Chapter 219: This Isn't Quite What I Expected (3)
"So simple?" Han Qiuming and the other staff members from Tianteng Hospital found it hard to believe. A tape recorder was so large; in their view, it should be easy to find.
"Boss Chen, you're not joking, are you?" Ye Xiaoxin pulled out her notebook. Having reviewed so many haunted houses, this was the first time she'd seen one make finding a tape recorder part of the experience.
"That tape recorder originally came from Tianteng Hospital. This is a good chance to return it to them." Chen Ge locked several copies of the liability waiver into the cabinet. Who knows when they might come in handy.
"Have you given up already?" Han Qiuming seemed somewhat disappointed.
"This way, please." Chen Ge ignored him and led the way. They walked through the corridor to the entrance of the Zombie Resurrection Night scene.
"Early 2000s props, looks like they haven't been maintained for half a month. The mannequins look like a child's craft project, props piled up haphazardly with no narrative or storyline. Are you trying to insult us with a scene like this?" Han Qiuming had a sharp eye; he spotted the problems in Zombie Resurrection Night at a glance.
Not to mention the Tianteng Hospital staff, even Ye Xiaoxin and Su Luoluo felt the scene had no redeeming qualities.
Han Qiuming listed the flaws of Zombie Resurrection Night as he prepared to step inside, but the person in charge, Guo Miao, stopped him.
"Old Guo, why are you stopping me?"
The head of Tianteng Hospital shook his head. His heart was racing, and he had a vague sense that something was off. "The atmosphere in this place is strange."
"What's strange about it?"
"I can't quite put it into words. It's different from an ordinary room—there's a special feeling." The head took a deep breath. "I had a similar feeling when I visited the hospital where Xu Zhenzhen's accident happened. My heart was pounding even in broad daylight, and I only made it through a fifth of it before running out."
"Don't scare yourself." Han Qiuming shook off the head's hand and stepped into Zombie Resurrection Night.
"I stopped using this scene a long time ago. For certain reasons, I've kept it around without changing it." Chen Ge watched Han Qiuming and inexplicably thought of Fei Youliang. Maybe after Teacher Han's visit, Fei Youliang wouldn't feel so lonely in the hospital.
Lifting the wooden board, a chill rose from the ground. Chen Ge's gaze swept over the visitors as he pointed to the dark staircase. "The Third Ward you want to visit is underground."
"Underground?"
The visitors gathered around, staring at the stairs leading to an unknown destination. A strange emotion began to stir in their hearts.
On the cracked stairs, remnants of unfinished exam papers lay scattered. A faint, peculiar odor hung in the air—not pungent, but easily conjuring unpleasant associations.
"To the left is Muyang Middle School, to the right is the Third Ward. The two scenes are connected, so don't take a wrong turn." Chen Ge gave a final reminder. "Both scenes are very large in area. It's best if you don't split up."
After finishing, Chen Ge pulled out his phone. "Find the tape recorder within twenty minutes and bring it out. Game over."
None of the visitors moved. Finally, someone pushed Han Qiuming from behind, and the haunted house designer with his thick glasses stepped forward.
"Stop wasting time."
Urged on by Chen Ge, the visitors descended the stairs into the underground scene.
Once the last person had entered, Chen Ge picked up the wooden board and waved at them. "Have fun."
The board closed, and Chen Ge returned to the main control room. He hesitated while choosing background music for the haunted house.
On ordinary days with regular visitors, he rarely used "Black Friday" or "Wedding Dress" as background music anymore, only occasionally slipping them into the playlist as Easter eggs.
"Han Qiuming is a haunted house designer. He spotted all the flaws in Zombie Resurrection Night at a glance—this guy has real skill. The other Tianteng Hospital staff are also used to haunted house atmospheres; ordinary scares won't faze them. Ye Xiaoxin is a professional haunted house reviewer, so she's naturally brave. Only Su Luoluo is an innocent dragged in by the person in charge."
Chen Ge thought it over. The visitors were all professionals; going easy on them would be disrespectful.
Clicking his mouse, Chen Ge hesitated between two background tracks. "Which one is more suitable? Forget it—only children make choices. We're all adults here; no need to agonize."
He added both songs to the playlist, then walked to the makeup room, put on the Skull Crusher Doctor uniform, and touched up his makeup.
"They probably won't realize that the face beneath the human skin mask is even more terrifying."
All set, Skull Crusher Doctor Chen Ge, carrying the Faceless Nurse uniform, entered the Third Ward scene.
...
The wooden board above slowly closed, as if cutting off warmth and hope.
The youngest, Du Chaojin, shivered. Not even ten seconds into the scene, he was already regretting impulsively agreeing to the person in charge yesterday.
"I should have learned from Qin Jie and Lin Ge. I'm still too young."
An inexplicable cold wind blew gently. In the left corridor, blank exam papers rustled across the floor. Shadows flickered in the classrooms on both sides, as if something had noticed them.
The light was dim. The visitors stood still for about a minute until the person in charge, Guo Miao, stepped forward. "Teacher Han, you're the most experienced among us. We're counting on you today."
Han Qiuming adjusted his glasses. He had been observing carefully since entering the haunted house. In terms of atmosphere and scene authenticity, the Western Suburb Horror House surpassed most haunted houses he had seen before.
"No wonder it's known online as the scariest haunted house in Jianghe. Interesting."
They stood in the corridor, looking into the distance. At the end of the left passage, mannequins were placed in various strange poses—some standing, some lying down.
Staring at those mannequins for a while, the visitors felt a creeping dread, as if the mannequins were staring back.
"Boss, did that mannequin's head on the ground just turn?" Song An grabbed Guo Miao's forearm.
"No." Guo Miao's expression wasn't great either. "But I feel like the female student mannequin in the middle smiled at me."
"I think I saw it too. Did she take a step this way? Doesn't it seem like she's closer?"
"It's probably just an illusion..."
"Are you two done?" Han Qiuming walked ahead alone. "The scarier the left scene is, the better for us. You should be thanking me."
"Thank you for what?" Little Du hid at the back, considering whether to run out.
"That Boss Chen definitely has ulterior motives! The left scene is probably his haunted house's main attraction—the scariest one. Good thing I saw through his plan in time." Han Qiuming walked toward the right passage, where a hospital ward door stood. He grabbed both handles. "If it weren't for me, you'd be visiting the left side now."
"That makes sense," Little Du chimed in.
Song An nodded too. "The left scene looks really creepy. Good thing we chose the right one. Well done, Teacher Han."
They all moved into the right passage, but only the person in charge, Guo Miao, felt uneasy. "My impression of Boss Chen is pretty good. He doesn't seem like the type to lie."
"Whether he's lying or not, we'll know once we open the door."
Standing in the middle of the right passage, Han Qiuming pulled open the Third Ward's iron door with both hands.
Rust flaked off, and the iron door screeched. A strong medicinal smell assaulted their senses. The mottled walls bore frantic scratches and blood-red words. From the open wards, faint screams echoed.
Even more shocking, on this endless black corridor, countless mannequins wrapped in bedding lay scattered, like raised burial mounds.
"This..."
Their limbs went numb. The people outside felt as if their bodies had frozen solid, a chill racing up their spines to the tops of their heads.
Thanks to ksg丶幻羽 for the盟主! Continuing with three updates tomorrow!