Chapter 102: Departure

Applause erupted, as if invisible spectators filled the void, cheering and praising the magnificent scene on stage, leaving Little Red Riding Hood momentarily stunned, and she blurted out—

"This actually works?!"

Yu Sheng was even more bewildered: "I don't know. I just proposed a plan and haven't had time to do anything yet..."

But regardless, the applause had risen. Amidst the bewildered expressions of Little Red Riding Hood and Yu Sheng, the entire museum seemed shaken by the clapping, then began to change—rooms disintegrated amidst a roar, the intact roof and walls instantly transformed into scenery and crude props, then quickly sank into the depths of darkness and void. The color of the ground faded, revealing the dust-covered stage once more. Darkness first gathered from all directions, then, accompanied by the bang of relays, beams of light descended from above, illuminating the entire stage and the surrounding audience area.

The theater brightened. The empty audience seats still echoed with applause. After another dozen seconds, the clapping gradually subsided.

Yu Sheng quickly scanned his surroundings, confirming everyone was present, then met Little Red Riding Hood's strange gaze.

"Well... I just had a bold idea, thinking a bigger commotion would meet the 'Curtain Call' condition, but I didn't actually implement it in the end..."

"No, I just think you might have indeed found a way to leave that fits the 'Night at the Museum' rules, though this method is a bit... extreme," Little Red Riding Hood shook her head, her expression thoughtful. "The entry and exit rules of 'Night at the Museum' and the 'Theater' exit are interlocked. The essence of a Curtain Call departure is actually creating a 'deviation value'; the more the events deviate from the 'stage', the easier it is to trigger the Curtain Call. I think... 'detonating a large number of fox tails inside the museum' definitely counts as a severe out-of-script event, the kind where even a single mention by an 'actor' on stage would be considered out of bounds."

Yu Sheng listened, utterly stunned: "Is that so?"

"Who knows the specifics? The Otherworld always has many incomprehensible things," Little Red Riding Hood pouted. "Anyway, if this is truly the reason, then this line of thinking is impossible for others to imitate. After all, not everyone has such an... abstract Nine-Tailed Fox following them."

Yu Sheng reached out to touch the fur behind the Hu Li's ears. The latter happily squinted her eyes, then muttered, "I'm hungry," before pulling a large flatbread from her tail and starting to eat.

"You've expended quite a lot today," Yu Sheng said, then suddenly remembered something. "Ah, wait. We suddenly came out; did you not bring the tails you left in the White Exhibition Hall to control those 'Guards' out with you?!"

"I brought them out," Hu Li nodded vigorously. "The moment that illusion vanished, the tails turned back into demonic energy and returned."

"That's quite useful," Yu Sheng sighed sincerely.

"Let's leave this place first," Little Red Riding Hood sighed lightly, looking at the theater area still illuminated by lights of unknown origin. "We'll return via the original path. Only when we return to the ticket booth will the influence of 'Night at the Museum' officially fade."

"Okay." Yu Sheng nodded, glancing at the "Weeper" sculpture still in his hand—

According to the museum rules, artifacts held in hand during a "Curtain Call" or the end of a "night performance" can be safely taken out of the Otherworld. Now, this object had become the first exploration trophy of his "Novice Spirit Realm Detective".

It was light, at least much lighter than imagined. The material didn't seem like stone or other natural substances. If forced to describe it... touching it felt suspiciously like skin, as if a pale hide was stretched tightly over a hard object, even carrying a faint, almost imperceptible warmth.

Under the lights shining down from above, the female sculpture covering her face and weeping exuded a strange atmosphere. Yu Sheng didn't know how much "artistic merit" this thing actually had, nor what the client wanted it for. Anyway, if it were him, he would absolutely never display such an object in his home.

The group left the stage, passed through the empty audience seats, and walked along the corridor they had passed upon entering—lights of unknown origin illuminated the entire path until they returned to the entrance hall of the Old Theater. Little Red Riding Hood returned to the pitch-black ticket window and knocked on its glass. Only then did the lights inside the theater suddenly go out.

Yu Sheng noticed that the wolves accompanying Little Red Riding Hood had been patrolling and sniffing around all along this journey. At this moment, a few wolves were still circling near the ticket window and at the entrance of another corridor leading deeper into the theater. Curious, he asked, "What are they doing?"

"Checking for any traces left by others," Little Red Riding Hood said in a low voice. "The node here didn't sound an alarm, but people did come to the museum. They couldn't have entered out of thin air... unless someone else can 'open doors' to enter and exit the Otherworld anytime and anywhere just like you."

Yu Sheng immediately waved his hands: "That shouldn't be the case. Opening a door on my end also triggers an alarm—and I heard it makes a huge commotion. But didn't you say to avoid getting involved with the Angel Cultists as much as possible?"

"... Hmm, that's true." Little Red Riding Hood hesitated for a moment, then nodded lightly. The wolves patrolling the surroundings quietly gathered, hiding again in the shadows beside her.

