Home (8)

At midnight the next day, the Fishy Team set out again and smoothly left South Yue County for the national highway. After driving for twenty minutes, under Ding Shi's directions, the car turned onto what looked like a long-abandoned concrete road. Countless tenacious weeds had broken through the pavement, leaving it looking utterly dilapidated. After another ten minutes of driving, they came across a road sign reading Nameless Road. It also bore a crossed-out signal icon, indicating that there was no mobile signal on this road.

With the high beams on, Ding Shi got out and walked ahead while the car followed behind. After three hundred meters, the road turned into extremely rough asphalt. It was asphalt poured directly over a gravel road rather than over concrete slabs, so its load-bearing capacity was poor. The road also narrowed to three and a half meters wide.

The biggest change was that both sides of the road were filled with reeds. Beyond the reeds stood woods slightly higher than the road, and the twisting curves reduced the high beams' visibility to little better than that of the low beams.

Brother Kai got out and stood beside Ding Shi. "This terrain is perfect for an ambush."

"This road is one hundred and twenty kilometers long," Ding Shi said.

"Two hours. Two and a half at most," Brother Kai said.

The two returned to the car and continued onward. Brother Kai stayed fully alert, keeping their speed at fifty kilometers per hour. In many places, there was a sharp turn every hundred meters or less. As they rounded another bend, they spotted a red sedan parked by the roadside.

Brother Kai hit the brakes and stopped thirty meters from the red sedan. "What do we do?"

The three people in the back seat had not fallen asleep. They had all seen the red sedan.

Chu Yu narrowed her eyes as she observed it and considered. Should they send someone over to check? Could it be a trap? The headlights illuminated only a small area. If someone was hiding in the darkness and waiting to ambush them, whether they targeted the vehicle or the people, their chances of succeeding would be extremely high.

But if they passed up such an obvious clue without checking it, the road ahead might become even more dangerous.

"Fishy?" Brother Kai asked.

Chu Yu took a deep breath. "Who'll go take a look?"

"I will," Ding Shi said.

"Anyone else?" Chu Yu asked.

"Me," Brother Kai said.

"No. You need to control the vehicle," Chu Yu said.

Everyone waited for Sun Heaven's response, but he said nothing. He seemed afraid of supernatural things. Although the system had stated that this instance contained no paranormal creatures or events, the red sedan beneath the high beams filled him with an inexplicable dread. No one knew what was inside the car.

Mu Mu opened the door. "I'll go."

"Wait." Ding Shi gave a few instructions, then he and Mu Mu opened their doors and got out. With a stone in each hand, they approached the red car slowly from its left side, one in front of the other.

When they were about five meters from the red car, Ding Shi pressed down with his left hand. Brother Kai switched off every light. Ding Shi and Mu Mu quickly tiptoed forward another two meters before crouching down.

The entire world plunged into darkness. Ding Shi did not believe the bad guys had night-vision goggles. If there really were bad guys, the sudden change would very likely draw them into making a move.

After about a minute, Brother Kai turned on the high beams as agreed. There, in front of the car, stood a little girl about one meter ten tall in a white dress. Her head hung low, and her loose hair draped down, making it impossible to tell whether she was facing the car or had her back to it.

Brother Kai, Sun Heaven, and Chu Yu stared intently, then simultaneously let out marmot-like screams. Tears streamed down Sun Heaven's face as his right hand instinctively kept slapping Chu Yu's shoulder. Chu Yu had no idea whether the blows or the fright were responsible, but her scream rose and fell like notes on a staff.

It was loud enough that a whole mountain could not contain it.

Hearing the screams, Mu Mu turned around and saw the little girl's back. She instinctively grabbed Ding Shi's left arm beside her and bit down. Ding Shi screamed as well. Mu Mu fought her fear with every ounce of strength she had. While biting into Ding Shi's flesh, she fixed her eyes desperately on the little girl. Her bite was so strong that Ding Shi could not save his left arm with his right hand at first. He could only keep crying out, "Ah... let go... fuck... let go of me..."

The next moment, Ding Shi punched Mu Mu in the stomach. Mu Mu instinctively released her bite, and Ding Shi leaped three meters away. Looking down at his arm, he could not see the wound in the dim light. He could only feel it was wet and sticky. She had clearly bitten him until he bled.

How could one little girl cripple a team of adults?

