Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Jiang BaiYan was often busy shooting dramas and used to staying up all night. After negotiating with the crew last night, he fell asleep in the van and woke up to find the police had surrounded the hotel.

The forensic examiner found eight bodies.

“There’s one more now?” Jiang BaiYan was confused.

“The owner’s body,” Jian Jing patted his shoulder. “Don’t look, you’ll have nightmares.”

“Oh.” Jiang BaiYan listened to her and turned to ask, “Did you find it, Teacher?”

Jian Jing wanted to be humble, but couldn’t control her excitement. “Yeah, I searched all night until I found it.”

“Teacher is so amazing, you’re the best.” Compared to his fans, Jiang BaiYan wasn’t stingy with compliments either. “Where was it hidden? Inside a wall? Did we touch it?”

“No, we didn’t find it. It was in a basement that hadn’t been discovered.” Jian Jing reassured him. “But the mechanism was right in front of us.”

Jiang BaiYan was an excellent listener. “What was it?”

“The clock.”

Most of the old furniture in the hotel had rotted away and couldn’t be used. Only a few items remained, including the clock hung in the lobby besides the marbles she had found in the props department inventory.

Although the clock’s battery was dead and it no longer worked, the face had a starry sky design with traces of time passed. So the props department kept it. The coin hidden below the front desk was behind this clock.

When Cao Yu and the others had searched, they had turned the hands a few times but nothing happened. So at first, Jian Jing didn’t consider the clock.

But just in case, she climbed up to examine it at the end. And she discovered something.

The clock face background was the twelve zodiac signs, and the hands were made of different materials - the hour hand was copper, the minute hand wood, and the second hand plastic.

She analyzed the Big Dipper star map from the room layout again, and searched online to find new information.

The orientation of the Big Dipper handle points in different directions during different seasons.

“Handle pointing east, spring throughout the land. Handle pointing south, summer throughout the land. Handle pointing west, autumn throughout the land. Handle pointing north, winter throughout the land.”

Comparing to the map, the handle in the room layout pointed west, secretly indicating autumn.

Autumn had six points on the zodiac: Start of Autumn at 135°, End of Heat at 150°, White Dew at 165°, Autumnal Equinox at 180°, Cold Dew at 195°, Frost's Descent at 210°.

She tried them one by one, but all failed.

At the time, Jian Jing almost gave up. It seemed like she was overthinking.

But at last, with a trace of unwillingness and stubbornness to see it through, she realized there was still something she missed - the hands.

Autumn was the golden season, so it was called Golden Autumn.

After removing the wooden minute hand and plastic second hand, she turned the metal hour hand again.

When it pointed to 135°, the mechanism opened.

There was a rumbling sound from under the front desk as the floor and concrete broke open, revealing a passage.

This was the hidden basement, or grave.

Below was just a bare dark room with a coffin. Inside laid the hotel owner who had been missing for so long.

Only after she found this corpse did the system announce the task was complete.

The breath Jian Jing had been holding in her chest finally dissipated, and her whole body relaxed, as if she had drank three shots of espresso and felt like she could battle another day and night.

The sense of accomplishment from solving the mystery through hardship was the highest mental enjoyment.

She was invigorated. “The rest is up to the police to find out who killed all these people.”

“Yeah, the police will definitely catch the murderer.” Jiang BaiYan placated her a few words before getting to the point. “Did the crew mention to you, Teacher? They plan to still air the show, but add a behind-the-scenes afterward.”

Jian Jing nodded.

“What do you plan to do, Teacher?” He asked.

“I haven’t decided yet.” She said frankly. “If they can catch the murderer, considering the victims’ families, it’s best not to air it. But if they can’t find them, the show’s influence could help.”

“What is it?” She asked, puzzled and surprised.

Jiang BaiYan organized his words and said, “Ghost House is a suspense and reasoning show, and loves gimmicks. Even if inappropriate, it’s best...to have others bring it up.”

Jian Jing was silent for a moment before smiling. “Thank you, I understand.”

“Also, I was going to recommend you film a few more episodes. Keyan will start shooting soon, so there will be an opening.” His mouth turned down in disappointment. “But now that probably won’t work. You’re too good, Teacher.”