The group left the Old Theater through the main gate and returned to the city's night.

It was already midnight. Except for the occasional sound of cars passing on the main road in the distance, the surroundings were exceptionally quiet.

Little Red Riding Hood took the "Weeper" sculpture from Yu Sheng's hand, then found the large backpack she had hidden earlier in the landscape bushes near the museum's front entrance, and placed the sculpture inside.

"I'll take this to the client at the Anomaly Association to report, and also ask acquaintances I know to investigate if there are any issues behind this commission. The reward can be transferred to you by tomorrow at the earliest—Border Communication has a transfer function. You just need to bind your bank card later and withdraw the balance," she told Yu Sheng, explaining new knowledge to him. "Spirit Realm Detectives and Investigators generally only recognize Border Communication's transaction channels, because offline transactions are not protected by the Borderland Council; you bear the risk yourself."

"Hmm," Yu Sheng seemed somewhat absent-minded, clearly thinking about something else. "Well, about the situation in the White Exhibition Hall..."

"I'll report it. Special Operations Bureau personnel will likely find you to learn the details soon," Little Red Riding Hood said casually. "You are definitely on their radar. This matter will receive high attention. They might also invite you for further investigation, or... tell you some things about the Dark Angels. But remember what I said: try not to contact that thing too much. Many seasoned Investigators and Spirit Realm Detectives have fallen because of such things..."

Saying this, she suddenly stopped, then shook her head with a strange expression: "But maybe I'm talking too much telling you this. You aren't an 'ordinary person'."

"Thank you for your concern," Yu Sheng, however, didn't mind, and sincerely thanked her. Then he sighed again. "Although I said it once before, I still can't help but say it now... You are really quite used to taking care of people."

Little Red Riding Hood paused, her expression slightly unnatural: "Uh, actually I didn't notice, but there are indeed many members in 'Fairy Tales' younger than me. Maybe I really developed the habit?"

Yu Sheng smiled understandingly. From an angle Little Red Riding Hood didn't notice, a hint of warmth and admiration appeared in his gaze.

Afterwards, they bid farewell at an intersection near the museum—Little Red Riding Hood and her pack of wolves quickly dissolved into the shadows under the night. Phantoms swept through the night like a gentle breeze, vanishing from everyone's sight in the blink of an eye.

"... That is very convenient for her, especially when traveling at night," Yu Sheng looked in the direction Little Red Riding Hood had disappeared and couldn't help but sigh. "It also saves taxi fare."

He said this casually, but the fox girl beside him suddenly lowered her head, her tone full of shame: "I'm sorry, Benefactor. My traveling commotion is too loud; I can't take you all home..."

Yu Sheng quickly waved his hands: "No, no, no, I don't mind."

"How do we get back?" Erin asked curiously. "Take a taxi again? Will that Xu Jiali come to pick us up again? I don't want to ride in his car anymore..."

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

Erin was very surprised: "Huh? Didn't you say earlier at the museum that we shouldn't open a door late at night to avoid alerting the Special Operations Bureau?"

Yu Sheng took out his phone: "Are you stupid? Now that we're out, the phone has signal—I'll just make a call to notify them, so it won't scare anyone."

While speaking, he raised a finger to point at his shoulder—previously, he had been bitten by a giant wolf that emerged from Little Red Riding Hood's shadow. The wound had healed, but his clothes were still bloodied, looking particularly terrifying under the streetlights.

"Besides, since I look like this, if I call a taxi and it turns out to be a regular ride-share driver, I might scare them half to death."

While speaking, he dialed the phone number Bai Liqing had left him.

Moments later, a voice sounding as if she hadn't fully woken up came through the receiver: "Who is it?"

"It's me, Yu Sheng," Yu Sheng quickly spoke up. "Uh, did I disturb your sleep?"

"... Hmm, I just fell asleep, but it's fine," Bai Liqing's voice was as usual devoid of temperature, with no discernible attitude. "What happened?"

Yu Sheng immediately felt a bit awkward: "I'm opening a door, thinking to inform the Special Operations Bureau first. I didn't think of who to contact, so I called you..."

Silence came from the other end of the line for two seconds.

Yu Sheng didn't know what the female director was thinking during those two seconds. Anyway, when the voice came through again, it was just as calm: "Okay, understood. I'll notify the monitoring team to temporarily skip the upcoming alarm signals. You can open the door in about two minutes."

Yu Sheng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Although the other side was calm, he felt a strange pressure: "Oh, oh, thank you... I won't disturb you then. Go back to sleep after you finish your work. Goodnight."

"... Okay, goodnight."

Yu Sheng hung up the phone and let out a long sigh in the night.

Erin, sitting on his shoulder, immediately poked his head.

"She was definitely cursing during those two seconds."

"You heard that?"

"Spiritual intuition."

"... Your spiritual intuition can do that?"

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)