I, the screenwriter, have experienced a resurgence of inspiration.

The Special Investigation Bureau and the "master" invited by the Lu family spent a whole day searching the entire building.

There was nothing unusual, and no one heard the "chain sound" that Lu Bingkun mentioned.

"Useless...useless...useless..."

Lu Bingkun's heart was pounding, and he kept gasping for oxygen. The nurses beside him quickly patted his chest.

He heard it very clearly.

The sound of chains dragging on the floor late at night was heard as soon as a patient who had failed surgery died downstairs.

Clang, clang, clang...

Even though it was daytime, Lu Bingkun seemed to be able to hear that voice.

He came from humble beginnings and had been immersed in the Hong Kong business world for decades, and was especially superstitious—how could he not have heard of the ghost messengers who take away souls?

It is said that before a person dies, they are more likely to hear or see things and sounds that others cannot see.

It could be the Black and White Impermanence, or seeing someone who is already dead, or hearing unusual noises.

Thinking of this, Lu Bingkun broke out in a cold sweat. His body, which was already cold from using the [Rouge Mud], felt even more icy.

This is the city hospital's most exclusive VIP floor.

The entire floor is independent and enclosed; unauthorized personnel are strictly prohibited from entering.

At night, cleaning staff and unauthorized personnel are prohibited from patrolling the building, and even medical staff are prohibited from approaching unless in an emergency.

Even assuming, hypothetically, that one of his unfilial sons wanted to seize the family fortune and plotted to send his father away prematurely—

He shouldn't be the only one who heard that eerie sound of chains.

……

……

The next day, at the same time, at 1 a.m.

A deathly silence once again enveloped the ward.

clang-

The sound of chains dragging on the ground rang out precisely on time.

This time, the rattling of the chains was clearer and more frequent than last night.

The sound seemed to be lingering outside the ward.

It was as if something, dragging heavy shackles, was guarding the door of his ward, slowly patrolling back and forth.

What is it doing?

What is it confirming?

What will happen if it gets in?

"Go, go see."

Lu Bingkun couldn't sleep at all; he was covered in cold sweat, and even using props couldn't suppress the panic in his heart.

"What's out there?!"

He questioned the nurses, police officers, and night security personnel, who immediately began patrolling the entire floor.

Even fire escape routes, equipment mezzanines, and elevator shafts were not spared.

But after investigating for a long time, and reviewing the surveillance footage:

The scene was clean and tidy; no one moved around the entire floor all night, let alone any "being carrying an iron chain and swinging around the hallway."

No one heard the sound.

Two Special Investigations Bureau officers even turned on a paranormal detection terminal, but the data showed that everything was normal.

Although there are fluctuations in psionic energy, they are within the normal range—consistent with the average psionic energy value in Jiangcheng.

The two exchanged a glance, both wondering if this was an excuse Lu Bingkun had come up with to escape punishment.

Either he is really dying and has fallen into a state of "delirium" in medical terms.

……

……

"Chairman, there is indeed nothing unusual."

The personal secretary, after overseeing the completion of the layer-by-layer investigation, bowed and reported in a low voice:

"The surveillance footage showed nothing unusual, the equipment was not malfunctioning, and no one or any equipment made any chain noises."

—The secretary was a trusted confidant who had followed Lu Bingkun for over a decade; he was one of his own.

So, he's dying?

Are the underworld messengers here to collect souls?

With his eyes fixed on the ceiling, Lu Bingkun forced out a sentence through gritted teeth:

"Pack your things, go back to Genting One, and contact Master Zhang in Hong Kong."

Yunding No. 1 is a top-tier hillside detached luxury residence in Jiangcheng, covering a total area of ​​3,000 square meters, and featuring a private medical center and sterile treatment rooms.

It features 24-hour temperature-controlled security, independent power and water supply systems, as well as private gardens, a heated swimming pool, a home theater, a chess and card room, a private karaoke room, and other facilities.

All of Lu Bingkun's properties are equipped with a full range of critical care medical equipment, and a professional private medical team is on standby at all times.

Without the slightest hesitation, the secretary immediately contacted the Special Investigation Bureau to request a transfer and medical assistance.

The Special Investigations Bureau was naturally willing to let them go.

After ruling out the possibility of "supernatural creatures causing trouble," two more operators were added to accompany them for continuous close monitoring.

So at noon that day, under the full escort of the convoy, Lu Bingkun was successfully transferred to the Yunding No. 1 hillside mansion for recuperation.

