Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Ze summons a powerful ghost, Sadako, from a painting into the Door-After World.
• Sadako's presence causes a massive disturbance, affecting the entire Door-After World.
• Zhang Ze commands Lingling to attack Sadako, but she proves too powerful.
• Zhang Ze attempts to reach Top-Tier Red-Clothed level, but falls short.
• He decides to merge Qiu Mei's eye with his to gain the strength to defeat Sadako.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ze's desperation and determination grow as he faces an overwhelmingly powerful enemy.
• Qiu Mei's trust in Zhang Ze is tested when he asks for her eye.
• Lingling's power and connection to Zhang Ze are further revealed.

Significant Themes

• The theme of desperation and the lengths one will go to in order to survive and protect what they've built.
• The concept of sacrifice for the greater good, and the consequences of such actions.
• The power dynamics between different levels of ghosts and the struggle to overcome the gap in strength.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ze and Qiu Mei's relationship is tested as he asks for a significant sacrifice from her.
• Zhang Ze and Lingling's bond deepens as she follows his commands without question.
• The dynamic between Zhang Ze and Sadako highlights the vast difference in power between them.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qiu Mei attempts to return to the Left Eye movie but is trapped by Zhang Ze.
• Zhang Ze extracts Qiu Mei's right eye to gain control over her supernatural abilities, causing her immense distress.
• Zhang Ze fuses with Qiu Mei, becoming a Top-Tier Red-Clothed.
• Zhang Ze confronts Sadako again, this time successfully absorbing her into the Haunted House.
• Zhang Ze returns to reality and confronts Yue Pan through a television in the film studio.

Character Developments

• Qiu Mei: Traumatized by Zhang Ze's actions, she becomes part of his body, enhancing his powers.
• Zhang Ze: Becomes a Top-Tier Red-Clothed after absorbing Qiu Mei and Sadako.
• Sadako: Absorbed into the Haunted House, her favorability towards Zhang Ze resets to 0.
• Yue Pan: Revealed to be the mastermind behind Lost Media, he is confronted by Zhang Ze.

Significant Themes

• Trust and betrayal: Zhang Ze's actions towards Qiu Mei shatter her trust in him.
• Power and sacrifice: Characters gain power by absorbing others, often at great cost.
• The power of memory and trauma: Qiu Mei's past trauma is used against her, fueling her resentment.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ze and Qiu Mei: Their relationship shifts from comrades to captor and captive, with Qiu Mei's trust in Zhang Ze shattered.
• Zhang Ze and Sadako: They face off again, with Zhang Ze ultimately absorbing Sadako.
• Zhang Ze and Yue Pan: Zhang Ze confronts Yue Pan, revealing his true intentions and power.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yue Pan appears on Zhang Ze's television, looking younger and exhausted.
• Yue Pan reveals he created supernatural tales that became reality through films, aiming to destroy a school capable of destroying the Door-After World.
• Yue Pan admits to using human body parts as control mechanisms in his Lost Media.
• Zhang Ze threatens Yue Pan, but Yue Pan reveals he can't be killed as long as any of his media exists online.
• Yue Pan calls Zhang Ze, appearing on his phone screen, and warns that the Supernatural Research Company will rise again.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ze: Shows determination to defeat Yue Pan and protect his Haunted House employees. He acknowledges his role reversal from Chen Ge's big brother to a more active position.
• Yue Pan: Reveals his obsession with cinema and his manipulative nature. He shows self-destructive tendencies and a desire to maintain his legacy through his media.

Significant Themes

• The power of media and symbolism in maintaining one's legacy and influence.
• The consequences of obsession and manipulation, leading to self-destruction.
• The struggle between good and evil, with Zhang Ze determined to stop Yue Pan's plans.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ze and Yue Pan: Engage in a tense conversation, with Zhang Ze threatening Yue Pan and Yue Pan revealing his indestructible nature.
• Zhang Ze and Chen Ge (implied): Zhang Ze expects a call from Chen Ge but receives Yue Pan's call instead, highlighting their ongoing connection and shared mission.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Ze receives a mission from the system to find the most unusual piece of Lost Media, Number 033, which turns out to be Sadako's videotape.
• He successfully retrieves the tape and completes the mission.
• A new scene, The Ring, is unlocked.
• Zhang Ze finds the well from Blood Lake in the Door-After World.
• He decides to guide and educate Sadako, whose favorability towards him is zero.
• Zhang Ze feels pain from his Right Eye, reminding him of his mission to return both eyes to Qiu Mei.
• Yue Pan, the mastermind behind the Supernatural Research Company, flees.
• Zhang Ze and Chen Ge meet, and Zhang Ya is about to consume another Lost Media.
• Chen Ge completes several side missions on the Black Phone, except for [Left Eye].

