Chapter 033: Stockholm Syndrome.

Chapter 033: Stockholm Syndrome.

Just as Chi Shen figured out the main plot and began his work in earnest, members of the Bai family also started to stir.

Bai Ran's room was strewn with filth that emanated a foul odor. Oblivious to the mess, he remained wrapped in his blanket on the bed. Sunlight streamed in, illuminating his face, prompting him to shield himself using the bedsheet.

"Young Master Ran?" The cleaning lady tentatively opened Bai Ran's door. Recoiling slightly due to the stench, she softly inquired, "Are you awake, Young Master Ran?"

"I'm awake," Bai Ran replied, his voice hoarse. Slowly lifting his head, his once pampered and flawless face now appeared haggard, marked with tear streaks.

"May I come in to clean the room?" The cleaning lady asked further.

Without a response from Bai Ran, she took his silence as consent and began tidying up, then opened the window to let in fresh air.

"Close it," Bai Ran suddenly shuddered and commanded.

She obliged and upon turning, noticed Bai Ran seemingly afraid of the cold breeze, as he'd moved to a corner of the room.

As a housekeeper in the Bai residence, she knew which topics were off-limits. She chose to remain silent and simply informed, "The Second Master has requested your presence once you're up."

Bai Ran seemed distant, his pupils darting around the room. After a while, he murmured, "Alright."

In the living room, Bai Hengqing had been awake since the early hours, plagued by nightmares and a restless night.

Without hesitation, he summoned someone to inquire about Elder He's whereabouts.

He Lianhai had dedicated his life to serving the Bai family. Growing up within the household and later becoming the gatekeeper of the ancestral mansion for decades, his sudden disappearance at such a crucial time puzzled Bai Hengqing. Whether alive or dead, he was determined to find him.

Early that day, Bai Hengqing was informed about He Lianhai's situation.

After an unsuccessful search for Elder He and unable to contact him, Bai XiMing decided to inform the police.

Despite the Bai family's extensive influence in Hong City, their reach had limitations. For matters like finding someone, they had to rely on the police.

Upon receiving the report, the Special Security Bureau took it seriously. Supported by various influential families that balanced the realms of the living and the dead, they were keen to assist the Bai family. The Bureau immediately began checking surveillance footage around the mansion to locate He Lianhai.

The Special Security Bureau was efficient. Overnight, they traced He Lianhai's movements and relayed the video footage and details to Bai Hengqing.

When Bai Ran entered the living room, he found Bai Hengqing viewing surveillance footage related to Elder He. Two younger members of the Bai family assisted, meticulously showing Bai Hengqing what Elder He had been up to the previous night.

The initial footage was from a bus stop. Elder He seemed to be fleeing from something—or perhaps he'd witnessed something terrifying—as he raced to the stop. An oncoming taxi paused briefly, but after a moment's hesitation, Elder He didn't board. Once the taxi left, he looked around anxiously before boarding a bus headed to the city center.

Subsequent footage showed him in various parts of the city. After getting off the bus, Mr. He chose to walk through crowded areas, which resulted in numerous appearances on camera. The last time he was seen was at the train station, from where he purchased a ticket to the capital city and left overnight.

"He ran away?" Bai Hengqing watched in disbelief. He had been prepared to find Mr. He's body in the wilderness, yet the investigation revealed that the man had fled.

He immediately informed Bai Ximing, who had not slept well the previous night. Deep in thought, Bai Ximing entered the living room only to receive this news.

"Why would he run?" Bai Ximing wondered, "Did anything unusual happen at the old mansion last night?"

They were baffled. How could someone who had served the Bai family loyally for decades disappear without a trace? What had really transpired?

"Bai Wan has resurfaced," sighed Bai Hengqing. But something felt off. "Even if Bai Wan has emerged, why would he leave the port city? Did he do something to her?"

Bai Ximing exclaimed in shock, "Bai Wan?!"

Upon hearing the name, Bai Ran next to them trembled violently, clearly wanting to flee. Another person nearby quickly held him firmly on the sofa.

"It's okay."

The image of Chi Shen, who had referred to Bai Wan as his sister in the old mansion, accompanied by a ghost in bridal attire, still haunted Bai Hengqing. Trying to suppress the chill that made his legs weak, he spoke, albeit with a shaky voice, "She probably won't come after us right away. We just need to wait until her anger subsides, then find a way to seal her. If all else fails, we can feed her some souls, control her first, and then devise a long-term plan."

"No!" Bai Ran exclaimed in panic, "She came for me. She's already been after me!"

Bai Ximing gave Bai Ran a reproachful look. Bai Ran immediately shut his mouth, still trembling.

Bai Hengqing paid no attention. He had thought Bai Ran, who seemed so formidable the night before, could subdue Bai Wan. It was surprising that in the end, it was Chi Shen who saved him.

Recalling this, Bai Hengqing felt it odd. Although Chi Shen had come leading a ghost, he had not only survived but had been saved.

It was Chi Shen who had rescued him.

After sipping some warm tea to dispel the chill, Bai Hengqing began to think that perhaps Chi Shen's approach wasn't so wrong. Others had tried to befriend ghosts and failed, yet Chi Shen had succeeded.

