Ning Rongrong walked along the cold streets and returned to the hotel.
The moment she stepped into the lobby, a barely perceptible sense of wrongness crept over her.
It was too quiet.
The receptionist lay slumped over the desk, breathing steadily, as though caught in some deep slumber.
An extremely faint buzzing sound lingered in the air.
Ning Rongrong paused briefly, her gaze sweeping toward the far end of the corridor.
Several men in black suits and sunglasses were busy there.
Their movements were efficient and silent.
One of them held a black box that resembled an old-fashioned radio.
The strange buzzing came from that box.
Ning Rongrong immediately reached a conclusion.
The device clearly had a wide-area hypnotic effect. Everyone in the hotel had fallen asleep under the influence of its sound.
The men in black were dealing with Meng Yiran's room.
Ning Rongrong watched coldly. Ignoring the men, she turned and headed for her own room.
She had been through too much that day.
From the Ghost Baby to the Ghost Newspaper, then being hunted by the ghost shadow, completing the Ghost Cabinet's transaction, and finally becoming a Ghost Handler.
She had been on edge the entire time. Now, she needed rest.
Closing the door, Ning Rongrong lay down on the bed fully clothed and shut her eyes.
Early the next morning.
Urgent knocking shattered Ning Rongrong's light sleep.
"Ning Rongrong! Open the door!"
Hu Liena's anxious voice came from outside, accompanied by Yu Tianheng's heavy breathing.
Ning Rongrong opened her eyes, a flicker of coldness passing through them.
But by the time she got up and opened the door, her face wore the puzzled expression of someone who had just woken up.
"What's wrong? It's so early."
Hu Liena grabbed Ning Rongrong's wrist, her face pale. "Yiran's gone!"
"Gone?" Ning Rongrong frowned, displaying just the right amount of surprise.
"We went to wake her up just now, but there was no one in her room!"
Yu Tianheng spoke in a low voice, unease showing in his eyes.
"Let's take a look." Ning Rongrong took charge and led the way to Meng Yiran's room.
When they pushed open the door, the sight inside stunned both Hu Liena and Yu Tianheng.
The room was too clean. The bed was neatly made, without a single crease.
The carpet was spotless, and a faint scent of air freshener hung in the air.
There were no signs of a fight, no signs of a struggle.
Hu Liena looked around, her voice trembling slightly.
"This room is far too tidy. It doesn't look like anyone stayed here at all, but Yiran definitely came back to her room last night!"
Standing in the doorway, Ning Rongrong glanced over the bed that had once been drenched in blood and thought to herself.
The Forum's cleanup crew did a pretty thorough job.
Yu Tianheng stood by the window, his brow furrowed.
Suddenly, he turned and fixed Ning Rongrong with a sharp gaze.
The price of Ning Rongrong's transaction last night made him suspect her despite himself.
Sensing Yu Tianheng's gaze, Ning Rongrong did not avoid it. Instead, she frowned slightly and put on a thoughtful expression.
"Do you think Yiran might have encountered something supernatural?" Ning Rongrong asked softly.
Looking at the confusion and faint concern on Ning Rongrong's face, Yu Tianheng began to waver in his suspicions.
He inwardly shook his head.
Impossible.
If Ning Rongrong had done it, how could she have cleaned the room so thoroughly?
Besides, we were right next door last night. If there had been a fight, there was no way we wouldn't have heard anything.
Even if Ning Rongrong had become a Ghost Handler, she was still only a support-type soul master.
How could she have silently dealt with Meng Yiran, who possessed soul skills?
Hu Liena reached the same conclusion.
She sighed and dismissed her suspicions of Ning Rongrong.
"But if it wasn't... then where could she have gone?" Hu Liena rubbed her brow in agitation.
Ning Rongrong took the opportunity to change the subject. "Do you think Yiran might have gone somewhere else last night without telling us? Maybe she received some special information or found another way to survive?"
It was a reasonable guess.
In this world filled with despair, everyone was struggling to stay alive.
If Meng Yiran had really discovered a clue, it was entirely possible that she had left alone.
Hu Liena and Yu Tianheng exchanged a glance. With no other explanation, they could only accept Ning Rongrong's guess.
