Chen Ge's eyes lingered on the glowing screen of his black phone, a wave of relief washing over him as he read the mission clear message. The Trial Mission at Mu Yang High School, rated with a two-star scream factor, had been less daunting than he'd feared, largely because the spirits haunting the school harbored no ill intent toward him. The weight of the night's harrowing events—the sealed classroom, the ghostly arm, the buried well—seemed to lift slightly, replaced by a quiet satisfaction at having survived and succeeded. The morning air outside New Century Park was crisp, the faint scent of rain lingering as he stood in the quiet of his room, the phone's message a testament to his resilience. Yet, beneath his relief, a lingering unease remained, the school's dark legacy and its spectral inhabitants etched into his memory.
As he reflected on the mission, Chen Ge realized that halfway through, he had sensed the benign nature of Mu Yang High School's residents. The spirits, including the enigmatic Pen Spirit, were not baleful specters driven by malice but rather restless souls bound by tragedy. The fate of Fan Yu's father, a man undone by his own sins, seemed like karmic retribution rather than ghostly vengeance. The sealed classroom's carvings, the warning notes, and the ghostly arm that had handed him the pen all pointed to spirits seeking justice, not destruction. The memory of the spectral students, their heads bowed in silent vigil, flashed in his mind, a poignant reminder of their protective intent. Chen Ge's heart steadied, the realization that he had navigated a supernatural gauntlet without direct harm bolstering his confidence for future challenges.
The most challenging side missions, Chen Ge mused, were undoubtedly the sealed classroom and the deep well. The classroom's mystery remained partially unsolved, its ghostly occupants a puzzle he had only glimpsed during his brief, heart-pounding encounter. The experience had been intense, the air thick with the weight of their presence, yet the spirits had allowed him to leave unscathed, their restraint a sign of their non-malevolent nature. The deep well mission had been equally grueling, requiring a night of relentless digging with the police to uncover the buried truth. Without their aid, Chen Ge knew he would have failed, the well's location lost to time and the elements. The memory of the muddy hill, the rain-soaked earth yielding to their shovels, lingered vividly, a testament to the mission's physical and emotional toll.
Chen Ge felt a quiet satisfaction with the mission's rewards, though the unlocked hidden item—the Cursed Ballpoint Pen—intrigued him more than he cared to admit. According to legend, Pen Spirits could predict the future, but his own seemed capricious, its cryptic description suggesting a spirit with no interest in aiding him. The idea of a pen that "rolled its eyes" before hiding brought a wry smile to his face, though the supernatural implications sent a shiver down his spine. The mission's success had unlocked a new scenario for his Haunted House, a tangible reward that would enhance his business, but the pen's mystery lingered, a reminder of the school's unresolved secrets. The quiet of his room felt heavy, the weight of the night's events still pressing on him as he contemplated the pen's potential power.
The rain that had drenched the night finally ceased, leaving a damp stillness in its wake. The police, grateful for Chen Ge's role in uncovering the truth, praised his contribution as they took his testimony, their voices tinged with weary respect. They drove him home in their patrol car, the officers' exhaustion evident after a night of digging and confronting a killer. Inside the car, the officer beside Chen Ge slumped against the seat, his soft snores filling the silence. Chen Ge shifted closer to the door, giving the man space, his own fatigue battling with the adrenaline still coursing through him. The journey back to New Century Park was quiet, the city's early morning streets a stark contrast to the haunted grounds of Mu Yang High School, yet the school's spectral presence lingered in his thoughts.
Arriving at New Century Park at 6 am, Chen Ge felt an unnatural chill, perhaps a lingering effect of his Yin Yang Vision or his prolonged exposure to the school's spirits. He collapsed onto his bed, the familiar comfort of his room offering little solace as sleep eluded him. His body ached from the night's exertions, the cold seeping into his bones as he reached for his phone. To his shock, the screen revealed over ten unanswered calls and unread messages, a testament to the concern his absence had sparked. Most were from He San, his worried texts asking about Chen Ge's safety and whether he should call the police. At the bottom was a message from Doctor Gao, sent at 12:30 am, warning that Fan Yu's symptoms might be tied to those around him, urging Chen Ge to scrutinize the boy's guardians closely.
