Thriller Zone: From the Mental Hospital to the Ghostly World

wow——

The sky was overcast. Chen Ji drew back the curtains and watched as Du Tingfeng's car slowly pulled up in the courtyard.

He checked his watch; it was 11:30 a.m.

Chen Ji was still fully armed, wearing a baseball cap and a mask, before pushing open the door and going out.

Where did you meet Xu Sandao?

As soon as Chen Ji got into the car, he heard Du Tingfeng ask a question.

"A coffee shop in Puxin District."

Chen Ji said, "However, that's not our destination."

He tapped a few times on his phone and showed the map route to Du Tingfeng.

"Cinema?"

Du Tingfeng was somewhat surprised: "Did you tell him?"

Chen Ji shook his head and adjusted his seat back a bit.

He briefly explained his thoughts to Du Tingfeng, and added at the end:

"I'll need you to keep an eye on things for me then. If anything seems amiss, please send me a message."

"Pick me up at the back entrance of the cinema before 12:30, it's on another street."

The iron gate opened automatically, and the SUV slowly drove down the mountain road.

Du Tingfeng held the steering wheel with one hand, his voice relaxed:

"no problem."

.......

11:55.

A coffee shop in Puxin District.

In the corner, a red-haired man was idly playing with his phone, occasionally taking a sip from his coffee cup.

The café was empty except for him and one other employee mopping the floor.

Ding.

【Extreme: Go here.】

[Extreme: Share address: Dayuecheng]

"is it necessary?"

Xu Sandao sighed somewhat speechlessly and stood up lazily.

He scrolled through the map and saw that the shopping mall was 3 kilometers away from the coffee shop.

However, there is a shortcut that can cut the journey in half.

ten minutes later.

Xu Sandao walked slowly along the path lined with sycamore trees, his hands in the pockets of his trench coat.

Separated by a wall, the middle school next door rang its melodious dismissal bell, and a burst of noise followed.

He walked at a slow pace, glancing left and right every now and then, but the road was sparsely populated, with only a few cars parked on the side.

"Xu Sandao".

Just ten minutes past twelve, a calm male voice suddenly called out to him.

Chen Ji appeared at the entrance of the movie theater by the roadside, holding two movie tickets in his hand.

A few minutes later, in an empty theater.

Xu Sandao looked around at the old movie playing on the big screen, his mouth agape.

"Chen Ji, we're not filming a spy movie."

"Is it necessary to make it like an underground party meeting?"

Chen Ji casually picked a seat and sat down, ignoring his question, and asked directly:

"What exactly do you want to say to me?"

Xu Sandao sat down next to him, smiled, and also did not answer directly:

"Without even saying hello?"

Chen Ji didn't speak, just stared at him expressionlessly.

"never mind."

Xu Sandao shrugged and took out a neatly folded sheet of printed paper from his trench coat pocket.

He unfolded the paper and handed it to Chen Ji. In the dim light, a line of bright red regular script characters stood out:

[Internal document, do not disclose!]

“This is the company’s internal list of strange objects,” Xu Sandao explained. “Of course, this is only a small part of the list.”

Chen Ji carefully read through the paper; it contained records of about five or six strange creatures.

To be precise, this is a rating table that considers two dimensions: [monster's ability strength] and [monster's side effects].

There was the "Compass" that Chen Ji had seen, as well as some other strange objects, and their abilities, side effects, and evaluations were all listed in detail.

What Chen Ji was most concerned about were the two strange creatures.

One is a plaid shirt.

There's another one...

Chainsaw

[Rating: CB]

[Deals true damage to ghosts]

[Price: Equal damage returned]

(Evaluation: A very rare ghost-type monster that can injure others; its abilities are quite strong. However, it has extremely strong side effects, so it is recommended to use it in conjunction with a survival-type monster.)

[Note: Now lost; Last user: A staff member in the purchasing department (Note: Not reported, pending processing by the HR department)]

[Human Resources Department Note: (This specialist has died within the region)]

Chen Ji's eyes flashed, but he didn't pay special attention to this comment. Instead, he casually glanced at the comments about the plaid shirt for a while.

He returned the paper to Xu Sandao and asked:

"How do you know its specific capabilities and costs if you haven't even gotten your hands on the plaid shirt?"

"The price is obvious," Xu Sandao said frankly.

"As for specific abilities, the 'department store's' warehouse department has specialized gadgets that can determine them."

"However, that's not the point."

Xu Sandao put the paper in his pocket and looked at Chen Ji: "You've noticed, haven't you? These strange creatures are at most B-grade."

Chen Ji nodded.

"It's not that I don't want to reveal higher-level monsters, but that they're not in any of the data lists I have access to."

Xu Sandao leaned forward slightly, his voice suddenly dropping to a very low hue:

Only the company's top executives have the right to possess Class A or even Super Class A artifacts.

"Because...only A-rank or higher monsters have the potential to evolve into the 'Netherworld'."

