Chapter 1: The Sheepskin and the Ticket

Early spring.

The weather was warming, a perfect time for spring blossoms to bloom—if only Lin Zhao, Lu Jinchao’s college roommate, hadn’t suddenly leapt from the dormitory building and died that very day.

What made it worse was that the night before Lin Zhao’s fall, she had tightly grasped Lu Jinchao’s hand and asked some strange questions.

“Xiao Lu, do you believe ghosts exist in this world?”

“Whether you believe it or not, remember this—I am not trying to harm you.”

“I put something in locker number 504 on the underground platform at the train station. The code is 144.”

When questioned by the police, Lu Jinchao found herself unable to recall those odd words. Every time she tried to speak, it felt as if something was lodged in her throat, stopping her from continuing.

In the end, Lin Zhao’s death was ruled a suicide. Surveillance footage clearly showed her leaving the dorm late at night and climbing onto the rooftop.

Yet rumors among the students whispered that before jumping, Lin Zhao hesitated and struggled for a long while. The way she fell seemed strange, as though pushed by some unseen force.

But these were only rumors—no one dared claim they saw it with their own eyes.

At first, Lu Jinchao didn’t understand what Lin Zhao meant by “the thing” until she realized her own protective talisman was missing.

Calling it a “talisman” wasn’t quite right. More precisely, it was a keepsake left by her parents—a palm-sized piece of parchment made from sheepskin.

Unable to share Lin Zhao’s “last words” with anyone, Lu Jinchao felt the situation growing increasingly eerie.

But she had to retrieve her talisman.

Yuncheng had only one operating train station. Even on non-holiday days, the station was bustling with people coming and going.

Prepared, Lu Jinchao descended to the underground platform, glanced up at the surveillance cameras and nearby security guards, then approached the locker Lin Zhao had mentioned.

She entered the code—it was correct.

With a bang, the locker door sprung open.

Her eyes landed on the contents inside: very few items, just the palm-sized brown sheepskin and a white card.

“Is there writing on it?”

She pulled both out, placing the card atop the sheepskin. It was about the size of a train ticket, but completely blank.

As she puzzled over it, a sudden sharp pain pricked her fingertip holding the card, like a needle piercing her skin. In the next moment, as if from a science fiction film, the pure white card began to change color where she pinched it.

Black and white patterns spread across the entire card, transforming it instantly into an old-fashioned, eerie-looking train ticket.

“A train ticket?”

Looking closely, it indeed was a ticket, but it bore strange details, more like a prank or a prop from a horror movie. What unsettled her most was that the ticket already had her name printed on it.

“Train D-class, from Yuncheng Station to… Thailand?”

What a joke.

“Departure time is half an hour from now, and it’s a standing ticket.”

The price showed 100, with a note below: “Valid only for this trip on this day.”

This was the full information on the ticket—less than a normal one, and the colors were disturbingly unnatural, as if it were a ticket to the underworld.

“What am I even thinking?”

Whether or not ghosts existed, the idea of a ticket from Yuncheng to Thailand was absurd!

As she pondered, the tingling in her finger faded, as if it had been a hallucination. She flipped the ticket to look at its back, but then her gaze froze on the sheepskin beneath it.

Where there should have been no writing on the white card, now there was none; instead, a line of words had appeared on the sheepskin.

“Do you believe in ghosts?”

Her face darkened. She instinctively thought Lin Zhao had done this, since that had been the question she asked that night while clutching her hand.

The sheepskin held special meaning for her, something she had carried and protected diligently for years. Now, someone had written on it in red ink—how could she remain calm?

But in the next second, the supposed red ink melted away like fresh blood soaking into the parchment, disappearing into it and leaving behind two vivid red characters:

“Ghosts exist.”

“What is this...?”

A chill ran down Lu Jinchao’s spine. She had to admit, though she didn’t know what trick this was, she genuinely felt a flicker of terror in that instant.

But it wasn’t over. The sheepskin continued to bubble with blood-colored foam, as if the red liquid was being digested poorly. As the bubbles multiplied, another line of words appeared.

“Look around.”

Look around?

Her body stiffened. Prompted by the sheepskin’s message, she suddenly realized the train station had grown unnaturally silent.

No sounds at all—no footsteps, no trains arriving or departing, not even the intermittent announcements overhead.

She lifted her head and discovered a shocking truth:

They were gone.

All the staff and bustling crowds had vanished along with the sounds.

The vast train station now seemed to hold only her alone.

The light dimmed without her noticing. Although the weather had been sunny upon arrival, now it felt as if a storm was about to break.

Inevitably, Lu Jinchao’s mind returned to the two words she had just read on the parchment: ghosts exist.

What else could explain this scene besides something supernatural?

Even if it were a prank, no one would coordinate an entire Yuncheng train station this thoroughly.

Nor could any terrorist act go so completely silent in a domestic setting nowadays—she hadn’t heard a single sound. Everything had occurred within minutes, quietly.

A foreboding feeling wrapped around her heart. Goosebumps rose uncontrollably on her arms, as if her subconscious was warning her that the danger was real.

She glanced again at the ticket and sheepskin. Sure enough, new words had appeared on the sheepskin.

“You are about to die.”

No.

That wasn’t what she wanted to see.

The parchment seemed to sense her thoughts and continued shifting its message.

“Board the train to gain a chance to survive.”

