Chapter 1 Back to the Room

Back in the room, Lin Wan'er and Huai Yi were both awake. The former was leisurely eating breakfast while the fatty skillfully peeled an egg for her.

"Boss Lin," the fatty said, handing over the peeled egg with a gloved hand, "the doctor said to eat slowly and not choke."

Seeing Jiang Cheng return, Huai Yi was about to greet him when he noticed the young man following behind Jiang Cheng.

The young man was handsome, looking like a college student.

"Chen Qiang," Jiang Cheng introduced.

The fatty, Chen Qiang, didn't need an introduction. Chen Qiang's gaze lingered on Huai Yi for only two seconds before shifting to Lin Wan'er.

"Brother Jiang," Huai Yi said, hurrying over with a computer in hand, "the other side has news. There are indeed clues, but they aren't willing to sell."

"Not sell? What are they planning to do?" the fatty asked, puzzled.

"They want to cooperate and solve this supernatural event with us," Huai Yi replied, seemingly confused, and frowned.

"They also said that if we agree, we should set off for Greystone Town immediately. They'll be waiting for us there."

"Mr. Jiang," Chen Qiang said quickly, "you should know how complicated supernatural events can be. A large part of our losses come from internal conflicts. I don't recommend bringing people with unknown backgrounds."

"Agree to their terms for now," Lin Wan'er said, wiping her mouth with a napkin and looking up. "Have Pi Ruan arrange a car. We'll head over there and see what clues they have. We don't need to decide on cooperation right now."

An hour later, they were in a black SUV. Pi Ruan was in the driver's seat, insisting on driving them.

Huai Yi pulled Chen Qiang into the back row, giving him a brief overview of the Greystone Town May Platform incident on the way.

They kept their voices low, not wanting Pi Ruan to hear.

It wasn't until 2 PM that they left the highway and turned onto a dirt road. It had probably rained recently, as the road was full of potholes.

Just as the fatty was about to get carsick, the car finally stopped. Stepping out, Chen Qiang couldn't help but frown slightly at the sight before him.

The town was even older than he had imagined. Time seemed to have stopped 20 years ago, or even longer.

It was located in a remote area, surrounded by mountains, and transportation was very inconvenient.

More importantly, the people here didn't seem to welcome outsiders. They stood in small groups in the distance, staring at them with strange expressions.

"Very normal, very normal. I've been to a few villages like this when discussing projects. The leaders are very enthusiastic, but the villagers' attitudes aren't as good." Pi Ruan seemed familiar with the situation. He looked around and asked, "Dr. Jiang, where are we going?"

"We have things to do. You go back first," Jiang Cheng said.

This was their business, and he didn't want to drag Pi Ruan into it. Only those who had been trapped knew how precious ordinary life was.

"Go back?" Pi Ruan said with an embarrassed smile, "Dr. Jiang, look at the time. It'll be dark in two hours."

"If you hurry, you'll be on the highway before dark," Jiang Cheng said.

Having heard this, Pi Ruan could only start pretending to say goodbye to everyone. He grabbed the fatty's hand and wouldn't let go, saying emotionally, "Brother Fatty, even though I might be in danger on the way back, and this might be the last time we see each other, don't worry about me. Don't ask Dr. Jiang to let me stay because of me."

The fatty held Pi Ruan's hand tightly, earnestly saying, "Brother Pi Ruan, don't worry, I won't."

Only after Pi Ruan drove away and disappeared at the end of the road did Jiang Cheng turn to look at Huai Yi. He was the one who contacted them to come here.

Noticing Jiang Cheng's gaze, Huai Yi belatedly said, "Fu Chang Inn. We agreed to meet at the Fu Chang Inn."

Fu Chang...

A name with a sense of history, fitting the style of the town.

Walking along the road in the town, they were met with strange gazes everywhere. There were hardly any young adults in the town, mostly elderly people and teenagers.

The closer they got to the town center, the stronger the sense of history became. Gradually, old, gray buildings began to appear.

Some were enclosed courtyards with single-story houses, with several rooms connected to form a house.

Several houses were arranged around the perimeter of the foundation, forming a courtyard together.

Occasionally, there were three- or four-story buildings, with a grand overall layout, thick walls, relatively narrow windows, and mottled traces of destruction on the walls.

Chen Qiang, walking beside Jiang Cheng, looked at the surrounding buildings. "These buildings are at least a hundred years old. It seems the history of Greystone Town is longer than we thought."

Among them, only Lin Wan'er's temperament matched the environment. Her cold face was full of charm, but she looked only around 25 years old.

Huai Yi looked at Lin Wan'er's back, recalling his mother's warning.

The more beautiful a woman is, the more dangerous she is.

Stopping, Jiang Cheng looked up at the building in front of him. The architectural style was European, with an open door and several stone pillars in front.

The words "Fu Chang Inn" were inlaid on a plaque hanging above the door.

A girl wearing a baseball cap was squatting under a stone pillar, sucking on a lollipop, with a black bag on her back.

It wasn't clear what material it was made of, but the texture was unique.

As Jiang Cheng and the others looked at the girl, she also looked up, sizing them up. Both sides knew at a glance.

Then, Jiang Cheng and the others followed the girl to a room. The room was large, and four men were sitting around a table.

"Alright, now that everyone's here, you can tell us what news you have," a dark-faced man said, staring at the man across from him with an unfriendly tone.

He had also obtained the news from an information dealer. To get the information, come to Greystone Town. The owner of the information doesn't want money, just cooperation.

Walking to the table, Jiang Cheng pulled out a chair and sat down, looking at the man across from him. He was clearly the owner of the information.

A black-covered book was spread out on the table. The man had been reading it. When he looked up, he had a pair of gem-like, sapphire blue eyes.

"Tell us about the information," Jiang Cheng said, pouring himself a cup of tea.

"Not so fast," the man said. "Let's hear my conditions first. I need you to take me into the tunnel. If I can get out alive, I want half of the benefits this time."

"Half is too much. There are three parties here. You have the fewest people. If you ask me, we should divide it equally, one-third for each," the dark-faced man said, tapping on the table as a reminder. "That's best for everyone."

Hearing this, the man suddenly smiled. "It seems you still don't understand the value of the clues I have." He closed the book, looked at everyone, and said calmly, "I have a way to contact the people who disappeared before."