Han Fei started to struggle when he heard the electric saw. He sighed in relief when he was sure the shackles on his limbs were fake.
Han Fei switched on masterful acting in his mind. His body trembled as if he was a boy thrown into a nightmare. Veins popped on the back of his arms, and his forehead was covered in a cold sweat.
The chain rattled, and the saw buzzed. The women picked up the weapons on the ground and placed them around the dining table. They were so graceful, like they were picking their dining utensils. Seeing the three women, Wu San’s heart rose. ‘Are they doing this for real?’
He tried to turn his head away, but he was too curious about what would happen next. He swallowed nervously and glanced at the dining table from the corner of his eyes.
The slender arms reached towards Han Fei. The tapered fingers fell on his shirt like surgical scalpels. They seemed to be measuring Han Fei’s body and planned to split him into ten different parts based on his weight.
The cameramen were in place. No one shouted for the scene to begin. Everything felt so natural. Han Fei struggled harder until the bloody shackles formed welts on his wrists. His face was twisted from fear. His lips were bloodless.
Wu San was shocked by what he saw. ‘He is so serious even inside a game. No wonder he’s so successful.’
The electric saw came closer. Various instruments brushed against Han Fei’s shirt like they were ‘caressing’ him.
The more he studied this. The more Wu San was confused by this. He had to ask, ‘Are they not acting?’ With a few coughs, Wu San knocked on the table. “Erm… It’s best if you don’t touch the weapons on the ground. They’re most likely still evidence.”
“This is perfect!” The cameraman walked over with excitement. “I’ve never had such an easy shoot before. I couldn’t see any acting element on you. It’s like your movements are filled with that twisted desire.”
“Shouldn’t we take a few more shots?” The shoot was already over before Love even reached Han Fei. She frowned with dissatisfaction.
“I don’t think the result can be better.” The cameraman showed the result to Zhao Qian and Lee Guo Er. “The layout is perfect. Didn’t you want to feature a bastard being cruelly murdered? I’ve left enough space on the sides to add the other women. The bastard lay in the middle, and the ten women whom he had hurt in the past surrounded him, delivering him death with unique methods. This is art. How about we call it Pure Love, The Last Supper?”
“Not a bad idea.” Zhao Qian glanced at the video result. “Can you change our faces in post?”
“Of course.”
“Plus, you need to add that this is inspired by a real story. The names of all the characters will be changed out of respect to the dead.” Zhao Qian pointed at the screen.
“The character has to die?” Han Fei sat up. “I think there’s a chance the male lead might survive.”
“We can discuss the details back at the company.” Zhao Qian waved her hands. She sat down beside the table. “This table can seat ten people, but it’ll be hard to find ten female victims.” Her eyes scanned Lee Guo Er and Love. She mumbled to herself, “The intern, the model, the boss, the female client, the internet friend, the son’s teacher, and the wife, that’s only seven.”
Hearing that, Han Fei shivered. His boss didn’t say anything, but she knew everything Fu Yi did. Zhao Qian knew more than Han Fei did about Fu Yi. Han Fei hadn’t met the female client.
‘Has she been planning to kill Fu Yi for a long time?’ Han Fei changed back into his suit. He had the title Lothario, so the people who hated him would hate him even more. He needed to lower their hatred as soon as possible to prevent that from happening.
“Hey.” Wu San silently approached Han Fei and shot him a glance. “You’ve done well for yourself. Can you show me some tricks?” Even Wu San could tell these three beautiful women had a special relationship with Han Fei.
“You misunderstand me.” Han Fei was too lazy to explain.
“I understand. Everyone has their unique talent and gaming style.” Wu San still misunderstood Han Fei. “By the way, brother, how did you get in here?”
“I have no idea. But this is a strange place. I think it’s a hidden map. I can’t quit the game.” Han Fei frowned. “You seem to know this place well.”
“Timeflow at hidden maps is different from outside. It might be related to the secret at the core of Deep Space Tech.” Wu San lowered his voice. “My teammates and I entered here from a theme park’s maze. We’ve been here for a long time already.”
“Teammates? There’re others?”
“There are three teams of us, eighteen players in total. We entered this place in two batches. Now, I’ve gained contact with ten of them.” Wu San said mysteriously, “Have you heard of Qiang Wei? He’s the nation’s earliest black box hunter. He’s a level 19 top player. He’s our leader.”
“Level 19 is impressive.” Han Fei was level 19 too. “Aren’t you worried that you’ve been stuck here for so long?”
“I have no other choice. For a professional player at my age, we could be fired by our agency at any time. If I don’t grasp this chance, I won’t find another job that easily.” Wu San was about Han Fei’s age, but twenty-seven was considered old for the professional gaming industry. “Who would join this dangerous team if not for the sake of livelihood? If you’re not careful, you’d die in-game. Perfect Life is strange. It’s supposed to be an Iyashikei game, but it has the most stringent death penalty. Once the player dies in-game, everything will be wiped away. That is so cruel.”
“You’re right.” Han Fei agreed.
“Aiz, a big celebrity like you won’t understand our pain. You’re adored both in real life and in-game. I am so jealous of you.”
