The Proper Use of a Missing Person Notice

Monkey's calves were trembling. If his body hadn't been so unresponsive, he might have slapped himself hard across the face. He figured he would never again make the mistake of setting a flag in a Haunted House for as long as he lived.

Separated from his teammates, isolated and helpless, he stood alone in the middle of a gloomy corridor, facing a potential serial killer. Most crucially, a doll he couldn't shake off was following right behind him. This hell-tier Haunted House experience made it hard for Monkey to catch his breath: "How did it appear here? When did it start following me? Why is it moving?"

Countless questions flooded his brain in an instant, shattering twenty years of life experience. Monkey gripped his phone, his body shaking uncontrollably.

"Monkey, have you made it over yet! Hurry! Save me! I feel like the ragdoll in the center of the room is watching me! They really look like they're watching me!" On the other end of the line was another hysterical voice on the verge of a breakdown; Shi Ling's situation was no better.

"Big sister, I need saving myself, who's going to save me?" Biological instinct drove Monkey to take a step back. His ankle seemed to brush against something, and he looked down subconsciously. The doll that had been in front of him was now leaning against his shoe.

The black hair had a distinct texture, and the face, marked by burn scars, was tilted slightly upward. Even though he couldn't clearly make out the features, it gave him a strange sensation.

"It's smiling!"

Monkey didn't know why such a thought had surfaced in his mind, and he didn't want to think about it anymore. He felt as though he had experienced too much in these short ten minutes.

He stiffened his face and moved his feet, wanting to leave. But perhaps because he had been standing for too long and was overly tense, his calf muscle knotted into a hard lump, and a sudden, sharp pain pierced his heart.

"Damn it! A cramp!"

Monkey collapsed to the ground. He abandoned all pretense of dignity, clutched his leg, and shouted down the corridor: "Is anyone there! I'm done playing, I'm not playing anymore!"

Chen Ge and Xiao Wan were on the first floor at the time. They had just worked together to escort a terrified Lao Song out of the scenario. Returning through the staff passage, they heard the blood-curdling screams coming from the third floor.

To ensure the safety of the visitors, the two didn't hesitate and ran straight to the third floor.

As soon as he entered the corridor, Chen Ge saw Monkey rolling on the ground. He signaled for Xiao Wan to stay back and walked over with his flashlight: "Are you alright?"

"I'm not playing anymore, I'm never playing again, just let me leave."

Compared to when he first entered, Monkey seemed like a completely different person.

Chen Ge didn't agree immediately. He crouched down and pressed on Monkey's knee: "Push hard, straighten your knee joint."

While helping Monkey relieve the pain, Chen Ge scanned his surroundings, feeling puzzled: "Xiao Wan and I aren't even in the Haunted House, how did this guy get scared like this?"

Aside from the two dolls on the floor, there was nothing unusual. Chen Ge asked tentatively: "Brother, what did you see just now?"

"What did I see? Don't you have any idea?" Monkey's eyes were red, looking as if he had suffered a great grievance: "These two ragdolls were chasing me. Are you controlling them? You must be hiding behind the monitors, laughing at me, right?"

"Ragdolls were chasing you?" Chen Ge paused. He didn't tell Monkey the truth; he really didn't want to continue damaging the other man's fragile heart: "I'll get you out first."

"Wait, there's another person locked in the room, she's about to be scared out of her mind. Take her with us too." Monkey was still on the phone with Shi Ling.

Taking advantage of his distraction, Chen Ge picked up the two dolls from the floor and held them in his palm.

The dolls didn't look large or particularly exquisite, much like toys a child might make in a craft class.

"These two little guys can scare a grown man into a cramp?" Chen Ge poked the doll's cheek with his finger. He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he felt a sense of disdain and annoyance from the doll, yet also a helpless resignation, as if it had no choice but to accept it.

"Interesting..."

Guided by Shi Ling's cries for help, Chen Ge and Monkey finally found the room she was in and opened the door from the outside.

"Don't be afraid, I'm taking you both out now."

The quiet female student ignored Chen Ge. She huddled in the corner, her lips pale, her speech stuttering from fear: "The dolls are watching me. No matter where I hide, they keep looking at me!"

"Dolls again?" Chen Ge looked toward the center of the room, where two larger ragdolls lay flat.

"They were sitting before! Really!" Shi Ling's large, beautiful eyes were filled with terror.

"I know, this is all part of... our attraction." Chen Ge comforted the girl and walked over to the dolls. There were two of them; one had a mustache stitched on, and the other was wearing an apron.

"Judging by the attire, one should be the father and the other the mother." He placed the dolls he was holding on the floor as well, making the four dolls look like a family of four.

"This matches the number of victims in the Ping An Apartment massacre perfectly. The Midnight Escape scenario is a simulation of Ping An Apartment. Could these four dolls represent the four people who were murdered?" Just as this thought crossed Chen Ge's mind, the Black Phone in his pocket vibrated. He took it out and saw a new message.

"Lucky Ghost Favored! You have triggered the only hidden task for the Midnight Escape scenario! The obsession of the dead has not yet been laid to rest. Fulfill their wishes, and they may be used by you."

"The only hidden task? New scenarios unlocked by the Black Phone come with their own hidden tasks?" This was a major discovery for Chen Ge: "The obsession of the Ping An Apartment victims must be related to Wang Qi. Bringing Wang Qi to justice and ensuring he receives his due punishment should count as fulfilling their wishes, right?"

Chen Ge helped Shi Ling and Monkey downstairs, but his mind was occupied with thoughts of the hidden task.

After they exited through the staff passage, Chen Ge didn't immediately rush back into the Midnight Escape scenario. Instead, he ran to the prop room alone and retrieved Wang Qi's Missing Person Notice from the bottom of a box.

"This thing should be useful to the victims." Holding onto the hope that it might work, Chen Ge returned to the third floor and entered the room where Shi Ling had been staying.

As soon as he entered, Chen Ge witnessed a strange sight.

The three dolls representing the parents and the older sister were still lying flat in their original spots, unchanged, but the smallest doll was now sprawled at the doorway, as if it had been trying to run away.

Chen Ge picked up the doll at his feet and held it before his eyes, examining it closely. The doll looked as if it had been caught playing dead; not only was it not scary, but to him, it actually looked a bit cute: "The lingering resentment of the dead must be anchored to them."

He closed the door and sat in the center of the room with the doll: "Perhaps, we can talk."