Chapter 7: Inviting Ghosts (6)

“…I truly don’t understand how a newcomer like you came up with this idea.”

Human thought is limited. Such a method might occur to passengers who have experienced multiple platform missions, but the one proposing it now was a rookie who had just boarded and was participating in a platform task for the first time.

That was why Jiang Yingzhi was so shocked.

However, after Lu Jinchao suggested the plan, she pondered for a moment and then approved it.

Although the method sounded rather terrifying and counterintuitive, given the current situation, it was a case of desperate measures.

Lu Jinchao smiled without responding to that remark and instead asked, “You won’t be able to help me much after the surgery, so my request is that you protect me during my corneal transplant procedure. If anything unusual happens, you must do everything you can to assist me. Can you do that?”

“No problem,” Jiang Yingzhi replied confidently, then seemed to remember something and added, “I didn’t mention this to you newcomers before because I thought it wouldn’t be necessary, but now it’s just right.”

“You can ask the doctor to perform the surgery a bit roughly but quickly. Don’t worry about leaving any risks because…”

“All injuries sustained during platform missions can be healed after returning to the train using the money on your ticket.”

“As long as you still have a breath, you can be saved.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Jinchao blinked lightly. So that’s why the money is called ‘lifesaving money’?

“But you must be careful…” Jiang Yingzhi’s words were not finished.

“No matter what, before boarding the train, never let the money on your ticket drop to zero; otherwise, you will lose your eligibility to board!”

In the real world, not boarding the train means death.

In the platform world, if you don’t return to the train in time, you will remain trapped there forever.

No one has ever been known to survive and return to the real world after being stranded in the platform!

“I understand.”

After discussing this with Jiang Yingzhi, the two parted ways. Lu Jinchao continued following the others, waiting for her surgery time, while Jiang Yingzhi went to arrange her own “pregnancy” surgery.

The subsequent ghost-seeing missions remained eerie and unsettling.

The black cat hide-and-seek mission involved only one player, so he could only play with the black cat himself.

He had to hide first and let the black cat find him; he was not allowed to reveal himself or leave before being found.

According to the book’s description, he was currently hiding behind the ghost.

If the rules were broken and he left before being found, the ghost would find him.

But when the game began, the black cat encountered some misfortune during the search. By the time the other players arrived, the black cat was already a corpse.

Without the cat to seek, what could the hider do?

He fell into a puzzle strikingly similar to that of Lin Shuyue, and no one knew where he was hiding, nor was anyone willing to look for him.

Other missions faced similarly perplexing dilemmas, but for Lu Jinchao, the greatest and most concerning commonality was this:

She had never once seen the shadow of a “ghost.”

Each time, her companions fell into terrifying predicaments, yet the ghost responsible never manifested.

Did it really exist?

It should have, otherwise how could one explain the supernatural phenomena?

But why had the ghost never truly appeared?

Not even a shadow!

Lu Jinchao did not understand. Perhaps only Cen Duo, who might have truly seen a ghost, could grasp some of it, but Lu Jinchao was reluctant to get close to her.

Even standing slightly near her made Lu Jinchao’s mind buzz, as if instinctively warning her: stay away from this strange woman!

She could only suppress this doubt for the time being, hoping that after transplanting the corpse’s cornea and being able to “see ghosts,” she might understand.

Soon, the time for surgery arrived. After enduring several ghost-seeing missions, the original team of nine was reduced to five after Lu Jinchao and Jiang Yingzhi left; four of these had yet to complete their ghost-seeing tasks.

Most of the time had passed, and the atmosphere grew increasingly anxious and uneasy. The remaining four decided to split up.

Cen Duo chose to accompany the person who drew number 10 to complete the ultimate ghost-seeing ritual. Zhou Wenbo paired with another to finish the “Knocking Bowls at the Crossroads” and “Midnight Hair Combing” tasks.

Before leaving, Lu Jinchao learned their groupings, but when she found out Cen Duo would accompany the person for task 10, an odd feeling rose in her heart.

She sensed that Cen Duo’s purpose was definitely not merely to accompany or help.

Yet she had neither the standing nor the evidence to warn anyone, only hoping they were smart enough to perceive Cen Duo’s subtle strangeness.

When she arrived at the clinic, Jiang Yingzhi was already waiting. Soon, Lu Jinchao’s surgery began.

After the local anesthesia took effect, Lu Jinchao lay on the operating table.

Jiang Yingzhi stood vigilantly by the table, watching the surroundings to prevent any possible accidents.

The surgical environment was somewhat rudimentary but equipped with all necessary instruments. Lu Jinchao’s eyelids were held open by a speculum, preventing her from blinking or seeing the surgical details.

The operation commenced.

The local anesthesia kept her mind clear, and only her eyes felt no pain, though their clarity had diminished.

She was aware something was happening on her eyeball but could only see blurred shadows, so she felt little fear.

As the surgery progressed, Lu Jinchao noticed her vision becoming increasingly blurred, likely because the doctor was working on her cornea. This process lasted some time and would not immediately recover after the procedure.

That was to be expected.

Lu Jinchao lost track of how much time passed; all she knew was that when she regained awareness, her vision had become perfectly clear.

It was as if she had never been anesthetized or undergone corneal surgery.

But how could that be?

She could now clearly see the instruments above her!

Why was this happening?

Wasn’t the surgery still ongoing?

She tried to move her eyeball but couldn’t. Though still anesthetized, her sight was astonishingly clear.

Strange.

This was definitely not normal.

The surgery was not yet finished, so Lu Jinchao dared not act rashly. Yet as it continued, she sensed the temperature in the operating room gradually dropping.

At some point, the hairs on her arms silently stood on end, as if warning of impending danger.

The surgical light occupied much of her view; beside her, the doctors and nurses busied themselves.

But… there was also a shadow standing motionless by the operating table.

What was it?