After talking with the female tourist, Chen Ge found himself even more curious about the child in the hallway.
"A spirit that dares to wander around during the day is definitely no ordinary lingering soul—at least a vengeful ghost, if not worse. But why does he keep haunting this place and never leave? Is it because he has unfinished business? Or is the object his spirit is tied to buried deep within the building?"
The thought of a child's soul being unable to rest day after night made Chen Ge uncomfortable. He decided to help the boy fulfill his final wish.
Chen Ge hurried downstairs. He had no idea what he could do to increase his chances of running into the boy, so he found a blind spot in the security cameras and summoned Old Zhou.
"Just now a woman said there's a little boy wandering around in this hallway. Can you sense his location?" Chen Ge asked, willing to try anything.
"I don't sense anything. Maybe he's hiding." Old Zhou looked around. "But this place really is rather strange."
"Strange how? Did you find something?"
"Ordinary lingering souls can't manifest during the day. Even vengeful ghosts can only appear briefly. If they stray too far from their anchor objects, they'll suffer irreparable damage. That's how it normally works, but our Haunted House of Horrors in the western suburbs is an exception. I don't know the exact reason, but even during the day, we can manifest freely inside the haunted house—no time limits, and it actually feels quite comfortable to stay there." After talking about the haunted house, Old Zhou turned his gaze to the Nightmare Academy's hallway. "This place isn't quite on the same level as our haunted house, but I can still stay here for a long time. The building seems to completely block out direct sunlight—the yin energy here is extremely heavy."
"You can stay inside the Nightmare Academy for extended periods?" For a brief moment, the thought of leaving Old Zhou behind as a mole actually crossed Chen Ge's mind.
"Not just me. Ordinary lingering souls—like the students from Twilight High School—should be able to endure it too. Places like this are incredibly rare." Old Zhou's words carried a certain implication.
"The Nightmare Academy has been open for many years. It's probably because of this area's unique geographical environment, combined with the nature of the business, that it led to the mutation." Chen Ge leaned against the wall in a corner.
"Negative emotions vented by tourists have accumulated here over years and decades. The yin energy inside the building is already incredibly dense. If this continues, this place could attract more and more spirits." Old Zhou's brows furrowed, his expression serious. "It's like how our haunted house occasionally gets special visitors. If you can't hold your ground, very dangerous things could happen—consequences too terrible to imagine."
Chen Ge pondered in silence. "That makes sense. What do you think we can do for them?"
"A place this dangerous would be better off in our hands. We're already used to danger, after all." Old Zhou sighed, trying to persuade him with a hint of resignation.
After a moment's deliberation, Chen Ge finally spoke. "With great power comes great responsibility. Even though I don't live in Xinhai, I can't just stand by and watch something go wrong here. Once I've taken care of things back home, I'll contact Director Luo immediately. We'll join forces and take over this building, snuffing out the danger before it grows."
"To accomplish great things, you must first surround yourself with the right people. Meeting a boss like you is truly a blessing." The deep furrow between Old Zhou's brows vanished instantly, replaced by genuine admiration.
The seamless partnership between Chen Ge and Old Zhou stood in stark contrast to the relationship between the Nightmare Academy's owner and his subordinates. The reason for this disparity was likely Chen Ge's inherent charisma.
With Old Zhou in tow, Chen Ge ran straight down to the first floor. The end of the hallway wasn't an exit—just a door painted onto the wall.
"The door is just a painting. If the visitors who make it to the end discover the door is nothing but a mural, they'll definitely panic."
Having explored the building for quite some time, Chen Ge had already mapped out the Nightmare Academy's entire layout. There was an "escape route" on the left side and another on the right, but both were dead ends. The real way out was the elevator in the center—the same elevator the tourists had taken when they first came in.
This arrangement had its pros and cons. The upside was that it could draw out the deepest fears lurking in the tourists' hearts. The downside was that when they encountered unusual visitors, the staff had nowhere to run either.
"Old Zhou, once we find that little boy, you stay by the elevator. Keep it parked on whichever floor you're on."
"Understood."