“Don’t board, and death is certain.”

Lu Jinchao was utterly confused. She couldn’t hold back and asked, “What exactly is that train?”

Was this mysterious ticket in her hand the pass to board it?

The sheepskin did not answer but instead revealed one final line.

“Pay the price to earn your life.”

Then the blood-red characters vanished. No matter what she said, the sheepskin gave no further response.

A cold breeze swept through the underground station, chilling her already cold body. Dark thoughts flooded her mind—after all, whatever this was, it was some bizarre paranormal event.

Was what the sheepskin said true?

Was the ticket real?

Was there really a train she had to board, or else she would die?

She thought of Lin Zhao again, now beginning to understand those strange words. But Lin Zhao also said she wasn’t trying to harm her. Yet no matter how she looked at it, it was Lin Zhao’s actions that had landed her in this predicament.

Why?

They were both freshmen, barely acquainted, with no conflicts between them.

“...Never mind. Thinking about this now is pointless.”

First things first, she had to figure out if this was true or false. Standing here lost in thought would get her nowhere.

Lu Jinchao wandered around, then confirmed one thing:

She couldn’t leave the underground platform.

Whether by elevator or stairs, she encountered an endless loop, trapped like in a ghost’s maze. Her phone had no signal, not even emergency calls could be made.

“Looks like I really have seen a ghost.”

A bitter smile crept onto her lips. Her predicament defied all scientific explanation. Though she forced herself to remain calm, only she knew her back was soaked with cold sweat, her legs weak. Her ability to move was purely driven by willpower.

Despite the terror, fear, heart pounding wildly, cold sweat pouring down her forehead, and a buzzing mind, she didn’t freeze. She could still think clearly. Lu Jinchao admitted she wasn’t a genius, but she was better than most at staying composed.

Confirmed that she couldn’t leave the platform, she thought maybe she should check the ticket gate. After all, to board the train, she’d probably have to pass through there.

With that in mind, she headed toward the gate, but after only a few steps, she heard hurried footsteps behind her on the stairs.

It sounded like someone rushing urgently, afraid of missing the departing train.

Lu Jinchao didn’t try to hide. Judging from what she’d learned, she suspected there was no danger inside the station itself. The danger lay in boarding the train—or rather, in not boarding once the train arrived, and what might happen after boarding.

The train hadn’t arrived yet.

Sure enough, as the footsteps approached, a figure gradually materialized—a young woman about 26 or 27 years old, lightly dressed, hands empty, muttering as she hurried: “That was close, almost late, glad I made it.”

When she descended and entered the underground station, she looked up and saw Lu Jinchao staring at her.

“Huh?”

“Never seen you before. Are you one of the new passengers boarding this time?”

At those words, Lu Jinchao confirmed her suspicion: this was indeed a living person, also someone about to board the train.

As she acknowledged this, an absurd feeling rose in her heart. Was this truly happening?

Wearing a polite smile, she replied, “I suppose so?”

The newcomer seemed completely unafraid of the stranger suddenly appearing on the platform. This reassured Lu Jinchao that the station itself was safe, at least until the train arrived.

“The list has a few new names. I wonder if the others have arrived yet.”

She approached Lu Jinchao with a familiar air. “Come on, I’ll take you to the waiting room. The others are there too.”

Lu Jinchao didn’t refuse and followed her, asking, “Can I ask what’s going on?”

“Sure, but there isn’t much time. Boarding starts in about ten minutes, and there’s ticket inspection. I’ll explain it all after we board, while we’re en route.”

The woman seemed approachable and soon led Lu Jinchao to the waiting room. There, Lu Jinchao realized that the supposedly empty underground station actually held seven other people.

Including the two of them, there were nine.

“Here you are! How did you almost get here late again?”

Someone scolded the newcomer, then glanced at Lu Jinchao: “Third newcomer, just one more to go. You didn’t meet him, so he must be running late.”

She shook her head. A male newcomer suddenly asked, “What happens if you don’t make it on time?”

Lu Jinchao recalled the words on the sheepskin—death.

“You die.”

A voice answered firmly.

As they talked, Lu Jinchao quickly sized up the group. Their ages varied, their demeanors suggested different occupations. Including herself, there were nine people—five women and four men. Several faces showed obvious fear and unease—likely the newcomers like herself.

Even those who seemed more experienced wore expressions that were far from relaxed, heavy with an indescribable gravity.

She then looked at a screen on the right front side of the waiting room, which displayed:

[Waiting Information]

[Train Class: D]

[Number of Passengers: 10]

[Passenger List: Liu Haoyu, Yang Junjie, Zhou Wenbo, Xu Lei, Lin Shuyue, Cen Duo, Fang Pandan, Feng Xinxin, Jiang Yingzhi, Lu Jinchao]

[This Station: Ghost Summons]

[Legend has it, there are many folk methods to see ghosts. Ten of the most popular have even been made into a movie called “Ten Ways to See Ghosts.”]

[Those methods—do they really let you see ghosts?]

[Go to the bookstore and buy “Ten Ways to See Ghosts.” Each person randomly picks a method to complete. No method may be repeated. After 12 hours, board the return train to complete the task.]

—Rumble—

The roar of an old-fashioned train steadily approached from afar. The apparent leader in the waiting room stood up and looked toward the station.

“Let’s go, the train is coming.”