The room was dead silent. The two people who had most enjoyed critiquing others' stories had shut their mouths as well.
The atmosphere on either side of the dining table was strange. Ten black-robed figures stared at one another, seemingly exchanging glances.
"If that's not enough, I have other stories." Chen Ge was buying time for Zhang Ya. He had no interest in the other members—his sole purpose for coming today was to catch the person suspected to be Zhu Xiu.
"You have more stories to tell?"
The Association members at the table fell even more silent. The man seated first on the right reached up and scratched his head, then looked toward the fifth person on the left: "Number Five, is everything this newcomer said true?"
The others all turned to look at the most mysterious figure among them—Number Five.
The black robe rustled faintly, and from behind the mask came Number Five's relatively gender-neutral voice: "I can detect no trace of deception in him."
Five bizarre tales, all drawn from real experience—what kind of "spectacular" life had this man led?
"It seems we'll need to reassess." The man seated first on the left shifted his gaze to the three other newcomers: "Your stories were impressive as well, but unfortunately, we can only keep three."
He placed his left hand on the table and raised a single finger. The second round of voting had begun.
The others quickly made their choices. Six of them held up one finger.
"A majority." The man on the left looked at the first newcomer: "I'm sorry, Number One, you'll have to leave."
"Leave?"
Number One panicked, trying to say something, but the man seated first on the left cut him off: "Next Wednesday—you'll have another chance."
Half-believing, half-doubting, Number One was escorted out of the room. The person wearing the beak-shaped mask had been waiting outside for some time. Upon seeing that the one who emerged was not Chen Ge, he looked mildly surprised.
"Follow me." Beak Mask led Number One away and closed the door.
Just as the security door swung shut, the man seated first on the left finished the second half of his sentence: "—provided you live long enough to see next Wednesday."
His words had barely faded when a scream echoed down the corridor, followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the floor.
Number Two's calves were trembling. Four people had just voted for him—had only two more votes gone his way, he would have been the one walking out that door.
"Don't be afraid. That newcomer simply transitioned into a different form of existence." The first man on the left spoke in a much gentler tone now. "Welcome to the Bizarre Tales Association. Your official numbers are Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen."
Chen Ge had arrived last—his number was Thirteen.
Behind him, the shadows carried a growing tinge of crimson. Having survived another crisis, Chen Ge slowly let himself relax.
The Bizarre Tales Association was a hidden quest tied to the Third Ward, possibly connected to the world beyond the Door. And the reward for completing this quest could very well be Men Nan's dominant personality—a Red-clothed spirit capable of controlling the opening and closing of the Door.
"I have a question." The woman's number was Twelve, and her emotions had remained remarkably steady throughout. "The flyer said I could find a way to relieve my suffering here. What do I need to do to ease my pain?"
"Be patient. Everyone here once suffered deeply. We are all patients—the very purpose of the Bizarre Tales Association is to help everyone relieve their pain and find redemption." The man on the right turned to stare at the girl standing in the middle. "Once you've shared three true Bizarre Tales of your own, we'll assess your situation and lend you our help."
Chen Ge listened quietly from the side. He had originally assumed the Bizarre Tales Association was nothing more than a group of lunatics amusing themselves. He hadn't expected them to have found such a profound purpose behind their existence.
"How easy is it to actually experience a real Bizarre Tale?" As she said this, the woman cast a wary glance toward Chen Ge.