Zhou Fengchun's eyes were hollow, and the whites of his eyes were a dead, grayish color. People often say that a person's eyes are the window to their soul, and those who are cheerful and hopeful about life have a sparkle in their eyes.
But his eyes were dull and lifeless, as if he had lost the will to live, had no meaning left, and was simply numb to life.
It wasn't just his eyes.
Zhou Fengchun's entire demeanor gave Jiang Jiuguo the impression that he wasn't a normal person; he exuded exhaustion, fatigue, and decay. His skin was waxy yellow, dull, and inelastic, like that of a terminally ill person nearing death.
Looking like this,
it was hard for Jiang Jiuguo not to think of ghosts.
"I am human, and I am also a ghost." Zhou Fengchun paused and pondered, "But currently, I should lean more toward being human, right? After all, I haven't taken the final step of the ghost sequence formula yet; I'm still in the transformation stage."
He didn't respond immediately, lowering his head deep in thought.
It seemed Jiang Jiuguo's question had stumped him; he himself didn't know whether he counted as human or ghost.
"ghost sequence formula? What is that?" Jiang Jiuguo was intrigued by the latter half of Zhou Fengchun's statement.
"The ghost sequence formula is the method they use to capture you and turn you into a ghost—a formula that grants you a Ghost Sequence. You can think of it as a medicinal prescription or a magical concoction."
Zhou Fengchun generously provided the explanation.
Jiang Jiuguo raised an eyebrow: "Are you talking about something similar to the magical pharmacology in harry potter? A formula used to concoct magic."
"Exactly, exactly! It's so easy talking to you. You're much better than my last roommate. I had to spend so much effort explaining things clearly to him, but you understand immediately. That's great."
Zhou Fengchun pointed to himself and said, "Do you know why I became your roommate? One reason is that I'm here to be your Guide, explaining things about the Ghost Sequence to prevent you from taking unnecessary detours because you don't understand anything. After all, the people who captured us are quite busy. They don't have time to teach the Ghost Sequence individually to everyone they catch, so this troublesome task falls to those of us who were captured earlier."
He hadn't finished speaking.
He quickly added another sentence.
"But don't assume you have a chance to escape just because they're busy. Some of those people have already obtained a Ghost Sequence. They are individuals who have truly transformed into ghosts. Even if only one person is guarding this place, they are not someone all of us captives can handle."
"I wouldn't assume that. Even you can't escape, so I don't think I, in my current state, can." Jiang Jiuguo shook his head slightly.
Zhou Fengchun's 'Invisibility' was definitely a great tool for escape.
Yet, even he could only obediently stay in the room, with no thought of escaping.
"Continue telling me about the ghost sequence formula," Jiang Jiuguo said.
Zhou Fengchun continued his explanation.
"The ghost sequence formula is, as you said, similar to the magical pharmacology in harry potter. However, the former concocts a formula for humans to become ghosts, while the latter concocts magic. As for what the ghost sequence formula specifically is, I can't tell you, because different Ghost Sequences have different ghost sequence formulas."
"As for what the Ghost Sequence is, every species has different classifications. For example, dogs are divided into many types like Huskies, Poodles, and so on. Ghosts are also divided into types, such as the Hanged Ghost, Ghost Infant, and Drowned Ghost, and so on."
"Each type of ghost represents a Ghost Sequence. The ghost sequence formula is what turns you into that specific ghost. For example, the ghost sequence formula I ingested is the formula for 'ghost sequence no. 21—Ghost Inviting Man.'"
Jiang Jiuguo looked stunned.
The amount of information Zhou Fengchun conveyed was too great, exceeding the normal comprehension of an ordinary person, even though the words were few.
Zhou Fengchun knew this as well.
He didn't elaborate further, waiting for Jiang Jiuguo to process the information.
But after a short while,
Zhou Fengchun said, "Never mind, let me tell you something else."
He intended to share some other matters.
This would allow Jiang Jiuguo to digest the information while also quickly understanding the situation here
"Since ancient times, stories, customs, and taboos about ghosts have circulated both abroad and domestically. Although the content varies, one thing is always the same: anything related to ghosts, regardless of the story, never ends well."
"Not only does it never end well, but it is also inevitably associated with death, because ghosts are perceived as beings formed after a person dies."
"Our capture and transformation into ghosts is no exception; it's also related to ghosts, and it's certainly not a good thing. This process turns a human into a ghost—it's practically crossing from one species to another. It's impossible for someone to ingest a formula and instantly turn into a ghost; the process involves enormous risk."
Zhou Fengchun paused, then uttered two words: "You might die."
"My previous roommate died during the transformation process after ingesting the ghost sequence formula. Strictly speaking, he didn't even begin to transform; he died right after taking it."
"Of course."
"Jiang Jiuguo, I'm not saying this to scare you, because fear is useless. You can't refuse this. Whether you want to or not, the people who captured you will force you to take the formula. After all, they brought you here specifically to turn you into a ghost."
"The reason I'm telling you this is to say that you don't need to be afraid. Taking the ghost sequence formula is dangerous, but the people here—I don't know if they have a conscience or what—they give us money."
Zhou Fengchun held up a finger.
A rare, bright smile appeared on his waxy yellow and haggard face.
"Ten million yuan. If we die, they will give our families ten million yuan in compensation—a severance payment, you see. If we don't die and successfully become ghosts, they will let us leave and give us fifteen million yuan."
As he spoke, a glimmer of spirit appeared in Zhou Fengchun's hollow eyes, though it was unclear what he was thinking about.
He smiled and murmured, "So whether we die or live, our families won't suffer because of us. Therefore, Jiang Jiuguo, if you want to see your family again, you must endure the danger and pain of ingesting the ghost sequence formula. That is the only thing you can do here."
Jiang Jiuguo fell silent.
He didn't respond, his mind filling with images of his parents and younger sister.
The atmosphere instantly quieted down.
Zhou Fengchun did not continue speaking, nor did Jiang Jiuguo, who was either processing the information or thinking about something else.
After a long while,
Zhou Fengchun seemed not to like the atmosphere and was the first to break the silence.
"Jiang Jiuguo, you haven't peed yourself out of fear, have you?"
Hearing this, Jiang Jiuguo looked up.
He grinned and said, "No, my pee is still dormant in my bladder. I was just thinking that ten million yuan is good; at least if I die, my parents and sister will have retirement funds. But... I still don't want to die. I want to survive, and then take that fifteen million yuan fortune and show off in front of my parents and sister."
...