As he felt his pocket, Zheng Zihao's soul nearly fled his body in terror—fearing exactly what came to pass. When exactly had his student card been lost? Could it have been during that frantic run just now?
No, that wasn't right. So could it be...
The ghost in that desk drawer didn't kill people; it stole participants' student cards to prevent them from completing their tasks.
--
Meanwhile, Chen Mo and his group were heading toward another teaching building. If Pan Long and the others had been present, they would have been utterly shocked, because at the entrance of this I-shaped building hung a sign that still read "Comprehensive Building" in large characters.
This was a haunted school, where nothing could be taken at face value. So the phrase "the check-in machine is at the entrance of the Comprehensive Building" didn't mean the machine could actually be found there. Rather, it could be understood in reverse: whenever the story required a check-in machine to appear, any building on campus—be it a cafeteria, dormitory, library, or even a bathhouse—could transform into the so-called "Comprehensive Building."
When Chen Mo and his group entered the building's lobby, sure enough, there before their eyes stood a red machine identical to the one Pan Long and the others had seen!
"Look! That thing!"
Tan Shuyue, sharp-eyed, was the first to spot the red machine positioned directly across from the entrance. Its glowing screen and card slot indicated it was a device that accepted student cards!
The group walked over, examining the red machine from top to bottom, confirming it had no abnormalities and was fully functional. So...
"Could our student cards be used on this red machine?"
"Let's find out by trying." Lin Tianheng immediately reached into his pocket, but saw Su Mu gently shake her head at him.
"Right, trying will tell us."
Another female member of Group Nine stepped up to the machine, pulled out her student card, and inserted it into the slot.
Chen Mo vaguely recalled her name seemed to be Xing Yina.
With a soft beep, the red light on top of the machine turned green, indicating a successful swipe. The screen displayed "Xing Yina, Class 7, Senior Year 3" and "Checked In."
"Our student cards really do work on this machine. It's a check-in machine."
In Shizhu Middle School, a place with strict rules, using check-ins for management wasn't surprising. Whether a student had arrived could be determined simply by reviewing the check-in records.
Xing Yina nodded and reached to retrieve her card. In that instant, a familiar prompt suddenly echoed in her mind.
"Xing Yina, Class 7, Senior Year 3, check-in complete. Access to the principal's office granted. Your check-in code is sequence number 3, temporary check-in code 9."
"This check-in code can be used at the principal's desk. Obtaining all four sequence number check-in codes will unlock the desk."
As the prompt sounded, the other participants noticed the flash of surprise on Xing Yina's face.
"That's right! I got the prompt!"
Hearing this, Xing Yina's face lit up with excitement. Without a doubt, this red check-in machine was a crucial tool for gaining access to the principal's office!
Jiang Rou frowned slightly, as if something had suddenly occurred to her. But before she could stop Xing Yina from speaking, a chilling wind swept over everyone!
All the doors on this campus were automatic, closing behind people as they passed. In this sealed lobby, there should have been no airflow. Yet just now, everyone had unmistakably felt that bone-chilling cold.
"Not good..."
In an instant, Chen Mo and Dai Minghan's expressions shifted slightly. Neither was a stranger to horror stories; they were all too familiar with the sensation of supernatural forces descending...
Only Lin Tianheng remained unfazed, a cold smirk even curling at the corner of his mouth as he casually reached toward his waist, ready for action.
Just as everyone braced themselves, a rustling sound—shasha, shasha—echoed from one of the corridors on either side of the I-shaped building, as if someone was slowly approaching the lobby.
Then, a beam of flashlight light appeared from the corner of the stairwell!
The flashlight ghost—it was the flashlight ghost coming!
"Go!"
Dai Minghan shouted, and everyone immediately fled in the opposite direction. The building's lobby had two I-shaped corridors on either side, each with stairs at both ends for going up and down.
As the flashlight beam swayed, the ghostly figure wielding it finally emerged from the stairwell. Its body seemed shrouded in a black mist, but in its hand, it held a flashlight, casting a dim yellow glow on the path ahead.
The ghost didn't seem to move quickly, yet in just a few steps, it reached the lobby where the group had been moments ago.
By then, the group had already rushed up the other staircase to the second floor, so they didn't see the flashlight ghost pause briefly in the lobby, as if sensing something, before a sinister expression twisted its face.
"Found you."
It muttered indistinctly, then slowly continued walking toward the other end of the corridor.
--
"Wait!"
Just as they reached the second floor, Jiang Rou suddenly stopped.
"We'd better split up."
"What?" Tan Shuyue was clearly taken aback. Of the group, she was the most reluctant to separate from the main team. The more people, the higher the chance of triggering a death trap, but splitting up didn't guarantee avoiding it either. In her view, each ghost in the story had a limited number of kills, so the larger the group, the lower the odds of it being her turn.
"The ghost has already appeared. Eight people moving together is too conspicuous. If we split up, we can also分散 the ghost's target."
Under these circumstances, splitting up was indeed the best option... but Chen Mo's mind was on something else.
Clearly, the other party had another, more important reason they hadn't voiced.
That was, Xing Yina from Group Nine had already "checked in" and received a crucial prompt. She hadn't had a chance to share it yet, and now Jiang Rou didn't intend to let Group Seven in on it!
Jiang Rou, though she appeared fragile, had survived five horror stories on the Strange Tales Radio and served as a host for the ninth program group. She was undoubtedly a sharp and calculating character.
--
PS, two updates today, but the author went out to celebrate with their partner at noon. The second update will come later—you won't blame me, right?