“Stained?” Fatty Wong’s face showed doubts about life, then he took the bracelet, with Opal, and hurried back. He wanted to settle the score with that goat-bearded guy, but when he got back, he found out that the guy had run away. The spot where he was supposed to be was now empty. “Damn it, I’ve been fooled,” Fatty Wong exclaimed. It hurt. If it was really as he described, then so be it, it would be worth it. But to be cheated out of eighteen thousand eight just for a few dyed stones, it was too easy and it pained him greatly. He regretted it so much. He had been extorted fifty thousand before, and now he was deceived of eighteen thousand eight. He was heartbroken.
Finally, he sat down on the steps, holding his head, feeling gloomy and not wanting to move. Beside him, Opal also understood the situation now, feeling somewhat guilty. After all, it was something she had been wanting to buy, and now as she looked up at the darkening sky, she pulled Fatty Wong’s arm, saying, “Honey, let’s go back to the hotel. Let’s go back and properly compensate you.” She really meant to compensate Fatty Wong. And as for what to compensate, it was obvious. Hearing this, Fatty Wong’s mood improved slightly, after all, Opal’s figure was still enticing.
However, when they got back to their car, they were taken aback. The tires had been punctured. They wondered who could have done it. All four tires were flat. Fatty Wong’s face turned dark, “Damn it, who did this? When I find out, I’ll beat them to a pulp.” “What do we do now?” Opal asked anxiously. “Let’s find a place to stay first,” Fatty Wong sighed. It was already dark, and they couldn’t possibly walk back.
Meanwhile, Robin Bailey and the others had also discovered their car tires had been punctured. “It seems someone wants us to stay here,” Robin Bailey frowned. “Boss, should I go and drag him out?” Jeff Reczek suggested. He could search and possibly catch the culprit. After all, his strength was there. “No rush, he’ll come out on his own,” Robin Bailey shook his head. And so, the three of them wandered the streets, which were now deserted as night fell, and an eerie quietness settled in.
All of a sudden, a door opened with a click. “What are you doing here?” An elderly man poked his head out, the same one they had encountered on the fishing boat earlier. Upon seeing them, his face looked worried, “Come in first. It’s very dangerous at night here.” He pulled Robin Bailey and the others in. Then, with a slam, he sealed the door tightly, blocking any entry. Once the door and windows were completely sealed off, the old man let out a sigh of relief.
“Why did you come to our village at night?” “We heard the pearls here are good, so we came to take a look,” Robin Bailey replied. He also took a look around the room, which was small, with a bedroom, a living room, and a kitchen, all done in a rustic style, and the old man stood before them. At another table, the old man’s granddaughter was busy with her homework. “Ah, looking at pearls is fine during the day, but it’s better not to come at night. Our village is haunted, truly haunted. Today, we refused you for this reason as well,” the old man sighed and earnestly explained.
“Tonight, you’ll stay here and sleep in the living room. Although it’s a bit simple, it’s better than being haunted to death.” “Thank you, sir. But I want to ask, what exactly is the situation, and when did it start?” Robin Bailey thanked him and asked further. “About a month ago, our village started experiencing this. At night, there would be a ghostly woman wandering around, her hair wild, and anyone she encountered, she would strangle to death. One widow from our village already fell victim,” the old man recounted. “We were scared, so we called a Taoist priest. He told us it was a curse of some sort, heavy with resentment. But after his ritual, the ghost was only allowed out at night, and as long as we sealed our doors and windows shut, they couldn’t get in. And within forty-five days, the ghost would disappear on its own. He instructed us to not let outsiders in, or the spell would be broken.”
“Now, the time is almost up, just a few more days, and the ghost will vanish. You can stay inside here and you’ll be safe,” the old man said solemnly. Robin Bailey then inquired, “During this time, have you and the villagers ever gone out at night?” “No, we dare not,” the old man shook his head. “Was there a time when you felt like there were people outside? Possibly in the dozens, or even hundreds?” Robin Bailey asked again. “A few nights ago, it seemed like it. When I went out to the toilet, looking outside, I saw a large group of shadows, completely silent. I thought it was the ghost causing trouble, so it scared me. I didn’t even use the toilet, I just went back,” the old man said slowly.
Robin Bailey glanced at the other two. They had a clue. The silence was normal. All three of them could walk soundlessly, being martial artists, it was entirely possible. Now, the main thing was to figure out who the ghost really was. Meanwhile, outside, Fatty Wong was knocking on a homeowner’s door, “Hey, can we stay for the night, I’ll give you a thousand dollars.” “No,” came a firm reply from inside. No! Fatty Wong suddenly felt a toothache. He had tried several households, wanting to stay for the night, but none would open the door; it was all futile and it made him ache. He went to knock on the next door. But as he knocked, the lights went out, no sound came, no response. Fatty Wong’s toothache worsened.
They were walking on the empty street, and it was too small with no inns or hotels around. They wanted to stay with locals and pay them, but unexpectedly, none would open their doors. “What’s wrong with these people? They’re not even willing to make money, damn it,” Fatty Wong cursed aloud. At that moment, Opal tugged at his hand, a bit frightened, and asked, “That waiter’s story, it can’t be true about the ghosts, right? I feel a chill down my spine.” Hearing Opal’s words and seeing her reaction, Fatty Wong felt even more pained. “Do you really believe in ghosts? After all these years of schooling, do you really not believe in ghosts?” Now you come here saying there might be ghosts.
But just then, Fatty Wong suddenly noticed that the entire street was eerie, lights extinguished, as if they were the only ones there. And at that moment, a chill wind blew, as if someone was breathing on Fatty Wong’s neck. It made Fatty Wong’s hair stand on end, completely frightened.