Translator: CinderTL
"This one," Jiang Cheng instructed. "The May Station Supernatural Event."
"You chose this?" Huai Yi's voice cracked in shock. He turned to Jiang Cheng, his face a mask of disbelief, as if he were staring at an idiot.
Seriously? Anyone could see this was a deep, dangerous situation. Crimson was still just human, after all. Weren't they afraid of dying?
Huai Yi knew he wasn't in a position to make decisions, but he didn't want to die in vain. "Brother Jiang," he said, regaining his composure. "I truly don't understand. Could you explain?"
Huai Yi's face was contorted in a grimace, as if he were about to die any second.
Fatty thought this guy was just one step away from asking, "Fine, let me die, but at least tell me why."
"The Fengcheng Folk Museum's human effigies and the Lake Kosner Ghost Ship Incident might seem easier at first glance, but they're not," Jiang Cheng said calmly. He picked up the remote beside the computer, reactivating the projector. After adjusting the settings, the details of the Lake Kosner Ghost Ship Incident appeared on the screen.
When the photo of the ghost ship, its deck lined with countless eerie smiling faces, appeared, a wave of icy coldness washed over the room once more.
Jiang Cheng asked, "Look closely. What do you see?"
"Ghosts," Fatty muttered under his breath. "So many ghosts."
"This isn't an ordinary tourist boat, and the people on board aren't tourists," Lin Wan'er said, staring at the photo. "Their backgrounds are unusual. They look like they were sent by the military."
"The military?" Huai Yi's expression shifted. "What makes you say that?"
The people on the boat were dressed in various styles, with some women even wearing revealing clothing. The only common thread was the eerie smile plastered on every face.
The longer Huai Yi stared, the more uncomfortable he felt. Every pore on his body seemed to be exhaling icy air.
"Pay attention to the ratio of men to women," Jiang Cheng said. "And the women's hairstyles."
Huai Yi followed Jiang Cheng's instructions and reexamined the photo. This time, he began to see something he hadn't noticed before. Out of the ten people on the tourist boat, only one or two were women, and almost all of the women had short hair.
Their clothes were plastered to their bodies, soaked through. Aside from a few men standing in elevated positions who appeared slightly overweight, the rest of the men were lean and muscular.
Indeed, this wasn't the physique one would expect from ordinary tourists.
"So... this was a secret operation planned by the military, but they accidentally awakened something in the lake," Huai Yi said, as if struck by a sudden realization.
"It's true that it was a secret operation," Jiang Cheng said, "but they were after something in the lake. The problem was, the thing turned out to be far more formidable than they anticipated, and the whole thing backfired."
Huai Yi lowered his head, his eyes flickering with something that caught his attention. If the military was interested and the operation had failed, the thing in the lake must be incredibly dangerous.
Moreover, if they intervened recklessly, even if they succeeded, they might end up with the authorities knocking on their door.
From every angle, this was a bad idea.
"I understand, Brother Jiang, Miss Lin," Huai Yi said, flattering them. But when he caught Fatty's resentful gaze, he quickly added, "Brother Fugui is also amazing. He saw through it all but didn't say anything, probably just trying to spare my feelings and keep me from looking like an idiot."
"Heh," Fatty said, the more he looked at Huai Yi, the more he liked him. "You're a smart kid."
The experts from Crimson were indeed different. With these three guarding him, Huai Yi felt less intimidated about venturing into the May Station.
Especially this Fatty. He looked simple and dim-witted, but those types were the ones you had to be most careful around.
Brother Jiang and Miss Lin were already incredibly powerful, and they had specifically invited him to help. This Fatty must have some incredible, world-defying ability hidden beneath his unassuming exterior.
He was probably a big shot in Crimson too.
Thinking this, Huai Yi became even more respectful toward Fatty. "Brother Fugui, just let me know if you need anything in the future. Your business is my business."
However, Huai Yi's gaze gave Fatty an uneasy feeling. "I'm warning you," Fatty said, pulling up his waistband, "don't get any funny ideas about Lord Fatty. I'm not gay."
After saying this, Fatty felt he should leave himself an out. He couldn't be too absolute, so he added, "Even if I were gay, it wouldn't be with you."
"Doctor," Fatty turned to Jiang Cheng, "what about the Folk Museum? That sculpture doesn't seem as sinister as the May Station, does it?"
"What do you know about the Folk Museum?" Jiang Cheng asked.
"Well," Huai Yi began, "there's a really creepy statue there. It can move on its own, kill people, and then transform into the appearance of its victims."
Seeing that Huai Yi had already said everything he knew, Fatty sulkily shut his mouth. He had been hoping to make a good impression.
"And then?" Jiang Cheng pressed.
"And then..." Huai Yi scratched his head, puzzled. "Then nothing else happened. Brother Jiang, did you figure something out?" He looked at Jiang Cheng expectantly.
"Nothing," Jiang Cheng said, looking at Huai Yi.
After a few seconds, Huai Yi understood. The problem wasn't that they hadn't found any clues; it was that the unknown was always the most terrifying. Compared to the other two incidents, they knew the most about the May Station event.
"We don't know how the Sculpture Ghost kills, nor do we understand its motives. If it truly kills simply by staring at someone, then I can tell you plainly: we can't deal with something like that."
Jiang Cheng was being honest. In the past, they could have used deaths to uncover the Ghost's patterns, but this time, they were all his own people. He didn't want any accidents.
"Who were you contacting just now?" Jiang Cheng asked.
"A friend I met online," Huai Yi explained. "Well, to be honest, he's not really a friend. He's more like an information broker."
"He has a complex network and often gets access to hidden information. Whenever I'm unsure about a business deal, I ask him for advice."
"Of course, it's a paid service."
"And it's expensive," Huai Yi emphasized, wincing slightly.
"Is the information he provides reliable?" Jiang Cheng inquired.
"Reliable. If you pay the price, he'd leak even the Night Watchers' dirt. That scandalous photo incident that caused such a stir recently? Rumor has it, it originated from him. Three of the five people in the photos were reportedly Night Watchers."
Huai Yi lowered his voice. "At the time, some speculated the buyer was Crimson. They were using public opinion and internet trolls to launch a two-pronged attack on the Night Watchers, both morally and psychologically."
"By smearing the Night Watchers, they could whitewash themselves, effectively boosting Crimson's brand awareness and making it easier to recruit new members."
"Of course, I don't believe that for a second. It's nothing but shameless slander!" Huai Yi said emotionally. "After meeting all of you, I'm convinced Crimson is a loving family."
(End of the Chapter)
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