With a soft click, the sound of a door opening echoed through the silent corridor. A beam of light fell across the luxurious patterned carpet, but the shadow cast through the crack in the door looked somewhat like a twisted monster.
The thick carpet made no sound beneath their feet as they passed down the corridor. The air carried a sweet scent, like flowers and pastries, but there was none of the warmth that should have accompanied it—only an all-pervading chill.
Outside the corridor windows, heavy snow fell as though baskets had been overturned in the sky. The white flakes were hard to make out in the darkness, leaving only a hazy ghostly silhouette that seemed to connect heaven and earth.
The public telephone nearby suddenly rang, shattering the nighttime silence.
Ring-ring-ring.
The dim lights began to flicker as well, as if something unseen were drawing near.
But just then, a black-and-gold metal gauntlet reached for the receiver, lifted it, and held it to its owner's ear.
"Hee hee hee hee."
A girl's crisp yet distant laughter came through the receiver. It was as if they were standing at the bottom of a well in the dead of night, the echoes and reverberations making the sound seem brimming with malice.
Most people would probably panic a little upon receiving a ghost call in the middle of the night. Su Ming, however, was different. He cleared his throat slightly and switched to a professional monotone.
"Good evening, miss. Welcome to the Great Frying Pan Hospital psychiatric consultation hotline. We and our Frying Pans are wholeheartedly at your service. After a soothing and heartwarming piece of music, please select the option that applies to you: if you feel that you are ill, press 1; if you feel that others are ill, press