Moonlight Clan's Heart Is Panicked
That evening, both performances took place as scheduled. Russell and Chap went to the horror-themed amusement park, while Jennifer and Nidi went to a rock concert.
Jennifer is very clingy, but this time she didn't watch Russell closely like a protective kitten, not because she trusted Russell's character, but because she had more important things to do.
Just like celebrities in the entertainment industry who frantically rush from one event to another to maintain their popularity and increase their exposure by attending red carpet events, Jennifer, as the social queen of her private high school, must also do the same to keep her number one spot. It's okay if she can't attend red carpet events, but she can still attend concerts.
The goal is achieved by showing off her foxy face on stage or her alluring waist on the dance floor.
Jennifer wanted to make a grand entrance in Lamborghini, but Russell refused. If Jennifer took the Lamborghini, he would only be able to drive a used Chevrolet. Not all Chevrolet can become Bumblebees; at least the one in Russell's garage couldn't. What if it broke down halfway through and he missed the second game? That would be truly heartbreaking.
Russell proved to be very farsighted. When he drove Chap to Hell Amusement Park, the park was already packed with people, many of whom were struggling to find parking.
Lamborghini didn't have this problem; the staff were very welcoming, leading Russell to a dedicated parking lot and allowing them to bypass the crowds and enter directly through the staff entrance.
Russell got out of the car with a nonchalant expression, as if it were the proper thing to do, and casually gave the staff a $100 tip.
This person helped Russell a lot, because there was a security check at the main entrance, with staff carrying handheld metal detectors, and every tourist had to be checked before being allowed to enter.
Russell has a gun in his backpack, which will cause trouble at security. He might even have to climb over a wall to get in, which doesn't fit his image as a brainless rich kid.
With colorful spotlights, blaring horns, a giant haunted house tent, staff dressed as ghosts and monsters, a large screen playing horror movies, and themed pavilions based on various classic horror films, the atmosphere in Hell Amusement Park is incredibly exciting, with screams echoing everywhere.
Just as Chap had said, Hell Amusement Park was incredibly popular, attracting young people from nearby towns who came to experience it and cheer with screams of excitement.
"This is a warm-up for the upcoming Halloween Carnival Parade. Half of the income of Mug Town comes from tourism, and Halloween is an indispensable part of it. We have to come up with some gimmicks to attract attention."
Chap explained to Russell that he clearly enjoyed the atmosphere and wasn't angry at being pranked by the staff dressed as ghosts; instead, he joined in the screaming.
Quiet people aren't necessarily reserved; they might be secretly passionate. Russell thought Chap was that kind of person.
"This place is great, definitely much better than that band or whatever it is," Russell said with a smile. There would never be such a grand gathering of horror enthusiasts in China. Although there were no Eastern horror elements here, the atmosphere was really great.
"Of course, I've never heard of Low Shoulder Band. I don't understand where they came from," Chap complained. As the drummer in the school band, he was qualified to speak on the matter. The fact that even he hadn't heard of Low Shoulder Band only proved how low-class they were.
"If it weren't for Jennifer, Nidi would definitely have... uh, I'm not blaming Jennifer."
"It's alright, you're right," Russell said nonchalantly. This kind of small matter could be solved with money.
Chap shook his head in refusal. "Forget it, Nidi would kill me if she knew!"
"You can't say that. Outstanding men attract women. It's only when you lack female friends that Nidi feels embarrassed."
"Spare me, I don't have the Money Power!"
As they walked and talked, they soon arrived at the largest haunted house tent. Chap had originally planned to keep Nidi company and take the opportunity to deepen their relationship, but now that Russell was the only one by his side, he felt terrible.
The area in front of the haunted house was bustling with activity. Because only ten people could enter at a time, a long queue formed, mostly consisting of couples. Male-male pairs like Russell and Chap were quite rare.
Russell had made up his mind to go find Jennifer as soon as he left the haunted house, because there were quite a few couples around who were covering their mouths and laughing at him and Chap, their expressions seemingly indicating that they did not discriminate against gay people.
