Chapter 115: Haiming Apartments
Three thousand for the cheap ones?
Chen Ge coughed, feeling the over twenty thousand yuan in his bag, but still kept his composure. "Money isn't the issue, but the new haunted house scene needs to be operational by the day after tomorrow at the latest. I can't drag it out that long. If you're short on hands, do you have all the materials in your warehouse?"
"We have the materials." The boss didn't know why Chen Ge was suddenly asking about this. "If you can give me a few more days, I guarantee this order will satisfy you."
"The new haunted house scene opens the day after tomorrow. No negotiation."
"Business isn't great in this line of work. Didn't you see the 'For Sale' sign outside? I used to just handle the design and leave the rest to the workers, but after weeks without big jobs, I had to let them all go to cut costs." The boss didn't want to give up Chen Ge's order either. "How about this: I'll call the workers tonight and have them work overtime to finish it within a week?"
"A week is still too long. I need it the day after tomorrow."
"Even if I go all out, I can only make three or four pieces by then." The boss sounded helpless.
"You have plenty of materials but not enough hands." Chen Ge set down his bag. "How about this: lend me this workshop for twenty-four hours, and just prepare the materials for me."
"Huh?"
As the conversation took a strange turn, the workshop owner didn't react in time. "Then what do I do?"
"Just stand by and watch." Chen Ge flexed his fingers, looking around the room. "Since there's hardly anyone here anyway, and after the shop transfers, the stockpiled materials will be sold cheap or thrown out, you might as well rent it to me for a day. Don't worry, I'll buy the materials at market price."
That logic made sense, but something felt off!
The slightly chubby workshop owner thought it over for a long time. He didn't seem to be losing anything. Looking at the eager Chen Ge, he reluctantly nodded. "Fine, but you need to put down a ten-thousand-yuan deposit first. I'll deduct the cost of materials used and refund the rest."
"Deal."
Chen Ge paid and followed the chubby man into the work area inside. It was spacious, with various tools scattered on the floor.
"Are you sure you want to do it yourself?" The boss still had doubts about Chen Ge. "If you need help, I can assist. I've got nothing better to do anyway."
"Then I'll thank you in advance." During his college internship at a toy factory, Chen Ge had seen similar equipment and knew how to use the tools. After a quick tour, he got a sense of things, then pulled out his phone and called Officer Li.
"Uncle Li, I need a favor. It's about Muyang High School."
"The city bureau has already closed the case. Why are you still fixated on Muyang High?" Every time Officer Li got a call from Chen Ge, his heart raced, dreading bad news.
"It's not about the corpse concealment case. I want to—"
"Don't get involved with that school anymore." Officer Li's voice grew stern. "According to the city bureau's investigation, there might be other cases hidden there before the school was built."
"Other cases?" Chen Ge didn't press further. "Uncle Li, you misunderstand. I'm not trying to meddle in your affairs. Last time, you mentioned a class at Muyang High that had an incident. I just want to ask if your files have photos of those twenty-four kids before they died?"
"Are you crazy? What do you need those for?"
"It's really important. I can't tell you why now, but I swear I mean no harm." Chen Ge wanted to create physical vessels for the twenty-four lingering spirits so they wouldn't have to wander anymore. That was indirectly doing good.
There was a long pause on the other end before Officer Li's voice came through. "Don't do anything reckless! If you find anything, notify me immediately. Fine, I'll check for you later."
The call ended. Chen Ge didn't think much of it, but the chubby boss beside him was too scared to speak. After hesitating for half a minute, he edged closer and asked, "Are you a cop?"
"Don't overthink it. Are all the materials ready?"
"Yes." The chubby boss looked at Chen Ge, his voice dropping.
"Good, let's start right away." Chen Ge and the boss prepared the clay. About ten minutes later, Officer Li sent Chen Ge a photo of twenty-six people, saying it was the only one in the files.
In the center of the photo sat a short, bespectacled, chubby old man, with twenty-five students behind him.
"Having a reference photo makes it much easier." Chen Ge told the boss to stay far away, then slapped a clay slab onto a wooden board. After roughly shaping a head, his primary talent, Living Puppet, fully activated.
Using over a dozen carving knives from the workshop, he meticulously sculpted. In just a few minutes, he produced a head nearly identical to the one in the photo.
His nimble hands fluttered like butterflies, switching smoothly between twenty different knife specifications. The chubby boss was stunned, as if watching an art documentary at triple speed.
"What exactly is this guy?"
After carving, Chen Ge carefully wiped the clay head with a damp sponge. His fingers applied a special force, and after wiping, the clay took on the texture of human skin.
After a while, the clay head hardened. He poured thick plaster over it, then waited.
The plaster would take about an hour to set. During that time, Chen Ge started making other heads.
In an hour and a half, Chen Ge finished all the clay heads. He removed the earlier ones from the hardened plaster, poured in a layer of latex—the puppet's skin—coated it evenly, inserted a bendable metal strip as the spine, and began filling.
Smooth and seamless, excluding the plaster setting time, Chen Ge could make a lifelike human head in just ten minutes.
"It's getting late. Keep the ten-thousand deposit for now. Don't touch anything in this work area. I'll come back tomorrow to finish up." Chen Ge washed his hands, ready to head to Haiming Apartments.
"Don't worry, I won't touch anything." Looking at the twenty-four lifelike heads on the workbench, the chubby boss shuddered. He had seen plenty of puppets, but Chen Ge's creations felt different. They were so real, as if the clay heads might blink at any moment.
Slinging his bag over his shoulder, Chen Ge left the underground workshop and took a taxi to Haiming Apartments. His appointment with Dr. Gao was approaching.
Through the bustling city, Chen Ge arrived at the old district, where buildings were generally low.
After passing a few lively streets, the surroundings grew quieter. Guided by the driver, Chen Ge finally reached Haiming Apartments.