CH 65

Chapter 65 – Three People Make a Tiger 1

After the elevator stopped, what appeared in front of the three of them was a dark and vintage looking living room.

The living room was very spacious and there were a dozen people standing inside it. This time, their teammates were relatively young and the expressions on their faces were quite calm. It seemed that there were not many newcomers. The three of them entered the living room and looked around. They found that there was no exit from the living room, only a staircase leading upstairs.

Of course there were no windows. Several oil paintings were hung on a wall with dark green wallpaper and the crystal chandelier was covered with dust. It was obvious that no one had cleaned it for a long time. The gorgeous fabric sofas had also turned gray, no wonder everybody was standing and no one sat down.

Although this living room is magnificent, it revealed a gloomy atmosphere throughout,  like the residence of a fallen aristocrat prior to his death. Once the person left, the tea would turn cold, and only empty shelves would be left behind. There was a sense of hopelessness in the future.

Everyone looked at each other. The three people including Xu RenDong came in together and so it was obvious they knew each other. There were also four men and women who looked like college students. They stood close to each other and should know each other. The remaining few people stood scattered about. They clutched their chests and looked on coldly, their expressions and movements faintly revealing rejection and defensiveness.

After a brief observation, Xu RenDong already had a number in his heart. There were a total of fifteen players this time, so the difficulty should not be high.

“Is everyone here?” A boy emerged out of the four-member group of college students. He was handsome and had a strong physique, resembling an energetic little sun. He looked around at everyone, showing a mouthful of brilliant white teeth, “Let’s introduce ourselves. I’ll go first. We few are members of X University’s Film Club and I am the President.”

After he finished the sentence “I am the President”, he paused for some time. Everyone was waiting for him to say his real name but he turned his head and smiled at the partner behind him, motioning for his partner to come up.

The other three young men and women also introduced themselves. They were club members A, B and C.

They obviously brought up the subject of self-introduction but they did not use their real names but only pseudonyms, making people feel they were quite insincere. Nobody showed obvious displeasure however and just followed their example and gave themselves a code name.

Xu RenDong and Lian Qiao looked at each other and followed this custom. Lian Qiao said: “My name is Qiao Mu.”

Xu RenDong said: “My name is… HuaHua.”

Lian Qiao was taken aback and cast a smiling glance at him. His eyes were gentle as a stream of spring water, which made people want to drown willingly within it.

Xu RenDong was disturbed by that glance and suddenly remembered that Zhong Xiu was still by his side. He instantly calmed down, coughed and said to the others, “Which of you was the first to arrive?”

A young man code-named “Rock Monk” {Rock as in Rock music} suddenly raised his hand and with his palm flat and facing the crowd, made a grabbing action out of thin air. This action was too exaggerated and everyone followed him subconsciously. His action seemed to grab everyone’s attention, making them react suddenly.

You think you’re some kind of idol!? Everyone’s faces sank and were speechless with embarrassment.

Rock Monk had a shaved head with a little green stubble and there were six bright burned circular scars on his head. Wearing a yellow monk robe and black cloth monk shoes, he looked like a serious monk, but actually he was not serious at all.

As soon as he opened his mouth, freestyle rap emerged. Since the author is too lazy to compile it, the translation was essentially: “The first one here is this cool and poor monk.”

Everyone fell into silence. After a while, Xu RenDong finally said, “Then did you discover anything?” 

Rock Monk said another line of rap which basically translated as he completely didn’t know what this place was, but he felt at ease when he came. So he just decided to sit down and started chanting until everyone else came.

After listening, everyone’s faces changed. This brain-dead monk was actually a rookie? It’s over, it’s over, this newcomer has a pit in his brain and will definitely die.

Everyone didn’t want to listen to the monk’s embarrassing rap without accompaniment, so they decided to explore the house first. The fifteen people divided into two groups  and, after a rough exploration, they quickly figured out the situation of the villa.