"Forget about her." Ning Rongrong glanced at the clock on the wall, her tone returning to normal.
"It's nine in the morning. We should head to the Forum to assemble. Don't forget, joining the Forum is our only way to survive!"
In the end, Hu Liena and Yu Tianheng had no choice but to leave the hotel with her and head toward the Paranormal Forum's headquarters tower.
As for Meng Yiran?
They had no real connection to her. Their concern was merely the sympathy shared by people who came from the same world.
Dachang City, outside the Paranormal Forum's entrance.
A faint burst of static suddenly came from the specially made headset in Ning Rongrong's pocket.
Then a clear female voice sounded through the Earpiece.
"Ning Rongrong, can you hear me?"
Ning Rongrong stopped, took out the Earpiece, and put it on. "Who are you?"
"I'm Liu Xiaoyu, an operator for the Paranormal Forum." Liu Xiaoyu sounded very professional.
"You have officially joined the Paranormal Forum. Starting today, I'll be your liaison."
"If you have any questions or need intelligence support, you can contact me."
Ning Rongrong's eyes flickered.
An operator?
It seemed the Paranormal Forum's organizational structure was even tighter than she had imagined.
Ning Rongrong went straight to the point. "How do I contact Boss Lin directly to receive assignments?"
Liu Xiaoyu fell silent for a second before replying evenly.
"I'm sorry, but you're currently only a junior Forum member. You don't have clearance to contact Boss Lin directly."
"I'll relay all your questions on your behalf."
Hierarchy. Ning Rongrong felt the weight of that word keenly.
In this world, without strength, she was not even qualified to speak to those above her.
"Tell me the assignment," Ning Rongrong said coldly.
"The assignment is simple." Liu Xiaoyu's voice remained flat. "Take down the Cockroach Club."
Ning Rongrong frowned.
The Cockroach Club? It sounded like a civilian organization.
She removed the Earpiece and turned to the tense Hu Liena and Yu Tianheng beside her, passing on the assignment details.
"Take down a club?" Yu Tianheng blinked. "That's all?"
Hu Liena also breathed a sigh of relief. "Looks like the Forum isn't sending us to our deaths. We're only dealing with ordinary people."
Ning Rongrong said nothing, but her instincts told her it would not be that simple.
Meanwhile.
Paranormal Forum Tower, Twentieth Floor.
Before the broad, bright floor-to-ceiling windows, Lin Cheng sat on a leather sofa, holding a cup of steaming coffee.
Across from him sat Yang Jian, his expression cold.
The Ghost Eye on Yang Jian's forehead rolled restlessly, emitting a faint red glow.
"I think it's time to pay the Caesar Hotel a visit," Yang Jian said without preamble, his voice hoarse.
"I need that supernatural item you told me about to improve my strength."
Lin Cheng took a sip of coffee and looked calmly at Yang Jian.
"With your current strength, I'd advise you not to rush into it."
Yang Jian frowned slightly and leaned forward. "Lin Cheng, you might not fully understand how strong I am now."
"I've taken control of three ghosts. Counting the supernatural Dismemberment attack I suffered earlier, I've effectively taken control of four. My balance has completely stabilized."
He raised his pale, bloodless Ghost Hand and lightly clenched it into a fist.
"If I wanted to, I could wipe out any city within a minute."
Yang Jian paused, his gaze turning utterly icy. "If I actually made my move, probably within ten seconds."
At those words, Lin Cheng's hand paused slightly around his coffee cup. Then he could not hold back a chuckle.
"What are you laughing at?" Yang Jian's gaze sharpened, his Ghost Eye staring fixedly at Lin Cheng.
Lin Cheng set down his coffee cup and waved a hand.
"Nothing. I just thought of something amusing. If you want to go, then go."
Lin Cheng opened a drawer, casually grabbed a handful of red candles, and tossed them onto the table.
"Take these as a backup."
Yang Jian glanced at them. Ten Ghost Candles!
At a critical moment, these things were ten extra lives!
Without standing on ceremony, Yang Jian pocketed all ten Ghost Candles without hesitation.
"Contact me anytime if something happens." Lin Cheng looked at Yang Jian, his tone even. "As long as you don't die within three seconds, I can get there."
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