My House of Horrors

The artist’s pen name was Shinozaki Daisen, and he was very famous overseas. However, few people knew anything about his real name. Chen Ge looked through the search results for a long time before landing on something relevant. Someone who called him Shinozaki’s landlord was airing the goods.

He claimed that he had seen Shinozaki’s identification card before. This comic artist who was very famous overseas actually had a very local name. He was apparently born as Lee Baofu.

“Shinozaki Daisen and Lee Baofu, it is very hard to imagine that they might be the same person.” Chen Ge turned to glance at the Haunted House’s entrance. Shinozaki was in a staring contest with the man in the trench coat—they both sensed something unusual about the other person.

There were currently seven people inside the Haunted House’s gates. Shinozaki and his female assistant stood on the left side while the man in the trench coat stood alone on the right. The remaining four came together, but they stood in groups of two, pretending like they did not know each other.

“Li Wan City is very big. Even if seven people enter it, I doubt it will raise the smallest of ripple.” If these were visitors that had been through the experience of three-star scenario, Chen Ge might have sent them in just like that, but these few were all newcomers. It was one thing for the group to have a negative purpose for being there, but Shinozaki and his female assistant were completely innocent. Chen Ge was a kind-hearted person. He was not going to give them hell simply because they looked down on his Haunted House and claimed that his scenarios were not going to be scary.

After giving it some thought, Chen Ge walked to the gathered group of seven. “The new scenario takes up a large amount of space—it is meant to be challenged by a group of ten. After we get another three people, then we will start the tour.”

“The fewer people we have, the more fun it will be. Seven people is more than enough.” The man in the trench coat had been beaten up by visitors before. He was not worried about the actors. Instead, he was worried that other visitors might ruin his plan.

“Yes, if there’s ten of us, it’ll only be too noisy and cramped. What’s the point of that?” Shinozaki offered his opinion as well. Due to his temper, there was a lack of filter to his words. The things that came to his mind were the words that escaped his lips.

“I advise you all to practice some patience—the boss is only looking out for you.” There was a young man who spoke from the crowd. The man’s voice was very familiar to Chen Ge. He turned to the direction of the voice and saw Yang Chen frowning as he read the wooden board next to the ticket booth.

“Are you not going to class but coming to my place every day now?” Probably due to the presence of the underground morgue, whenever Chen Ge saw the students from Jiujiang Medical University, he felt so close to them.

Yang Chen was slightly afraid of Chen Ge. When he heard Chen Ge’s voice, he shuffled backward subconsciously. “I still haven’t cleared the underground morgue, so there is no way I am going to attempt a new scenario, so don’t you go making any ideas!”

“Xiao Yang, why would you say something like that? Did you forget the promotional coupons that I gave you?” Chen Ge raised his phone, and the introduction for the new scenario was on the screen. “Are you sure you don’t want to challenge this? Based on my challenge, the people from your school are only missing the underground morgue to have a full clear. After clearing the underground morgue and, of course, this new scenario, the cash prize of 200,000 will be yours. You know that I am a man of my word. I will never go back on my promise. If you clear this scenario, I will hand you the cash prize on the spot.”

The scenarios that were challenged by Jiujiang Medical School would become popular on the internet. In Chen Ge’s eyes, these students were no different from his mascot or lucky charm.

“Just count me out, but I did bring a few people for you today.” Yang Chen turned back and waved. Two guys and a girl walked out from the crowd. The one who walked in front was Wang Dan. Chen Ge had met him before. He was the young man who had accompanied Yang Chen when they challenged Mu Yang High School and the underground morgue.

The boy and girl at the back were happily chatting. The girl wore a loose-fitting t-shirt that showed off her shoulders and a pair of white shorts. It showed off her sexiness and sweetness, accenting the assets that she possessed for a young woman of her age.

The young man was much taller than Wang Dan and had much more defined muscles on his body. He was not overly dressed, but every single article of clothing was branded. He appeared much more impressive than Wang Dan, who seemed to have faded into the background.

“I’m sure you remember my buddy, Wang Dan. The girl behind him is his girlfriend. The male is a student studying Sports and Health at Jiujiang’s Teacher-training Institute. He is also Wang Dan’s girlfriend’s high school friend.” Yang Chen leaned in closer to whisper to Chen Ge, “Apparently, he was voted their high school’s most handsome student.”

“That is Wang Dan’s girlfriend? If you didn’t tell me, I really would not have known.” Chen Ge suddenly realized something. “But wait a minute, why are you telling me all this?”

Yang Chen kept winking and making signs at Chen Ge, and it tickled the latter quite a bit. Before he could react, Wang Dan and the other two had already walked over. “Give me three tickets for the new scenario.”

It was clear that Wang Dan was not in a good mood. His voice sounded quite lethargic and defeated.

“Are you sure? The new scenario is very scary. I advise you to not act too recklessly.”