Collecting himself, Bai Hengqing looked at the distraught Bai Ran and pondered the idea of bringing Chi Shen for assistance.

Compared to Bai Ran, who was being groomed as the future head of the Bai family but proved useless against ghosts, Chi Shen seemed much more competent in dealing with such entities. He might be a talent worth cultivating.

As for the true story of the "phone ghost"... Bai Hengqing smirked, deciding to keep it as a secret gift for the younger generation.

Inside the Tengfei Tower.

Unbeknownst to him about the secret "gift", Chi Shen was engrossed in drafting a storyline. Soon, he completed it with satisfaction, promptly printing it out to show to Li Xu.

"Hold on," Ma Caijin called out as he saw Chi Shen about to enter the office. "Take it easy."

Chi Shen turned to him, "Isn't Mr. Li in?"

"That's not it," Ma Caijin said, looking at him with an elder brother's gaze. "Let me take a look for you first. If there's any issue, I can point it out before you get chewed out inside."

Chi Shen glanced at the Snake game displayed on Ma Caijin's computer and the space-themed jigsaw puzzle on his desk, understanding immediately, "Brother Ma, it seems like you have nothing to do."

Ma Caijin responded, "…Knowing it is one thing; you don't have to point it out."

Chi Shen handed over his work, "Then why volunteer for overtime?"

"To make a good impression on the boss, of course. Enough about that; let me check your work for you." Ma Caijin then opened Chi Shen's main storyline.

Ten minutes later, Ma Caijin frowned, "This is…"

Seeking advice, Chi Shen asked, "Is there a problem?"

After some contemplation, Ma Caijin cautiously suggested, "It seems more suited for a fighting game."

"Where's the horror element in a game where the main character just breezes through every scene? Is the horror supposed to come from ghosts getting scared off by the protagonist?"

"Isn't it terrifying?" Chi Shen queried.

Ma Caijin patiently explained, "If the protagonist can just blaze through everything, players will only feel empowered, never afraid. That takes away the essence of a horror game."

"Really?" Chi Shen replied, "They all seem super scared to me."

Baffled, Ma Caijin asked, "Who are 'they'?"

Chi Shen answered, "The ghosts."

Ma Caijin, taken aback, responded, "Are you sure you understand your own game concept?"

Even though Ma Caijin had reservations, Chi Shen insisted on showing it to Li Xu. After all, he recognized Li Xu as the one who called the police when confronted by a ghost, so he felt that Li Xu would surely understand the selling point of his storyline.

Ma Caijin didn't object; he followed Chi Shen into Li Xu's office, thinking it would be interesting to watch the exchange.

Chi Shen's storyline was just a few pages, briefly outlining each boss and what the protagonist, dressed in a floral skirt, experienced. Li Xu quickly finished reading. Adjusting his collar under Ma Caijin's anticipatory gaze, he nodded, "It's not bad."

Ma Caijin: "...?"

Chi Shen began to feel uplifted, realizing that the boss understood him best.

Li Xu continued, "It presents a fresh perspective. I've never considered this direction before."

Ma Caijin looked utterly baffled, "Boss, perhaps you might want to reconsider?"

Turning a horror game into a fighting game... Please, let's not do that!

"Chi Shen, elaborate on what each BOSS does, the interactions and dialogues they have with the protagonist. Get it to me by next Friday," Li Xu's expression lightened considerably as he spoke. He commended, "Ma, your thinking has become too constrained. Newcomers like Chi Shen are more open-minded. The idea of 'ending the pain by leaving this world' is brilliant, though quite raw. Ma, assist him in refining it."

A flabbergasted Ma Caijin looked at Chi Shen, who gave him a comrade-in-arms smile.

Ma Caijin covered his face in agony, feeling something was off.

Upon returning, Chi Shen checked the time—it was 4 PM. He had spent the entire day drafting this storyline, drawing inspiration from his own experiences. Indeed, stories rooted in reality tend to resonate more.

Back in the office, Ma Caijin pondered how to adjust Chi Shen's storyline, while Chi Shen contemplated another matter.

Chi Shen looked at his shadow, "It's Friday."

His shadow shifted slightly, "Mhm."

Chi Shen remarked, "I don't want to work overtime."

After a brief pause, his shadow responded, "Mhm."

Chi Shen determined, "I'll address the root cause."

Ji Xing emerged from the shadow, asking calmly, "Which ghost do you want to summon?"

Grabbing a water cup and heading to the pantry, Chi Shen grinned, "Let's utilize local resources."

As he filled his cup, a pallid ghostly face began to ascend from the bottom. It was the ghost that had followed Li Xu into the office earlier that day and had since hidden in the pantry.

The ghost's lips curled upwards; the closer it got to the water's surface, the wider the smirk grew, appearing increasingly ghastly.

Once the ghostly face reached the surface, its mouth opened wide, seemingly ready to laugh as it tried to engulf the person before it.

Chi Shen reached out, inserting his hand directly into the ghost face's throat. Under the ghost's gaze of immense shock, he pulled it out by the throat and inquired cordially, "Hello, would you be willing to help me?"

*

Author's note:

The second update might be a bit late. Please, don't wait up!