Character Developments

• Zhang Ze: He successfully retrieves Sadako's videotape and decides to guide and educate her. He feels the pain from his Right Eye, indicating his mission to return both eyes to Qiu Mei is urgent. He reveals to Chen Ge the truth about his eyes and the origins of the Supernatural Research Company.
• Chen Ge: He completes several side missions on the Black Phone and realizes the truth about Zhang Ze's eyes. He becomes concerned about Zhang Ze's actions and the consequences of his choices.

Significant Themes

• The consequences of one's actions: Zhang Ze's decision to dig out Qiu Mei's eye has led to unforeseen consequences, raising questions about the path he has chosen.
• Trust and betrayal: The theme of trust and betrayal is explored through Zhang Ze's relationship with Qiu Mei and Yue Pan's actions.
• The power of Lost Media: The power and influence of Lost Media are further emphasized, with Sadako's videotape being the most unusual and powerful piece.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ze and Chen Ge: They meet again and exchange information. Chen Ge completes several side missions on the Black Phone, while Zhang Ze reveals the truth about his eyes and the origins of the Supernatural Research Company to Chen Ge.
• Zhang Ze and Qiu Mei: Zhang Ze feels the pain from his Right Eye, reminding him of his mission to return both eyes to Qiu Mei. Their relationship is further explored, highlighting the consequences of Zhang Ze's actions.
• Zhang Ya and Chen Ge: Zhang Ya is about to consume another Lost Media, but Chen Ge calls her back, preventing her from doing so. This interaction shows Chen Ge's concern for Zhang Ya and his desire to collect The Thirteenth Pair of Eyes.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Ze and Chen Ge have a falling-out after Zhang Ze's actions at Donghai Road Film and Television Base.
• Zhang Ze returns to New Century Amusement Park and continues operating his Haunted House, while Chen Ge watches the earliest Lost Media, No. 001, and becomes angry.
• New Century Amusement Park plans to integrate resources and develop a Haunted House experience app, bundling both Haunted Houses.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ze: He continues to operate his Haunted House, focusing on developing a new scene and handling promotional work. He shows understanding towards Chen Ge's actions but maintains his course.
• Chen Ge: He becomes angry after watching No. 001, struggling with his feelings towards Zhang Ze's actions. He decides to focus on developing his Haunted House's new scene and employees.

Significant Themes

• Trust and betrayal: Chen Ge's trust in Zhang Ze is shaken, leading to their falling-out.
• Consequences of actions: Both characters grapple with the repercussions of their choices.
• Perseverance: Despite their personal issues, both continue to work on their respective Haunted Houses.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ze and Chen Ge: Their relationship is strained due to Zhang Ze's actions at Donghai Road Film and Television Base. They do not interact directly in this chapter.
• Zhang Ze and Uncle Xu: Uncle Xu tries to persuade Zhang Ze to reconcile with Chen Ge, but Zhang Ze maintains his course.
• Chen Ge and his employees: Chen Ge decides to focus on developing his Haunted House's new scene and employees, showing determination despite his personal issues.