"I hate this place!"
The intense crimson light swept back and forth, causing Russell to experience a visual persistence, making everything appear slightly green, including the top of Chap's head.
After waiting for ten minutes, Russell and Chap were allowed into the haunted house. Before entering, each of them had a fluorescent stamp on the back of their hand to prevent them from getting lost in the dark.
"Chap, are you allergic to this stuff?"
"What? How could someone be allergic to fluorescent stamps?"
The haunted house has a long, winding path. To make full use of the space and present more terror to visitors, the path is circuitous and can make people lose their sense of direction after walking for a while.
The first attraction is a mass grave, set against a backdrop of darkness. Scattered bones, lights, smoke, and sound effects create a psychological suggestion, leaving the rest to the viewer's imagination. The atmosphere is just right—neither too jarring nor too fake.
The tombstones stood upright, artificially aged and inscribed with epitaphs, so realistic they could easily be mistaken for genuine artifacts, making one suspect they were stolen from the cemetery. A narrow path led straight to the end; clearly, this was the only way to get through the cemetery.
Chap pursed his lips. He knew that halfway there, something would pop out. It might be a staff member dressed as a zombie, or it might just be a catapult mechanism that would leave him with a human head in his arms, complete with pop-out eyeballs.
Sometimes, even when people know it's fake, they can't help but feel their heart race because their subconscious is beyond their control.
To put it bluntly, it's just scaring yourself!
"Whoosh!!!"
A rotting zombie sat up from the mud, its hands gripping Chap's legs tightly. Chap's face turned pale, but he managed to keep from making a sound.
Russell calmly watched the staff member dressed as a zombie lie back down, and he even helped bury him in the dirt.
Russell suddenly realized that with his reaction speed and perception, the haunted house was a joke to him. The moment the mechanism was activated, his gaze swept over it, and before the ghost even came out, he could see exactly what it looked like...
The second attraction is a curtained corridor with terrifyingly dressed staff hiding behind the black curtains. Whenever someone passes by, they rush out with strange screams.
Russell thought this was stupid because humans react reflexively without even realizing it when they're startled. The staff at haunted houses must have high-value insurance, otherwise they wouldn't be able to recruit enough people; the chances of them being punched or kicked in the groin are too high!
The third attraction is a pitch-black cave with speakers playing screams of torture, as well as strange noises of chainsaws, axes chopping meat, and shrieks.
It has to be said that when two grown men go to a haunted house, the scary atmosphere is reduced by half. Russell was completely at ease throughout, Chap also said that it was within his tolerance.
The fourth attraction is Slaughterhouse, where many corpses are hanging in mid-air on iron hooks, the light flickering and occasionally illuminating the grayish-white, deformed features of the dead bodies. There is no clear path, and you have to find your way out on your own.
"Russell, this place is much more boring than I expected!" Chap said quietly, not wanting to dampen the staff's enthusiasm.
That's because you're a guy, otherwise the atmosphere would be super great!
Russell was thinking to himself, about to speak, when suddenly the black curtain in front of him was pulled open, and a worker wearing a cheap white human skin mask, dressed in a technician's uniform, and holding a kitchen knife walked out.
"I bet he owns the Slaughterhouse ..." Chap sized him up a few times. "But this outfit won't do. If he were wearing a white chef's uniform and smeared with ketchup, the effect of terror would be much better!"
Russell pointed out, "No, he's dressed like a character from a horror movie. I recognize that mask; it's very memorable."
"Really? I don't remember."
Russell pondered for a moment, then said seriously, "You should know it. It's a very famous horror movie series. I think it's called... 'Moonlight Clan's Heart is Panicked'... something like that!"
[Failure Diary]
Today, my editor told me that if I wrote well, I could become a master writer, and I proudly shared this in my writing community. Then, the other writers told me that I was the last person in the group to be told this by the editor.