His calves were trembling. If his body had been more responsive, Monkey might have slapped himself hard across the face. He figured he'd never make a bold declaration like that in a haunted house again for the rest of his life.
Separated from his teammates and all alone, he stood in the middle of a dim corridor, facing a murderous maniac who could appear at any moment. Worst of all, a doll he couldn't shake was following him. This hellish haunted-house experience left Monkey struggling to breathe. "How did it get here? When did it start following me? Why is it moving?"
Countless questions flooded his mind. The experience of his first twenty years had been mercilessly shattered. Clutching his phone, Monkey's body trembled uncontrollably.
"Monkey, are you here yet? Hurry! Get me out! I feel like the Rag Dolls in the middle of the room are watching me! They really look like they're watching me!" On the other end of the call was another hysterical voice, on the verge of madness. Shi Ling was in no better shape.
"Lady, if I save you, who's going to save me?" Instinct drove Monkey to take a step backward. His ankle seemed to bump into something. He looked down without thinking, and the Rag Doll that had been in front of him was now leaning against his shoe.
Its black hair looked strangely lifelike, and its face, marked with burn scars, tilted slightly upward. Though its features were impossible to make out, it gave him an eerie feeling.
"It's smiling!"
Monkey had no idea why that thought had crossed his mind. At this point, he didn't want to think about it anymore. He felt like he'd been through too much in just ten minutes.
He forced himself to keep a straight face and started to move away. But maybe he'd been standing still too long, or maybe he was too tense. His calf muscle balled up into a knot, and a sudden stab of pain shot through him.
"Damn! I've got a cramp!"
Monkey fell to the ground. He didn't care about appearances anymore. Clutching his leg, he yelled down the corridor, "Is anyone there? I'm done! I don't want to play anymore!"
Chen Ge and Xiao Wan were on the first floor. The two of them had just managed to get Lao Song, who'd been scared witless, out of the attraction. As soon as they returned from the staff passage, they heard a bloodcurdling scream from the third floor.
To ensure the visitors' safety, they didn't dare linger and ran straight up to the third floor.
As soon as he entered the corridor, Chen Ge spotted Monkey rolling around on the floor. He gestured for Xiao Wan to stay back, then turned on his flashlight and walked over. "Are you okay?"
"I'm done! I'm never playing again! Just let me leave."
Compared to how he'd been before entering, Monkey seemed like a completely different person.
Chen Ge didn't agree right away. He crouched down and pressed on Monkey's knee. "Push hard and straighten your knee."
As he helped Monkey ease the pain, Chen Ge scanned the area. He, too, found it strange. "Xiao Wan and I weren't even in the haunted house. How did this guy get so scared?"
Apart from two dolls on the floor, there was nothing unusual. Chen Ge cautiously asked, "Bro, what did you see just now?"
"What did I see? You know damn well, don't you?" Monkey's eyes were red, and he looked as though he'd been horribly wronged. "These two Rag Dolls chased me! Were you controlling them? You must've been hiding behind the monitors, laughing your head off, right?"
"The Rag Dolls chased you?" Chen Ge paused. He didn't tell Monkey the truth. He really didn't want to hurt the poor guy's fragile heart any further. "I'll get you out first."
"Wait. Someone's still locked inside. She's nearly scared out of her mind. Can you take her out too?" Monkey was on the phone with Shi Ling.
While Monkey wasn't paying attention, Chen Ge picked up the two dolls from the floor and placed them in his palm.
The dolls were small and nothing special, not particularly well-made. They looked like toys a child might make in art class.
"These two little things scared an adult so badly he got a cramp?" Chen Ge reached out and tapped one of the dolls on the cheek. Maybe it was his imagination, but he sensed a peculiar feeling from it: disdain and displeasure, mixed with helpless resignation—as if it had no choice but to accept its lot.
"Interesting..."
With Shi Ling calling 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'll get you out of here."
The quiet young woman paid Chen Ge no mind. She leaned against the corner, her lips pale. So terrified that she could barely get the words out, she stammered, "The dolls are watching me. No matter where I hide, they look right at me!"
"The dolls again?" Chen Ge looked toward the center of the room, where two larger Rag Dolls were lying flat on their backs.
"They were sitting up before! I swear!" Shi Ling's beautiful eyes were filled with terror.
"I know. They're part of... our attraction." Chen Ge tried to reassure her, then walked over to the dolls. One had a beard sewn onto it; the other wore an apron over its clothes.
"Judging by how they're dressed, one must be the father and the other the mother." He put the dolls in his hands on the floor too. The four dolls looked like a family of four.
"That matches the number of victims in the Ping An Apartment Massacre exactly. The Midnight Escape attraction is based on Ping An Apartment. Could these four Rag Dolls represent the four people who were killed back then?" As Chen Ge had the thought, the Black Phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated. He took it out and saw a new message.
Lucky Ghost Favored! You have triggered the only hidden mission in the Midnight Escape attraction! The dead have yet to let go of their Obsession. Only by fulfilling their wish can you make them serve you.
"The only hidden mission? The new attractions unlocked by the Black Phone come with hidden missions too?" This was a major discovery for Chen Ge. "The victims of Ping An Apartment must have an Obsession involving Wang Qi. If I bring Wang Qi to justice and make sure he gets what he deserves, that should fulfill their wish, right?"
Chen Ge helped Shi Ling and Monkey to their feet and led them downstairs, but his thoughts were still on the hidden mission.
After they came out through the staff passage, Chen Ge didn't head straight back into the Midnight Escape attraction. Instead, he ran alone to the Prop Room and took Wang Qi's Missing Person Notice from the bottom of a box.
"This thing should be useful to the victims." Wanting to give it a try, Chen Ge returned to the third floor and entered the room where Shi Ling had been.
As soon as he stepped inside, Chen Ge saw something strange.
The three dolls representing the parents and the older sister were still lying in their original positions, unchanged. But the smallest doll had crawled to the doorway, as if it were about to run out.
Chen Ge picked up the doll by his feet and examined it closely. It looked like it had been caught pretending to be dead. Not only was it not scary, he actually found it a little cute. "The dead's Lingering Spirit must be attached to them."
After closing the door, Chen Ge sat down in the middle of the room with the doll in his hand. "Perhaps we can talk."
Before you continue