

"Consultant Lin, this isn't about my company this time. It's an old classmate of mine. Some strange things have been happening in the old community where he lives. Having heard that you could even handle a big problem like Yongxin, he begged me for an introduction." Zhang Qiming rubbed his hands together, looking a bit embarrassed. "I know you just finished a big case and need to rest, but this... his situation is truly urgent. The payment is negotiable; it's mainly about finding some peace of mind."

Lin Yuan poured Zhang Qiming a glass of water and gestured for him to sit down and explain in detail. He did indeed need more cases to practice and deepen his "Optimization" ability, while simultaneously accumulating reputation and resources. A community-based commission sounded like it would have lower risks than the man-made evil-nurturing ground like Yongxin.

"What kind of strange things? Tell me specifically."

"It's 'Xiangyang New Village' in the old city district, one of those unit dormitory buildings built in the 80s or 90s. Most of the residents now are elderly people and tenants." Zhang Qiming described, "For the past half year, residents in several buildings have reported hearing strange noises at night, like someone pacing or sighing in the hallways, and even low sobbing sounds, especially in Building 3 and Building 5. Some have seen blurry white shadows, but when they chased after them, there was nothing there. They went to the police station and checked the surveillance, but found no outsiders. They've also invited some... um, folk practitioners to take a look; some said it was fine, others performed rituals, but it would only be quiet for a few days before it started again."

"Has anyone been injured? Or are there any particularly concentrated points of anomaly?" Lin Yuan asked.

"That hasn't happened, it's just frightening and has everyone on edge. As for particularly concentrated... it seems everyone says the sounds and shadows appear most often in places where clutter is piled up in the hallways, or near that old locust tree in the community." Zhang Qiming thought for a moment, "Oh right, my classmate said that there have been a few too many elderly people passing away abnormally in the community over the past half year. Although they all passed away due to age and illness, the frequency is higher than previous years, which makes everyone even more spooked."

Hallway clutter, the old locust tree, the increased frequency of elderly deaths... Lin Yuan analyzed rapidly in his mind. This sounded like a typical phenomenon of earthbound spirits or the accumulation of lingering thoughts. It might stem from the negative emotions long accumulated in the community—loneliness, illness, fear of death—forming weak energy fields in certain specific locations (clutter piles have heavy yin energy, old locust trees easily gather spirits), attracting wandering souls or giving birth to local "ghost stories." The increased frequency of elderly deaths might be a coincidence, or perhaps a weak influence of this negative energy field on those who are physically frail.

"It sounds like a mild supernatural phenomenon caused by a 'negative energy cycle' in the community." Lin Yuan gave his preliminary assessment. "I can go take a look and create a 'Community Energy Field Assessment and Harmony Optimization Plan.' The basic consultation fee depends on the complexity and workload, ranging from fifty thousand to one hundred thousand. If special handling is required, I will quote separately."

"Fine! They can accept that price!" Zhang Qiming breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll tell my classmate right now and arrange for you to go take a look as soon as possible?"

"That works, let's make it tomorrow morning. I'll go do a preliminary investigation first." Lin Yuan agreed.

Zhang Qiming left happily. Lin Yuan sat in his new studio, looking at the rooftops of the old city district outside the window, pondering this new commission. This might be a great opportunity to expand "Optimization" from the corporate and individual level to the broader level of "community public space and collective emotion." If successful, he could not only earn payment but also collect more stable and diverse "Harmony" and "Peace" type aspiration power from a wider group, and might even touch upon certain divine domains related to community protection and home tranquility.

He called up the system to check the status of the [Composite Spirit Body Containment Field]. Over the past three days, in addition to recovering from his injuries, he had also been trying to gently contact and comb through the contained grievances using his weak "Optimization" intent. Progress was slow, but he could feel that some of the outermost, scattered fragments of "fear" and "anxiety" seemed to have been slightly smoothed out and dissipated, converting into an extremely minute amount of neutral energy, replenishing what he had consumed during his recovery process. As for the core phantom of the infant spirit and the main mass of work-related injury grievances, they remained silent, but that sense of violent pain seemed to have weakened just a little bit.

"Perhaps the mild negative energy in the community can also be handled with a similar approach of 'channeling' and 'conversion,' rather than necessarily having to contain or dispel it?" Lin Yuan thought thoughtfully.

The next morning, Lin Yuan carried a simplified tool kit (mainly containing the spirit aura pointer, revealing powder, compass, and notebook) and arrived at "Xiangyang New Village."

The community was indeed old; six-story red brick buildings were arranged densely, the hallways were dim, and various pieces of clutter were piled in the corners. The residents were mainly elderly, sitting downstairs basking in the sun, their eyes filled with a sense of twilight and a trace of imperceptible anxiety. In the center of the community stood a lush, old locust tree, likely decades old.

Zhang Qiming's old classmate, Director Sun of the community neighborhood committee, was a slightly chubby man in his fifties with a worried expression, waiting at the entrance early on. Seeing that Lin Yuan was so young, a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes, but out of respect for Zhang Qiming, he was still very polite.

