Target

"Um," the middle-aged man in the vest trembled slightly as he looked at the woman's profile. He opened his mouth, only to realize he didn't even know her name, and an embarrassed look appeared on his face. "May I ask your name?"

The woman glanced at him and said indifferently, "Yu Wen."

Her voice was distinctive, carrying a rare, husky, and weathered quality.

The woman's willingness to answer seemed to give the middle-aged man a sliver of hope. He quickly straightened up, adopting a serious negotiating stance, leaning forward with a hint of flattery. "Hello, Miss Yu. My name is Zhou Taifu. My family is in the jewelry business."

The woman, who called herself Yu Wen, turned her head and stared at him with interest. "Go on."

Zhou Taifu licked his lips. "I can tell you are no ordinary person, Miss Yu, and you likely have experience dealing with the current situation. So..."

"So you want me to protect you, and then you'll pay me a hefty protection fee once we get out," Yu Wen suddenly smiled. "Is that it, Mr. Zhou?"

Zhou Taifu nodded frantically. "That's right, Miss Yu. As long as you can protect me and ensure I get out alive, the reward will be no problem. I'll be sure to satisfy you."

"I'll be sure to satisfy you." Yu Wen touched her chin, as if genuinely pondering.

Seeing Yu Wen's attitude, another man sitting beside the middle-aged man in the vest couldn't stay put and immediately spoke up. "Miss Yu, I hope you can help me too. While I may not be as wealthy as Mr. Zhou, if I can leave here alive, I will give you everything I have."

"Oh?" Yu Wen tilted her head, as if also intrigued by the latter's offer.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Taifu, who thought he had found a protector, became agitated. He pointed at the other man and reprimanded loudly, "Miss Yu agreed to me first. What's this about bringing you along?"

He turned back to Yu Wen and said bluntly, "Miss Yu, you only need to focus on my safety. No matter how much this pauper offers, I'll pay double. No!" He waved his hand. "I'll pay ten times!"

"You are truly generous," Yu Wen sighed.

Zhou Taifu pursed his lips and suddenly became agitated. He stood up, trembling, and said, "So, Miss Yu, you've agreed?"

Yu Wen didn't answer directly. Instead, she looked out the window. After a long pause, she asked with a meaningful expression, "Jeweler Mr. Zhou Taifu, what do you think is the meaning of nightmares?"

"Meaning?" Zhou Taifu was stunned. Was meaning important?

Shouldn't the priority now be figuring out how to get out alive?

Or perhaps sitting down to discuss the price.

Unexpectedly, Yu Wen didn't even look at him, giving Zhou Taifu the feeling that it didn't matter whether he could answer or not. This feeling made him very uncomfortable.

But he was the one asking for help, so he had to endure it.

"My profession is rather special," Yu Wen said slowly. She leaned back in her chair, appearing extremely relaxed. "People hire us to do certain things. Of course," she added, "not in places like our country, but in war-torn regions. That's why some people call us mercenaries."

Her eyes gradually became distant, as if lost in a long-ago memory. "That place was extremely barren. The only thing that attracted us was money, and we were willing to do anything for money." She paused, then looked down and repeated, "I said, anything."

Zhou Taifu felt the situation was veering off course. He stammered, "Miss Yu, what exactly are you trying to say?"

"Nothing," Yu Wen reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

But strangely, this gesture displayed no feminine grace on her. Instead, it was filled with the chilling finality of a sweeping autumn wind.

Both the middle-aged man in the vest and the man beside him felt a chill in their hearts.

"I just feel it's unfair," she said, raising her head. That icy feeling reappeared in her eyes, which seemed capable of swallowing all light.

"In the real world, wealth and power allow you to do as you please. But please understand, this is the nightmare world. Everything you are proud of and boast about in the real world is worthless here."

"To survive here, you can only rely on this." She curled her finger and tapped her temple, then suddenly smiled. "This is also why I like it here."

"So please respect this place, and its rules."

Room 407.

Dinosaur Pajamas Girl huddled on the bed, trembling. The blanket completely enveloped her, leaving only her two small eyes exposed.

"Qipao Sister," she said with a shaky voice, "that sound is still there. It seems to be just on the other side of the wall."

The Qipao Sister's face was no longer calm. Just ten minutes ago, Dinosaur Pajamas Girl had suddenly told her she heard a strange scraping sound.

This immediately made her think of the sound the two people in Room 405 had heard.

Had that thing changed targets?

She couldn't help but feel tense.

But on second thought, it shouldn't be. If that thing had truly targeted the people in 405, it usually wouldn't change its target.

The only thing the Qipao Sister was thankful for was that she hadn't heard the so-called scraping sound yet.

In any case, she couldn't stay in Room 407 any longer. That thing had set its sights on this place, and it was highly likely that this clueless Dinosaur Pajamas Girl would be the first victim tonight.

"Little sister," the Qipao Sister asked, "can you still hear that scraping sound now?"

She was making a final confirmation.

"Mhm," Dinosaur Pajamas Girl nodded repeatedly. She was clearly terrified to the extreme. "But it's not as clear as before. The sound seems to be moving."

She used her fingers to mimic the position of the scraping sound, following the wall, and gradually pointing near the Qipao Sister.

"Sister," the Dinosaur Girl said, on the verge of tears, "that sound seems to be above your head."

"What?!"

The Qipao Sister looked up sharply, but there was nothing above her.

Even more terrifying was that she hadn't heard any sound at all up to this point.

The night, in her ears, was as silent as death.

Her mind raced, wondering if her initial judgment was wrong. What if the scraping sound wasn't a precursor to a ghost killing, but rather, those who didn't hear it were the targets?

The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

The reasoning was simple: if the people who heard the scraping were the ghost's marked targets, then the two people in Room 405 should have died first.

Conversely, if the people in Room 405 were already dead, then no one else should die tonight. Why would the scraping sound then seek them out?

Thanks to Qingmeng Yunying for the reward!