Lincoln City
On the outskirts of Salar District, inside the abandoned attic at number 402.
Wu Heng branded the evil spirit, which lay on the ground, disheveled and struggling like a gecko that had fallen off a wall, with his blood.
The evil spirit instantly stopped struggling and stood silently beside him.
Everything was so calm and ordinary, like a common meal.
Wu Heng looked around the dilapidated room before him.
The room was a mess, filled with dust, rotten and broken tables and chairs, and corroded walls.
He only left the haunted house after confirming that there was no longer any eerie atmosphere.
The streets outside were pitch black, and the moon was faintly visible behind the dark clouds.
A gentle breeze, carrying the scent of earth, brushed against Wu Heng's body.
The vibrant atmosphere of nature seemed to remind Wu Heng that he was still alive.
The hum of a car could be heard.
The driver, whose car was emitting two beams of high beams from its hood, had just turned onto this section of road when he spotted Wu Heng, who was closing his eyes and immersing himself in nature, by the light of the headlights.
And standing beside him,
That terrifying, lizard-like cunning.
The driver yelled and slammed on the gas, sending the car lurching off the road.
The rapidly spinning tires and exhaust fumes kicked up more than a meter of dust, disrupting the tranquility of the path.
Wu Heng opened his eyes, his gaze now calm, as calm as a stagnant pool.
"What a disappointment!"
He parted his lips slightly and uttered two words.
He turned and walked back the way he came.
This is the third evil spirit he has enslaved today.
Five hours earlier, Bob had already found the territory he needed and arranged for someone to take the 17 winners of the selection competition on their way there.
The location is in the Gamsey District.
An abandoned forest 5 miles to the west.
He had to stop capturing the evil spirits and head to the meeting point.
Wu Heng also had a strong interest in these 17 people and wanted to meet them.
He strode to the side of the road, past where he had parked, and then Wu Heng released the Hidden Ghost.
It was cleverly integrated into the car's interior.
In the empty driver's seat, the car followed the planned route, the engine automatically started, and the engine roared to life.
Wu Heng lay down in the back row, on the reclined seat, taking the opportunity to recover his energy.
The car's dim headlights appeared tiny as it moved through the dense, vast darkness.
Three hours later.
The Tongtong red sun slowly peeked over the treetops, casting its orange-red light upon the earth.
This beam of light was very unpleasant; Wu Heng seemed to see a Pennywise's comical face on the sun, its mouth agape.
Fortunately, the essence of sunlight is not orange-red.
The car drove on, the trees on both sides rushing past the window. As it entered deeper into the woods, past an iron gate enclosed by a wire mesh fence...
The vehicle slowly came to a stop.
The armed guards on duty quickly stepped forward and helped open the car door.
Wu Heng got out of the car, nodded to the guard, then looked around the camp and walked towards the direction where the tents were set up.
Upon hearing the commotion, Bob had already called for everyone to come out of the tent to greet Wu Heng.
Wu Heng waved his hand, signaling everyone to go in first, interrupting their pleasantries.
"Father, the contestant is on their way and will arrive soon. I'd like to ask again."
Bob poured water for Wu Heng and offered an explanation.
He put down the kettle, picked up the phone and asked a few more questions, then said:
"We'll arrive in ten minutes; they've already entered the forest road."
Wu Heng indicated that he understood.
He was internally weighing how he should treat these people.
first,
We certainly can't place too much hope on it.
Although they are all fearless at this moment, if given too much, they might not want to die anymore.
Like some young people contemplating suicide over a failed relationship, if they suddenly discovered they had won hundreds of millions in the lottery at the moment of their suicide attempt, would they still choose to end their lives?
Would one still have the courage to die?
Secondly,
However, we cannot offer too little in return.
If you can't pique their interest, for this group of people who aren't even afraid of death...
And how do we motivate them?
In the end, Wu Heng came to a conclusion: it was all just empty promises.
It's not just about real rewards; there will be even bigger rewards to come, rewards greater than death itself, presented as empty promises.
For example, for believers, their afterlife is what they care about.
Two of them, who were healthy individuals with underlying health conditions, simply wanted to leave something for their families.
But it's almost conceivable that if Wu Heng cured their illnesses,
They will definitely change their mindset, and may even develop a fear of death.
As the saying goes: those who have died once are not afraid of death.
But Wu Heng believes the opposite: only those who have died once will cherish life more and be more afraid of death.
Because they had witnessed the horror of death.
This is why many elderly people become unpredictable as they age and are easily scammed by health and wellness fraud schemes, because they are approaching death.
They sensed the approach of death and were terrified of it.
It wasn't that the scam was particularly clever, but rather that they saw hope in despair—a false hope that normal people couldn't promise.
Wu Heng picked up his water glass and drank it down. He placed the glass on the table with a soft 'clatter'.
What he needs to do,
It's about severing that kind of hope and then giving another kind, a hope that the Pennywise won't see as a weakness.
That is hope after death!
A car horn and voices could be heard outside.
"Father, the contestants It Comes!"
Bob shouted excitedly. Although he had watched the entire selection process, he had never actually met these seventeen formidable individuals.
At this moment, he was also very curious.
"This is the location of the final project, heh, cough cough cough."
A weak voice, tinged with disdain, rang out, accompanied by fits of coughing, clearly indicating that the person was unwell.
"This is not the place, it's just a temporary training ground. The final project might exceed your expectations."
Wu Heng lifted the tent flap and came out.
His gentle voice carried a hint of a smile, as if he was quite satisfied with the person in front of him.
The speaker was a very thin young man.
His eyes held an arrogant arrogance, an expression of disdain for death.
It seems that having experienced all the hardships of the world, it has transcended all hardships.
'Sick Tiger'
The word came to Wu Heng's mind.
"The deer walks past, impossible to catch; he stares intently at the treetop"—this might describe the state of this person.
"Father, so you were the organizer! I've been wanting to thank you!"
"No wonder you told me back then that if I participated in this project, we might meet again."
Another middle-aged man, wearing a leather jacket and a round cowboy hat, said with delight in his eyes.
"Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you, Norm," Wu Heng replied.
This middle-aged man is Norm Gilley, the one who drove the bull onto the highway.
"I've been keeping an eye on you, but this final project is beyond my control. I can't give you any special treatment, as you experienced the other day."
Wu Heng voice to avoid causing any unfair feelings among others.
"Could it be...!" Norm recalled the scene when he encountered the Hidden Ghost, guessing the content of this project.
"That's right, this final project is related to hell and evil."
Wu Heng waved his hand, and the Three-Headed Jack and the lizard spirit were released from the Life Box.
"What... what is this?!"
"Father, there are evil spirits, be careful!"
The staff and guards on site were thrown into chaos when they saw the evil spirit suddenly appear, and Bob was shouting loudly.
But Wu Heng's attention remained focused on these seventeen people.