Forgotten Photo Studio

Chapter 148 Chen Zhiwei's Plan (Ninth Update)

She had anticipated that her senior brother might explain it was for the mission, or try to brush it off with a laugh, or even be a little embarrassed... But she never expected him to be so direct and so serious... in confirming it?
A heat even hotter than the red oil in the pot surged up her cheeks with a "whoosh" and quickly spread throughout her body.

Her face instantly turned bright red, even redder than when she had been choked by the spiciest chili pepper, like a ripe tomato, almost steaming.

Her heart was pounding like a drum, making it almost impossible for her to hear the noise of the other diners or the boiling of the pot.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found her throat was a little dry.

Her gaze darted away, unable to meet Xu Yan's overly focused and frank eyes any longer. She could only look down in a panic, staring at the shiny bowls and plates in front of her, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.

There was a few seconds of silence, but those few seconds seemed to stretch out infinitely.

Finally, she nodded almost imperceptibly, in a voice barely audible to herself.

The movement was pitifully small, but it was incredibly clear and heavy in Xu Yan's eyes, who had been watching her intently.

Looking at her blushing face, which made her almost want to hide under the table, Xu Yan's last trace of uncertainty in his eyes finally dissipated, and a genuine and warm smile slowly flowed out.

He didn't press the matter further, nor did he push his luck. He simply picked up his chopsticks again, his tone returning to its usual calmness, yet carrying an indescribable tenderness, and placed a large, succulent piece of frog leg meat into her bowl.
"Eat quickly, or it will get tough if you cook it any longer."

Chen Zhiwei gave a soft "hmm" and lowered her head even further, but the hand that picked up the chopsticks trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly, with a sweet tremor.

The charcoal fire still crackled, and the surrounding area was bustling with noise. In this small booth, a subtly changing relationship added an incomparably sweet flavor to this dinner celebrating the promotion.

The bullfrogs in the basin gradually disappeared, leaving only a few pieces of rice cake and lettuce soaking in the red oil.

Chen Zhiwei sipped the ice jelly with satisfaction, easing the lingering numbing and spicy aftertaste on her tongue.

Xu Yan wiped his mouth with a tissue, seemingly casually bringing it up, but his tone carried the seriousness he had when working:

"Zhiwei, we've almost finished eating, let's have a chat. Tonight we're going to completely remove the backlash from Zhou Wenbin's 'filth-eating ghost,' what are your specific plans?"

When it came to serious matters, Chen Zhiwei immediately sat up straighter, and the satisfaction in her eyes was replaced by focus.

She put down her spoon and gestured with her finger on the slightly damp tabletop:

“Hmm… The ‘filth-eating ghost’ is essentially attached to the host’s greed and filth. It’s already entangled with Zhou Wenbin’s life force, so we can’t force it.” Her thoughts were clear, and she had obviously thought about it beforehand. “My idea is to first use the Soul-Suppressing Bell to shake his soul and loosen the attachment point, but we have to control the intensity so as not to harm him.”

"Then, burn a mixture of mugwort and cypress powder. With its pure yang energy, it will force the 'nest' to feel uncomfortable from the outside. Most importantly," she paused, a sly glint in her eyes, "you need to use a concentrated juice made from century-old tangerine peel, mixed with cinnabar, to draw 'filth-repelling talismans' on its chest and navel. This stuff is like putting the most disgusting drug in the 'filth-eating ghost's' favorite food; it will greatly stimulate it and make it leave its host on its own!"

Xu Yan nodded approvingly: "The idea is right. Attack from both inside and outside to lure the snake out of its hole. When it is forced out, its form is the most unstable and its resentment is the most concentrated. I use the camera to 'freeze' it and seal it completely."

Mentioning the camera, Chen Zhiwei's excitement subsided somewhat, her brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of worry crept into her voice:
“But senior brother, you pay a price every time you use that camera; you lose some memories. We already used it once at the Tower of Babel, and we'll use it again tonight…”

Seeing her worried expression, Xu Yan felt a warmth in his heart, and his tone softened, becoming reassuringly calm:
“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. Have you forgotten we have ‘Mind-Stabilizing Pills’?” he explained patiently. “With them, we can stabilize our minds and withstand most memory shocks. As long as we don’t use them continuously at high frequencies, causing them to overload and explode, using them once or twice occasionally, and then quickly nurturing them with our own spiritual energy afterwards, we can recover.” As he spoke, as if to prove it, he took out the dark silver retro camera from his pocket, gently placed it on the table, and pushed it towards Chen Zhiwei:

"Look, after using it in the ruins, I immediately did some simple maintenance, and now its condition is very stable."

Chen Zhiwei curiously leaned closer, cautiously examining the camera.

Sure enough, a very faint but steady and restrained soft halo flowed across the camera surface, no longer appearing dull or restless as it had after excessive use.

She breathed a slight sigh of relief, but still couldn't help but give a word of advice:

"Then... tonight you must seize the opportunity and finish quickly, don't force it."

"Don't worry," Xu Yan put the camera away, his eyes resolute. "Dealing with a 'filth-eating demon' won't overload it. Let's work together and resolve this as soon as possible so you can come back and rest sooner."

"Okay!" Chen Zhiwei nodded vigorously and picked up the spoon again. "Then it's a deal, you have to treat me to dessert as compensation after everything's settled!"

“Okay, no problem,” Xu Yan replied with a smile.

Dinner concluded with discussions about the details of the evening's activities and lighthearted jokes.

Under the warm lights, the impending dangerous mission seemed less daunting because of the solid preparations and mutual trust.

As you move from the bustling city streets into the quiet neighborhood where Zhou Wenbin lives, it's as if the surroundings have been instantly silenced.

The night was deep, with only a few streetlights casting a dim yellow glow.

Zhou Wenbin was already anxiously waiting at home.

When the doorbell rang, he quickly went to open the door. When he saw Xu Yan and Chen Zhiwei standing side by side outside, the expression on his face instantly became extremely interesting.

From anticipation to astonishment, and then to a rapidly settling, awe-inspiring understanding.

He subconsciously took half a step back, bowed slightly, and spoke with unprecedented respect, even a hint of barely perceptible fear:

“Mr. Xu, Ms. Chen… no, Mr. Xu Yan and Ms. Chen Zhiwei. Please, please come in.”

He had obviously learned through the central system's global broadcast that the two young people in front of him, using the aliases "Chen Yan" and "Xu Wei," were actually genuine experts who had just been promoted to the Silver rank with an amazing performance.

Although he felt a momentary resentment about the previous concealment, his years of experience in the gray areas and his deep understanding of survival skills allowed him to quickly weigh the pros and cons.

(End of this chapter)