Chapter 67: Escalator

A narrow yet crowded place, disappearing as soon as he turned his head… Could it be that Hu Chen’s girlfriend had gone into the escalator?

Cai Yu’s mother was dragged into a freezer, so it also made sense that it was the escalator next.

Looking at it this way, the ghosts at this level might have been hiding in each of the mall’s facilities.

If Chu Fu hadn’t known that the freezer was problematic and had conveniently been dragged in by the female corpse inside for a box of ice cream, wouldn’t the person who was dragged in be also replaced?

A flash of inspiration instantly wiped across Bai Yan’s eyes, deciding that the following investigation required him to be extra careful. It would be best if he didn’t touch any of the things inside the mall.

Bai Yan raised his eyes and covertly observed the ghost handing out flyers.

The ghost took a step forward and gave a flyer to the passerby. That passerby accepted it without any trouble and stuffed it inside his bag, hurriedly walking away.

On a whim, Bai Yan pointed at the inconspicuous mascot and asked Hu Chen in a low voice, “Yesterday, when you guys came here, did you see that?”

At this moment, Bai Yan had already concocted a guess.

The mall, for the majority of the ordinary people inside, was a place where they could enjoy shopping to their hearts’ content.

But, as for the people who had grabbed a flyer, the mall was a place where they will be pushed to their deaths. Any items inside the mall might have the capacity to place a person on his deathbed.

And for the people who took a flyer, entering the mall would result in their untimely deaths.

After their deaths, they would conveniently turn into new ghosts, luring their close loved ones in their sleep to go back to the mall and telling them to die here with them.

As for those who were left unscathed, they were either the people who didn’t grab a flyer on their way to the mall or they did take one but threw it away.

Since he didn’t keenly observe the situation with Cai Yu’s mom, Bai Yan still couldn’t be certain.

However, even if he had established his theory, this didn’t mean that it was the way to survive. The designated NPCs’ deaths were only indirectly related. Like in Hu Chen’s case, he personally didn’t carry the flyer, so the flyer-distributing ghost wouldn’t kill him. But the one who genuinely wanted to harm him was his ‘missing’ girlfriend…

‘No, it can’t be said that these are completely unrelated.’

When their companions were receiving the flyer, the designated NPCs were also with them, and they also had close relations with the victims, so perhaps the ghost’s maliciousness was also spreading to them…

Bai Yan contemplated on it more and felt that these empty thoughts were useless. Nevertheless, putting practice into work and doing something right now would inevitably lead to the way out.

So, after he discussed a few more points with Hu Chen, he led them to the place where his girlfriend went missing.

When Hu Chen was ahead and leading the way, Bai Yan deliberately lagged behind and walked side by side with Chu Fu, telling her, “In a bit, he’ll be handed over to you.”

“!”

‘Why me?’

Chu Fu was raging with anger but didn’t dare say anything back. However, she was well aware of the real reason. Long ago, she already found out about Wang Ze’s true colors, so Wang Ze being polite to her would be completely strange.

After experiencing several levels, Chu Fu understood that everyone was trying their best to clear the level. But when encountering danger, it would be fair for everyone to be in it at least once.

However, whoever went first would be in the most danger, and she was still a bit hesitant about doing it. But, upon seeing ‘Wang Ze’s’ eyes and glancing at his insincere smile, her heart started to tremble as she clenched her teeth. If she didn’t go first, what if this psycho would accidentally trip behind her back?

Thus, Chu Fu regretfully said, “This time, it’s me, but shouldn’t the next time be your turn?”

After saying this, Chu Fu had made up her mind. If Wang Ze went back on his word next time, she would rather rip his face off and have a falling out with him than to succumb to his threats again!

Seeing Chu Fu’s squishy complexion, Bai Yan also knew when to stop, “Sure. The next one will be my turn.”

While they were talking, the three people had entered the mall, and the moment they went in, Hu Chen wanted to ride the escalator to the third floor.