They started in the living room on the first floor. The living room was connected to a kitchen. There were a lot of ingredients stored in the kitchen. Fifteen people can eat it for a week. There are six guest rooms on the second floor and third floor. Although the furniture is old, it is still clean and complete with water and electricity. It was totally livable. Further up was a huge balcony surrounded by glass.

There were fifteen stools in the middle of the glass room, forming a circle. It looked a bit ritualistic. This glass room was transparent and should have an excellent view, but the outside it was pitch black. Even if the light is on, only the people reflected on the glass could be seen. The outside was absolutely dark and nothing could be seen.

This villa was like an isolated island in the dark. Once you enter you can’t get out again, giving people a sense of isolation and horror. Everyone looked at each other and even the faces of the old players were covered with an ominous cloud.

“Hey, there is a piece of paper here.” Lian Qiao walked to one of the chairs with sharp eyes. He reached out and picked up a piece of paper.

Everyone came over to listen to Lian Qiao read: 

“Instructions for the Courage Training Camp: 1. The theme of this event: the deepest horror within the heart. 2. The content of the event: Please turn off the lights at 00:00 every night and share a ghost story in the glass room and face the horror within the story. Every night at least one story must be shared. 3. A friendly reminder:  Stories cannot be repeated, someone will die oh. The story cannot be not scary, someone will die oh. 4. Just joking ah.” {Written/read in a cutesy tone.}

Everyone’s faces fell more and more. Finally someone couldn’t help but curse: “Just read it properly! Why are you pretending to be cute? Are you sick in the head?” After saying that he glared at the Rock Monk.

Rock Monk glared back confidently: “Don’t scold this poor monk. This poor monk has a bad temper. If you scold me, I will beat you.” He rolled up the sleeves of the monk’s clothes, revealing his strong biceps. {Um, I’m not sure why he’s glaring at Rock Monk when LQ is the one reading…., I checked the original text, there’s no mistake.}

Everyone: “…” He actually has tattoos!

I get tattoos, I beat people, I sing rap, but still know that I’m a good monk!

Lian Qiao helplessly said, “That’s how it is written on the paper, read it for yourself.” He circulated the paper to everyone. Only then did everyone believe that the task was written so cutely and couldn’t help feeling speechless.

The mission paper was passed around and returned to Lian Qiao’s hand. Lian Qiao’s face changed suddenly when he touched the paper and took back his hand quickly. The next instant, white smoke appeared on the paper and then a flame burst out. The person who handed over the paper was also taken aback and let go with a cursed “fuck!”. The burning paper fluttered and fell to the ground, already turned to ashes.

A ghostly wind blew from nowhere, blowing away the ashes.

Everyone’s faces were pretty ugly. Xu RenDong asked, “Is your hand okay?”

Lian Qiao looked at his fingers carefully and confirmed that he was not injured, so he smiled and shook his head towards Xu RenDong.

President Little Sun said: “Why are the things written on this paper so sloppy? This is the first time I have encountered such a trivial task.” He looked at everyone expectantly, “Have any of you encountered something similar?”

Everyone shook their heads. 

President Little Sun didn’t seem to be too disappointed. On the contrary, he showed an expression of “just as I thought.” He thought for a while and asked: “What time is it?”

Everyone took out their mobile phones and was surprised to find that the time had become 23:55 in the evening, only five minutes before the ghost story time that was written on the paper.

“How the hell is this enough time for us to prepare?” Someone said, “What would happen if we don’t tell ghost stories?”

No one could give them an answer.

“Then… should we tell one?” A timid girl, member A, hesitantly looked at President Little Sun.

The president’s handsome and good looking face didn’t have the slightest entanglement. He smiled heartily: “Of course. The mission instructions are so clear. If we don’t follow it, then what else should we do here?”

Member A said softly and quietly: “But what if there’s a ghost…” 

As the president was trying to comfort him, Rock Monk suddenly put his hands together. He shook his head and said: “Amitabha. Benefactor, don’t be afraid.”

