Horror Game Designer

Chapter 77: Do You Find Me Familiar?

After leaving the venue, Gao Ming found Wan Qiu, who was foolishly standing at the entrance of a milk tea shop.

Approaching him, Gao Ming, holding two freshly bought milk teas himself, asked, “Have you been waiting here for a long time?” He extended one of the cups towards Wan Qiu.

As Gao Ming sipped on his chilled milk tea, thoughts of a past associate crept into his mind. Pulling out his phone, he hesitated briefly before making a decision and dialed Xuan Wen’s number.

Curiosity sparkled in Wan Qiu’s eyes as he quietly observed Gao Ming. He leisurely enjoyed his taro balls and coconut jelly, a subtle intrigue in his gaze.

The phone rang a few times before Xuan Wen’s voice, laced with confusion, emerged: “Who’s this? What do you need?”

“Have you not gone to kill those eight female leads yet?” Gao Ming inquired playfully.

Abruptly, the call ended, leaving behind an insistent busy tone.

Stashing his phone away, Gao Ming gazed off into the distance, lost in thought for a moment. Then, with a composed demeanor, he reassuringly patted Wan Qiu on the shoulder, remarking, “Believe it or not, I’m pretty certain I’ve made quite an unforgettable impression on her.”

Wan Qiu nodded, his expression a mix of vague understanding and confusion as if he had stumbled upon some profound insight.

Suddenly, Gao Ming’s phone vibrated with urgency in his pocket. He quickly answered, finding Wei Dayou on the other line: “Hey, are you in any sort of trouble?”

“The police have cordoned off my apartment. Being the sole survivor, I’ve attracted the investigators’ attention,” Wei Dayou’s voice conveyed weariness and stress. “I followed your advice, and they’ve taken me to the Eastern District Investigation Bureau. They’re even considering me a notable survivor of a second-level abnormal event.”

“Have you already reached the Eastern District Investigation Bureau?” Gao Ming inquired.

“I’ve just finished my interview and managed to join the Queen’s Investigation Bureau, but…” Wei Dayou’s voice dropped to a hushed tone, barely discernible amidst the stormy background. “The bureau’s environment is odd. The chief seems reclusive, always in his office. It’s the deputy chief, Qing Ge, who everyone seems to follow. He’s surprisingly young, barely in his early twenties, much younger than me.”

“Qing Ge!” Gao Ming’s memory sparked at the mention of the name. “Don’t be fooled by his youth. He’s extremely dangerous!”

“It’s already too late for caution,” Wei Dayou replied, his tone tinged with regret. “I mistook him for a regular staffer and ended up boasting to him. They’re planning a mission tonight, and they want me to join. Is there any chance I can escape this?”

“You’ve had exposure to numerous game design plans; just find out their destination tonight, and you should be able to handle it.”

“All I know is that they’re headed to the Eastern District Temporary Shelter, but the details are unclear,” Wei Dayou confessed, his voice laced with helplessness.

“Eastern District Temporary Shelter? Is Qing Ge planning to rendezvous with Situ An there?” Gao Ming pondered aloud, recalling that Qing Ge was groomed by Situ An, and his rapid ascension to deputy chief of the Queen’s Investigation Bureau was likely facilitated by Situ An’s influence. “It looks like I’ll have to make my way there tonight.”

“You’re heading there as well?” Wei Dayou’s voice brightened with a mixture of surprise and relief. “Brother, have you figured out the specifics of the game we’re supposed to tackle tonight?”

Gao Ming’s tone was grave as he replied, “This isn’t some game we’re dealing with; it’s an actual murder case.” His mind was occupied with the chilling specifics of the notorious Dog Cellar Case. “Listen, no matter what happens tonight, stay away from the cellar.”

Wei Dayou’s curiosity piqued, tinged with a hint of fear. “Why, is there something supernatural about the cellar?”

Gao Ming’s response was solemn, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation. “It’s far worse than any ghost. Imagine the horrors that might plague the mind of a blind man who’s also deaf due to ear injuries.”

He contemplated the notorious madman’s black dungeon, a place rumored to warp and transform within the shadow world. Gao Ming had never experienced death there, leaving him uncertain about its true nature.

However, he reassured himself, considering that his lack of prior demise in that place probably indicated it wasn’t exceedingly perilous.

After concluding the call, Gao Ming handed some taxi fare to Wan Qiu, instructing him to return home. He then hurried towards the Eastern District Temporary Shelter, a place of significant concern tonight.

In the affluent Eastern District lay Cripple Bay Village. This site near the mountainside had remained undeveloped for an entire decade. Of course, the village had undergone partial demolition years prior, a process marred by various unsettling incidents that ultimately halted the construction of a new urban settlement for the previous tenants.

