.

.

"Such a disgrace!"

In the STAFF Resting Room, a loud noise suddenly erupted.

A huge dent and fist imprint appeared on the locker, even piercing through it, leaving a deep mark on the wall.

The red-eyed young man hadn't even had time to take off his leather suit as he roared in anger, "I'm going to kill her! That damned woman, treating us like Jokers! On the honor of the Earth Dragon Leaders, I will kill her with my own hands!"

As he raged, his face turned crimson red.

Snake scale-like marks appeared on his gaunt face.

At his side, two companions dressed in Nī nī and Lulu cat suits were frantically pulling at his arm. "Hold back, hold back, Hai, it's not time to act yet!"

Hai, becoming even more furious, shouted, "It's bad enough being forced to dress up in this disgraceful manner, but to be humiliated by those inexplicable standards, can you really endure it!"

"Enough, Hai! To what extent do you want to embarrass yourself before you stop!"

From the shadows, an old man puffing on a smoking pipe raised his eyes and looked over. "If you can't even tolerate a mere humiliation, what kind of Ninja are you!"

"I, I..."

Hai, his neck stiff, wanted to retort but, overwhelmed by the old man's authority, could only bow his head in resentment and fall silent.

"The client's request doesn't include killing anyone," the old man in charge of the operation scolded. "Just make sure you retrieve the little girl accompanying them. Don't get it wrong. Also, that woman named Huaizhi Sushi is no easy target. Don't cause unnecessary trouble when the time comes. Zi, are you all prepared?"

A fat woman bowed respectfully. "The Mystic Ritual for 'Encounter the devil' has been laid out. We can act at any moment once they step into the trap."

"Very good. Then all of you go and get ready. Don't make any more mistakes, especially 'Hai', understand!"

Under the old man's stern gaze, Hai meekly lowered his head.

Soon, the Ninjas disappeared silently into the darkness, and the resting room returned to its quiet state, only the broken locker embedded in the wall emitting a faint lament.

.

.

"A Haunted House?"

Huai Shi looked at the eerily foreboding building before her, then turned to Zhenxi at her side. "You want to check this out?"

"Mhm, I've been looking forward to it! It's the kind that's often featured in TV shows, right? It's the kind where staff dress up as ghosts to scare people, isn't it?"

"Sort of..." Huai Shi looked up at the exaggeratedly styled building in front of her and couldn't help shaking her head. "But actual Haunted Houses are nothing like this, with no sense of realism. If you want to see a real haunted house, I could look for one. Yingzhou must have plenty."

"It doesn't matter whether it's real or fake, it's all for fun! Let's go and see!"

After half a day's effort, Zhenxi had managed to hold Miss Huaizhi's hand in a way that didn't look awkward.

"By the way, I'm not scared of ghosts at all. I've never been afraid watching horror movies since I was little, so Miss Huaizhi doesn't need to worry."

"Alright then."

Huai Shi sighed and nodded.

But the closer they got, the more she could sense a strange atmosphere in the air. It wasn't the bizarreness and horror specifically crafted by the Haunted House, but rather an unusual premonition and intuition.

Although she couldn't determine if it was an illusion or a premonition, it made her subconsciously wary.

She gazed at the large doors that were slowly opening before them, her brow furrowed.

"Zhenxi, don't stray too far from me later."

"Okay, okay."

Zhenxi nodded enthusiastically, seizing the opportunity to grab Miss Huaizhi's palm, barely able to hide her excitement. "Don't worry, I'll stick close to Miss Huaizhi!"

Observing Miss Huaizhi's increasingly serious and cautious expression and the tense muscles of her arm, Zhenxi seemed to understand something.

An inexplicable sense of adorable contradiction!

Who would have thought that Miss Huaizhi, who's so formidable, could also be afraid of ghosts?

But if that was the case, the upcoming haunted house experience...

Her eyes suddenly sparkled, a surge of motivation filling her heart.

Go for it, Zhenxi, this is your chance!

She was determined to show her bravery, ready to embrace Miss Huaizhi with sincere warmth and care when she was shaking with fear.

HEH HEH HEH...

The more she thought about it, the stranger her smile became.

The Haunted House, the scarier the better.

Don't be afraid, Miss Huaizhi, I will protect you!