Just how much greater will the suffering I endure be compared to Zhou Fengchun's?
Just as Jiang Jiuguo was deep in thought,
"Are you scared?" Number 35 calmly turned his neck to look at him. "Right, you said earlier that you were afraid of pain."
"It's not fear, I'm just wondering if it's too late for me to run away now."
"It's too late."
"Then can you prepare some painkillers for me?"
"No, because they won't work," Number 35 said.
"Then prepare some anesthetic."
"That won't work either."
"Then prepare some discs for me. Stephen Chow's movie *From Beijing with Love* said you can distract yourself to divert attention."
"That won't work either," Number 35 said after a few seconds of silence.
After speaking, he explained to Jiang Jiuguo, "Nothing works, no matter what you use. We've thought of everything you have. Live people, hypnosis—we've tried it all."
"Then can I ask a question?"
"You can," Number 35 turned his neck to look at him. "Ask away. As long as it's about the Ghost Sequence, I can answer you."
"Then you won't be able to answer me."
"Why?"
"Because my question has nothing to do with the Ghost Sequence. I want to ask which is more painful: the suffering after consuming the ghost sequence formula, or having to go to work or school every day."
???
He seemed somewhat accustomed to Jiang Jiuguo's 'optimistic' nature.
Number 35 said, "You are the most optimistic person I have ever captured."
"I have to be optimistic. It's not like I can just cry in front of you."
...
Number 35's usually expressionless face twitched.
He thought he had gotten used to Jiang Jiuguo's personality, but apparently, he hadn't.
The waiting period for Zhou Fengchun to complete his transformation was tedious.
The two of them could only stand at the doorway and watch, chatting intermittently to pass the time.
"Ah!!!"
Zhou Fengchun cried out in agony. His transformation was still ongoing, and the symptoms on his body were almost entirely shifting toward those of a dead person.
"Will Zhou Fengchun die?" Jiang Jiuguo asked.
If Zhou Fengchun weren't still occasionally screaming,
the way he looked, lying on the ground, he wouldn't even need makeup; he could perfectly play a corpse.
Immediately after,
before Number 35 could respond, Jiang Jiuguo asked another question.
"If he doesn't die, will he be able to transform into a Ghost?"
"I don't know if he will die; it depends on whether he can hold on," Number 35 said. "He won't transform into a Ghost yet. Generally, after consuming the formula, it takes one year to fully transform."
"Do you mean Zhou Fengchun hasn't been consuming the formula for a full year yet?"
Jiang Jiuguo suddenly understood.
The first time he saw Zhou Fengchun, the emptiness and numbness in his eyes might not have been due to being captured, but rather being tormented into that state by the formula's transformation.
Jiang Jiuguo couldn't help but wonder... if he took the formula, would he also end up like that?
"Hmm?"
Just as he was thinking, Zhou Fengchun's body stopped trembling in Jiang Jiuguo's line of sight.
Dead?
No.
He was still alive.
Zhou Fengchun's chest rose and fell faintly. He was still breathing, and at the same time, the corpse spots and stench on his body were gradually fading, slowly changing him back into the appearance of a living person.
"Not bad."
A rare look of satisfaction appeared in Number 35's cold eyes.
He then opened the door.
Seeing this, Jiang Jiuguo followed him inside.
"What do you want to eat?" Number 35 came to Zhou Fengchun's side.
Disregarding whether Zhou Fengchun minded or not, he helped him up against the wall and pulled aside his sweat-soaked clothes to examine him.
"Water, and meat."
Zhou Fengchun's voice was weak and faint.
He seemed long accustomed to Number 35's actions. He had been here for nearly a year, and Number 35 performed a routine inspection after every transformation.
"Alright," Number 35 said, looking at Jiang Jiuguo. "Come with me and help me get some food for Zhou Fengchun."
Jiang Jiuguo did not refuse.
Number 35 was decisive and efficient. As soon as the inspection was complete, he immediately got up and took Jiang Jiuguo out.
But just as they reached the doorway,
he stopped and looked back at Zhou Fengchun.
Finally,
he spoke sparingly, "One more time."
The words were brief, only a few characters long.
Jiang Jiuguo didn't understand at first, but quickly grasped the meaning... Zhou Fengchun had one more instance of suffering to endure.
Having understood this much over the past while,
he roughly figured out that it required a process for a person to consume the ghost sequence formula and transform into a Ghost.
This process took roughly one year.
During this period, the person had to endure repeated agony that made death seem preferable.
At this moment,
Zhou Fengchun lightly lifted his eyelids.
He was too weak; forget having the strength to lift his head, even lifting his eyelids was strenuous.
His eyes were still empty, showing not a hint of joy. It seemed the fact that only one attempt remained did not make him happy; instead, it brought gravity and determination.
This was the last remaining time.
The most crucial step.
If he passed it, he would live. If he didn't, it would be the final time his life reached its end, and the suffering he had endured previously would all turn into smoke, rendering everything futile.
The food was brought in.
Only then did a flicker of light appear in Zhou Fengchun's empty eyes.
Like a starving ghost reincarnated, he didn't even use chopsticks; he grabbed the food and shoved it into his mouth, eating ravenously.
"Your table manners are terrible," Jiang Jiuguo said.
Before he finished speaking,
he looked at Zhou Fengchun's food.
"But the food is quite plentiful. There's chicken, duck, and beef—all sorts of cuisines," Jiang Jiuguo teased. "Don't tell me, besides capturing us, you also captured a chef to cook?"
Zhou Fengchun: "This place is indeed quite good in terms of conditions, except that you can't leave."
After eating the food, Zhou Fengchun no longer seemed weak.
Aside from looking pale, he basically didn't need care; his recovery ability was astonishing.
If it were an ordinary person,
given Zhou Fengchun's previous display of weakness, they would have to lie down for at least two or three days.
Was this due to the physical changes brought about by the ghost sequence formula?
"If there's anything you want to eat, you can tell Number 35. As long as it's not too extravagant, they can get it for you."
Zhou Fengchun, whom Jiang Jiuguo had helped to a corner against the wall, said this.
Jiang Jiuguo: "Oh? That great? Then..."
The door opened.
Number 35, who had left after bringing back the food, returned.
As soon as he entered,
Number 35 didn't beat around the bush and immediately said to Jiang Jiuguo, "Come out with me for a moment."
"What are we doing?"
"Someone is undergoing transformation and probably won't make it. You come help dispose of the body."
...
Jiang Jiuguo remained silent, staring at Number 35, then suddenly spoke up, "You're not trying to get back at me because I messed with you a few times, are you?"
Something like disposing of a body.
Anyone could do it.
The fact that Number 35 specifically came for him made it hard not to suspect he was settling a private score under the guise of official duty.
"No," Number 35 said concisely. "Everyone else has consumed the formula except you. You are the least busy."
Jiang Jiuguo froze upon hearing this.
He then grabbed one of the chicken legs brought for Zhou Fengchun and took a bite.
Walking out the door, he said, "Turns out being compatible with the fourth ghost sequence keystone is nothing to be happy about."
He was certain.
Before the ghost sequence formula arrived, he would likely be stuck with 80% of the body disposal work.
And thinking about the mortality rate of the transformation,
he estimated there would be quite a few bodies to dispose of these days, as not everyone could survive it like Zhou Fengchun.
"But that's fine, too. I can see what happens when the transformation fails," Jiang Jiuguo murmured...