Due to the increasing disparity in the flow of time between the two worlds, Tong Yang wasn’t sure what time it was on their side.
By the time she received a reply, she and Tong Le had already returned to their dorm with the others.
【？？？】
【Wow! Tong-jie, you’re clairvoyant or something?!】
【Even I in the future didn’t know about this!】
【I looked it up—on August 12th, a massive accident happened at a newly opened murder mystery game venue on Changshui Street in Tianyuan District, Capital City. Eight players allegedly got into a dispute during the game and used the props and storyline to kill each other. Every single one of them was a murderer, and the sole survivor also died from excessive blood loss.】
Studying to Get Rich: 【Check the death list for me.】
【Hah! I was just about to mention that!】
【Hey, doesn’t the survivor at the end look like Tong-jie? Even though she still died.】
【……】
【You think you’re funny?】
【Tong-jie, what’s the date on your side?】
Studying to Get Rich: 【August 11th.】
【Whoa! You’re not planning to go there tomorrow, are you?】
【Don’t! It’s said the place was a sealed space, all surveillance footage malfunctioned afterward, and no one knows what really happened.】
Studying to Get Rich: 【Any details?】
【Hold on, let me check.】
【It’s said this was the first time the script was used, and its contents weren’t disclosed. After the incident, it was completely banned—no trace of the story anywhere.】
【One weird thing about the case is that the entrance surveillance showed eight players entering, but only six bodies were found. The sole survivor—you—kept saying all seven of them died while escaping. The police still haven’t found the missing person.】
【So… a body just vanished?】
【Huh???】
Reading this, Tong Yang’s expression turned grave.
A body disappeared? Only when someone from a parallel world dies in the real world does their body vanish, returning to their original world.
Could it be that among the group last night, someone had already been replaced by a parallel-world counterpart?
【Didn’t Tong-jie say that only parallel-world people’s bodies disappear after death?】
【Holy shit! Tong-jie! There’s someone from a parallel world around you??】
【No way, it’s not the Young Miss, is it?】
【Don’t talk nonsense. We don’t even know if the Young Miss was among the victims—the police haven’t released the death list.】
【Even if she was, there are six others besides her.】
【This is terrifying… someone close to you could be replaced without you knowing, and then stab you in the back one day!】
【Not the Young Miss, please!】
【Tong-jie, just don’t go tomorrow!】
As Tong Yang watched the messages flood the chat, her thoughts drifted back to last night.
Aside from her, Chu Shiyu, and Xu Junyue, there had indeed been five others.
Two girls and three boys.
The two girls were twins—identical in appearance, clothing, hairstyle, makeup, even the placement of moles on their faces. The only difference was that the older sister was slightly more lively.
Standing side by side, silent, even Xu Junyue couldn’t tell who was who.
As for the three boys, Tong Yang didn’t have much impression of them—one had a buzz cut, one had bleached white hair, and the last looked like a well-behaved kid.
Had one of them already been replaced by a parallel-world version?
Who could it be?
Was there a chance Xu Junyue or Chu Shiyu had been replaced?
Xu Junyue’s personality had indeed undergone a drastic shift, and she’d effortlessly infiltrated the group of victims. Could she have been swapped out by then?
And Chu Shiyu?
After spending time together, Tong Yang hadn’t noticed anything off about her. But she’d never mentioned anything about murder mystery games before—why had she agreed so quickly last night? Was it deliberate, to get them all into the game venue?
Though Tong Yang didn’t want to suspect Chu Shiyu, she couldn’t ignore the possibility. She didn’t know what had happened in the old district—what if Chu Shiyu had gone through something alone while she wasn’t there?
More importantly, Tong Yang had no way to confirm. Ye Tianlin’s two versions had clear differences, but others might not.
If the replaced person was among the other five, even if Tong Yang and Chu Shiyu skipped the game, the rest would likely still go in—and the outcome might be even worse.
【Tong Yang, meet at Changshui Street at 6 PM sharp tomorrow. We’ll grab dinner before heading to the venue.】
Xu Junyue sent a few messages, including the address.
Should she tell her?
What if Xu Junyue was the parallel-world version? Would it trigger a butterfly effect, making things even worse?
Should she still join the game?
If she did nothing, the result wouldn’t be any better than the future news suggested—more innocent people might get dragged in.
After what happened with Ye Wen, Tong Yang understood—some things couldn’t be avoided. As long as parallel-world people lurked in the shadows, incidents would keep happening.
