"They're coming over now?"
"I'm secretly tipping you off. The seniors are planning to film a comedy video in your haunted house and put it online to cheer up that senior sister. Don't blame them for being sneaky — our department has five classes and only seven girls total, and the one you scared to tears happens to be the department's top beauty. Boss, watch yourself!" There seemed to be someone moving around near Heshan. He hung up right after delivering his warning.
"Filming a comedy video in my haunted house?" Chen Ge put away his phone, his expression turning odd. "Forensic science majors tend to have guts of steel — perfect for them to come test out my new sets. Hopefully they'll still be laughing when the time comes."
Lunch break was over. Chen Ge headed downstairs and pushed open the haunted house's barrier. The visitors who hadn't had a chance to tour it that morning immediately crowded over.
Some had traveled from other places specifically after watching Chen Ge's short videos and livestream. Others had been recommended to come by friends and relatives. And some were purely curious — seeing so many people queuing up, they figured the attraction had to be good.
"Twenty yuan per ticket. To ensure the best experience, no more than three people should enter at a time." Chen Ge maintained order at the scene while communicating with
Time slipped by unnoticed. A little past three in the afternoon, seven fashionably dressed young people entered New Century Amusement Park. Moving with a sense of purpose, they headed straight for the haunted house.
The seven had vastly different personalities, and they barely spoke to each other. They queued silently at the haunted house entrance, making the entire line feel considerably more solemn.
After a dozen or so minutes, when the previous group stumbled out supporting one another, the tallest of the seven walked up to Chen Ge.
"Boss, six tickets." His voice was calm and steady.
Chen Ge looked up at him, then glanced at the group behind him. "There are seven of you — not all coming together?"
"This one's just the guide." The tall guy grabbed Heshan and pushed him forward.
"Boss, I'm not going in." Heshan already had psychological trauma from the haunted house. He gave a hasty wave and scrambled to get behind the others.
"You're already here — can't just leave you outside. This ticket's on the house." Chen Ge casually handed over seven tickets. "You're all from Jiujiang Forensic Medical College, right? I'd appreciate your support going forward."
Chen Ge wore an amiable, warm expression that left the forensic students — none of them yet accustomed to the wider world — feeling slightly embarrassed.
"Heshan, the boss gave you a free ticket — don't turn it down." The tall guy distributed the tickets to everyone. What they did next left the surrounding visitors staring in bewilderment.
They didn't enter the haunted house right away. Instead, they gathered at the entrance.
"Heshan and I are one group; Monkey and Old Zhao are one group; Old Song, Xiaohui, and Shiling — you three are one group. Did you all memorize the strategy guide from the forum before coming?"
"Mm, all memorized."
"Heshan's already sketched a simplified map of the whole layout. We know every mechanism inside. I want you all to mentally prepare yourselves ahead of time. Don't show a single flicker of fear — show them the spirit of Jiujiang Forensic Medical College!"
"Understood!"
"Good. Starting now — get yourselves in the zone! Get excited! Speed up your breathing, pretend you're about to skydive, bungee jump — get every cell in your body firing!"
"That's right! Put on a fierce look! You're a vicious ghost scarier than any of theirs! You're not afraid of anything!"