Chapter 216: The Second Costume Prop
After leaving Director Luo's office, Chen Ge hurriedly ate lunch and then started the afternoon business.
It wasn't until six-thirty in the evening that all the other entertainment facilities in New Century Park shut down, but the area around the haunted house remained lively. Many visitors sat in the lounge chatting, with a few who had toured Muyang High School becoming the targets of questions from the majority. They were all curious about what lay inside the two-star horror scene but dared not enter themselves. Those who had experienced Muyang High School emerged pale-faced, drenched in cold sweat, looking quite disheveled. Yet they refused to admit they were too scared, so those few tacitly exaggerated the terror of Muyang High School, making the other visitors even more curious. After discussing for a while, some of them added each other on WeChat and created a group chat named "Strategy Team." They meticulously analyzed the location of each school badge, taking notes, looking very professional.
After closing for the day, Chen Ge also noticed the visitors spontaneously gathering to chat, and he was actually quite pleased. "I hope they can find all sixteen school badges soon. The Third Psychiatric Ward has been empty for too long."
After cleaning up and locking the haunted house door, Chen Ge headed to Boss Qian's puppet workshop. In the basement, Boss Qian sat on a chair near the door, and when Chen Ge arrived, he saw him staring at a puppet. "Boss Qian, I'm here to pick up the puppets."
Chen Ge patted Boss Qian on the shoulder, snapping him out of it. "When did you get here?"
"Just now. What's wrong with you? You look distracted." Chen Ge entered the workshop to do the final touch-ups on the puppets, while Boss Qian stood nearby, staring at them in silence.
Sensing something off about Boss Qian, Chen Ge tentatively asked, "Did you see something strange today?"
Boss Qian raised an eyebrow, as if his deepest secret had been uncovered. "How did you know?"
"Anyone could tell."
"Since you've figured it out, I won't hide it anymore." Boss Qian stood beside Chen Ge, speaking mysteriously. "Actually, I have yin-yang eyes. I can see things others can't."
"Yin-yang eyes?" Chen Ge turned to size up Boss Qian. "You've been watching too many horror movies, haven't you?"
"It's true. When I was a kid, I saw the God of Wealth blink. A Taoist said my ancestors were noble, and my dad believed him, so he named me Qian Guigen." Boss Qian spoke with conviction.
"Ancestors were noble, and you ended up like this?"
"Maybe the timing isn't right." Boss Qian shook his head. "That's not important. What matters is that I saw something unbelievable again today."
"Just tell me what you saw!"
"About four hours ago, this female puppet blinked at me." Boss Qian leaned close to Chen Ge, deliberately slowing his voice and covering half his mouth, as if afraid the puppet might hear.
"That's it? Why a female puppet, not a male one?"
"Bro?! A puppet blinked! Can you not focus on such a weird detail!" Boss Qian grabbed Chen Ge's arm. "I'm telling the truth!"
"I'm not denying it, am I?"
"I have yin-yang eyes, and I saw a puppet blink! Don't you have any reaction?"
"With yin-yang eyes that powerful, can you watch 3D movies without the glasses?"
Boss Qian opened his mouth, thought for a long time, and couldn't figure out how to respond, finally choking out, "No."
"I think you're just too tired. Go home and rest early. We'll have plenty of chances to work together." Chen Ge covered the puppets with white cloth and carried them out of the basement.
"Was it an illusion?" Boss Qian began to doubt himself after Chen Ge's words.
"Relax. If anything happens, remember to call me first." Chen Ge patted his chest in assurance, then hailed a taxi to leave.
Boss Qian listened to Chen Ge's words and the more he thought about it, the more off it seemed. "Normally, when comforting someone, you'd say, 'Don't worry, nothing will happen.' But Boss Chen says to call him if something does happen?"
Back at New Century Park by taxi, Chen Ge carried the puppets into the staff break room, his expression gradually turning serious. He placed the white cat around the puppets, and within seconds, the cat stopped on the female puppet, pawing at its hair as if it had found a little mouse and was slowly toying with it.
"There really is something there." Chen Ge hadn't expected this. The puppet based on the madwoman had been remade over a dozen times before succeeding. He wondered if it was related to that, but the puppet itself seemed to have changed somehow. He pulled out the butcher knife and pressed it against the female puppet's neck. "I made you, and no matter what, I'll take responsibility for you. But I hope you'll behave and treat this place as your home."
His pupils contracted as he sensed a feeling of panic and fear from the puppet. After a moment, he put the knife away. "I was just scaring you. Actually, I'm soft-hearted and never hurt any of you."
He set the puppets upright, opened the passage to the underground, and placed them in the Third Psychiatric Ward. "Welcome aboard. This is your new home now."
He arranged the four puppets in different spots and, following his own ideas, worked through the night to craft a few small props, finishing just before midnight. Back in the staff break room, Chen Ge lay on the bed as exhaustion washed over him like a tide; he hadn't rested all day.
Taking out the black phone, Chen Ge checked the daily task. Around noon, when the canopy outside the haunted house was set up, he had already received the task completion notification. "Lucky favored one of the vengeful spirits, you have completed a normal-difficulty task. Horror needs proper balance, and thoughtful service leaves a better impression on visitors. Congratulations on receiving your task reward—the Faceless Nurse's Uniform!"
"Faceless Nurse's Uniform (Costume Prop): Jenny was the wife of Dr. Claude, the Skull Crusher. That night, she witnessed her husband walking into the ward with a hammer in hand. She didn't know what her beloved husband intended to do until the raised hammer smashed into her face, and then she understood."
"Dr. Skull Crusher and the Faceless Nurse—what a terrifying story." Chen Ge closed the phone and fell asleep.
The next morning, Chen Ge got up early. He entered the makeup room and found a blood-stained nurse's uniform in the wooden chest where he had previously discovered Dr. Skull Crusher's costume. "This outfit won't fit a man. It could work for Xu Wan or the female puppet."
Leaving the makeup room, Chen Ge took a lap through the Third Psychiatric Ward to ensure no safety hazards, then opened the haunted house barriers, ready to start the day's business.