Chapter 104
The fingers were long and slender, the kind of hands that would be perfect for playing the plano in fans‘ opinions.
Winnie looked up, meeting Kane’s gaze.
His eyes sparkled with an intensity that was disarming and drew you in, “Looking forward to working with you.”
Winnie extended her hand in a swift motion, their hands briefly touching before parting.
Candace, standing nearby, noticed the exchange with curiosity. “What happened? A handshake outta nowhere? Count me in!”
She reached out and grabbed Winnie’s hand with a firm shake. “I’m Candace. You’re Winnie Bryant, right? I’ll just call you Winnie!”
Winnie wasn’t put off by the enthusiasm and put on a polite smile in return. Gentry then joined in, not to greet Winnie, but to address Candace.
“Hello, I’m Gentry.”
“Oh, nice to meet you, too,” Candace said with a smile, then turned to Mervin, “And you?”
Mervin was still caught up in the emotion of the moment, a seriousness etched on his face. He knew he had to collect himself for the show.
“I’m the nineteenth disciple of the Breeze Monastery, Mervin.”
The room was in silence.
The audience in front of the livestream chuckled.
“This guy gave off the vibe of an old–school sage.”
Someone in the chat said, “Old–school? He turns out to be a legit spiritual practitioner. I thought his social media introduction was just for show.”
“Let’s be real here, Mervin is kinda hot.”
“However, he’s an abstinent man!”
“You guys don’t think contemporary spiritual practitioners are like monks, do you?”
“That other girl is stunning, why didn’t she introduce herself?”
“Didn’t you hear? That’s Winnie, Emerald Bay’s top one in SAT, personally chosen for the Supernatural Department.”
“Anything else?”
“Nope, that’s it.”
Chapter 104
As everyone got acquainted, the show’s host finally stepped forward.
“Hello, everyone, I’m Ned, your host for Ghostly Guidance. I’ll be leading you on our adventure. The whole event will be live–streamed. Once we reach our destination, each participant will have their stream. Viewers, you are able to choose who to follow based on your preferences. Now, let’s head over to our haunted estate for this episode.”
As Ned finished speaking, the group picked up their luggage and moved forward.
The location was on the edge of an old district, where wealthy families used to settle, resulting in a view dotted with private villas.
Their destination was a notorious haunted house, the same one Baily had previously scoped
out.
The house was a two–story structure with a courtyard, not particularly old in style, but evidently long uninhabited, giving off an aura of desolation.
“This mansion was built twenty years ago by a wealthy merchant as a retreat,” the host explained, lowering his voice for effect. “Since then, it’s changed five times, and each owner has experienced accidents, with residents either getting hurt or worse…
Ned was building a mysterious atmosphere.
“Our guests‘ task is to stay in this house for the duration of three days to uncover the stories behind these walls. Successful participants will earn rewards.”
As the host finished, the guests showed mixed expressions, with Candace being the most expressive.
“So has this place not been lived in for ages? Has it been cleaned? It looks super creepy from the outside.”
Gentry also looked uneasy, “Does staying three days mean we can’t leave the house at all?”
Naylor added, “The place looks big. Will there be anyone else staying with us?”
Kane asked, “What are the requirements for the teams?”
Ned replied to each question, “Don’t worry, the place is mostly clean, no spiderwebs for pillows. You can go out, but be back before dark. The house is just for you. Staff will be around but won’t stay with you. Teams are pairs, making three teams total, and you are free to choose your partners.”
After Ned’s explanation, Mervin, who had been silent, stepped forward, “I’ll team up with Naylor.”
Everyone instinctively looked at Mervin. They knew despite the smooth–over earlier, there was tension.
First to decline teaming up with Naylor for the show, Mervin now volunteered to pair with him. Nobody believed there wasn’t a reason.
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