As An Antique Shop Owner, It's Only Reasonable That I Know A Bit Of Magic - Chapter 56

Scarlett Johansson?

Hearing this name, Su Fan was somewhat surprised.

In his previous life, thanks to the booming Marvel Cinematic Universe, the actors portraying its superheroes had become incredibly famous. The sole female member and the designated sex symbol of the Avengers, Black Widow, was played by Scarlett. This role propelled her already successful career to its peak, earning her the nickname “Widow Sister” among fans in China.

Of course, due to a certain ill-advised comment from a young basketball star years ago, her name was also widely known among NBA fans.

After finishing his explanation, Carsten noticed Su Fan’s calm expression and continued.

“Some time ago, my daughter was boarding a plane bound for France when she suddenly had a… breakdown…”

“She became convinced that the plane would crash if it took off. She started screaming that it mustn’t leave, disrupting the entire flight schedule.”

“This incident even made the news.”

“After we brought her back, doctors diagnosed her with neurasthenia, caused by overexposure to the public eye.”

“But you know… that’s simply impossible…”

At this point, Carsten gritted his teeth.

Those quack doctors, spouting nonsense after a fifteen-minute conversation, coming up with such an illogical conclusion, and having the nerve to charge over five thousand dollars for the consultation! They should just drop dead!

Hearing this, Su Fan understood. So the female movie star Annie mentioned last night was her.

Although Scarlett wasn’t a “public enemy” like Anne Hathaway, her fame came with plenty of detractors. Having endured for so many years, Su Fan found it hard to believe she’d be driven to a breakdown by paparazzi alone.

“What other strange things have happened to your daughter since?” Su Fan asked.

After hearing the question, Carsten collected himself slightly and continued.

“Since that incident, Scarlett has been plagued by nightmares, but she insists they are prophetic dreams.”

“I didn’t believe it either, until she accurately described an accident that later happened to another passenger from that same flight.”

“Skeptical, I looked into that passenger. He had indeed died in a bizarre accident after the flight.”

“And the manner of his death matched exactly what Scarlett had described!”

Recalling the gruesome state of the body, Carsten’s face paled.

Su Fan reached out, poured a cup of tea, and slid it over to him.

Carsten thanked him, took a few sips, and calmed down again.

“After that, Scarlett successfully predicted the deaths of several more people.”

“I investigated the seating on the plane and found that the passengers were dying in the order of their seat numbers.”

“At that point, I became certain my daughter was experiencing some unexplainable supernatural phenomenon.”

“But the terrible part is, based on the seating order, there are only two people left before it’s Scarlett’s turn!”

“At her strong insistence, I had a safe room built for her inside a psychiatric hospital. It’s devoid of any sharp objects or dangerous elements.”

“Even so, she’s being tormented by the approaching death, living in constant fear.”

“I’m frantic with worry and have been seeking help everywhere. It was while visiting Ms. Kate that I heard her mention you, Master Su Fan…”

“Please, you must save my daughter!”

Having explained the whole story from beginning to end, Carsten fell silent, quietly awaiting Su Fan’s response.

After listening, Su Fan was certain: what Scarlett was experiencing was the plot of Final Destination.

“So, your request is to have your daughter freed from this death curse, to let her live healthily?”

“Exactly.” Carsten nodded emphatically, a flicker of hope appearing in his eyes. “Master Su Fan, does this mean you accept?”

Su Fan didn’t respond directly. But just then, Carsten’s phone suddenly rang!

“Hello…”

After taking the call, Carsten’s face turned extremely grim.

Hanging up, his expression was urgent, his tone filled with anxiety. “That was the private detective I hired.”

“Another passenger from the plane has died. The one after the next… it’s Scarlett!”

Hearing this, Su Fan took out two protective talismans.

“It’s too early to talk about accepting or not. But take these first.”

“These are…” Carsten looked at the two paper talismans in Su Fan’s hand, hesitating.

“These are talismans. They help ward off misfortune and attract good fortune, and can prevent accidents to a certain extent.”

“Take them back and give them to your daughter. If they prove ineffective, we can discuss further.”

“Okay, okay!” Carsten hurriedly took the talismans from Su Fan and carefully tucked them into his inner pocket.

“May I have your mobile number? For easier contact later.”

Su Fan then remembered the phone Anne had given him. He took it out and glanced at the screen; the signal indicator showed a SIM card was present. Quite thoughtful.

After exchanging contact information, Carsten bid farewell to Su Fan and rushed off by car to the psychiatric hospital.

As for Su Fan, he began to ponder.

Final Destination, as a bizarre and gory horror film, was best known among audiences for the various impossibly creative ways the characters died.

Generally, in some major disaster, one person would have a premonition, allowing a small group to escape death. Afterwards, this handful of survivors would be subjected to endless pursuit.

The horror of this series lay in the fact that the characters knew death was coming, they desperately tried to escape their fate, but their efforts were always in vain, ultimately harvested by death.

This strong sense of inevitability, coupled with the pressure of death approaching second by second, was not only suffocating for the audience but also caused many characters within the story to suffer psychological breakdowns and act irrationally.

To be honest, if the request was to save a whole group of people, Su Fan would absolutely refuse. But for just one person, there might be some room to maneuver.

The key was whether the protective talismans would work. If they did, that would increase the chances of success.

Su Fan’s fingers once again habitually tapped on the desktop.

This “Death” was quite efficient, harvesting another life in such a short time.

Then again, it was still questionable whether it was actually a “Death” entity.

The movie’s premise was simple and clear, with an undefinable element to it. Coupled with sequel fatigue, many viewers eventually saw it more as a gory curiosity piece. Very few people carefully analyzed its internal logic for consistency.

However, recalling the movie’s plot, Su Fan remembered some analyses by fans.

They theorized that the “Death” in Final Destination wasn’t a deity, but something more akin to a program.

Thinking of it that way could explain the almost obsessive-compulsive execution of the deaths, and the occasional re-ordering of the death sequence when it was disrupted.