Chen Ge's heart sank as he read Doctor Gao's message, the timing chillingly prescient given Fan Yu's aunt's confession just hours later. He quickly replied to both He San and Doctor Gao, assuring them of his safety and thanking them for their concern. His fingers lingered on the phone, the weight of the night's events pressing down as he opened the video-sharing app to check his personal page. The four-hour livestream had been chaotic, marked by long silences and abrupt closures as he focused on the mission and Fan Yu's aunt. He braced himself for the backlash, expecting his popularity to have suffered from his lack of engagement with the chat. The quiet of his room seemed to amplify his apprehension, the phone's glow a window into the consequences of his divided attention.
To his astonishment, the app's interface revealed a staggering increase in followers—39,000 users, a leap from the less than 10,000 he'd had before the livestream. Chen Ge's jaw dropped, his mind racing to comprehend the surge in popularity. The chaotic livestream, fraught with interruptions and minimal interaction, should have alienated viewers, yet it had somehow drawn a massive audience. The quiet of New Century Park outside his window seemed to hold its breath, the early morning light casting soft shadows as he scrolled through the app, searching for clues to this unexpected reward. The school's horrors—the sealed classroom, the well, the aunt's betrayal—had evidently captivated viewers, their curiosity outweighing the stream's flaws.
Just as Chen Ge began to puzzle out the phenomenon, his phone rang, He San's name flashing on the screen. He answered, the commotion on the other end immediate, a mix of excitement and relief in He San's voice. "Boss! I knew you're still alive!" he exclaimed, the background noise suggesting a bustling environment. Chen Ge ignored the celebration, his focus sharp as he asked, "What happened last night during my livestream? Why did my followers and views grow so tremendously?" His voice was steady, but curiosity burned within him, the unexpected fame a mystery he needed to unravel. The quiet of his room contrasted with the energy in He San's voice, the phone a lifeline to understanding the impact of his night at Mu Yang High School.
He San's tone shifted to indignation as he explained, "Since you started your livestream last night, the number has been growing, but it was incredibly slow until you started to play the Pen Spirit game. Someone created a thread on the app forum exposing Qin Guang for his plagiarism and then even attached your first livestream." His voice sharpened, the injustice clear in his words. "Qin Guang's livestream plagiarized your content down to the analysis, set, and even the identity of the killer, who was played by an actor! The evidence was right before their eyes, but Qin Guang's fans refused to admit it. They started to slander your name in the thread, saying that it was you who was mimicking their idol." The revelation stung, the idea of being accused of copying a plagiarist galling, yet it explained the surge in attention.
Chen Ge's brow furrowed, his mind processing the implications. "Probably just the 50-cent army, nothing unusual. Then what happened next?" he asked, his voice calm but edged with curiosity. The notion of paid trolls defending Qin Guang was unsurprising, but the dramatic increase in followers suggested something more had unfolded. The quiet of his room seemed to pulse with anticipation, the early morning light filtering through the window as he waited for He San's response. The livestream, the Pen Spirit game, the confrontation with Fan Yu's aunt—all had played out in real-time for thousands of viewers, turning his harrowing night into an unexpected spectacle. The school's dark legacy, now intertwined with his growing fame, left Chen Ge both wary and intrigued, ready to uncover the full impact of his actions.
He San's voice crackled with excitement over the phone, his words tumbling out as he recounted the chaos that had unfolded during Chen Ge's livestream. "Many viewers went to Qin Guang's livestream to demand an explanation, but Qin Guang pretended not to have seen them. Not only that, he banned any viewers who brought up your name. However, with his high popularity and the all-in promotion by the platform, there were 800,000 viewers at the start of his livestream, and with the chat scrolling so fast, his team missed some of your mentions. Thus, a number of his viewers who were curious came over to your livestream." The revelation painted a vivid picture of a digital battleground, with Qin Guang's dismissive tactics inadvertently driving attention to Chen Ge's stream. The morning light filtering through Chen Ge's window at New Century Park cast soft shadows across his room, the quiet contrasting with the frenetic energy of He San's account. Chen Ge's heart raced, the unexpected surge in viewership a testament to the power of controversy, even as he processed the implications of being caught in a livestreaming feud.
He San's excitement grew as he continued, his voice rising with enthusiasm. "The highest viewers during your livestream was 50,000, but it was the combination of passersby, paid viewers, Qin Guang's fans, and your own fans; it was a mess! You don't have any mods in your livestream, so even after the livestream had stopped, the chat kept going for another half an hour. By the way, thanks to this chaos, your livestream entered the Popular Ranking for the midnight session. Congratulations, not many newbie hosts can enter that ranking so early in their career." The news stunned Chen Ge, the image of a chaotic chat filled with clashing factions vivid in his mind. The quiet of his room seemed to amplify the significance of this achievement, his phone a portal to a world where his harrowing night at Mu Yang High School had captivated thousands. The surge in popularity was a double-edged sword, bringing exposure but also the ire of Qin Guang's loyalists, a challenge Chen Ge was only beginning to grasp.
