Countless fragments from the past swirled through Chen Ge's mind—one coincidence after another had appeared around him, seemingly random yet ultimately inevitable.
"Chang Wenyu and the Painter… who should I help?"
When he'd first obtained the Black Smartphone, Chen Ge had made a choice. That choice had changed his life, and it was precisely that choice that had given him the qualifications to seek the truth.
"The Psychic Ghost School is a four-star scenario, but it has no Door Keeper. There must be plenty of people eyeing this fat piece of meat."
Chen Ge had once regarded the "Door" as nothing more than a burden. But after Dr. Gao's "cultivation" and "enlightenment" through the Ghost Story Society, he had gradually come to understand just how important the "Door" truly was.
Used well, a Door could accomplish a great many things.
In that sense, Dr. Gao was both Chen Ge's enemy and his guide.
Dr. Gao had wanted to recruit Chen Ge into the Ghost Story Society, wanted Chen Ge to become his assistant. His plan had been well-conceived—too bad so many unexpected complications arose during execution. In the end, while Chen Ge had successfully joined the Society, the only member left was Chen Ge himself.
"If Fan Yu really is the Painter, then things get interesting." Chen Ge didn't dislike the Painter—of course, he had no particular fondness for him either. He simply felt that the Painter was different from every other Red Dress ghost he had ever encountered.
Behind the Door lurked countless vengeful spirits and Red Dress ghosts, yet the Painter was the only one who wanted to reshape the world behind the Door using his own power.
That notion was, frankly, insane. Some vengeful spirits craved revenge; some Red Dresses longed for rebirth. The Painter alone was different.
He didn't want to return to reality. Instead, he wanted to carve out a slice of "reality" within the blood-red world behind the Door.
If he truly succeeded, the boundary between the blood-red world behind the Door and the real world would become even more blurred.
Chen Ge didn't know what that would mean. He only felt that it was profoundly dangerous.
"Too many people are watching the Psychic Ghost School. Outside there's the encroaching blood-red city and that Cursed Hospital whose presence can be felt everywhere. Inside, there's Chang Wenyu stirring up trouble. Under these circumstances, his only chance of success would be the aid of another existence above Red Dress who gives it their all." Chen Ge paused mid-thought, a sudden idea flashing through his mind: "If Zhang Ya becomes an existence above Red Dress… could I help the Painter fulfill his wish?"
He shook his head and quickly dismissed the notion. The messier things got at the Psychic Ghost School, the better for him. "I'm friends with the Fan Yu outside the Door, but I have zero connection with the Painter inside. Even if I helped him, there's no guarantee he'd be grateful. He might even turn on me once he got what he wanted."
Chen Ge knew that the Fan Yu outside the Door was an innocent, blameless child. But toward the Painter inside the Door, he remained highly vigilant.
After he had completed the Muyang Middle School trial, the police had arrived and pulled the bodies of Fan Yu's parents from the well. Fan Yu's aunt then confessed to having killed Fan Yu's adoptive father.
The official reason was manslaughter—she had tried to prevent a tragedy but failed.
Now, thinking about it, that explanation had gaping holes. How could a frail woman have "accidentally" killed an experienced, methodical killer?
The police had found it suspicious at the time, but with no other persons of interest connected to the case besides Fan Yu's aunt, they had ultimately accepted her account and closed a cold case that had remained unsolved for years.
But if one thought carefully, there was still one more person connected to the affair—Fan Yu himself.
"This well harbors the deepest secret buried in his heart. Perhaps that was when he first stepped through the Door." Chen Ge would never forget Fan Yu, because Fan Yu had been his haunted house's very first special visitor. "The old principal knew that Fan Yu had entered the school. He also knew that the Muyang Middle School scenario had manifested because of Fan Yu's memories. Those are things a half-Red Dress like him could never have uncovered on his own. So the most likely explanation is that someone told him."
"The only ones in the entire ghost school who would help the old principal like that are my family. First Ying Hong, then Fan Yu. Were they trying to convey something to me indirectly through the old principal?" Chen Ge couldn't decipher his parents' intentions. "Were they hoping I'd realize something through my contact with Ying Hong and the Painter? Once the Psychic Ghost School trial is over, the Netherwomb could come knocking at any moment—time is extremely tight. Were they worried about me? Did they want me to analyze the Painter's weaknesses and find a way to counter the Netherwomb? After all, the Netherwomb is my shadow—in a sense, he is my dark side."
Having sorted through some of these thoughts, Chen Ge gradually calmed down. He reached into the well and pulled the old principal out. "Let's head back to the school first."
"Alright." The old principal's original escape route had become a dead end. Alongside his sorrow, there was a trace of relief. "Good thing you came looking for me. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have known how to get out."
"No need to be so polite." Chen Ge led the old principal back the way they'd come. During the process of removing the wooden boards, they hit a small snag—the blood-red sun shrouding the ghost school descended steadily, dispersing the blood mist near their position and nearly exposing them.
Once they returned safely inside the school, Chen Ge took out his tools and nailed the door planks shut. Only after confirming that nothing appeared out of the ordinary did he lead the old principal and the others away.
"Where are we headed next? Weren't you trying to earn the ghost school's will's approval?" The old principal held Ying Hong's hand as he followed behind Chen Ge. Ying Bai stared at the old principal with an innocent expression, as though she was pondering what crime she might have committed.
"It's not just me. You need to earn the ghost school's will's approval too." One sentence left the old principal stupefied.
"I don't think that's necessary for me…"
"You're the key to changing everything!" Chen Ge said earnestly. "The Psychic Ghost School has devoured many souls, I won't deny that. But it has also provided a home for those homeless children on the verge of despair. The problem is that this home is now in complete chaos—it lacks a competent manager."
The old principal nodded instinctively. "You're right. A Door world that's spiraled out of control is truly terrifying."
Chen Ge didn't pick up on the old principal's words. Instead, he continued: "In my opinion, no one is more suited to manage this ghost school than you."
"Me?" The old principal, who had just been sighing with emotion, froze in his tracks. Then he waved his hands repeatedly. "Don't joke…"
"Don't rush to deny it. Let's talk about it after you've earned the ghost school's will's approval." Chen Ge looked thoroughly confident.
"Fine. So what's your plan?" The old principal had no choice but to go along with Chen Ge at this point. He truly had no path of retreat left.
"Simple. Ying Hong has lived in this ghost school for a long time—she should know which people here are not to be messed with. In a little while, we'll simply bulldoze our way through." Chen Ge looked at the old principal with a grin. "I'll play the villain, you play the good guy. I handle the brute force; all you have to do is be yourself."