"'Netherworld'? "

Chen Ji was taken aback.

"It's the Ghost Constellation Mark, an ability that only appears randomly when the star evolves to between the third and fourth stars."

Xu Sandao seemed certain that Chen Ji knew about the Ghostly Abode, and continued:

"The Netherworld is like a domain, but it is not a domain. It is a small space formed by completely binding a kind of strange creature to oneself and using the strange creature's abilities."

"Well..."

Xu Sandao thought for a moment before saying, "It's like you're dreaming, but you're the one who sets the rules for this dream."

Chen Ji didn't say a word, listening very attentively. Xu Sandao's words contained a lot of information!

First, the dot on the "Company" logo is a star!

This immediately reminded Chen Ji of the starlight on the riverbed of the Yu River.

Therefore, the mark of the Ghostly Mansion is not unique; it is very likely that the same mark will be distributed among many entrants.

Second, this "Netherworld".....

Chen Ji immediately pressed further, "The 'Netherworld' you mentioned, can it be used within the domain?"

Xu Sandao shook his head:

"I don't know, but based on my observation, it shouldn't be possible."

"At least, those high-ranking individuals I know who possess the Netherworld can only enter the realm by relying on strange creatures."

Chen Ji frowned: "Then what's the use of this?"

Xu Sandao smiled mysteriously and said softly:

"Didn't you ever think about how a ghost could possibly appear in a mental hospital?"

Painted Skin Ghost.

As if a lightning bolt had struck Chen Ji's mind, the answer to the question appeared in his mind in an instant!

"The Netherworld... can be used in reality."

He suddenly raised his head, his voice filled with disbelief:

"Tang Qin has already evolved to the third star? She has the Netherworld?"

If that's the case, how could Chen Ji possibly resist her?

Xu Sandao shook his head.

"This is not."

"That's why she's so eager to catch you."

Chen Ji asked with some doubt, "Are these two things related?"

Could it be because of the fountain pen?

No, when Tang Qin first caught him, the pen was still causing trouble in the cram school.

Xu Sandao continued:

"Tang Qin somehow obtained a top-secret file. After reading it, she suddenly launched the operation to arrest you."

"Only her teacher knew about this operation among the higher-ups, but I don't know what her teacher's attitude was towards it."

He hesitated for a moment before continuing:

"Tang Qin's purpose is most likely to curry favor with her superiors after the deed is done, and then exchange her promotion for the right to use an A-level monster, thereby opening the Netherworld."

"The ghost that took your mother's place doesn't belong to her either; the source should be her teacher's ghost realm."

Chen Ji suddenly interjected:

"Why are you telling me this?"

His eyes held a hint of suspicion; this was clearly a secret within the "department store."

Xu Sandao grinned, his eyes shining brightly:

"Because I am a person without a sense of morality."

“I work for the company, but I am not required to be loyal to them.”

"and......"

He smiled and said:

"I also want to open the Netherworld."

Chen Ji stared at him for a long while, then a slight smile appeared on his lips.

For some reason, seeing Xu Sandao's smug look, which was practically announcing "I'm a traitor," always reminded him of the silly, babble-like look Xu Sandao had given him in the last time they were in the domain.

"You want to take Tang Qin's place."

Chen's expression was ambiguous, neither smiling nor frowning.

"Bingo!"

"you are right."

Xu Sandao snapped his fingers, then looked at the movie screen, his voice relaxed and cheerful, without a trace of guilt.

"Now, let's talk about you..."

......

More than ten days later.

Du Family Villa.

Du Tingfeng put away his phone, his expression now calm.

"I've already spoken to the hospital staff."

Chen Ji patted his shoulder and asked softly:

"what did the doctor say?"

“Still the same.” Du Tingfeng shook his head: “He remains in a coma.”

"However, the doctor said her vital signs are slowly improving."

Chen Ji was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said:

"This is a good sign."

"Perhaps, Sister Yu will wake up by the time we leave this realm."

Du Tingfeng looked out the window, as if he were gazing at the hospital to the east, or perhaps at the county town where he spent his childhood, hundreds of kilometers away.

"Most definitely."

Du Tingfeng murmured, a faint hint of determination in his eyes.

Bang!

The door was pushed open, and Fei'er, dressed casually with her hair in a high ponytail, walked in rubbing her eyes.

"Is Wusu settled in yet?"

Chen Ji nodded. He had just told Wu Su that a nanny would be coming to take care of him in the next few days.

A faint, tugging sensation gradually appeared on the group.

In the air before them, Du Tingfeng's domain river seemed to be unable to wait any longer, its waters churning furiously.

Chen Ji was carrying a backpack, with a monkey doll's tail sticking out from the zipper, and a fountain pen lying motionless on its body.

"gone."

The three intertwined their fingers, closed their eyes, and until they were completely drawn into the river as one...

Silence returned to the villa.