"Having no work for three years left Yin Xiong with hardly any savings. Yet, faced with his daughter's severe illness requiring a large sum of money for treatment, he had no choice but to come to Rinz Company again, begging them to pay him a meager fee."
Listening to Lin Tianheng's account, Chen Mo and Dai Minghan fell silent.
It was hard to imagine the state of mind Yin Xiong had when pleading with them—perhaps guilt and love for his daughter drove him to abandon all dignity.
"But in the end, he didn't get that money, did he?"
"No. Rinz Company reported him for extortion, called the police to drive him away again. After that, he thought of seeking help from his ex-wife, but she, having formed a new family, didn't seem to believe his story."
As Lin Tianheng spoke, a scene seemed to unfold before Chen Mo's eyes: a man who should have been showcasing his talents, now haggard from a string of misfortunes.
A man, stripped of dignity, having given up everything, yet unable to save his only remaining loved one—his beloved daughter. What must that have felt like?
How could he face those eyes of a little girl longing for life?
Perhaps he wandered around the hospital, like a walking corpse.
Perhaps, in some unknown corner, he broke down sobbing, hating his own uselessness.
Though Zhang Yiming didn't know all the details, one thing was certain: the ending of this story.
In the end, Yin Xiong, his wife, and his daughter all died, becoming ghosts in the game.
Only a few mysteries remained.
One of those mysteries might be hidden in this house. Besides the little girl's room, there was another room on the second floor they hadn't checked.
Would they find the final truth of the story there?
After hanging up, Chen Mo finally reached out, turned the handle, and entered that last room.
Blood...
Black, mottled bloodstains splattered across the entire room, a shocking sight!
An eerie, bone-chilling coldness silently permeated the space, as if an invisible vengeful spirit stood in the room, glaring fiercely at them!
It was hard to describe, but every participant who had repeatedly carried out paranormal tasks could sense it.
This room harbored extremely dangerous supernatural energy!
"Chen Mo," Dai Minghan called from behind. The hair-raising sensation urged him to flee this dangerous place, but Chen Mo seemed not to hear, walking steadily toward the center of the room.
Ahead, facing the window, sat an old computer. Though the window was shut, a chill wind from nowhere stirred the curtains, making them sway gently.
Beside the desktop computer was a small photo frame. Chen Mo picked it up. The delicate face in the photo was likely Yin Xiong. Next to him, a familiar face clinging to his neck was indeed the little girl he had seen.
Standing before the computer in the middle of the room, Chen Mo looked up. Above him, a noose hung from the beam, swaying gently.
As if a body had just been suspended there.
This was it...
A room drenched in blood, a computer, a noose for hanging—was this where Yin Xiong had taken his own life?
Seeing the noose, Chen Mo instantly understood: in the end, this man had chosen to end his life this way!
In his mind, more images seemed to surface.
After abandoning dignity and making countless efforts, yet failing to save the life of his beloved, Yin Xiong must have been utterly disillusioned with the world by then!
As for the bloodstains covering the room, Chen Mo guessed that perhaps due to a mother-daughter bond, or maybe she never admitted it but still worried about her daughter, the woman must have returned here. But she didn't see her daughter one last time; instead, she was killed by Yin Xiong, who had sunk into the abyss of despair.
Ding-dong, ding-dong.
Just then, a notification sound echoed in the room, followed by eerie music.
But it wasn't from their phones—it was the dusty old computer in the room, turning on by itself.
This abandoned old house had long had its power and water cut off, so this must be due to supernatural influence.
Though they remained calm, Chen Mo and Dai Minghan were already prepared to face a paranormal attack!
This was the final scene of the story, and it surely held the ultimate danger, but they couldn't retreat. All questions and secrets might lie within this computer!
The hope of breaking the curse was here too!
So, no matter the risk, they couldn't back down. Both pairs of eyes locked onto the gradually brightening screen.
Accompanied by the strange music, the desktop screen lit up, revealing the cursed game's interface. Clearly, new plot had emerged in the game.
The scene reenacted the final events in this room. Though presented in pixel form within the game, it was still terrifying.
In the game, a woman burst into the frame, looking furious.
"Xiao Wei! Where have you hidden Xiao Wei!"
The man in front of the computer slowly stood up.
"Why did you only come now?"
"Why didn't you believe what I said?"
"Because you always deceived us. You said you'd give me happiness, you said you'd take Xiao Wei abroad to see the lighthouse she loved..."
"Is that so... I'm sorry..." The man seemed lost in thought. "I really wanted to give you happiness!"
"But you're too late. Xiao Wei... she's already dead."
"Liar! You're nothing but a liar! How could Xiao Wei die!"
On the screen, the woman screamed hysterically.
"I'm not lying to you. Without money for treatment, Xiao Wei really is dead."
"You're lying! You're lying! You're lying!"
The woman collapsed into despair. The pixel figures on screen showed one pushing the other against the wall.
"When Xiao Wei was alive, she always said she was lonely. Her only wish was for us to spend more time with her."
"So, I have to fulfill her final wish!"
With that, the pixel figure representing Yin Xiong suddenly pulled out a knife and stabbed the other figure.
Red blood splattered across the screen...
Of course, Chen Mo and Dai Minghan knew this wasn't just a game—it was a reenactment of the final scene in this room!
Thanks to A Kuang for the tip, thank you!