Underground Parking Lot

Uncle Xu genuinely had Chen Ge's best interests at heart. He held nothing back, laying everything out on the table. "Do you still want to invest money in the Haunted House?"

"I think it's worth a try. After all, Paradise Park hasn't been built yet, so we still have a chance to turn things around." Chen Ge's confidence came from the Black Phone, of course, but he wasn't about to tell anyone that.

"You're usually pretty smart, kid. How come you lose your head at the critical moment? Don't you understand that the tide of things is against us? I've worked at this park for ten years. I'm just as attached to it as you are, but we still have to face reality." Uncle Xu pointed at several attractions in Paradise Park that had stopped operating. "Do you know why they shut down? It wasn't because they failed inspection. It's because every time we turn them on, they cost us money. With only one or two people coming to see them now and then, we can't even break even. Here's an even clearer example. When the New Century Park first opened, the entrance was packed, and there weren't enough parking spaces. We had to use spaces at the businesses next door. Later, we built an underground parking lot, which eased the problem. But for the past three years, even during peak holiday periods, the parking spaces above ground have never been full. Visitor numbers have fallen year after year, and this year we hit a new low."

"Uncle Xu, wait. You said that for the past three years, even during peak holiday periods, the parking spaces above ground were never full? Doesn't that mean the underground parking lot hasn't been used for three years? It's basically abandoned?" Chen Ge's expression changed, making Uncle Xu feel a little uneasy.

"Yeah. Back when New Century Park first opened, there were cars and people everywhere. You had to queue for an hour or two to get on any ride. Those were the glory days. It's a shame the city has forgotten us now." Remembering the past, Uncle Xu couldn't help sighing. "But there's no point getting sentimental. At least we had our moment of glory, right?"

"Uncle Xu, if I wanted to rent the park's underground parking lot, how much would it cost?"

"What?" Chen Ge's abrupt change of subject threw Uncle Xu off. "Why are you suddenly asking about that?"

"I want to put the underground parking lot to use. It's practically abandoned anyway, and judging by the state of the park, I doubt it'll be needed." A plan had already begun to take shape in Chen Ge's mind. It would let him make the most of the Haunted House expansion opportunity that came with the Black Phone.

"Have you lost your mind? What do you want to rent that place for? To raise bats?" Uncle Xu had no idea how to get through to Chen Ge.

"I want to expand the Haunted House. Given my current finances, the underground parking lot is the best option. The rent won't be high, and its condition won't be a problem for the Haunted House." The park would find out what he was doing sooner or later, so Chen Ge didn't hide it.

"Are you possessed or something? Isn't a three-story Haunted House enough for you? Do you know how big that underground parking lot is? Even if we rented it to you, the park would have gone under before you finished building it." Uncle Xu waved his hand. "Don't be foolish. Get back to work."

"Uncle Xu, I'm serious."

"And you think I'm joking?" Uncle Xu turned his walkie-talkie back on and headed toward the crowd. After walking a few steps, he turned around and said to Chen Ge, "Five thousand yuan. I'll give it to you tomorrow morning. Just focus on your work, and stop coming up with all these strange ideas."

"Oh, got it." Chen Ge followed Uncle Xu. Looking at the crowd of visitors gathered outside the Haunted House to watch the commotion, he pursed his lips. "I haven't noticed the number of visitors falling year after year. Then again, hardly anyone used to come to my Haunted House anyway."

Pushing through the crowd, Chen Ge walked over to a few medical students. "All right, that's enough. Anyone who didn't know better would think I'd done something to you."

"Give me a minute to recover. Your Haunted House is brutal."

"What are you looking at? I'm not scared. I just twisted my ankle while I was inside, so I can't stand up."

"What do I do? Now everyone looks like a killer to me..."

"Give it up. This Haunted House really is something." Monkey climbed to his feet and held up his phone, showing off his five-star review. He stood in front of Chen Ge. "But let's keep things separate. Don't think this means you've made us back down."

"What do you mean? You're coming back tomorrow?"

"If I didn't have an exam tomorrow, do you think I wouldn't dare come back?" Monkey sounded tough, but his pale lips and trembling legs spoiled the effect.

"You're always welcome." Chen Ge had practically started treating the students from Han Jiang Forensic Academy as his good-luck charms.

"I'm never coming back. Even if someone beat me to death or I had to jump off the roof of the Haunted House, I wouldn't come back." He Shan gave Chen Ge a resentful look. The eyes in the crack of the door had genuinely terrified him.

"Don't jinx yourself, underclassman." Xiao Hui pushed herself up by He Shan's shoulder and glared viciously at Chen Ge. "You're the first man who's made my makeup run from crying. I'll remember that face of yours."

Seeing the huge bump on the back of Xiao Hui's head, Chen Ge couldn't bring himself to tease her any further. He just smiled without saying anything.

The forensic students helped one another toward the park entrance. After they had gone, Feng Ge ran back alone. His expression was complicated as he said to Chen Ge, "After I calmed down, I thought about your question for a long time. I still can't believe it. I think it might have something to do with the brain's nerves and people's stress responses."

Chen Ge knew what he meant. "Maybe. By the way, I never asked your full name."

"My name's He Feng. I'm older than the others. In a few days, I'll be going out for fieldwork."

"Okay. Hope I see you again."

After they exchanged phone numbers, Chen Ge returned to the House of Horrors. He pulled down the safety barrier and hung up a sign saying the equipment was being inspected and the attraction was closed.

"Boss, there are still lots of visitors waiting outside. Why are you closing?"

"There was a little problem. That's it for today. Go explain the situation to the visitors." Chen Ge took off the Skull-Crushing Doctor's coat, ducked into the Tool Room, cut up some black cloth, and carried it into the Midnight Escape attraction.

He covered the mirrors one by one, but there were too many rooms. By the end, he was running short of cloth. "This attraction is too big. We can't risk letting visitors in before the surveillance cameras are installed. If something happens in a blind spot, the consequences could be disastrous."

After locking the door to the Midnight Escape attraction, Chen Ge went downstairs. Most of the visitors outside the Haunted House had already left; only one or two were still lingering.

"Xiao Wan, take off your makeup and call it a day. We're done for today."

After giving Xu Wan a few instructions, Chen Ge ducked into the Staff Break Room. He hadn't had a proper rest since yesterday, and the moment he touched the bed, sleepiness washed over him.