“Please don’t scare me, grandma. I’m naturally a cowardly person. I can have nightmares for four or five days just from watching someone kill a chicken.” The bitterness on my face wasn’t entirely fake, considering that the room where someone had died three months ago was right across from me.

“If you don’t come out, then everything should…. be okay….” The short and chubby old woman turned and left me standing alone in the hallway. A cold breeze blew by, giving me chills from head to toe.

Under the flickering lights, I looked again at room 206 across from me. The paint on the wooden door was peeling, and the surface was rough. Besides the room number, it didn’t look any different from the other doors.

“I’ve come this far; what do I have to be afraid of?” I pulled out the cigarette that the taxi driver had given me, lit it, and put it in my mouth. I pushed the door open and entered room 203.

The room was much more spacious than I had imagined, with a private bathroom, a double bed, and an old-fashioned wardrobe against the wall. Although the furnishings were simple, everything that was needed was there. Overall, 35 yuan per night for this room was considered very cheap.

I glanced at my phone and realized that it was already 11 p.m. I extinguished my cigarette and turned on the camera, placing it on the windowsill. “I never thought my first live stream would be in a inn room that costs only 35 yuan per night.”

The equipment was working properly, so I plugged in my mobile encoding device and clicked on the icon for the “Underworld Show” on my large-screen phone.

“Acquiring image… “

“Connecting to the bullet screen… “

“Data is stable. Do you want to start the live broadcast?”

Having prepared myself mentally, I didn’t hesitate and clicked on the “Yes” button on the screen. The phone screen went black for a moment, and when it lit up again, it had switched to the live broadcast screen.

A young man, about 1.8 meters tall with a well-proportioned figure, was standing next to the bed, holding a phone in his hand.

“So this is what it feels like to see yourself on TV.” I looked despondent as the live broadcast had already started, but my broadcast room was empty.

“I may be good at solving murders or tracking extramarital affairs, but when it comes to live broadcasting, I’m just a layman.” How can I attract more viewers? I recalled those popular female hosts and couldn’t help but look down at my collar. “Unfortunately, I don’t have much to show. I can’t even sell myself…”

“‘Teletubies died of murder’ had joined the live broadcast room.”

“Someone’s here! Welcome, Teletubies, to the super-thrilling live broadcast room! We have the most realistic challenges and the most terrifying stories!” As I said this, I suddenly got stuck because I had no idea what to do next. Should I just sit here and wait for ghosts to knock on the door at midnight?

“Hey! I clicked on ‘Extreme Temptation of Beautiful Women’, but why did I end up with this guy?”

Teletubies, on the other end of the screen, was also in a state of confusion. “What are you even streaming, Mr. Host? And where’s the announcement for your live broadcast?”

“I’m what you could call a paranormal exploration streamer, but that’s not important. The fundamental purpose of my stream is to find an answer.”

“Answer for what?”

“Whether or not ghosts really exist in this world,”

Master Tieling Biao, “Hehe, I love how you can spout nonsense with a straight face.”

My senior sister fell for me, “I’ve also been searching for the ‘greasy corpse sister’ and got moved over here.

In just a few sentences, the popularity of my live broadcast room skyrocketed to eleven. It appears that the Underworld Show had many channels to attract viewers.

However, without exception, all of my viewers were lured into my live broadcast room through deceitful means. Someone was even researching for an adult film, only to have an advertisement suddenly pop up, leading them to the Super Thrilling Live broadcast room with nothing but a roll of toilet paper.

I hope I didn’t leave any psychological trauma for that poor child.

Others also entered unintentionally, but they all shared one commonality, they were all watching this alone.

“Mr. Host, how come the room you’re staying in looks a little familiar to me? Have I seen it on the news before?” A viewer named “Officer Huang of the third year class 2” suddenly sent a colorful barrage of pop up comments.

“Mr Host, I’m from Jiangcheng. Is your place of residence the Peace of Mind Inn?”

“Finally, someone normal.”

I pulled out the newspaper I’ve been preparing for a while.

“That’s right, this is the Peace of Mind (Anxin) Inn.”

“Perhaps some of you may not know what this place is. Please take a look at the newspaper in my hand. Three months ago, a bizarre death case occurred in this building, and the police have yet to find out the cause. They could only attribute the demise of the victim to accidental death.”

“However, recently, there has been a picture of the deceased circulating online. In the photo, the male victim’s pupils were dilated, and his jaws were open at a ninety-degree angle. Anyone with common sense knows that he must have seen something extremely terrifying before he died!”

“What did he see? Don’t you want to know?”

