My House of Horrors

After lunch, Chen Ge returned to the staff breakroom. When he opened the door, he saw Xu Wan squatting by the door. “What are you doing?”

“Boss, when did you get this cat‽ It’s so pretty, but it doesn’t let me touch it!” Xu Wan grumbled, “I just want to give it a hug.”

“Don’t think about it. The cat is a stray and is hostile toward human.” Chen Ge entered the room and placed the boards back. When the cat saw Chen Ge, it did not hiss angrily, but it did jump away like it did not want to be physically close to him.

“Then why isn’t the cat hostile toward you?” Xu Wan was confused. Whenever she neared the cat, it would assume a hostile posture.

“Perhaps it knows I’m a trustworthy, noble person.” Sitting on the bed, Chen Ge stretched lazily. “Do you want to take a rest?”

“It’s alright. You can take a short nap; I’ll wake you at 1:15 pm.” Xu Wan looked at the white cat with captivated eyes. “By the way, what is its name?”

“I’ve tried given it many names, but it didn’t like any of them. When I called it White Tiger, it was weirdly responsive, so I’m considering calling it White Tiger from now on.” Chen Ge looked at the white cat and considered it seriously.

“You want to call a cat White Tiger?” Xu Wan thought that Chen Ge was kidding with her, but he didn’t look like it. “Well, as long as you’re happy.”

After Xu Wan left, Chen Ge continued to study the white cat on the chair. This cat could see those monsters, and even a baleful specter like Xiaoxiao was afraid of it. If he could make use of it, this cat could be a useful trump card for Chen Ge, but it was a living creature with its own consciousness. However, making it obedient to Chen Ge’s orders would take some time. At least after a night of interaction, the cat was no longer that hostile toward Chen Ge. The cat was clever; it knew who was good and who was bad.

“Your kittens are no longer with us; even if you continue to guard them, nothing will change.” Chen Ge thought about it and stood up to grab the basket. The white cat followed behind him, and the pair walked out the Haunted House.

Chen Ge used his hands to dig up a hole next to a tall tree. Then, he placed the kittens within. When he did those things, he kept an eye on the white cat, afraid that it might suddenly become frenzied.

“I understand your pain and know how important they are to you, but you have to understand…” Chen Ge squatted on the floor and slowly filled up the hole. “Everything dies, and when it does, it is returned to nature. Only by burying them can their souls return to the Great Cycle.”

He did not know whether the white cat understood him or not, but the cat kept watching the mound of dirt. Staring at the four kittens that slowly disappeared from view, its pair of different colored eyes danced slightly. It did not attack Chen Ge or lose its rationality; it just sat there quietly.

When Chen Ge dropped in the last handful of dirt, the white cat hid inside a tree hole. No matter how hard Chen Ge tried to get its attention, there was no response. The lunch break was soon over, and the visitors returned. It was then that the white cat left the hole, but it just jumped higher into the tree’s canopy.

Chen Ge could not force the cat to do something it did not want to, so after a quick cleaning, he opened the Haunted House for business.

With the new two-star scenario, many visitors instantly lined up again after experiencing Murder by Midnight or Minghun scenarios. The effect of the level delineation had slowly come into play. The greater the limitation, the more they wanted to try it. For thrill-seekers, the unknown scenario had an unparalleled attraction.

Chen Ge was busy until New Century Park closed. Before he had a chance to rest, Chen Ge followed Uncle Xu to the park storage to retrieve the surveillance devices. He told Xu Wan and Uncle Xu to leave first before entering Mu Yang High School alone. He installed the camera at few key locations.

The installation took longer than Chen Ge expected. When he was finished, it was already 8 pm. After washing his face, Chen Ge called Doctor Gao and Wang Hailong before taking a taxi to Hai Ming Apartments. When he arrived, Doctor Gao and Wang Hailong were already there.

The steady Doctor Gao who had a deep appreciation and understanding of psychology easily won over the affection of the Wang brothers. Without the introduction from Chen Ge, they were already happily chatting among themselves.

“My dad and Shenglong live on the sixth floor. I’ve informed them of our visit this afternoon.”

When the three entered Hai Ming Apartments, Chen Ge frowned slightly. That stench had returned. This stench was heaviest when they passed the third floor, but the others did not seem to smell it. They acted normally, discussing Wang Shenglong’s condition.

What is the source of this smell?

Initially, Chen Ge thought it was the bag of animal bodies from Room 302, but those carcasses should have been taken care of by now, so how come the stench still remained?

They reached the top floor, and Wang Hailong knocked on the door for Room 601. It was a man in his fifties who answered the door. He had peppery hair and a deep frown on his face.

“Dad, this is the Haunted House boss who experienced something similar, and this is the best psychologist in Jiujiang.”

“Please, come in.”

There were many everyday items in the room. The room was not designed to fit that many people, and it appeared a bit small.

“I’ve been told of your intention. Shenglong is inside the bedroom. If you can cure his illness, you will not worry for your financial future anymore.” This old father looked far more ancient than his actual age.

“Can we meet Shenglong?” Chen Ge stood at the very back. When the door was opened, the stench hit him like a wall, but weirdly enough, none of the others reacted in any way to it. It appeared that only he could smell this stench.

“Okay, but I hope you are mentally prepared.” Wang Shenglong’s father pushed the bedroom door open.

A stronger stench wafted out from the room, and Chen Ge rested his finger surreptitiously on the tip of his nose. It was not smelly per se, but it was a smell that made him feel uncomfortable. He instinctually wanted to escape when the smell hit him. The smell was like a voice telling him, ‘do not get close, this thing is dangerous.’

Looking through the bedroom door, the small bedroom did not have any furniture, just a thin carpet covering the floor and several pillows in the corners. Other than these, the most eye-grabbing feature was the person who sat in the middle of the room.

He was a squat person, perhaps only about 1.5 meters tall, and incredibly overweight. His legs were misshapen from the pressure, and he looked more like a meatball than a man.

When he saw people walk in, the man grinned harmlessly at the door and raised his hand with difficulty in an attempt to wave.

Whenever a new outsider saw Wang Shenglong, his father’s heart felt like it was slashed by a knife. “Shenglong doesn’t know how to speak, but his other faculties are totally normal. Ask him anything, and he will answer by writing on the board.”