Translator: CinderTL
Suddenly, Jiang Cheng froze. He sensed something in the darkness behind him, watching him.
Footsteps approached, and Jiang Cheng turned to see Wang Qi's irritating face. "Looking for this, Mr. Jiang?" Wang Qi dangled the wooden box—the one containing the glass eyeballs—in his hand.
"You figured it out too," Jiang Cheng said calmly.
"At first, I just wondered why they bothered painting such intricate dark patterns on this box," Wang Qi grinned. "But later, when I noticed Meng Yumian moving along a fixed route, it clicked. The patterns aren't just decorative—they map her path, and..."
Wang Qi narrowed his eyes, deliberately pausing for dramatic effect. Time was running out, and he clearly didn't care about anyone else's fate.
"...the Safe District," Jiang Cheng finished.
"Exactly, Mr. Jiang! You're remarkably perceptive," Wang Qi clapped enthusiastically, as if applauding Jiang Cheng. "You stayed in the open on the playground, where there's no cover at all. Yet the feminine ghost ignored you completely. Why?"
Wang Qi answered his own question: "Because the vast, open field is the Safe District. Those seemingly easy hiding places—the restrooms, the grove, the unfinished building—are exactly where the Ghost searches."
With that, Wang Qi tossed the wooden box to Jiang Cheng. Catching it, Jiang Cheng held it up to the light and watched as the faint lines seemed to come alive, gradually forming a map of the field and its surrounding structures.
Though sketched with minimal strokes, the depiction was remarkably lifelike, allowing anyone to instantly recognize each location. A red line weaved through the map, connecting the different areas.
Undoubtedly, this red line marked Meng Yumian's search route.
Yet her path meticulously avoided the old field at the very center.
Setting the box down, Jiang Cheng looked up and said, "But the Safe District won't last forever."
"You're right," Wang Qi replied. "If all the remaining survivors cram into the Safe District, the field will lose its protective status."
"But rest assured," Wang Qi added, "I won't let that happen."
Catching the unspoken meaning in Wang Qi's words, Jiang Cheng's gaze turned glacial. "If I were you," he said, "I wouldn't do that."
Wang Qi shrugged. "Mr. Jiang, please don't be so stubborn. You know someone has to stay behind. You wouldn't want your two friends who came with you to get hurt, would you?"
"Especially Fatty," Wang Qi added with a smile. "To be honest, it's strange, but I've actually grown quite fond of him. Don't misunderstand—it's not the kind of fondness you're thinking of."
"Even if it were," Jiang Cheng said, "I'd wish you well."
Jiang Cheng's phone screen lit up with a message from Huai Yi, confirming he was safe. Meng Yumian had retrieved the glass eye and left, specifically heading towards Wen Liangshan's location—the restroom.
"Looks like it's down to two of us now," Wang Qi said, narrowing his eyes. "The choice is yours, Mr. Jiang. I must take my leave."
As he pushed open the door, Wang Qi glanced back. "Oh, one more thing, Mr. Jiang. I've already informed Gao Yan, Shen Mengyun, and the others. They should all be in the courtyard by now—it's still the safest place for the moment."
Now that Meng Yumian was hunting down Wen Liangshan's hiding place, Fatty would be next.
As Wang Qi had said, the choice was his.
If he did nothing, Liang Shan would survive, Meng Yumian would find Fatty, her last target, and Fatty would hand over the glass eye. For the first time, Fatty would live.
But Jiang Cheng lowered his gaze to the dark patterns on the wooden box. After spiraling around once, the lines twisted sharply and retraced their path.
This meant that Meng Yumian would soon double back and hunt down Fatty again.
This time, Fatty would have no glass eye to offer her.
All he would have left were his own eyes.
Yet if Jiang Cheng warned Fatty to evacuate immediately to the Safe District's courtyard, Meng Yumian, having lost her final target, would immediately focus on Liang Shan, who had been her second-to-last objective.
The same fate would befall Liang Shan.
Of course, Meng Yumian might not have found Liang Shan yet. Jiang Cheng still had a chance to warn both Fatty and Liang Shan, urging them to retreat to the courtyard together.
But there was still a full half-hour until the mission's deadline.
The moment everyone evacuated to the Safe District, its protective effect would vanish. They would then likely face indiscriminate slaughter by the Ghost.
Jiang Cheng boldly guessed that this time, they would be playing a real game of rock-paper-scissors.
Lose, and your eyeballs would be gouged out.
Was there any way to survive?
Jiang Cheng was certain there was, but finding it would take time.
During that time, some of them would inevitably be caught by the Ghost and forced to play the game.
Jiang Cheng couldn't guarantee that Fatty and Huai Yi would have the incredible luck needed to win.
Just ten minutes ago, he had spoken to Liang Shan, sharing some of his discoveries from the mission. Liang Shan had been deeply moved, promising to treat him to a lavish meal once they escaped.
They might be Ghosts, or they might be living people.
Everyone has their own self-interest, Jiang Cheng included. In a matter of seconds, he made his choice. But just as he was about to warn Fatty to retreat, a phone call interrupted him.
It was Fatty calling.
"Doctor!" Fatty panted breathlessly. Jiang Cheng could almost picture his sausage-like legs pumping furiously. "I'm at the playground! Where are you?"
"How did you get out here?" Jiang Cheng asked.
"Huai Yi called me and told me to run! He said I'd be in big trouble if I didn't hurry!" Fatty rushed on. "Is everyone else heading to the playground too?"
Fatty was still unaware of what had happened to Liang Shan, and Jiang Cheng didn't elaborate. He simply told Fatty to meet up with Huai Yi, promising to join them soon.
"Doctor, be careful out there!" Fatty fretted anxiously. "I saw something red bouncing around in the distance earlier. It scared the living daylights out of me!"
After hanging up, Jiang Cheng immediately sprinted to the playground.
He arrived to find everyone already gathered. Fatty and Huai Yi rushed over as soon as they saw him.
"Doctor, Liang Shan seems to have fallen behind! That thing's blocking his path!" Fatty said urgently, clearly still in the dark about the situation.
"Brother Jiang," Huai Yi said, his tone oddly hesitant, as if deliberately avoiding Fatty's gaze. "Wang Qi called me just now. It was an emergency, and I didn't have time to discuss it with you, so I brought Brother Fugui out here. I... I think Wang Qi's right."
"He even sent me a photo," Huai Yi added, pulling out his phone to show Jiang Cheng.
The image was blurry, the rain-swept playground barely discernible in the background. A figure could be vaguely seen hiding behind a metal frame, peering in one direction. Further away, a red object soared high into the air.
(End of the Chapter)
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