"This is...?"
Zhao Yang and Yu Feng, the two college students who were closest, were the first to step into the duty room. In the dimly lit space, only a desk lamp illuminated the tabletop, where a chipped enamel mug weighed down a yellowed sheet of paper.
On the paper were a series of numbers: 13, 14, 404, 711, 901.
These numbers clearly represented bus routes, as each was followed by the departure time, starting point, and terminus, as well as the assigned driver and conductor. In other words, this was a bus company's schedule.
Route 13, terminating at Nanshan Hospital, had driver Chen Hai and conductor Zhu Yilun. Chen Hai was originally a taxi driver, while Zhu Yilun was that "middle-class elite man."
Route 14, terminating at Tashizi Cemetery, had driver Zhao Yang and conductor Wu Li. When Zhao Yang saw his name paired with Wu Li's, his expression shifted instantly. The moment he'd first laid eyes on Wu Li, he found the man oddly familiar. After a moment, it hit him—this burly figure, over 1.9 meters tall, matched exactly the wanted fugitive he'd seen on TV, wanted for a massacre that wiped out an entire family.
The thought of having to carry out a mission alongside such a dangerous man made Zhao Yang's heart sink. But the story's assignments for participants were absolutely unbreakable. Besides, Zhao Yang was a reasonably composed college student. Though inwardly tense, he kept his face from showing it too plainly, living up to his usual catchphrase—"steady as an old dog on the surface, panicking like crazy inside."
Next came Route 404, terminating at the oil refinery—the very line Wang Jianguo had been driving before he vanished. Just as he'd expected, Chen Mo saw his own name on the schedule.
At the same time, the alluring, sexy woman raised an eyebrow slightly, as if mildly surprised.
"Chen... Mo?"
The odd expression vanished in an instant. The seductive woman covered her mouth with a hand and yawned. "It's you, handsome... You'll have to protect Jiaojiao, okay?"
Her languid demeanor, delicate frame, and pajamas made the stretch utterly captivating. Not only did the two college students stare wide-eyed, but even Chen Mo felt a bit flustered.
Damn, good cabbage always gets... Seeing the beauty he fancied paired with someone else, even in this perilous supernatural world, Wu Li couldn't help but curse bitterly in his mind. Though his thoughts were venomous, he couldn't deny that the young man named Chen Mo was clearly a cut above him in appearance, which only fueled his resentment.
"Such a beauty, what a shame," Chen Hai muttered inwardly as well. Driving his night taxi, he'd picked up plenty of women like her. This one was indeed a rare find, but still—hmph.
The final two routes, 711 and 901, headed to the Tech Park and Shiren Mountain respectively. Their driver-conductor pairs were Li Yan with Yu Feng, and Zhang Yaqi with Zhou Junzhu. Seeing his name next to Li Yan's on the schedule, Yu Feng's face lit up with a hint of joy. At least Li Yan's four-story experience gave him a better chance of survival if they worked together.
As for Zhou Junzhu, being paired with history teacher Zhang Yaqi was acceptable to her. Apart from the ghosts in the story, the person she feared most now was that brute Wu Li. On a midnight bus, if he tried anything when no one else was around, the consequences would be unthinkable.
Aside from the different termini, all routes departed at 10:30 PM, meaning under normal conditions, they'd arrive around midnight. Another notable point was that each route had a different number of stops. The longest was Route 711, cutting through the city to the suburban Tech Park with 13 stops, while Route 901 to Shiren Mountain was a scenic line with only 5 stops.
At first glance, more stops meant more ghost passengers boarding. But conversely, more stops also gave participants more chances to figure things out and get confirmed ghost passengers off the bus. So it was hard to say which was better or worse.
As for the terminus... "Tashizi Cemetery" made Zhao Yang's heart ache. Being stuck with murder suspect Wu Li was bad enough, but the route ended at a graveyard.
Was this line just meant to send me to my death?
"Hey, it's 10:11. Departure time's almost here."
Chen Hai's reminder snapped everyone back to attention. Since the schedule was written on the paper, it was a rule participants had to follow. Just then, Yu Feng let out an "Ah" and pointed at the yard.
The yard, which had only held one Route 404 bus moments ago, now had four more buses. Their route signs read 13, 14, 404, 711, and 901.
Five routes, five buses. They all shared one trait: they looked old and worn, the kind of vintage buses phased out in recent years, rarely seen anymore.
The driver-conductor setup was also a relic of old-style buses, as most had switched to pay-per-ride systems a decade ago.
"Looks like the story's really thought things through for us," Zhang Yaqi said with a bitter smile, walking up to the nearest Route 901 bus. "But I don't know how to drive. What now?"
"What? Teacher Zhang, you can't drive?" Zhou Junzhu was stunned. She hadn't even considered that.
"I've been teaching in the village since my assignment. Never thought about learning to drive."
"That's simple. I'll teach you." Chen Hai's mind stirred, deciding to offer this favor. But he didn't dare casually board a bus that wasn't his route, so he gave Zhang Yaqi a rough explanation from outside.
"Thanks, Brother Chen." Time was tight, so Zhang Yaqi didn't dare waste any more of his. Nodding vaguely, she boarded the Route 901 bus she was "operating."
Peeking inside from the door, Zhou Junzhu nervously climbed aboard. Even before the bus officially departed, her whole body was trembling uncontrollably. Li Yan and the others shook their heads inwardly. This girl was too timid. The time before departure was absolutely safe, yet she was already this scared. The pair on this route didn't look promising.