Translator: CinderTL
Suddenly, Curator Zhou's gaze fixed on Jiang Cheng's chest. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Are you... Professor Wu Jinzhong's student?"
Jiang Cheng realized he was still wearing Professor Wu's lab badge. "Yes, I am Professor Wu's student. He treats me like his own son."
It was clear Professor Wu and Curator Zhou shared a deep connection. After a few seconds of contemplation, Curator Zhou turned to Jiang Cheng and Fatty. "Come inside. It's not appropriate to talk out here."
They followed him through a winding path to the lending desk. Curator Zhou gestured for Jiang Cheng to sit beside him, then leaned in close and whispered, "There are some things we can't discuss openly here. Just listen and don't repeat anything I say."
"Don't worry, sir," Jiang Cheng assured him, straightening his posture and adopting a serious, attentive expression. "My lips are sealed."
Wu Qing approached and placed a cup of hot tea before Curator Zhou.
"Thank you, Wu Qing," Curator Zhou nodded in acknowledgment. After taking a sip, he casually glanced at the woman and asked, "Do you have class later?"
"Not until tonight, Curator," Wu Qing replied.
Jiang Cheng turned around, grinning. "Senior Sister," he said, "I'm really sorry about earlier. My attitude was terrible. How about I treat you to milk tea?"
He pulled out his campus card, ready to hand it to her.
"No need, thank you," Wu Qing replied, her expression still aloof and detached. She remained completely unmoved by Jiang Cheng's eagerness.
"Wu Qing, don't reject the student's kindness," Curator Zhou said, rubbing his temples wearily. Wu Qing was excellent in every way, but she was stubborn and prone to getting stuck in her own head.
In the end, Wu Qing agreed to leave and buy milk tea, but only out of respect for Curator Zhou. As she left, she emphasized to Jiang Cheng that she didn't like milk tea, so he didn't need to treat her.
"Um... could you get me one too?" Fatty mumbled weakly as Wu Qing reached for the door. "Just green milk tea, half-sweet, no ice, and light on the pearls."
He paused, swallowed hard, and added, "Thank you, Senior Sister."
With a slam, Wu Qing closed the door behind her.
Noticing Curator Zhou staring at him, Fatty widened his innocent eyes. After a long moment, as if finally realizing he needed to explain himself, he stammered, "Curator, I'm Professor Wu's student too. I..."
"Alright, alright," Curator Zhou waved his hand, signaling that no further explanation was needed. Jiang Cheng noticed the curator's expression turning peculiar, his gaze gradually drifting into a blank stare.
"This place existed long before Jiangtan University was established," Curator Zhou said. "But it wasn't a library back then—it was a museum."
"A Folk Museum," he added.
Hearing that it wasn't a funeral home or a mental asylum, Fatty's complexion slowly regained its color. But just as quickly, as if someone had suddenly grabbed his throat, he turned pale again.
Folk Museum.
If Jiang Cheng remembered correctly, Huai Yi had found several missions online, one of which was at the Folk Museum.
The mission description mentioned a supernatural event linked to a bizarre half-human statue.
"Folk Museum?" Jiang Cheng seemed to be pondering the same thing as Fatty.
"Yes," Curator Zhou replied, his hands wrapped around his teacup as if lost in thought. "When Jiangtan University was being planned, we were allocated a vast tract of land. Naturally, we faced considerable pressure from various parties."
"Several old buildings were located within the designated area, but they couldn't be relocated. Negotiations proved extremely difficult. This Folk Museum was one of them."
"And there's another tricky point: the Folk Museum's operator at the time was a foreigner."
A foreigner running a folk museum in our city? That didn't sound right at all. Jiang Cheng didn't react immediately, choosing instead to listen to the curator's explanation.
"The city, the schools—we negotiated with him countless times, but we couldn't reach an agreement. Eventually, he simply locked the gate and refused to see us."
Curator Zhou shook his head slightly. "But he was only the operator, the user of the building, not its owner."
"In other words, he had merely leased the building, converted it into a museum, but never owned it."
"We tracked down the building's owner, who readily agreed to our terms and fully supported our work."
Fatty listened for a while and finally understood. It was clear this foreigner was being deliberately obstructive.
"Eventually, we issued him a final ultimatum: one week to remove his belongings. If he failed to comply, we warned him, we would take action."
"That's when he finally panicked. He rushed out, pleading for at least two more months and promising to waive any compensation we'd offered. We saw it as a stalling tactic and ignored him completely. When the deadline arrived, we brought our team as planned. Sure enough, the gate was locked tight, and there wasn't a sound from inside."
"We didn't waste any time. We broke down the gate, and he charged out, frantically trying to stop us, waving something like a dagger. Our men quickly subdued him with a single move—a shoulder throw. Curator Zhou sighed. "It was just bad luck. He hit his head and had to be rushed to the hospital, where he's been in a coma ever since."
"Though no one wanted this to happen, the work had to continue. The library's construction was already far behind schedule."
"After a quick inventory of the exhibits, we began setting up the library. Books purchased or donated from various sources were shelved and organized by category. Within about two weeks, the library was operational and open for public borrowing."
"The number on that slip of paper in your hand dates back to that time," Curator Zhou said, pausing before turning to Jiang Cheng.
Looking at the numbered slip, Jiang Cheng never imagined it held such a history.
Curator Zhou dialed a number. After a long wait, the call was answered. He repeated the number to the person on the other end, urging them to recall its significance.
"He's an old senior of mine," Curator Zhou explained to Jiang Cheng after hanging up. "He knows more about what happened back then than I do."
"Thank you for your trouble," Jiang Cheng said gratefully.
Hearing this, Curator Zhou's lips trembled slightly, as if recalling something painful. After a moment, he shook his head, exhaled deeply, and his voice suddenly turned hoarse. "If I could do it all over again, I'd rather the school never built a library at all than have it located here."
"Why?" Jiang Cheng felt a sudden premonition that he was about to pierce through the fog of mystery.
Curator Zhou glanced at the Gate, then lowered his voice. "That foreigner... there's something wrong with him."
(End of the Chapter)
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