Translator: CinderTL
"It's true," Huai Yi said urgently, sensing that the man before him wasn't feigning. "I saw it with my own eyes. When we reappeared in the elevator, the paper was stuck to the back wall. Miss Lin just casually took it."
Jiang Cheng's expression immediately changed, startling Huai Yi. "Why didn't you tell me then?"
"I... I wouldn't dare," Huai Yi said, his voice trembling. "Miss Lin came with Brother Crimson, so I thought she was..."
He didn't finish the sentence, but Jiang Cheng understood. Huai Yi had assumed Miss Lin was on their side, a member of the Crimson organization.
Considering Lin Wan'er's performance in the instance, it was indeed extraordinary. Though only Jiang Cheng knew that her actions were entirely instinctual. She was simply an exceptionally intelligent woman.
Jiang Cheng even suspected that even if he hadn't come along this time, Lin Wan'er would still have had a chance to survive.
But why she would casually take a piece of paper with such an ominous origin, Jiang Cheng couldn't fathom.
He turned to Huai Yi, his gaze sharp and scrutinizing.
To be honest, Jiang Cheng didn't believe Huai Yi would lie to him. The lie was too obvious, too easily exposed with a single phone call.
What he needed to figure out now was Lin Wan'er's motive.
Had she discovered something?
Perhaps she'd noticed something special about the red paper.
That would explain why she'd secretly taken it, intending to study it further.
If it were anyone else, Jiang Cheng might not have believed it. But if Lin Wan'er had indeed stumbled upon something, it wasn't entirely impossible.
Of course, the most likely explanation was that Lin Wan'er recognized the red paper.
Had she encountered something like it before?
Lin Wan'er's network of connections was complex, even Jiang Cheng didn't know the full extent of it. It wouldn't be surprising if some of her contacts had dealt with the Nightmare.
But right now, Jiang Cheng's primary concern was Lin Wan'er's safety.
Both the Lifeline Note and the clue-bearing newspaper were deeply unsettling. This red paper would only be more dangerous. Who knew what kind of trouble it could stir up?
"What's this red paper for?" Jiang Cheng asked immediately.
Seeing the change in Jiang Cheng's expression, Huai Yi grew nervous. "It definitely has a purpose, but I don't know what it is. I wanted it to trade for something."
"Who's the trading partner?"
Huai Yi swallowed hard and pointed at the computer. "The website. The website administrator."
"What are you trading for?"
"It's not fixed. It depends on what they're willing to offer. They'll appraise the item, and then we'll negotiate. Once we agree, we can trade."
"Contact the administrator immediately. Don't ask about the item's function right away. First, find out what they're willing to trade for it. Then, based on its value, try to subtly inquire about its purpose." Jiang Cheng left these instructions and headed for the door, taking Huai Yi's car keys with him.
He wouldn't feel secure until he saw Lin Wan'er with his own eyes.
"Brother Jiang," Huai Yi stammered, "isn't this too complicated? Surely someone in Crimson knows. Wouldn't it be easier to just ask them?"
"I'm not close to them," Jiang Cheng replied.
"Not close?"
Jiang Cheng had reached the door when he turned back, leaving Huai Yi with a somber profile. "My role in Crimson is to execute traitors and deal with problematic individuals. I'm rarely needed, so I don't often come out."
"Do you understand now?"
"Got it, got it!" Huai Yi immediately sat down and began frantically typing on his keyboard to contact the administrator. "Brother Crimson, you take care of your business first. Leave this to me. I'll handle it perfectly. Just give me a call whenever you want to visit your sea-view villa and see your sisters-in-law. I'll drive you there."
On the drive back to the agency, Jiang Cheng made seven or eight calls, but each one went straight to voicemail.
He'd probably used up too much battery at the Ghost Hospital. His phone was down to less than 10% and he hadn't had a chance to charge it.
He parked the car directly in front of the agency's gate, jumped out, and pushed the door open. It swung inward easily.
Someone had returned.
No.
It was Lin Wan'er!
Only he and Lin Wan'er had keys to this place.
The room was eerily silent, filled with an unsettling atmosphere. Jiang Cheng didn't bother calling out Lin Wan'er's name. There was no need.
Something had definitely gone wrong.
A faint, acrid smell hung in the air. An ordinary person might have overlooked it, but not him.
It was the scent of blood.
After a quick search of the first floor, Jiang Cheng reached the staircase leading to the second floor. At the corner of the stairs, a bloody handprint was clearly visible.
The knuckles were distinct, the fingers long and slender.
Jiang Cheng's pupils suddenly dilated.
Damn it.
A sense of foreboding washed over him, along with a bold hypothesis.
Could the thing inside Xiang Nan—the Ghost from behind the Gate—have escaped again?
Was the red paper its vessel?
If so, Lin Wan'er was in grave danger. This place wasn't the Ghost Hospital, with its labyrinthine corridors and hidden corners. There was nowhere to maneuver here.
He grabbed a knife from the kitchen, gripping it tightly. Then, he turned sideways and slowly ascended the stairs, trying to make as little noise as possible.
Reaching the second floor, the scene before him made his brow furrow.
The sofa lay overturned, flowerpots and porcelain vases shattered on the floor, shredded objects scattered everywhere, and bloodied footprints crisscrossed the floor.
The footprints were erratic, leading ultimately into the bedroom.
The bedroom door hung ajar, and the footprints vanished at the threshold.
Several bloody handprints stained the doorknob, as if left in a moment of extreme panic.
Even more terrifying, he realized the footprints on the second floor weren't made by a single person.
To be precise, a barefoot person had been chasing someone wearing shoes.
Some footprints clearly showed toes, while others were just vague shoe-shaped outlines.
The terrifying speculation had come true.
Jiang Cheng clearly remembered that the Ghost inside Xiang Nan in the Ghost Hospital had been barefoot!
It had really... come out.
Through that red paper, it had crossed into the real world!
With trembling hands, Jiang Cheng pushed open the bedroom door. The scene inside was even more horrific than outside. His wardrobe had been nearly torn apart by immense force.
The mattress that had been on the floor was ripped open, its springs exposed. Jiang Cheng's eyes reddened, and he stumbled, nearly falling to the ground.
In the corner, leaning against the wall, sat a woman.
Blood covered her face and body, her long hair matted with fresh blood, obscuring her entire face.
The stark contrast between her snow-white skin and the crimson blood was visually striking, but Jiang Cheng felt only a bone-chilling cold.
Something inside him seemed to vanish in that moment.
Instead, the shadow he had left on the wall slowly opened its eyes.
In the next instant, the shadow began to boil, as if struggling to break free. It slowly began to protrude from the wall.
(End of the Chapter)
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