Translator: CinderTL
The unsettling suspicions Jiang Cheng had harbored were slowly turning into reality. Perhaps Gao Yan and the others were already dead; only the deceased received train tickets.
Just like those five "people" who had shared urban legends before boarding the train.
Jiang Cheng's thoughts drifted far, but his outward reaction was fleeting. As always, he betrayed no hint of his inner turmoil.
He turned to Wang Qi, refocusing on the immediate situation. More pressing matters required confirmation. "Which hand did you choose?"
Wang Qi raised his left hand, his eye behind the hole in the plastic bag scrutinizing Jiang Cheng. In a distorted voice, he replied, "The left hand. I took the left eye. All thanks to your guidance."
"No need to thank me. I just picked at random."
"Heh heh." Wang Qi tugged at the plastic bag over his head, producing a grating crinkling sound. "I know."
With that, his gaze drifted past Jiang Cheng to the rain-streaked darkness behind him. "If I remember correctly, Meng Yumian went toward the grove. Who's hiding there?"
Wang Qi tilted his head, his tone playful. "You've got the last left eye, don't you?"
Shen Mengyun was hiding in the grove.
Truthfully, Jiang Cheng didn't want anything to happen to her, even if her true identity was likely that of a ghost.
The small grove was enclosed by a high brick wall, making it nearly impossible to climb without assistance.
Shen Mengyun had been searching the area for some time, just as she had told Jiang Cheng. She was looking for Meng Yumian's missing eye. If she could find it, they could end the mission early and prevent further deaths.
The grove was covered in damp soil and fallen leaves, making the paths treacherously slippery after the rain. She had lost her footing earlier, twisting her ankle.
But this misfortune led to a discovery. She had rolled into a shallow depression, and as she struggled to stand, she noticed her clothes were covered in blood.
She patted herself down, finding only a few scratches and no serious injuries.
Looking down, she brushed aside the thick layer of leaves beneath her feet. The ground beneath was stained a deep, dark color, and as she crouched, she caught the strong, metallic scent of blood.
She immediately realized this was the site of Meng Yumian's murder.
The leaves were saturated with blood, clinging together in large, sticky clumps. It was hard to imagine the brutality Meng Yumian had endured in her final moments.
As she considered this, Shen Mengyun couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the young woman.
Thump.
Just as she was focused on finding the eye, a strange sound suddenly echoed from behind—something heavy hitting the ground.
The wall wasn't far behind. Could something have climbed over it?
Thud.
Another sound came quickly, this time closer. The dense trees limited visibility, but judging by the sound, whatever was making it was no more than twenty meters away.
Thud.
The final thud landed less than ten meters away.
Shen Mengyun froze, terror creeping into her eyes. Through a gap in the branches, she glimpsed a red figure leaping high into the air before crashing down behind the tree directly in front of her.
It was the Red-Clad Woman! Meng Yumian.
Shen Mengyun hadn't expected Meng Yumian to move like a zombie from a movie, hopping forward with each step.
Escape was impossible now. Steeling her resolve, Shen Mengyun slowly crouched down near the spot where Meng Yumian had been killed, determined not to meet the ghost's gaze.
The next instant, a figure dropped from above, landing heavily on the ground in front of her. A pair of crimson ballet shoes, splattered with wet mud, stood before her.
Two hands reached out. The game continued.
But this time, Shen Mengyun stared at the right eye in her palm and made a choice diametrically opposed to Gao Yan and Wang Qi's.
"Right hand," she whispered.
A minute earlier, Jiang Cheng, standing in the center of the playground, had seen a red figure leap out of the grove and disappear in the opposite direction.
It was a cluster of unfinished buildings, several in number. From a distance, they appeared as a single, lead-gray silhouette against the sky, but Jiang Cheng knew Huai Yi was hiding there.
Right now, however, he needed to verify something—something he had long suspected.
Pulling out his phone, Jiang Cheng dialed a number.
The phone rang three times before being answered, but no one spoke. Only the howling wind and the rhythmic patter of raindrops on leaves filled the line.
After about ten seconds, Jiang Cheng finally spoke. "Shen Mengyun?"
Hearing Jiang Cheng's voice, Shen Mengyun, who had been tense and wary, finally relaxed slightly. Her breathing quickened. "Mr. Jiang, I'm alright. I chose the right hand, and she took that eyeball."
"Oh, and," she added quickly, "Gao Yan contacted me earlier. He survived too, and he chose the left hand."
Jiang Cheng nodded, his gaze fixed on the rain-swept landscape toward the unfinished buildings. "I just saw Wang Qi. He's alive as well, and he also chose the left hand."
"If survival doesn't depend on which hand you choose, what's the point of this game?" Shen Mengyun asked, voicing the obvious question.
"I'm afraid it's not that simple, Miss Shen. Please be extra careful," Jiang Cheng warned.
"Me? Be careful?" Shen Mengyun had just struggled to her feet from the muddy water when Jiang Cheng's words sent her heart racing again.
He's a reliable man, especially when he's serious, Shen Mengyun thought of Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng wasted no time beating around the bush. "Look at the time, Miss Shen. It's only been twenty minutes, and she's already searching for her fourth victim."
"And you can see for yourself that no matter where we hide, she'll find us. So I want to know: if Meng Yumian gathers all of us within the time limit and takes all the glass eyeballs, what will happen afterward?"
At first, Jiang Cheng's words didn't fully register with Shen Mengyun. But after a few seconds, her face paled. "She'll... she'll do it again? Come back for our eyes?"
"Yes," Jiang Cheng replied, a shadow darkening his brow. "And this time, she'll take our real eyes."
"What should we do?" Shen Mengyun asked urgently. Jiang Cheng's theory was terrifying; if it were true, many of them might die today.
"Notify the others to stall for as long as possible. I need to verify something. If I succeed, at least some of us might survive."
"Okay, what do you need me to do?" Shen Mengyun asked.
"Help me contact Wang Qi and Gao Yan. Tell them to stay put and not cause any trouble." Jiang Cheng hung up immediately.
As he raced toward the equipment room, Jiang Cheng contacted Fatty Huai Yi and Liang Shan via WeChat. He urged them not to panic and to use every means at their disposal to buy time.
He reassured them that Meng Yumian would inevitably find them, but as long as they had the glass eyeballs, everyone would be safe.
Bursting through the door of the equipment room on the first floor, Jiang Cheng hurried to the window and began searching nearby.
(End of the Chapter)
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