Key plot points

• Zhang Ze and Chen Ge’s apparent falling-out continues to worry Uncle Xu, even as New Century Amusement Park prospers.
• Actress Bai Xiaoxiao visits Zhang Ze’s Haunted House and proposes a short drama based on it. She argues that online promotion and spin-offs could build the attraction into a wider entertainment brand.
• Zhang Ze agrees to write the script, while Bai Xiaoxiao will star and help assemble the production. The amusement park will discuss funding and arrangements with Director Luo.
• Insisting she needs to experience the attraction firsthand, Bai Xiaoxiao enters the Haunted House and is carried out foaming at the mouth.
• Uncle Xu confirms the park will support the project as part of a final effort to revive New Century Amusement Park. Zhang Ze chooses I Have a Haunted House as the drama’s title.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Ze begins thinking beyond designing attractions, recognizing that dramas, comics, novels, and fan works could expand his Haunted House into an intellectual property. He remains practical about finances and cautious about the project’s approval.
• Bai Xiaoxiao shifts from a confident visitor to a determined business partner. She pitches the project, praises Zhang Ze’s potential, and insists on trying the attraction—despite badly underestimating how frightening it is.
• Uncle Xu continues trying to support the park and repair the strained situation between Zhang Ze and Chen Ge. He welcomes the drama as a chance to give the park a “second spring.”
• Shen Yue serves Bai Xiaoxiao tea at Zhang Ze’s request, though she is visibly displeased by the visitor.
• Zhang Ze and Bai Xiaoxiao form a practical collaboration; Uncle Xu and the park leadership back it.

Significant themes

• Promotion and quality: A strong attraction matters, but modern branding and online attention can multiply its reach.
• Turning a business into a broader IP: The Haunted House could grow through stories and other media, not just visitors.
• Renewal through risk: New attractions and creative ventures offer the struggling amusement park a chance to revive.
• Overconfidence meets reality: Bai Xiaoxiao’s “nerves of steel” are quickly tested by the Haunted House.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Ze successfully films the first four episodes of his short drama using actors due to the low favorability of his ghost employees.
• He starts teaching Xiaolin to speak and interact socially, with limited progress.
• Zhang Ze asks Kuai Liang to help find a missing person named Lin, who is deceased and died near a well.
• Zhang Ze completes Daily Quest ⑦ and draws 'Future Souvenir' from the roulette, which allows him to ask future Zhang Ya for help twice.
• He upgrades his title to 'Nightmare Messenger' after unlocking three scenarios, potentially improving his relationships with Fierce Ghosts.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ze demonstrates his resourcefulness and determination in managing the Haunted House and helping Xiaolin.
• Xiaolin shows progress in learning to speak and interact, but remains largely unresponsive.
• Kuai Liang shows willingness to help Zhang Ze, despite the risks involved.
• Zhang Ya is introduced as a potential ally, although her current capabilities are limited.

Significant Themes

• The struggle between Zhang Ze's ambition and the challenges he faces in managing the Haunted House.
• The complex relationships between Zhang Ze and the entities in his Haunted House, particularly the Fierce Ghosts.
• The theme of transformation and growth, as seen in Xiaolin's development and Zhang Ze's title upgrade.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ze interacts with Director Sun and his team to film the drama, demonstrating his leadership and direction.
• He teaches Xiaolin, showing patience and dedication.
• Zhang Ze seeks Kuai Liang's help, highlighting their growing friendship and trust.
• The system interacts with Zhang Ze, offering rewards and upgrades that reflect his progress and pose new challenges.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Ze upgrades his title to 'Nightmare Messenger', gaining enhanced abilities.
• He searches for Chang Wenyu and the Second Ward using his crows, but finds no trace of either.
• Zhang Ze learns from Men Nan that the Second Ward was relocated or shut down after a fire, and its patients were hated by those in the Third Ward.
• In his dream, Little Door expresses hatred for the Second Ward and its patients, but knows nothing about its current whereabouts.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ze: Shows determination in finding Chang Wenyu and the Second Ward, demonstrating his newfound strength and resourcefulness.
• Little Door: Reveals his hatred for the Second Ward and its patients, showing a desire for revenge.

Significant Themes

• The search for truth and answers.
• The consequences of hatred and jealousy.
• The power of dreams and the boundary between reality and dreams.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ze interacts with Qiu Mei (mentally), Men Nan (via messages), and Little Door (in a dream).
• Zhang Ze's crows serve as his eyes and ears, searching for Chang Wenyu and the Second Ward.
• Little Door interacts with Zhang Ze, expressing his hatred for the Second Ward and his desire for revenge.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Ge joins the Ghost Story Association to gather information, becoming an unexpected fourth member due to a replicated poster.
• Zombie Man's younger brother, "Hanjiang City's Feng Bujue" (Zombie Bro), arrives, claiming he can't feel fear due to an underdeveloped amygdala. He clears Chen Ge's Haunted House but fails to scare him.
• Zombie Bro challenges Zhang Ze's Haunted House, causing a commotion. Zhang Ze decides to test Zombie Bro's condition.