Lin Yuan didn't waste words and started working immediately. He first walked around the community, using his spiritual sense and the spirit aura pointer to get a rough reading. The overall energy field was indeed quite "depressing," especially between the buildings and around the locust tree, where a faint grey mist lingered, but the intensity was very low, far from the overwhelming malice of Yongxin. The pointer would have a slight and continuous deflection at several specific piles of clutter and under the locust tree.

He focused his investigation on Building 3 and Building 5, which had the most rumors. The lighting in the hallways was poor; they were damp and piled with old furniture, cardboard boxes, and other clutter, which indeed easily bred gloomy energy. He tested with the revealing powder, and in some corners that never saw sunlight, he could see extremely faint, grey-white mist residue that seemed ready to dissipate the next second. This was a trace of long-term stagnation of yin energy, but it had not formed a conscious spirit.

Under the locust tree, he felt a more obvious gathering of energy. The old locust tree itself had a rich aura of life, but it was also easy for it to absorb the scattered energy around it. On the ground under the tree, he could vaguely feel traces of sadness, attachment, and reluctance—very faint, like imprints left by many elderly people who had once stopped here, chatted, and finally said their goodbyes.

"Director Sun, have many old residents moved away or passed away in the community in recent years? Especially the elderly who often spent time under this tree?" Lin Yuan asked.

Director Sun was stunned for a moment, then sighed: "Yes, in this old 'New Village,' many of the old colleagues and neighbors from back then have passed away in these few years, and many have moved away to live with their children. This area under the tree used to be very lively, with people playing chess and chatting... now, there are fewer and fewer people." His tone was full of wistfulness.

Lin Yuan understood the basics. The root of the community's problem lay in the decline of popularity and the accumulation of a twilight atmosphere. The passing of the elderly, the departure of their children, and the decay of the community brought about a vast amount of negative emotions—sadness, loneliness, and attachment to the past. These emotions were harmless on their own, but under the combined influence of the community's physical environment (poor lighting, clutter, the old locust tree gathering spirits) and collective psychological suggestion (rumors of haunting), they slowly accumulated to form a weak "collective negative energy field." This field, in turn, affected the residents' moods (especially the sensitive or weak), exacerbating their anxiety and creating a vicious cycle. Those "white shadows" and "sounds" were likely psychological projections of highly sensitive individuals under the influence of this energy field, or perhaps the accidental manifestation of residual emotional fragments.

"It's not a major issue, but it requires comprehensive adjustment," Lin Yuan said to Director Sun. "It's not a haunting; it's just that the community's 'aura' has a slight problem. It needs some environmental adjustments and collective activities to improve."

He gave his preliminary suggestions:

1. Environmental cleanup: Organize volunteers to thoroughly clear all clutter from the hallways to ensure proper ventilation and lighting. Trim the overly dense branches of the locust tree that are blocking the light.

2. Energy channeling: Suggest adding some public leisure facilities (stone benches, chess tables) in key locations within the community (such as under the locust tree and in the open spaces between buildings), and planting some plants with fresh scents that have a mild air-purifying effect (such as mint and mugwort).

3. Introduction of activities: Try to organize some collective activities suitable for the elderly, such as tea parties, health seminars, or handicraft interest groups. Even if the scale is small, the goal is to break the loneliness and inject vitality.

4. Psychological building: The neighborhood committee should step forward to provide scientific explanations tactfully, downplay the "haunting" rumors, and emphasize community renovation and neighborly care.

Director Sun listened to these very "down-to-earth" suggestions, and the doubt in her eyes gradually disappeared, replaced by seriousness and contemplation. "Consultant Lin, what you've said... it seems like we don't need to hire a master to perform a ritual?"

"The environment and the human heart influence each other. By changing the environment and improving the state of mind, many problems will naturally dissipate," Lin Yuan said. "Of course, for some key nodes, I can help perform some simple 'energy cleaning' and 'aura guidance' to ensure the effects manifest faster. This part requires some special materials and techniques, which will involve some costs."

Director Sun discussed it with several building leaders who had rushed over upon hearing the news, and they quickly agreed to Lin Yuan's plan. The basic consulting fee plus the "special treatment" fee totaled eighty thousand yuan. For a community plagued by these issues, this price was acceptable.

That afternoon, with Director Sun's cooperation, Lin Yuan began his "community Optimization."

He first had the community organize manpower to start clearing the clutter from the hallways. He himself, carrying his tools, went to the few spots where energy stagnation was most obvious.

Under the locust tree, he did not use any aggressive talismans or drastic measures. Instead, he took out the mugwort floss and sandalwood powder he had purchased from a traditional Chinese medicine shop, mixed them with a small amount of his own blood (containing a faint intent of "Optimization" order), and with the locust tree as the center, drew a complex energy-guiding rune array on the ground aimed at "channeling," "purifying," and "condensing vitality."

Then, he ignited the mugwort floss and sandalwood powder in the array.

Wisps of blue smoke rose, carrying the unique refreshing scent of mugwort and the calming fragrance of sandalwood. Under the effect of the rune array, it did not drift away randomly but, as if guided by an invisible force, slowly seeped into the ground and the surrounding air.