Suddenly, the live stream room fell silent, perhaps because everyone was trying to determine the authenticity of what I was saying.

“The room we are in right now is 203, and the room where the homicide occurred three months ago is directly opposite to us,” I announced. As I spoke, the ash from my cigarette fell to the ground. I then lit another cigarette, all while watching myself on the screen.

“Tonight, I will unveil the truth behind the incident. I am prepared to witness the horrors firsthand, and this is what the Super Thrilling Live Broadcast Room stands for.”

After making this bold statement, I felt a sense of satisfaction, but the audience appeared skeptical.

One of the viewers, Master Tieling Biao, spoke up, “Get rid of this guy. He’s a joke. The police couldn’t even solve the case. Who does he think he is?”

Don’t attack me I’m fragile. “Screenshot taken. Let’s watch the host get scared to death.”

A Ping An insurance sales manager interjected, “Host, what you need now is insurance. Our company’s latest family insurance package covers your entire family with just one policy.”

Officer Huang of the third year class 2 chimed in, “The Peace of Mind (Anxin) Inn is definitely creepy. You might actually come across something. Be careful, host!”

The barrage of comments from the audience was diverse, which helped alleviate my fear and anxiety. In fact, according to the mission of the Underworld show, I didn’t need to interact with anyone else. All I had to do was survive the night. But there are experts among the masses, and if I were to face death, seeking help from the audience might be my only way out.

“Alright, everyone calm down. Let’s take a look at the surroundings first. Although I don’t understand feng shui or superstition, I did attend police school for two years, so I have some experience investigating death scenes.”

Room 203 was not where the deceased died three months ago, but the fact that the underworld show app decided to broadcast here indicates that there must be some hidden problem with this room.

“The doors and windows are intact, the floor is clean, and although the furniture is outdated and old, it’s very clean, almost spotless.” I leaned on the ground, holding a cigarette. “There are no bloodstains or any suspicious items under the bed, and the wardrobe is a bit damp. The TV in front of the bed is just for decoration, huh?”

I pushed the old box TV in front of me and discovered a mirror behind it on the wall.

It was not too big, the 30-inch television screen was just big enough to cover it.

“Host, it’s a big taboo to have a mirror facing the bed. I don’t think this room is meant for the living,” Half-immortal Liu from Qingcheng Mountain’s comment lit up the chatroom, which had just quieted down.

Master Tieling Biao retorted, “You talk nonsense every day. I have a whole wall of mirrors in my bedroom, and I’m living just fine.”

Teletubies died of murder, chimed in, “Isn’t Qingcheng Mountain where Bai Suzhen lives? Half immortal Liu , Fahai is calling you back home for dinner.”

Half-immortal Liu from Qingcheng Mountain said, “Believe it or not, in Feng Shui, mirrors are used to ward off evil spirits and should face the direction of the malevolent energy. If they face people, they become evil mirror spirits, and those are like a mouth that sucks the life force out of people every day. It can make one feel restless or even cause their families to fall apart.”

girl who loves handsome and talented men: “Looks like there’s a scammer upstairs. Who can cultivate to such a high level and still type so fast?”

Half-immortal Liu from Qingcheng Mountain, “As a Taoist master, I have practiced the Two-Finger Zen since I was young. Don’t believe me? Come and challenge me!”

I rubbed my temples, feeling a slight headache as I looked at the barrage of comments on the screen. If I hadn’t experienced that night without electricity, I would probably have been a thorough atheist. But that heart-pounding interview was like a sledgehammer that shattered everything I had ever believed in.

“Are there really strange and mystical powers in this world?” I took the camera and said, “Half immortal Liu, calm down. It’s true that this place is not very auspicious. Can you help me take a look and see if it’s safe to stay here for a night?”

Half-immortal Liu from Qingcheng Mountain replied, “Knowing that it’s an ominous dwelling, why stay? Let me advise you, young man, to pack up and leave as soon as possible, or your fortune will be affected in the future.”

Master Tieling Biao donated 99 ghost coins to the super thrilling live broadcast room.

Master Tieling Biao said, “Host, don’t listen to that old bull. If you stay here for a night, I’ll give you 99 every hour.”

“Gifts already?” The low-level gifts on the underworld show were divided into ghost coins, ingots, and gold bricks, and the details were in the contract. Unfortunately, I didn’t read it carefully at the time.

************

TN: Feng shui is a Chinese philosophical system that aims to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. It is based on the idea that energy, or “qi” flows through everything.

TN: Bai Suzhen and Fahai are fictional characters from the “legend of the whithe snake” which is a chinese legend