"I racked my brains, being extremely cautious, trying to open the car door and jump out to escape. I was terrified the driver would realize I'd noticed something was wrong with him…

"I pretended I didn't know the driver was a ghost, heart pounding as I tried to escape. I kept thinking that as long as I jumped out and ran away before he noticed, I'd be fine…

"I did it! The ghost driver in front didn't notice my actions. I showed no fear, still pretending I didn't know he was a ghost.

"But it all fell apart just as I was about to succeed!"

What's that idiom for failing just when you're about to succeed? To fall at the last hurdle? Yes, to fall at the last hurdle!

Just as Gu Mian opened his mouth to speak, Zhuifeng Shaonian abruptly turned his head to look at him.

He hadn't dared to move earlier, but Gu Mian's voice seemed to give him courage. His stiff neck, as if coming back to life, suddenly twisted towards Gu Mian beside him.

Of course, he didn't dare look directly at the driver in front, but he managed to sneak a peek while turning his head.

That single glance was enough to scare him out of his wits.

He saw the driver's head lolling, almost completely detached, its face turned towards him at a grotesque angle.

What terrified him most were its eyes, bulging as if about to pop out. Zhuifeng felt like that head would lunge over and bite him at any second.

"What do I do? What do I do! He's noticed! We have to run, run together!"

Thinking this, he shot a desperate glance at the player beside him.

But to his horror, this player made an even more terrifying move.

This person, who looked like a doctor, had somehow picked up his guitar case. He'd unzipped it a crack, and his hand, already inside, was slowly pulling something out. His expression was chillingly sinister.

Zhuifeng stared.

A menacing chainsaw was slowly being drawn out.

Not a guitar. A chainsaw.

The Doctor's expression was calm, almost serene.

This was definitely not the expression a normal person would have after seeing a driver with a broken neck!

Zhuifeng's mind went blank. Then, as if a horrifying realization struck him, his entire body began to tremble violently.

"I get it now!" he shrieked. "You're all ghosts!"

That Doctor must have realized I was about to escape, so he made a sound to warn the driver! They're in cahoots!

Just then, he saw the Doctor beside him slowly turning that grotesque head of his.

The streetlight outside cast an eerie glow on the Doctor's face, making it look deathly pale.

"No! Stay away!"

Zhuifeng screamed and threw himself against the car door beside him.

The lock was already undone. He burst out easily, crashing onto the cold asphalt. His whole body ached as if it had been smashed to pieces.

But he didn't dare linger.

He'd seen the Doctor starting to lean towards him.

"Run!"

Zhuifeng Shaonian didn't hesitate for a split second. He scrambled up from the road and ran for his life.

At the same time, he heard a noise from the driver's seat.

The driver must have opened his door! He's coming to chase me!

The cold wind whipped his face. He gasped for the biting air, his teeth aching from the chill.

He desperately lengthened his strides. His legs protested with pain, but he couldn't afford to care.

The sound of footsteps chasing him echoed from behind.

I have to run faster!

True to his name, Zhuifeng Shaonian—who had poured all his Attribute Points into speed—ran considerably faster than an average person.

Especially now, running for dear life.

Soon, the sounds of pursuit grew distant, replaced by the howling night wind. He didn't know how long he ran, perhaps a city block, before the sounds behind him finally vanished.

Realizing the sounds behind him were gone, Zhuifeng finally caught his breath.

This moment of relaxation made him realize how much stamina he'd lost; he felt like he couldn't run much longer.

But Zhuifeng didn't stop. He merely slowed his pace and glanced back.

What he saw made his eyes widen in utter disbelief.

The driver, his head almost entirely off, was still running towards him, though now about half a block distant.

And behind that driver...

A Doctor, gripping a menacing chainsaw, his white lab coat spattered with blood, was relentlessly chasing the driver.

Zhuifeng stared, wide-eyed, at the Doctor chasing the driver.

The Doctor was chasing the ghost with all his might, his mouth opening and closing. Faintly, Zhuifeng thought he heard words coming from the Doctor's mouth, "Don't run! Come back and drive!"

Good heavens!

Seeing this, Zhuifeng bolted again, forgetting his exhaustion, and sprinted desperately in the opposite direction.

He ran for what felt like an eternity. Only when he looked back and saw those two were finally out of sight did he stop, letting out a sigh of relief.

This city was very strange, as if no living soul resided here. The howling north wind made his head throb.

He was still far from the city center. Strips of greenery on both sides of the road swayed gently in the wind. Beyond them lay a dense darkness, as if something lurked within.

Zhuifeng shivered violently, then spotted a phone booth not far ahead.

A wave of joy washed over him as he immediately ran towards it and slipped inside.

Inside the phone booth, the whistling wind was gone; it was relatively warmer.

He took a moment in the phone booth to calm his frayed nerves.

That man sitting next to me... he didn't seem like a ghost...

Zhuifeng recalled the Doctor chasing the driver. But he didn't seem like a player either... What kind of player chases a ghost like they're collecting a debt? Could he be an NPC? Zhuifeng Shaonian muttered to himself. Yes, his nickname was green; it's highly possible he's a special NPC!

Realizing this, he felt a wave of relief. That's right! If the driver and the other passenger were both ghosts, how could we players possibly survive?

Muttering to himself, he looked at the telephone in front of him.

The telephone in the booth looked like any ordinary one, complete with a dial pad.

"I really don't get why this phone needs a dial pad. We're not calling anyone; we just need to call for a cab," Zhuifeng said, picking up the receiver.

He hesitated for a long moment before his trembling hand reached out and pressed the green call-a-cab button in the bottom-left corner.

To get out of this instance, you either complete the mission or die... I can't just wait here doing nothing. I should call another cab and see...

He pressed the receiver to his ear. A "DOO DOO" sound came from it.

The sound hadn't lasted long before someone answered.

It was a middle-aged man's voice, sounding perfectly normal, "Hello?"

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