Chapter 67: Urban Legend

The internet is a wondrous thing.

Sometimes, a single picture or a single sentence can, without any warning, spark a frenzy that sweeps everyone up.

At this moment, a Weird Smiling Dummy photo, like a digital plague, spreads wildly across every social platform.

Friend circles, chat groups, short‑video comment sections—everywhere.

A plastic dummy, its arms rigidly hanging at its sides, bears on its face an exaggerated, Weird smile painted in oil.

The captions are all over the place, exuding a childish yet spine‑tingling vibe.

"Share this Smiling Dummy and your enemy will have terrible bad luck next week!"

"If you don't share this photo, misfortune will strike, and the Fierce Ghost hidden in the dummy will claim your life."

"Help! My friend says his dad disappeared after seeing this photo three times! 【Terrified】"

Countless youngsters, holding onto the notion that "it might be true" or just for fun, let the photo go viral, effectively becoming a new Internet Urban Legend.

Dong Lin City, Tong An Public Security Sub‑bureau.

In the Director's Office, Liu Guanglin scrolls irritably through his friend circle, sees the dummy photo, shrugs it off, and scrolls past.

What a damn Smiling Dummy, a bunch of fed‑up youngsters.

He's got a headache now.

"Dong dong dong."

The office door is knocked, and the Captain of the Criminal Investigation Team cautiously peeks in.

"Director, still... still no leads."

Liu Guanglin doesn't even lift an eyelid, his voice seething: "No leads? How many missing persons have been reported in Dong Lin City this month? What the hell does your Criminal Investigation Team even do! A bunch of trash!"

The Captain, drenched in the scolding, dares not retort, only whispers, "Mainly... the missing persons are too varied—some are gang members, some are corporate white‑collars, and a few... were previously flagged in anti‑prostitution and anti‑piracy raids..."

Liu Guanglin's heart suddenly sinks.

He of course knows who the Captain is referring to.

Hua Jie!

The woman who entrenches herself in Dong Lin City's gray zone, dealing exclusively in baby trafficking, is also one of his most important sources of income.

But now, not only Hua Jie, even the core members under her have vanished one after another—no sign of life, no trace of death.

These idiots usually handle money swiftly; how could they just disappear like that?

Without them, where does his sizable monthly side‑income come from? The naive volunteer Xu Zhengzhi who recently helped settle things for them—could he have a hidden angle?

"Get out!"

Liu Guanglin slams the File onto the desk, making the teacup buzz.

The Captain, as if granted a pardon, retreats, rolling and crawling out.

Liu Guanglin leans back in the oversized boss chair, tugging irritably at his tie. The higher‑ups have already issued a death‑order: the chain of disappearances must be solved within a deadline. In the past, a scapegoat could be forced into confession to settle it, but this time the uproar is too big; the province has already been alerted.

That route is now blocked.

He grabs his phone and dials a well‑worn number.

"Hello, baby, where are you?" The voice on the other end is cloyingly sweet.

Liu Guanglin's irritation instantly turns into a greasy grin: "Missed you, same old spot, I'll be there right away."

He hangs up, feeling the fire in his chest subside.

A young body is still good for burning off fire.

City Center, inside a luxury suite of a five‑star hotel.

After the clouds and rain, Liu Guanglin cradles the college girl with skin so tender it could be squeezed for water, savoring the post‑act saintly moment.

The girl, Xiao Ya, is a student at the local art academy; he's been supporting her with a hefty wallet.

"Brother Liu, look at this," Xiao Ya hands him her phone; the screen shows the Smiling Dummy photo.

Liu Guanglin's brows involuntarily knit.

Why is this thing showing up again?

"Our dorm went crazy!" Xiao Ya says in a slightly coquettish tone, "They say you can't just look at this dummy photo; if you see it in three different places, it will snatch you away!"

"Nonsense!" Liu Guanglin scoffs at the baseless talk, yet his heart inexplicably jumps.

It's the second time he's seen it.

He calmly pushes Xiao Ya aside and sits up from the bed.

