From the very first glance at the youthful boy, who seemed barely twenty years of age, Allen sensed that Carol was not an ordinary individual. He maintained a composed demeanor, occasionally scrutinizing others with a sagacious gaze. Despite their limited interactions, Allen instinctively felt that Carol was extraordinary.
"Carol knows how to maximize the utility of the Get Out of Hell Free cards; he is a crucial figure in our Thirteenth Circle Cinema of Hell," Julian continued to explain. "Therefore, regarding the rental fee, he will be footing the bill. As long as your price isn't exorbitant, I'll negotiate with him."
After careful consideration, Allen replied, "I understand. For the rental fee... 400 Get Out of Hell Free cards. That's my bottom line."
The Get Out of Hell Free cards represented life, and 400 of them were certainly not an insignificant number.
"Alright. That price is acceptable," Julian said with a sigh of relief. 400 cards were far less than he had anticipated, especially considering the importance of the high heels. He had expected Allen to demand at least 800 cards, allowing him room for negotiation, but Allen's moderation was both astute and beneficial. By seeming to incur a slight loss, Allen had garnered the goodwill of Julian and others, a favor that would undoubtedly be repaid in the future.
Leaving room for flexibility in every endeavor was a key principle of Allen's conduct.
"Here is my room; you can rest here for now," Julian said, looking much more relaxed. "After you've rested, tomorrow we'll officially proceed with the rental procedures for the cursed item through the cinema, and the 400 Get Out of Hell Free cards will be transferred to you immediately."
Julian paused and added, "Allen, for me, Julian, you are already a partner I have come to respect! Behind you stands the entire ensemble of our Thirteenth Circle Cinema of Hell!"
Allen sensed Julian's sincerity; this man indeed had the ability to touch others' hearts.
Martin stood behind Julian, gazing at Allen with lips slightly parting, seemingly wanting to say something but ultimately remaining silent.
Allen, however, directed his gaze towards Martin and said with a hint of solemnity, "Thank you, miss, no matter what."
Allen had not forgotten when Martin had saved him.
Martin nodded slightly and said, "It's nothing. As long as you're fine, that's good."
And that night, many people found it difficult to sleep.
When Nathan returned to his room, Carol and George were already there waiting. Nathan closed the door and sat down.
"How did it go?" George asked with a hint of nervousness. "Did Allen agree?"
George herself did not possess a cursed item, and for her, the high heels brought by Allen had become her last hope.
"He agreed, but he wants 400 Get Out of Hell Free cards as the rental fee. Julian just told me. This time, he plans to let Carol use the high heels," Nathan replied.
Carol, who was sipping tea, did not look surprised. His left-hand fingers tapped meaninglessly on his knee, while George looked visibly disappointed. She knew the high heels would likely not be hers, but this also meant her safety in "Ghost Festival 3" was at risk.
"Don't be too disappointed," Nathan said to George. "Don't you know Julian's personality? He will do everything to protect us. In fact, I'm more worried about Hiram, Evelyn, and the others."
Carol sneered, "Hiram is not a simple man. Julian is good in many ways, but he's too soft-hearted, always adhering to the principle of not provoking others unless provoked. He doesn't realize that once there is a dispute over interests, it's no longer about who provoked whom. Hiram also wants that parchment. For that reason alone, we should find a way to deal with them!"
"Really?" George said with confusion. "Shouldn't our biggest enemies in horror movies be the ghosts and spirits, followed by actors from other cinemas?"
George was a sharp actor and knew Carol was right. But honestly, surviving in "Ghost Festival 3" was already difficult enough; keeping a lookout for other actors would be even more challenging. Moreover, in her view, actors had to act according to their characters' logic; otherwise, it would lead to an NG. How could Hiram scheme against them when they were constrained by their roles?
"No," Nathan looked at Carol's somewhat blurred face through the steam of his tea and said, "He has a point. Qingxiu, you haven't met Hiram, so you'd say that. This man is comparable to 'that person' from the Tenth Circle Cinema of Hell."
At the mention of "that person," George couldn't help but shiver! The infamous name was so terrifying that even now, she dared not utter it aloud!
"Seriously? Even if Hiram is powerful, he couldn't be that level, could he?"
"No one who has survived the 'Fourth Restricted Zone' series is easy to deal with," Carol said, glancing at George beside him. "Hiram will likely become a serious threat to our Thirteenth Circle Cinema of Hell."
Meanwhile, in the fifth screening room of the Thirteenth Circle Cinema of Hell.
Under the dim lighting, Julian lit a cigarette and took a deep drag as he gazed at the black movie screen.
Hank, Cheryl, Ivan... they were all gone...
Julian reminisced about the moments he had shared with these three, especially Hank, who he had deeply trusted. Unfortunately, he was also gone...
At this moment, a face leaned in from the back seat and took the cigarette out of his hand.
"Here, you should have a cup of hot cocoa instead. Smoking is harmful to your health!"
White Edith smiled and handed Julian a paper cup filled with steaming cocoa. Julian took the cup and turned back, saying, "Did you know I'd be here?"
"Tomorrow, 'Ghost Festival 3' will be shown in this screening room. To avoid making everyone nervous, you said we wouldn't have a pre-battle meeting. But instead, you came here alone to smoke?"
Here, White Edith's smile faded, and her expression darkened. "I know the deaths of Hank and the others hit you hard. Not only were they your valued companions, but we also lost many cursed items. Although Allen agreed to rent us the high heels, it's still just a drop in the ocean. If you're sad, don't bear it alone. Friends are there to support each other in times like this."
Julian's eyes showed a hint of confusion, and after a moment, he said, "You know they all see me as an important pillar of support. I can't show this kind of expression in front of them."
White Edith took a sip of her hot cocoa and continued, "Actually, you carry too heavy a burden. Sometimes, we'd also like to share some of it with you. Nathan, Carol, and I... we all can."
Julian fell silent for a while before also taking a sip of his hot cocoa.
Then, he suddenly said, "What do you think of Allen?"
"Hmm, him? Both horror movies had their main characters die, yet he, a supporting character, survived. Especially in 'The Imprisoned Chamber,' though luck played a part, he's indeed not ordinary. It sounds like you want to groom him?"
"Currently, he does show some potential. Especially his offer of 400 Get Out of Hell Free cards; it was beyond my expectation. You know, the high heels he holds are something we must have. Yet, he deliberately set this price. Clearly, he has ambitious goals. He obviously understands that for us, Get Out of Hell Free cards are also crucial. If we spend too many here and face problems in 'Ghost Festival 3,' it will create rifts between us in the future. He may still need to rent cursed items from us, cooperate with our team, and survive in the cinema... He thinks long-term, which is not something ordinary people can do. If it were someone else, even if they offered 1000 cards, I wouldn't be surprised."
Edith smiled.
"I've never heard you speak so highly of someone before. You didn't even give me such a good evaluation when we first met, did you?"
White Edith recalled the first time she met Julian.
Before entering the Thirteenth Cinema Circle of Hell, White Edith was a genuine heiress. totaling In tens today of' billionss. terms She, had she lived belonged a to life the of wealthy luxury second and generation privilege; since her childhood father, was never the needing CEO to of worry Sun about Real her Estate livelihood,. a In renowned the domestic minds real of estate the company Chinese with people assets, the wealthy second generation is often equated with arrogance and aggression, but White Edith was not like that. She kept a low profile and didn't like to flaunt her wealth. Her biggest dream was to become a movie star. Her father, concerned about the depths of the entertainment industry, repeatedly discouraged her from pursuing this path and instead hoped she would study abroad. However, White Edith was determined; she could