Everyone was thinking that the monk had finally said something proper but then they heard his next stence: “In this world, there are no ghosts. But if people gossip too much, it really will turn into a ghost.”

Everyone: “…”

Member A turned pale when he was so scared. The smile on President Little Sun’s face also became a little bit embarrassing. He turned around and looked around the crowd. He asked politely, “Anyway, let me try some water? If something happens to me, please take care of my members.”

Since someone is willing to take the risk then of course the others had no opinion. Although Members ABC next to President Little Sun said moving words to him, no one really stopped him. It can be said that this was a very plastic friendship.

So everyone took their seats. Xu RenDong sat between Lian Qiao and Zhong Xiu. President Little Sun stood next to the light switch and said, “I will turn off the light.”

Everyone took a deep breath and nodded.

Xu RenDong’s hand suddenly warmed. It was Lian Qiao who holding his hand. He turned his head in surprise and saw Lian Qiao cast an awkward but polite smile at him. At the same time he covered his mouth with his other hand.

……Are you afraid that you will be scared into hiccupping?

Xu RenDong smiled. He was just about to turn his hand and hold him back when suddenly he felt a gaze on his back, making him feel uncomfortable. He turned his head and saw that Zhong Xiu was looking at the hands they held together with a warm gaze.

Xu RenDong: “…” His face flushed and he slapped Lian Qiao’s hands away without hesitation. Pretending to be angry, he said, “Put your hands on your lap and sit up straight! So unruly, what kind of person are you!”

Speaking of this, he sat up straight like a primary school student listening attentively.

Lian Qiao: “Ying-ying-ying-ying!” He glared at Zhong Xiu, who met his gaze but showed a kindly auntie-like smile.

What are you laughing at! You shameless mistress!

Lian Qiao straightened up and was about to stimulate this shameless mistress but then he head a “pa” sound and the room fell into darkness within an instant. The surrounding glass seems to have disappeared and the darkness inside and outside the glass room merged into one, giving the illusion of being in a dark wilderness. There was even a cold wind coming from behind.

“Hey!” Lian Qiao instantly stiffened, becoming a screaming chicken pinched around his neck.

Everyone felt hairy and several of them shivered uncontrollably. In the darkness, fifteen breathing sounded one after another. They didn’t know where the strong wind came from outside the glass room but it blew the windows, like a typhoon passing by, or like a night of a hundred ghosts, sobbing and crying.

In the dark, anything could happen. No one knows the consequences of telling this story. The only certainty is that something terrible will happen.

It is the unknown that was the most terrifying.

President Little Sun cleared his throat and broke the silence with a warm and magnetic voice: “Then, I will tell you the first ghost story.”

The ghost story hadn’t even started and just the opening remark made Lian Qiao so nervous that his body was stiff and his scalp felt numb. All kinds of horror games he had played before rose into his mind. With the whistling of the squally wind on the window, his whole person felt not good.

His heartbeat is getting more and more violent, and his breathing is getting faster and faster. Just when he was about to be scared to death by himself, his hands suddenly warmed. He was taken aback, and instinctively wanted to retract, but his hand was tightly held.

The hand that held him was dry and warm, slender and strong, with a reassuring sense of familiarity.

Lian Qiao’s heart trembled, only feeling sweet to the tip of his heart. Even his breathing became sweet and greasy.

He clasped the man’s fingers back. The man seemed to be taken aback, his fingers froze slightly. Soon, he clasped his fingers tightly. With palms touching, they can feel each other’s body temperature. In this boundless darkness, they became the only reliance on each other.

However, this sweet charm lasted for only a moment. The next second, Lian Qiao heard Zhong Xiu’s gentle inquiry in the dark.

“RenDong, are you afraid? If you are afraid, you can sit over here a little bit.”

Like a cat that had its tail stepped on, Xu RenDong retracted his hand with a “swish”.

Lian Qiao snarled frantically in his heart: What the fuck is wrong with you! You old witch, are you trying to cultivate into a light bulb spirit!? {Light bulb = same meaning as a third wheel.}

***