My House of Horrors

“Boss Chen, one hundred mannequins is not a small number; do you mind if I ask why are you creating so many mannequins?”

“This is not our first cooperation, so I’m not going to hide certain things from you.” Chen Ge told Qian Guigen directly, “I’m making dead people mannequins. These one hundred mannequins will be made into cadavers and placed inside the Haunted House.”

Just hearing Chen Ge’s voice on the phone made the skin crawl on Boss Qian’s back. He shuddered. “Since it is for dead bodies, you can just use normal material, the material for one mannequin is about one hundred RMB.”

“The material needs to be of high quality, as least as good as the previous ones,” Chen Ge said firmly.

“Boss, your Haunted House is so dark, and it’s for dead bodies. Using good material is going to be a waste!” Qian Guigen did not quite get it.

“You might think I’m making mannequins but I’m actually creating a body that could replace blood and flesh. These mannequins are very important to the Haunted House.” Chen Ge had his own plan. To completely replicate the underground morgue, the real ‘paradise’ for the dead, he needed many mannequins, and each of them would be filled with lingering spirits of the dead.

“If it’s similar to last time, then the material for each mannequin will be around nine hundred, but since you’re asking for so much, I can try to help you get some discount. If one mannequin is 800, then it’ll cost 80,000.”

“No problem, please get it settled as fast as possible; I need them soon.”

“My workshop is currently vacated, and I will lend it to you for free as long as you let me stay and watch you work. I can pick up some skills from you.” Boss Qian was conflicted. “The biggest issue is I only have enough material to make twenty mannequins currently. I’ll need to leave the city to procure the rest of the material—some of them even came from overseas. You’ll need for wait for at least a week.”

“Just make it as fast as possible. By the way, do you have time now? I wish to go to your workshop to complete the base for the twenty mannequins.”

“Now‽ Sure, I’ll meet you in half an hour.” After hanging up, Chen Ge took out a new set of clothes from his cupboard and went for a shower. He put on the new clothes and left the Haunted House.

“How come I still smell like formalin after a shower?” Chen Ge did not mind it too much. When he left Qian Guigen’s workshop, it was already 9 am.

“The base for the mannequin is ready. Tonight, I can rush the rest. Tomorrow, the mannequins will be ready for use.”

Dropping 20,000 as down payment, Chen Ge left the workshop and returned to New Century Park.

He did not sleep for the whole night, and his body was at its limit. After greeting Uncle Xu, Xu Wan, and Gu Feiyu, he sat in the corridor and started to rest. The Haunted House’s framework was starting to come into shape. Each scenario was manned by someone or something, and it saved Chen Ge plenty of trouble. Now, all he needed to do was make sure the visitors signed the disclaimers.

The holidays were coming, and it was obvious that the number of visitors was rising. Other than the younger visitors who were there for the adrenaline, there were also families who came with their children. Chen Ge’s Haunted House pushed New Century Park back into the public eyes, and this park that had almost been forgotten by time started to revive.

Director Luo is right. For New Century Park to get back on track, it has to be the contribution of more than just the Haunted House. The other facilities need to be updated as well. Only then will we be able to get the visitors to come and stay.

For the expansion of the Haunted House, Chen Ge could depend on the black phone, but the updating of the old facilities needed a large amount of money. Director Luo would have to deal with that.

With Director Luo around, Chen Ge did not need to get himself concerned with these things; he only needed to be focused on managing his Haunted House. The line in front of the Haunted House was getting longer. The scores of the visitors in the resting hall were changing as well, and the speakers around the place broadcasted the visitors’ live screams.

A one-star scenario was no biggie for most visitors, and most of them had started to challenge two-star scenarios. As that number increased, so did the people who wanted to challenge three-star scenarios. There were more pictures and information of the three-star scenario online, but so far, no one had been able to clear it.

Actually, this was not the visitors’ fault. Chen Ge had drafted the difficulty based on his own experience. To clear Coffin Village, the term was to find that tattered wedding dress. A lingering spirit was attached to that dress, and leaving with the dress meant leaving with a ghost.

To clear the Third Sick Hall, the visitors had to find a tape dyed with blood. Chen Ge told the visitors that the tape held the biggest secret of the Third Sick Hall. Actually, he did not lie. The biggest secret at the Third Sick Hall was that there were not only Specters here but also a Red Specter.

The morning went by, and no accidents occurred. When it was time for lunch, Chen Ge went to the canteen to purchase two boxed lunch and went into the underground scenario. He entered the Third Sick Hall and walked to the deepest room. The sign on the wall had not been touched, and the recorder was where it had been.

Chen Ge picked the recorder up. The tape inside was slowly turning. Chen Ge glanced at it. After making sure that there was nothing wrong, he picked it up and opened the door.

There was a sick bed in the middle of the room. Doctor Chen was already awake. He looked at the water on the table as if gauging whether it was poisoned or not.

“You’re awake? Do you still remember what happened yesterday?” Chen Ge gave the boxed lunch to Doctor Chen. He sat to the side and started eating.

“Chen Ge?” Doctor Chen was quite surprised to see him. “It was you who saved me?”

“What do you think?”

“I can’t remember anything.” Doctor Chen rubbed his temples. He picked up the water and took a sip and his throat felt better.

“What is the last thing you can remember?” Chen Ge was more curious about that.

“I followed Jiang Ling and Fan Yu to Coffin Village and got into a fight with Doctor Gao at the village. I was too careless and lost.” Doctor Chen tried his best to think. “I remember being dragged through a door. The madman said that I was his only friend, so he wanted to keep me as a souvenir. That’s all I can remember.”

“Hopefully, you’re not lying to me.” Chen Ge swallowed the mouthful of rice and looked at Doctor Chen seriously. “Doctor Gao is dead, and the door at the Western Jiujiang Medical University is closed. It was me who saved you at the last moment.”

“I believe you, but…” Doctor Chen was uncertain. “That madman had at least two red specters on him. How did you manage to defeat him?”