Chapter 51: Choice
With swollen eyes, Chen Ge stood before the mirror, clutching the plush toy.
"One more minute until midnight."
The bathroom was dark, and Chen Ge stared at his reflection in the mirror.
Afraid of missing something, he didn't blink, pressing his palms against the sink, his face close to the glass.
Completely focused, all his attention fixed on the mirror. When there were just a few seconds left until midnight, the phone in Chen Ge's pocket suddenly vibrated.
"A call? Who would call me at this hour?"
Startled by the sudden interruption, Chen Ge pulled out his phone. The caller ID showed Captain Li's name.
"Did something happen?" Chen Ge answered and put the phone to his ear. "Uncle Sanbao, is there something you need?"
"Zhang Peng hasn't been caught yet. We've narrowed down the search area and can confirm he's hiding in the western suburbs of Hanjiang! Be careful! This suspect is extremely cunning and dangerous—his behavior is abnormal. We can't rule out the possibility that he might come back for you!" On the other end, Captain Li's voice was tense and urgent.
"Wasn't there tight surveillance around New Century Amusement Park last night? His arms were injured—he shouldn't have been able to get far," Chen Ge said, thinking Zhang Peng's capture was only a matter of time.
"The situation has changed. I can't go into details right now, but I'll tell you this: last night, after an officer successfully intercepted the suspect, he seemed to see something. He's now in a deep coma and being treated at the hospital."
"What?!" Chen Ge's expression shifted. Just as he was about to speak, he caught sight of the mirror on the wall out of the corner of his eye.
On the smooth surface of the mirror, a blood-red Arabic numeral had appeared without warning—"1."
"But don't worry. The search perimeter is tightening. Evil will never prevail over good—he will face the law!"
Captain Li kept talking, but Chen Ge had stopped listening. He set the phone aside, staring blankly at the mirror.
"When did it appear? The monster in the mirror has left—how can the number still show up on the glass?" Chen Ge recalled the scene from the previous night. Half of the mirror monster's body was inside the mirror, half outside, and then Zhang Peng pressed himself against the glass to merge with it.
"What does this number mean? Yesterday it was '2,' and today it's '1.' Will it reset to zero after midnight tomorrow?" The decreasing number made Chen Ge's expression grow grim. "The number first changed after Zhang Peng was possessed by the mirror monster. Just now, Captain Li said an officer fell into a coma. After the second victim appeared, the number dropped again. Could this number be tied to the victims? Does the mirror monster need three living people?"
Whether the number represented time or human lives, Chen Ge decided he couldn't wait any longer. A strong sense of crisis surged within him.
"The monster in the mirror is growing stronger. Tomorrow night might be my last chance." Chen Ge grabbed a cloth and wiped the number off the mirror. He had no more time to hesitate.
After a brief response to Captain Li, he hung up and, clutching the black phone, headed into the utility room.
"Midnight has passed. The new daily tasks should refresh. Two tasks could help me now: one is the好感度 task for the red-clad vengeful spirit, and the other is today's new nightmare-level daily task."
Opening the black phone, Chen Ge tapped on the daily tasks section.
"Easy Difficulty: A terrifying experience shouldn't leave lasting psychological trauma on participants. I think you understand the principle of 'too much of a good thing.' Please improve the haunted house's safety protocols and inspect all potential hazards."
"Normal Difficulty: You've earned one haunted house expansion opportunity. Find a suitable location to expand as soon as possible! Due to site limitations, you cannot undertake any scene trial tasks until the expansion is complete."
"Nightmare Difficulty: Someone else has always been living in your room. Don't you want to know who it is?"
"Note! Some tasks are extremely dangerous. Choose carefully!"
After reading the three tasks, Chen Ge's gaze lingered on the third nightmare task. "Someone else living in my room? Just hearing that makes me uneasy."
Chen Ge knew all too well the danger of nightmare tasks. After agonizing for a while without accepting any, he scrolled through the phone and opened the dedicated page for the red-clad vengeful spirit.
"Accept Zhang Ya's好感度 task? Note! This task carries a certain level of danger!"
The phone thoughtfully gave Chen Ge a warning. He rubbed his temples, uncertain.
"Both tasks are very dangerous, but the reward for the nightmare-level daily task is random—it might give me another auxiliary ability. On the other hand, the好感度 task involves Zhang Ya, a red-clad vengeful spirit with her own dedicated page on the phone. She seems powerful, like she's several levels above the mirror monster. If I can get her to act, my chances of breaking through this situation are much higher."
After analyzing for a while, Chen Ge gritted his teeth and tapped on Zhang Ya's好感度 task.
"Confirm acceptance of Zhang Ya's好感度 task?"
"Confirm!"
The blood-red interface churned like wilting roses, and new text soon appeared on the screen.
"Please arrive at West City Private School within one hour of accepting the task. Find Zhang Ya's red dancing shoes before dawn."
"Note: Don't be late for your first date, or she'll be upset."
After reading the task prompt on the phone, Chen Ge's expression twisted. West City Private School had been abandoned for years, for reasons unknown—rumored to have shut down due to some terrifying incident.
"My first date with a girl, and it's at an abandoned school after midnight. Is there something wrong with my love story?"
The task required arriving at West City Private School within an hour. Chen Ge calculated the time—it was manageable. "The old site of West City Private School is in the western suburbs, not far from me. The key issue is going there past midnight... Forget it, I'll take a shower first. No matter what, this is my first time."
After a quick rinse, Chen Ge changed into clean clothes and stood before the mirror again. "Fifty minutes left. Why am I starting to feel nervous?"