Chapter 9: Someone at the Door

Thoughts intertwined and tangled—what exactly did the deceased do that night?Suppose I were him, curled up in this eerie, grim room. Late at night, with nothing on me—would I have chosen to step out for a smoke under such circumstances?"When I checked into Room 203, the old lady specifically warned me not to go outside no matter what noises I heard. Presumably, the deceased was given the same instructions. But what if he ignored them and went out in the dead of night?"Logically speaking, this scenario holds up. The victim's death could indeed be linked to his late-night excursion.I checked the time. It wasn't midnight yet. Opening the door, I placed the camera outside and watched the empty third floor through the livestream on my phone. The hallway was lifelessly quiet—deathly still."Let's take a walk. If I'm determined to encounter a ghost, I can't afford to hesitate." Leaving the camera at the door, I glanced toward Room 206 across the hall, recalling the eerie image of the deceased. It would be a lie to say I wasn't afraid."If I could get into Room 206, I might uncover clues the police overlooked." But such thoughts were futile. Asking the elderly couple for access would likely alert them. After all, in my eyes, they were just as suspect in the murder.I headed downstairs to the second floor. The scar-faced old man and the short granny were nowhere in sight; only a woman in her early twenties was at the front desk.She was kneeling in the corner, her back to me, seemingly offering incense to a photo of a little girl, just two or three years old."Excuse me, do you know where the landlords are? The TV in my room isn't working.""The TV was broken to begin with. It can't be fixed.""Oh, that's interesting. Isn't fixing broken things the whole point?"The woman stood up, wiping the black-and-white photo of the little girl in the shrine. "Just like people—once broken, they can never be repaired."Her voice was soft, and she never turned to face me. "If there's nothing urgent, you'd better head back to your room. It's not safe here at night.""Well, now you've really piqued my curiosity. By the way, is the girl in the photo your daughter?""She's my younger sister. She went missing when she was very young.""I'm sorry to hear that.""It's fine. I'm used to it by now. I just hope I won't be the next one to disappear." There was a trace of despair in her tone."Does Peaceful Inn run entirely on the three of you? Where's your husband?""I have an older brother; he works out of town.""Life is tough. If you ever need help, don't hesitate to ask." I patted my chest reassuringly, though my eyes stayed fixed on her. Her body was trembling slightly, as if consumed by fear."I mean it—anything you need, any help at all." It was a probing statement. I didn't expect her to trust a complete stranger, unless she had truly reached her breaking point.Finding nothing else, I returned to Room 203 and closed the door. Placing the camera aside, I took a moment to inspect the room's security.This 35-yuan-a-night budget inn wasn't built for safety. Apart from guarding against ghosts, I also had to watch out for human mischief.The wooden door was aged, its lock loose—a style that was all the rage decades ago.Pressing the handle, I shook it back and forth. Frankly, this door probably couldn't withstand a determined push from a ten-year-old child.I pocketed the key and opened the door a crack. Rooms 203 and 206 were in the middle of the hallway. The corridor lights flickered ominously, and the dim bulb at the staircase added an eerie atmosphere. No additional embellishment was needed to deter anyone from venturing out."No idea how this inn is still in business," I muttered, placing the thermos the granny had brought in the doorway and balancing a teacup on the lid. Not to block the door, but as an alarm—any attempt to open the door would send the teacup crashing to the floor.Paranoia? Perhaps. But after the past few days, I'd rather err on the side of caution. I still couldn't tell if I was dealing with a ghost or a human.Next to the door was a bathroom. I hadn't thoroughly inspected it earlier, distracted by Liu Banxian's barrage of chat messages during my livestream."Might as well hope there's nothing weird in here." Muttering a half-hearted reassurance, I opened the bathroom door.To my surprise, the bathroom was pristine—new tiles, clean walls, and barely used fixtures. Even a solar water heater and a partially built-in bathtub."For a 35-yuan inn, this bathroom is absurdly luxurious," I mused. Its stark contrast to the rest of the inn's dated decor felt jarringly out of place."This doesn't add up," I muttered. Every anomaly in a case is usually a clue left inadvertently by the culprit. "Why renovate only the bathroom?"Pondering this, an idea took root. "Could the bathroom be another crime scene, covered up by the renovation?"I picked up the camera to document the bathroom, carefully examining every