“It’s fine. I have already challenged so many three-star scenarios already. This new scenario will be a piece of cake for me.”

“Okay then. If anything, I feel much better to I have an experienced visitor like yourself accompanying the rest of the visitors.” Chen Ge gave the three a ticket each. Then he led them into the Haunted House. “The pens are on the table. Please sign this disclaimer form.”

The ten visitors squeezed into the corridor, and it was quite cramped. There were a limited number of pens on the table, so there was some waiting. The man in the trench coat was understandably annoyed. “Is there a need for this? I’ve visited many Haunted Houses before, and I have never encountered one that went to such an extent.”

“That’s right. You’re making a visit to a Haunted House out to be something like a bungee jump. I’m sure this is nothing more than a trick to create psychological pressure,” the student who was covered in branded clothes and shining like a sun said casually. He stood next to Wang Dan’s girlfriend and continued to tell the stories about the time he went snorkeling and bungee-jumping. Compared to Haunted Houses, obviously snorkeling and bungee-jumping worked better at attracting girl’s attention. Wang Dan’s girlfriend hung on his every word and would nod and concur at regular intervals.

“You shouldn’t say things like that. This is your first visit to a Haunted House; I advise you to be more cautious with your words.” Wang Dan passed the pen that he was holding to the man.

“Thank you.” The male student shrugged and signed his name before placing the form on the table.

“Zhang Feng?” Chen Ge read the name on the form and put it carefully away. “You voluntarily signed your name, and I did not force you to do it. I need to make sure that you understand that you are voluntarily entering this Haunted House and are not compelled to do it.”

When he heard that this was Zhang Feng’s first time visiting a Haunted House, his first challenge being Chen Ge’s 3.5-star scenario, that was something that could not be described as seeking death anymore.

“Are you kidding?”

“There is still time for you to bow out now.” Chen Ge tried to convince the young man.

“Do you really need to do all this just for a Haunted House visit? You’re doing a bit too much. A written form might be just enough, but now you’re just being annoying.” Zhang Feng regarded Chen Ge’s advice with condescension and turned back to chat with Wang Dan’s girlfriend.

Since the young man refused to take his advice, Chen Ge could do nothing about it. He put the other people’s disclaimer forms away. After making sure that there were no problems, he briefed the visitors about the unique way to enjoy Li Wan City.

“This new scenario is called the Nameless Small Town; it is made up from multiple ghost stories. It spans a very large area, and you are free to do anything you want. After you enter, I will close the path to the small town, and the way to leave will be hidden inside the scenario.

“You need to find the hidden clues while being pursued by murderers and Specters. There are thirty-two clues hidden in this scenario, and they correspond to thirty-two different endings.”

At this point, Chen Ge raised four fingers.

“Since you are the first batch of visitor to experience this scenario, I can provide you with the locations for four of the clues.

“The first clue is hidden inside a water vat in one of the rooms. There is a phone that you can use to communicate with a ghost.

“The second clue is hidden inside a residential home. You will not believe what kind of strange creatures are hidden there at such an unassuming location.

“The third clue is hidden inside an apartment, a music box that will cry on its own.

“The fourth clue is hidden with the boss of the hotel. You can go find him, and he will give you some information.

“Of course, these four clues that I have given you are merely a very small part of the scenario. Feel free to go look for the other clues and find the way to escape this place.”

Chen Ge only gave these four clues because these were the four that were already ready. The thirty-two clues were something that he imagined the scenario could be like, and he was still setting up the rest.

“Thirty-two clues?” Of the four line-cutters, one did not quite believe what Chen Ge said, but he kept his suspicion mostly to himself and did not say any more.

“A completely open Haunted House with unrivalled freedom, here you can enjoy the ultimate experience that you will not get anywhere else.” Chen Ge held onto all the forms and led the group to the door that led underground. “One last piece of advice, after you head in, walk toward the light, and do not wander off on your own.”

“Your acting skills do deserve praise, but in any case, we know all of this already.” Perhaps it was a lack of confidence or some other reason, but the man in the trench coat grumbled softly.

“Each of your choices will lead to a different result; you will see what I mean after you enter the scenario.” Chen Ge opened the Screaming Door, and an extremely cold draft rushed out from the yawning maw. The temperature dropped instantly, and some of the visitors shivered involuntarily.

“Come on, I’ll bring you to the entrance.” Chen Ge walked at the front of the group. He strolled down the creepy path and arrived at the path that led into Li Wan City. A large iron door that was painted black appeared before them. On this side of the door, they could still hear the other visitors screaming and running, but on the other side, it was completely quiet like no living humans had ever stepped on the other side.

“The time for the tour is forty minutes. If you wish to give up, just stand where you are and scream for help. Our workers will come fetch you as soon as possible.” After sending all the visitors into Li Wan City, Chen Ge locked the iron door.