……

The mansion is built against the mountain, facing south, surrounded by lush trees and offering a wide view.

On his first night in the mansion, everything went smoothly for Lu Bingkun.

The night breeze rustled through the woods, accompanied by the soft chirping of insects.

There were no abnormalities.

Lu Bingkun's tense nerves relaxed a little after many days.

But this peace lasted only one night.

Late on the fourth night, at eleven o'clock, he heard that familiar, terrifying sound of chains being dragged again:

"Clang—"

"Clang—"

The familiar, chilling death knell rang out precisely on time outside the main building.

The sound began to wander throughout the main building—the living room, the staircase, the second-floor corridor, outside the bedroom doors, and the courtyard outside the French windows…

It was as if countless sounds were surging in from all directions at the same time, constantly wandering back and forth.

Clang, clang, clang.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Getting closer and closer, getting more and more agitated.

Finally, the voice suddenly stopped outside the door.

It's there.

It found itself.

It's coming in.

Lu Bingkun couldn't catch his breath, and a sharp pain in his heart caused him to faint.

Fortunately, a medical team immediately began emergency treatment.

The medical staff worked tirelessly all night and finally pulled him back from the brink of death.

What made Lu Bingkun most desperate was:

In the thousands of square meters of the mansion, not a single person—not the security guards, medical staff, servants, or even agents from the Special Investigations Bureau—heard the sound.

He is not afraid of the police or the law.

But faced with his unpredictable, inescapable, and untouchable fate of death—

"Hurry! Immediately! Right now!"

Lu Bingkun took a deep breath of oxygen and gave the order:

"Bring Master Zhang over from Hong Kong! At all costs, immediately!"

The Master Zhang he mentioned was naturally the Hong Kong metaphysical scholar who had helped him arrange feng shui and perform rituals to ward off evil spirits for decades.

Of course, he was also the only outsider that Lu Bingkun trusted unconditionally in his entire life.

After all, the master orchestrated the entire process of killing his wife Chen Shulan, accumulating wealth by suppressing the tomb, and setting up the copper coin soul-suppressing array.

The secretary dared not delay for a moment and immediately used all her connections to contact Master Zhang, who was already semi-retired.

At five in the morning, as dawn broke, a thin mist enveloped the hillside mansions.

The transoceanic video call was finally made.

In the video, Master Zhang is wearing a plain-colored Taoist robe, with an aged face and narrow eyes.

After hearing the description from Lu Bingkun's personal secretary, he couldn't help but frown:

"Chairman, it's too late."

"Decades ago, I set up a soul-suppressing and wealth-gathering formation for you, borrowing the fortune from the remains of your first wife and the remains of your eldest son to create a 'Mother and Son Connected Hearts Wealth-Attracting Formation,' and also using the Chen family ancestral graves to block the evil feng shui forces—"

This is how you defy fate and forcibly gather the windfall wealth destined for you.

I had already informed them at the time that this method was insidious and might harm their virtue and lifespan.

"Now that the underworld is calling for your soul, it means your time is almost up, Mr. Lu. There's nothing I can do about it."

"Master, save me!"

With his last ounce of strength, Lu Bingkun prayed:

"Didn't you calculate that I could live to be a hundred? I'm only eighty-seven now, so I clearly still have thirteen years to live!"

On the other end of the video call, Master Zhang froze, shaking his head inwardly:

Where in this world is there any good thing that can prolong life and bring wealth by using a human corpse and ashes?

If this method were truly feasible, ancient emperors would have achieved immortality long ago.

Besides, which orthodox Taoist practitioner would dare to take on Lu Bingkun's job?

What they do is nothing more than "cheating and deceiving"... providing emotional value to their clients.

Everyone's saying that some kind of dungeon has appeared in Jiangcheng, and that it's haunted. He's not stupid; he's not going to go there and die like an idiot.

"Lifespan is a mystery beyond our comprehension."

Thinking this, Master Zhang coughed, just about to find an excuse to refuse:

"Master, I am still in Thailand for spiritual practice. Evil spirits such as the 'Flying Head Demon' have appeared in Chiang Mai... I really can't leave."

"Thirty million! No, no, fifty million! Plus a building in Hong Kong, all transferred to offshore accounts—"

Lu Bingkun's lips trembled, and he spoke rapidly:

"As long as you can help me get through this, you can ask for anything!"

Master Zhang remained silent for a long time before finally sighing:

"Very well, I'll make this trip, and consider it the end of the karma between us."

Lu Bingkun's eyes were filled with ecstatic joy.