Upon seeing this, Bai Yan quickly stopped him, “Mr. Hu, I suggest you don’t ride the escalator, and it would be best to go up the stairs instead.”

“Why? What would happen when I ride the escalator?”

Hu Chen’s movements looked fidgety. Just like with the flyers earlier, this detective kept asking questions willy-nilly and wasn’t at all helpful. Could he really solve this?

They already couldn’t see the flyer-distributing mascot given that they were far away from the entrance.

Bai Yan pondered more and ultimately decided to tell Hu Chen the truth.

Even if he won’t believe him, in a moment, they’ll see a real ghost, which will make him change his mind.

As a result, Bai Yan said, “Mr. Hu, do you believe that this world has ghosts in it? If I told you that your girlfriend isn’t missing but has already turned into a ghost, who died inside the escalator, would you still insist on finding her?”

Hu Chen puffed out an angry snort, “What is integrity? I hired you to help me find my girlfriend since you’re good. Even when you aren’t properly helping me, you would even go as far as to directly curse that she’s dead!”

Seeing Hu Chen’s whole face color red and his neck’s veins bulging with anger, it seemed that this situation was leading to a fight, which prompted Bai Yan to add, “Mr. Hu, please consider it carefully. In a mall that has plenty of people going in and out of it, the person couldn’t be seen anymore by just getting off the escalator. Getting boldly kidnapped also couldn’t be done so openly. Moreover, listening to your description, you and your girlfriend were on good terms. So, after buying clothes and preparing to head back, in such a short period of time, it would be impossible for her to suddenly get angry with you and leave you while fixing her shoes, right?”

“Although you have this explanation, you still said that she was dead, even turning into a ghost. It’s too…”

Hu Chen wasn’t done speaking when Bai Yan interrupted him, “You once mentioned in passing that you dreamt of your girlfriend saying that she’s trapped inside the mall in a narrow and crowded place and asked you to save her. Apart from the nearby escalator, what other place could be both narrow yet crowded?”

“…But, how could this be possible!”

Seeing how disturbed and frightened Hu Chen was as he began to believe it, Bai Yan added oil to the fire, “Mr. Hu, it wasn’t I who had deceived you. It’s merely a coincidence. Apart from you, there are also several clients that have also placed their trust onto me because their loved ones have also gone missing in this mall. But in addition to being in the same situation as you, regarding their loved ones who had mysteriously disappeared, all of them had also shown up in their loved ones’ dreams… If you still don’t believe me, I can show you proof in a moment. In case what I’m saying is all a lie, I can compensate you through money!”

Bai Yan’s last words were able to move Hu Chen. All of the words he had said up until this point, if they were all lies to deceive him, this person would put everything at stake.

Hu Chen wasn’t a resolute atheist, and under the promise of money, he decided to first give it a try. If it were truly fake, he’ll settle the score with this brat.

Bai Yan promised, and looking at his dignified expression, Hu Chen’s heart began to nervously thump… His girlfriend couldn’t have turned into a ghost, right?

Right now, Hu Chen’s heart felt complicated from Bai Yan’s heart aching words.

He went to the third floor via the stairs, and once they reached it, he told the two, “This is where Yuan Yuan disappeared.”

There was only one escalator that brought people down. Bai Yan glanced over at the scene, looking closer at the secured steps of the escalator that didn’t show any traces of collapsing. On the other hand, the elevator was also running leisurely downwards and seemed to be in normal operation.

After pointing out where his girlfriend had gone missing, Hu Chen looked around him and didn’t see even half a shadow of a ghost, so he couldn’t help but ask, “You said that my girlfriend turned into a ghost, then where is she?”

“Your girlfriend should be near the escalator. You can take a closer look if you want.”

Bai Yan told Hu Chen to go closer to the place where his girlfriend fixed her shoe, and as Hu Chen walked forward with a head full of doubt, he pushed Chu Fu, indicating for her to also hurry up.

Because of Bai Yan’s pushing, Chu Fu was unwillingly walking forward and stood by the escalator.

