Chapter 141: Chapter 134: The Phone Call
This time it was Yang Xiao and Song Yan’s turn to be puzzled, "There has never been a school called Fu Lin Middle School in the town?"
"Never, absolutely not!" the shop owner assured emphatically, "I’m a local, born and raised in this town. I’ve lived here for decades. Ru Lin Middle School didn’t have its current scale twenty years ago. It was just a few dilapidated brick and tile houses, and it has never changed its name."
Back in their room, Song Yan hesitated for a moment before taking the lead, "Chu, do you think this Fu Lin Middle School might be the name of the movie being filmed?"
After all, a violent incident had taken place, so it was reasonable to avoid trouble and to minimize the impact on local reputation by using a fictitious name.
"It’s possible. However, I remember seeing this name on the script box," Yang Xiao recalled the box cover, which featured an old-fashioned iron gate with a wooden sign hanging on it. The sign had four simple characters: Fu Lin Middle School, set against the background of a three-story building.
"Right, I also remember that. There was definitely a sign for Fu Lin Middle School outside the school gate," Song Yan couldn’t make sense of it. After all, the information in the ghost script couldn’t be fabricated.
But Yang Xiao didn’t think the shop owner was lying to them. Something like a school name change was too easy to investigate. There was no need for the owner to lie about such a thing—one could simply ask any elderly local to find out the truth.
As things went back and forth, Yang Xiao was somewhat confused. However, through the recent incident, he was certain that they had come under the watch of Principal Wu and needed to be even more cautious in the future.
Also, this Song Yan by his side was unreliable. He definitely wasn’t from the Rongcheng Defense Office. Otherwise, if both of them were chosen by the same ghost script and the technical department’s investigation coincided, Director Nalan would surely have informed him.
"Dinglingling~~"
The phone in the room suddenly rang, interrupting their train of thought.
"It might be the shop owner," Song Yan said as he walked over, picked up the phone, and Yang Xiao followed closely behind.
Unexpectedly, the caller was an acquaintance, Luo Zhaoqing, "Hello, is it Chu Xi? Or... or is it Song Yan?"
Luo Zhaoqing’s voice sounded very strange, as if he was in great pain and fear. There was some noise in the background, not like he was in a room, more like he was on the street.
"What’s the matter?" Song Yan answered coldly.
"I injured my leg, it hurts a lot. I wanted Lu Ji to help me buy some medicine, but he refused. I had to go out and buy it myself, but he said as soon as I left, I wasn’t allowed to return. I thought he was joking. Now... he has actually locked the door!" Luo Zhaoqing’s voice was full of pain, "Please, I beg you, could you let me stay for one night?"
"It’s not very convenient. You’d better call Director Ding about this," Song Yan quickly hung up.
After hanging up, Song Yan looked at Yang Xiao and said earnestly, "Chu, we need to stay alert tonight and not go out anymore."
"Strange, how did he know our room’s phone number?" Yang Xiao feigned confusion, "Besides, we aren’t close to him. If I were him, the first call would definitely go to Director Ding, after all, he’s the one who supposedly brought us here."
Yang Xiao tried to appear more naive, fitting the profile of a newcomer. He could have the sharpness to perceive issues, but the ultimate judgment was best left to Song Yan.
"You’re right, that’s the problem!" Before Song Yan could continue, the phone rang again.
"Dinglingling~~"
Song Yan hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at Yang Xiao. Without hesitation, Yang Xiao stepped forward and answered the phone.
"Hello? Don’t hang up, please don’t hang up, I beg you!" Panting rapidly, Luo Zhaoqing’s voice became more pleading, "I called Director Ding, but he won’t help me. He said that since I can’t act anymore, I should keep quiet and not cause any trouble."
"Please, just let me stay for one night to get by? I won’t sleep in the bed, just having a place to stay is enough. I... I won’t stay for free, I can tell you a secret!"
Yang Xiao pondered for a moment without saying a word. He covered the mouthpiece and looked at Song Yan with a pleading gaze, "He... he said he wants to tell us a secret."
Eager to hear the secret, Song Yan took over the phone and spoke with gentlemanly decency, "Alright, we’ve met one another, and we’ll help you as much as we can. By the way, what do you mean by a secret?"
"If I tell you, you’ll let me come over and stay temporarily, right?" Luo Zhaoqing’s voice became emotional on the other end, as if grasping at a lifeline.
"Of course," Song Yan replied.
The breathing from the other end became more rapid, as if recalling something. "It’s... like this. I didn’t dare speak of this before. My mind is a bit messy, and I’m not even sure if it’s true. I’m regretting it now. Lu Ji probably refused to let me come back because I told him these things."
"Lu Ji is Lu Ji, I am me. That guy really isn’t considerate. Knowing each other for such a short time and he can be so ruthless," Song Yan showed great patience and a forgiving attitude toward the newcomer Luo Zhaoqing, vastly different from before.
"Thank you, Big Brother Song. Then I’ll tell you. My leg was injured when I fell from a high place while we were filming; you all know about it. But the truth is... it wasn’t because I lost my balance. Someone pushed me."
