Devil and Xiong Qing

From Doctor Gao's perspective.

There must be a reason why Zhang Ze suddenly approached him to discuss cooperation.

"Are you worried that Chen Ge's Haunted House will surpass his? Ever since he opened his Haunted House at New Century Amusement Park, the two Haunted House have been secretly competing, and their operating methods are exactly the same, as if they were made from the same mold."

"If it were his parents, it might make sense, but none of this was done by them. At least judging from Zhang Ze's personality, he could never be someone Chen Ge's parents could trust. He's a complete madman, willing to become part of a ghost."

Doctor Gao initially tried to analyze it from the perspective of business competition.

But the idea was quickly rejected.

Instead, we should consider it from other perspectives.

Could it be... that Zhang Ze wants to help Chen Ge get treatment?

That's also unlikely.

Doctor Gao conducted a personality profile on Zhang Ze, and the results surprised him greatly. He discovered that Zhang Ze did not have the logic of a normal person at all.

Although Chen Ge was used to the rules of the night, he was also good at solving problems through normal means. For example, he had called the police at Fuan Apartments and the Third Ward.

Zhang Ze was different; Zhang Ze never let the police clean up the mess.

If I had to describe it, Zhang Ze gave Doctor Gao the feeling of...

That guy in the East Outskirts of Hanjiang City.

"What can you offer me? You should understand that I am a doctor, and all my actions are based on the fundamental principle of treating patients, whether it's you or him," Doctor Gao said.

"I understand, but Chen Ge's problem isn't in his heart, but Behind the Door. He's the one Door Pusher; what you really want is his door, isn't it?"

The bait Zhang Ze threw out this time was even more powerful than before.

I'm not even going to pretend anymore.

Tell Doctor Gao that there is a door in Chen Ge's Haunted House, and he is the Door Pusher.

This is different from Zhang Ze. Although Zhang Ze is Top-Tier Red-Clothed, he is not the Door Pusher. The Door Pusher is Lingling, and what she pushes open is the door in the painting.

This undoubtedly struck at Doctor Gao's Achilles' heel.

because...

Doctor Gao's own door is in the Underground Morgue.

Zhang Ze paused for a moment, then said, "Let's cooperate. According to my intelligence, the ghosts inside Chen Ge are on the verge of dormancy because they need to digest and devour the supernatural beings they've been consuming during this period of intense fighting."

"This is a golden opportunity. You can let Xiong Qing and the Devil take this chance to enter his Haunted House and steal the door."

"My Crow will guide them; wherever the Crow are, that's where it's safe."

"Good."

Doctor Gao nodded.

For Doctor Gao, this was a win-win situation.

Even if they failed, he believed in Xiong Qing and the Devil's strength, and that they could at least escape unscathed. Even if they only managed to get information about Chen Ge's door, the trip would still have been worthwhile.

Moreover, Zhang Ze, a Top-Tier Red-Clothed figure, is there to protect them.

On the other end of the phone.

Zhang Ze breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this reply.

He can finally get a good night's sleep.

Fanghua Court Residential Complex.

Building No. 3.

"Number Ten asked me to do something for you."

"Let me take Xiong Qing to a Haunted House in the Western Outskirts of Hanjiang City. The owner of that Haunted House is the same person who attacked Xu Tong and the others in the Third Ward the day before yesterday."

Patient Number Ten in the Third Ward, codenamed "Devil".

In the Ghost Story Association, the serial number is not Number Ten.

After glancing at the latest news on his phone, the Devil fell into deep thought. "Even with Xiong Qing, the risk is still very high. Don't forget that there's a monster in that guy's shadow."

"Even the Door Pusher Behind the Door couldn't stop him; going to his territory is tantamount to suicide."

The man sitting opposite the Devil is the Bird-Beaked Man.

The Bird-Beaked Man doesn't wear the bird-beak mask all the time; it's just that... the bird beak is his real face, and he can't take it off.

"This is not a decision made by Number Ten alone."

"On the bright side, this is a decapitation strike. If Xiong Qing can devour the monster in that man's shadow, how far will he grow?"

"Perhaps it's the Top-Tier Red-Clothed, perhaps... to touch upon the Beyond Red-Clothed?"

Beyond Red-Clothed?

To be honest, the Devil hadn't thought about this question. For them, the Red-Clothed were already their core fighting force, and they wouldn't even consider something so unattainable.

"Even without the monster in the shadows, don't forget he still has a radio. That ghost, though not in Red-Clothed, is fearless. If he's cornered, I'm not confident I can kill him outright," the Devil said slowly.

The Bird-Beaked Man laughed upon hearing this.

The bird's beak parted, releasing a stench that sent chills down your spine.

"So, you can take this with you."

He stopped what he was doing, and pulled a small red box from an old drawer. The Devil was instantly drawn to the box and stared at him intently.

This thing has an immense attraction for ghosts.

It's like having a Michelin-starred meal laid out in front of you.

Even if the Devil himself didn't think about it, Xiong Qing was already itching to act.

"Where did you get this? Is it from the inventory of the Third Ward?"

"From... that village."

"Village?"

"That's right, we absolutely need to get our hands on that door. Number Ten's concerns are probably stemming from this as well. We've clashed with the Haunted House owner several times, and we can't let him ruin our next step of the plan. That's why we need you to eliminate him and prevent any future trouble."

"The Ghost Story Association rules the night in Hanjiang City. We still have a scapegoat, twins, a few unused items, and some of the stock we collected earlier. Our resources are enough to support a major battle."

"Furthermore, there's a Top-Tier Red-Clothed cooperating with the operation. You might not have seen him, but you must have seen the Crow he's released these past few nights. His strength is beyond doubt."

Crow...

The Devil nodded.

I don't know when it started.

There are more Crow in Hanjiang City at night.

Various rumors circulated online, such as Crow farms going out of business, Crow from the north migrating here for the winter, or even crow fighting competitions being held in Hanjiang City.

Only they knew that these Crow weren't real Crow.

It was the work of some ghost.

The world of ghost stories is like a dark forest. If you attract attention, you'd better pray that you're strong enough to ignore all covetous eyes, otherwise the monsters lurking in the darkness won't hesitate to devour you.

"That guy dared to be so audacious, letting Crow roam all over the Western Outskirts of Hanjiang City. If he's not an idiot, then he's at least stronger than you and Xiong Qing, maybe even stronger than most of us," the Bird-Beaked Man said. "Top-tier escort, plus this box of things you like, I'm asking you two to help."

"How?"

The Devil remained silent for a long time.

Perhaps influenced by Xiong Qing, or perhaps he himself had been tempted, his hesitant gaze instantly hardened as he placed his hand on the small red box.

"Done!"