Chapter 77: The Shadow Ghost – Finale (Part 1)
At the entrance of the high-speed rail station, Jiang Si watched as a man dressed in high-end brands and wearing sunglasses approached. He wasn’t carrying a suitcase but what looked like a luxury brand promotional product, drawing side-glances from the crowd all along the way.
“Old Jiang—” Wang Zhao lifted his sunglasses and opened his arms wide for a brotherly hug, but Jiang Si rejected him without hesitation.
His feet were clad in a pair of flashy pink running shoes, which were particularly eye-catching. Jiang Si looked him up and down, starting from his feet and finally settling on his neon pink hair. He offered a polite and sincere greeting for this change.
“Are you sure you just came out from the mountains?!”
“What do you think? Cool, right?!” Wang Zhao toyed with his hair vanity. “Filming in the mountains made me almost forget I’m a trendy guy. I specifically went to get my hair done before coming here. A new hairstyle for a new mood.”
“It’s certainly ‘damp’, I think I’m getting rheumatism just looking at you.” Jiang Si was long used to his occasional erratic behavior.
Wang Zhao, a poor worker in the entertainment industry’s vanity fair, spent the year swinging between extreme trendiness and extreme tackiness. He was either following a director into the deep mountains to film until he couldn’t see the light of day, or running to film festivals to serve as a foil for fashion trendsetters.
Not only was his body tormented by directors and investors, but his spirit was also constantly stimulated. Facing such a huge wealth gap, it was inevitable that his mental state would become abnormal over time.
“Heh.” Wang Zhao was in an exceptionally good mood. He draped an arm over Jiang Si’s shoulder as they walked out together. “That’s just one reason. The other reason is you.”
“What about me?!”
“Don’t be modest. I truly didn’t see it before—you actually had this skill. I’ve watched all the videos you sent. The effect is exceptionally good; even in broad daylight, it gave me chills. No sound effects or special effects are needed—we’ll just go for a raw and original release, and easily capture those judges.” The more Wang Zhao spoke, the more excited he became. He couldn’t help but apply more force, slapping Jiang Si’s shoulder twice.
“Old Jiang! I can already imagine the grand scene of us winning a big award, going viral across the internet, and going international! Look ahead—” Wang Zhao pointed at the reflective floor. “This is the red carpet we’ll be walking on together in the future.”
Jiang Si’s lip twitched. He made the man look at the time. “It’s only eleven in the morning. It’s not time for bed yet.”
“I’m not dreaming.” Wang Zhao smacked his lips. “Do you know? Director Zhang actually saw it too and slapped his thigh, regretting that he couldn’t collaborate with you. Speaking of which, how did you film this? That part where the female lead was running for her life from the building—it made my skin crawl. I was actually completely drawn in. I didn’t know you could handle a camera besides painting.”
“It’s because the actors were well-chosen.” Jiang Si’s understanding of this was quite clear. The film’s length was too short; being able to finish the story was already good enough. There was no need for any flashy shots or transitions; it was all standard filming techniques.
Wang Zhao recalled for a moment. “True, the actors are indeed good. Where did you find them? They’re very talented.”
Jiang Si gave him a silent look and curled his finger. “Come closer, I’ll tell you.”
“Actually, none of them are human.”
Wang Zhao gasped in disbelief. Jiang Si continued to himself, “It’s right that you felt it was immersive. After all, it wasn’t humans acting; it had the blessing of Yin energy.”
After Jiang Si finished speaking, he thought the man would be quiet for a bit. Unexpectedly, just after getting into the car, Wang Zhao regained his composure, slapped the steering wheel, and was eager to try. “Jiang, from today on, you are the person I admire most. So smart! What a unique path! We deserve to be viral!”
“…You’re not afraid?!”
“Afraid of what? We’re all colleagues.” Wang Zhao gave a weird chuckle and rubbed his hands together like a fly. “Anyway, they won’t harm me, and they can help us win awards. Forget about collaborating—I’ll even call them ‘Daddy’ if I have to.”
Jiang Si laughed and pushed the man’s interfering hand away, scolding him playfully, “Try calling me ‘Dad’ first.”
Wang Zhao said shamelessly, “Dad, when are we filming the next one?! I’ve already got the script ready!”
“We’ll see about the timing.” Jiang Si started the car and drove straight out of the parking lot. This stretch of road was a bit congested, so it was stop-and-go. “I’ve been a bit busy lately. And there’s a very important thing I haven’t told you.”
“We’re a bit short on the venue fees for the next shoot. We need to find a way to raise some money.”
Wang Zhao had plenty of experience following film crews, but he had never worried about funding. He had previously collaborated with well-known directors, where investors were begging to invest, let alone a situation where they didn’t even have venue fees. He instantly wilted and said hesitantly, “I still have some savings. How about I take them to help with the emergency?!”
“How much do you have?”
“I just bought a house last year, so there isn’t much left, but I have a few dozen thousand.” Hardly had Wang Zhao finished speaking when the car suddenly braked. His body crashed hard into the seat back, and his sunglasses fell off.
“Are you saying it’s too little?!”
“No.” Jiang Si praised, “I remember you still have a mortgage to pay every month. Being able to have savings like that is already great.”
As he spoke, he took advantage of a red light to answer a phone call. It was from the caregiver at the hospital, saying that Mrs. Shi had woken up before her husband.
Jiang Si accepted her request for a meeting. After hanging up, he said to Wang Zhao, who had curiosity written all over his face, “I’m going to see someone. She is very rich.”
This one sentence hooked Wang Zhao’s curiosity to the maximum; his eyes practically lit up. “Who?! Do I know her? Is she an investor you know?!”
“Perhaps.” Jiang Si turned the car around and drove as fast as the wind to the hospital.
