He took a deep breath and stepped across the crack. Instead of the freezing stone he expected, the sole of his shoe met a warm rubber mat. Looking up, he found himself facing a modern tollbooth. Neon tubing outlined the words “Underworld Traffic Administration,” while a blue-and-white LED screen flashed: “Today’s restricted license plate numbers for the Gates of Hell: Yin A 23456, Bing 78901.”
“Hey, what are you standing there for?” The underworld officer, wearing a dark blue suit, tapped on the glass. His name badge read “Zhao Tiezhu.” In his right hand was a silver device that looked like a POS terminal. “Show your pass between the worlds of the living and the dead. No ETC? Use the staffed lane.”
Lin Shen fumbled for a talisman and handed it over. Zhao Tiezhu scanned it with the device. An electronic voice announced: “Traveler to the underworld: Lin Shen. Remaining lifespan: 27 years, 4 months. Toll for this passage: three hundred-yuan hell banknotes. Underworld Pay, GhostPay, and cash accepted.” This book is entirely fictional.