At this moment, Hu Chen had already reached the escalator’s steps.

And, as soon as he walked to the step, he suddenly froze, because he seemed to have heard his girlfriend’s voice.

“Yuan Yuan! Yuan Yuan! Where are you?”

“Are you the one calling me?”

Chu Fu immediately became spirited the moment she heard Hu Chen’s desperate calls. She closely watched Hu Chen and was prepared to pull him back if the situation became out of hand, looking to see if she could save his life or not.

Hu Chen hollered a few more times, but he couldn’t see anyone else. At this moment, he instantly recalled Bai Yan’s words. The anxious color on his face faced a steep decline, and a small trace of fear started to appear.

He couldn’t help but slowly crouch down. In the end, he discovered that as he drew nearer to the step, Yuan Yuan’s voice became all the clearer.

‘Could it… really be her?’

An ominous feeling descended on Hu Chen, so he immediately got up, wanting to leave this strange place.

However, as soon as he stood straight, the escalator’s steps had abruptly sunk.

Hu Chen’s body began to sink as well, and a weightless feeling suddenly attacked him. His whole body dropped in an instant——

Fortunately, Chu Fu’s reaction was quick. She had been keeping a close eye on Hu Chen since the beginning, and when the steps started to fall, she quickly stepped forward and pulled him away, allowing the upper half of his body to lay on the ground.

Bai Yan also pressed the emergency stop button as well as gone to get a grip on him. Unfortunately, this proved to be utterly useless.

He and Chu Fu exerted all of their strengths on pulling Hu Chen up but to no avail, because underneath the step, there was a crooked and deformed pair of hands grabbing Hu Chen’s legs, dragging him down, bit by bit…

Hu Chen just laid on the ground and couldn’t see what was happening beneath him. But, Bai Yan and Chu Fu could clearly see what was taking part.

Right under the step, there was a human-like being that had been badly mutilated, its blood and meat were completely torn to shreds. But, what was terrifying here was that its body had the same texture as Play-Doh and was tightly squeezed until it became abnormally long and thin. It used its nasty noodle-like fingers to hook onto Hu Chen’s unsuspecting leg, and as its finger pulled back, Hu Chen would sink in a little deeper…

“Save me! Save me!”

Hu Chen’s face was planted on the ice-cold floor as he howled, but the people pulling him by his arms and trying to save him were in a fierce tug-of-war with the female ghost, so no one could possibly give priority to his comfort.

The female ghost’s physical strength was intense. Despite using all the strength they could muster, Hu Chen still slowly descended into the hole underneath him.

As he sensed that he was gradually separating from the safe ground, Hu Chen immediately wailed even more miserably.

Slowly but surely, Hu Chen began to despair, and since Bai Yan was in a stalemate with the female ghost for a long while, he also felt like he couldn’t stay there any longer.

If this continued and this person couldn’t be saved by being pulled up, he’d also be dragged down along with him. Should he just let go?

Bai Yan progressively reduced his strength, deciding to completely give up on the NPC. But, Chu Fu’s hold on Hu Chen’s arm was tight and unwavering, as if she still wanted to save him.

While she was pulling, she was unconsciously licking her lips, opening her mouth, and breathing fiercely.

Maybe it was because of how they did it, but the female ghost’s pulling force suddenly lessened. Chu Fu heaved a mighty pull and was unexpectedly able to haul Hu Chen up.

After he was pulled up, Hu Chen idly laid on the ground with his mouth facing the sky, panting vigorously. He then used his arms and legs to crawl as far away from the step as possible.

However, when Hu Chen came up with great difficulty, Chu Fu’s eyes went dark when she suddenly collapsed on the floor. She directly fell on the ground, closing her eyes as she slowly lost consciousness.

Following Hu Chen climbing out, the step on the escalator closed, little by little. Soon, it appeared tightly sealed. Other than the fainted Chu Fu, everything was back to where it used to as if it was all an illusion.

T/N: Surprise!! It’s my birthday today, so here’s an extra chapter release hihi