When the beam of the flashlight struck it, the roiling gray mist and the ghostly claw extending from it seemed to be scorched, abruptly retracting from Chen Mo's back.
At the same time, the tangible darkness rapidly receded from behind Chen Mo. The surrounding wind gradually died down, the tree shadows ceased their ghostly dance, and the empty security booth, which had been vacant moments ago, now once again held the figure of the attendant on duty.
Old Zhang's steady voice came through the gate's turnstile.
"Dr. Zhao, are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Wiping the sweat from his forehead, still shaken, Chen Mo's gaze unconsciously fell on the flashlight in Old Zhang's hand.
That flashlight looked ordinary and worn, yet it had the power to repel supernatural attacks—clearly, it was no ordinary item.
No wonder Old Zhang always kept it in his hand. At this moment, Chen Mo finally understood.
"What was that just now...?"
"You mean this?" Seeing Chen Mo's puzzled expression, Old Zhang didn't hide anything. He raised the flashlight and waved it in front of Chen Mo. "Items like this have a certain chance of being obtained by completing tasks in the story. To be honest, this flashlight was a reward I got from my last story experience."
As if knowing what Chen Mo was about to say, Old Zhang shrugged. "But don't get your hopes up. At best, this thing can slightly resist supernatural forces and temporarily drive off a fierce ghost's attack. Other than that, it's not much use."
"Plus, every time you use it, the item's effectiveness diminishes. If you use it more than three times in a single story, it might even trigger something very bad."
"Actually, I already used this flashlight once in the morgue. This is the second time, so its ability to resist supernatural attacks might not be great. That's why we should leave here as soon as possible."
"Leave here? Go where?" Chen Mo asked, somewhat dazed.
"The story will tell us. Look, isn't there only one road ahead?"
Following the direction Old Zhang pointed, Chen Mo noticed that the area around the neighborhood was pitch black, with only a single road ahead where a streetlight glowed faintly, as if guiding their way.
Forgoing the idea of retrieving his car, Chen Mo climbed onto Old Zhang's motorcycle, and they drove along the road.
Before long, a familiar building emerged from the darkness ahead. True to the story's guidance, the two found themselves back at the Seventh People's Hospital.
Along the way, Chen Mo shared the results of his investigation at Zhao Heping's home with Old Zhang. But he found it strange—how did Old Zhang know he was in danger at Zhao Heping's neighborhood and arrive just in time?
"Oh, that. Once you've been through a few tasks, you'll get a feel for the story's quirks," Old Zhang said, steering the motorcycle erratically. "As soon as I noticed something was off in the surroundings, I knew you must have triggered a key plot point. Every time a key plot is triggered, it usually comes with a supernatural attack. I thought, 'Oh no, this kid's a rookie and probably doesn't have any protective items. If he dies, this valuable lead would be lost.' So I had no choice but to grit my teeth and come save you."
As he spoke, he shook his head, as if reluctant.
And here I thought this old guy was noble. Hmph!
Soon, the two arrived at the entrance of the Seventh People's Hospital. Gazing at the outpatient building in the night, both felt an eerie atmosphere spreading around them.
A hospital this large would normally have night-shift doctors, nurses, and emergency patients even at night. But now, the outpatient building before them was grim and desolate, devoid of any human figures, not even a single light. Only a thin mist lingered in the air.
If it were an ordinary person, seeing such a bizarre sight, they would likely lack the courage to step inside. But Old Zhang and Chen Mo knew that only by entering and ending this story could they truly leave this supernatural world.
As they stepped into the eerie, abandoned-looking outpatient building, they found the interior had also become dilapidated, as if long deserted. The walls were blackened and damaged, the lights rusted and yellowed, and patches of mottled black stains made the old walls look grotesque.
Just as they entered the hospital building, a sound chimed in both their minds.
"Participants of this story, congratulations on completing the main storyline exploration. Special item unlocked."
At the same time, they both saw a talisman-like object drifting down from midair, landing on the hospital's front desk.
When their fingers touched the talisman, the same voice echoed in their minds again.
"Golden Light Talisman, weak spiritual power. Can seal one weaker ghost. This item is single-use and cannot be taken out of the story world."
"Usage method: Affix this talisman directly onto the ghost's physical form to complete the seal."
"This is..."
"The story's gift to help us participants deal with ghosts and complete the story." Seeing the talisman appear on the front desk, Old Zhang didn't seem surprised.
"So, if I use this talisman to touch the ghost's physical form, I can end this story?"
"That's the idea, but the ghosts in these stories are all extremely vicious. Getting the talisman directly onto the ghost's physical form is a life-risking endeavor." Old Zhang shook his head.
Two people, one talisman. Clearly, the one who used the talisman to approach the ghost's physical form would face immense danger during the sealing process.
"Let me do it," Chen Mo said after a moment, reaching for the so-called Golden Light Talisman. After all, Old Zhang had already saved him twice in this story. This time, it was his turn to take the risk.
But just as Chen Mo reached out, another hand snatched the yellow talisman first.
"Let me handle it. I'm more familiar with dealing with these things."
There was only one talisman, meaning only one chance to use it. Old Zhang wasn't comfortable letting a rookie like Chen Mo take that risk.
"Now the question is, where do we find the ghost's physical form?"
That is, Qi Dongsheng's missing corpse.
"I think I already know where it will go."
"If I'm right, that missing Qi Dongsheng is still there."