Chen Ge leaned back, his mind conjuring the pandemonium that must have erupted in his livestream's chat. "Slow down. After all, that was just my second livestream," he said, his voice calm but tinged with a mix of amusement and disbelief. The chaos had been a blessing in disguise, transforming a night of supernatural terror into a viral moment that had skyrocketed his follower count from under 10,000 to 39,000. He wasn't lacking in gripping content—Mu Yang High School's horrors had provided plenty—but exposure had been his hurdle, and this unexpected boost had shattered that barrier. The morning light cast a warm glow across his bed, the quiet of New Century Park a stark contrast to the digital storm He San described. After a few more minutes of animated conversation, Chen Ge thanked He San and hung up, his mind buzzing with the implications of his newfound fame.
Turning to his phone, Chen Ge opened the video-sharing app and scrolled through his inbox, his eyes scanning the flood of private messages from other users. Most were vitriolic, filled with curses from Qin Guang's fans who accused him of plagiarism and worse, their venom a reflection of the loyalty their idol commanded. But among the hate were a few messages of support, from viewers who had seen through Qin Guang's tactics and admired Chen Ge's authenticity. The contrast was striking, a reminder of the polarized world of online streaming, where truth and lies clashed in real-time. The quiet of his room felt heavy, the weight of the night's events at Mu Yang High School—the sealed classroom, the well, the aunt's confession—intertwining with this digital drama, grounding Chen Ge in the reality of his mission while thrusting him into a new spotlight.
Near the bottom of his inbox, Chen Ge's eyes caught a familiar user handle, its profile picture eerily similar to one used by a studio that had harassed him before. The message was a thinly veiled threat, warning him against using "dirty tricks" or risk being driven off the platform entirely. The audacity of the threat sparked a flicker of anger in Chen Ge, but he remained unfazed. Unlike other hosts who might cower at such intimidation, livestreaming and short videos were merely tools to promote his Haunted House, not his livelihood. The morning light cast soft shadows across his desk, the quiet of New Century Park a stark contrast to the hostility in the message. With a decisive tap, Chen Ge blocked the account, dismissing the threat as he closed the app, his focus shifting to the black phone and the rewards of his completed mission.
Chen Ge picked up the black phone, its familiar weight grounding him as he opened the mission details. The screen glowed with a new message: Mu Yang High School (Scream Factor 2 Stars): The setting up of the scenario has been completed, you can now go down to the subterranean level to visit it. The words sent a thrill through him, the prospect of a new Haunted House scenario a tangible reward for his night of terror. But the warning that followed gave him pause: Mu Yang High School is considered part of the four-star scenario, School of the Afterlife; its space is twice the size of a normal scenario. Please familiarize yourself with the interior layout before putting it to use. The implications were staggering, suggesting that the entire school had been recreated underground, a massive addition to his Haunted House. The quiet of his room seemed to pulse with anticipation, the black phone a gateway to a new realm of horror waiting to be explored.
The warning about the scenario's size sent Chen Ge's mind racing, a mix of excitement and trepidation coursing through him. Wait… don't tell me, the whole of Mu Yang High School has been moved here? The thought was both thrilling and daunting, the idea of an entire haunted school beneath New Century Park a monumental leap for his business. He slipped on his shoes, his fatigue forgotten as he hurried to the first floor, his heart pounding with anticipation. Peeling back the wooden boards that sealed the entrance to the subterranean level, he peered into the darkness below, his flashlight cutting through the gloom. The quiet of the park above contrasted sharply with the eerie atmosphere below, the black phone's promise of a new scenario urging him forward into the unknown.
The abandoned underground parking lot had transformed into something otherworldly, its once-empty expanse now a haunting replica of Mu Yang High School. The stairs descending into the depths bore signs of charring, as if scorched by an unseen fire, their blackened edges a stark reminder of the school's tragic history. The darkened corridor stretched out before him, littered with unfinished test papers that fluttered softly in an unfelt breeze, their crumpled pages whispering secrets of the past. Classroom doors creaked in the shadows, their hinges groaning as if protesting their new home, while fleeting shadows darted between upturned tables, their movements swift and ghostly. Chen Ge's breath caught in his throat, the subterranean level alive with the echoes of Mu Yang High School, its horrors now his to wield in the next chapter of his Haunted House.