The Real Thrill

The cold autumn night wind blew in through the open glass window, piercing the flesh and blood of every living person.

Ji Li's thick, dark long hair fluttered in the wind as he squatted on the ground, starting to rummage through his tool bag.

Rope, headlamp, electric drill – he laid them out one by one on the ground, forming a line!

Ji Li's guess about the path to survival still echoed in the minds of the other survivors, growing more intense by the moment!

"That's right... that's right! If this ghost's killing rule is to kill women before coming for us, then as long as we interfere with its killing action, we might actually be able to delay until the next morning!"

Yu Guo's nerves were already stretched to their limit, and he could no longer settle down, pacing restlessly around the room.

From time to time, he would also crouch by the opening in the east wall, observing the killing process in the adjacent Room 702!

"We have to be quick. That woman is still struggling, but she probably won't last much longer. Two minutes! Two minutes at most!" Yu Guo counted down from the side.

Fang Shenyan looked at the stern-faced Ji Li and turned his head towards the window. "What's your plan?"

Ji Li tied the safety rope around himself, securing the other end to the window frame, then lightly hopped onto the windowsill.

The moonlight shone on his back, making his face appear even colder.

"The corner of the wall is ultimately just looking at the sky through a straw. I want to see the entire killing process up close!

A dead end, when reversed, becomes a path to survival!

I don't know what I can do to stop that woman's death.

But I want to try."

Fang Shenyan nodded. "Are you sure you can do it? The mission location is Room 701. If you go to the window of Room 702, does that count as violating the hotel's will?"

"I've observed the distance between the two windows just now. If I lie on my side, I can brace my feet against the windowsill of Room 701, and my chest and above can lean against the window of Room 702!

If you calculate it this way, it doesn't count as leaving the mission location!"

In truth, Ji Li wasn't entirely confident about this, but this method of indefinite delay was currently the most promising path to survival!

A victim had already appeared, and the second victim would soon follow.

With only a one-in-four chance, he couldn't afford to gamble!

Fang Shenyan didn't say anything further, merely squatting down beside Yu Guo and replying, "We'll provide support from our side depending on the situation."

Knowing that time was of the essence, Ji Li no longer hesitated. He flipped himself over on the narrow windowsill, spinning around in mid-air.

From facing upwards to facing downwards, his toes firmly pressed against the windowsill, and his body felt a moment of dizziness.

The autumn night wind cut sharply against his cheeks like a knife, causing a dull ache.

If it weren't for the safety rope, Ji Li would never have dared to be so reckless.

His right hand, clad in a glove, began to grip the rope, slowly lowering himself down. At the same time, he relaxed his body and extended his left arm.

He reached out, inch by inch, towards the short, narrow windowsill of Room 702, which was barely seven centimeters wide!

In a mere two seconds, Ji Li, hanging in the air, was already sweating on his forehead, his long hair dangling down his neck, causing a slight itch.

Ji Li's attention was fully focused, his eyes fixed intently on the approaching windowsill.

His current posture was extremely unnatural. His right hand gripped the rope, subtly lowering and exerting force, with every ounce of strength needing to be precisely controlled.

His left arm was extended forward, attempting to grasp the windowsill, which was about as thick as his arm. Most critically, his feet had to remain firmly planted on the windowsill of Room 701 without interruption!

It was this exceedingly awkward position that made Ji Li suffer immensely.

Meanwhile, Yu Guo, who had been intently watching the peeping hole, grew increasingly grim.

He was considered to have the best psychological fortitude among them all, even stronger than Ji Li, who had already encountered several ghosts, in some aspects.

"Almost there... almost there... I can see the woman's struggling movements becoming weaker, and her moans are getting quieter!"

Sweat beaded on Yu Guo's forehead. He turned to look at Fang Shenyan's face, which appeared gentle on the surface but exuded a rigid demeanor, and asked in a deep voice, "Do you have any way to stop it from killing at this position?"

Fang Shenyan pursed his lips and habitually pushed up his glasses. "Yes! But there are risks!"

Yu Guo glared at him fiercely. "The chance for survival is right in front of us, what are you afraid of? Just tell me!"

Fang Shenyan nodded, then looked at the only man who was idle behind them.

"Cao Yuan, go to the living room and get that Peeping Diary."

Cao Yuan had been in a state of idleness. At this moment, he was flustered and overwhelmed. Hearing Fang Shenyan's words, he was taken aback. "What?"

"Hurry!" Fang Shenyan's sudden roar startled even Yu Guo beside him.

Cao Yuan looked at the expressionless, rigid face and no longer dared to say anything. In a very short time, he rushed to the living room and brought the diary back.

Yu Guo looked at Fang Shenyan flipping through the diary and asked blankly, "What exactly are you trying to do?"

Fang Shenyan ignored him, simply pushed Yu Guo aside, and positioned himself facing the opening, then began to read aloud:

"She always emits a faint, elusive fragrance. I lie on the sheets she slept on, sniffing madly, intoxicated...

She must never have imagined that every night when she comes home and lies in bed, she's actually sleeping in the spot I slept in, enveloped by my scent.

Every time I think of this, I wish I could cut myself into pieces and merge into her duvet, becoming bloody goose down, embracing her every night!"

Yu Guo felt nauseous listening to this, and Cao Yuan was terrified!

But Fang Shenyan's plan was completely anticipated by them.

Provocation!

The diary's contents were the ghost's own handwriting from the past, holding unimaginable significance for it.

Now, read aloud by the staff, it not only tore away its last shred of decency but also announced its foul, obsessive fixation!

And this method proved effective!

The Raincoat Man, who had been on top of the woman, trembled violently as Fang Shenyan's words approached. Then, as if driven into a frenzy, he...

He flung the woman off the bed and, with a chilling, foul wind, rapidly advanced towards the peeping hole in the corner of the room!

"This ghost is different; it has deep-seated obsessions, even killing only after tormenting women! Other ghosts might not be provoked at all!"

Fang Shenyan ignored the approaching ghost. According to their prior deductions, they wouldn't be harmed unless the woman was killed first.

Although this assumption was merely a living person's subjective inference, based on the killing patterns derived from Ding Miaoxin's death, undertaking such a mission was a gamble with their lives!

Fang Shenyan, while appearing steady in temperament, was actually quite daring!

"Yu Guo, take out the knife!"

"Why?"

"The hypothesis about the killing pattern needs further verification."

Fang Shenyan abruptly drew the slender dagger from his side and placed it into Yu Guo's palm.

"The moment it approaches, use this knife to stab its eyes! If we still remain unharmed, then the killing pattern will be fully confirmed, and Ji Li's conceived way out will also have a higher probability of success! Since we've decided to provoke it, let's make the provocation even more intense!"

Yu Guo clutched the glinting dagger, gazing at the man who had entered the hotel with him for the first time. His eyes were filled with excitement; in his opinion, all previous ghost-hunting activities paled in comparison to this! Stabbing a ghost's eyes with a knife!

Fang Shenyan noticed Yu Guo's shoulders trembling slightly and said with a casual smile, "Don't be afraid, it most likely won't touch us..."

Yu Guo was already overwhelmingly excited, his eyes gleaming, muttering incessantly, "Awesome! So awesome! We should have done this long ago!"

Fang Shenyan swallowed the rest of his words, inwardly cursing "Pervert!"