So, Tong Yang would go.
Studying to Get Rich: 【Got it.】
The only people Tong Yang could trust were Chu Shiyu and Xu Junyue, but until she confirmed they weren’t replacements, she wouldn’t breathe a word about this.
Returning to the gossip group, she replied: 【Keep an eye out for me.】
【Tong-jie, you’re still going?!】
【I can’t not go. I don’t know who’s been replaced or what’s really going on.】
【But it sounds dangerous—a sealed space, all surveillance down, no witnesses…】
【Tong-jie, what’s your plan?】
Studying to Get Rich: 【I’m going.】
After the Tong Le incident, she’d realized avoiding danger entirely was impossible. Sometimes, the best defense was a good offense—take them out one by one.
【(Raises hand) I request a video stream!】
【Me too!】
【Please, please, let us watch the whole thing this time!】
【I wanna see!】
【I’ll Venmo you 100 bucks for a live feed!】
【But places like that usually ban electronics, even smartwatches.】
【Ugh… what a waste. I wanted to see! It’d be like a horror movie!】
Studying to Get Rich: 【We’ll see when the time comes.】
Ending the chat, Tong Yang washed up and went to bed.
The next day—August 12th, Monday.
Tong Yang had no tutoring sessions, so she took Tong Le out.
Chu Shiyu’s parents had come to visit, and the whole family went to see Grandma Yu. They’d invited Tong Yang, but she declined.
“Tong Le, has Chu Shiyu-jie been acting different lately?”
Tong Yang wanted to rule out the possibility of Chu Shiyu being replaced. She’d helped Tong Yang, they’d been through a lot together, and now her family was looking after Tong Le. Tong Yang didn’t want Chu Shiyu or anyone close to her getting hurt because of them.
Tong Le shook his head. “Nope. Shiyu-jie’s the same as always.”
To Tong Yang, she seemed unchanged too.
As evening approached, Tong Yang dropped him off at home, then headed to Changshui Street with Chu Shiyu.
"Be careful tonight," Tong Yang said.
"Are you worried something like before might happen?"
She hadn’t told anyone about her ability to access the "melon-eating group."
Hearing this, Tong Yang smirked. "Not 'might.'"
"...Definitely?"
"Ninety-nine percent."
"That means definitely."
"You can still choose not to go."
Chu Shiyu pouted. "I’m going."
"Not afraid of dying?"
Chu Shiyu replied, "With you here, why should I be afraid?"
Tong Yang: "..."
"You really trust me."
"Without you during those two days of the college entrance exams, we would’ve died long ago. The final science exam was just one big trap."
Tong Yang shook her head. "Even if I can enter the loop..."
"Even if you couldn’t, I still think it’d be fine."
Chu Shiyu grinned at her. "Since we can’t kill everyone in the parallel worlds, we’ll just kill all those who come into our reality. That’s your plan, right?"
Tong Yang nodded. "Exactly."
"I told you, I’ll be with you. And honestly, I think it’ll make the experience even more thrilling!"
Tong Yang lowered her gaze. "Among the eight of us, someone has already been replaced by their parallel-world counterpart."
After saying this, she looked up to gauge Chu Shiyu’s reaction.
The cool evening breeze brushed through their hair as the sun lingered on the horizon. The hazy glow of twilight swirled behind Chu Shiyu like smoke in the sky.
Hearing Tong Yang’s words, her expression slowly shifted—her eyes gleamed with mischief, and her lips curled into an eerie smile.
"You figured it out."
Tong Yang’s breath hitched. In an instant, she pulled a fruit knife from her bag.
"Tong Yang, I didn’t expect— Wait! Holy shit! Hold on! I was just joking!"
Before Chu Shiyu could finish, Tong Yang reversed her grip on the knife and thrust it toward her throat, stopping just a hair’s breadth from her skin.
Chu Shiyu threw her hands up, breaking into a cold sweat. "Put the knife away! It was a joke!"
Tong Yang glanced at her, then casually slid the knife back into her bag.
"Tong Yang, you’re something else! Carrying a knife around and not hesitating to use it." Chu Shiyu patted her chest in relief. "Can’t you take a joke? You scared me to death."
Tong Yang scoffed. "If I hadn’t realized it was a joke, would I have given you a chance to beg for mercy?"
