After a late-night work meltdown, I spent 9.9 yuan to rent a grandpa.
He remembered how I was afraid of the dark as a child, knew my hometown's pastry recipe, and settled my difficult boss with just a few words.
I thought he was the cure for my lonely life.
Until I noticed that every “shared grandpa” had the same habitual gesture.
Until a warning appeared on my phone: [Unauthorized exploration detected. Memory calibration will begin.]
Until I saw seven young men who looked just like the “grandpas” in an old photo from the Republican era.
And the app's hidden terms stated:
Service termination conditions: confirmation of family lineage, or accidental death of the client.
Now the doorbell is ringing again.
Is the old man smiling at me from the other side of the door a comforting salvation...
or a collector sent by an ancient family to reclaim its bloodline?
