The one he had always relied on was actually the culprit. Ma Feng's trembling hands could barely hold onto that death certificate.
The thin sheet of paper felt heavier than a mountain in his grip, crushing his heart on the spot.
He had been trying to escape death, yet he clung to the Reaper's arm and ran.
He had been trying to hide from ghosts, yet he trailed behind a specter, never letting go.
This staggering reversal made it difficult for Ma Feng even to breathe. He looked at Xiao Sun crouched by the doorway, peering outside, and his pillar of support crumbled to dust.
His blood felt as though it had frozen solid. Ma Feng's world collapsed.
Everything spun. He crashed heavily to the ground, and in his ears he could still faintly hear that voice calling — Brother Ma, Brother Ma…
"Brother Ma! Brother Ma!" Xiao Sun shook Ma Feng's body with all his might, but there was no response. Perhaps Brother Ma had no more reason to hold on to this world.
"We're safe now! Big bro! We went through hell and finally made it to a safe room — why are you fainting now?"
Xiao Sun forced a bitter smile. He was certain this room had no haunted house actors, because this was the room he had lived in before he died.
"What do I do? He doesn't look like he's just fainted normally. Should I take him to the underground morgue to find a doctor? But I don't really know any of the doctors — that old gentleman looked pretty scary." Lives were at stake, and Xiao Sun didn't dare hesitate any longer. He braced Ma Feng and prepared to head out.
They had barely taken a few steps when the phone in Ma Feng's pocket suddenly rang.
Xiao Sun pulled it out and glanced at the screen. The caller was Qin Guang.
"That name rings a bell — he's some kind of big streamer who went in with Ma Feng." Xiao Sun was about to answer when he suddenly hesitated: "If I pick up using Ma Feng's phone and Ma Feng can't make a sound because he's unconscious, people might think I knocked him out. I mean, I'm a haunted house actor too, but there's no way I'm taking the blame for something I didn't do."
Not only had Xiao Sun not knocked Ma Feng out, he had revived the unconscious man multiple times. There was no chance he was going to swallow that black pot.
After a moment's thought, Xiao Sun declined the call and sent Qin Guang a message: "I'm hiding in a room. Someone's moving around outside the door. Not a good time to talk."
A moment later, Qin Guang replied: "I'm with students from the Forensic Medicine Academy. Where are you? This haunted house isn't safe — we think it might actually be haunted."
Reading Qin Guang's message, Xiao Sun's eyebrows shot up. "Exposed? Who got exposed? If the visitors find out the haunted house is really haunted, who would ever dare come here again? What a mess — I need to figure out a way to fix this!"
He stared at the phone, thinking hard, and finally sent a reply: "My companion and I found a secret passage. We've entered the hidden scenario. What about you?"
"We're in the hidden scenario too! The med students saved me. They found a secret passage in a sub-scenario themed around hearts. Now I'm hiding with them inside a residential building in the hidden scenario."
Xiao Sun stared at the words on the screen. He hadn't expected Qin Guang and the remaining visitors to have already entered the hidden scenario. "Can you be more specific about the location? Any distinctive buildings nearby?"
"Outside the building it says 'Jiuhong Community, Building 2.' There are no residents inside — it's all hospital wards. Really creepy."
"Don't wander around. I'll come meet up with you." After sending the message, Xiao Sun immediately ran out of the room — then, halfway there, he turned back. "I can't just leave Ma Feng here. His condition is different from a normal faint. I'd better bring him along. If we run into other employees, I'll hand him over and have them get him to a doctor right away."
Xiao Sun's plan was solid. He propped Ma Feng up and walked out of the room. But strangely, despite the absurd number of ghosts filling the haunted house, not a single one crossed Xiao Sun's path. Everyone seemed to be avoiding him.
"Ma Feng really is a major headache. Nobody wants to get near him."
……
In Building 2 of the hidden Jiuhong Community scenario, Heshan, Zuo Han, and Teacher Wang stood together, surrounding Qin Guang who was holding his phone.
"Look carefully at the messages 'Ma Feng' sent. Does that sound like how Ma Feng talks? Even someone like me, who barely knows him, can tell something's off — and you're still asking me why?" Zuo Han shook his head. "There's a different person on the other end of that phone."
"But it's President Ma's number!" Qin Guang still couldn't quite believe it.
"How many times do I have to explain? Fine — then you tell me: why isn't he calling you, and instead only sending text messages?"
"Maybe it's not convenient for him to talk right now?"
"Wrong. It's because the actor who's good at imitating voices hasn't shown up yet. Once that actor appears, he'll use Ma Feng's voice to mislead you." Zuo Han waved his hand. "Stop clinging to hope. A whole batch of haunted house actors already know our location. If you don't want to be scared unconscious, you'd better leave with us right now."
"But what if it really is President Ma, and he shows up to find we're gone…" Qin Guang was worried about Ma Feng losing his temper.
"I'll tell you one last time: we kindly let you tag along, and now you're the one begging us. So cut the chatter." Zuo Han shoved a cloth doll's head into Qin Guang's hands. "Hold on to this. Don't lose it."
"Do I really have to carry this thing?" Qin Guang held the doll's head in both hands, his face full of reluctance.
"We went through hell to find the doll's head. Of course we're keeping it on us." Heshan had no fondness for Qin Guang and the others. If Zuo Han didn't think Qin Guang was useful, he never would have taken them in.
"You not only have to carry it — you have to show it proper respect." Zuo Han's voice had been cold from the start. He rarely let personal feelings interfere with his thinking. Even if those visitors had mocked him before, as long as he saw them as useful, he would set aside grudges and take them in.
The crux of the matter was being useful to him — able to help him improve the current situation.
After clearing the Living Coffin Village scenario, Zuo Han had developed a deep wariness toward every quest item in the haunted house. He knew that when the tour neared its end, every ghost inside would go berserk, prioritizing anyone holding a quest item.
He had taken Qin Guang in, frankly speaking, simply to make Qin Guang's eventual "death" somewhat more worthwhile.
When they reached the entrance of Building 2 in Jiuhong Community, Zuo Han gestured for Qin Guang to walk in front. "That cloth doll head you're holding is a talisman. As long as you carry it, the monsters in the black fog won't attack you."