Popularity Increase

Chen Ge was worried about being overheard by the landlord next door, so he kept his voice very low; he wasn't deliberately trying to create a tense atmosphere.

After he finished explaining everything, He Shan on the other end of the line was stunned. This simple college student, who had studied hard in a mountain village to get into medical school, never expected that his first phone call with an internet friend would involve such a thrilling topic as a mass murder case.

"You're in that haunted house right now?"

"Yes."

"And the landlord next door might be the murderer from five years ago?"

"Yes."

"I'm a bit confused, let me think." He Shan clutched his phone. The two ends of the line were like two completely different worlds; the dorm room was buzzing with the heat of gaming, while the other side of the receiver was deathly silent, filled with a suffocating sense of tension.

"Boss, I think you should call the police. Even if you don't have evidence, your personal safety is more important than worrying about a false report."

He Shan was speaking the truth, but Chen Ge had his own considerations. The haunted house escape was a task assigned by the Black Phone, requiring him to stay here for the night. If the police intervened, there was a high probability the mission would fail. Since it involved unlocking a brand-new horror scenario, it would be a real pity to give up now: "It's not time to call the police yet."

"The most important thing right now is your own safety. How about this?" He Shan paused before continuing: "Turn on your phone's location sharing and don't hang up the call all night. I'll keep listening to the sounds on your end, and if anything happens, I'll call the police for you immediately."

Staying on the line was a decent method. Chen Ge looked at his phone; the short-video app was still open, and an ad for recruiting battle royale streamers was scrolling by.

His eyes lit up. Compared to just staying on the call, Chen Ge came up with a more reliable idea: "I can start a livestream from the haunted house. If I run into trouble, the viewers in the chat can help me call the police, and the recording uploaded by the stream will serve as the most powerful evidence. If everything goes well, even better—I can attract more attention through the stream and build a reputation for my House of Horrors."

Last night's short video had brought Chen Ge nearly a thousand followers, and the number of visitors to his House of Horrors had surged several times over the next day, which had given Chen Ge a taste of success.

Besides, his fundamental purpose for entering the haunted house was to complete the mission and earn rewards to help his haunted house develop. Starting a stream would allow him to ensure his safety while completing the task, all while attracting traffic and gaining followers—why wouldn't he do it?

"Even the finest wine fears a deep alley. I don't have the capital to run massive advertising campaigns, but I can use livestreams and short videos to attract more attention."

Chen Ge lacked channels and accumulation, but as for content, he wasn't worried at all.

Although the people from that studio earlier had an unpleasant tone, they were right about one thing: modern people pursue faster entertainment and require stronger stimulation. Looking across the entire platform, what could be more attractive or thrilling than staying in a haunted house and playing a game of cat and mouse with a murderer?

Traffic comes first, content is king. Compared to other streamers, Chen Ge possessed an advantage none of them had.

Everything he filmed, everything he experienced, was real. There was no script; even he didn't know what would happen in the next moment.

He was completing a task for the Black Phone, and the livestream was just a way to record it all.

"He Shan, I'm going to hang up for now. Come to my livestream later; the room name is the same as my short-video profile ID."

After hanging up, Chen Ge turned on his phone's location system and set his speed dial to the police emergency number. Once fully prepared, he clicked on the livestreaming software within the short-video app.

Short videos were usually only a dozen seconds long, making it impossible to add ads, and the monetization methods were limited. To maximize the value of his followers and maintain engagement, many streamers would go live when they didn't have new videos to post.

Short videos were easy to share and spread, used to create viral moments to grab attention, and then the streamer would use their unique personality in the live broadcast to convert passersby into fans. The two complemented each other; Chen Ge had stumbled onto the most effective path by accident.

"Spending the night in a haunted house! Personal investigation! Uncovering the unknown side of this world for you!" Chen Ge entered the title, using several exclamation marks to make his room stand out.

In fact, he didn't need to do anything extra. The short-video app's streaming feature couldn't compare to professional platforms; it had few categories, and most titles were things like "Sexy, naughty girl chatting for healing" or "Sweet goddess lulls you to sleep." Compared to those, Chen Ge was like a massive mudslide—it would be hard not to attract attention.

Once the stream started, followers would receive a notification, and an announcement would appear on his personal feed.

Within seconds, viewers began to trickle in.

He Shan: "Boss, you're serious! Are you sure you want to stream this?"

ScumbagsMustDie: "You're that beast who posted the short video last night! I'm going to fight you!"

"Holy crap! What's going on above? Tell us your story!"

IAmALittleGreenCaterpillar: "Beast streamer, followed."

"Does anyone know what this stream is about?"

"Can you stop bothering us? Just read the announcement!"

As soon as Chen Ge started, those waiting for his video updates appeared, and his popularity began to grow slowly.

"Everyone, I think you've misunderstood me." Chen Ge put down his multi-functional hammer and looked at the phone screen very seriously: "Yesterday's short video wasn't a joke; it was my personal experience. You can search for the original video on some paranormal forums. I didn't add any special effects; everything is real. There really was something in the mirror. I know it's hard for you to believe, but I will reveal the truth bit by bit and show you a completely different world."

"Hello, 110? What's the number for the Center for Abnormal Human Research? I've found a wild lunatic."

"I just love watching you talk nonsense with such a straight face."

"Li Ming! I know you're watching the stream. Bring me some cold noodles when you come back tonight, no chili, thanks!"

"Bed 11, Room 3 of Fushan Psychiatric Hospital is cheering for the streamer! Supporting the reintegration of recovered patients!"

A few comments drifted across the screen, and not a single person believed what Chen Ge was saying. He didn't get angry: "It doesn't matter if you think I'm crazy; I will prove it to you."

The heat and popularity slowly increased. Chen Ge looked at the deepening night outside the window, lit a cigarette, and began to tell the viewers about the Fu'an Apartment mass murder case from five years ago.