The silver-gray elevator doors slowly slid shut, as though cutting him off from the outside world entirely.
Chen Ge's breathing quickened. He had never been particularly fond of elevators. It wasn't that he had claustrophobia — he simply disliked being confined in such a narrow space.
The numbers on the display kept changing without so much as a pause.
"It seems the situation inside this building is exactly what Wang Xin's adoptive mother described. The residents here rarely ride the elevator at night."
The elevator rose at a steady pace, and the number on the display turned to "23."
A chime sounded, and the silver-gray doors parted to either side.
Light spilled out from the elevator, illuminating the hallway before being swallowed by darkness four or five meters away. The corridor was pitch black, lined on both sides by tightly shut security doors.
"I've already reached the top floor?"
The 23rd floor looked no different from any other — except that the window at the end of the hallway didn't seem to be fully closed. A howling wind could be heard.
"Riding an elevator alone in the middle of the night does feel a little strange."
Once the elevator doors closed again, Chen Ge pressed the number "2" on the control panel.
The elevator descended and smoothly arrived at the second floor.
"What's the point of the Ghost Story Association designing all this? Going up and down the elevator — can that really lead to a hidden 24th floor?"
After the doors closed, Chen Ge headed for the 22nd floor.
The elevator's speed changed during startup and stopping, producing brief moments of weightlessness or heaviness — the reason some people felt dizzy or nauseous riding elevators.
Chen Ge was in excellent physical shape, but after nearly five minutes of going up and down, he too began to feel uncomfortable. His heart was racing and wouldn't calm down, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen.
After several repetitions, Chen Ge grew irritable, though he couldn't quite pinpoint the reason.
The elevator went from the 18th floor down to the 7th, and then he pressed the button for the 17th floor.
Nothing unexpected happened throughout the entire process. The method recorded on the Ghost Story Association's flyer seemed more like a psychological game than anything else.
The elevator rose at a steady speed, the numbers on the display shifting one after another. Soon it slowed again, and the silver-gray doors gradually parted.
Chen Ge lifted his head and glanced outside. The hallway was empty. The building's residents seemed to have all gone to sleep — it was dead quiet.
"Lucky — I haven't run into anyone so far. A few more repetitions and I can try for the 24th floor." Chen Ge had grown accustomed to the process. As he reached for the elevator button, his gaze happened to drift across the display. The numbers glowing faintly in red light froze his arm in midair.
"16?"
He had clearly pressed the button for the 17th floor. The 17th-floor button on the control panel was still lit. Yet the elevator had inexplicably opened on the 16th floor.
"Someone got on at this floor!"
He bent over, letting his right hand drop to the butcher knife at his calf. Chen Ge stared at the empty elevator, every nerve on high alert.
The hallway outside was pitch black, visibility cut off at ten meters. Dead silence surrounded him — not a sound to be heard.
"Could it be some kind of prank by a child?"
The thought flashed through his mind, and Chen Ge quickly dismissed it.