When Chen Mo opened the horror radio app, as expected, a new image had already appeared. A pitch-black forest, a gloomy sky, and a flash of lightning cutting through the rolling dark clouds illuminated an ancient building, casting a hazy white glow over it. In one window of this dark, ancient structure, a light was on, and a shadowy figure seemed to be standing there, peering out at something.
However, no matter how closely he looked through the phone screen, he couldn’t make out what that shadowy figure in the window actually was.
A new image meant a new horror story had been released. Every time a horror story was released, it was the most tense moment for all listeners, because no one knew if their name would appear on that death-tinged list.
This time, the “teaser” image of the horror story gave off an instinctive, bone-chilling sense of dread.
“A new story has been released.”
“A famous painter couple lives in a manor atop a mountain. Recently, due to some special circumstances, they’ve posted a temporary job through an agency with a generous reward.”
“In this story, participants will take on this 7-day job, following the employer’s instructions as required. The work period runs from May 17 to May 24. After the time ends, they may resign and leave.”
“Now announcing the participants for this story: Ye Xiaomei, Ke Shufan, Chen Cailing, Xiao Bai…”
One by one, blood-red names gradually appeared on the screen. Before the story was fully released, Ke Shufan let out a cry, her entire body trembling uncontrollably.
Because she had already seen it—her own name was on the list for the next story mission.
“How… how is it me again…”
Ever since that image appeared, Ke Shufan had had a bad feeling. She hadn’t expected that awful premonition to come true so quickly.
“How can this be? It’s only been a month since my last mission!”
“My mom’s birthday is next month. I said I’d go back home to celebrate with her…”
After a brief moment of panic, tears welled up uncontrollably in the bespectacled girl’s eyes, her shoulders shaking incessantly. As a semi-veteran who had been through one horror story before, she still had some self-control, but the pain and fear of suddenly receiving another story mission couldn’t be hidden.
“For newcomers who have completed fewer than three stories, the interval between missions is roughly one to three months. Getting another mission just a month later is probably because we’re… unlucky.”
Compared to Ke Shufan’s anguish, the icy beauty beside her appeared much calmer, though her finely arched brows were deeply furrowed, revealing that her heart was equally unsettled.
Ke Shufan and Xiao Bai had carried out their previous mission together, so for Xiao Bai, it had also been only a month since she last received a horror story from the radio.
“I remember that once you pass three horror story trials and upgrade to veteran level, the interval between missions gets much longer, right?”
Hearing Xiao Bai’s question, Li Yan nodded. “Yes, as long as you survive this story, the next one will be three to six months away.”
Xiao Bai nodded, casting a sympathetic glance at the bespectacled girl beside her. She couldn’t help but sigh and reached out to pat her on the shoulder.
“Stay strong. We’re going to survive this one too.”
“Wah… Sister Bai, can you help me? I’m really… so scared…”
“Don’t worry, I’ll do my best.” The icy beauty nodded. “Actually, I’m pretty scared too.”
“But in a horror story, fear is useless. This time, we have three days to prepare. Instead of wallowing in self-pity and complaining about fate’s unfairness, it’s better to think about how to increase our chances of survival.”
“I understand. Thank you.” Ke Shufan nodded pitifully, gradually recovering from her earlier outburst. She knew that no amount of crying could change her fate of participating in this story mission. Though her body still trembled slightly, a determined expression had appeared on her face.
Just then, Li Yan let out a soft “huh.”
“Look, isn’t there something different about the participants in this story mission?”
“Different?” Ke Shufan was momentarily stunned. She hadn’t noticed anything herself.
“From the names of the participants in this radio story mission, all four should be female.”
Seeing Lin Tianheng quickly catch on to Li Yan’s train of thought, Chen Mo cast another glance at the young man.
Besides Ke Shufan and the icy beauty Xiao Bai, Ye Xiaomei and Chen Cailing were clearly female participants.
“Has this ever happened before?”
Prompted by Lin Tianheng’s reminder, Xiao Bai and Ke Shufan both fell into thought. After all, they were the ones actually entering the mission this time. Every tiny clue could be crucial to whether they survived this supernatural world.
The number of listeners in the seventh program group had long hovered between twenty and thirty, with fewer than ten female participants. For some reason, this time, all those chosen to enter the horror story were female.
“I think one reason might be that the job posted in this story mission is probably more suited for women. Although the mission itself is vague, we can still infer some details about the job from the clues.”
“This job is likely something along the lines of caregiving or nursing.”
“Thank you, Li Yan. Your analysis gives us some ideas.” Xiao Bai nodded. Whether it was because she knew his profession was that of a mortician, even though she was thanking him, her tone remained icy.
“By the way, I have another suggestion. This mission doesn’t seem to restrict item use. If you have extra points, I recommend exchanging for a store phone and a universal credential. First, in case the job requires some special qualification, having a universal credential will make it easier to handle. Second, if you encounter something hard to understand in the story, using the store phone will make it easier for everyone to help brainstorm.”
“You’re right, Brother Li Yan.” Ke Shufan’s face lit up with sudden realization. She then lowered her head and started fiddling with her phone, clearly checking the store’s exchange list.