Rules of Strange Tales and Extraordinary Files

Chapter 14 Pulling

Tang Mubai winked frantically, "What are you looking at me for? Take it!"

Li Jiu had been planning to talk to Professor He, so of course they hit it off immediately.

"Professor He."

On the other end of the phone, Professor He's gentle yet weary voice came through: "Child, the matter of Long Shi has frightened you."

Li Jiu said, "Yes, I was a little scared."

Tang Mubai secretly got out of bed and leaned close to whisper in his ear.

Professor He reassured her, "I understand, I completely understand... However, our summer camp consent form actually mentioned that this summer camp itself may involve some minor 'excitement'."

"But as long as you follow the rules and report the situation in a timely manner, at most it will be a bit stimulating, but it will not endanger your personal safety."

"There are some mysterious things in Fulong Mountain, and that's exactly what I'm researching, which is why I started this summer camp."

Professor He then changed the subject, his tone now tinged with the enthusiasm of a researcher: "The land of Fulong Mountain itself contains many unsolved mysteries and is full of treasures of folklore and mysticism. This is precisely the direction of my research and the original intention of launching this summer camp."

Li Jiu and Tang Mubai exchanged a glance, their hearts sinking simultaneously.

Here it comes, the important part.

Tang Mubai muttered under his breath, "Damn, there were so many words on that document! I didn't even read it carefully before I signed it!"

"Hehehe..." Professor He's laughter came through the phone. "Tang Mubai is here too? That's perfect. Li Jiu, why don't you put it on speakerphone? We're not talking about anything shameful. You two are both involved, so let's just treat it as a forward-looking sharing session."

Tang Mubai pursed his lips, then adopted an exaggerated, lingering fear tone, and blurted out, "Professor! I don't really care what that dragon servant is, anyway, that thing scared me half to death today!"

"Sigh, to be honest, I thought she was quite cute when I was at the door. I don't know how she suddenly became so scary..."

Professor He then explained, "This is related to their own state; the Dragon Servants are actually..."

"Hey, wait a minute, Professor..." Tang Mubai quickly interrupted, "I've actually been a coward since I was little, and I'm terrified of snakes. Today, that Dragon Servant conjured up a lot of snakes right in front of us, which almost scared us to death."

"So... Professor, so I actually wanted to ask... if we really can't handle this kind of stress, and if we want to withdraw from summer camp, can we leave tomorrow?"

Tang Mubai may be impulsive, but when it comes to matters of personal safety, he takes them very seriously.

Even a fool could see that Zhou Hao and Zhao Zhengmeng in the summer camp were there because of the strangeness of Fulong Mountain, while the others were still observing. Only he simply wanted to come and enjoy a free trip and find a girlfriend.

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone before a slow voice spoke: "The agreement does indeed contain clear clauses that once members enter the Fulong Mountain area, they are not allowed to withdraw midway, in principle."

"However, if you're really scared, you can skip all the summer camp activities and stay in the Mushroom House until the camp ends, then we can leave together. What do you think of this plan?"

"Of course, if you insist on leaving, you can call a car to pick you up and walk to the white dragon sculpture where we got off today."

"However, since the staff at the campsite and scenic area are prioritized for ensuring the safety of people inside the scenic area, we don't know if we can spare any manpower to escort you... Moreover, if you encounter any unexpected situations along the way, we will not be able to guarantee your personal safety in a timely manner."

"Okay... I'll think about it some more..." Tang Mubai replied reluctantly.

Professor He chuckled and said, "Don't be so discouraged. Young people should be energetic. Mushroom House is a perfectly safe place as long as you follow the rules. At worst, you can just stay here and do nothing, or go to the buffet to eat and drink!"

Tang Mubai rolled his eyes inwardly, thinking to himself, "Old man, you really know how to bring up the most awkward topics. Li Jiu and I just arrived at the Mushroom House and already we've achieved the feat of 'successfully getting blacklisted by the buffet restaurant after just one meal.'"

If I went to a buffet restaurant and refused to leave, I'd most likely get kicked out.

Seeing that Li Jiu remained silent, Professor He took the initiative to ask, "Li Jiu, what are your thoughts?"

Knowing he couldn't leave easily, Li Jiu figured he could simply stay in the Mushroom House, so after hesitating for a moment, he licked his lips and asked, "What's the deal with that Dragon Servant?"

"The dragon servant is merely an outward appearance," Professor He said.

"What do you mean?"

"Regarding the Dragon Servant himself, although the information is a bit difficult to find, some scattered records can still be found if you look carefully."

Professor He did not answer directly, but instead steered the conversation to a deeper level.

"But what's truly worth exploring is what the Dragon Servant represents—the hidden folk customs, the mysteries of the earth's veins, and even those ancient legends buried by time in Fulong Mountain..."

"These are the true secrets of this land."

"If you're interested in these things, we can discuss them in detail tomorrow," Professor He said patiently. "These are things I originally planned to share with you gradually at the sharing session after you've climbed the mountain and taken photos."

He reminded them again, "Of course, if you are determined to leave, I have already told you how."

"But I still want to emphasize again..." He returned to the agreement, "That summer camp consent form was signed by you, me, the school, and the officials."

"During the summer camp, we will do everything we can to ensure your safety. As long as you do not break the rules, the consent form we sign is protected by law."

Tang Mubai inquired, "So, if I leave early... the agreement is considered to be void?"

Professor He did not deny it, his tone was calm but carried a hint of weight: "Yes, so my suggestion is still this: if you are really worried, just wait in the Mushroom House until the summer camp ends."

"Sigh, what else is there to say? I can only lie down and see! Li bro, I don't care anymore, you and the old... professor continue chatting!" Tang Mubai lay down with his head down, buried himself in the soft bedding, and started a crazy chat mode.

Professor He's gentle voice came from the other end of the phone: "Li Jiu..."

"Hmm? Professor, you said..." Li Jiu listened intently.

"...It's nothing...I was just thinking that the appearance of the dragon servant was not accidental; it wouldn't lock onto a target for no reason..."

"In short..."

"You should get some sleep. Remember the rules: tonight, no matter who knocks on the door, don't answer or open it."

Professor He paused for a moment: "...Including me."

Li Jiu's pupils contracted slightly, and a chill ran down his spine: "?!?!"

"If you'd like, we can have a good chat when we go hiking tomorrow."

Tang Mubai seemed to have found the keywords, popping his head out from under the covers like a garlic clove: "Hey Professor He! We haven't even mentioned we're going hiking tomorrow!"

"Beep—beep—beep—"

The call was disconnected.