Chapter 33 The Team Gets Separated

“Before we go in, let me say something,” Shen Fengxing adjusted his glasses. “According to the investigation I commissioned, this hotel has actually ceased operations during this period, so there shouldn’t be anyone inside. I also found out that the hauntings began on the eighth floor, since everyone who jumped to their death did so from there.”

“Looks like we need to start our investigation on the eighth floor,” Zhou Liping said.

With a sharp slap, Zhang Hua struck him and cursed, “You’re not even going in, so why butt in?”

Zhou Liping clutched his face, terrified, and dared not speak again.

Zhang Hua said coldly, “You’re in desperate need of discipline. How did I end up with a pretty boy like you?”

Zhang Xiaofan watched with amusement. Clearly, Zhou Liping was no stranger to being bullied—truly pitiful.

Shen Fengxing tried to smooth things over. “Alright, that’s enough, Zhang Hua, calm down.” He looked at the group. “The hotel has only eight floors, and since the eighth floor is the most suspicious, we’ll start our investigation there.”

“Yes, let’s all begin from the eighth floor,” Tang Youcai agreed.

“There are quite a few of us, so I suggest we go up in pairs. That way, we’ll be more efficient,” Shen Fengxing said.

“Wouldn’t that be too dangerous?” Zhang Xiaofan asked.

“We’ll all be on the eighth floor. If anything happens, just call out and everyone will hear,” Tang Youcai replied.

After some discussion, they decided to go up together first, and only split up once they confirmed it was safe.

The groups were quickly settled. Zhang Xiaofan would naturally pair up with Su Qianqian—no one objected. Tang Youcai and Huang Kaijian were close friends and teamed up. Xu Jiaojiao requested to go with Shen Fengxing, perhaps finding him more reliable than Zhang Hua. That left Zhang Hua alone. Shen Fengxing frowned and said, “Zhang Hua, why not let Zhou Liping go up with you?”

Zhou Liping’s face went pale. He wanted to refuse but didn’t dare speak.

Luckily, Zhang Hua refused outright. “Forget it. That coward would only drag me down. I’ll go alone. I’m plenty strong.” She smiled confidently. As the sister of a notorious tough, she’d fought often and was fiercer than most men.

Zhou Liping relaxed, though a vicious glint flashed in his eyes.

With the arrangements settled, the seven—including Zhang Xiaofan—entered the hotel. An icy chill swept over them, making them shudder.

“Damn, it’s freezing,” Tang Youcai cursed.

“Enough chatter. Keep your eyes open,” Zhang Xiaofan said.

They approached the elevator. Shen Fengxing warned, “Don’t bother pressing it. Three people died in this elevator from fright, so even if it works, we shouldn’t use it.”

Everyone shivered and headed for the stairs.

Their footsteps echoed up the stairwell. The stairs hadn’t seen visitors in a long time, and the windows were thick with dust, blocking out the sunlight and casting the area into gloom. It was hard to see ahead.

Shen Fengxing and Xu Jiaojiao led the way. They turned a corner, and suddenly, to everyone’s shock, the two seemed to vanish into thin air.

“They’re gone,” Zhang Hua was the first to notice, staring blankly ahead, confused.

“What the hell, maybe they ran ahead?” Huang Kaijian said, his face ashen.

“You really think they could move that fast?” Zhang Xiaofan replied coldly.

Huang Kaijian, who’d once been beaten by Zhang Xiaofan for bullying Lin Rou, kept quiet.

Zhang Xiaofan closed his eyes. His right eye twitched, then he opened them—but nothing had changed, except for a faint wisp of black mist in the air.

“This is bad. We might be caught in some kind of ghost illusion. With my current abilities, I can’t see through it,” Zhang Xiaofan said grimly.

“I think we should retreat,” Tang Youcai stammered.

“I saw a movie where people were trapped by ghosts, something called ‘Ghost Wall,’” Su Qianqian said, terrified.

Zhang Hua cursed, “I refuse to believe we won’t find them by going up.” With that, her hefty figure strode forward and disappeared around the corner, her footsteps echoing.

“There are footsteps, let’s go,” Zhang Xiaofan nodded to the others, then tightly took Su Qianqian’s hand and followed around the corner. He stopped short.

The window before him looked just like the one they’d seen earlier—even the dust was identical.

“Xiaofan, I think we just passed this place,” Su Qianqian’s voice trembled.

Zhang Xiaofan took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. He asked, “Do you all think we’ve already been here?”

No one answered.

The atmosphere suddenly grew tense; around them, darkness pressed in—no sound, not even Zhang Hua’s heavy footsteps.

“Ah…”

Su Qianqian suddenly screamed, pointing behind them in terror. “They—they’re gone!”

A strange hum echoed in Zhang Xiaofan’s mind. Their group had scattered—where had everyone gone? Had they all just vanished?

He quickly covered Su Qianqian’s mouth. “Qianqian, I’m here—calm down.”

Su Qianqian nodded fearfully, then broke free of his grasp after a moment. “What do we do now? Everyone’s disappeared. We might never get out.”

Zhang Xiaofan took a deep breath. “Don’t panic. First, we need to stay calm and think of a plan. For now, let’s slowly move upward and mark our way, so we can hopefully find our way out.”

Su Qianqian had lost all sense of direction and nodded mutely.

Zhang Xiaofan was frustrated—whatever haunted this place was clearly powerful. His right eye, usually able to see ghosts, was now useless.

From what he knew, it wasn't that his eye had failed, but that this ghost was so strong it surpassed his ability to see it—a vast gulf in power that blinded him.

He held Su Qianqian’s hand tightly, knowing that letting go could mean losing her. That was a risk he refused to take.

Reaching the window, Zhang Xiaofan scratched a mark with his folding knife, then pulled Su Qianqian along. After turning another corner, that cold mark appeared before them once more.

“It really is a ghost wall!” Zhang Xiaofan’s face went pale.

Su Qianqian was white as a sheet. “It’s a maze—we’re lost, we can’t get out.”

Zhang Xiaofan steadied her. “Let’s try going down.”

He kept scoring marks along the walls as they descended, but when they reached the lower floor, the same marks confronted them again.

“How is this possible?” Zhang Xiaofan was stunned. Whether they went up or down, they ended up back where they started. They were trapped in an endless loop, doomed never to escape.

“No, no, we’re just endlessly walking these stairs. Something’s wrong. Why does the environment look exactly the same? Why?” Zhang Xiaofan shook his head, then suddenly looked up. “I understand now…”