Chu Shiyu narrowed her eyes and smacked her arm. "Oh, come on! I was just teasing you. Did you really have to scare me back? Can’t stand losing even a little?"
"Did you just meet me yesterday?"
That remark made Chu Shiyu recall how, back in school, when a friend knocked over Tong Yang’s desk, she made them pay her to pick it up herself. Looking back, Chu Shiyu realized she’d been a naive pushover—never once gaining the upper hand with Tong Yang.
Soon, the two arrived at Changshui Street. Tong Yang was about to call Xu Junyue to ask where the others were when someone suddenly tapped them on the shoulder from behind.
They turned around to see two identical faces smiling at them.
"Hey there."
"Hello!"
The twin sisters, dressed in matching sportswear in different colors, greeted them warmly.
"Hi."
"We didn’t introduce ourselves yesterday. I’m the older sister, He Jingjing."
"And I’m the younger sister, He Jingjing."
"I’m Chu Shiyu, and this is Tong Yang. Your names are so similar."
The more talkative sister, He Jingjing, explained with a laugh, "We’re twins—everything has to match. She used to be called He Lili, but she thought it wasn’t fair that I was Jingjing, so she pestered our parents until they changed her name to Jingjing too."
Tong Yang’s gaze swept over them. "Have you two always been together?"
"Yes, we’ve never been apart."
He Jingjing (Sister) stood quietly beside them, lowering her head slightly.
"Where are you?" Tong Yang called Xu Junyue.
"We’re at the Cantonese restaurant… Over here! Tong Yang!"
Xu Junyue’s voice echoed both through the phone and from nearby.
The four turned to see Xu Junyue waving at them, phone in hand, with the three boys they’d met the night before standing behind her.
"How’d you end up with the twins?"
Tong Yang replied, "Ran into them."
Xu Junyue wore bold makeup, a cropped top, and high-waisted jeans.
The three boys were dressed casually. The buzz-cut one, Hu Shuo, nodded at them with a cigarette between his fingers.
Beside him was Zhou Jingyun, his hair dyed platinum blonde. On closer look, he wore subtle makeup and his outfit was noticeably more polished.
"Hey," he said, flashing a practiced smile.
He Jingjing whispered, "The buzz-cut one is Hu Shuo. The white-haired guy is Zhou Jingyun—he dreams of debuting as an idol, so he’s big on image. And the quiet one next to them..."
"Hi, I’m Tao Bai."
Before He Jingjing could finish, the boy stepped forward to introduce himself.
"Tong Yang."
"I’m Chu Shiyu."
Xu Junyue slung an arm around Tong Yang’s shoulders. "Let’s go eat! Tao Bai picked this Cantonese place ‘cause he knows you don’t like spicy food."
As they passed by, Tao Bai gave them a sweet, polite smile.
Tong Yang’s eyes flicked over his face briefly.
Of the three boys, Tao Bai left the strongest impression on her.
Not because of his looks, but because his demeanor reminded her of Tong Le—gentle and attentive. She wondered if Tong Le would grow up to be like him.
During dinner, the group discussed the scripted murder mystery game starting at eight. Tong Yang and Chu Shiyu stayed out of the conversation.
Tong Yang observed them all, including Xu Junyue.
But since she hadn’t known them long, nothing seemed out of place.
"Not to your taste?"
Noticing Tong Yang hadn’t eaten much, Tao Bai, seated to her left, leaned in slightly and asked in a low voice.
He was taller than her, bending just enough to meet her eyes without invading her space, his gaze earnest.
"Thanks, no."
Tao Bai nodded and refilled her half-empty orange juice. "You can grab some snacks to bring in later."
Tong Yang asked, "We’re allowed to take food inside?"
"Yeah, it’s different from other live-action games."
"What about phones?"
"Probably, but try not to use them."
"Thanks."
As Tong Yang pulled out her phone, Tao Bai tactfully averted his eyes, ending the conversation.
Learning is for Making Money: [Phones are allowed.]
[Video video video!]
[I wanna see!!!]
[Please, Tong-jie, have mercy! I’m begging you!]
Learning is for Making Money: [But no playing on them.]
[That makes sense. Can’t exactly hold it up the whole time.]
[Audio should work, right? Let us hear what’s happening!]
[Audio audio audio!]
[My life depends on you, sis.]
Learning is for Making Money: [Transfer: fifty.]