“Brother, everything is an illusion.” Han Fei smiled politely. “How about we exchange contact method? Since we’re trapped here, we should help each other.”
“Sure.” Wu San gave Han Fei his name card. “The messaging function is blocked here, so this is the only way. If you run into other players, you can tell me. We’ll try to look after them.”
“Other players…” Han Fei was instantly reminded of someone. Shen Luo was still trapped inside the company storeroom. It was a waste for the player with zero luck to stay with Han Fei. He would fare better with the other players. “I actually have a friend who is stuck here. He ran into some trouble. If you don’t mind, I’ll have him go find you.”
“Of course not. To be honest, I also have a friend who violated the rules here by robbing people. He was made a fugitive. This is very normal.” Wu San nodded. But when he met Shen Luo, he’d have a new understanding of the word normal.
“Thank you.” This group of players solved one of Han Fei’s biggest problems.
“We’ll meet up every three days at Gold Leaf Restaurant in the city center to check on each other. You should come next time. Also, one more thing.” Wu San leaned close to whisper, “After this shoot, you need to leave immediately and do not come out after dark.”
“Why?” Han Fei looked at the man with confusion.
“You might not believe me.” Wu San looked around and continued after he was sure no one was listening in. “This hidden map is haunted. It’s wildly different during the day and at night. I have a friend who was dragged away by a ghost.”
“Are you kidding? How can there be ghosts in an Iyashikei game?” Han Fei was incredulous.
“It’s real.” Wu San said seriously. “Especially the theme park and the plastic surgery hospital. Do not go near them at night. We still haven’t figured a way to deal with the ghost, but we suspect the way to leave is on the ghosts. Qiang Wei didn’t want us to go into details. You’ll find out more when you come to our gathering tomorrow. You can ask Qiang Wei in person. He knows many secrets.”
“The theme park and the hospital will become dangerous at night? Then why did you choose to work here? Did Qiang Wei arrange this?”
“We’re gathering all the strange cases and ghost stories around the city to find their connections. But we don’t have enough workforce. If you’re willing to join us, I’m sure everyone will welcome you.” Wu San wanted to say something more, but Lee Guo Er walked over.
“Leader, we have nothing else to do here. Shall we go back first?” When Han Fei was chatting with Wu San, Lee Guo Er wandered around the hotel. The place seemed to fit some scenes in her mind.
“Sure.” Considering Shen Luo hadn’t had anything to eat, Han Fei decided to go back to find him first and then transfer him to the other players.
After notifying Zhao Qian, Han Fei and Lee Guo Er left the hotel. Han Fei recalled what Wu San told him. He glanced at Perfection Plastic Surgery Hospital across the street. He couldn’t find any negative press on the hospital online. However, the hospital exuded a chilly presence even during the day.
‘Shen Luo escaped from the hospital. I better figure out what he has been through before I send him away.’ Han Fei and Lee Guo Er took a cab back to the company. Han Fei stopped at the convenience store to buy some food for Shen Luo on the way back.
“Leader, nice job today.” Once Han Fei exited the shop, Lee Guo Er appeared, holding two cups of coffee. “This is my treat. I’ve swapped out a new flavor today.”
“Don’t waste money next time. Coffee is not good for you.” Han Fei didn’t dare to drink her coffee. He carried the bags of stuff up the stairs. After playing some games, Han Fei stood up to walk towards the storeroom. The door was locked. Han Fei coughed. “Are you still there?”
“You’re finally here. I thought you’d already forgotten all about me.” A man’s voice came from inside. Shen Luo crawled out of his hiding place. “How’s the situation outside?”
“The shopkeeper is looking for you and has offered a reward of 50000 to have you captured.” Han Fei added, “But I have good news. I’ve gained contact with the other players. Once the sun sets, I’ll have them transfer you to somewhere safe.”
“I didn’t know how to thank you. If you need any monetary consultation, come and find me. I’m Xin Lu’s best investment consultation.” Shen Luo tapped his chest and said proudly.
“I don’t need that. I only need you to answer a few questions.” Han Fei placed the bags of food and water before Shen Luo. “Tell me everything you’ve seen at the plastic surgery hospital. No detail is too small.”
Munching on the bread, Shen Luo thought back to his harrowing past. “The hospital is rather special. There are many VIP patients deep inside the hospital. They have bandages on their faces, and they have guardians watching over them always. The patients don’t speak. They’re like zombies. Some of the serious cases are all wrapped up in bandages like mummies.”
“Have you seen their faces under the bandage?”
“Actually, I have!” Shen Luo didn’t disappoint. “One time, when the doctor changed my ward, he got the wrong number. I was moved to the heavy case zone and was assigned to live with a fatty with severe burns. The doctor came to apply his medication at night. I pretended to be asleep, but really I was watching…”
“What did you see?”
“Underneath the bandage is more bandages which have grown fat with flesh. They are red and have many blood vessels running through them.” Shen Luo gestured. “I suspect the patient is not even a fat uncle but a child wrapped under layers upon layers of bandages.”
“A child?” Han Fei had no idea why such a thing would be featured in Fu Sheng’s memory, but he felt like he was one step closer to the truth.
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1 comment:
thank you for the chapter, Lonelytree!
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