Door Lock
Translator: Cinder Translations
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"Midnight?" Zhou Taifu exclaimed.
It seems that Zhen Jianren was right; they don't have much time left. The third rehearsal is the final deadline.
"There are three directions that seem most suspicious," Yu Wen pondered before saying, "First, Director Li. We've never met her, but she hides in the shadows, always observing our movements. I believe she was at least aware of the events from years ago."
"Second, the music classroom in Building C. That's where we first captured a ghost, and it's the only time we did. That place holds significant meaning for the ghost."
"Third, the equipment center." At this point, Yu Wen turned to Jiang Cheng. "Last time, Mr. Hao said he encountered a ghost painting there."
"Exactly," Jiang Cheng nodded earnestly, then pointed at Zhen Jianren and said, "That ghost was painting him; I saw it for myself! The painting was amazing!"
Zhen Jianren glared at him, angrily retorting, "Speak properly, don't point!"
"Alright," Yu Wen, faced with these two, had little patience left. She continued analyzing, "The clues should be among these three. Time is pressing; we should split up."
Yu Wen's suggestion sounded reasonable, and no one raised any objections.
Jiang Cheng and the fat guy chose to find Director Li to gather information, while Yu Wen and the others would look for clues in the music classroom while there was no rehearsal.
That left the equipment center for Zhen Jianren and Luo Yi.
As the task was nearing its conclusion, no one cared about which was more dangerous anymore.
If they didn't find crucial clues before midnight tomorrow to end the task, everyone would die.
After saying that, Yu Wen and her group left first.
As Zhen Jianren reached the door, he suddenly paused, as if realizing something, and turned to look at room 404.
Gradually, a hint of confusion appeared in his eyes.
He frowned slightly, as if something was missing.
"Guardian brother!" a voice called out. Jiang Cheng greeted him enthusiastically, "After you find your portrait, please pay attention to the bottom right corner of the painting!"
Zhen Jianren's thoughts were interrupted, and his face slightly paled. "What do you mean?"
Luo Yi, who hadn't exited yet, also turned to look at Jiang Cheng, his expression gradually becoming strange.
"Whoosh—"
Taking a deep breath, Jiang Cheng sat up straight, his demeanor solemn as if preparing to honor ancestors.
Zhen Jianren couldn't help but feel nervous.
At this moment, the mere presence Jiang Cheng exhibited made him uncomfortable.
Only the fat guy sensed a familiar scent.
"Perhaps the ghost's name will be left there," Jiang Cheng said.
Zhen Jianren's pupils involuntarily constricted, and gradually, he became excited. "You mean there's a signature on the painting?!" He murmured to himself, "We could get the ghost lady's name from the painting! Then confirm it through the name!"
Unexpectedly,
Jiang Cheng straightened up and shook his head. "No, I mean at least let you die with some clarity."
The path, muddy after the rain, felt slippery under Zhen Jianren's feet.
The painting Jiang Cheng mentioned lingered in his mind like a nightmare.
"Are we really going there?" Luo Yi, following behind, asked in a strange tone.
Zhen Jianren stared ahead, not even glancing at him. "There's no need to discuss this."
Luo Yi shut his mouth.
Their footsteps on the wet ground made a "Shlick, shlick" sound.
Passing by a supermarket, they bought some bread and ham, and swallowed while walking, washing it down with mineral water.
The hunger from last night had lingered until now.
Zhen Jianren rubbed his temples; that ominous feeling had never dissipated since yesterday.
It felt as if some eyes were watching him.
The equipment room was somewhat remote, located on the side of the old playground.
This playground had long been abandoned.
After the rain, it was like a muddy pit.
They tried to choose a cleaner path as they passed the playground, but their shoes still got dirty.
Finally, they stopped.
Zhen Jianren looked up.
An old sign leaned against the side, with white background and black letters, reading "Equipment Center."
The main door was wide open, but no one could be seen inside.
"Is there no one here?" Luo Yi frowned, peering inside. "They should be having breakfast in the cafeteria at this time."
Zhen Jianren thought for a moment and shook his head. "That shouldn't be the case. From Yu Wen's description, that old man has pale skin and limps. This place is quite far from the cafeteria, and the road is slippery; he wouldn't go there."
"You mean he's still here?"
"Most likely."
Luo Yi's expression became more serious. "That old man doesn't seem like an ordinary NPC; he should be an important clue."
While being cautious, Zhen Jianren and Luo Yi circled around, discovering that the huge equipment center only had this one entrance. There was a small door on the side, but it had been boarded up from the outside.
When they returned to the front door, the two approached.
They didn't rush in but hid outside to observe.
Holding their breath, they waited cautiously for a while, realizing that it was as quiet as death inside.
"What should we do?" Luo Yi asked in a low voice.
Standing there, Zhen Jianren felt increasingly uneasy.
According to Yu Wen, there was an old man inside.
But at the same time, he was also a man.
So far, he was the only male in the school besides them.
Zhen Jianren glanced at the large door in front of him. The door was secured with a thick chain and a dark iron lock that looked very sturdy.
Luo Yi also became tense; after all, Jiang Cheng's description carried an indescribable terrifying atmosphere. Standing here, he couldn't help but think of that ghostly lady who painted.
Even scarier were the huge, strange bloody handprints.
"How strange," Zhen Jianren suddenly spoke.
Luo Yi swallowed hard and asked in a low voice, "What's strange?"
"Where does this old man usually live?"
"He should live here," Luo Yi glanced around and then retracted his gaze.
He had previously scouted schools with many female students and knew that some teachers, after retiring due to health and other reasons, considered staying in the school to do some manageable work.
For example, dormitory supervisors or relatively easy-going positions like janitors or librarians.
The old man should belong to this category.
"But…" Zhen Jianren pointed at the lock on the door, his expression turning odd. "This lock is on the outside."
Luo Yi was taken aback, and then his brow furrowed slowly.
Indeed, this was suspicious. If the old man lived here at night, he should have locked it from the inside. How could the lock possibly be on the outside?
Unless…
Zhen Jianren suddenly recalled that small door.
The small door was boarded up from the outside, surrounded by nails the size of a baby's finger.
"He didn't stay here voluntarily," Zhen Jianren turned to look at Luo Yi, frowning, "This is imprisonment."
(End of the Chapter)
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