【For Toru Oikawa, studying is to earn money—transfer 50】
【For Hu Er Gou, studying is to earn money—transfer 50】
【For Cai Cai, studying is to earn money—transfer 50】
【For Cheese, studying is to earn money—transfer 50】
……
Studying is to earn money: 【8 PM, waiting】
【Got it】
【Waiting eagerly】
【Hope you won’t disappoint (pointing fingers】
【Who are you pointing fingers at? (pointing fingers back】
【Rubbing hands, so excited】
Tong Yang turned off her phone and took out her Bluetooth earbuds from her backpack.
After dinner, Xu Junyue indeed took them to buy two large bags of snacks.
At 7:50 PM, all eight of them squeezed neatly into the elevator on the seventh floor of the mall. The seventh to ninth floors were entirely dedicated to scripted murder mystery games.
As the elevator doors opened, the first thing that caught their eyes was an eerie, pale light casting a dim glow on the wall opposite the elevator.
“Holy crap!”
Hu Shuo, standing at the front, jumped in fright—shadows were reflected on the wall across from the elevator.
“Why are you so jumpy? You scared me!”
“Yesterday you were all about protecting the girls, and now this? Unbelievable.”
“Shut up, I just saw it wrong.”
“Isn’t that just our shadows?”
“Honestly, this is immersive. The entrance is on the first floor, and the boss just told us to come up here ourselves without even giving us walkie-talkies.”
“Those aren’t our shadows,” Chu Shiyu said.
“Huh? If they’re not ours, whose are they?”
Tong Yang stood at the very back of the group and glanced forward.
“Don’t be scared, it’s all fake,” Tao Bai reassured her softly from beside her.
Tong Yang pressed her lips together, unsure which eye of his thought she was afraid.
Chu Shiyu insisted, “It’s really not ours!”
“Didn’t you study physics?” Tong Yang asked.
【Sis Tong! You really have zero tact! How could you say it like that?!】
【LOL, you’re just naturally sarcastic】
【I’m dying of laughter hahaha】
……
Even though Tong Yang had turned the volume down to the lowest, she could still hear their murmuring clearly.
Ignoring them, she spoke up as everyone turned to look at her. “That’s just a normal wall—it doesn’t reflect light.”
Chu Shiyu added, “And if the light were casting shadows onto the wall, the source would have to be behind us. But the elevator light doesn’t reach the opposite wall. Our shadows should be on the floor.”
“They really are on the floor!”
“Honestly, I haven’t studied physics properly since high school.”
“Wait, then what’s on the wall?”
【I’m curious too!】
【Ahhh I wish I could see what it looks like】
【Wish we could video call】
“Let’s go check it out.”
Seeing them dawdling in the elevator, Tong Yang urged them forward.
“Didn’t the boss say the game starts as soon as we enter the elevator? We should be careful,” Hu Shuo said.
Before entering the elevator, he had volunteered to stand at the front, claiming he’d be their shield. Now, at the first sign of something strange, he was wasting time.
“Move, I’ll check.” Tong Yang took two steps forward but was stopped by someone.
Tao Bai said, “It’s fine, I’ll go.”
Before Tong Yang could react, Tao Bai walked past the group and stepped out of the elevator.
Usually, all it took was one person to lead the way. Once Tao Bai stepped out, the others followed hesitantly.
Tong Yang was the last to leave. As she stepped out, the elevator doors slammed shut behind her with a loud bang.
The sudden noise startled the others, but Tong Yang remained unfazed as she surveyed the surroundings.
To the left of the elevator was a solid wall, while the right side had a massive iron gate. Upon closer inspection, the gate was made of rusted steel bars, with a smaller door at the bottom right that could be opened.
Behind the gate, thick blackout fabric blocked any view of what lay beyond.
“It’s not shadows—they’re inside the wall.”
“Inside the wall?? Are we in a horror movie??”
“Don’t even joke—this scripted game has the highest terror rating.”
Tong Yang stood between the elevator and the shadowed wall, her gaze landing on a shabby table near the small iron gate. On it sat a black box.
Above the table hung a single flickering bulb—the only source of light in the room.
【Sis, can you describe the setting for us?】
【I really wanna know—the video before was more fun】
【I’m watching a horror movie while on voice call】
【Which one?】
【The Haunted School】
“The shadows are moving!”
“Hey! Stop messing around!”
“Holy—they really are moving!”
