This Isn't How It Was Supposed to Go

"Are they coming over right now?" Chen Ge hadn't really paid much attention to He Shan's seniors.

"I'm secretly giving you a heads-up. The seniors are planning to film a comedy video in your Haunted House and put it online to make our senior laugh. Don't blame them for being sneaky. There are only seven women across all five classes in our department, and the one you scared into tears was the department's belle. Boss, take care of yourself!" It sounded like someone was moving around near He Shan. As soon as he finished speaking, he hung up.

"Film a comedy video in my Haunted House?" Chen Ge put away his phone, his expression odd. "Forensic students tend to be pretty brave. It'll be a good chance to have them test out my new scenario. I hope they'll still be able to laugh afterward."

When lunch break was over, Chen Ge went downstairs and opened the safety barrier around the Haunted House. The visitors who hadn't had time to look around that morning immediately crowded over.

Some had come all the way from other places after seeing Chen Ge's short videos and livestreams. Others had been recommended by friends or relatives, while some were simply curious. Seeing so many people waiting in line, they figured the attraction had to be interesting.

"Tickets are twenty yuan. For the best experience, no more than three people may enter at a time." As Chen Ge kept the crowd in order, he coordinated with Xu Wan. The two of them were swamped.

Time slipped by. A little after three in the afternoon, seven fashionably dressed young people entered New Century Park. As if they were on a mission, they headed straight for the House of Horrors.

The seven had different personalities and hardly spoke to one another. They quietly lined up outside the Haunted House, making the whole queue seem much more solemn.

A little over ten minutes later, when the previous group of visitors came out supporting one another, the tallest of the seven walked up to Chen Ge.

"Boss, six tickets." His voice was steady.

Chen Ge looked up at him, then glanced at the group. "Aren't the seven of you together?"

"He's only here to show us the way." The Tall Guy shoved He Shan forward from behind him.

"Boss, I'm not going in." He Shan already had psychological scars from the Haunted House. He greeted Chen Ge, then hurriedly backed away.

"You've come all this way. How can I leave you outside? This ticket's on me." Chen Ge casually handed over seven tickets. "You're all from Han Jiang Forensic Academy, right? I hope we can look out for each other from now on."

Chen Ge was warm and friendly, which left the forensic students, who hadn't yet entered the working world, feeling a little embarrassed.

"He Shan, the boss gave you a ticket. Don't turn it down." The Tall Guy handed out a ticket to each person. What they did next left the surrounding visitors utterly dumbfounded.

They didn't go straight into the Haunted House. Instead, they gathered at the entrance.

"He Shan and I are one team; Monkey and Lao Zhao are another; Lao Song, Xiao Hui, and Shi Ling, you three are the last team. Did you all memorize the guide post on the forum before coming?"

"Yeah, we memorized it."

"He Shan has already drawn a basic map of the whole scenario. We know where all the mechanisms are. I want everyone to prepare yourselves mentally. Don't show even the slightest fear. Let's show them the spirit of Han Jiang Forensic Academy!"

"Understood!"

"Good. From this moment on, get yourselves in the right state of mind. Get excited! Breathe faster, like you're about to skydive or bungee jump. Get every cell in your body moving!"

"Right! Put on a fierce look! You're an evil spirit, even more vicious than an ordinary ghost! You're not afraid of anything!"

"Do you remember the oath we took when we enrolled?"

"If the heart is crooked, the sword will be too!"

"Han Jiang Forensic Academy: Give the dead a voice, defend the rights of the living!"

"Let's go! Move out!"

The group was fired up. Even the visitors nearby couldn't help applauding, and Chen Ge cheered them on in his heart.

The safety barrier swung open. He Shan and the Tall Guy stepped out first. "We'll lead the way. We'll share our experience once we get out."

The two of them walked up to Chen Ge with quite a bit of swagger.

"Just the two of you?"

"Isn't your rule that no more than three people can go in at once?"

"Oh, that's the rule for the Ghost Marriage scenario. You don't need to worry about it. All seven of you can go in together, so we don't waste time." Chen Ge led them into the Haunted House, where it was much colder than outside. "First, sign the Liability Waiver on the table. The Haunted House isn't responsible for any accidents that happen inside. Then I can take you in."

"They didn't have this last time." He Shan walked over to the table and took a look.

"That's because no one had ever fainted from fright before you." Chen Ge smiled at the seven energetic forensic students. "I'm sure He Shan has already told you about the background of my Haunted House, so I won't go into detail. I kept you here because I wanted to give you one more warning."

Chen Ge slowly stopped smiling. He took out his phone and found the news article from that morning. "The Ping An Apartment Massacre from five years ago has finally been solved, but one of the killers is still at large. This normally wouldn't have anything to do with you, but when I got to work this morning, I found the door to the House of Horrors open. It looked like someone had hidden inside. Ping An Apartment and New Century Park are both in the West Suburb. Hopefully, I'm just overthinking it."

With just a few words, Chen Ge planted a seed of suspicion. He didn't need He Shan and the others to believe him; he only wanted to give them something to think about. After all, no matter how real something made up might seem, it could never be as frightening as reality.

After they had all signed the Liability Waiver, Chen Ge led them to the third floor and slowly pushed open the door to the Midnight Escape scenario.

A cold wind blew through the gloomy corridor from somewhere. Behind the half-open doors, it seemed someone was watching them. There were winding passages, endless stairs, a charred ceiling, and terrifying, scar-like knife marks everywhere.

The forensic students' enthusiasm had already cooled by half at the sight of the place.

They stood frozen in place, all turning to look at He Shan in unison.

"What happened to the courtyard house?"

"Isn't this different from what we agreed on?"

"I practiced weighted presses all night so I could open a coffin quickly..."

They stared at He Shan until he almost cried. The honest college student could only turn to Chen Ge for help, but Chen Ge offered no response. "The theme of this scenario is Midnight Escape. Do not take photos or videos inside. Violators will bear the consequences. The exit is hidden somewhere in the scenario. You have twenty minutes. If you get too scared, shout at the surveillance camera and I'll take you out."

Once they had all entered the corridor, Chen Ge watched them with a smile. "Finally, I hope you have a pleasant time."