Choice

Chapter 14: Choice

At first, Han Dong had only intended to use the "Mimicry" ability to gain a deeper understanding of the characters and events in the movie The Hex.

Who would have thought that this negotiation would unexpectedly trigger a Side Event.

Han Dong was not particularly concerned about the Destiny Card mentioned among the Side Event rewards... after all, he did not even know whether he would survive this event.

What he valued more was the relationships between the characters.

If he chose correctly and handled things properly, he might greatly increase his "intimacy" with the event characters and perhaps even turn them into capable allies.

His conversation with Chen Li ended.

After returning to the dormitory, Han Dong removed his disguise and fell into deep thought.

In fact, this contact with an event character had revealed a major issue beyond helping him understand the nature of the movie and the relationships between its characters.

Since Granny Wang and her husband, as well as the Chen Li siblings, were all normal humans, then who was the "evil spirit"?

There were two possibilities:

First, the event characters turned into evil spirits after death.

Second, an evil spirit lingered in this desolate wilderness and had nothing to do with the event characters.

However, the first possibility was extremely unlikely.

After all, the bald De Leon had been killed last night... With his burly build, if he had been attacked by an Ordinary Person, there was no way he could have died without making a sound.

He had most likely been killed by some mysterious evil spirit.

"Wait!"

The faces of the other team members suddenly flashed through Han Dong's mind.

"There is a third possibility... If I assume that there were only five humans from the Holy City participating in this Destiny Event from the very beginning, then the true 'evil spirit' may have mixed among us as the sixth person from the start."

For some reason, Han Dong's Intuition told him that the third possibility was more likely.

If that is true, then with my physical condition, I must make full use of this Side Event if I want to survive... I need to win over the event characters.

Han Dong had already decided on his course of action.

There was still over an hour before the Soul Transfer Ritual, while Edward and the others were still exploring the surrounding area and sketching out a rough map.

Han Dong returned to his original appearance and headed to the first floor as Nicholas, intending to meet Possessed Chen Li once again.

Chen Li's original plan had been to frighten the group of college students away in advance before dealing with Granny Wang and her husband.

Therefore, when Han Dong arrived alone in the first-floor hall, Chen Li was sitting in a chair with her hair hanging loose.

She held a kitchen knife in her hand.

Click!

As Han Dong stepped into the hall, he took the initiative to close the Wooden Gate behind him. He adjusted his emotions and entered a state of "acting."

"Miss Chen... My name is Valen Nicholas. I want to discuss something with you, something concerning Granny Wang."

Han Dong deliberately moved closer to Chen Li, keeping his eyes fixed on the kitchen knife in her hand the entire time.

"I am different from them. I am of mixed Chinese and foreign descent, and my mother was also from Kyushu Country... This filming trip was proposed and organized by me.

"The purpose was to expose Granny Wang's true nature and make her face legal punishment.

"But... I am not satisfied! Without conclusive evidence, she can only be imprisoned for a while. That simply cannot make up for the sins she has committed.

"My mother was once killed by Granny Wang."

Han Dong's expression and every aspect of his performance were flawless while he spoke.

Han Dong often used this sort of emotional disguise at gatherings with other professors in his department.

To be honest, Han Dong disliked dealing with people... but because of his work, he had no choice but to attend all sorts of gatherings and social functions.

He was already a Chinese expatriate, so in order to avoid being ostracized by the other university professors, Han Dong had to put on a warm, polite, and friendly front.

Chen Li's expression did not change. "You want her... to disappear directly, right?"

Han Dong looked startled, pretending not to know that Chen Li also hated Granny Wang. "Miss Chen, you?"

"Me? Do you think I really paid Granny Wang to exorcise me? Hahaha... Don't be ridiculous. If you had not come, Granny Wang and her husband would have disappeared last night.

"That is even better! I had originally been considering how to 'deal with' you college students who suddenly inserted yourselves into the plan."

"Then..." Han Dong tried to draw out Chen Li's plan.

"Granny Wang's fate was sealed the moment she came here. You only need to take your friends away and wait for news of her death."

Han Dong immediately replied, "No problem!"

Although Han Dong's acting was good, Chen Li was highly vigilant as well... She did not directly reveal the plan.

In her heart, only her younger brother Da Qing was worthy of trust.

"Why do you want to help us?"

Han Dong shrugged and put on a helpless expression. "Help you? No... I just want Granny Wang and her husband to receive the punishment they deserve, the sooner the better!"

For a moment, the hall fell silent.

About two minutes passed...

Chen Li did not see any flaw or falsehood in Han Dong's eyes. She set down the kitchen knife and spoke quietly. "Fine... If everything goes according to plan, my brother will make sure Granny Wang's vehicle breaks down, so they will still stay in the farmhouse tonight.

"Tonight, a certain amount of laxative will be added to the drinking water for Granny Wang and her husband.

"My brother and I will make our move at the outhouse.

"You only need to keep an eye on your classmates. Do not let them leave their rooms in the middle of the night, and do not let them approach the outhouse.

"The next day, you only need to tell your companions that Granny Wang and her husband returned to the village early in the morning after their vehicle was repaired. My brother will rent a vehicle and take you back to the city then."

"Alright!"

Just as Han Dong agreed,

Chen Li suddenly lunged forward at an unbelievable speed.

Her face abruptly moved close to Han Dong's, their faces nearly touching... Her lips brushed near Han Dong's ear as she whispered:

"If any of you approaches the outhouse tonight and discovers this... then we will have no choice but to kill all of you as well. Do you understand?"

"No problem."

The negotiation was successful.

In this Side Mission, Han Dong chose to assist the "siblings."

The reason was simple.

The siblings were willing to pay any price for revenge, yet still retained enough kindness that they did not wish to involve the college students.

They were definitely more "useful" than Granny Wang and her husband, who had no conscience and made a living through rumors and scams.

Even if Granny Wang and her husband helped them, even if they saved the couple's lives... when their own lives were at stake, the two would flee at the First Time.

Building a good relationship with that couple held no value whatsoever.

Not long after Han Dong returned to his room,

the time came. Granny Wang summoned everyone to Room 6 and had Possessed Chen Li lie on the bed.

The Soul Transfer Ritual began.

Because of Han Dong's intervention, the movie's plot had changed.

Chen Li, who had originally been prepared to go mad during the ritual, instead lay quietly on the bed and waited for the three-hour "soul transfer" to end.

She forced herself to drink the talisman water Granny Wang had prepared, then smiled afterward and pretended that the evil thing inside her had been expelled.

"The ritual was successful."

Da Qing's acting also surprised Han Dong.

He knelt on the ground, hugged Granny Wang's leg, and cried out "benefactor" with tears and snot streaming down his face while handing over the prepared ritual fee.

After resting for a while and eating lunch, Granny Wang and her husband did not linger any longer.

Han Dong and the others were restricted from leaving the lodge.

They said that filming could only be considered complete after Chen Li had fully recovered and they could ask about her feelings during the Soul Transfer Ritual.

Thus, Granny Wang and her husband set off first.

Of course... Da Qing had secretly tampered with the couple's van.

Within an hour, their vehicle broke down on the road. Since it was impossible to walk back over a five-hour journey, Granny Wang and her husband had no choice but to return to the lodge and call for a repair crew from town.

The first step of the "revenge" plan had succeeded.

Time passed into the second night at the abandoned farmhouse...

(Statement: All event characters within Destiny Space are "Datafication products" and do not truly exist.)