Chapter 102: The Shadow in the Cinema
Chapter 102: The Shadow in the Cinema
After Chen Chuan was invited to the cinema's VIP room, a waiter promptly served him tea. Before long, a middle-aged man with a round face rushed in, panting heavily with sweat dripping from his temples.
Upon seeing Chen Chuan, the man enthusiastically grasped his hand, which was damp with sweat, and introduced himself, "I'm Huang Dacheng. You must be Mr. Chen, the client, right?"
Chen Chuan didn't mind the sweat on the man's hand and shook it, saying, "I'm Chen Chuan. I'm just a student at Wu Yi Academy, not yet a client."
Huang Dacheng's enthusiasm didn't waver, "It's fine, it's fine. We know that you, Mr. Chen, are a young talent and an expert in this field. Our cinema, Lan Xiang, is a bit crude, but please follow me, Mr. Huang."
Following Huang Dacheng up an open-style staircase, he continued his introduction, "Our Lan Xiang Cinema is invested in by Mulan Corporation and can accommodate up to five thousand people for movies. We also offer comprehensive services like dining, balls, and concerts. Many large-scale social events in the city are held here..."
As he spoke, he led Chen Chuan to his office, a room decorated in a vintage style with genuine leather sofas, a gilded writing desk, a liquor cabinet filled with imported spirits, colorful arched glass, black and white checkered tiles, and a large crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. In one corner stood a large phonograph with a golden horn speaker facing the entire room.
The curtains were drawn, allowing soft sunlight to filter in from outside. Chen Chuan walked a few steps and noticed that from this angle, he could see the square below, where well-dressed men and women came and went, occasionally accompanied by luxury cars he couldn't identify.
At that moment, he heard a melodious tune and turned to see that Huang Dacheng had turned on the phonograph.
Huang Dacheng walked towards him and smiled, "Mr. Chen, our cinema has the best location in the entire southern part of the city. It's almost the end of the year, and when citizens have free time, they choose to watch movies. But... alas."
Chen Chuan turned around and said, "Mr. Huang, I'm here to solve this problem."
"Yes, yes, thank you, Mr. Chen. Oh, please take a seat," Huang Dacheng invited Chen Chuan to sit on the sofa and asked, "Mr. Chen, would you like something to drink?"
Chen Chuan replied, "Just plain water will do."
Huang Dacheng raised his thumb, "That's a great habit, Mr. Chen. Drinking is harmful, and soft drinks are too sweet. But for a moment's pleasure, plain water is the best choice, it's refreshing and calming, a gentleman's drink."
He personally poured a glass of water for Chen Chuan and respectfully handed it to him.
Chen Chuan took it and said, "Thank you."
Huang Dacheng waved his hands and said, "No need for thanks, I should be thanking you, Mr. Chen, for coming all this way to help us solve the problem."
Chen Chuan didn't continue with the pleasantries and asked directly, "Mr. Huang, how long has this been going on? The information I received mentioned about a month, but is there an exact date?"
Hearing Chen Chuan bring up the matter at hand, Huang Dacheng immediately became serious, thought for a moment, and said, "It's been about twenty-five days."
Chen Chuan asked further, "Has this happened before?"
Huang Dacheng sighed, "Before I took office, I'd heard some rumors, but I thought they were just urban legends spread to attract customers. As you know, Mr. Chen, the more mysterious the story, the more people it attracts. After all, everyone has a curiosity for the unusual."
Chen Chuan understood this, as he was also curious about mysterious matters. However, he was more interested in exploring the underlying causes and the source of such power, "Mr. Huang, have you seen it with your own eyes?"
Huang Dacheng shuddered and quickly shook his head.
"Has it happened at other times?"
Huang Dacheng shook his head again, "Not yet, it's only been happening between eight o'clock in the evening and midnight."
Chen Chuan looked at him, "Aside from the employees mentioned in the information, have there been any other staff or customer casualties? I want to know the truth."
Huang Dacheng hesitated, nodded, and raised a finger, "There was a drunk customer whose body we found the next day. We have no idea how he ended up there. Just one, I swear."
Chen Chuan didn't delve deeper but thought for a moment and said, "I understand the situation. I'll stay tonight to handle this matter."
Huang Dacheng was delighted and shook Chen Chuan's hand, "Great, then I'll leave it to you, Mr. Chen. Whatever your conditions are, I'll do my best to meet them."
Chen Chuan said, "My only condition is that no one should be near the area during that time."
Huang Dacheng nodded repeatedly, "Of course, of course. By the way," he took out a card and presented it with both hands, "This is our cinema's VIP card, which allows you to use a private screening room for movies and performances for free throughout the year. Please accept it, Mr. Chen."
Chen Chuan took the card and said, "Thank you, Mr. Huang. Can we go and see the place now?"
Huang Dacheng agreed, but he himself was too afraid to go. Instead, he had a trusted assistant escort Chen Chuan to the theater where the incident had occurred.
This theater could accommodate three hundred people could watch movies simultaneously. After walking around, Chen Chuan sat in the middle and waited. Soon, the lights dimmed, and as the projection beam shone from the back, the large screen in front lit up, playing the latest movies.
In his past life, Chen Chuan had been a movie enthusiast, covering his walls with movie posters and spending his pocket money on movies instead of new clothes. His favorite movie series were the Swordsman series and the Mysterious Cave series. However, in this life, he had been dedicated to training and pursuing martial arts, leaving no time for movies. The films playing now were carefully selected by him, a way to make up for his past life's regrets.
As he watched, a female waitress pushed a cart with soda and snacks. He didn't touch the soda but sampled the snacks, finding that they were quite tasty and crispy, not inferior to the potato chips from his past life.
(End of Chapter)"
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