Tong Yang turned to look. The shadows on the wall were slowly creeping closer, as if they were about to step out of it.
Eight shadows—one for each of them—moved at different speeds toward the wall. Soon, they would fully emerge.
Ignoring the others, Tong Yang walked over to the table and examined the strange box. On its left side was a small line of text: Please draw numbered tokens in the order you exited the elevator.
“Come here,” she called out.
The group, still gathered around the wall, turned and approached her.
“What’s up?”
Tong Yang said, “Draw your numbers.”
“Wait, why has the game already started? Shouldn’t we get our roles and read the script first?”
“No idea. Maybe it’s different from regular scripted games—could have escape room elements.”
“Hold on… does that mean we’ll have to do solo tasks? No no no! I’ll freak out!”
“Thanks, just standing here is terrifying enough.”
Tong Yang glanced back at the shadows on the wall—they were getting closer. “Hurry up. Those shadows started moving the moment we got here.”
Tao Bai stepped forward. “I left the elevator first. I’ll draw.”
“Mm.” Tong Yang moved aside.
Facing the black box, Tao Bai hesitated before slowly reaching into the circular hole—just big enough for a hand.
Suddenly, he jerked his hand back as if he’d touched something.
“What’s wrong?”
“Why didn’t you take one?”
Tao Bai’s face paled. “There’s… someone in there.”
“Huh?!”
“What are you talking about?”
“That tiny box? You’re saying there’s a person in it?”
The box was about the size of two watermelons, and the space under the table was empty—nowhere for anyone to hide.
Tao Bai pressed his lips together. “It felt like… a body part.”
Everyone: “……”
“No way! We all have to reach in! Stop joking!”
“I’m serious. It’s real.”
“Probably just a prop. Hurry up! The first shadow’s about to come out!”
Tao Bai took a deep breath and plunged his hand back in, yanking out a token as fast as he could.
“Number three.”
Next was Hu Shuo.
He cautiously reached in, flinched as if he’d touched something, and immediately pulled back.
"It really feels like something—cold, like human skin..." Hu Shuo quickly grabbed the number tag and pulled his hand out.
"My turn, my turn!" Xu Junyue exclaimed excitedly.
She eagerly reached inside, not bothering to grab a number tag right away. Instead, she kept feeling around and said to Tong Yang, "This is a hand!"
"Huh?? A hand?"
Only Tong Yang and Chu Shiyu knew that tonight’s events weren’t as simple as they seemed. While the others were either scared or buzzing with excitement, their expressions were grave.
"Stop wasting time." Tong Yang glanced back at the shadow on the wall and urged.
"Oh." Xu Junyue finally pulled out a number tag.
Next, it was the twins’ turn to draw.
"Ah! There really is something in there!"
"Not sure what kind of prop they used, but the texture is so weird."
Chu Shiyu stepped forward, exchanged a look with Tong Yang, took a deep breath, and reached inside. With fewer number tags left and plenty of space in the box, it took her a while to grab one.
"The texture is eerily realistic, but definitely strange."
Zhou Jingyun, his hair dyed stark white, sauntered to the table with forced nonchalance and stuck his hand in.
The next second, he clearly sensed something off. His shoulders tensed, but he didn’t even blink—his composure was impeccable.
"Did you feel anything?" Tong Yang asked.
Zhou Jingyun nodded coolly. "Just a small thing. Nothing to worry about."
While everyone drew their tags, Tong Yang stayed silent, secretly observing their reactions, trying to deduce who might be from the parallel world.
Originally, she suspected Zhou Jingyun. Ever since they entered the elevator, his demeanor had been starkly different from the others—always lost in thought, as if plotting something.
So she tested him and concluded: he was just good at keeping a straight face and probably trying to show off.
Finally, only Tong Yang was left to draw.
"I can help you." Tao Bai appeared behind her out of nowhere, speaking softly.
[Seriously, who is this guy? I’ve had enough of him!]
[Always hovering around our Tong Yang, trying to be helpful!]
[Bro! Open your eyes—does she look like she needs your help? I bet she’s staring at you like you’re a mosquito right now!]
[What? How do I know her expression without seeing it? Please, even her photos look like she’s judging the entire world! The only time I’ve seen her expression change was when her little brother caught her off guard.]
[True!]
[Wonder what this guy looks like. Hope he’s not into our Tong Yang.]
[Our Tong Yang is gorgeous, strong, and brilliant. She should stay single—I don’t want to see her in a relationship!]