Lin Yuan sat cross-legged beside the array, mobilizing about 1 point of Power of Faith, and through his "Optimization Guidance" divine ability, integrated his will into the smoke and the array.

He "saw" that the faint grey aura lingering around the locust tree (residue of sadness and attachment), under the guidance of the mugwort and sandalwood scent and the rune array, began to slowly dissolve and transform, like ice and snow meeting the warm sun. Part of it turned into harmless natural energy and returned to the world; the other part—the relatively "pure" intentions of "attachment" and "protection" toward the community—was captured and refined by the rune array. Combined with the locust tree's own vigorous life force, it formed a wisp of extremely faint, yet "peaceful" and "homely" pale green aura, which began to slowly nourish a small area around the locust tree.

Meanwhile, at key locations in the cleaned hallways, he used cinnabar mixed with a special pigment to draw miniature "warding off gloom," "ventilation," and "gathering yang" runes. These runes were not aggressive; they merely continuously emitted a weak, orderly energy field to improve the local micro-environment.

The entire process lasted over three hours. When it ended, Lin Yuan had consumed about 2 points of Power of Faith. He felt slightly fatigued, but his spirit was in good shape. He could clearly feel that the overall "somberness" of the community had significantly lessened, and especially around the locust tree, there was an added hint of reassuring "vitality."

"Alright, the environmental cleanup and energy channeling are preliminarily complete," Lin Yuan said to Director Sun, who had been accompanying him. "Next, follow the plan: get the public facilities and greenery set up as soon as possible, and organize more activities. Most importantly, let everyone's spirits come alive."

Director Sun and several elderly people stood under the locust tree, feeling the air that indeed seemed much "fresher," and their faces revealed long-lost, relaxed smiles. "Consultant Lin, you are really... different from the people we hired before! It feels reliable!"

In the evening, Lin Yuan returned to his studio and received the bank transfer from the community. Eighty thousand yuan was credited. At the same time, a system prompt quietly appeared:

[Mission Completed: Community Negative Energy Field Channeling and Optimization]

[Reward Obtained: Worldly Currency (partially converted into convenient resources), trace feedback of 'Peace' and 'Harmony' aspiration power]

[New Faith Connection: Weak Connection +11 (some residents of Xiangyang New Village)]

[Deepened Understanding of Divine Office: 'Optimization' can be applied to the construction of a virtuous cycle for collective emotions and environmental fields.]

[faith reserve: 49.801] (Note: Consumed 2 points, obtained a trace amount of replenishment, net loss of about 0.2 points)

The harvest was not bad! Although the net growth of faith points was negative (mainly due to consumption), he had gained new and broader faith connections, deepened his understanding of his divine office, and earned worldly funds. More importantly, he had verified the feasibility of "Optimization" at the community level.

He had just sat down to rest and was preparing to make a cup of tea when his phone rang. It was Boss Qian.

"Brother Lin, that little job at the community was done beautifully. It was as silent as spring rain moistening things." Boss Qian's information was as well-informed as ever. "There's a new situation I need to tip you off about. 'Lingxiao' made a move this afternoon. A subsidiary of theirs that specializes in 'micro-enterprise faith loans' just contacted Zhang Qiming, offering to provide his company with a 'special faith loan for team cohesion and efficiency improvement' at a very favorable interest rate, with the condition that... he must introduce their designated 'Efficiency Supervision God' for daily 'faith infusion'."

Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed. This was a precision strike! They were targeting the "enterprise Optimization" field where he was currently performing well, using lower interest rates and seemingly professional "supporting services" to snatch away his potential clients and market! This was testing his commercial value and also squeezing his living space!

"What did Zhang Qiming say?"

"Old Zhang isn't stupid. He tipped me off, saying he felt something was wrong and is stalling for now. But he also said that if the other party's terms are indeed good, the pressure will be immense." Boss Qian said, "It seems 'Lingxiao' has started trying to cause you trouble. This is just the beginning; you need to be prepared."

"I understand. Thank you, Boss Qian." Lin Yuan hung up the phone and tapped his fingers lightly on the desk.

The tentacles of capital were indeed pervasive. A direct confrontation might not have arrived yet, but the commercial encirclement and infiltration had already begun.

He needed to build his barriers faster, deepen the irreplaceability of his "Optimization" services, and expand more diversified sources of income (aspiration power).

Just as he was thinking, the studio door was gently knocked.

Outside the door stood a middle-aged woman dressed plainly, her complexion haggard. She was clutching a cloth bag tightly, her eyes full of anxiety and a hint of despair.

"Excuse... excuse me, are you Master Lin from the Optimization studio?" The woman's voice was hoarse. "I... I heard you can solve some 'unclean' matters... My daughter, she seems to have... been latched onto by something... Please, save her!"

Looking at the grey-black aura of misfortune entwined around her—far more intense than that at Xiangyang New Village—and the unsettling sense of blood and evil faintly emanating from the cloth bag, Lin Yuan's heart sank slightly.

It seemed the community's "small trouble" was just an appetizer.

The real "tough battle" might have already come knocking at his door.