But soon, Li Yan lifted his head again. What are you doing, Li Yan? This is still a supernatural world. The prompt for the task’s completion hasn’t sounded, which means the incidents on the other bus routes aren’t over yet. Realizing this, his expression gradually returned to its usual calm. After a moment of thought, he pulled out his phone from his pocket and saw that familiar number again. He was about to dial it, but then Li Yan changed his mind, quickly typing out a few messages and sending them to the other party. “Deduction one: The driving manual is the hidden rule of this task.” “Deduction two: The passengers boarding during the task are very likely all ghosts.” “Deduction three: The five buses in the task are all ghost buses that have been involved in major accidents. Investigating the origins of these buses is crucial to resolving the incidents.” “Deduction four…” A sudden image flashed through Li Yan’s mind—a detail he should have noticed from the start but only remembered now. In the duty room where they found the schedule, the drawer beside the table wasn’t locked. Not only was it unlocked, but it was even deliberately left slightly open. At the time, he had glanced through the gap and caught sight of a stack of yellowed papers that looked like clippings. But he had only felt a flicker of curiosity and didn’t investigate further. Now that he thought about it, every detail in the story had a purpose. Perhaps the most important clue had slipped right under his nose. “Deduction four: The clippings in the unlocked drawer of the duty room are likely the accident reports for the five bus routes in this task!” “What…” Seeing the message on his phone screen, Chen Mo was equally stunned. “The passengers boarding during the task are very likely all ghosts.” “The five buses in the task are all ghost buses that have been involved in major accidents.” Regarding these two points, he had already sensed them deep down. The No. 404 bus he was driving wasn’t just the stage for this task; it was also tied to a real-life supernatural incident. Without a doubt, some event had occurred around the No. 404 bus. Uncovering the truth of that event from the clues provided in the story wasn’t just about finding Wang Jianguo’s whereabouts—it was also a matter of his own life. But what shocked and surprised him the most was the last message Li Yan had sent. Thinking back carefully, he too had noticed the slightly open drawer but hadn’t paid it much attention. Li Yan had realized this before him, proving why he was a veteran who had completed four official stories. Surviving perilous tasks wasn’t just about luck. Li Yan’s deduction was indeed correct. In that mysterious duty room, not only was the essential schedule for the task stored, but the clearest clue was also hidden there. If the participants had opened the drawer beside the table at the time, they would have seen the stack of clippings inside, which recorded the major safety accidents involving these five buses. Seeing those reports would have immediately revealed the origins of these accident vehicles, allowing the participants to take targeted precautions. So… that stack of clippings was the most important clue in this task, one that could significantly reduce its difficulty. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until he saw Li Yan’s message that Chen Mo suddenly realized this. This was almost a clue that could be directly called a path to survival! Regretful as it was, this crucial clue had slipped through their fingers. Though filled with remorse, there was no other choice now. They could only rely on the clues gradually revealed by the story to uncover the origins of the bus they were operating. Only by figuring out what had happened could they find the corresponding solution. Regardless, Li Yan, thank you this time! Only participants who had personally experienced terrifying stories knew how vital this information was during a task. Li Yan had shared it without reservation, which also represented trust and expectation. He hoped Chen Mo could get through this and complete the triggered task! At the same time, from another perspective, since Li Yan had time to edit and send messages, didn’t that mean he had already finished this task? Truly worthy of a veteran who had survived four horror stories. Letting out a soft sigh, Chen Mo steadied his mind and refocused on driving the bus. The No. 404 route he was operating, though not particularly long in stops, had considerable distances between them, making it the longest and most time-consuming of the five routes. Wait… what’s that? Just then, Chen Mo suddenly noticed something in the darkness ahead—a vague, black shape he couldn’t make out clearly. As the distance closed, the black outline gradually revealed its form. It… was actually another bus, coming from the opposite direction, hurtling toward him on the other lane! A bus approaching from the opposite lane should have been an ordinary sight, but it was late at night, in a supernatural world devoid of other cars or people. Moreover, vehicles driving at night needed headlights to see the road, yet this massive oncoming object, despite maintaining a high speed, had no lights on at all—front or back! The scene was both eerie and terrifying! This strange bus quickly rushed toward him. At the same time, using the headlights of his own bus, Chen Mo discovered that the oncoming bus… was also a No. 404! Not only that, but the driver sitting in the cabin looked exactly like him! It was as if it were another version of himself! What… what is this? In that instant, Chen Mo was nearly drenched in cold sweat. How could there be someone identical to him in this world? Yet in this supernatural world, such a thing was happening. On the opposite lane, a bus identical to the one he was driving had appeared, along with a driver who looked just like him! Soon, the two buses passed each other. In that fleeting moment of crossing, Chen Mo’s gaze swept over the other bus’s cabin and found that its passengers were exactly the same as those on his own bus. In other words, the bus on the opposite lane was like a mirror image of his own. No. There was one difference! On that oncoming bus, there was one extra passenger. This additional person seemed to notice him at the same time, suddenly standing up and frantically tapping on the window, as if trying to get his attention. He succeeded, because in that instant, Chen Mo turned his head and saw a face that was both unfamiliar and familiar. A face he had seen in a photo—Wang Jianguo’s face.
-- P.S. Organizing the outline for the next story is quite draining, so there’s only one update today. The author is a part-time writer, so please understand. Also, a quick plug for the book’s reader group. Group number: [insert]. Readers who enjoy the book are welcome to join~