Chapter 20 Caring Big Sister
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Sometimes, passing out was surprisingly comforting.
If it were possible, Lin Zhaohe wished to lie on the ground forever, never waking up.
After regaining consciousness, he couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes, fearing what unpleasant sight he might encounter.
Did playing dead actually work in horror movies? If so, how long should one pretend to be dead…
Lin Zhaohe was brainstorming when he heard Qi Ming’s voice saying, “Your eyes are twitching. Everyone knows you’re awake. Get up quickly.”
Previously, it was bearable, but now Qi Ming’s voice was more terrifying than any ghost. Lin Zhaohe feared opening his eyes and seeing a ghostly face. He immediately hugged himself, trembling, and whimpered, “Don’t, don’t come near me.”
Qi Ming: “?”
Another voice chimed in, it was Zhuang Lao: “What’s going on with you two? Why is he so scared of you?”
Qi Ming: “Boss, we’re innocent.”
Upon hearing the boss’s voice, Lin Zhaohe finally felt at ease and cautiously opened his eyes.
Qi Ming: “Hurry up, who do you think you are, pretending to be Sleeping Beauty?”
After confirming that the person in front of him was indeed human, Lin Zhaohe immediately became furious, “Damn it, don’t you know that you almost scared the living daylights out of me a moment ago?”
Qi Ming: “??”
Lin Zhaohe quickly explained the previous incident to Qi Ming and Zhuang Lao.
After listening, Qi Ming stayed silent for a moment, understanding Lin Zhaohe’s overwhelmed emotions, and agreed, “It was a little scary, huh?”
“Is it only a little scary?” Lin Zhaohe exclaimed, with tears in his eyes. “I seriously suspect that this female ghost has a brand collaboration with adult diapers.”
Zhuang Lao couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Seeing the boss laugh so genuinely, Lin Zhaohe finally felt a bit relieved. He collected himself and asked, “Did you bring the footage?”
Qi Ming: “Yes, did you want to watch it together?”
Lin Zhaohe: “…” Why did this storyline feel so familiar?
“Well, maybe I’ll watch it and then just tell you about it,” Qi Ming suggested, seeing Lin Zhaohe’s pale face and feeling a twinge of sympathy. “You can wait over there.”
Lin Zhaohe pondered for a moment and decided it would be better to watch it together. After all, the way to overcome fear was to face it head-on, and Zhuang Lao was also present. Could this be considered their first movie experience? Hehe~ Wait, why was the boss here?
“Because you disappeared just now,” Qi Ming seemed to read Lin Zhaohe’s thoughts. “When I arrived in the room and couldn’t find you, I sensed something was wrong and quickly contacted Boss to check the surveillance footage.”
“Why would you contact the boss?” Lin Zhaohe asked, confused.
“Because the boss owns this hotel,” Qi Ming explained, “and it’s quicker than calling the police.”
Lin Zhaohe: “…” The wicked capitalists.
After reviewing the surveillance footage, Qi Ming and Zhuang Lao found Lin Zhaohe, who had fainted, on the seventeenth floor. Luckily, Lin Zhaohe had only been scared and suffered no serious harm. After resting for a while, he regained consciousness.
“Do these things even make any sense?” Lin Zhaohe cried out, “It was noon, exactly noon—Isn’t that when Yang energy is at its strongest?”
“You don’t understand,” Qi Ming explained, “There is a cycle of growth and decline. At noon, precisely at twelve, Yin energy is at its strongest.”
Lin Zhaohe: “…”
Qi Ming: “Let’s go, watch the movie.”
Since this room felt really ominous, the three of them decided to switch to another room to watch the movie. Lin Zhaohe got a big fright and was also very hungry. Now, feeling weak, he held a bowl of noodles and ate while watching.
Lin Zhaohe had already seen the earlier part of the plot, but it was only when the man was killed by the female ghost that he took a sharp breath. It seemed like he caught a glimpse of his own future on the screen.
Actually, this movie didn’t have anything particularly remarkable. The overall storyline was that anyone who stayed in that house would die, and even those who moved out didn’t have a good fate. It wasn’t until the true protagonist investigated the origin and attempted to help the woman find salvation that there was a somewhat satisfactory ending. But was it truly a happy ending? As Lin Zhaohe observed the sudden darkening perspective of the protagonist, he fell into contemplation. Why did he have the feeling that the protagonist was also doomed?
“This is not good,” Qi Ming remarked, “It’s really not good…”
When it came to horror movies, the scariest ones were from R-country, as they often lacked resolution. The ghosts wanted to kill you just because, without any reason or condition.
Lin Zhaohe: “It’s so strange.”
Qi Ming: “What do you find strange?”
“Did you notice?” Lin Zhaohe said, “Their encounters with ghosts are different from mine.”
Qi Ming: “It seems like it.”
In the movie, the people who moved out did encounter ghosts, but after encountering them, they didn’t return to their original residence. Instead, water stains appeared in their new house, without the situation of Lin Zhaohe being forcibly transported back…
It seemed like the only way to explain this was that the plot had changed.
“But not many people watch this movie,” Qi Ming remarked, “So the ghosts shouldn’t be too powerful.”
Lin Zhaohe softly commented, “I think they’re quite powerful.”
Qi Ming: “…”
Lin Zhaohe: “So what do we do now?”
