At the night self-study session in school, eight o'clock.
Because he had read the story on the forum till it was late at night yesterday, Yang Jian had been yawning and listless for the whole day in school the next day. Every time he was about to fall asleep in class, the photo of the old man would somehow appear in his mind, and in his daze, he would feel as if the part of hollow and deathly eyes were staring at him somewhere.
With a jolt, he regained his consciousness.
"I still can't fall asleep. There's seriously something eerie with that photo."
"Hey, hey, hey, Yang Jian, share it with me too," A tall and lean student leaned over.
He was Zhang Wei, Yang Jian's desk mate.
Yang Jian asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"
"Don't try denying it. I've been watching you yawn all day. You must've done some embarrassing things last night," Zhang Wei patted his shoulder and said in a low voice, "What good resources have you gotten lately? Share them with me and let me in on the pleasure too."
Yang Jian replied, "Pleasure your ass. I read a horror story on my phone last night, so I slept late."
"A horror story? Speaking of horror stories, do you guys know about the supernatural incident that happened in one of the residential areas in the city some time ago?" One of their classmates at the side scooted over.
"What supernatural incident?" Yang Jian asked, "Why have I never heard of it before?"
Zhang Wei said, "I know about that too. Rumor has it that in one of the residential areas, more than twenty people had hung themselves overnight. The bodies hung from the anti-theft windows like cured meats. It was seriously horrifying. I even have a photo of the place. Though, I'm not sure of its authenticity."
After he finished saying this, he took out his phone and opened a photo in his photo album.
The photo was taken in the evening, added with the poor lighting conditions of the residential area, it was a little blurry. However, one could still make out the silhouettes of the human figures hanging from the anti-theft windows on the balcony in a tight row. One could also vaguely see the hideous and terrifying faces of the corpses, especially their eyes that were wide open, making people wonder what they had experienced before death.
From afar, the dozens of corpses looked like cured meats that were being hung out to dry. What made people wonder was that the heads of the corpses were inside the anti-theft windows, but their bodies were under. With the space between the bars of the windows, they weren't nearly enough for an adult to pass through.
On top of that, the heads of the corpses were tilted backwards, showing an eerie pose of having been snapped in two.
The more one scrutinized, the more uneasy and fearful one felt. This photo had the same effects as the old man's photo in Yang Jian's phone, both could stir people's emotions.
"F*ck, where'd you get the photo? Why didn't I find it?" The classmate at the side said.
Zhang Wei said proudly, "One of my friends who was passing by took it. The place is sealed off now, and they don't allow photos anymore. If you want it, call me daddy and I'll give it to you. Also, stop calling me 'Yangwei' (sexual impotence), I have a new English name."
"Speaking of which, I also have an English name. It's called 'Woshishabi' (I am an idiot). Remember to call me by my English name loud when we're out."
Yang Jian said, "We have the same 9 year compulsory education, why are you guys so outstanding?"
"Yang Jian, both of us went for tuition. You can't learn it," Zhang Wei said proudly.
"Speaking of supernatural incidents, I've been seeing many people mentioning such things on the internet recently. They make them sound so real that I don't even dare to read them. Do you guys think those things are real? It can't be that some places are really haunted, right?" A female classmate named Miao Xiaoshan came over as well and asked.
Yang Jian said, "Most of the stories online are fake. Unless I see them with my own eyes, I don't believe that there are ghosts in this world. However, some things are better believed than not. If you really encounter these things, it's better to stay away from them."
"You're right," Miao Xiaoshan nodded.
"Everyone, stop talking. Be quiet," At this moment, Teacher Wang shouted as he strode into the classroom, continuing, "The school has made a last-minute announcement. Today's evening self-study session will be changed to a lecture session. The main purpose of it is to promote some safety precautions among the students. Later, during the lecture, I don't want to hear anyone speaking in class and messing up the classroom discipline. Next, I'd like to invite Mr. Zhou Zheng to present the lecture for us. Everyone, give him a round of applause."
Huh?
Yang Jian clapped as he was puzzled. Why was there still a safety lecture at this time of night?
However, when Zhou Zheng, who was the person that was about to give them a lecture, walked into the classroom, Yang Jian's eyelids twitched.
This man called Zhou Zheng was wearing a gray windbreaker that wrapped him up completely. He was also wearing a mask. One had to know that it was a hot day! An unknown ID card was dangling on his chest, however, what caught people's attention was that his appearance was very terrifying. His face was extremely thin, practically skin and bones. One could even see the shape and outline of his facial bones, and there was a little flesh on his face. Due to his extreme thinness, his eyes appeared very big. They were bloodshot as if he had not slept for many days.
However, under his thin face was his stomach that swelled up.