What was a little girl to Ding Shi? He had come face-to-face with Ghost Granny, played mahjong with Ghost Third Lady, and even played with Zombie Third Lady's eyelids. He walked up to the little girl and brushed aside her hair. The girl looked at him with a touch of fear in her eyes, but she did not step back.

Ding Shi understood. He lifted the girl's chin with two fingers and examined her from side to side for a while. Then he understood even more and asked, "Who are you?"

Chu Yu shot up in the car, pinned Sun Heaven—who had just been slapping her shoulder—to his seat, and gave him a savage beating. Then she got out and walked to Ding Shi's side, looking at the little girl with him.

She was not afraid, but Sun Heaven's fear had nearly slapped her unconscious. Ding Shi was not afraid, but Mu Mu's fear had nearly bitten him to death. What usually did you in was not demons or ghosts, but possibly your useless teammates.

The chubby little girl hugged a teddy bear. After timidly glancing at Chu Yu, she lowered her head. "My name is Yingying."

Chu Yu crouched down until she was eye level with Yingying and asked gently, "Yingying, why are you here?"

"My brother suddenly got sick. Mom and Dad told me to wait in the car while they took my brother to find help," Yingying answered.

Chu Yu looked around. Everything was pitch-black. "Where did they go to find someone?"

Yingying turned and walked forward. When she reached Mu Mu, Mu Mu backed up to the roadside to make way for her.

Yingying passed the red sedan. Using the approaching car's headlights, Ding Shi, who was following Yingying, looked into the car and found it completely empty. Ding Shi understood even more.

Ding Shi turned back to Brother Kai in the driver's seat and pointed at the red sedan's fuel tank. Brother Kai gave him an OK gesture.

After following Yingying for another five meters or so, they found a gravel dirt path on the right. Yingying stood at its entrance, turned to Chu Yu, who was following her, and said, "They went this way."

"Why didn't they drive up here?" Chu Yu asked.

"I don't know," Yingying said.

"The red car's chassis is too low. It can't travel on this road," Ding Shi answered.

"Can you help me find them?" Yingying asked.

Mission: Find and help Yingying's parents.

All five members of the Fishy Squad received the system mission at the same time.

Sun Heaven was afraid of ghosts, not Yingying, who merely looked like one. He took out some biscuits for Yingying and brought her water, waiting attentively at her side with eyes full of sympathy.

The Fishy Squad held a meeting in front of the headlights. The subject of the meeting was whether to do the mission.

Chu Yu analyzed the team's current situation and believed they should do it. The other four had no objections.

"Until we find Yingying's parents, someone needs to stay with her. We also need someone to guard the vehicle. I suggest we split into two teams," Chu Yu said.

"Fishy, generally speaking, it's not a good idea to split up in a horror movie," Brother Kai reminded her.

"Brother Kai, based on what we know so far, what does this have to do with a horror movie?" Chu Yu asked.

Brother Kai spread his hands. "I agree with splitting up."

"I have two suggestions," Ding Shi said. "First, Chu Yu and I can search along the road and see what's going on. Second, I can stay behind with Yingying and protect the vehicle." Ding Shi did not want to act together with them. As for why his first suggestion involved Chu Yu, it was because Chu Yu controlled all the team's funds. It was not like he was worried everyone might run off.

Beside them, Mu Mu was wrapping Ding Shi's arm in gauze. The bite had sunk so deep into his flesh that even she was scared when she saw it. She did not know what had come over her. After being frightened, her body had trembled uncontrollably and her mind had gone blank. She had only wanted to grab onto something. When she came back to herself, she realized her mouth was full of the taste of blood.

After hearing Ding Shi's suggestion, Mu Mu glanced at Chu Yu. "I'll stay behind alone."

Chu Yu looked at Mu Mu. "Can you handle it?" Sun Heaven felt there was something hidden in the way they looked at each other, but he had no proof.

"That won't work," Ding Shi objected. "One person has to watch the child and the car."

"Then Ding Shi, you stay behind with Mu Mu," Chu Yu said.

After considering it, Mu Mu said, "Okay."

"I'll leave you a flashlight." Chu Yu had bought two flashlights at the supermarket at their spawn point for nighttime lighting.

Mu Mu glanced at Yingying beside her, then looked at Chu Yu. "You need them more. Be careful."

Chu Yu caught the meaning in Mu Mu's words and gaze, then nodded solemnly.