The sound of chains grinding against the door was cutting and sharp. Chen Ge glanced at the ten visitors before him, and the corners of his lips curved upward. “I hope you enjoy this experience.”

He turned to walk out from the underground scenarios and enter the main control room. He changed the background music for Li Wan City to a normal track. There were too many newcomers, so Chen Ge believed that just the scenario alone would be enough to give them a scare.

After he was done, Chen Ge returned to the entrance to sell tickets. After some time, Ye Xiaoxin finished her tour, and she walked out from the Haunted House. The girl’s back was covered in sweat, and her forehead was drenched in cold sweat.

“So, how was your visit?” Chen Ge walked over to greet her.

“No matter how many times I visit this place, there is a sense of authenticity that cannot be shaken. The fear strikes right at your heart; it feels as if the thing that I’ve experienced here is a reflection of real life.” Ye Xiaoxin gave her honest opinion. “I really have no idea how you manage to come up with all these designs—they are seriously horrifying.”

“If they’re not horrifying, how can I call this a Haunted House?” Chen Ge replied with a smile.

“By the way, there is something else that I wish to inform you.” Ye Xiaoxin took out her phone. “Earlier, one of my fans private messaged me, telling me that the largest Haunted House at Xin Hai will be coming to learn from your Haunted House.”

“The Haunted House at Xin Hai?”

“Yes, I hear they’re going out of business, so they wish to come to learn your secret.”

Ye Xiaoxin showed the Haunted House’s information to Chen Ge. Chen Ge did not mind it that much at the beginning, but after a swift glance, he felt something looked curiously familiar. “Wait, can you show me their group picture again?”

Chen Ge zoomed in on the picture, and he realized with a shock that the picture that Ye Xiaoxin showed him contained someone that he was quite familiar with. The soft features and small eyes, this man was currently inside his Haunted House!

“I’ve met this man before. He just entered the Haunted House with that creep.”

“What? That’s impossible!” Ye Xiaoxin was shocked.

“The creep is on many Haunted Houses’ blacklists, but that should be a fact limited to those who frequent Haunted House forums. I can’t shake the feeling that there is something wrong about this.” Chen Ge returned the phone back to Ye Xiaoxin. “Excuse me for a moment.”

Bidding farewell to the reviewer, Chen Ge returned to the main control room to check the surveillance at the Haunted House’s entrance. After some comparison, Chen Ge’s suspicion was confirmed.

The four obviously knew each other. They have tricked a creep to come to my Haunted House, what are they up to? Could they be here on the futuristic theme park’s behalf?

With the change to the situation, Chen Ge thought about it and decided to change the music back to Wedding Dress and Black Friday.

Since you’re here to learn, then I will definitely not keep my secrets from you. I wouldn’t want to be called stingy now, would I?

He walked out from the main control room, and Chen Ge entered the dressing room to put make-up on himself. Then he took out a costume from the Ghost’s Changing Room. He contacted Xiao Gu through the worker’s path and put on the Doctor Skull-cracker’s costume that Xiao Gu had removed.

They will never expect two different murderers, will they?

The shackles dragged on the ground, and Chen Ge put on the human skin mask, held the hammer in one hand, and returned to Li Wan City.

Since I have friends coming from so far, I can’t let them leave without first having some fun, can I?

…

Once the door to Li Wan City closed, the temperature dropped even lower. Silence, fear, and an indescribable terror washed over them like a wave. No one spoke, and the visitors could even hear each other’s heartbeat.

“There is not even a sign board or something? He just dropped us here like that?” Shinozaki himself did not even realize that his voice had dropped lower.

“It has always been like this for Boss Chen’s Haunted House. He has his own way that is different from the other Haunted Houses on the market.” Wang Dan’s tone was unfriendly. He walked to the front of the group and said, “I’ve cleared three-star scenarios before, but is there anyone here who can claim the same? Only by working together do we have a chance of clearing the mission.”

“Have you been brainwashed by the Haunted House? You sound as dumb as that boss earlier,” one of the men who followed the feminine guy said. “Who gave him the right to decide the terror level of a scenario inside a Haunted House? If anything, his Haunted House is merely slightly more popular in Jiujiang.”

“The reason he splits the scenarios into different levels is actually to keep on earning money from repeat customers like you. We attempted something like this years ago.” The other person stretched lazily, and he took out his phone like he was preparing to send message to someone else.

“It is my advice that you do not use your phone inside the Haunted House.” Wang Dan looked at the man seriously. “Everyone who uses their phone inside this Haunted House ends up in the worst state and will only burden the rest of the teammates.”

“You’re an actor hired by the Haunted House, aren’t you? Or is there something wrong with your brain?” The man did not care and turned away from Wang Dan.

Wang Dan wanted to say something else, but he was stopped by his girlfriend. His girlfriend seemed to think that the way he was acting was quite embarrassing.