Zhuang Lao: “Why don’t we try tracing the origin based on the method used by the protagonist?”
This was the most common approach in horror movies. The protagonist in the movie also attempted it. He found the place where the female lead died and tried burning her remains and the house.
It seemed like that was the only option. Lin Zhaohe sighed, “But how do we even start looking…”
The world had become twisted, making it even harder to find the place where the female lead had died than in a horror film.
“Let’s go back to your home,” Zhuang Lao suggested, “and see if there are any clues in the ghost’s room.”
“Oh, right! We can go back and search!” Lin Zhaohe exclaimed, giving a clap of approval. “Boss, you’re truly clever!” Perhaps due to fear, the thought of going back had instinctively been dismissed from his mind. He really didn’t want to encounter that woman again.
“I’m terribly scared. I genuinely don’t want to go back,” Lin Zhaohe muttered. “This feeling is more agonizing than going to work.”
Zhuang Lao spoke gently, “But how does it compare to going to work without receiving a salary?”
Lin Zhaohe: “Well, it seems the female ghost is bearable.”
Zhuang Lao: “You see, if I were to tell you that there won’t be any salary this month, suddenly the fear of ghosts wouldn’t be as daunting.”
Lin Zhaohe fell silent, realizing that ghosts seemed quite inconsequential in the face of capitalists.
Qi Ming chuckled with a touch of schadenfreude on the side.
Their discussion concluded, the trio made the decision to return to Lin Zhaohe’s apartment upstairs and search for clues about the female ghost. Initially, Qi Ming had reservations about Lin Zhaohe joining them, but he insisted on going together.
“If I didn’t accompany you, who knows, I might have arrived there first,” Mr. Lin, who had ample experience, remarked. “My frail heart can no longer endure these encounters.”
Qi Ming found his reasoning sound, and thus, the three of them embarked on their journey.
After a lengthy venture, they reached Lin Zhaohe’s apartment building just as the sky grew dark.
Lin Zhaohe led Zhuang Lao and Qi Ming up the stairs. On their way, they passed by the security booth and noticed Uncle Chen. Time seemed to have left him unchanged, sitting there quietly, observing the ebb and flow of people. Interestingly, his complexion appeared better than before. Lin Zhaohe greeted him, “Uncle Chen, you seem to have shed a few years!”
Uncle Chen responded with a warm, smiling nod.
“Who is this gentleman? Your grandfather?” Qi Ming inquired.
“No, he’s the security guard for our apartment,” Lin Zhaohe clarified.
“Oh, I thought he was your grandfather,” Qi Ming remarked. “With a security guard like him in this apartment, what can he really safeguard?”
Lin Zhaohe retorted, “You know nothing, clueless fool. Do you even understand the concept of a mascot?”
Qi Ming remained silent, inwardly reflecting, “The mascot in your apartment is truly something else.”
The trio stepped into the elevator, making a beeline for the eighteenth floor. Perhaps owing to their robust masculine energy, Lin Zhaohe didn’t feel particularly fearful when they arrived at the door of that room. He searched for his keys in his bag, while Zhuang Lao unabashedly kicked the door open.
“Isn’t this a bit impolite of us?” Lin Zhaohe cautiously inquired after carefully stepping over the shattered door panel and entering.
“Impolite or not, who gives a damn?” Qi Ming callously remarked. “After all, it’s not the boss who’s cursed.”
Lin Zhaohe silently thought to himself, “You two are genuinely ruthless.”
Gazing at the broken door panel, Lin Zhaohe felt a pang of guilt. Apologizing as he moved about the room, he diligently searched for clues.
The room’s decor struck a chord of familiarity, resembling a scene from a movie. It seemed that a character had once resided in this room.
“There are tickets and photographs here,” Qi Ming called out excitedly. “Come and take a look.”
Lin Zhaohe leaned closer and discovered that Qi Ming had stumbled upon something valuable in the photo album— a train ticket and a photograph depicting a man and a woman, the woman being the unfortunate victim and the man, her assailant.
“There’s only one ticket,” Qi Ming remarked. “Which means the person was already killed by the time they arrived here. Have you heard of this place?”
Lin Zhaohe examined it briefly, a small and unfamiliar name that failed to trigger any recollection. Contemplating for a moment, he suggested, “Let’s search online.”
A swift online search yielded results. They had indeed discovered a real place, not too far away, merely a two-hour drive from their current location.
Lin Zhaohe couldn’t help but marvel at how their surroundings seemed to be at the center of the universe— everything conveniently close by.
“Let’s visit tomorrow,” Qi Ming proposed. “It’s too late now, and we need to find a place to rest.”
“I don’t want to stay in a hotel,” Lin Zhaohe honestly confessed. “I’m afraid.”
“Why not come to my place?” Zhuang Lao offered.
“You have a home, boss?” Lin Zhaohe exclaimed. “I thought you lived at the company.”
Qi Ming couldn’t help but think, “Lin Zhaohe, your courage is growing by the day.”
Zhuang Lao raised an eyebrow and smirked, “You have a point there. Next time, I’ll stay at the office and keep you company during overtime instead of going home.”
Lin Zhaohe: “…I was just joking, boss.”
Zhuang Lao’s smile grew warmer as he said, “Let me show you what true warmth feels like in a home.”
Lin Zhaohe: “…”
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