Jiang Cheng’s expression recovered slightly when they exited the building and bathed under the sun. Fatty turned around to glance at the building. His heart wouldn’t stop pounding. It was a strange feeling. He didn’t see or hear anything but he was still affected by the Doctor.
He pulled back his gaze to look at the Doctor. He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, the Doctor cut in, “Did Su Xiaoxiao and Chen Ran say where they were going?”
Fatty thought about it and shook his head. “No.” Fatty suddenly asked, “Could they have gone into the forest?” Looking at the verdant yet lifeless forest, Fatty was averse to it. He had personally experienced the strangeness inside the forest. The mist inside the forest was like a quicksand. He didn’t want to experience that ever again. However, they failed to find Chen Ran and Su Xiaoxiao. The beach was empty, and so were the cliffs.
The result was clear. While the Doctor was asleep, Chen Ran and Su Xiaoxiao entered the forest.
“Come,” Jiang Cheng headed to the forest, “Let’s go check it out.”
Even though Fatty really wanted to persuade the Doctor against this, it was clear that the forest had a very important secret about this mission. It might be related to its source. After all, everything strange happened after the white plate was discovered. It was the case for both the assimilated ‘zombies’ and the curse.
Fatty also wondered what exactly the curse was. And the things from Black Stone Town… what was their goal?
The closer they were to the forest, the stronger the bad feeling in Fatty’s heart. The forest was the start of everything. At the same time, it was the most dangerous part of this mission. Fatty froze as something came to him. He asked, “Doctor, if the stone plate is really that dangerous… how did Su Xiaoxiao and Su An manage to escape earlier? After all, so many from Black Stone Town had been…”
As they progressed, the resistance in Fatty’s heart became more conspicuous. He stared at the Doctor’s back, and an indescribable unfamiliarity surged in his heart. Even though the Doctor never explained his actions normally, he was being overly rash that day. Slowly, Fatty’s expression shifted as a brave thought appeared in his mind. It was not just brave. It was horrifying. It caused his legs to shiver. More importantly, if his guess were correct, it would be his day of death. The forest would be where he died.
Since Su An and Su Xiaoxiao might have been ‘assimilated’, what about the Doctor?
Could he have been assimilated too?
Based on Fatty’s understanding of the curse, one didn’t need to personally see the stone plate to be affected by the curse. There might be other ways. The missing Liang Long and the biker woman might not be dead. They might be caught by the things from Black Stone Town. And that aged woman… She was clearly suspicious.
Fatty’s mind floated further and further. Complicated clues piled up in his mind. They become entangled with each other, which leads to the formation of a new hypothesis. His brain was a mess. Even though he thought for a long time, it only took up a moment in real life. That was all.
Because… the Doctor in front of him had turned around. He stood there and glanced at Fatty with an inscrutable gaze. Then, his neck started to twist at an impossible angle.
Someone narrowed their eyes. The salty breeze touched her face. The bangs on her forehead fluttered in the wind. It did nothing to take away her cold beauty.
“They have entered the place.” Su Xiaoxiao’s voice began. There was no warmth and emotion. She turned to glance at Chen Ran, who was still looking at the forest. She added, “Mr Chen, your plan has succeeded.”
Chen Ran pulled back his gaze before focusing it on Su Xiaoxiao’s exquisite face. He grinned, “Miss Su is being too kind. This is not just my handiwork.” He paused before adding, “You have contributed too.”
Su Xiaoxiao didn’t say anything in response. One should always place oneself first in the nightmare realm. Plus, Su An might not be able to hold on much longer. She knew what kind of person Chen Ran was. The risk of working with him was extremely high. To be honest, she had a better impression of Hao Shuai than Chen Ran.
However… one’s impression changed with understanding, especially, after Chen Ran showed her what he had found. It was a very crucial clue.
It was… a carved painting. It was behind a broken stone pillar that they always passed by. It was across from the stone door that they first broke down. There was nothing around the pillar. No one expected the clue to be somewhere so obvious, so they ignored it.
“Mr Chen, I wish to know how you noticed this painting.” Her eyes glowed with… not hostility but curiosity.
Even though the stone pillar was obvious, the carving was not. The pattern was carved into the stone. One could barely notice it without using water or dust to reveal it.
Chen Ran’s lips curled up exaggeratedly. He pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and shook it before Su Xiaoxiao’s face.
“Miss Su,” He smiled, “Do you have any more questions?”