Chapter 102: Leaving the Stage

Chapter 102: Leaving the Stage

Applause suddenly erupted, as if an invisible audience filled the void, applauding and praising an exquisite performance on stage. Little Red Riding Hood froze for an instant and blurted out:

“This actually works?!”

Yu Sheng was even more confused than her: “I don’t know either. I just came up with a plan and haven’t done anything yet……”

But in any case, the applause had started. Under the bewildered expressions of both Little Red Riding Hood and Yu Sheng, the entire museum seemed to be shaken by it. Immediately afterward, it began to transform.

The room disintegrated amid a roaring sound. The intact ceiling and walls in an instant turned into stage scenery and crude props, then rapidly sank into darkness and emptiness. The color of the floor faded, revealing a dust-covered stage again. Darkness first gathered from all directions, then, accompanied by the clicking of relays, beams of light fell from above, illuminating the entire stage and the surrounding audience area.

The theater brightened. The empty audience seats still rang with endless applause. After more than ten seconds, the applause gradually faded away.

Yu Sheng quickly scanned his surroundings to confirm everyone was still there, then met Little Red Riding Hood’s strange gaze.

“Um… I really just had a bold idea. I was thinking that making a big enough disturbance might satisfy the ‘finale’ condition, but I didn’t actually do anything……”

“No,” Little Red Riding Hood shook her head, her expression thoughtful, “I just think you may have actually found a valid way to exit under the rules of Museum Night, although this method is a bit… extreme.”

“The entry and exit rules of Museum Night are interlocked with the ‘theater’ as the exit point. The essence of a finale departure is actually to generate a ‘deviation value’. The more something deviates from the stage script, the easier it is to trigger a finale. I think… detonating a large number of fox tails inside a museum is definitely a major out-of-script event. It’s the kind of thing that would count as a violation even if mentioned in passing by the performers on stage.”

Yu Sheng listened in confusion: “Is that how it works?”

“Who knows. Other Domains always have many incomprehensible things,” Little Red Riding Hood shrugged, “If that really is the reason, then it just means this method can’t be replicated. Not everyone has someone like you around carrying such an… abstract nine-tailed fox.”

Yu Sheng reached out and rubbed Hu Li’s fur behind her ear. She squinted happily, then muttered that she was hungry and pulled out a large flatbread from her tails and started eating.

“You did expend quite a lot today,” Yu Sheng said, then suddenly remembered something, “Wait, didn’t you leave some tails in the white exhibition hall to control the guards? Did you bring them back?!”

“They came back,” Hu Li nodded repeatedly, “The moment the illusion disappeared, they turned back into demon power and returned.”

“Pretty convenient,” Yu Sheng sincerely remarked.

“Let’s leave this place first,” Little Red Riding Hood exhaled lightly, looking at the still spotlight-illuminated theater area, “We’ll return the way we came. Only when we reach the ticket booth will the influence of Museum Night truly fade.”

“Alright.” Yu Sheng nodded, then glanced at the Wailing One sculpture still in his hand.

According to the museum rules, items held at the moment of “finale” or “night performance end” could be safely taken out of the Other Domain. This was now his first exploration reward as a novice spirit-world detective.

It was light. Much lighter than expected. The material did not feel like stone or any natural substance. If anything, it felt suspiciously like skin, as if a pale layer had been stretched tightly over a hard object, even carrying a faint, almost imperceptible warmth.

Under the overhead lighting, the crying female sculpture exuded a strange atmosphere. Yu Sheng had no idea how much “artistic value” it had, nor what the client wanted it for. If it were him, he would never place something like this at home.

The group left the stage, passed through the empty audience seats, and walked back through the corridor they had originally entered from. Unidentified lighting continued to illuminate their path until they returned to the old theater entrance hall. Little Red Riding Hood knocked on the pitch-black ticket window glass, and all the theater lights suddenly went out.

Yu Sheng noticed that along the way, the wolves summoned by Little Red Riding Hood were constantly patrolling and sniffing. Several of them were still circling near the ticket booth and another passage deeper into the theater. He could not help but ask:

“What are they doing?”

“Checking for traces left by other people,” Little Red Riding Hood said quietly, “This node did not trigger any warning, but people did enter the museum. They couldn’t have gone in out of thin air… unless someone else can open doors into the Other Domain like you.”

Yu Sheng immediately waved his hand: “That shouldn’t be possible. When I open a door, it triggers alarms too—and supposedly quite loudly. But didn’t you say we should avoid getting involved with Angel Cultists?”

