This time, as Li Zhi and Chi Yi entered the passage, they both slowed their steps.
The photo wall, shaped like a heart, hadn’t changed. Among the colorful photos were some black-and-white ones, and the interplay of light and shadow created a certain harmony between the contrasts.
However, no matter how slow they walked, it only bought them a few more seconds, quickly passing by. Not far ahead, the pink carriage had already descended to the ground.
But in those few seconds, Li Zhi had confirmed something.
The staff watched them enter the carriage without a word, smiling as they closed the door for them.
Chi Yi instinctively grabbed Li Zhi’s arm, worried she might be thrown out again.
But this time, the Ferris wheel’s rotation didn’t speed up. Sitting on the cold bench, Li Zhi became even more certain of her thoughts.
After going through several scenarios, Chi Yi’s observation and reasoning skills had clearly improved a lot. She actively analyzed the situation with Li Zhi: “Zhi Zhi, did you notice? The reference points in the backgrounds of the black-and-white photos on the photo wall are different from those in the color photos.”
When the Ferris wheel reached its highest point, another amusement ride, the drop tower, stood in front of them on the right. The ghostly man who had taken their picture before had also appeared from that direction. They had posed facing the drop tower, with the night sky and the Ferris wheel’s structure in the background.
But Chi Yi noticed that in the black-and-white photos, the drop tower was visible in the background.
Because the photos were black and white, the twinkling lights had disappeared, and the drop tower stood in the dark, barely noticeable unless you paid attention.
So, those black-and-white photos were taken with their backs to the drop tower.
Someone had appeared on the other side of the carriage to snap those black-and-white photos.
One photo was taken facing the drop tower in color, and the other with their backs to it in black and white. What did these two types of photos signify?
The death conditions of the Ferris wheel were hidden within the act of taking photos. The second round had sped up, so there was no reason for the third round to slow down unless the death conditions were more deeply concealed this time.
In the first and second rounds, the method of survival involved taking pictures. So, in the third round, if someone appeared to take pictures again at the high point, would the players refuse? When players couldn’t determine if taking or refusing the photo was the death condition, it would be nearly impossible to make the right choice in the critical two or three seconds at the highest point.
Li Zhi looked at the approaching peak. “This time, we can’t let them take our picture.”
Chi Yi nodded repeatedly. “I think so too!”
The Ferris wheel slowly turned, and the drop tower in the distance glowed in the night. Soon, their carriage reached the highest point, shook slightly, and came to a halt.
No one knocked, but the door opened automatically.
It was the same middle-aged male ghost from the first two rounds, holding a camera and floating outside. He smiled and said, “Let’s get ready to take a picture.”
After saying this, his face drooped when he saw what was happening inside the carriage. He slowly lowered the camera, staring at the two people inside who were hugging their heads, burying their faces in their knees. His voice grew cold as he muttered, “Love must be captured at its most perfect moment to last forever. If you don’t take a picture, you’ll never be happy.”
Neither of them responded.
Chi Yi silently thought, “To hell with you! Go be happy with your broken camera!”
The ghost waited outside for a while, realizing the two inside were unmoved. A flicker of frustration crossed his resentful eyes. Soon after, the door silently closed, and the Ferris wheel began moving again.
Chi Yi let out a sigh of relief and was about to raise her head when Li Zhi’s muffled voice came from across. “Don’t lift your head yet. What if it’s still there? At this angle, it could still take our picture.”
Hearing this, Chi Yi quickly remained in her position, continuing to lay low.
Li Zhi mentally counted the time and finally straightened up just before they reached the ground. “We’re good now.”
Chi Yi took a couple of deep breaths, then sat up, patting her chest. “These death conditions are impossible to predict. The system is really playing mind games with us. Good thing I’ve got more tricks than it does!”
Li Zhi chuckled.
As the carriage reached the ground, the door automatically opened, and they both jumped out. The staff member beside them no longer wore the sweet smile from earlier.
Chi Yi strutted over. “Hand over the reward.”
The staff handed her a pink box. “Congratulations on completing the third round of the Happy Ferris Wheel challenge. Here’s your reward.”
Though they spoke of congratulations, there wasn’t a trace of joy on their face, and their eyes were cold, staring at the two of them as if they owed millions.
Chi Yi took the clue box and cheerfully linked her arm with Li Zhi’s. “Thank you! We’ll be happy forever. Goodbye.”
Staff: “…”
Once they walked out, the three people waiting outside rushed up to them.
Owen Dong couldn’t help but exclaim, “I knew you guys could beat it! You’re amazing!”
No wonder everyone liked sticking with the pros. Besides the popularity factor, being around them made you feel incredibly safe!
Chi Yi opened the box in her hand. The clues from all three rounds were images, and this time, the card showed a thin red string.
“It’s a red string!” You Jingmeng said excitedly. “That’s from the childbirth ghost! I remember reading on the Hundred Ghost Wall that the childbirth ghost has a red string around its neck called the ‘Blood Bait.’ It uses that string to crawl into pregnant women’s bodies!”
With this third clue, they could eliminate the blood-stained ghost from suspicion.
Owen Dong was also excited. “So, which attraction should we go to next?”
He was almost too eager to wait!
