Translator: CinderTL
"What happened next?"
"They actually found it in the surveillance footage!" As the old man spoke of this, he unconsciously touched his arm. "But he wasn't pushed out or carried out—he walked out on his own!"
"It was around 2 a.m. The surveillance footage showed the elevator moving slightly, then the elevator door opened, and someone walked out."
"That person moved very slowly and stiffly, step by step, heading towards the hospital's main gate."
"As he passed under the surveillance camera, he even looked up and smiled at it!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Changguo's face turned completely pale. The scene flashed in his mind, and he felt a chill enveloping him.
"According to the doctor who was present at the time, he saw it clearly—it was indeed that corpse, no mistake!"
Jiang Cheng was mentally prepared for the idea of a corpse coming to life. After all, this wasn't the first time he had experienced something like this. But what he couldn't understand was why no one had noticed it at the time.
Even in the middle of the night, there should have been someone on duty in the hospital's lobby.
The doctor on duty, the security guards—were they all blind?
After Jiang Cheng asked this question, the old man gave him a look that was hard to decipher, then nodded and said, "You're right."
"The people on duty at the time indeed didn't notice him. And from the surveillance footage, it showed that two security guards were sitting near the gate, chatting."
"And that person—no, that corpse—walked right between them."
"At the time, those two security guards were also reviewing the footage. When they saw this part, they were both stunned. One of them immediately broke down, saying he absolutely hadn't seen anyone walk past them!"
"Just as he said, in the footage, when the corpse passed by, the two security guards showed no reaction at all."
"What happened next?" Jiang Cheng pressed.
"Then the corpse disappeared from the gate area," the old man explained. "Once it walked further out, it was out of the surveillance range."
Jiang Cheng initially thought this was another story with no clear beginning or end, and that it would conclude here. But unexpectedly, the old man's next words dragged the story into another abyss.
After putting out his cigarette, the old man paused for a moment, then continued in a slightly trembling voice, "Not long after, the corpse... was found again."
Hearing this, Jiang Cheng's expression froze.
"It was said to be in the person's home. One early morning, a neighbor noticed that the door was open, so they peeked inside. But they didn't expect..."
At this point, the old man's tone suddenly became urgent. "They saw someone squatting by the bedroom bed, with their back turned."
The neighbor called out, but the person didn't move at all. So they walked closer, but when they saw the person's face, they were nearly scared to death.
It seemed the neighbor must have known this person was dead. Seeing their deceased neighbor squatting in their own home must have been a shock beyond words.
Jiang Cheng couldn't help but think that after this incident, this neighbor would probably never be curious about other people's affairs again.
The sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway. Jiang Cheng turned his head and saw several teammates rounding the corner, led by Lin Wan'er.
"There you are," Cao Yang said upon seeing Jiang Cheng, as if a weight had been lifted from his chest.
Seeing that quite a few people had arrived, the old man went back.
It was unclear whether he was worried that the crowd might attract the attention of doctors or nurses, leading to the discovery of his secret smoking, or if he felt a sense of dread after recounting those events.
Before leaving, he repeatedly urged Jiang Cheng not to tell anyone else what he had said, keeping it to himself.
He also reminded Jiang Cheng to leave as soon as possible if there was nothing important to attend to.
"Why did you all come out?" Jiang Cheng asked everyone once the old man's figure had disappeared.
"We were worried about you since you took so long," Yu Yu said, her gaze suddenly falling on Wang Changguo in the corner, who looked as if he had suffered a great injustice.
"We were worried you might be in danger," Yu Yu corrected herself.
As for Wang Changguo, Cao Yang didn't spare him any face, completely ignoring him in his conversation with Jiang Cheng.
After listening to Jiang Cheng's explanation, everyone gained a new understanding of the underground morgue.
"This is too terrifying," Yu Yu said, hugging herself tightly.
Everyone had a premonition that the journey to the morgue this time might not be a peaceful one.
Glancing out the window, they noticed that the sky was gradually darkening, and nightfall would soon arrive.
"I think we should go tomorrow," Weiwei suggested. "If something goes wrong now, we might end up spending the night in the morgue."
"Right, right," Wang Changguo chimed in. "I think Weiwei is right. Let's go back and plan this out carefully."
However, after Jiang Cheng shot Wang Changguo a glance, the latter's enthusiasm immediately fizzled out.
Although Jiang Cheng knew Weiwei's suggestion made sense, he still wasn't prepared to wait.
There was no other reason.
Time simply didn't allow it.
He wasn't even sure if the world would plunge into Eternal Night once the last ray of sunlight disappeared below the horizon.
Moreover, he had a vague feeling that something was off.
But he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Why hasn't Huai Yi come back yet?" Yu Yu stood on her tiptoes, looking out the window—not because of her height, but to see further.
If they waited any longer, the sun would likely set.
And everyone knew how dangerous the nights in this world could be.
"There's no time," Jiang Cheng said. "I think we need to figure out how the former dean died before it gets dark."
The implication was clear: they needed to inspect Zhang Zhaowei's body in the morgue before nightfall and return before the sun set.
"I'll go with you, Brother Jiang," Cao Yang volunteered.
Yu Yu glanced at the timid Wang Changguo and then firmly said to Jiang Cheng, "Mr. Jiang, if needed, I can come along too."
This time, Jiang Cheng didn't refuse their offers. He had actually considered forcing Wang Changguo to join, but he didn't trust him.
If something really went wrong down there, an untrustworthy teammate would be a disaster.
"The three of us will go together," Jiang Cheng said, looking at Yu Yu and then shifting his gaze to Cao Yang. "Let's hurry and make it quick."
"What about us?" Weiwei asked, seemingly uneasy.
"We'll stay here as backup," Lin Wan'er said. "And wait for Huai Yi to return."
Lin Wan'er then looked at Jiang Cheng, tilting her chin slightly. "Go ahead, we'll wait here and won't go anywhere."
At first, Jiang Cheng was worried about what to do if Lin Wan'er insisted on going. Fortunately, she didn't.
She was a woman who understood the importance of priorities and could clearly weigh the pros and cons of her actions.
She knew that for Jiang Cheng, a competent second-tier team was far more important than accompanying him down there.
Author, keep up the good work! Four updates, four updates!! All the monthly votes are yours!
(End of the Chapter)
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