Translator: CinderTL
Chen Qiang's mind was entirely focused on the mission, so he paid no attention to Huai Yi's performance and didn't take it to heart.
He raised his head and looked at Boss Sang, who had calmed down. "You mentioned earlier that you had a dream. What was that about?"
Boss Sang waved his hand, as if to signal that he didn't want to be interrupted.
"Continue. Start from when you first noticed the Eastern Ghost," Luo He said, as if he understood something.
Boss Sang remained silent for a long moment, as if reliving the scene. "That... that Eastern Ghost... no, it wasn't human. It was a Ghost, a Ghost, that's right! How could a person suddenly appear in my room without me knowing?"
"I was terrified. My legs trembled, and I almost collapsed to the floor, but I held myself back. You have no idea how I managed to stay on my feet," Boss Sang said, tugging at his collar, clearly still shaken. "I didn't dare make a sound. I just inched toward the door, one tiny step at a time. My legs were completely numb."
Listening to Boss Sang's trembling voice, everyone could easily imagine how terrified he had been. Yet they couldn't help but feel relieved.
Fortunately, Boss Sang hadn't made a sound. Otherwise, when they arrived today, they would have found only a cold corpse with a twisted smile frozen on its face.
They weren't particularly concerned about Boss Sang's life or death. They were relieved he was alive only because they hoped to glean clues from him.
"Once I reached the gate, I yanked it open and ran out," Boss Sang said breathlessly. "But I never expected... never expected such a thick fog to have rolled in."
As if reliving the moment, Boss Sang's voice began to change. "I've lived in this town for decades, and I've never seen a fog like that before."
"Perhaps... perhaps you can still see me clearly from where you are, but I can't quite make you out," Boss Sang said, glancing at Luo He.
Since Luo He had covered his face with his hand, Boss Sang had felt much more comfortable, developing an inexplicable trust in Luo He.
As he heard about the fog, something flickered in Luo He's eyes, but it vanished in an instant. He nodded. "Continue."
"At first, I didn't think much of it. After all, there was still that Eastern Ghost in the room. I steeled my resolve and rushed out, intending to find the Shopkeeper of Su's Restaurant across the street. We were good friends, and he and his wife stayed at the restaurant overnight."
"I ran to their gate, but it was late, and their lights were out. I didn't dare shout loudly, so I knocked gently, then leaned close to the crack in the door and called out, 'It's me! Open up!'"
"But to my surprise, before I could even knock hard, the gate creaked open. Overjoyed, I immediately slipped inside."
Hearing this, Huai Yi couldn't help but twitch his lips. This guy is incredibly lucky, he thought. If it were anyone else, they'd probably be dead without a trace by now.
"The first floor was pitch-black. I knew the couple's room was the innermost one on the second floor, so I groped my way to the stairs. After climbing, I turned the corner and saw their door ajar, light spilling from within."
"But... something felt wrong. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but an indescribable unease settled over me. As I approached, my heart pounded harder, as if something were pressing down on it."
"As I got closer, I called out my friend's name, but there was no response. The room was eerily silent, not a sound to be heard."
"But the light was on, there was light. Someone had to be inside. I didn't push the door open right away. Instead, I peered through the crack. But what I saw... I never expected it!"
At this point, Boss Sang's eyes suddenly changed, his emotions spiraling out of control.
"What did you see?" Chen Qiang leaned in, lowering his voice. Everyone instinctively knew what he was about to say would be crucial.
In that instant, Boss Sang's eyes darted wildly, locking onto Chen Qiang's face. The sudden shift startled even Chen Qiang. "It's a darkroom! It's my darkroom!" Boss Sang shrieked.
Darkroom
Huai Yi's eyes widened. How had the darkroom come up so suddenly? They'd been talking about Su's Restaurant, the room his friend had been staying in.
But the next moment, Huai Yi stared at Boss Sang's contorted face, his expression gradually changing. He even began to resemble the boss.
He understood now. It wasn't the boss's nervousness that had caused the narrative to falter. It was...
"You mean your friend's room turned into this darkroom?" Luo He asked quickly, as if he had finally grasped the core of the problem.
"It's not just that!" Boss Sang struggled to stand up, his eyes bloodshot like a gambler who had lost everything. "There's also... that Eastern Ghost!"
"He was standing behind the curtain, facing away from me, still holding those photos!"
"He was waiting for me there!"
"He knew I would come. He knew everything!"
"I was so terrified, I don't even remember how I ran out. All I remember is tripping on the stairs and then running into the street. Every shop door was half-open, and through the cracks, I saw my darkroom in every one!"
"Behind every darkroom curtain stood an Eastern Ghost!"
"Every single one!"
Boss Sang covered his head and slumped weakly to the ground. Huai Yi considered helping him up, but then withdrew his hand.
It was better to let him calm down on his own, to avoid further shocking him.
Judging by the standards of an ordinary person, the man before him had already done remarkably well. Anyone else might have completely broken down.
"But you survived and returned to this photography studio. So," Luo He paused, looking into Boss Sang's eyes, "you think it was all just a dream."
After a long moment, Boss Sang emerged from his memories. He knelt on the floor, his entire body radiating a listless aura, as if he had aged a decade in an instant.
"Yes," he rasped, his eyes vacant. "When I woke up, I was sprawled on the darkroom table, the photographs laid out before me."
"There was nothing behind the curtain either, just the chemicals I had prepared in the sink."
They understood Boss Sang's reasoning: everything that had happened was like a dream. When he woke up, it all reset to zero, and he could start anew.
"But deep down, you don't believe your own conclusion," Lin Wan'er said. "You know it wasn't a dream. It was real. You're just clinging to the idea that it was a dream to escape your fear."
Lin Wan'er stared into Boss Sang's eyes. "Why?"
Her words seemed to strike a nerve. Boss Sang slowly turned around, lifted his shirt, and turned his back to them.
Just below his waist, a dark handprint was starkly visible.
"When I was escaping from Su's Restaurant, I tripped and rolled down the stairs from the second floor to the first," Boss Sang gasped, then added, "Someone pushed me."
(End of the Chapter)
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