The large exhibition hall had Spirit Moon Antiques placed in the most inconspicuous southwest corner.
In the center of the hall, the stage was meticulously arranged to resemble a scene from the movie “Ghost Scholar.”
It was Leo’s first time attending such an event, and he felt like a child entering Disneyland-everything was novel and exciting.
The entire hall’s color scheme mimicked ancient times, with the main stage set up as a large courtyard, representing the Hundred Ghost Courtyard from the movie.
There was also a beautiful house on the stage, adorned with large red lanterns and red silk ribbons, creating a festive atmosphere.
Before coming, Leo had briefly familiarized himself with the movie “Ghost Scholar.”
Ghost Scholar and the female ghost Cindy had an intimate scene in that beautiful house.
“Arlene, what is that beautiful house on the stage for?” Leo asked Arlene, pretending not to know.
Hearing this, Arlene blushed and scolded, “Why are you asking about that, little kid? If you want to know, watch the movie when it premieres.”
Leo laughed heartily. Realizing she had been teased, Arlene playfully punched Leo.
As for the plot, “Ghost Scholar” wasn’t particularly novel and had many dull moments.
If it weren’t for Charles playing the male lead, the movie’s box office would likely have flopped.
The afternoon opening of the exhibition hall was just for merchants to familiarize themselves and set up their booths. The exhibition officially started at 8 PM.
After setting up their booth, Leo and his companions prepared to leave and return in the evening when the event officially began.
“Hey, Christine, I thought you wouldn’t come.”
A voice reached their ears; it was Ethan, with an irritating smile on his face.
Christine and her sister ignored him completely, pretending not to hear.
But Ethan was persistent and continued with a smile, “Christine, I have a strong premonition that Spirit Moon Antiques will make a big splash at this exhibition. Congratulations in advance.”
Christine didn’t buy it at all. She looked around and said, “Why does it feel like there’s a mosquito buzzing around my ear? So annoying. Did you hear it?”
“It seems like there is a mosquito,” Arlene echoed. “Maybe I should buy some insecticide later.”
Ethan’s face turned extremely ugly. He snorted coldly and walked away.
By 7:30 PM, merchants and spectators began to enter in an orderly manner and found their seats.
The seating arrangement for the audience was very distinctive. Using 3D-like stickers, the entire audience area looked like an outdoor graveyard.
Especially when the lights dimmed, the visual impact became stronger, creating an eerie atmosphere.
This creative setup gave the audience a strong sense of immersion, as if they were part of the movie.
Of course, achieving these effects required significant investment, showcasing the strong promotion of “Ghost Scholar.”
As a merchant, Christine went to her booth while Leo and Arlene took their seats in the audience area.
Scanning the room, Leo spotted Ollie James from RH Auction Company, with Ethan sitting next to him.
At 8 PM sharp, the host took the microphone and announced loudly, “Distinguished guests, welcome to the Ghost Scholar Exhibition. Now I declare the Ghost Scholar Exhibition officially open!”
As soon as the host finished speaking, applause erupted, and the lights dimmed.
The entire hall seemed to have been transported outdoors, creating a sinister and eerie atmosphere.
Even though everyone knew it was part of the design, they couldn’t help but feel a bit tense.
“Ha ha ha…” An eerie laugh suddenly echoed.
On stage, behind the host, a blood-red figure slowly rose.
The audience gasped in tension; some women couldn’t help but scream.
The host seemed unaware of the impending danger and continued to announce sponsor names, advertising with his life.
Suddenly, the host’s voice stopped abruptly.
He seemed to realize the danger and slowly turned his head to look back…
Suddenly, the blood-red figure enveloped him completely!
When the red figure withdrew from the host’s body, he had turned into a skeleton that collapsed like a pile of blocks.
“Ah…!”
Screams echoed through the audience.
Even Arlene screamed in terror, piercing Leo’s ears.
Then, amidst a series of “thud thud thud” sounds, the lights brightened again, focusing on the blood-red figure on stage.
It turned out that the blood-red figure was a person in a red robe. He knelt on one knee before slowly standing up.
The audience finally saw his face clearly.
A handsome face with a charming smile due to makeup-it was none other than Charles!
The audience erupted in screams again, this time out of excitement from his frenzied fans.
They began chanting Charles’ name; even Arlene beside Leo joined in. The atmosphere reached its peak.
Charles removed his red robe to reveal an ancient scholar’s outfit underneath, with a book rack on his back for traveling.
He began walking around the stage slowly, shielding his head with one hand as if avoiding rain.
“On a dark and stormy night, lost on my journey with no place to stay…”
Charles’ voice rang out, instantly quieting the hall. Female fans’ eyes sparkled like stars.
Caught up in the atmosphere and Charles’ unique charisma, Leo’s attention was entirely captivated by him.
Suddenly, the lights dimmed again and then brightened once more.
Now there was a row of tables on stage with some ancient paintings displayed on them.
Ghost Scholar walked to one table and picked up a painting, commenting, “Entering this house uninvited… Who painted this masterpiece?”
At that moment, the red robe Ghost Scholar had discarded on the ground floated up behind him and enveloped him again. In an instant, he disappeared completely.