Translator: CinderTL
Just as the security guard was about to quicken his pace to lead the way, a voice suddenly called out from behind, "Old Wu." A man carrying a blue and white striped bag shouted from not far outside the door, one of the people from earlier, "Who should I look for to sign later?"
"I can sign it," the security guard replied loudly.
The man nodded, hoisted the bag onto his shoulder, and left.
The security guard hesitated for a moment, then turned back to the group and said somewhat awkwardly, "I need to sign something later. Would you mind waiting for me for a bit?"
Looking at the scattered shops inside, and a woman selling cooked food lying on a recliner scrolling through her phone, Hua Luo asked the security guard, "Is it far?"
"Not far, not far at all. Just walk straight ahead. See the elevator up there?" The guard pointed, "Take the elevator and you'll go straight down."
"Where are the stairs?" Hua Luo continued.
"The stairs?" The guard paused for a moment, wondering why anyone would choose stairs over an elevator.
But soon, he seemed to realize something.
He stared at Hua Luo's throat, where the Adam's apple was quite prominent, and his voice was noticeably deeper than that of an average woman.
Sure enough, the guard looked Hua Luo up and down, a glint in his eyes, and swallowed hard, thinking to himself that this was indeed not a normal person.
His interest waned significantly, and he didn't try to persuade them further, instead saying bluntly, "The stairs are over there, a bit further. You'll see a row of shops when you go down." He paused, then added, "Any empty ones are available. Just note down the numbers and let me know."
"Alright."
Without much further ado, the group headed towards the stairs. Ever since entering the Nightmare, everyone had developed an indescribable fear of enclosed spaces like elevators.
And these fears were born from bloody lessons.
Before even entering the stairwell, Banana Wolf, who was walking at the front, put down his backpack and pulled out a 30-centimeter-long machete.
"Follow me," he said.
Then Wan Yuanning, Hua Luo, and Yu Lan obediently lined up behind Banana Wolf, like a mother hen with her chicks.
A moment later, Hua Luo stepped out and moved behind Yu Lan, standing firmly.
Pursing her lips, Yu Lan felt a surge of gratitude and whispered to Hua Luo, "Thank you."
Everyone knew that this place was likely connected to the ghost's past experiences, and it was probably where the ghost had worked.
In other words, the likelihood of encountering something strange here was high.
And based on countless horror movies and novels, the people at the front and the back were the most likely to encounter danger.
Hua Luo nodded, simply replying with a "Hmm," his sharp eyes fixed on the stairs leading down, his handsome brows gradually turning fierce.
But when they reached the bottom, the scene before them made them doubt their assumptions.
They had expected a desolate, bleak sight, but what lay before them could only be described as somewhat quiet.
Wan Yuanning looked around, guessing that there must be more than one entrance to this place.
Near the exit, sitting by the door, was an old woman with her pants tucked into her socks.
At her feet was a cloth bag, and in front of her was a white foam box covered with a yellowed quilt.
The aroma of corn wafted over.
Yu Lan couldn't help but swallow hard.
Further in were two rows of smaller shops, and as the guard had said, there were quite a few empty spaces. At first, there were a few scattered open shops.
Most of the shopkeepers were lazy, barely acknowledging customers as they scrolled through their phones.
Or perhaps they were managing online shops at the same time.
They glanced around briefly, seeing small items like socks, gloves, underwear, and toothpaste, along with a few shops specializing in imported Korean goods.
As Yu Lan passed by, she picked up a few items to look at, all brands she had never heard of.
There was even one shop with no owner in sight, just a cardboard sign on the door that read "Clearance Sale."
The further they went, the more they felt the desolation of the place. Garbage began to appear on the ground, and piles of sand and construction materials were left unattended.
They pressed on, the lights growing dimmer, giving the place a drowsy, oppressive feel.
Fortunately, they had the foresight to buy six flashlights from a stall they passed earlier.
One for each person, with two spares.
Banana Wolf had even suggested they each buy a watermelon knife for self-defense, but seeing the fierce look on his face when he said it, everyone decided against it.
With him alone wielding a machete, they felt safe enough.
Wan Yuanning, walking behind him, deliberately kept a couple of steps back, seemingly worried about getting hurt if Banana Wolf swung the knife.
Thus, the scene became quite bizarre: Banana Wolf focused on the path ahead, while the others kept their eyes on the gleaming machete in his hand.
"Are we there yet?" Yu Lan whispered, looking nervous, her eyes darting around.
They had passed over a dozen shops, all of which were empty, leaving only dirty glass counters and scattered goods and trash on the floor.
But the most unsettling thing was the mannequins piled in the corner, draped in plastic sheets of unknown colors.
They were posed in various strange positions, looking eerily lifelike under the dim light.
It felt as if they could come to life at any moment.
Turning a corner, Banana Wolf, who was at the front, stopped and said, "We're here."
Everyone looked over to see a shop with a string of small colored lights spelling out "Sunshine Tales."
The lights flickered, giving off a cheap vibe.
They had expected an abandoned, dusty, and eerie shop, but it seemed to still be in operation.
As they approached, they realized it was a Nail Art studio, with a row of slightly worn chairs and a table covered with gold velvet at the entrance.
The table was filled with various nail samples, nail polish, and small nail decorations. The interior was decorated in a lively style, with pink as the main color.
Posters and colorful wallpaper adorned the walls.
But... there was no one in sight, nor nearby.
"Whoosh—"
The sudden sound of running water startled everyone. Yu Lan stumbled back several steps, bumping into the table. If Wan Yuanning hadn't caught her, the table would have tipped over.
"Thud!"
A bottle of bright red nail polish fell to the ground, splattering on Yu Lan's white shoes. The thick red liquid slowly flowed across the shoe's surface, thicker than blood.
In the dim light, it looked eerily unsettling.
Then, a curtain that matched the color of the wallpaper was pushed aside, and a face with fine wrinkles around the eyes peeked out.
"I got back late today. I'll continue with more updates tomorrow. Thanks for your support!"
(End of the Chapter)
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