With no clear idea of what the film's plot is about.
Everyone had to stay close to Wang Po and got as much information as possible through Han Dong, the translator.
Through their conversation, they learned that Wang Po mainly engages in 'fortune-telling' and 'repossessions' -- Han Dong was hearing about the latter for the first time.
According to Wang Po, it's actually a form of exorcism.
The method involves finding a substitute (usually a paper person), transferring one's diseases and pains onto the substitute to achieve healing.
This process is complex and lengthy, usually taking three hours or even longer.
In the middle of the interview, Liu - Wang Po's husband - intervened. He interrupted the process, saying someone had been possessed at 'Prince's Hill' and urgently needed to perform the Return Human Ceremony.
Wang Po was reluctant as Prince's Hill was a long and remote trip that would take at least five hours by car.
But the moment she heard her husband say that the 'money issue' had been settled, she immediately prepared to leave. They should be able to reach there before evening.
In Han Dong and the others' view, 'Prince's Hill' was the location of the incident.
While Wang Po couple were packing their necessities, the group used the 500 yuan given by the System, to buy a series of essentials from the local stores.
For example, flashlights, compressed biscuits, bottled water, and so forth, for emergencies.
Bald Derleon even bought an ax for self-defense.
In fact, there was no need for such ordinary weapons. Traditional weapons can't solve supernatural incidents. Carrying such things would only impede movement.
They were all set.
Liu, considering the filming crew's needs, arranged for a spacious van, with a back seat that could accommodate six people.
Now they just had to wait to reach their destination.
The five-hour journey could certainly be passed by taking a nap in the van… However, due to worry, anxiety, and an innate fear of death, most of them had trouble sleeping and simply stared blankly at the rural scenery outside the window.
Han Dong was different.
Due to past scientific experiments which required him to stay awake around the clock, he was able to adjust his biological clock to a certain extent and even learned a rapid sleep method from the Internet.
Using sleep techniques from World War II pilots and completely relaxing his body, Han Dong quickly fell asleep against the window.
If he could sleep for five hours before the incident and replenish his energy, then, even if something strange happened at night, he would be able to analyze and handle it with a clear mind.
This was the first time Han Dong had fallen asleep in the more than seven years since his rebirth.
But, upon falling into a deep sleep, Han Dong encountered a strange dream.
...…
Buzz!
In the dream.
Han Dong found himself back in the familiar Florence University.
Walking into the lecture hall with the teacher's book in his hand.
Unlike the past, facing the dull and boring cellular biology course, none of the students skipped. The large lecture hall was filled to capacity.
Even stranger.
All the students were wearing hooded coats, with their hoods up and their heads down, making it impossible to see their faces.
Han Dong, who had reached the podium, habitually took out his USB drive and plugged it into the multimedia device's port.
At that moment, something weird happened.
The USB port turned into a slick tentacle and plugged into the 'meatball-like' multimedia device.
The cellular biology course material that was supposed to be displayed on the projection screen turned into strange symbols that Han Dong couldn't understand.
At the same time, all the students in the lecture hall lifted their heads, took off their hoods, and revealed faces without features.
"Faceless…"
Buzz!
With a sudden ringing in his ears, Han Dong abruptly woke up.
It was nightfall.
When Han Dong woke up, the car had just arrived at the site of the incident - 'Prince's Hill,' in front of the abandoned rural resort.
There was an old and almost deserted long building in front of the van.
The two-story building was once used as an 'inn', with eight separate guest rooms on the second floor and the connecting staircase in the center.
Rows of large red lanterns were neatly hung in the corridor on the second floor, appearing a bit eerie in the darkness.
The client and the possessed were living in this building.
As everyone peered at the dilapidated building through the car window.
Han Dong, who had just awoken from a nightmare, looked a bit uncomfortable. With his hands tightly inserted into his waist bag, he looked exceptionally... as if he was deliberately hiding something.
"You have reached the event area, the countdown has begun, and related requirements are as follows:
1. The activity area for all participants is limited to the [Abandoned Villa] and its surrounding area of 500 meters. Anyone who leaves this area for more than ten seconds will be erased.
2. You must not live in a group, please each choose a room to sleep in.
Between 23:00 and 06:00, if more than one person is in the same room, the first time will result in a warning, and the second time will result in erasure.
3. During the event, you are free to interact with the characters in the plot without any restrictions.
4. Survivors will be transported away after the 72-hour countdown."
When everyone got out of the van, a man in his thirties with an honest-looking face came forward to greet Wang Po, while asking, "Master, who are they?"
"They are foreign students shooting a documentary. They will record the entire process of the 'repossessions'...you don't mind, do you?"
"As long as it doesn't interfere with Master's work, I don't mind. However... there might not be enough food prepared for dinner."
Han Dong quickly stepped forward and politely said, "That's okay, we've brought our own food. Just let Wang Po and Liu have dinner, don't worry about us."
After a bit of polite refusal and negotiation.
Everyone made their way into the hall on the first floor of the building, where they met the possessed.
Unlike what they'd imagined, where the possessed were bound to a big bed or locked in a room, shouting loudly, self-harming, or eating bugs.
The possessed was an ordinary-looking, dark-haired country woman. Her exterior was completely normal, she was even in charge of washing and cooking food.
After dinner, they immediately got to the main topic.
The man living there introduced himself and explained the situation of the possessed, revealing that he and the possessed woman were brother and sister.
The brother is named Daqing, and the possessed woman is named Chen Li.
They used to run a rural vacation house here, which did pretty well... but it was abandoned a few years ago because of the relocation of the tourist area.
The situation of his sister, Chen Li, is rather special. She behaves normally during the day and only falls ill at night.
Daqing said they've seen the doctor in the city... The diagnosis was a split personality disorder, but Chen Li insisted she wasn't mentally ill, that something was 'lodging' in her body.
That's about it.
Daqing hopes that Wang Po can use the method of 'repossession', to transfer the thing that lodged in his sister's body onto a paper person.
"We can't do it now. The Yin Qi is too strong at night. We might not be able to call out the thing lodged in your sister's body...Besides, it's tiring to come here in a hurry.
"A repossession is a very energy-consuming ritual, we'll have to wait till tomorrow to do it."
With this statement from Wang Po, it means that everyone has to stay here for the night.
Daqing was very enthusiastic, "Okay... I'll take you to the rooms upstairs to rest. Our place here isn't in great condition, I hope everyone can put up with it."
The six members of the filming crew, Wang Po couple, and the possessed Chen Li.
Just enough to occupy the second floor of the building hung with large red lanterns.