Boss, You're on TV

"Completion of over ninety percent gives you an extra reward?"

Chen Ge had been a little excited when he realized he'd obtained a hidden item, but once he opened its description, all his anticipation vanished. "Wang Qi's Missing Person Notice counts as a reward? The Black Phone couldn't have made a mistake, could it? This looks more like a curse to me!"

He forced himself to read through the chilling item description, then a new question came to mind.

"What the hell is resentment value?" Going by the literal meaning, the Promotional Flyer rewarded by the Black Phone must have contained some of Wang Qi's lingering hatred.

"Any normal person wouldn't need this. Could it be meant for the dead instead of the living?" Chen Ge glanced back at his shadow, then shook his head to dispel the thought.

It was a little past seven when the police car returned to New Century Paradise. Chen Ge asked the gate guard for the spare key to the Haunted House and went back inside.

After being on the move all night, he was utterly exhausted. He lay down in the Staff Break Room, feeling as if every bone in his body were about to fall apart.

He took out his phone and found that the battery had long since died. He had no idea when the livestream had ended, either.

He plugged in the charger and turned it back on.

The pedometer app on his phone showed that he'd taken more than forty thousand steps the night before, putting him at the top of his friends list. Xiao Wan had even liked his record.

"Looks like I need to get in shape. I don't need to beat anyone up; I just need to run faster than them." Chen Ge scrolled through his contacts and found He Shan's number. Worried he might wake He Shan, he sent a tentative text instead, but He Shan called him back within seconds.

"Holy crap! Boss, you're still alive!" He Shan's voice was so loud it made Chen Ge's head throb.

"You were hoping I'd croak? Keep it down. Don't wake up your roommates."

"Who can sleep at a time like this? They were all watching your livestream last night. We stayed up together until now!"

Chen Ge was touched by what He Shan said. He was about to tell him to thank the guys for him when He Shan blurted out his next sentence.

"When the livestream cut off, they all said you'd been killed. Then they insisted on betting me a meal. Now I've got next week's food covered!"

"Am I only worth one meal to you? You really don't have to share your joy with me, you know..." Chen Ge was at a loss for words at how blunt He Shan was.

"Anyway, Boss, I'm just glad you're alive. I was really afraid I'd see you in our Laboratory one day. You know, during our forensic science practicals, the teacher takes pictures of the victims for us to study and analyze..."

"Okay, okay." Chen Ge rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. "I'm fine. Thanks for your help this time. I'll treat you to a meal sometime."

After hurriedly hanging up, Chen Ge opened his short-video profile and was surprised to find that he'd gained more than three thousand followers.

"What? I can gain followers even when the livestream is blacked out?" He checked his inbox. It was already overflowing, and the message people asked most often was, "Streamer, are you still alive?"

"These people! Not one of them can say something auspicious!"

Chen Ge saw that the Haunted House ad on his profile was still there, and breathed a sigh of relief when he confirmed that neither his livestream nor his profile had been banned. He tossed his phone aside, buried his face in the pillow, and stretched comfortably.

"I don't want to think about anything. I'm taking the day off. I'm going to get a good night's sleep."

He took off his clothes, closed his eyes, and soon fell asleep.

The sun rose, bringing a new day. Sunlight streamed into the room, gilding the edge of the bedsheet.

Bang!

The safety barriers outside the Haunted House slid open, and light, hurried footsteps sounded on the stairs. A key slid into the lock. The latch turned, and someone shoved open the door to the Staff Break Room.

The bed jolted!

Chen Ge shot upright in fright. Before he could say anything, he saw something graceful sway in front of him. Then he heard an excited, cheerful voice.

"Boss! You're on TV!"

It took Chen Ge two or three seconds to react. He looked at Xiao Wan, who was sitting beside his pillow in a skimpy outfit. Catching the sweet scent of her shampoo, he silently picked up the bedsheet to cover his upper body. "Slow down. What happened to me?"

"This is the first time I've seen someone from real life in a video! Your face was pixelated, but I recognized you right away!"

"Pixelated?" Chen Ge felt there was something oddly suggestive about what Xu Wan had said.

"Look." Xu Wan took out her phone and handed it to Chen Ge. "I clipped this from the internet. At the twenty-third minute of Jiujiang Morning News, they cut in with an urgent report."

Chen Ge opened the video. It showed Ping An Apartment.

"Good can never be overcome by evil! A major breakthrough has been made in the Fu'an Apartment Massacre Case from five years ago. With the help of a concerned citizen, the police have apprehended the real culprit!"

The report followed with a brief interview and footage of Chen Ge leaving with officers from the West City Police Station. His face was covered by heavy pixelation, and subtitles explained that since one suspect was still on the run, his identity would remain undisclosed for the time being to protect the witness.

"Boss, that's you, right? Your height, build, and even your clothes are exactly the same!"

"Let me get dressed before you say anything." Chen Ge shook his head, got dressed, and gave Xu Wan a rough account of what had happened the previous night. However, he didn't tell her the real reason he'd gone to Ping An Apartment. He said he'd gone looking for inspiration for renovating the Haunted House.

After hearing him out, Xu Wan's expression changed considerably. "Boss, you've worked hard. Get some more sleep. I'll take care of the visitors outside."

She meant well, but as soon as Chen Ge heard that there were visitors, he perked up. "Are there many?"

"More than yesterday, anyway."

"Then what are we waiting for? Help me up!"

Chen Ge sent Xu Wan out to greet the visitors, then hurried to the bathroom to wash his face. Afterward, he took out the Black Phone and opened the Midnight Escape horror scenario.

Midnight Escape (Scream Index: One Star): This horror scenario has been set up. You may visit the third floor.

Notice: There is no more room inside the Haunted House. Expand it to unlock new horror scenarios!

"When did it finish setting everything up?" Chen Ge had thought he'd need to prepare a lot of things, but he'd seriously underestimated the Black Phone.

He put on his shoes and ran up to the third floor. When he opened the attic door, the world beyond it had completely changed.

All the discarded, broken props were gone. Only a series of sinister corridors remained, their air full of icy chill.

The newly unlocked Midnight Escape scenario occupied a huge area. It covered the entire third floor and encroached on parts of the Ghost Marriage scenario on the second floor and the Zombie Resurrection Night scenario on the third.

"There are three floors in total. The first and second floors are just the lead-up, while the scariest part is on the third. Why does this feel a bit like Ping An Apartment?"