“…That’s true,” Little Red Riding Hood hesitated for a moment, then nodded lightly. The wolves around them silently regrouped and hid back in her shadow.

The group exited the old theater and returned to the night city.

It was already midnight. Apart from occasional passing cars on distant main roads, everything around was quiet.

Little Red Riding Hood took the Wailing One sculpture from Yu Sheng, then retrieved her hidden backpack from nearby bushes and placed the sculpture inside.

“I’ll deliver this to the client from the Oddity Association to complete the commission, and also investigate whether there are problems behind it. The payment should arrive as early as tomorrow. Border Communication supports transfers. Bind your bank card later and withdraw it,” she said, continuing to explain, “Spirit-world detectives and investigators usually only use Border Communication channels. Offline transactions are not protected by the Boundary Council. You bear the risk yourself.”

“Mm,” Yu Sheng seemed distracted, clearly thinking about something else, “About the situation in the white exhibition hall……”

“I’ll report it. The Special Operations Bureau will probably contact you soon for details,” Little Red Riding Hood said casually, “You’re already on their radar. This will be taken seriously. They may invite you for further investigation, or… tell you more about the Dim Angel. But remember what I said. Try not to get too involved with that thing. Many experienced investigators and spirit-world detectives have suffered for it.”

She paused, then shook her head with a strange expression: “Though maybe I’m overstepping. You’re not really an ‘ordinary person’ anyway.”

“Thanks for the concern,” Yu Sheng said sincerely, unfazed. Then he added with emotion, “Even though I already said it before, I still want to say it again… you’re really good at taking care of people.”

Little Red Riding Hood froze slightly, her expression becoming a little unnatural: “Uh… I didn’t really notice, but there are many members in Fairy Tale who are younger than me. I guess it became a habit.”

Yu Sheng smiled knowingly. At an angle unseen by her, a trace of warmth and admiration appeared in his gaze.

They then parted ways at a nearby intersection. Little Red Riding Hood and her wolves melted into the shadows of the night like flowing silhouettes, disappearing in an instant.

“…She’s quite convenient too, especially when traveling at night,” Yu Sheng said while watching her disappear, unable to help commenting, “Even saves taxi money.”

He said it casually, but the fox girl beside him suddenly lowered her head, her tone full of guilt: “Sorry, Benefactor. I’m too noisy when traveling… I can’t carry you all home.”

Yu Sheng quickly waved his hands: “No, no, I don’t mind.”

“How do we go back?” Irene asked curiously, “Take a taxi again? Will that Xu Jiali guy come pick us up again—I don’t want to ride his car……”

“Just open a door and go back,” Yu Sheng said casually.

Irene was surprised: “Huh? Didn’t you say earlier that opening a door at night would alert the Special Operations Bureau?”

Yu Sheng took out his phone: “Are you stupid? We’re out now, and the phone has signal. I just call them and inform them. That won’t scare anyone.”

As he spoke, he pointed at his shoulder. He had been bitten earlier by a giant wolf that emerged from Little Red Riding Hood’s shadow. The wound had healed, but his clothes were still bloodied and looked quite terrifying under the streetlights.

“And I’m like this. If we call a ride and it’s some normal driver, we might scare them half to death.”

He dialed the number Baili Qing had left him.

After a moment, a half-asleep voice came through: “Who is it?”

“It’s me, Yu Sheng,” he quickly said, “Sorry for disturbing your sleep?”

“…Mm. I just fell asleep, but it’s fine,” Baili Qing’s voice remained as emotionless as ever, without any discernible attitude, “What is it?”

Yu Sheng felt a bit awkward: “I’m opening a door. I just wanted to inform the Special Operations Bureau first. I didn’t know who to call, so I called you……”

There was a two-second silence on the other end.

Yu Sheng had no idea what the woman on the other side was thinking in those two seconds. When her voice came again, it was still calm: “Understood. I’ll notify the monitoring team to temporarily bypass the upcoming alarm signals. Open the door in about two minutes.”

Cold sweat broke out on Yu Sheng’s forehead. Although the tone was calm, he still felt an inexplicable pressure: “Oh, thanks… I won’t disturb you then. Go back to sleep after you’re done. Good night.”

“…Good night.”

Yu Sheng hung up and let out a long breath in the night air.

Irene immediately poked his head.

“She was definitely cursing you in those two seconds.”

“You heard it?”

“Spiritual intuition.”

“…Your spiritual intuition can do that?”

“Of course.”