"I'm leaving now; I've transferred the money to you."

He swiftly dresses, doesn't glance at the girl again, and walks straight out of the hotel.

Climbing into a taxi, Liu Guanglin leans against the back seat, closes his eyes to rest, trying to shake the Weird smiling face from his mind.

Yet those exaggerated oil‑painted red lips seem etched onto his eyelids, impossible to erase.

The car glides smoothly through the night streets, the neon outside a kaleidoscope of odd lights.

Liu Guanglin, bored out of his mind, opens his eyes and looks out the window.

The car passes a bustling commercial street. In the fashion shop windows along the road, bright lights illuminate several plastic models dressed in the latest spring fashions.

His gaze drifts casually, but in the next instant it freezes sharply!

In one window, a dummy model clad in an old‑style dress stands quietly.

That face......

That smile......

Exactly the same as in the photo!

Liu Guanglin's heart feels gripped by an invisible hand, his breath suddenly stalling.

"Ha, coincidence, it must be coincidence," he twitches his mouth, dry‑voicing a self‑comfort, "These vintage‑style models might just be a retro gimmick by some fashion shop."

He forced himself to look away, but the corner of his eye kept involuntarily glancing that way.

The taxi turned a corner.

Liu Guanglin's pupils snapped shut!

Right beside the street‑side bus stop, another Smiling Dummy!

It stood there all alone, its body slightly turned toward the road, its glass‑bead eyes seeming to pierce the car window and slowly stare at him!

A chill shot from Liu Guanglin's tailbone straight up to his Heavenly Spirit Cover!

The shirt on his back was soaked with cold sweat almost instantly.

How could that be!

What a coincidence!

He jerked his head around, refusing to look out the window, his hands gripping the seat tightly, his knuckles turning white from the strain.

The air inside the carriage seemed to grow thick and icy.

"Driver, go... go faster," his voice was a bit hoarse.

The driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror, thought he was just drunk, paid no mind, and kept driving steadily.

At the next intersection, a red light.

A blinding red halo bathed the whole world in an ominous hue.

Liu Guanglin seemed to sense something, stiffly turning his head inch by inch toward the window.

At the corner, another dummy model stood silently.

This time, it was almost directly facing him!

Liu Guanglin's pupils shrank to needle points.

He could even see the fine cracks on the plastic face, worn by age.

The oil‑painted lips were exaggeratedly curved, as if about to split to the ears.

He tried to look away, but found his eyeballs nailed in place, unable to move.

Time seemed infinitely stretched at that moment.

Just as Liu Guanglin stared at it fixedly—

"Ka... kadah..."

An extremely faint yet crystal‑clear sound rang out.

The dummy's neck, at an angle defying all physics, turned piece by piece!

Those hollow, pupil‑less glass eyes locked straight onto him inside the car!

Then, the oil‑painted mouth corners widened even more under Liu Guanglin's terrified stare!

As if smiling at him!

A silent, malicious sneer!

"Ah—!!!"

Liu Guanglin's scalp seemed to explode in an instant, a surge of heat blasting his forehead, his rationality snapping completely!

He jolted from the seat as if electrocuted, roaring at the driver ahead like a madman:

"Drive! Drive! Just fucking drive for me!!!"

The driver, shaken by his sudden shout, trembled and instinctively turned back, shouting, "What the hell are you shouting! Red..."

His words cut off abruptly.

He also saw that dummy facing the car, its smile was Weird.

Even more terrifying, the plastic dummy advanced toward the taxi step by step in a twisted, grotesque posture!

Its stiff legs alternated, each step producing a crisp "kadah" sound, yet its speed was frighteningly fast!

That wasn't "walking" at all, but "twisting"!

"Aaahhh—ghost!!!"

This time, the driver let out a scream.

His mind went blank; his only instinct was to flee!

The green light came on.

The driver floored the accelerator!

The engine roared violently, and the taxi shot forward like an arrow released, its tires screeching a piercing whine on the road.