Chapter 136: At the Bottom of the Well
Hearing a man's scream from the Muyang High School scene, Chen Ge quickly lifted the wooden board and ran inside.
It was the first day Muyang High School was open, and he was worried those mannequins might not know their own strength and actually scare someone into trouble.
"The nameplate of Chen Yalin at the entrance has already been taken. Didn't these people ever suspect it might be a trap? I hope they don't use that nameplate to provoke the spirit."
Chen Ge followed the corridor to the door of the last classroom. On the ground, a mannequin's body was holding its own head, seemingly trying to attach it to the shoulders but unable to find the right spot.
"How did this mannequin end up out here?"
Chen Ge glanced into the last classroom. Desks and chairs were overturned, a mess everywhere, and several mannequins had their heads knocked off.
"The scene is this wrecked—they must have been terrified. They probably wouldn't dare bring the mannequins outside."
Picking up the mannequin, Chen Ge leaned her against the wall and reattached the realistic head.
He looked into the mannequin's eyes. Whether it was due to the lighting or not, he felt as though the mannequin had gained a soul, and he could even sense a hint of shyness and fear.
Taking out his black phone, Chen Ge scrolled through all the pages but found no option related to controlling the lingering thoughts of the mannequin. He had to try speaking to it: "You can leave the classroom, but you can't run out of the Muyang High School scene, understand?"
The mannequin showed no reaction. Chen Ge, not caring whether it understood, set it aside by the roadside and entered the last classroom himself to reassemble the mannequins.
"Four nameplates were hidden in the classroom, and three have been taken. These people are pretty capable." Chen Ge moved lightly. As he passed the middle desk, he suddenly noticed something beside the table leg: "How did a phone end up here?"
...
"Did you guys hear someone talking behind us?" Pei Hu's legs were trembling. He kept looking back every few steps, to the point where even Xia Meili found it hard to tolerate.
"Big Cat, if you're really scared, just stay here and wait for us to come back."
"Who are you calling out? Meili, you didn't see what happened back then. The classroom was pitch dark. I was using my phone for light, my face practically pressed against it, barely able to see. And just when I was fully focused on untying the rope, the mannequin's head creaked and turned!" Remembering it now, Pei Hu was still frightened. He gestured wildly with both hands, then suddenly patted his pants pocket. "Damn! I was so focused on grabbing the nameplate, I think I left my phone in the classroom!"
"Then go back and get it. What's the point of telling me?" Xia Meili shot Pei Hu a contemptuous look.
"You want me to go alone?" Pei Hu glanced back bitterly. The Muyang High School scene was eerie, and he had lost his phone, so now he didn't even have a light. "Forget it, I'll let the haunted house staff find it when we leave."
He hurried to catch up with the others. The five visitors stopped at the first fork in the road.
"How big is this haunted house? Not only does it split into two paths, but both paths stretch endlessly!" Pei Hu squeezed next to Wang Hailong. "Brother Long, turn back before it's too late!"
"Get lost." Wang Hailong was also uneasy inside, but he didn't want to show it in front of Dou Menglu. "A third of the experience time is already gone, and we still have twenty nameplates to find. The five of us walking together is about as effective as one person—too wasteful. How about this: Wenlong and Pei Hu take the left path, and I'll take Menglu and Meili down the right. What do you think?"
"No objections from us." The two girls spoke up first.
"I don't mind either. Even if we fail this challenge, we should explore all the scenes and pave the way for the next group." Wang Wenlong's thinking was clear.
"Then it's settled. You two stick close to me." Wang Hailong led the two women toward the path leading to the girls' dormitory.
"Damn! Don't you guys even ask for my opinion?"
"Enough, Pei Hu. Get over here."
Wang Wenlong walked ahead, while Pei Hu stomped his feet in frustration but didn't dare stay alone at the fork, so he reluctantly followed.
"This side doesn't seem to have anything scary."
Wang Wenlong and Pei Hu reached the end of the path. They exchanged glances, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.
At the end of the corridor, it split into two narrow paths again! One path led to a dry well, and the other to a door with a number plate reading 303.
"Let's go together." Pei Hu grabbed Wang Wenlong's arm and wouldn't let go.
"We definitely can't split up again." Wang Wenlong looked into the distance. "Why do you think a haunted house would have a well at the end of a path?"
"There's probably an actor hiding inside dressed up as a ghost."
"Very likely. That shady boss always hides nameplates near the scares, so I think there's at least one in the well." Wang Wenlong was confident.
"Come on, let's check it out together."
The two approached the well and peered inside. The dry well was less than two meters deep.
Wang Wenlong shone his phone light inside. As expected, two nameplates were lying at the bottom.
"This is too easy." Pei Hu stepped back. Jumping into the well to pick things up was something he would never do.
"Don't let your guard down. We haven't seen anything scary the whole way, so this well must have some trick." Wang Wenlong leaned over the edge, phone in hand, carefully scanning every spot. He found nothing unusual—it was just an ordinary dry well.
"Am I being too sensitive?" Wang Wenlong quickly relaxed. With so many nameplates, it wasn't easy to hide each one so cleverly.
He handed his phone to Pei Hu: "Shine the light from outside. I'll go down to get the nameplates."
"Alright." Pei Hu relaxed visibly. As long as he didn't have to go down, anything was fine—given his build, getting back up would be a challenge.
Wang Wenlong had a fit frame and looked like someone who exercised regularly. "Pei Hu, if you dare run off while I'm down there, don't blame me for being rough with you when we get out of the haunted house."
"What do you take me for? Is that something a person would do? Just get on with it!" Pei Hu seemed a bit offended. "You all always underestimate me. Today, I'll prove you wrong."
Before he could finish, Wang Wenlong jumped into the well.
"Thud!"
The dark, dry well was much deeper than it appeared from the outside—Wang Wenlong felt that most keenly. "The well seems to have gotten deeper..."
After landing, he found the ground soft, covered in a layer of fine sand. "Just as I guessed, this is a scare point set up by the haunted house owner. They even put sand down to keep visitors from getting hurt."
He touched the well walls. Some parts were smooth, while others were scratched with marks, as if someone had been buried alive at the bottom and clawed at the walls with their fingers to escape.
"Pretty creepy." Wang Wenlong looked up at the well opening. In just that short time, the mouth seemed farther away than before.
Thanks to 09281836 for the alliance leader! Three chapters tomorrow.