Character Developments

• Chen Ge becomes more secretive and unwilling to share information with Zhang Ze.
• Zombie Bro is introduced, revealing his unique condition and provoking Zhang Ze.

Significant Themes

• The theme of fear and its absence continues to be explored through Zombie Bro's character.
• The rivalry and tension between Chen Ge and Zhang Ze's Haunted Houses escalate.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ze and Chen Ge have minimal interaction, with Chen Ge ignoring Zhang Ze's Crow.
• Zhang Ze interacts with Zombie Bro, deciding to test his fearlessness.
• Uncle Xu provides information about Zombie Bro's behavior in Chen Ge's Haunted House.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Bujue (Zombie Bro) enters the haunted house, bypassing the line by paying off others.
• He enters the Midnight Police Station scenario, which is dangerous due to Zhang Peng's unpredictable behavior.
• Zombie Bro encounters and evades Zhang Peng, tearing down his portrait on the honor board and urinating on it.
• Zhang Ze, the haunted house's manager, tries to manipulate Zhang Peng to catch Zombie Bro, but fails.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ze: Becomes more determined to improve his employees' performance, planning to train Zhang Peng harshly after hours.
• Zhang Peng: Revealed to be more intelligent than initially thought, but still struggles with complex situations. His behavior is influenced by Zombie Bro's presence.
• Feng Bujue (Zombie Bro): Shows arrogance and disrespect towards the haunted house rules and employees, indicating he's not an ordinary tourist.

Significant Themes

• Power and Money: Zombie Bro's ability to pay off others to cut in line highlights the influence of money.
• Manipulation and Control: Zhang Ze attempts to control the scenario and his employees to deal with Zombie Bro.
• Incompetence and Improvement: Zhang Ze's frustration with Zhang Peng's performance emphasizes the need for improvement and training.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ze and Zhang Peng: Zhang Ze tries to manipulate Zhang Peng to catch Zombie Bro, but fails due to Zhang Peng's unusual behavior around Zombie Bro.
• Zhang Peng and Zombie Bro: They encounter each other twice, with Zombie Bro successfully evading Zhang Peng both times.
• Zhang Ze and Zombie Bro: Zhang Ze monitors Zombie Bro's actions and becomes determined to improve his employees' performance after Zombie Bro's disrespectful behavior.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zombie Bro enters a Haunted House segment designed by Zhang Ze, featuring a ghostly figure following him.
• Zhang Ze uses his three-star scene, The Ring, to confront Zombie Bro with a well containing multiple ghostly reflections.
• Zombie Bro sees his own terrified reflection and those of various ghosts, including a Red-Clothed Vengeful Ghost and others.
• Zhang Ze uses Qiu Mei's Right Eye and Sadako's abilities to attempt to read Zombie Bro's memories.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ze demonstrates his confidence and skill in creating horror experiences.
• Zombie Bro initially appears fearless but shows signs of fear when confronted with the ghostly reflections.
• The ghosts in the well, including Sadako and Qiu Mei, work together to try and read Zombie Bro's memories.

Significant Themes

• Fear and its manipulation.
• The power of memories and their influence on one's present state.
• The use of supernatural abilities to understand and potentially cure someone.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ze and Zombie Bro engage in a psychological battle, with Zhang Ze trying to scare Zombie Bro and uncover his past.
• The ghosts in the well interact with Zombie Bro, attempting to provoke a response and access his memories.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sadako and Qiu Mei discover Sanjiu Yinyu, Zombie Man's younger brother, in a mental institution.
• Sanjiu Yinyu plagiarizes an online novel, causing him to experience nightmares and lose his ability to feel fear.
• He challenges the New Century Amusement Park Haunted House to plagiarize a novel by Feng Bujue.
• Inside the haunted house, Zhang Ze (the owner) confronts Sanjiu Yinyu, revealing the plagiarism's supernatural effects.
• Zhang Ze extracts a black Monkey from Sanjiu Yinyu's head, kills it, and knocks Sanjiu Yinyu unconscious.
• Sanjiu Yinyu emerges from the haunted house, apologetic and changed, before disappearing.

Character Developments

• Sanjiu Yinyu: From a mentally unstable patient to a plagiarist experiencing supernatural consequences, then to an apologetic, changed individual.
• Zhang Ze: Revealed to be a supernatural entity, the owner of the haunted house, and capable of dealing with the black Monkey.