"Who pushed you?"
"I don’t know, there were clearly no people in that direction. At that time, only Pei Qiuyu was nearby helping me hold the table, but... but the position she was standing in couldn’t possibly touch me." Luo Zhaoqing’s voice trembled, and it was intermittent.
"Why are you only saying this now?" Song Yan challenged.
"Because I thought it was my imagination at first, but just now... just now when I went to the pharmacy to buy medicine and was applying it in the restroom, there was a mirror opposite me, and only then did I suddenly notice that there was half a handprint on my back, dark and black, right at... right where I felt someone pushing me!"
"I panicked and quickly ran out, asking the duty attendant at the pharmacy to look, but they actually said they couldn’t see anything!"
"Both attendants said they could see nothing, which confused me even more. I went back to the restroom and looked in the mirror again, and the handprint... the handprint had actually disappeared!"
"I’m still unclear about what’s really going on, Song Yan, please help me look later; I’ll come over now." Luo Zhaoqing was very anxious.
On this end, Song Yan and Yang Xiao were creeped out. No wonder Lu Ji wouldn’t let him return—who would dare let him in, in case there was a ghost lurking behind him.
"Luo, brother, don’t be afraid, is that all?" Song Yan comforted, "Is there anything else? Tell me, and I’ll help you figure it out."
"For now... for now that’s it. That’s scary enough. Oh yes, Song Yan, where are you staying? Give me a location. I’ll come and explain in detail when I get there."
"Hello? Luo, brother, are you listening?" Song Yan’s voice faded in and out as he spoke into the mouthpiece, trying to create the impression of a poor signal.
"Song Yan, I’m here!" Luo Zhaoqing was flustered, "Can’t you hear me speaking?"
"Hello? Hello? Luo, brother?"
"Why did the signal cut out on your end?"
After delivering the final line, there was a click as Song Yan hung up the phone, then he yanked the telephone line out, finally letting out a breath of relief.
"Phew—" Song Yan relaxed entirely, "Thank goodness he doesn’t know our exact location. Something’s off with this Luo Zhaoqing, Chu brothers, let’s take turns keeping watch tonight. It’s only the first night, and such a bizarre incident has occurred already."
"He’s so strange; what if he comes looking for us?" Yang Xiao expressed his concern, "If he finds out our room number from Director Ding."
"He won’t, in terms of both sentiment and reason, we are the leads, and Luo Zhaoqing is useless. Director Ding won’t let him disturb our rest." Song Yan analyzed, "Don’t worry, even if he really does come, as long as we don’t open the door, it should generally be fine."
"Let’s hope so." As a newcomer, Yang Xiao seemed particularly anxious.
With the phone line unplugged, they finally had some peace. They discussed taking turns keeping watch, and Song Yan explained to him that this was a rule in Nightmare World’s culture.
After some time discussing, Song Yan became more impressed with Yang Xiao, "Impressive, Chu brothers’ comprehension is formidable. And for a newcomer, this calmness is rare. Once you and I make it out of this, we definitely need to get together. If you’re interested, Chu, I could recommend you to join the Patrol Defense Bureau. Then we’d be comrades in arms."
Yang Xiao chuckled inwardly; this person was spinning lies without breaking a sweat. It was one thing to deceive Luo Zhaoqing earlier, but now he was scheming against him, "I’m flattered by your high regard, Song brother. I’d be immensely grateful if you could make the recommendation."
"It’s nothing, no problem at all." Song Yan responded with a smile.
Song Yan took the first half of the night watch, and Yang Xiao took the latter half. Both were on their guard, and neither slept all night, as Yang Xiao knew that Song Yan had become suspicious of his newbie status.
The next morning, the door was knocked on, and when they opened it, Yu Mi and Xiang Xiaolin were standing outside. It was clear that they too hadn’t rested well, with the new person Yu Mi sporting two dark circles under his eyes.
The group of four went down for breakfast at a food stall not far from the Yue Lai Inn. After eating and waiting for a while, there was no sign of a car to pick them up.
It was already 8:30 AM, and they had agreed to meet at 8:00 AM. A foreboding feeling arose among them.
After another ten minutes or so, the innkeeper ran out, waving at them from across the street. When Yang Xiao and the others approached, the innkeeper complained non-stop, "Aiyah, why doesn’t any of you carry a mobile phone? Calls are coming to me here."
He took out his phone and dialed a number, then after connecting, handed the phone to Song Yan, who instinctively turned on the speaker. The caller was a woman claiming to be from the film crew, informing them that there had been an emergency and today’s shoot was postponed. They were to stay in the inn and not wander off, awaiting further instructions.
"What happened?" Song Yan asked.
The other end was noisy, with plenty of people and even sounds of arguments, and someone clamoring to call the police, "Someone is missing; we’re looking for them right now," the woman hurriedly replied.
"Is it an actor?" Song Yan asked, feigning ignorance.
"There are actors and also crew members." After the woman said her last words, the call was abruptly disconnected, as if someone had snatched the phone away.