He spoke tactfully without leaving any openings, but got his meaning across - everyone had a role in a variety show, being able to showcase themselves was best, but if one person stood out too much, others wouldn’t get the chance to shine, and who would be willing to play second fiddle?

By now, any necessary calls had probably already been made. Favors, benefits, exchanges...it came down to business.

But Jian Jing didn’t care.

This episode was already thrilling enough, she didn’t want to come back at all. Instead, she was surprised. “It was you who recommended me?”

Jiang BaiYan was startled, seeming to suddenly realize what he had said. He covered his face. “Ah, I messed up.” He looked at her pitifully. “Pretend I didn't say anything, okay?”Alll latest novels at novelhall.com

Jian Jing laughed at him and deliberately asked, “Why?”

“It’s a bit embarrassing.” He scratched his face. “I didn't really do anything.”

“Then I should thank you anyway.” A verbal thanks didn't seem sincere enough, so Jian Jing thought about it and asked, “If you don’t mind, can I treat you to a meal?”

Jiang BaiYan asked, “Coffee instead? I’m still dieting...”

Behind the seemingly harmonious team variety show, it was full of contests.

But in this round, because of the behind-the-scenes special, no matter how they struggled, Jian Jing was the undisputed biggest winner.

When the show was nearing its end, bullet comments flooded in.

"Everyone go watch the behind-the-scenes special, it's amazing!"

"The behind-the-scenes is the main show."

"After watching, directly called her an expert, converted from passerby to fan."

"Reality is always more amazing than art."

"The main show is starting, high-energy warning!"

"The faint of heart please be cautious, be sure to have the lights on!"

The special was the process of Jian Jing discovering eight corpses after filming.

She said the rooms were arranged according to the Big Dipper.

Bullet comment 1: F*ck really?!

Bullet comment 2: I've got goosebumps.

Bullet comment 3: Too scary right? What does this mean?

...

She smashed out the first corpse in Room 206.

Bullet comment 1: F*ck f*ck f*ck f*ck

Bullet comment 2: Damn

Bullet comment 3: Oh my god

Bullet comment 4: Comment shield for the body ah ah ah ah

Bullet comment 5: Psychopathic I I I can't stand it

...

Seven corpses.

Bullet comment 1: Too horrifying

Bullet comment 2: Scared me into hugging my boyfriend

Bullet comment 3: Medical student feels unwell

Bullet comment 4: Who the hell did this? Too freaky!

Bullet comment 5: Evil arts murder, must be evil arts, how could a normal person do this?

...

Searching for the eighth corpse.

Bullet comment 1: There's still one corpse?

Bullet comment 2: Miss, are you sure? The Big Dipper only has seven stars?

Bullet comment 3: Saw in the news, eight corpses were unearthed

Bullet comment 4: I really can't imagine where the last one will be

...

Because the cameras weren't removed at 11pm, the hotel's cameras were still running. Production thoughtfully annotated the time in the bottom right corner.

Viewers could see Jian Jing going back and forth in the room for one or two hours, staying up all night, finally climbing up the shelf and triggering the mechanism in the clock.

On public screen, some followed along analyzing, some searched for information to analyze. Clearly knowing these were past events, but the sense of immersion from this kind of live broadcast was too strong, no one could bear to drag the progress bar, their whole mind and spirit attracted to the past.

The moment the secret door appeared, everyone was re-energized along with it.

The screen was filled with "6666666", completely covering the visuals. By the time the tomb visuals came out, everyone was already impatiently anticipating.

Bullet comment 1: The best episode of Haunted House, no comparison, nothing will ever surpass it in the future

Bullet comment 2: Before watching: How did the newbie get a whole episode, after watching: Boss, I'm going to buy your books right now

Bullet comment 3: Previously felt the production was too fake, now I know, I can't handle the real thing, goodbye

Bullet comment 4: A classic episode of Haunted House

Bullet comment 5: Can't watch this episode twice, terrifying upon further thought

...

At the ending, production pasted up the police bulletin and wanted order, requesting netizens to help search for the hotel's former boss, Qi Tian.

The photo in the wanted order was very blurry, could vaguely make out a gloomy-looking young man.

Bullet comments expressed they would help stay alert in the future, let Qi Tian get a taste of the power of the internet.

But Jian Jing wasn't so optimistic.