Significant Themes

• Consequences of plagiarism (supernatural backlash).
• The power of online novels and their potential to affect reality.
• The struggle between the supernatural and the mundane.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ze and Sanjiu Yinyu: Zhang Ze confronts Sanjiu Yinyu about his plagiarism, extracts the black Monkey, and knocks him unconscious.
• Sanjiu Yinyu and the tourists: Sanjiu Yinyu apologizes to the tourists and the haunted house staff for his past behavior.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sanjiu Yinyu is chased by Little Door in a dream set in the Second Ward, reliving a traumatic event.
• Zhang Ze observes and guides Little Door, trying to uncover the truth about the Second Ward's disappearance.
• Zhang Ze discovers the location of the Second Ward, now known as the East Suburban Campus of the Hanjiang City Third Mental Recovery Center, in the city's east outskirts.
• Zhang Ze sends a crow to investigate but it's killed by an unknown force, causing him pain.

Character Developments

• Sanjiu Yinyu: Reveals fear and guilt related to the Second Ward's disappearance, possibly due to a repressed memory.
• Little Door: Shows sadistic pleasure in chasing Sanjiu Yinyu, but also displays curiosity and intelligence in trying to unravel the mystery.
• Zhang Ze: Demonstrates strategic thinking and caution in dealing with the Second Ward, using crows to investigate first.

Significant Themes

• Memory and trauma: The Second Ward's disappearance is linked to Sanjiu Yinyu's repressed memory, suggesting a traumatic event.
• Power dynamics: The chase between Sanjiu Yinyu and Little Door highlights the power imbalance between them, reflecting Zhang Ze's manipulation from afar.
• Exploration and discovery: Zhang Ze's search for the Second Ward mirrors his broader quest to uncover the truth about the city's strange occurrences.

Character Interactions

• Sanjiu Yinyu and Little Door: Their cat-and-mouse chase in the dream reveals Sanjiu Yinyu's fear and Little Door's sadistic pleasure.
• Zhang Ze and Little Door: Zhang Ze guides Little Door in the dream, showing a mentor-like relationship, while also using Little Door as a tool to gather information.
• Zhang Ze and the crow: Zhang Ze's connection to the crow highlights his ability to observe and control, but also his vulnerability when the crow is killed.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Ze investigates the abandoned Second Ward and learns about its past from Doctor Gao.
• The Second Ward was relocated due to a fire that killed a mother and son, and subsequent supernatural incidents involving a woman with burned skin.
• Zhang Ze refuses to hand over Sanjiu Yinyu to Doctor Gao, fearing for his safety.
• Zhang Ze shifts his consciousness into a flock of crows to explore the abandoned Second Ward in the East Outskirts of Hanjiang City.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ze: Shows curiosity and determination in uncovering the truth about the abandoned Second Ward. He demonstrates protectiveness towards Sanjiu Yinyu, refusing to hand him over to Doctor Gao.
• Doctor Gao: Reveals more information about the Second Ward's past and expresses a strong interest in studying Sanjiu Yinyu, hinting at his sinister intentions.

Significant Themes

• The dark past of the mental hospital and its impact on the present.
• The struggle between Zhang Ze and Doctor Gao over Sanjiu Yinyu, highlighting their differing intentions towards the mentally ill patient.
• The exploration of the East Outskirts, a territory belonging to the Shadow, signifying the expansion of Zhang Ze's influence.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ze and Doctor Gao: Engage in a conversation where Doctor Gao provides information about the Second Ward while attempting to persuade Zhang Ze to hand over Sanjiu Yinyu. Zhang Ze remains cautious and refuses, showing a level of distrust towards Doctor Gao.
• Zhang Ze and Sanjiu Yinyu: Although not present in this chapter, their relationship is implied as Zhang Ze protects Sanjiu Yinyu from Doctor Gao, suggesting a level of care or responsibility towards the mentally ill patient.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Ze arrives at the Second Ward, an abandoned psychiatric hospital in Hanjiang City's Eastern Outskirts.
• He encounters a group of thrill-seekers planning to explore the hospital, which he tries to deter.
• After the group faints due to a supernatural encounter, Zhang Ze calls the police and enters the Second Ward.
• The system quests for the Second Ward are triggered, revealing a complex and eerie history of the place.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ze demonstrates his concern for others' safety and his determination to complete the quest, despite his initial reluctance to engage with the thrill-seekers.
• The thrill-seekers, particularly Su Ren, show their lack of caution and preparation, leading to their frightened fainting.

