Charles’s eyes lit up instantly after taking a bite of the noodles. He slurped them up in one go, gave a thumbs up, and said, “Brilliant! Your cooking skills are even better than your looks!”

　　Robert Walker laughed and said, “Thanks for the compliment, but your way of complimenting is pretty original. I almost want to dump my bowl of soup on your face to show my appreciation!”

　　A simple dinner ended with the two of them chatting and laughing. In the end, Robert Walker said sincerely, “Charles, thank you so much for all your help these past few days. Things are a bit rough today, but I’ll cook a big feast to thank you in the future.”

　　Charles waved his hand dismissively and said, “You’re being too polite, Walker. First of all, this is my job, it’s only natural. Second, didn’t I say it already? We hit it off right away.”

　　That’s what he said, but Robert Walker still felt he owed him a favor. Charles really had been great to him. For example, when Robert Walker’s phone couldn’t access the internet, Charles even lent him his iPad.

　　After watching a movie, Robert Walker leaned on the windowsill for a while, gazing at the bright moonlight, then lay down on the bed to get ready for sleep.

　　He had a little problem—neurasthenia, which is a common occupational hazard for many programmers. He was a light sleeper and would wake up at the slightest noise. Plus, he was sleeping in a new bed tonight, making it even harder to fall into a deep sleep.

　　He didn’t know how long he’d slept when Robert Walker suddenly heard a muffled voice: “Hungry, hungry, so hungry… Who’s there, who’s there, who’s there…”

　　The voice sounded very strange, just like Charles had said on the stairs—the tone was odd. To put it another way, it was as stiff as a foreigner speaking Chinese.

　　After hearing the voice clearly, Robert Walker instantly woke up, adrenaline surging, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.

　　Lying on the bed, he didn’t dare get up right away. Instead, he listened carefully. Maybe he was just imagining things?

　　Focusing intently and holding his breath, Robert Walker had just perked up his ears when suddenly his door banged loudly—“bang bang bang!”

Chapter 9: The Wallet Is Flat

　　This time, Old Walker was scared out of his wits. To have something like this happen when you’re so focused could really scare someone to death. He let out a shrill scream and jumped up, suddenly feeling the urge to pee!

　　At that moment, the wooden door burst open from the outside with a loud crash, and then Charles’s panicked scream rang out: “Walker, are you dead?!”

　　What kind of question was that? Robert Walker was almost scared to death or at least furious. If that voice had come a bit later, he probably would have wet his pants. Now he realized it was Charles who had been banging and kicking the door, but he was still way too scary.

　　Charles didn’t look much better than him. The guy’s face was pale, eyes full of fear, his blond hair a mess, veins bulging on his hands as he gripped a black pistol tightly…

　　Hugging his pillow to his chest, Robert Walker looked at Charles in panic, his eyes moving from Charles’s equally terrified face to the gun in his hand, then to his trembling legs. He shouted, “Are you trying to scare me to death?! What’s with the gun in your hand?”

　　Charles, panting heavily, said, “Forget about my gun, hurry up, grab your important stuff and get out of here! This damn castle is definitely haunted, and it’s a female ghost, I’m sure of it!”

　　With the lights blazing and a friend by his side, Robert Walker’s fear calmed down a lot. Still shaken, he asked, “What did you see just now?”

　　Charles swallowed and said, “Damn it, I don’t know, I didn’t see anything, but this castle is definitely haunted, because I heard a female ghost crying. She said she was hungry, and she kept asking who had broken into her tomb!”

　　“Tomb?” Robert Walker’s nerves, which had just relaxed, tensed up again.

　　Charles didn’t waste any more words, tossed him his bag, and said, “Let’s go, get out of here now!”

　　Robert Walker hesitated, looking at the pitch-black night outside. “But, damn it, where can we go now? There’s nothing but wilderness for a thousand square kilometers around! How about we stick together and wait until dawn? We can call a helicopter to leave when it’s light.”

　　Indeed, without a helicopter, the two of them couldn’t go anywhere. They had no transportation, and there were no roads on this estate.

　　Charles muttered for a while, but in the end, he had to accept Robert Walker’s suggestion. The two of them stayed in one room with the lights on the whole time. His pistol was kept loaded, and they both watched their surroundings warily.

　　After that, there were no more strange noises. Robert Walker asked Charles if there could be someone else in the castle, but Charles said it was impossible. The funeral team had checked when they left; there was absolutely no one in the castle.

　　If someone had climbed in afterward, that was even less likely. The main gate was locked, the walls were so high, no one could get in—especially since the voice had been a woman’s, and it was even less likely for a woman to get in.

　　Robert Walker had been raised as an atheist, so except when he was really scared, he didn’t believe there were ghosts in the castle. Besides, after the two of them entered one room, there hadn’t been any more sounds.

　　But Charles insisted there was a female ghost in the castle. Robert Walker was a bit scared too, so he didn’t argue. They chatted for a while, and by the second half of the night, both were so tired they couldn’t take it anymore. Charles suggested they take turns keeping watch, each for an hour, and hold out until dawn to leave.

　　Robert Walker let Charles rest first. The guy had been more nervous than him and was even more exhausted, so naturally, he was sleepier now.