Chapter 5

Fortunately, the East Suburb Park has many secluded paths and towering trees. Chen Yang avoided the crowd and stepped onto one of the paths, enjoying the cool summer night breeze.

"Hey, are you looking for something?"

Scratching the back of his head, Chen Yang asked with a start.

"Shut up, just follow this path slowly."

His right hand suddenly extended several meters and resumed its bizarre shape, appearing even more terrifying in the dark and quiet surroundings.

Chen Yang was already somewhat used to the appearance of his right hand, but at this moment, he couldn't help but feel nervous. This was outside, and if someone saw it, they would surely be frightened to death and scream about a ghost.

So, Chen Yang looked around nervously, deeply afraid that someone might suddenly appear.

His luck was good; apart from the rustling of leaves and the chirping of cicadas, no one else entered this path.

After walking about a hundred meters along the path, his right hand trembled and issued a command: "Go down, get closer to the lake."

The lake?

Chen Yang stopped and looked down. Below the steep slope, the rippling lake surface reflected the bright moonlight.

Why go to the lakeside?

Does it want me to go down and enjoy the scenery?

Chen Yang's body trembled, and his right hand punished him again.

Slowly crouching down, Chen Yang slid down the slope and stopped at the bottom. There were many willow trees here. If it were daytime, hiding under the big trees would surely be a pleasant experience, enjoying the cool breeze from the lake. Unfortunately, there were no facilities by the lake, no chairs to sit on, and one had to endure the mosquito bites in the weeds. No one would be foolish enough to come here to cool off.

Moreover, there was a clear warning sign at the bottom of the slope: No Swimming!

"Alright, jump in."

Just as Chen Yang was brushing off the weeds and dirt from his pants, his right hand suddenly said, making him freeze.

"Jump, jump in? Jump where?"

Looking around, Chen Yang didn't see anywhere he could jump.

"Stupid, of course, into the lake."

"Into the lake?"

Chen Yang was shocked by his right hand's words. Not to mention how deep the lake was, the mere sight of the dark water at night made his heart race. Jumping in would be like committing suicide, right?

Chen Yang decided to protest, to strongly protest, even to issue a serious diplomatic protest. This damn extraterrestrial being didn't understand that jumping into the lake for someone who couldn't swim was a death wish!

But before he could say anything, his right hand, impatient, directly controlled his body, making him stiffen like a zombie and fall backward into the lake with a splash.

"Damn it..."

The cold lake water instantly soaked his clothes. Before losing consciousness, he managed to curse fiercely.

The moonlight seemed even brighter. The ripples caused by the splash quickly subsided, and the lake's surface remained calm and deep as usual...

On the other side of the lake, at the bottom of the slope by the willow trees, two young men, drenched in sweat, were facing the most difficult decision of their lives.

"Brother Liu, are we going to do it?"

The thinner of the two young men wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and looked at Brother Liu.

Brother Liu, standing at 185 cm, was tall and stood out in a crowd. Unfortunately, his height did not match his resolve. He had already taken action but was still hesitating.

Hearing his companion's question, Brother Liu gritted his teeth and whispered, "Of course, why not? Damn it, Monkey, are you backing out?"

Monkey looked miserable. "Brother Liu, I think we shouldn't do it. If we get caught, we could be sentenced to several years in prison."

"Coward!"

Brother Liu grabbed Monkey's collar and scolded, "We've already brought her here. Are you going to send her back now?"

"No, I mean..."

Monkey scratched the back of his head. "We can just leave, right? The woman didn't see us."

"Besides, Brother Liu, even if we do this, the woman is not exactly attractive, right?"

Monkey glanced at the woman lying unconscious in the weeds. Even in the moonlight, he could see that her appearance was...

Monkey thought deeper. If they were caught and put on trial, the public would see her face on TV, and no matter how much they blurred it, it would still look... These two guys must be desperate, right? The public would deeply despise them.

Thinking about it, it would be very embarrassing!

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Brother Liu awkwardly coughed and then angrily slapped Monkey's head. "You still have the nerve to say that. I didn't ask you to choose this kind of woman. Are your eyes on your ass?"

Can I be blamed for this? If anyone is to blame, it's both of us for having our eyes on our asses!

Monkey was indignant but didn't dare to say it out loud, only cursing inwardly.

"Alright, no matter what, even though she's not attractive, she's still of a different gender. You should be grateful. You can go first today."

Brother Liu pushed Monkey.

Monkey tried not to look at the woman's face, took a few steps, and then turned back, wanting to give up. At that moment, there was a splash by the lake.

"Huh, what's happening?"

The sound by the lake didn't escape the two men. Brother Liu frowned and looked at the dark water, muttering, "Strange, I've never heard of such a big fish in this lake."

The sound of movement and splashing was indeed like a large fish.

Monkey suddenly became nervous, his lips trembling. "Brother Liu, something's not right."

"What's not right?"

Brother Liu turned around and whispered, "What the hell are you shaking for? Are you having a seizure?"

"No, no, Brother Liu, have you ever heard of ghosts in the East Suburb Park?"

"Ghosts..."

Brother Liu's face changed slightly, then he sneered. "Ghosts? You still believe in that nonsense? There are no ghosts in this world. If there were, they should come out now and show me what they look like."

As he said this, he saw Monkey's face change dramatically, his pupils dilate, and his body stiffen. Cold sweat instantly poured from his pores, and his face was drenched.

He looked like he had seen a ghost.

Uh, seen a ghost?

Brother Liu's heart shuddered, but he tried to keep his composure. "Monkey, don't scare me like that. If you keep this up, I'll lose my temper."

Monkey remained motionless, staring at something behind Brother Liu, his face filled with terror.

Brother Liu couldn't keep up the act anymore. Or rather, no one could ignore such a reaction from Monkey.

So, in the next moment, Brother Liu turned around sharply and looked fiercely, determined to see what it was.

There was nothing ghostly, at least not the kind of green-faced, fanged ghost he imagined. Instead, it was a hand reaching out of the lake!

Hands are common; every normal, healthy person has them, whether they are fair and delicate or rough and dark. Normally, hands wouldn't scare anyone, but in this scene—

In the dead of night, by the lake, a pale hand emerging from the deep, dark water would seem not just unusual, but eerie!

A chill erupted from the depths of Brother Liu's heart, quickly spreading throughout his body. His lips parted slightly, trying to say something, but he found himself unable to make a sound.

He had been brave and tough for decades, though he hadn't committed any major crimes. He had seen many violent scenes, and he thought he would never encounter anything truly terrifying. But now, Brother Liu knew he was wrong. He wasn't fearless; he just hadn't encountered something truly terrifying.

No, it wasn't fear, but confusion. The sudden, overwhelming fear had left his mind blank. In simple terms, he was scared stiff.

The pale, wet hand slowly extended, grabbing the grass by the shore. With a splash, a wet head slowly emerged from the lake.