Significant Themes

• The supernatural and its consequences on the living.
• The power of memory and love, as seen in the story of Little Door and his mother.
• The dangers of curiosity and lack of preparation when confronting the unknown.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ze's brief interaction with the thrill-seekers highlights his disdain for their reckless behavior and his attempts to warn them off.
• The thrill-seekers' dynamic showcases their lack of caution and preparation, as well as their fear when faced with the supernatural.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Ze explores the abandoned Second Ward's outpatient department, finding it dilapidated and empty.
• He discovers that there are only twelve patient rooms instead of thirteen, sparking his curiosity about Room Thirteen.
• Zhang Ze puts on the Charred Toy Straw Hat, seeing the hospital as Little Door remembers it, but it's still abandoned.
• He decides to investigate the Administration Building, where danger was previously confirmed.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ze demonstrates his meticulous and cautious nature, unwilling to miss any clues.
• Little Door reveals resentment towards the patients from the Third Ward and Xiong Qing, wanting revenge before facing his mother.

Significant Themes

• The power of memory and the past to shape present perceptions (through the Charred Toy Straw Hat).
• The consequences of intractable mental illnesses and their treatments (implied by the 'M-something treatment' and 'Lightning Dharma King').

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ze interacts with Little Door through his thoughts, trying to understand and help the ghost child.
• Zhang Ze considers the feelings and wishes of Little Door, respecting his decision not to face his mother yet.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Ze explores the Administration Building and finds the second floor cleaned and well-maintained, unlike the rest of the hospital.
• He hears gunfire from Room 208, which turns out to be a desktop computer playing Counter-Strike in deathmatch mode.
• Zhang Ze discovers that Little Door, through the Straw Hat, can control the game character with astonishing aim, despite never having played before.

Character Developments

• Little Door: Reveals an extraordinary talent for gaming, particularly in Counter-Strike, suggesting he might be a gaming prodigy.
• Zhang Ze: Shows concern and curiosity about Little Door's gaming abilities and tries to help him connect with the ghost in the computer.

Significant Themes

• The supernatural: The presence of a ghost in the computer that can control the game character and interact with Little Door.
• Talent and potential: Little Door's unexpected gaming prowess raises questions about his untapped abilities and potential.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ze and Little Door: Zhang Ze encourages Little Door to play the game again to try and communicate with the ghost inside the computer. Little Door enthusiastically agrees.
• Little Door and the ghost: Little Door seems to be the only one able to interact with the ghost in the computer, as it can control his gaming character's aim but not his movements.

Key plot points and events

• Zhang Ze accepts a Counter-Strike challenge sent to Little Door and notices the opponent’s Steam ID: “Do Android Prawns Dream of Electronic Major Championships?”
• The challenger, a hotheaded college freshman, suspects Little Door is cheating after seeing seemingly impossible shots. When Steam’s anti-cheat service asks for the suspicious player’s ID, he provides it.
• Zhang Ze recognizes the name Feng Xiaomin and finds an old article about her: a gifted Counter-Strike player whose parents opposed her esports ambitions and had her committed to a psychiatric facility. After receiving MECT electroconvulsive therapy, she died.
• Zhang Ze suspects Feng Xiaomin’s ghost is trapped in the computer and controlling Little Door’s in-game character. Little Door confirms it cannot communicate with her. Zhang Ze plans to use Sadako, who can travel through screens, to make contact—but waits until the match ends.
• Little Door’s team falls behind, reaching match point at 6–12. In a desperate round, Little Door suddenly makes five precise Desert Eagle headshots, keeping the team alive. Zhang Ze celebrates, and Sadako joins in, seemingly encouraging the presence inside the computer. The next round begins with Little Door better equipped.

