Trembling in the Skies

Chapter 40: Come Down and Play with Me

“This stool is my lucky charm. It’s already killed one scumbag, and later it’ll help me kill another bitch,” Li Teng replied to the young woman. “Who are you calling a bitch?” Guo’s mother flew into a rage. “Did he even mention you? Are you just taking it personally? Are you admitting you’re a slut?” Gao Fei retorted on Li Teng’s behalf. “Kid, he’s as good as dead tonight. Yet you’re still so stubborn—set on sticking with him. You’re in for a rough life from now on!” The pretty-boy threatened Gao Fei. “You’re such a disgusting transvestite—neither man nor woman! Get lost!” Gao Fei knew he’d already thoroughly offended both Guo’s mother and the pretty-faced guy, and there was no turning back now, so he decided to stand his ground. The pretty-boy let out a few sinister chuckles but said nothing more. The bus pulled away. In the dim streetlights, looking out the bus window, the scenery outside appeared increasingly desolate and dilapidated. In the dilapidated buildings lining both sides of the street, dark shadows seemed to flicker in and out of view. There were also faint, strange sounds drifting in from somewhere. Although they knew this was a film studio and that these sets had been built for filming, everyone on the bus still felt a sense of dread. It was as if they had arrived in a ghost town. Once the bus started up and picked up speed, no one spoke another word. Having been summoned here in the middle of the night and having been on the move for nearly half an hour, all the actors were now feeling a bit tired. Li Teng, in particular, sat in his seat with one arm wrapped around his barstool, his head resting against the back of the seat as if he were asleep. Was he just giving up entirely? Seeing Li Teng like this, Gao Fei felt a pang of sadness. But for Li Teng, what good would it do to not give up? In any case, Gao Fei couldn’t think of any way to resolve this situation; if he were in Li Teng’s shoes, he’d surely die tonight. No matter how smart Li Teng was, there was no way he could defeat a malevolent ghost with just a mortal body! Although Li Teng was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, looking as if he were asleep, Guo’s mother kept her eyes wide open, not daring to let her guard down for a single moment. She knew Li Teng was exceptionally cunning, so she had to keep a close eye on his every move and every detail, constantly analyzing his potential countermeasures. She couldn’t follow in the footsteps of her son, Guo Zhipeng, who had so easily lost his life due to carelessness; she had to consider every possibility and nip it in the bud. A quarter of an hour later. The bus gradually slowed down. The director’s voice came through everyone’s headphones: “We’ve arrived at the first stop.” The passengers were all somewhat dazed, but upon hearing the director’s voice, they all snapped back to their senses in an instant. They all looked at Li Teng in unison, then at Guo’s mother. This was where the two of them were supposed to get off. Guo’s mother was now extremely nervous. She feared that Li Teng and Gao Fei had secretly swapped the bamboo sticks, and that Li Teng actually intended to get off at the third stop. If that were the case, she would be in a bind—after getting off the bus, she would have to spend points to exchange for a speed-based ghost ability just to ensure she could rush to the third stop and wait for him before he got off. The bus slowed down even more as it approached the stop. “Hahahaha…” Li Teng suddenly burst out laughing. Everyone turned to look at Li Teng. Guo’s mother’s expression turned extremely tense. Was he up to his old tricks again? “Congratulations—you’ve fallen for it again! I actually drew the slip to get off at the third stop; he and I swapped the bamboo sticks under the table.” Li Teng looked at Guo’s mother. “Is that so?” Guo’s mother’s heart skipped a beat. “I even asked you back then if you were sure you wanted to get off at the first stop and told you not to regret it, but you wouldn’t listen. Now it’s too late to regret it! You can’t catch me now!” Li Teng spread his hands. “Hmph! Even if you got off at the third stop, so what? You still won’t escape my clutches!” Guo’s mother quickly regained her composure. She now hated Li Teng with a passion, wishing she could eliminate him right then and there. No matter what this man did or said, it sent shivers down her spine, leaving her worried that he might be setting a trap or that some unexpected disaster was about to happen. If she kept playing this game with him, her heart wouldn’t be able to take it much longer. So, no matter what, she had to kill him tonight! Even if it meant using up all her points, she wouldn’t hesitate! Hearing what Li Teng had just said to Guo’s mother, Gao Fei was somewhat surprised. He hadn’t swapped bamboo sticks with Li Teng! What did Li Teng mean by that? Was he supposed to get off at this stop in Li Teng’s place? Was he deliberately trying to throw Guo’s mother off track? The director wouldn’t agree to that, would he? Gao Fei was indeed a little afraid at the thought of getting off the bus with a “ghost” like Guo’s mother. But since Li Teng had spoken up, he’d help him out—as a way of repaying the debt for saving his life in the first round. Otherwise, his conscience wouldn’t let him rest. If he died, at worst, he’d just end up as a wax figure alongside his girlfriend. Anyway, Gao Fei figured that with his intelligence, he wouldn’t survive many more rounds anyway, and he certainly didn’t harbor any hopes of ever earning enough points to return to the surface or rescue his girlfriend. “Haha, I’m the one getting off at the first stop. Old Ghost, come down with me and have some fun!” Gao Fei steeled himself and stood up. “Hmph! I’m not interested in you right now! I’m going to chase him to the third stop and kill him first, then I’ll deal with you later!” Guo’s mother also stood up and glared at Gao Fei with malice. Just then, the bus slowly came to a stop at the bus stop platform. The platform below was even more dilapidated and completely deserted. The station’s advertising light boxes were still lit. Inside one of the light boxes was a movie poster—the very poster for *The Death Crew*, the film their production crew was shooting. It depicted a ghost reaching out with sharp claws to grab a person who was running away. “I was just messing with her. Sit back down—be careful the director doesn’t punish you.” Li Teng pushed Gao Fei back into his seat, then rushed to the door, grabbed his barstool, and got off the bus. “Run!” Gao Fei shouted to Li Teng, who had already gotten out of the car, then tried to reach out to stop Guo’s mother, who was also about to get out. But the moment Gao Fei actually reached out, the director’s warning echoed in his ears, telling him not to interfere with the plot—or else he’d lose 1,000 points and be eliminated on the spot! Gao Fei had no choice but to pull his hand back. Guo’s mother, not paying attention, realized Li Teng had already slipped off the bus. Knowing she’d just been tricked by Li Teng again, she hurried to the bus door. Just as she was about to step out, a moment of hesitation flashed through Guo’s mother’s mind… She hesitated over whether to bring the barstool down as well. Would she be at a disadvantage if she didn’t take the barstool? What the hell am I going to lose? Once I step out of the car, I’ll possess the power of a ghost to kill—why would I care about a mere stool? In an instant, Mrs. Guo seemed to realize it: Li Teng was probably using this tactic to distract her and waste her time, so she wouldn’t be able to catch up to him after getting out of the car, right? She couldn’t fall for his trick. She’d get out of the car right away, break the ghost’s seal, and immediately go after him—to torment him and kill him! She absolutely couldn’t let him get away! However, what Li Teng did after getting off the bus once again took everyone by surprise. He didn’t run at all; instead, after getting out of the car, he placed the barstool inside the bus station, propped himself up with one hand, and sat down on it. Once seated, he even smiled and waved at Gao Fei and the others through the bus window. “Not running? Then get ready to die!” A sinister grin curled at the corners of Guo’s mother’s mouth.