My House of Horrors

Doctor Gao seemed to have his own reservations. “I’m afraid Men Nan might not be able to survive until tonight; his condition is getting worse.”

With his head lowered, Men Nan maintained his weird posture. His pupils darting about but completely silent.

“But there’s no better option.” Chen Ge knew what Doctor Gao wanted to say. “His condition is completely different from Wang Xin’s, so I’m helpless as well. But if you trust me, let me go to his apartment to take a look tonight, and perhaps I will find something. Other than that, I have another question to ask him.”

Chen Ge walked to Men Nan’s side and slowly used his hand to swipe above the young man’s head and spine.

“What are you doing?” Doctor Gao was confounded.

“Doctor Gao, have you noticed that regardless of whether he was talking or walking, he kept his head lowered—it felt like there was something pressing on him on his skull.” Chen Ge had noticed this a long time ago, but he did not have the chance to enquire about it. “Men Nan, don’t you think it’s difficult to maintain a posture like that?”

Reminded by Chen Ge, Doctor Gao patted Men Nan on his back. “Are you still feeling uncomfortable?”

Men Nan waved his hands, but he kept his head lowered. Standing for quite some time in the crowd seemed to have taken a toll on him; he looked like he could lose control at any moment. Noticing this, Doctor Gao quickly led Men Nan to a darker location for him to rest.

The frequency at which Men Nan’s pupils move about is not normal. He kept looking around him, and he has a habit of rolling his pupils upwards like he is trying to see above his head.

Chen Ge looked at Men Nan’s shadow, and the more he looked at the young man, the more confused he felt. If one was naturally a little bit hunchback, one’s spine would be arched, but Men Nan’s back was straight, and only his head fell downwards. It gave the impression that there was something heavy sitting on his head.

Washing his head, why would he experience dream like that?

There was still no reaction from the black phone. Chen Ge ignored it. A special visitor was an additional bonus; it was good if he could get it, but he would not feel bad if he did not either. After sending away two batches of visitors, Men Nan’s situation improved. Doctor Gao was indeed an expert at counselling. Men Nan, who appeared like he was going to lose his mind, became sedated and calm around Doctor Gao.

He led Men Nan to see Chen Ge again. They seemed to have come to a decision, “8 pm tonight. We will see you at Hai Ming Apartments.”

“Okay,” Chen Ge promised, and the black phone vibrated. “Let him fall asleep normally tonight, and I will keep a vigil over him.”

“I’ll accompany you.” Doctor Gao thanked Chen Ge before leaving with Men Nan.

Yet another weird case. Chen Ge roughly grasped the meaning of special visitor; they weren’t ghosts per se but people trapped in the line between the two worlds. As soon as they left, he checked the black phone.

“The second special visitor has left. Through your effort, you have unlocked the mission information! Unlocked Hidden Trial Mission—A Room of Three.

“A Room of Three (1 Star Scream Factor): Arrive at Hai Ming Apartment before midnight and find out the reason behind the special visitor’s illness.

“Mission Venue: Hai Ming Apartment Room 303.

“Mission Hint: He came from the Third Sick Hall.

“Do you want to accept the mission? Warning: The Trial Mission is only active for twenty-four hours. If you do not accept it within this time limit, it’ll be taken as forfeit, and this scenario will stay locked forever.”

Chen Ge did not pay much attention to this hidden mission, at least not until he saw the mission hint.

It’s related to the Third Sick Hall? He came from the Third Sick Hall? Men Nan has been treated inside the Third Sick Hall?

Reading the mission details again, Chen Ge found a more curious coincidence; the number three was repeated many times. Could this be a coincidence? But what is the meaning of this Room of Three?

Either two ghosts were living in Men Nan, or Chen Ge, Doctor Gao, and Men Nan would make up the three in the room. In any case, since it was related to a three-star scenario, Chen Ge did not dare to be too careless. He memorized the mission details and made sure he did not miss anything before putting away the black phone.

He contacted Xu Wan to have her sell tickets while Chen Ge entered the Murder by Midnight scenario to act as the ghost. There was no accident. During lunch break, Chen Ge did not join Xu Wan at the canteen, but he moved alone to the park office.

After discovering the presence of Director Luo’s daughter, Chen Ge had a few questions for Director Luo. He took the elevator to the top floor. The door to Director Luo’s office was open; the man did not seem to like the idea of trapping himself in an enclosed room. Chen Ge knocked on the door lightly, and Director Luo soon came out to greet him, carrying several reports in his hands.

“Director Luo, I have a few questions for you, do you have some time?”

Director Luo put the reports down. “Problems with the underground parking lot?”

“No, it’s not that but something else.” Chen Ge placed Luo Ruoyu’s bracelet and the paper left behind by his parents on Director Luo’s desk. “These are the things I found in the underground parking lot beside a support beam.”

“What is it that you wish to know?” Director Luo recognized the bracelet. “There are plenty of toys left in unnoticeable corners around the park. I left them there personally.”

“Why would you do that?”

“All the toys are my daughter’s favorites. I placed them around the park so that when she returned, she would not feel so lonely.”

“Then did you place other things alongside the toys, like this?” Chen Ge pushed the bloodied note to Director Luo.

Director Luo shook his head after looking at it twice. “I have no recollection of this; it wasn’t me.”

After getting the answer from Director Luo, Chen Ge was slightly disappointed. He had assumed that, as the director of New Century Park, Director Luo would know a thing or two about his parents’ disappearance, but he was wrong. Director Luo did not even know about his own daughter’s return to the park; his parents seemed to have hidden a lot of secrets.

“Then, I’m sorry for disturbing you.” Chen Ge picked up the note and prepared to leave.

“Wait a minute!” Director Luo stood up slowly and signaled for Chen Ge to show him the note. “This is your father’s handwriting, isn’t it?”

“Yes, you can recognize it?” Chen Ge was surprised; not everyone would pay attention to people’s handwriting.

“The Third Sick Hall…” Director Luo read the words on the paper before confirming. “Right before your parents disappeared, I heard them mention this place.”