[I get you! No one’s good enough for her anyway!]
[Honestly, in terms of looks, the Ye family’s eldest son, Ye Tianlin, is the only one who comes close to her level…]
"You guys are insane."
Hearing the chatter in her earpiece, Tong Yang couldn’t hold back her irritation.
[Sorry, muting myself.]
[Our bad, carry on.]
"What?" Tao Bai froze.
Tong Yang shot him a sidelong glance. "Thanks, but no."
Chu Shiyu knew Tong Yang well—she had almost no friends and wouldn’t spare anyone’s feelings when annoyed.
Chu Shiyu stepped in. "Since we’re here to have fun, let her draw it herself. More participation that way."
"Yeah, yeah!"
"Tao Bai, you’re playing favorites! Jingjing and I had to do it ourselves!"
Tao Bai smiled sheepishly. "She’s younger, so I thought I should look out for her a bit more."
"Ooooh!"
"So it’s just because she’s young, huh?"
Tong Yang reached into the box, then turned and gave everyone a deadpan stare.
Xu Junyue, sensing danger, immediately slung an arm around Hu Shuo’s neck and dragged him toward the iron door, pretending to inspect it—better to avoid collateral damage.
Tong Yang was beyond annoyed. If Tong Le grew up to be this irritating, she’d kick him far away.
[Let’s be real, this guy isn’t right for Tong Yang. His attitude toward women is too outdated.]
[Women aren’t helpless, hello?]
[We don’t need to be coddled like we’re useless!]
[You’re absolutely right.]
Tuning them out, Tong Yang kept feeling around the box. Sure enough, her fingers brushed against cold skin—unnervingly strange, not like a prop but more like lifeless human skin, stiff and devoid of warmth.
She traced the hand’s index finger and bent the joint slightly. It was rigid.
She knew what that meant—like a corpse a few hours after death, blood no longer flowing, the body stiffening.
Her expression darkened, making Chu Shiyu’s brow twitch.
"What’s wrong?"
Tong Yang glanced at her, shook her head, then kept searching for the severed hand’s wound.
At the wrist, she found the cut wasn’t clean—cold, protruding flesh and tendons, the bone exposed. She pressed her finger into the slightly pliant wound.
"What’s going on?"
"What happened?"
The others stared at her, confused.
Tong Yang didn’t answer. She pulled out a number tag and turned to Chu Shiyu. "Got a tissue?"
"Oh… yeah." Chu Shiyu handed her one, noticing the brownish blood on Tong Yang’s right index finger. "Did you cut yourself?"
"Not my blood."
He Jingjing gasped. "Then whose blood is it…?"
Mid-sentence, she seemed to realize something and stared at the box, wide-eyed. "N-no way… it’s from that thing?"
Tong Yang wiped the blood off her finger. "What do you think?"
He Jingjing exhaled in relief. "I think it’s definitely not from that."
Tong Yang said, "It is."
He Jingjing: "…"
"I don’t believe you!"
"Stick your hand in and check. There’s still some blood left—hasn’t all dried yet."
"Tong Yang, what’s really going on? Why is there blood?" Xu Junyue asked suspiciously.
Tong Yang gave her a sidelong look. "You felt it for so long and didn’t realize it was a human hand?"
"Holy shit?!"
[Holy shit?!]
"Whose hand?!"
[Whose hand?!]
Xu Junyue shrugged. "I knew."
"You KNEW???"
[You freaking KNEW???]
"But there wasn’t any blood when I touched it."
"Are you insane? That’s what you’re focusing on?"
[You’re insane! That’s the takeaway here?]
"I tore open the wound. If it were just a prop, there wouldn’t be blood."
"You tore its wound open?!!"
[Damn… only you.]
"If you knew, why didn’t you say anything?" Tong Yang frowned.
Xu Junyue blinked innocently. "If I told them, they wouldn’t have touched it. Then I’d be the only one freaked out—not fair."
"Holy hell! Xu Junyue, you absolute snake!"
"Ugh!"
"I'm about to throw up everything I ate tonight!"
"Did the boss just commit murder?"
"What do we do? Should we call the police?"
"Damn it! No signal on my phone!"
"Can't even dial emergency services..."
Tong Yang pulled out her phone—it indeed showed no signal, but her voice chat with the "melon-eating group" was still working.
