Zombie Man and Fei Youliang

New Century Amusement Park opened for the day.

Visitors filed in one after another. Most of them ignored the other attractions and headed straight for the two Haunted Houses.

Quite a few people didn't buy tickets as soon as they saw the Haunted Houses. Instead, they started taking photos to commemorate the visit.

Over the past few days, the two Haunted Houses had become increasingly popular online. They had even turned into a famous attraction in the Western Outskirts of Hanjiang City, with people traveling from other cities just to visit.

The buzz was simply overwhelming.

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One was a newly opened Haunted House using virtual reality technology.

The other was a time-honored Haunted House with an excellent reputation.

Both Haunted Houses had opened new scenarios at the same time. Their owners often couldn't stand each other, and even the female employees standing at the ticket booths each had their own distinct styles.

In just a few minutes.

The waiting hall was packed with visitors who had come for their reputations.

"Everyone, please don't rush."

"The Haunted House has opened a new scenario: Twilight Sun Middle School. This new scenario is extremely terrifying. Many of the props were brought back from genuinely haunted places. Just like items used by victims at crime scenes, they're all real."

"Because of its high terror level, the new scenario is only open to visitors who have completed the first two scenarios, Ghost Marriage and Midnight Escape!"

Chen Ge called out.

As he shouted, he also glanced in Zhang Ze's direction.

Zhang Ze stepped forward as well.

The moment he appeared, Crow after Crow gathered around him. The visual effect was more than enough, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

"My Haunted House has also opened a new scenario, Midnight Police Station. Compared to ordinary Haunted Houses, it's more like an escape room. Visitors with poor stamina, weak nerves, or a history of heart problems should stay far away."

Zhang Ze spoke without the slightest courtesy.

The smell of gunpowder between the two was intense.

Visitors eagerly snapped pictures.

Just then.

An ill-timed voice suddenly rose from the crowd:

"Two people who have both run horror livestreams, both Haunted House owners, and their Haunted Houses are even right across from each other. How could there possibly be such a coincidence?"

"If you ask me, they've probably been working together all along to stir up publicity! Rather than running Haunted Houses, these two owners would be better off running social media accounts. They must be raking in money every day."

"We viewers aren't idiots. You've been leading us around by the nose, and today, we're here to expose your true colors!"

Zhang Ze looked toward the speaker.

It was a young man in a gray jacket and sunglasses, his face full of disdain. His looks were distinctive; he didn't have the honest, ordinary appearance of most people. Instead, he gave off an arrogant, domineering impression, the kind of face that screamed spoiled rich kid at first glance.

"You are?" Zhang Ze didn't recognize him.

Someone nearby recognized the man for him and cried out, "Isn't that Zombie Man?"

"Holy shit, no wonder he looked so familiar—it's him! He actually came all the way to Hanjiang. Is he here to review the two Haunted Houses?"

Zhang Ze looked at the young man called Zombie Man, unable to understand why he had such an abstract name.

Shen Yue leaned closer and whispered, "Boss, he's an internet celebrity. His online name is Zombie Man, and his persona is the man with the toughest fate imaginable. They say he's even harder to kill than a cockroach."

"His exploits include, but aren't limited to, lying in a haystack surrounded by gasoline, setting it on fire, and surviving. He also jumped into a river during flood season wearing a sack, carrying only a knife and an oxygen tank, and somehow held out until he was pulled ashore."

"He used to livestream recreations of climbing hundred-meter skyscrapers barehanded, Uncle Long's famous building-jumping scenes, and other stunt actors' crazy feats. In the end, he survived every one of them."

"What's even crazier is..."

Shen Yue paused and didn't continue.

Zhang Ze raised an eyebrow. "Keep going. Let me see just how crazy he is."

Shen Yue continued, "His video account was banned before. The reason wasn't for doing crazy stunts—it was because he filmed himself taking drugs. He took estradiol while also taking trenbolone. People say he even took OxyContin, but that's only a rumor. No one has ever seen the actual video."

Zhang Ze:?

Well, damn. There were people like that?

His fate really was tough. He really was something else.

Looking at him again, Zhang Ze revealed a faint smile. "So you're Zombie Man. I've heard a lot about you. This Haunted House has no restrictions at all. As long as you're brave enough, you can experience the new scenario directly."

"But you must sign a liability waiver first. My Haunted House can genuinely scare people unconscious."

Zombie Man curled his lip disdainfully. "Tch, playing tricks and pretending to be supernatural."

"With so many people watching, of course you're going to emphasize how scary your Haunted House is. That's the core of Haunted House marketing. I bet those people who supposedly fainted at the beginning were all plants you hired, right? I remember Mystery Case Tracking Studio even promoted your Haunted House. If you could hire them, that only proves you paid enough!"

"But that doesn't mean the Haunted House is actually scary!"

Zhang Ze understood now.

This guy was here to pick a fight.

He was one of those online clowns who specialized in pulling stunts, attracting attention through exaggerated antics. The bigger the commotion, the higher the views on his videos.

Zhang Ze had only heard of such people before. This was his first time seeing one in person.

"This gentleman has a point."

"I've long heard of the New Century Amusement Park Haunted House. Seeing it in person today, though, it's nothing special. From the outside, it looks like a bumper car venue. And with so many crows, it can't have been easy for you to keep bird shit from covering the place."

"As the saying goes, all glitter on the outside, rot within. I watched your paranormal livestreams before—ghosts in bathroom mirrors, ghosts in hotel restrooms, and then even more outrageous things appeared later. Fuan Apartments had a murderer, internet cafés caught fire—it just got more ridiculous every time."

"If you ask me, you're just trying to build an account through paranormal content!"

"I'll be blunt. I'm from Qinguang Studio. Last night, you used unfair competition methods, hiring online trolls to spread rumors and damage Qin Guang's reputation..."

"Today, we're here to settle the score!"

Zhang Ze nearly failed to keep a straight face.

The whole cast had assembled.

This young man was obviously Fei Youliang, the "victim" fortunate enough to be the first to experience Chen Ge's Twilight Sun Middle School scenario. Naturally, Zhang Ze remembered him.

On the other hand, Zhang Ze had no impression of Zombie Man whatsoever.

He seriously suspected that the butterfly effect caused by his own Haunted House's involvement had produced this guy.

"Qin Guang? Fuck, I remember that loser. His acting was way too fake. Your props were garbage too—the fake blood looked like duck blood. The longer I watched, the hungrier I got."

"You and that Haunted House owner are both smiling tigers, two horned sharks from the same pond, equally rotten. And now you're fighting each other like dogs!"

Zombie Man's eyes widened. Behind his sunglasses, the muscles in his face visibly twitched. Zhang Ze had no idea whether it was a side effect of all the drugs he had taken recklessly before.

Fei Youliang's gaze darkened. He hadn't expected to run into Zombie Man. As the saying went, rivals were bound to clash. Unlike Qin Guang, a professional streamer signed with an MCN, Zombie Man was completely independent.

After all, his crazy stunts could easily get someone killed. What livestream studio would dare sign him?

And today, of all days, he had run straight into him!