The group slowed their pace and, following Chen Ge's instructions, walked along the edge of the bushes.
"How did he know someone was in there?" Scissors glanced curiously into the thicket as he passed by. Deep within the bushes, traces of fresh blood seeped through the foliage. Despite there being no wind, the shrubs swayed gently.
Not daring to linger, the passengers followed Chen Ge into the residential compound.
"You three fall back for now. Someone might come out of the elevator, and if there are too many of us, we might scare him off." Chen Ge was being considerate. He watched the elevator's digital display, where the numbers kept changing, and gestured for the others to hide in the shadows.
"If we can scare someone, they probably aren't that strong anyway. Why don't we all rush in together and take him down on the spot?" The Doctor was calm and composed as he voiced his opinion.
"That won't work for the time being. I still have the next step of the plan, and nothing in between can go wrong." Chen Ge gently pushed the Doctor back. "There's something terrifying in this compound. We'd better keep a low profile."
"Even *you* say we should keep a low profile — how terrifying must the thing hiding here be?" The Drunk started losing his nerve. "Let's just go. We shouldn't stick around."
While the group was debating, the elevator was already approaching the first floor. Chen Ge stopped wasting breath on the others and waved for the three of them to duck into the stairwell.
After they had hidden themselves, Chen Ge looked toward the elevator doors. "The reason the bad guy hiding in the elevator is interested in Xiao Bu is that Xiao Bu is small and weak. For perverts like him, bullying and tormenting the weak is a form of enjoyment. If I come across as too dominant, the killer might hesitate. If he doesn't follow me upstairs, I won't be able to carry out the next part of the plan."
Chen Ge had decided to use the walkthrough he'd obtained from Xiao Bu's game to pit the killer and the vengeful ghost inside the residential compound against each other. The plan was flawless in theory, but in practice there were countless variables.
The number on the display finally changed to "1," and the grimy old-fashioned elevator doors slid open.
A man wearing a black raincoat stood in the center of the elevator, clutching a large black bag.
The bag looked heavy. There was no telling what was inside.
He apparently hadn't expected anyone to be waiting outside. He reached up and tugged the hood of his raincoat down further, completely concealing his face.
"Hello." Chen Ge spoke first. He was still mulling over how to lure the killer into taking the bait when the man had already stepped out of the elevator.
The elevator doorway was only so wide. Chen Ge was carrying two large backpacks, and the raincoat man was dragging a large bag of his own. As they squeezed past each other, their bags collided.
Blood seeped out of the raincoat man's bag. Both Chen Ge and the raincoat man saw the ever-expanding bloodstain.
His expression flickered. Chen Ge furrowed his brow. His calves trembled slightly, and his body tilted to one side, as though he were instinctively trying to move away.
Panic-stricken, Chen Ge hurried into the elevator.
Fear, horror, unease — all these emotions were vividly displayed through his body language and micro-expressions.
He stumbled into the elevator and jabbed several buttons on the control panel in rapid succession. His frantic movements spoke to the anxiety churning inside him, and his averted gaze only amplified the image of a terrified soul.
From any angle, Chen Ge looked like a "textbook" victim.
Every last detail was observed by the raincoat man. He turned around, the brim of his hood hiding his hair and eyes. All Chen Ge could see was the corners of his mouth curving upward into a cruel arc.
Chen Ge knew that expression well — it was the smile of a predator that had just spotted its prey.
"He took the bait." As the elevator doors slowly began to close, Chen Ge's expression relaxed slightly, and he let out a quiet sigh of relief. "He should come after me soon."
The gap between the elevator doors grew narrower and narrower. Chen Ge was already thinking about the next step of his plan when he suddenly saw a pale hand thrust into the closing gap!
The elevator doors, which had been about to shut, were forced back open. The raincoat man stood outside with his head lowered, blocking the doorway.
The atmosphere in the hallway grew oppressive. The raincoat man's smile became even more deranged. He lifted his leg and stepped into the elevator.
Plans never survived contact with reality. During the Xiao Bu game, the raincoat man hadn't followed immediately, and that delay was what had given Chen Ge room to maneuver.
The dim elevator lights illuminated their faces. The raincoat man stood right beside Chen Ge, radiating an aura that made one's skin crawl — as if he were not a living person, but a rabid beast.
The metal doors closed again, and the sliver of light that represented a way out vanished from Chen Ge's sight.
The elevator began to ascend. In this completely enclosed space, there was nowhere for Chen Ge to dodge.
To keep his vision unobstructed, the raincoat man pulled the hood off his head, revealing a scar on his forehead and a birthmark near his left eye that looked unsightly.
Noticing the movement, Chen Ge shifted toward a corner of the elevator, but the interior was only so large. Where could he possibly hide?
"Did you just see what's inside my bag?" The raincoat man turned his head to look at Chen Ge. The birthmark on his face stretched with the movement, giving him a frightful appearance.
"I didn't see anything. I really didn't." Chen Ge was telling the truth — he had only seen the blood seeping through the outside of the bag.
"Is that so?" The raincoat man tossed the bag aside. A knife had appeared in the hand he'd been hiding behind his back at some point. "Doesn't matter if you didn't see. Once I pack you in there too, you'll find out exactly what's inside!"
He let out a twisted laugh as he looked at Chen Ge, savoring the despair in the young man's eyes. He raised the blade and swung it toward Chen Ge's body.
He had already prepared himself to listen to Chen Ge's screams of agony, but just as his knife was half a meter away from its target, he saw the young man grip one end of his backpack with both hands and swing it at him with all his might.
The raincoat man had no idea what was inside Chen Ge's backpack, just as Chen Ge didn't know what was in his. In his mind, it probably contained nothing more than a few everyday items — taking a hit wouldn't matter. His knife, on the other hand, was a different story. One clean strike, and there would be blood.
His expression turned even more savage. Then, in the next instant, the raincoat man saw the young man slam the backpack directly into his arm.
*CRACK!*
The sound of bone snapping rang out clearly. The raincoat man's gaze was locked on Chen Ge — he hadn't even had time to register where the sound had come from.
The sheer force sent his entire body tilting sideways, and the knife clattered to the floor.
Searing pain shot through him. The raincoat man went berserk like a wild animal, eyes bloodshot, reaching with his uninjured hand to grab the knife.
The sharp blade lay just ahead. The moment his fingers touched it, a shoe stomped down on the blade.
The raincoat man looked up to see the young man unzipping his backpack with a face full of despair.