However, similar situations had happened around May 28th and after the college entrance exam when they entered parallel timelines. Back then, they could only send messages in specific group chats.
Could it be that they’d already stepped into a parallel world?
"The elevator won’t go back down either..."
"The boss said this elevator only goes up. The only way out is to clear the game and take another subway back!"
"Hu Shuo! What kind of friend is this? He’s totally screwing you over!"
Hu Shuo’s face was wooden. "No way... That box might not even have a real human hand. Maybe the boss just bought a prop for this horror-themed live-action murder mystery game. Stop overreacting."
"Hu Shuo might be right. The boss spent so much money on this—he wouldn’t just hand himself over to the police. It’s probably just a realistic prop."
"This is getting more and more interesting!"
"I wonder if the NPCs will be just as realistic?"
"Fun! I love immersive effects!"
Tong Yang tossed the paper onto the table and said casually, "Sure, if you say so."
[Inner monologue: All they care about is playing around. Who can outplay them?]
[I bet fifty cents that’s a real hand in the box.]
[You’re underestimating Tong Yang. I’ll bet fifty bucks.]
"Um... I think the shadow is about to come out," He Jingjing (Sister) said timidly, glancing back.
Everyone turned to look. A section of the smooth, clean wall had bulged outward without warning, the paint cracking as if something inside was trying to break free—like a chick hatching from its shell.
"Let’s go! There’s a door over there!"
Uncertain what was hiding in the wall, the group panicked and crowded around a small metal door. A padlock hung from it, but it wasn’t actually locked.
Xu Junyue swiftly removed the padlock and pushed the door open, only to find a blackout curtain blocking the way. No one dared to move, unsure what lay behind it.
"Xu Junyue, you opened the door—you go in first."
"I opened it, so you guys should go in first."
"Rock-paper-scissors. Whoever loses goes in."
"That thing’s coming out," Tong Yang called from the back.
At the same moment, a chunk of wall plaster was dislodged by whatever was inside and fell to the ground with a thud.
"Go, go, go!"
"Stop blocking the way!"
No one cared what was ahead anymore—whatever was emerging from the wall was far more terrifying. Who knew what kind of monstrosity might crawl out of there?
The group of seven or eight rushed through the blackout curtain in a frenzy, with Tong Yang lingering at the rear.
As the curtain slowly fell back into place, cutting off the dim elevator light, the metal door behind them slammed shut with a bang. Tong Yang instinctively pushed against it, but it was already firmly locked.
Darkness enveloped them. It felt like they were standing in a hallway.
Once their eyes adjusted, Tong Yang could see they were in a massive oval-shaped corridor resembling a shopping mall. Only the emergency exit signs glowed, casting an eerie green light that faintly outlined their surroundings while leaving most of the space swallowed by shadows.
"Ugh..."
"Help..."
"Maybe we should go back? This place feels even less safe..."
Tong Yang sighed. "Too bad. There’s no going back."
"This place looks like a mall. Check out the mannequins in that display window!"
"Wait, what are we supposed to do? There aren’t even any instructions."
"Yeah, how do we even clear this game?"
Tong Yang scanned the area. Though some spots were too dark to see clearly, the seventh floor’s layout resembled a large shopping center. The central oval pit had been sealed off and covered with a blackout curtain, making it look like a bottomless abyss.
"Player holding number one, please proceed alone to Shop 7-11."
Suddenly, a woman’s voice echoed through the quiet, empty space. It didn’t sound mechanical—instead, the vastness of the area made it hauntingly ethereal.
"Who’s number one?"
"Thank god it’s not me! Going alone for a side mission in a place like this is terrifying!"
"Who’s got number one?"
Chu Shiyu clenched the number tag in her palm. "It’s me."
"Oh no..."
"What do we do? We can’t let her go alone. That’s too scary."
"Can we swap numbers with one of the guys?"
"No swaps! I’m scared too!" Hu Shuo shielded his tag protectively.
Chu Shiyu looked at the two dark corridors branching left and right, her palms slick with sweat. Almost instinctively, she searched for Tong Yang.
Tong Yang leaned against the wall, arms crossed, bathed in the green glow of the emergency exit sign above her. Her expression was as indifferent as ever, bordering on cold detachment.
When Chu Shiyu’s gaze met hers, Tong Yang gave a slight nod.
For some inexplicable reason, that nod made the unknown path ahead feel a little less terrifying.