The villagers, left homeless by this upheaval, had taken refuge in the temporary shelter. Over time, as more displaced individuals converged, the shelter’s population swelled. Recognizing the growing need, the Hanhai Charity Association stepped in to erect a temporary school and clinic to aid the community.

Gao Ming’s thoughts lingered on Cripple Bay Village, a place infamous for its ghostly tales. The Dog Cellar Case was just one among many unsettling stories rooted in the village’s troubled past.

…

At ten in the evening, the scene at Cripple Bay Village Temporary Shelter was one of chaos under the relentless downpour.

Wei Dayou, identifiable by the black ring he wore, lingered at the back of the line, his gaze scanning the surroundings. The heavy rain battered the fragile hardboard houses, which groaned under the onslaught, threatening to give way at any moment. Rainwater leaked through the cracks, mixing with the occasional curses of the villagers.

“Let’s maintain some silence here,” Qing Ge commanded as he pushed open the iron door of the charity clinic, his expression a mix of annoyance and alertness. He had expected to be greeted by the duty staff, but it seemed they were asleep or otherwise occupied.

Dr. Lu, armed only with a black umbrella, interjected, “It’s fine, I can manage from here.” He continued, “Chairman Situ is on the verge of seizing control over the Eastern District Investigation Bureau. I’ll oversee the operation tonight. Follow the original plan: let the refugees in first, feed it, then figure out a way to extract the children’s corpses from the black cellar and transfer them to this clinic.”

Qing Ge’s response was clinical, devoid of emotion. “How many should we feed this time?”

“Double the last count,” Dr. Lu replied nonchalantly as he walked away, his back to the group, treating human lives as mere statistics.

Wei Dayou, still at the end of the line, felt a chill run down his spine. Having overheard such sinister plans, he wondered if he would be the next target for silencing.

Recalling Gao Ming’s earlier advice, Wei Dayou’s anxiety heightened. He scanned his surroundings, searching for any sign of Gao Ming.

As the Queen’s Investigation Bureau team proceeded further into the village, the clinic’s rudimentary patient call system unexpectedly chimed.

Dr. Lu, ascending the clinic’s staircase, paused, a look of surprise crossing his face. “Someone’s here at this hour?”

Reaching the second floor, the raging storm howled against the tin roof, rain streaming through shattered windows. A figure stood in the dimly lit corridor, an eerie presence.

This individual, draped in a soaked patient gown, seemed lost, his eyes vacant as he mechanically pressed the call button. He appeared oblivious to Dr. Lu’s presence, caught in a repetitive, almost robotic action.

“A patient?” Dr. Lu adjusted his glasses and moved closer. “Do you need medical assistance?”

The young man slowly turned, revealing a face marred by dirt, his hair plastered to his skin, and his lips cracked from dryness. “Yes, I’m ill…”

Dr. Lu, always intrigued by unusual cases, responded, “I am a doctor. Please, come into the examination room.”

Once inside, Dr. Lu shut the door behind them. He chose not to turn on the light, instead taking his seat in the doctor’s chair, the room engulfed in shadows.

The young man in the patient gown conveyed his distress with an agonized expression. “Doctor, it feels like I’m losing my mind, something is terribly wrong with my brain.” He moved awkwardly, his movements erratic and uncontrollable, until he collided with a table, using it to gain some semblance of stability.

Maintaining a composed and warm demeanor, Dr. Lu reassured him, “As a doctor, it’s imperative that you trust me completely. Only then can I effectively assist you.”

The young man hesitated, wrestling with the decision to divulge his deepest, most troubling secret. After a prolonged pause, he finally mustered the courage to speak. “Doctor,” he began tentatively, “I’ve made a frightening discovery. The games I’ve designed… they seem to have taken on a life of their own, turning into reality.”

Seemingly unconcerned by the young man’s revelation, Dr. Lu responded lightly, “Isn’t that a good thing? In a world burdened by immense work pressure, you’ve found an avenue for escape.”

The young man’s countenance fell, a shadow passing over his face as he admitted, “But I specialize in horror games.” His voice dropped to a near whisper, laden with dread. “I’ve envisioned 126 murder scenarios and crafted dozens of distinct murderers. Now, it appears as if all of them have come to life!”

As he spoke, a palpable sense of doom enveloped him, and blood ominously began to seep from his chest.

Dr. Lu’s friendly smile faded, replaced by a look of realization. “The shadow is spreading?” he questioned, his tone shifting. “You’re not one of the villagers from the shelter, are you?”

In response, the young man’s eyes transformed into a haunting blood red, and with a terrifying revelation, eight spectral arms emerged from his back.

With a chilling finality, he confronted Dr. Lu, “Having killed me so many times, didn’t you find me familiar?”