It was as if he had a beer belly full of fat. However, a person with a beer belly shoudn't be so thin.
It was abnormal. It was so abnormal that it made people feel uneasy.
At this moment, Zhou Zheng was standing on the podium. He was emitting a dark, haggard, and numb aura. His entire body was stiff and unmoving. His bloodshot eyes rolled slightly, like two dull glass beads.
Wherever his gaze passed, the students felt an inexplicable sense of fear.
Yang Jian subconsciously clenched his fists and his entire body could not help but tense up. He did not dare to look the man in the eye. He thought to himself, "The feeling is even stronger than when I was facing that photo..."
"Hello, students. My name is Zhou Zheng. I am the person in charge of Dachang City. I am very happy to be able to stand here alive and give you a lecture today," Zhou Zheng finally spoke. His voice was dry, hoarse, and ear-piercing like glass that was slid across the ground. Coupled with his extremely thin face, one could not help but feel a chill run down one's spine.
To stand here alive and give them a lecture?
Yang Jian's heart trembled. Why did those words sound so strange?
Zhou Zheng picked up a piece of chalk and turned around to write a scrawled but extremely clear word on the blackboard: Ghost!
"The legends of ghosts and monsters have existed since ancient times, and not only in the history of our country but also in the history of every country. I don't have much knowledge of history, and I can't tell you exactly what happened in the ancient times, but it's fine as long as you can roughly understand what I mean," Zhou Zheng's voice was still hoarse and ear-piercing as he said unhurriedly, "However, there are some things that all of you will have no choice but to believe in now. In recent years, there has been an explosive growth in the number of supernatural incidents. It is no longer just a matter of one or two incidents but is gradually turning into a global catastrophe. If this situation is not effectively controlled, in the future... ... maybe the world will not even have a future."
When everyone heard this, they were quite surprised.
How did this lecture become a ghost story convention?
And the lecturer even bragged to the point that the world was about to perish.
Not only the students, even Teacher Wang was stunned.
"It's not convenient for me to say more about this, so don't ask. Please remember what I'm going to say next, students. This safety lecture might save your lives in the future," Zhou Zheng did not continue the topic. Instead, he turned around and wrote another sentence on the blackboard: Ghosts can not be killed.
"In the near future, you might encounter situations that you would never want to encounter, such as... ... Bumping into ghosts. Although it's a bit of a blow, please remember this sentence, ghosts can not be killed. So, even in extreme fear, don't think of risking your lives to fight those things, because your lives are not even worth mentioning before those things. It's as easy as stepping on a few ants for those things to kill you. No, it's even easier than that. Maybe with a blink of its eyes or a snap of its fingers, and you'll be finished," His haggard eyes were bloodshot as he stared at everyone. He said these words seriously, then turned around and wrote the second sentence on the blackboard: The only thing that can deal with ghosts is ghosts.
Zhou Zheng continued, "If ghosts can not be killed, it means that the technological power of every country will be useless. Whether it's bombs or even nuclear weapons, none of them will be of any use. If the scientists of the various countries can not crack the mystery of "ghosts" in the future, for now, the only method left is to use ghosts to deal with ghosts. I know that all of you have questions in your hearts. Some people even think that I'm crazy, but it's not important. The important thing is to listen to me and remember these words in your mind. You will need them in the future. Of course, I also hope that you will never need them."
"Yang Jian, what is this person saying? Why can't I understand him?" Zhang Wei whispered.
Yang Jian said, "I don't really understand him either, but after listening to his words, I'm feeling somewhat uneasy."
"Could it be that the Earth has mutated? Like in the novels?" Zhang Wei said.
"I don't think so..." Yang Jian hesitated.
Although he had fantasized about the appearance of gods and the existence of superpowers, if these things did existed, it was inevitable that one would panic. After all, such things were a huge threat to ordinary people.
On the podium, Zhou Zheng continued, "Since ghosts can not be killed and have extraordinary abilities, then combining these two situations, we can ask a question. If ordinary people are targeted by ghosts, how can they survive? This is the key point. I hope you will remember it forever, preferably for a lifetime."
After saying that, he turned back to the blackboard and wrote the third sentence: See through the patterns of ghosts.
"Everything has a pattern to be found, and ghosts are no exception. According to the research data, every kind of ghost has a nearly fixed way of killing and action. Just like a computer program, you have to press the power button before the computer can run, and you have to click the mouse to open software. Overcome your fear and see through the patterns of the ghosts. Find their flaws. This is the only chance for ordinary people to survive if they are targeted by ghosts."
He repeated in a grave tone, "Remember, if a ghost comes looking for you, there's no other way to survive other than the method I have just mentioned. Don't take any chances. Those things are more terrifying than you can imagine."