Forgotten Photo Studio

Chapter 158 A Completely Different Person (Nineteenth Update)
Only then did they realize that this seemingly ordinary young man possessed a power far beyond their comprehension that could easily determine their life or death.

Xu Yan withdrew some of his oppressive aura, allowing the two to catch their breath, but his eyes remained icy cold as he repeated each word clearly:
“I told you, if you want to find me, you should line up after him.”

"Now, either wait quietly, or take your money and get out."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable decisiveness, echoing in the quiet photo studio.

The stack of banknotes that was once so tempting now lay on the table, looking particularly ironic.

Xu Yan's icy gaze and undeniable pressure were like two buckets of ice water, drenching the scarred man and his companion from head to toe.

They clearly realized that money and brute force wouldn't work here; the only rule was the will of the young silver-level powerhouse before them.

Scarface's facial muscles twitched a few times, but in the end, all his resentment and arrogance turned into awe and compromise with absolute power.

He swallowed hard, lowered his head slightly, and broke the silence with a dry voice:
“Mr. Xu, please don’t be angry. We will wait here.”

He tugged at his equally stiff companion, and the two silently retreated to a corner of the photo studio, like two silent statues, trying to minimize their presence and daring not to overstep their bounds in the slightest.

The stack of banknotes thrown on the table now seemed particularly glaring, but no one paid any attention to it anymore.

Xu Yan stopped looking at them and turned her gaze back to the still-shaken middle-aged customer, her tone returning to its previous calm: "Sir, don't pay them any mind. Let's continue and talk about your family situation."

The middle-aged man glanced at the two menacing figures in the corner, then at the calm-looking Xu Yan and Chen Zhiwei, and felt somewhat relieved before he began to stammeringly recount his story:
“I… my name is Li Fugui, and I live in the old cotton mill residential area in the west of the city… For the past two weeks, strange things have been happening at home… There are noises in the kitchen at night, the faucet turns on and off by itself, my wife keeps saying there’s a dark shadow standing by the bed, and my child keeps waking up crying in the middle of the night saying he’s scared… We… we really don’t know what to do…”

Xu Yan and Chen Zhiwei listened carefully, occasionally interjecting to ask a question or two about the details. Their initial judgment was that this was most likely an ordinary earthbound spirit or a lingering thought of a household, with weak energy but good entanglement, and it was not too complicated to deal with.

After understanding the situation, Xu Yan stood up:
“We have a general understanding of the situation. Mr. Li, if it’s convenient for you, we can go to your home now to take a look.”

"Convenient! Convenient!" Li Fugui nodded quickly.

Just then, the scarred-faced man who had been cowering in the corner seemed to seize an opportunity to redeem himself. He quickly stepped forward and spoke with a respectful, even slightly obsequious, attitude:
"Mr. Xu, Ms. Chen, and Mr. Li, you're going to the west of the city, right? Our car is parked outside. It's a modified Mercedes-Benz van, spacious, with good suspension, and fast! It will save you some trouble on your way there. Please allow us to give you a ride, as a way of... as an apology for our earlier rudeness."

As he spoke, he hunched slightly, a stark contrast to his earlier arrogance when he barged in.

He made this suggestion partly to make up for the first impression, but more importantly, they were ordered to "invite" Xu Yan, and they had to leave in disgrace without being able to invite him, leaving them with no way to explain themselves.

If you can go with them, at least you can keep track of their whereabouts and gradually ease the tension during the "service" process, making it easier to make requests later.

Xu Yan glanced at the scarred man and instantly understood his little scheme.

He didn't care about being followed; in the face of absolute power, these petty tricks were meaningless.

Moreover, having readily available and comfortable transportation can indeed save time and energy, and can also make the still-shaken Li Fugui feel more at ease.

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded, his tone calm: "Okay. Thank you for your help."

"No trouble at all! No trouble at all! You're too kind!" Scarface showed a relieved expression and quickly winked at his companion, who immediately ran out to prepare the vehicle.

Xu Yan nodded to Chen Zhiwei, and the two took the necessary tools—camera, compass, talismans, etc. Seeing that there was a car to ride in, and one that looked very expensive, Li Fugui felt more at ease.

As the group walked out of the photo studio, the black Mercedes-Benz Vito van was indeed parked at the entrance, its body lines sharp and clearly reinforced.

Scarface eagerly opened the car door and invited Xu Yan, Chen Zhiwei, and Li Fugui to get in.

The spacious interior, comfortable seats, and luxurious features of the vehicle stand in stark contrast to the unassuming exterior of the "Forgotten Photo Studio."

The vehicle smoothly drove out of the alley and merged into the gradually bustling traffic of the early morning.

Scarface sat in the passenger seat, occasionally glancing cautiously at Xu Yan's expression through the rearview mirror, not daring to say another word.

Xu Yan leaned back in his comfortable seat, his gaze fixed on the street scene rushing past the window.

In the corner was Li Fugui, an ordinary customer who was still apprehensive. In front of him were the subordinates of a mysterious force who had ulterior motives but had temporarily yielded. Beside him was his trustworthy junior sister.

A new day began in such a peculiar way.

Dealing with the paranormal events at Li Fugui's house is work, but the two "temporary drivers" around him and the forces they represent are perhaps the real variables that need attention today.

He closed his eyes, his senses focused inward, and quietly awaited the arrival of his next destination.

The vehicle stopped in the old cotton mill residential area in the west of the city.

The buildings here bear the marks of the last century, with mottled walls, narrow and dimly lit corridors, and an atmosphere of long-standing silence permeating the air.

Guided by Li Fugui, the group arrived at his home.

As soon as they stepped into the room, Xu Yan and Chen Zhiwei frowned slightly in unison.

The room was filled with a faint, chilly atmosphere, subtly different from the outdoor temperature. Extremely weak residual energy floated in the air. If an ordinary person stayed in it for a long time, they would naturally feel uncomfortable or even experience hallucinations.

This is it…

Li Fugui rubbed his hands together nervously, pointing towards the bedroom and kitchen.

His wife and children had apparently been temporarily moved elsewhere, leaving only them in the house.

The two men with scars remembered their lesson and stood quietly guarding the door like two gatekeepers, but their eyes followed Xu Yan and Chen Zhiwei's movements closely. They were obviously curious about their "work" and wanted to use it to assess the two men's true abilities.

Chen Zhiwei didn't speak. She closed her eyes, her hands gently supporting the ancient compass, a faint light flashing at her fingertips.

The compass needle began to tremble slightly, not violently, but like a sensitive probe, capturing the flow of abnormal energy in space.

(End of this chapter)