Character developments

• Zhang Ze shifts from treating the match as a grudge game to investigating Feng Xiaomin’s identity and considering how her ghost might help his Haunted House.
• Feng Xiaomin emerges as a deceased gaming prodigy whose apparent skill still manifests through Little Door.
• Little Door remains unable to communicate directly with Feng, but its play improves dramatically when the ghost takes control.
• The freshman challenger is introduced as impulsive and convinced Little Door is cheating; his roommates are indifferent to his complaints.
• Sadako is ready to help Zhang Ze reach the ghost and responds sympathetically to his excitement.

Significant themes

• Misunderstood talent and parental control: Feng Xiaomin’s passion for gaming is treated as a problem by her parents, with tragic consequences.
• Technology as a vessel for the supernatural: Feng’s presence appears to inhabit a computer and influence a game.
• The ambiguity of skill and cheating: Extraordinary gameplay looks suspicious to the challenger, but may have a supernatural explanation.
• Recognition and encouragement: Zhang Ze’s excitement and Sadako’s supportive response seem to stir the ghost’s competitive spirit.

Character interactions

• Zhang Ze questions Little Door and uses a firing pattern to establish that it cannot speak with Feng Xiaomin.
• Zhang Ze prepares Sadako to enter the computer and communicate with the ghost, but waits out of courtesy to Little Door and its opponent.
• Zhang Ze’s enthusiastic praise—and Sadako’s emotional support—coincides with Feng’s dramatic intervention in the match.

Plot points and events

• Zhang Ze’s team wins an overtime game, and Feng Xiaomin—controlling the computer—uses the chat to ask who he is.
• Zhang explains that he runs a haunted house and wants to learn what happened in the hospital’s Second Ward. Feng initially refuses to discuss it.
• Zhang sends Sadako into the computer to reassure Feng and negotiate. Feng agrees to talk if she can keep her game account and move to another device.
• Feng recounts the hospital’s history: after a fire killed patients, a burned woman began appearing to people in the renovated room. The sightings spread, and later worsened after Professor Yang began using electroconvulsive therapy on a wide range of patients.
• Feng died before learning what happened next. With Zhang’s help, she transfers into his phone, joining his growing group of supernatural allies.
• She identifies Professor Yang’s usual location: the fourth floor of the Administration Building, beside his office in private treatment Room Thirteen.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang shows patience and compassion: rather than force Feng to answer, he gives her time and offers practical reassurance. He also promises her a new computer and someone to play with.
• Feng moves from guarded and fearful to cooperative and excited. Gaming gives her a rare experience of being appreciated, and she thanks Zhang for playing with her.
• Sadako acts as mediator, entering the computer and securing Feng’s agreement through a combination of reassurance and implied strength.
• Feng and Zhang build trust through their gaming session and chat; their interaction turns her from a trapped presence into a potential ally.

Significant themes

• Recognition and belonging: Feng’s talent and enthusiasm were suppressed in life, but the group’s encouragement helps her feel valued.
• Institutional harm and neglect: Professor Yang’s indiscriminate use of electrotherapy appears to worsen patients’ conditions and coincide with escalating supernatural events.
• Trauma and silence: Feng’s reluctance to discuss the hospital reflects the pain of her memories and the limits of what she knows.
• Technology as refuge and connection: The computer both imprisons Feng and gives her a way to communicate, play, and eventually travel with Zhang.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A secret society, the Ghost Story Association, holds initiation meetings where new members must tell a firsthand ghost story.
• Three newcomers tell their stories; the third, a hunched man in a doctor's mask, tells a chilling tale about a patient who hears persistent knocking.
• The hunched man's story ends with him hearing the knocking in his own apartment, marking his initiation into the association.

Character Developments

• The hunched man, now known as Number Thirteen, is revealed to be a doctor who specializes in treating psychiatric patients. His story suggests a descent into obsession with curing a particular patient.
• The plague doctor, the association's leader, is shown to be enigmatic and unsettling, with a twisted sense of humor and a penchant for the macabre.

Significant Themes

• The power of storytelling and its ability to convey fear and unease.
• The blurred line between reality and illusion, sanity and madness.
• The destructive nature of obsession and the lengths one will go to achieve a goal.

Character Interactions

• The hunched man's story is met with approval by the other members, indicating a shared appreciation for dark and disturbing narratives.
• The plague doctor's interactions with the newcomers are condescending and mocking, emphasizing his superior position within the association.
• The hunched man's reaction to hearing knocking in his own apartment suggests a connection between his story and his personal life.