Kill one first, then the other

The two entered the restroom, went into a stall, and waited quietly.

At this late hour, the place was deserted. With the power switched off at the breaker, everything was pitch-black.

Zhao Xiaodong looked tense, as though he wanted to say something but couldn't get it out.

He had been too bewildered to think earlier and had followed Jiang Chen instinctively. Only now did a question occur to him: they knew there were ghosts in the restroom, yet they had come in anyway. Wasn't Jiang Chen being a little too reckless?

Suddenly, a rustling came from outside, as if two people had crept in furtively and slipped into the next stall.

They were two men with deathly pale faces, their hands tucked into their pockets as though gripping weapons.

After entering the restroom, they glanced toward the neighboring stall with mocking smiles. Just as they were about to speak, a voice suddenly came from next door.

"Oh, right! Have you heard?"

A juicy piece of news usually followed those words, so both ghosts' eyes lit up. They hurriedly pressed themselves against the stall partition and listened closely.

But the speaker lowered his voice, continuing in hushed whispers. They could hear the faint murmur of conversation, but couldn't make out what was being said.

The two ghosts grew even more curious, pressing themselves hard against the partition and straining to hear.

A little while later, the voice stopped. Then someone else spoke up. "Really!? That's insane!"

Damn it!

What the hell are you talking about?

The two ghosts were beside themselves with impatience, itching to rush over and hear every word.

"Murder Ghost Zhou Hai is burning with impatience. Ghost Qi +20."

"Murder Ghost Zhang Jianguo..."

"That's nothing! There's something even crazier!" A louder voice came from next door again.

The two ghosts were completely hooked. They quickly pressed their ears against the partition, desperately trying to listen.

But all that followed was another round of whispers.

"Something like that actually happened? Talk about an eye-opener!" Then came another shocked exclamation.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck! Ghost Qi +40."

"..."

The two ghosts were nearly dying of impatience, scratching at their heads and ears. They desperately wanted to know what had prompted such a shocked reaction.

"But compared to that other incident, this one's nothing," the other speaker said again.

Another round of whispers followed.

"Go die, you cryptic bastards! Ghost Qi +80!"

"...!...!"

Had the two ghosts not already been dead, with skin that could no longer flush, their faces and necks would probably have turned red with frustration.

"..."

"Holy shit, something like that actually happened? Nobody would believe it if we told them!"

"That's nothing. What happened in Class Three was the truly horrifying one..."

"..."

"..."

Jiang Chen kept the two ghosts dangling in suspense. After several rounds, they had contributed over six hundred Ghost Qi in total. They were grinding their teeth in anger, yet still desperate to hear exactly what was being said next door.

"Fuck, I can't take this anymore!"

Just as they were about to charge out, grab the two people next door by their heads, and demand to know what they were talking about, the conversation suddenly shifted. They actually started plotting a murder.

"Jiang Chen, are we really going to do this?" Zhao Xiaodong sounded hesitant and frightened. That part wasn't an act.

Jiang Chen had just loudly declared that he intended to kill two people: one named Zhang Jianguo and the other Zhou Hai.

"Then how are you going to kill them?" Remembering Jiang Chen's earlier instructions, Zhao Xiaodong asked the question.

The two ghosts next door froze when they heard this, then sneered. With their ears pressed tightly against the partition, they were eager to hear how a living person planned to kill them.

"Heh, it's simple. Kill one first, then the other," Jiang Chen said. His plan was indeed incredibly simple.

Zhao Xiaodong's mouth fell open.

Brilliant plan!

The last time I heard nonsense like that was... the last time.

The two ghosts laughed too.

But in the next instant, the smile froze on Zhou Hai's face.

A switchblade pierced the stall partition and drove through his head. Demonic power surged out, instantly tearing apart the vicious ghost's lingering soul.

"Ding! Conspiracy Ghost Zhou Hai (Vicious Ghost) has died. Ghost Qi +99."

Realizing something was wrong, Zhang Jianguo immediately lifted his head.

Bang!

The partition suddenly burst apart, sending wood splinters flying. Another large hand reached through and, under Zhang Jianguo's terrified gaze, seized his neck. With a violent tug, it dragged him into the neighboring stall.

The hand was like an iron clamp. He couldn't break free at all.

A young man looked at him with a smile, but to Zhou Jianguo, the look in his eyes was as vicious as an evil ghost's.

Jiang Chen wasted no words on him. With a crack, he crushed Zhou Jianguo's neck. The ghost's body was wedged in the partition, his head hanging from his neck by a strip of skin, swaying back and forth.

"Ding! ..."

"Aah!!!"

Zhao Xiaodong screamed.

Jiang Chen's method of exorcising ghosts had delivered a tremendous visual shock. He would probably never forget what he had seen tonight.

"J-Jiang Chen, if you can exorcise ghosts, let's go find Yang Zhi. He might be in danger too. I haven't been able to get through to his phone." Zhao Xiaodong took several deep breaths. Once he had calmed down a little, he spoke in a trembling voice.

Jiang Chen glanced at Zhao Xiaodong. Despite being thrown into something so terrifying without warning, he hadn't fled in panic. Although he was panting heavily, he could still think calmly.

It seemed Jiang Chen had judged correctly. This classmate of his had considerable potential. He was braver than most people, and much calmer too.

"Where is he?"

"The second floor! When I last called him, he said he'd gone upstairs. But I remember seeing a 'No entry' sign on the stairs between the first and second floors when we came in. It should be closed off up there."

"I know Yang Zhi. He wouldn't force his way upstairs if he knew it was closed off. Something must have happened to him!" Zhao Xiaodong reasoned.

Jiang Chen nodded.

He remembered what Supervisor Wu had said about the dead Night Watchman. His death had been connected to the foot massage parlor on the restaurant's second floor.

"If you hear an extra set of footsteps behind us, tell me immediately."

With that, Jiang Chen headed upstairs.