The matter of the Infant Head Gu, triggered by Shi Danxing’s infidelity, being hidden in the figurine and unknowingly crawling into the Shi couple’s bodies was now known by Mrs. Shi’s family. During this time, they had been taking care of Mrs. Shi while planning how to divorce Shi Danxing and get the maximum marital property.
Unfortunately, both Shi Danxing and his wife had been in a coma, so the divorce had been delayed for over half a month.
During this period, Jiang Si had only heard bits and pieces about the situation. It was only when he truly arrived at the hospital that he understood what Shen Hu’s words—”Shi Danxing reached his current position entirely thanks to his father-in-law’s support”—meant.
To let Mrs. Shi rest peacefully, they had cleared out an entire building of the private hospital she was staying in. From the main gate, there were bodyguards every three steps, forcibly isolating the noise of the outside world from the silence within the building.
When the two of them approached, they had to be questioned about their identities before being allowed in. Jiang Si only made a mental note of this, but Wang Zhao said it out loud: “Holy… this is too extravagant! Clearing out an entire building in a hospital—how much money must they have?!”
“…The house you bought was built by her family.” Jiang Si remembered that Mrs. Shi’s surname seemed to be Fu. They were world-renowned real estate developers, and her father had once served as the richest person in the province for several consecutive years.
Wang Zhao nearly bit his tongue. “What did you say?!”
Seeing the elevator reach the target floor, Jiang Si said, “Shocking, right? I was quite shocked too.”
At the ward door, Jiang Si wasn’t sure how Mrs. Shi’s recovery was going. Fearing she might have a stress response to seeing a stranger, he had Wang Zhao wait at the door for a bit while he went in alone.
The empty ward contained only Mrs. Shi. Her hair had been shaved clean, and she wore a red hat to cover her head. She also wore a mask on her face and light hospital pajamas. It looked like clothing made of a special material; the parts reflecting the light looked exceptionally silky and soft.
Above the mask was a pair of eyes that were both reddish and spirited, looking much better than in Jiang Si’s memory.
“Mr. Jiang,” she said politely. Her voice was as coarse as if it contained sand, but it didn’t prevent people from understanding her.
“I know what happened. Thank you for saving me.”
As she spoke, the muscles in her face moved, and the scar at her Yintang trembled as well. Jiang Si stared for a while and said casually, “It was your own destiny that protected you. Otherwise, even the Great Luo Immortals wouldn’t have been able to save you.”
“No matter what, I still want to thank you.” Mrs. Shi’s eyes crinkled with a weak smile. “But I truly didn’t expect the famous Mr. Jiang to be so young. You are far too modest.”
“It was you who saved me; I will repay you in a bit. I have nothing else to offer, so after thinking it over, I felt it would be better to thank you in person. Please forgive me—due to my physical condition, I couldn’t visit you personally, and had to trouble you to come here.”
“It’s fine.” Jiang Si walked over. “Please stretch out your hand; I want to check again.”
Although Mrs. Shi didn’t know why, she trustingly handed over her hand. The sleeve of her arm slid down, revealing an arm wrapped tightly in gauze. Seeing this, she said a bit embarrassedly, “This is a bit too much gauze.”
Jiang Si lightly held her fingertips, lowering his gaze and focusing for a moment. “Congratulations. Your misfortune has reached its end and good luck is coming. As long as you follow through with what you plan to do, your destiny will eventually be set right.”
“Thank you.” A pale smile flickered in Mrs. Shi’s eyes. “My surname is Fu, and my given name is Rui. You can call me by my name or call me ‘Sister’.”
Jiang Si nodded and took a step back. “Since you’ve woken up, may I ask a few things?! Who exactly is that ‘Master Wei’ that Shi Danxing contacted? Have you seen him? And is the rumor about the Suihou Pearl in his body true or false?!”
Fu Rui locked her brows in deep thought for a moment and then pressed the intercom. After a few crackles of static, she instructed, “Bring my phone up.”
The bodyguard complied, and the call was disconnected. Fu Rui explained her action: “My family didn’t really want me to see my current appearance, so they took away all the reflective objects I could touch. I also happened to want to be alone for a bit, so I gave my phone to the bodyguard to keep.”
“Technology is very advanced now. You don’t need to be too anxious; the future will surely be better.”
Fu Rui said with some self-deprecation, “I’m already in my forties, yet I haven’t lived as clearly as you. Previously, when I married Shi Danxing, he was the only one in my world, and gradually my horizons narrowed. My heart and eyes were full of him. Having walked through the gates of hell once, I suddenly realized this world is actually so vast.”
After a wait, the bodyguard knocked and entered, handing over the phone. Fu Rui searched through her photo album for a moment and pointed it out for Jiang Si to see. “It’s this man. Master Wei was someone Shi Danxing met by chance, and later Shi Danxing brought him home to check the Feng Shui. At the time, I felt his aura was very bad, so I just said a few words and left. The photo was accidentally taken when I was photographing flowers in the conservatory that day—I only later discovered that Master Wei had been caught in the shot.”
“Tsk.” The photo was enlarged. The man’s face wasn’t very clear, but Jiang Si recognized him at a glance as an old acquaintance.
He thought the title sounded familiar. It turned out to be that fake master who had fooled Director Zhang at Yanming Mountain!
At the time, Xu Lanyue’s remains had just been found. The police were focused on the guesthouse owner who had committed the murder. By the time they thought of this fraudulent “master,” they found he had already run off.
Now, he had reappeared in Rong City.
Jiang Si rubbed the tip of his nose and asked, “Can you send me a copy of the photo?! I have another use for it.”
“Of course.” Fu Rui sent the photo to him. She then went on to talk about the Suihou Pearl in Shi Danxing’s body.
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