Chapter 144: If the summary remains empty.

Chapter 144: If the summary remains empty.

After the meal, Chi Shen went to the hospital to pick up Bai Wan.

After leaving the Dongshan Hot Spring, Zhong Yi was taken to the hospital. At that time, his condition was dire, his body covered in a thick pink liquid, a result of human flesh melting. It was Bai Wan who pulled him out from the gooey mass, clearing his mouth and nose, saving him from a suffocating fate.

After leaving the hospital with Ji Xingchen, Chi Shen left Bai Wan behind to help look after things. Now that the matter was resolved, and his New Year holiday had arrived, he needed to take Bai Wan back with him to the port city.

By the time they reached the hospital, Zhong Yi had awakened. Bai Wan's arrival was timely. Although Zhong Yi's physical injuries weren't severe, the cold energy invading his body made him appear especially weak. Hearing Chi Shen's plan to return to the port city, Zhong Yi struggled to sit up from the bed: "I'll go with you."

The person from the Zhong family who was there to care for him remarked, "Given your condition, it'd be best if you stay in the hospital for a few more days."

Zhong Yi shook his head, "I... I need to see my grandfather."

By rights, the ashes of the elderly should have been returned to the Zhong family for burial. However, the old man's death was mysterious, and an investigation was ongoing. Thus, the remains couldn't be brought back yet.

And so, when Chi Shen returned to the port city, he was accompanied by a weakened Zhong Yi.

However, due to the subsequent handling of unconscious individuals, Chi Shen couldn't return to the city during the New Year holiday as planned. He booked a ticket for the day after his scheduled leave and called Li Xu to request an additional day off.

Over the phone, Li Xu responded with an unconcerned tone, seemingly in a good mood, and asked, "How was your holiday? Did you have fun?"

"It was enjoyable. Met a lot of old friends," Chi Shen pondered for a moment, then added, "And I gathered quite a bit of material. I've got some new ideas!"

"What did you do? Go exploring haunted houses?"

"Something like that."

"Wait a minute..." Li Xu suddenly realized something, "This haunted house exploration... you're not talking about real ghosts, are you?"

Chi Shen responded, "Seems so."

Li Xu on the other end fell silent.

A wisp of black smoke emerged from Chi Shen's shadow, curling around his arm and reaching for the phone.

At that moment, Li Xu spoke up again: "You don't need to push yourself so hard. The BOSS project isn't urgent. Why don't you draft something casually? Who knows, it might just work?"

Chi Shen replied with a smile, "Thanks, boss. I have something to attend to, so I'll hang up now."

Amidst Li Xu's earnest persuasions, Chi Shen ended the call. He gazed at the black mist in his hand, slowly retracting his fingers and gently grasping the smoky form.

The black mist dispersed and slid back into his shadow.

Chi Shen withdrew his hand and started packing, preparing to return to the port city.

Ji Xingchen probably remained unconscious. Although Chi Shen had tried to comfort him, Ji Xingchen would likely remain in a state of chaos for a while.

However, this version of Ji Xingchen... seemed to have become unexpectedly clingy to him.

Was this a good thing? Chi Shen wasn't sure, but he didn't perceive it as bad either. So, whenever Ji Xingchen showed any signs, he would respond.

He would be catching an evening flight back. With his backpack slung over his shoulder, Chi Shen, along with an unseen companion, boarded the plane home.

"Four when we came, four!" A ghostly woman in red peeked out from the backpack, counting on her fingers. After counting, she tapped on Chi Shen's shadow, the tablet inside the backpack, and a ghostly face sticker on the bag, frowning in confusion, "Still four."

"Ling Ling's gone," the woman in red looked around, "Ling Ling's gone, but still four?"

The ghostly face commented, "There were five when we came; you counted wrong!"

The woman in red began counting again, "White Face, Bai Wan, Star... Ling Ling. There were four when we arrived!"

Ghost face retorted, "Now you count yourself, but why didn't you count yourself when we came?"

After pondering for a moment, the woman in red had an epiphany, "Ling Ling's gone, so there are only four."

"It's probably for the best that she's gone; couldn't get used to her," the ghost face remarked, "Better she got caught after being let out. That'll teach her how harsh the world can be!"

The woman in red, hands supporting her chin, gazed forward, "I miss Ling Ling."

Amid the noisy chatter, the flight wasn't dull for Chi Shen.

——

Port City.

Night had fallen. Nights in the coastal areas always seem to come a bit earlier.

Yuan Yiping wrapped up his work for the day, ready to head home and rest.

Things had been relatively peaceful in the port city these past few days. Other than handling the usual minor matters, there wasn't much work, even less than during previous New Year's holidays.

He sneezed, started his car to drive home, thoughts swirling around the directive he received earlier. The higher-ups wanted him to collaborate with the Special Security Bureau in an investigation focused on the Bai family.

The Bai family's influence in the port city was deeply entrenched, making it challenging to uproot all at once. Being one of the early members of the city's Special Security Bureau, Yuan Yiping had a clearer understanding of the city's power dynamics, which is why he was roped into this investigation team.

He wasn't entirely sure about the Bai family's activities, but after a few incidents involving Chi Shen, he had ideas about potential suspicious locations. He provided some crucial clues, such as locations related to the Bai family, the place where Bai Ran died, and that construction site.

It wasn't the usual rush hour, so the roads were clear. He smoothly entered the parking garage. As Yuan Yiping opened the car door, a sudden intense chill gripped him, making every hair on his body stand on end.

While he didn't sense any malevolent aura, years of walking the line between life and death had honed his instincts. He felt danger and immediately dove several meters to the side.

"Bang!" A loud noise struck his car. A ventilation duct from the parking garage ceiling had fallen.

Clearly, the duct didn't simply deteriorate and fall. Yuan Yiping swiftly looked up at the ceiling. There, a ghost with several different faces lurked. Some faces looked at him with a curious innocence, while others glared with malicious intent, like predators eyeing their prey.

Without wasting a moment, Yuan Yiping reached into his jacket, flinging a handful of cinnabar towards the ghost. Seizing the brief moment the ghost evaded, he bolted.

He wasn't sure why he couldn't sense this ghost's dark aura, but he knew he couldn't linger. This ghost was dangerous. He might not be able to confront it, but there were many powerful families currently in the city to whom he could seek help—

"Your brother's scent," the ghostly faces suddenly appeared on Yuan Yiping's clothes, speaking in unison, "You carry the scent of my brother. So... delectable."

Yuan Yiping halted, reaching into his pocket, but before he could retrieve anything, a deep gash tore open in his body. Blood gushed out, drenching the floor.

An innocent-looking face emerged from the wound, voicing its confusion, "Where's the soul?"

"Where's the soul?" the other faces echoed, their voices fading, becoming more and more distant.

Under the dim streetlight, a straight figure slowly fell.