"Yawn!!”

In the cold wind, Chen Ling sneezed violently. In his previous life as a northerner, Chen Ling was somewhat unable to cope with the weather here, cold and damp. Although the sun was shining brightly in the sky, he couldn't feel any warmth at all. "Make way, make way!”

A lazy voice came from the front. Chen Ling came to his senses and subconsciously moved to the side of the road. At the end of the road, a tricycle was slowly approaching, with a young man riding the bike and another young man sitting on the back seat, next to two large barrels of salt. He scooped up salt with a spoon and sprinkled it on the frosted road. As the salt grains fell, the frost on the ground gradually melted. "Oh, Chen Ling?”

The person sprinkling salt saw Chen Ling standing on the side of the road and raised an eyebrow. "I didn't expect to see the top student here. Weren't you supposed to be taking the law enforcement exam? Did you fail?”

Chen Ling saw that face, and memories flooded back. His name was Zhao Yi, a child who grew up on the same street as Chen Ling since childhood. However, he was naturally jealous. In high school, Chen Ling excelled academically, and Zhao Yi's mother often compared him to Chen Ling, making him dislike Chen Ling no matter what. "I passed the written test, still have the physical test.”

Chen Ling stood on the side of the road and casually replied. "Hehe, then I wish you good luck in the exam!”

Saying this, Zhao Yi scooped up a large spoonful of salt and vigorously waved it towards the road, accidentally splashing Chen Ling standing on the side. Salt grains flew into Chen Ling's hair and cotton robe.

He never expected Zhao Yi to play such a trick. He quickly brushed off the salt grains with his hand and then glared at Zhao Yi. By then, Zhao Yi was already sitting on the tricycle, swaying away. He propped one foot on the salt barrel and stuck out his tongue at Chen Ling.

As a 28-year-old adult who had been through the trials of society, facing such a clumsy prank, Chen Ling felt a bit angry and amused. However, Chen Ling had no intention of chasing after the kid to beat him up.

He just silently kept this incident in mind, as he had more important things to do at the moment. Chen Ling was about to take a step forward when he glanced at the ground and was slightly stunned. The frost touched by the salt grains was gradually melting, leaving a slight white residue on the ground.

In that moment, Chen Ling saw a line of text forming - [Audience Expectation: 27%]. Before Chen Ling could react, the salt grains had completely melted, and the scene just now seemed like a fleeting illusion. Chen Ling rubbed his eyes hard and muttered to himself, "Can't be true...”

A sense of urgency rose again, and Chen Ling couldn't help but quicken his pace, heading straight to the clinic. A few minutes later, Chen Ling pushed open the door of the clinic.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

It was called a clinic, but it was actually a residential house on Frost Street, two stories high, square in shape and gray in color, reminiscent of the houses in his rural hometown. But even such a rough house was considered decent on Frost Street, at least it had two floors and could block the wind. "It's you.”

Behind the wooden table, a man in a white coat turned slightly. "Are you here to get medicine for your brother again? Didn't he transfer to the hospital in District Two?”

"It's not Ah Yan this time, it's me.”

Chen Ling's brother had been hospitalized here before, and he was also familiar with Dr. Lin. He walked to the table and sat down, looking a bit nervous. "Oh? What's wrong with you?”

"I... my head doesn't feel quite right.”

"Is it a physical headache, or...”

"Lately, I seem to be experiencing hallucinations.”

"Psychiatric department?”

Dr. Lin raised an eyebrow, pushed up his black-framed glasses seriously, "I'm good at that... tell me about your condition.”

"I had a dream last night, dreaming that I was standing on a stage, with many spectators below... I couldn't see their faces clearly, but they didn't seem human. I ran desperately on the stage, but could never find the way out...”

"Interpreting dreams is not within my scope of work.”

"I know.”

Chen Ling took a deep breath, "But after I woke up, I always felt... they were still watching me.”

Hearing this, Dr. Lin finally became interested, "Imagining being spied on?”

"It doesn't seem like imagination... they seem to be in my mind, sitting in the audience seats, observing my every move, and I'm like a puppet forced to perform, just a tool to please them.”

"So you're saying, your life is a stage, and you are the only protagonist on the stage?”

"That's the idea... but not as positive as you said.”

"What about the audience? Besides watching you, do they do anything else?”

Chen Ling was silent for a moment, "I don't know if it's my illusion... they seem to be able to influence things around me.”

"Can they influence reality? That sounds a bit fantastical.”

Dr. Lin said as he picked up the teapot and took a sip, about to say something, his face suddenly changed! Puff!! Dr. Lin spurted out a mouthful of bright red blood, splattering on the floor. "Dr. Lin??”

Chen Ling was startled, "Are you sick?”

"...No.”

Dr. Lin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, the blood was not his, frowned for a moment, his gaze fell on the teapot on the table...

At some point, the teapot was already filled with thick blood. Dr. Lin's face looked a bit ugly, he clearly remembered that he had brewed a packet of Pu'er tea in it a minute ago.

During this time, there were only him and Chen Ling in the clinic, Chen Ling had been under his watchful eye the whole time, it was impossible and there was no motive for him to tamper with the tea, the full teapot of blood seemed to have appeared mysteriously like a magic trick... Chen Ling also seemed to have realized something, his face growing paler. "Just as I said.”

He hoarsely spoke, "They... may really exist.”

Dr. Lin stared at the cup of blood for a long time before slowly looking at him, "How long has this been going on?”

"One day.”

Chen Ling paused for a moment, "Since I became conscious, only one day.”

"What about before you became conscious? What were you doing?”

"I... " Suddenly, an image flashed in Chen Ling's mind of him staggering in the pouring rain last night, "I don't know, I can't remember.”

"So, you're not sure if this symptom started last night, and you have no memory before last night?”

"...Yes.”

"Have you been possessed by 'calamity'?”

Dr. Lin rubbed his eyes, "Or let me rephrase, last night... did you encounter the intersection of the Gray Realm?”