Li Zhi watched the card in her hand turn to ashes. “It should be time for the second round of voting soon. Let’s head back to the verification center first.”
She thought for a moment and added, “For this round, let’s vote for the childbirth ghost. I need to go back to the carousel to confirm the correct answers for those three clues.”
Mentioning this brought a weight to their previously excited mood.
When they returned to the verification center and saw Han Wenlin and Wei Xiao, they weren’t sure how to face them.
The group of five started walking toward the verification center. You Jingmeng asked in a low voice, “Big Sister Zhi, how can we give Cheng Jiayue the correct answer without letting the other two know?”
Li Zhi said, “If Han Wenlin asks, just say we haven’t been to the carousel yet. We can give them the childbirth ghost answer first.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Taking the same path back, they left earlier this time. When they arrived at the amusement park square near the verification center, the other players hadn’t returned yet. The small square looked lively and no longer had the eerie atmosphere of the underworld. It was filled with the playful charm of a proper amusement park.
An NPC on a unicycle pedaled around while tossing oranges, performing circles around a few people. After getting cheers from Chi Yi and You Jingmeng, they left, satisfied. Several mascot characters were happily walking around the square, and there was even an NPC performing a fire-breathing act nearby.
Li Zhi smiled as she stood in place, watching the scene for a moment. Then, an NPC dressed in a koala mascot suit approached her.
In their hand, they held a bunch of colorful balloons. The pretty balloons floated together in the air, looking exceptionally romantic.
Li Zhi shifted her gaze from the fire-breathing performer to the clumsy koala approaching her. The mascot suit was so thick that the NPC wobbled with every step, radiating an adorable clumsiness.
When the koala reached her, a fuzzy paw extended part of a finger. From the bundle of balloons, they carefully picked out one shaped like a flower, holding the string delicately.
The pink flower-shaped balloon floated in the air as the koala held the bunch of romantic balloons in their right hand and handed the flower balloon to Li Zhi with their left.
Li Zhi lowered her head and saw a furry bear paw resting on a distinct, slender hand, the thin balloon string held between the fingers.
She couldn’t help but chuckle, looking up with a smile. “Is this for me?”
The koala nodded and extended the hand holding the balloon a little closer, as if saying, Take it.
Li Zhi reached out and took the balloon from him.
The koala grasped the rest of the balloons again, turned to leave, but Li Zhi called out, “Li Jianxi.”
The bear clearly froze, half-turning to look at her, as if stunned that he had been recognized.
Li Zhi’s eyes crinkled with amusement. “Why aren’t you dressed as a ghost anymore?”
After a moment, a muffled voice came from beneath the costume. “They said I wasn’t convincing enough, so they gave me another job.”
Li Zhi almost burst out laughing.
He was already tall, and the costume made him even taller. Li Zhi had to look up to see him.
Smiling, she raised her hand in front of her. The koala hesitated for a moment, then slowly bent down, bringing his furry head to her palm, offering it for a pat.
Li Zhi, satisfied, patted the bear’s head.
As expected, the fluffy fur felt incredibly soft.
Suddenly, the silent amusement park was bathed in red light. The entire park was engulfed in a crimson glow. The soft, furry koala disappeared from in front of her, vanishing into thin air.
At the same time, all the mascots and performing NPCs in the plaza disappeared as well.
Li Zhi’s outstretched fingers trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.
Never had she been more acutely aware of Li Jianxi’s identity as an NPC in this instance.
The night wind brushed past her empty fingertips. Li Zhi slowly lowered her hand and turned her head to glance at the balloon floating beside her. The string was still in her hand, it hadn’t disappeared. Her gaze softened again.
As the red light glowed, players from the second round began returning to the verification center one after another.
Seeing the balloon in Li Zhi’s hand, several people couldn’t help but glance at it curiously.
Owen Dong, always smug, couldn’t resist boasting, “Bet you didn’t expect that—our Sister Zhi has someone in the instance!”
Chi Yi kicked him.
When Pei Hongyu’s team returned, Li Zhi noticed that their group of five had been reduced to four. Another teammate had died. The “Perfect Couple” team, on the other hand, still had all five members.
Once all the players were gathered, the black door at the verification center opened again, and this time, Li Zhi was the first to step inside.
She wrapped the balloon string around her wrist a few times, keeping it close to her shoulder to avoid any collisions. Walking into the verification room, she passed through a short corridor and arrived once again in front of the Hundred Ghost Wall.
Li Zhi first looked for the Childbirth Ghost on the wall, and just as You Jingmeng had said, the description matched all three clues. The correct answer was indeed the childbirth ghost.
With some time left, she continued searching among the other ghosts.
The carousel clues—companionship, soul-capture, purple—the first two clearly pointed to the Black and White Impermanence, but the third clue completely ruled them out.
Finally, Li Zhi found the correct answer on the Hundred Ghost Wall: the Soul-Capturing Ghost.
The Soul-Capturing Ghost often appears in pairs and prefers to wear purple. Like the Black and White Impermanence, they can capture souls in the mortal world. The only difference is that Black and White Impermanence are official employees of the underworld, while Soul-Capturing Ghosts are unemployed vagabonds who compete with them for jobs.
Han Wenlin and Wei Xiao were killed by these unemployed vagabonds.