Translator: CinderTL
"Don't scatter," Jiang Cheng glanced back at Yu Yu and reminded her, "Don't point the flashlight at anyone. Watch your head and your feet."
Yu Yu felt a pang of fear upon hearing this. She understood the warning about her feet, but her head? After some thought, she decided against asking.
It didn't feel like the right place or time to ask questions.
If this man said it, there must be a reason.
Yu Yu trusted Jiang Cheng. There was something uniquely compelling about him that made her feel inexplicably secure.
His decision to go against the majority and rescue the trapped Huai Yi and Du Feng only reinforced her belief that she hadn't misjudged him.
Jiang Cheng, focused on searching, didn't notice the whirlwind of thoughts in the girl behind him. He kept glancing around, including above.
Standing in the morgue, it was impossible not to feel fear.
Fortunately, Jiang Cheng had used a heavy mortuary bed to block the Gate when they entered. This not only allowed some light from the corridor to seep in but also ensured they wouldn't be trapped in the morgue in case of an emergency.
"Found it!" Cao Yang suddenly exclaimed from the other side.
His voice wasn't loud, but the excitement in his tone was unmistakable.
Jiang Cheng quickly walked over, with Yu Yu closely following behind.
The light from her phone kept scanning the surroundings, showing that Yu Yu was also worried about what might be lurking in the darkness.
Each mortuary cabinet had a number and a stainless steel handle, resembling an oversized, square drawer.
Jiang Cheng saw the name "Zhang Zhaowei" written on it.
It was handwritten in blue-black ink, with sharp and stern strokes that matched the current atmosphere.
Cao Yang was cautious and didn't rashly pull open the drawer.
Before opening it, the three of them carefully inspected their surroundings.
Finding nothing amiss, Jiang Cheng took a deep breath, grabbed the handle, and slowly pulled it open.
The stainless steel handle was icy cold. Cao Yang and Yu Yu's eyes were fixed on the mortuary cabinet.
The drawer-like slab slowly slid open, releasing a wave of cold air that instantly dropped the temperature by several degrees.
A body covered with a white sheet appeared before the three of them.
The outline of a person was visible beneath the sheet.
Without hesitation, Jiang Cheng reached out and lifted the sheet.
But the next moment, what they saw left them utterly shocked.
In her panic, Yu Yu's hand trembled, nearly dropping her phone.
Lying quietly in the mortuary cabinet was an old man. His face was gaunt, but his expression was peaceful, with no visible injuries.
The eerie part was... they had seen this old man just over ten minutes ago!
The old man had told Jiang Cheng an unbelievable story.
So, this was Zhang Zhaowei!
As Jiang Cheng calmed down, his scattered thoughts suddenly connected. The Former Dean, Zhang Zhaowei, had passed away two months ago, and the story the old man had told about the resurrected corpse had also happened around that time.
This was his own story! The resurrected corpse was Zhang Zhaowei! It was the old man right in front of them.
"Don't be afraid," Jiang Cheng reassured Cao Yang and Yu Yu. "The old man likely means no harm. Otherwise, we juniors wouldn't have made it this far without trouble."
Although these words were spoken, they were meant for the Ghost. Jiang Cheng wasn't sure if the corpse would open its eyes the next second, then grin eerily and say to them, "What took you so long?"
But since they were already here, they couldn't leave empty-handed.
Jiang Cheng took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it skillfully, and placed it beside the old man's body, with the lit end facing outward.
He looked at the old man's face, then raised his head, his expression sorrowful as he said to Cao Yang and Yu Yu, "The old man was a man of noble character and integrity, a true role model for our generation. Now, let us bow in respect to the esteemed elder."
Hearing this, Cao Yang and Yu Yu immediately understood. Without any hesitation, they performed three standard bows toward the corpse.
However, after the final bow, Yu Yu raised his head and suddenly noticed that the spot beside him was empty—Jiang Cheng had disappeared.
"Thud!"
"Thud!"
"Thud!"
Cao Yang, standing opposite, widened his eyes in shock as he saw Jiang Cheng kneeling respectfully on the ground, kowtowing three times to the corpse.
After standing up, Jiang Cheng's eyes were filled with grief, his eyelids red.
Cao Yang swallowed hard, thinking to himself that anyone who didn't know better would assume Jiang Cheng was the old man's own grandson.
"This—"
Yu Yu's voice interrupted Cao Yang's thoughts. Yu Yu was covering his mouth, his gaze fixed on a particular spot.
Following Yu Yu's line of sight, Cao Yang was also startled.
The cigarette Jiang Cheng had lit earlier had burned out completely, leaving only the faintest ember, as if someone had taken a deep drag and finished it in one go.
Seeing this, Cao Yang immediately knelt down and kowtowed three times to the old man with utmost reverence.
Yu Yu, not wanting to fall behind, did the same.
For some reason, after kowtowing, Cao Yang felt a sense of relief, as if the chilling presence that had been lingering around him had dissipated somewhat.
What followed was much simpler. Jiang Cheng quickly examined the old man's body.
"No obvious injuries," Jiang Cheng said as he covered the old man's face with a white cloth and slowly pushed the body back into the Mortuary cabinet. "It seems to be a natural death."
Everyone understood that Jiang Cheng's definition of "natural death" meant it had nothing to do with the Ghost.
From the outcome, it appeared that the Former Dean, Zhang Zhaowei, had not been involved in the atrocities of Ward 624. Otherwise, the Ghost would not have spared him.
What he had done was cover up the truth after the incident and find a good home for Xiang Nan's daughter, Zhao Ru.
He had made mistakes, but to label him as a complete villain would be unfair.
Before leaving, Jiang Cheng seemed to suddenly remember something. He turned around and pulled open another Mortuary cabinet next to Zhang Zhaowei's.
Inside was another old man, slightly plump and not very tall.
It was the same short, stout old man who had been playing cards with Zhang Zhaowei earlier, the one who had lost and ended up with his face covered in paper strips.
Recalling what Zhang Zhaowei had said—that he was a regular at this hospital and was fortunate to have a few old friends to keep him company—it seemed the corpses in the nearby Mortuary cabinets had quite good neighborly relations.
They quickly left the Morgue, and only after the iron Gate of the Morgue was closed did their tense emotions ease slightly.
Thankfully, nothing had gone wrong.
Cao Yang looked at Jiang Cheng with admiration, genuinely believing that those kowtows had played a crucial role.
"Let's go," Jiang Cheng said, leading the two of them swiftly toward the elevator. Fortunately, the elevator was still on the basement level and hadn't left.
But just as the elevator button was pressed, a few seconds later, everyone sensed something was wrong.
The elevator Gate did not open.
"What's going on?" Cao Yang, tense, pressed the button a few more times, but the elevator Gate seemed welded shut, not budging an inch.
At the same time, a strange scraping sound came from the end of the corridor, like a large drawer being slowly pulled open.
Not just one. Yu Yu's pupils suddenly constricted—that was the direction of the Morgue!
(End of the Chapter)
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