corner for clues.Half an hour passed before a faint knock at the door interrupted me.I moved quietly to the door, listening intently. When the knock came again, I peeked through the door crack.In the dim light, I saw a faint white silhouette standing silently at the door of Room 206."She's knocking on the room where someone died three months ago!"The light was too dim to make out details, but the figure appeared tall and slender, with long black hair cascading over her shoulders."Is it a person or a ghost?"I froze, time seemingly standing still. One hand gripped a protective talisman while the other clutched the camera."No fear! I came here to find ghosts. If I want to expose Hell Show, I can't back down now!"Taking a deep breath, I released the talisman, slowly unlocking the door."Let's see your true face. Let me witness what a ghost truly looks like!"Just as I was about to open the door fully, the flickering bulb at the hallway's end went out. Darkness engulfed the corridor, and an icy draft crept into my clothes.My back drenched in cold sweat; I could hear faint movements in the oppressive silence.The bulb flickered back to life for a brief moment. In that split second, I saw a pale, expressionless face shrouded in black hair, rushing toward me!"Shit!"In my panic, the door slammed open, spilling the thermos and teacup. Scalding hot water splashed onto my leg, and I lost my balance on the wet floor.Instinctively, I reached out, grabbing at the figure in front of me.With a loud crash, I fell to the ground, pulling down a piece of white fabric—a long dress.When I looked up, two pale legs were inches from my face.I had participated in various clubs during my time at the police academy, including combat techniques, sanda, martial arts, taekwondo, investigation and counter-investigation, as well as baton and shield tactics. Although I wasn't particularly skilled in any of them, I unintentionally developed a strong physique and sharp reflexes.Thanks to this, when I found myself holding a white dress and looked up along the "ghost's" pale legs to see her shocked face, I was able to react within a fraction of a second.With a quick kip-up, I managed to get up and cover her mouth before she could scream.No joke, if the elderly couple running this place had seen this scene, I'd rather be killed by a ghost than face their judgment."Don't move. I mean no harm." Once the "ghost's" wildly trembling pupils calmed down, I pushed her into the room and gently closed the door.Letting out a long breath, I endured the pain from my scalded leg and picked up the fallen thermos and teacup."Hey, are you hurt?" I asked, still bent over in a clumsy posture, hands full."More than that, I'm curious about why you're here."The woman standing before me was the same one I saw on the second floor earlier. She didn't seem to care about her exposed body, remaining unusually calm. "It's been so long since I talked to a normal person. If this goes on, I might lose my mind.""What do you mean? Can't you talk to the elderly couple?" I asked, puzzled."They're both crazy," she replied with a bitter smile. Then she noticed the camera in my hand, hurriedly covered her chest, and crouched down. "Turn that off!"The scene before me was indeed a bit inappropriate. I pointed the camera away, limped over to the bed, and grabbed a bedsheet to drape over her. "That was just an accident. Don't overthink it. I'm not an undercover cop or an investigative journalist. I mean no harm.""Then why are you carrying a camera?" she asked, clearly confused."I'm a live streamer who specializes in outdoor exploration. I'm passionate about ghost hunting and investigating supernatural phenomena. Staying at this inn is part of my content, which is why I'm interested in your situation.""A ghost-hunting show?" Her expression summed up in three words: utterly intrigued."You can see for yourself." I chuckled and handed her my phone, which was streaming the Hell Show channel.The live chat in the Midnight Thriller Live Room was already flooded with messages:"We want more of the girl!""Report this! Explicit content!""She's so beautiful!""Anyone on the fourth floor know how to boost bust size fast?""Selling fresh drinks and high-quality eggs in the front row!"...As she watched the barrage of comments scroll past, a rare smile appeared on her face. She then glanced at me with a look of envy. "You're lucky to have so many people with you."Sitting at the foot of the bed, I made sure to keep a respectful distance. "You call this luck? Your definition of happiness is too simple."The girl froze at my remark, staring at me for a long moment before saying, "You won't understand how I feel, and I won't tell you. We've met by chance tonight; I just want to talk about something lighthearted.""As you wish. The long night ahead gives us plenty of time to talk," I replied with a faint smile. Even casual conversations could reveal a lot of information—that's a basic skill for any detective.