Horror Game Designer

Chapter 11: I Am the Rule in the Ghost Story

Gao Ming became increasingly certain about which game had turned into reality as the horror unfolded through the videos, bringing him closer to the bizarre and the despairing.

The character of Zhao Xi, who lived in apartment 2507, was markedly different from the middle-aged male protagonist in “The Only Family.” Zhao was simple and hardworking, whereas the protagonist in the story was gloomy and lazy. Despite their differing personalities, their living environments were strikingly similar.

Though they appeared to have families and loved ones, the true nature of their homes, which were far from ideal, was only known to them once the doors were closed.

Gao Ming found Zhao Xi’s body but did not encounter any other neighbors. He only heard various sounds. The images displayed on the mobile phone were likely the imagination of the phone’s owner, depicting neighbors who looked down on Zhao Xi and were now murdered, Gao Ming recalled from what he had learned about Building 2 from the neighborhood committee’s lady.

Wang Kuisheng, a small business owner on the first floor, was temporarily living in the Li Jing Apartments to avoid his debts. Xiao Qiu, who lived on the second floor and was unemployed, seemed to be the source of the rumors about Zhao Xi and his sister-in-law. On the third floor, Fang Shuqi, a technician from the port district, appeared to be the reason behind Zhao Xi’s disability, seemingly acquired while saving Fang.

The accumulation of these negative emotions and pressures from all sides could overwhelm a person’s will, eventually leading Zhao Xi to his end under the night sky.

“The Only Family” had three possible endings. To achieve a good ending, Zhao Xi had to destroy his own mobile phone.

The mobile phone played terrifying videos because Zhao Xi wanted to see such scenes. Gao Ming decided to confront his fears head-on and free himself from the influence of the deceased’s mobile phone.

“Alone, my strength may not be enough,” Gao Ming thought, stepping over the shattered glass of a window on the floor and stopping at the door of room 2707. “If Teacher Yao isn’t in the room, and the scene inside 2707 is different from the group video, it means that Teacher Yao is a ghost created by the phone, and my previous guess was correct. If Teacher Yao is in the room, then two possibilities arise: either my speculation is wrong, or Teacher Yao is also a living person who has entered the game.”

Gao Ming knocked on the door of 2707. Before Teacher Yao could answer, the security door of 2706 next to him slowly opened a crack.

The sound of the door creaking made Gao Ming instinctively protect himself, ready to leave at any moment.

“Don’t be nervous, it’s me,” a familiar, yet horribly disfigured face appeared behind the door of 2706. The investigator waved at Gao Ming, “Don’t stay in the hallway, come inside quickly!”

In such a strange environment, Gao Ming couldn’t possibly trust the investigator who suddenly appeared, and he remained exceedingly cautious.

“I know you’re scared, anxious, and feeling helpless right now! But I am the only one who can help you!” the investigator implored urgently. “We’ve been drawn into an abnormal event. I came here specifically to investigate such incidents! I know you have many questions, but the corridor is extremely dangerous. A single misstep could be fatal!”

The investigator seemed to bear no ill will. He pulled Gao Ming into the room, only relaxing after closing the door.

Surveying room 2706, Gao Ming cautiously picked up a chair leg. “Why are you here?”

“I told you all to move out quickly, but you didn’t listen. Now you regret it, right?” the investigator wiped the sweat from his forehead. “After leaving 2507, I went upstairs to talk to the tenants here. Then, the abnormal event suddenly occurred, and unfortunately, I got involved.”

He pointed to the black band on his wrist with a red light glowing. “Once entangled in an abnormal event, communication becomes distorted and breaks down. We can’t contact the outside world; it’s like entering another dimension.”

“Communication is completely cut off?” Gao Ming pondered deeply, then his expression suddenly worsened.

He vividly remembered receiving a call from his mother in the last game!

If what the investigator said was true, then all the calls he received in the last game were actually from “ghosts”!

Gao Ming felt a surge of panic.

His parents lived in Xinhai. He wondered if they were affected.

“Ordinary people indeed find it hard to accept such things,” the investigator noted Gao Ming’s intense reaction and quietly comforted him, “Fear is normal, but we still have hope to leave alive.”

Gao Ming didn’t bother to explain further and casually asked, “What exactly do you mean by ‘abnormal events’?”

“Weird, mysterious, eerie things and phenomena, inexplicable occurrences that suddenly appeared in Xinhai six months ago, then disappeared just as abruptly,” the investigator decided to share information with Gao Ming.

“They started six months ago?” Gao Ming was surprised.

“To avoid panic, the news was kept under wraps. Later, to investigate these sudden eerie incidents, the Abnormal Disaster Joint Investigation Bureau was established,” the disfigured investigator, touching the black band on his wrist, openly revealed his identity to Gao Ming. “The Bureau is composed of three parts: investigation, narration of mysteries, and security. Our purpose is to uncover the reasons behind these disasters.”

“So, have you discovered anything?” Gao Ming still remembered the way Officer Li Lin treated the investigator. It seemed that even the lowest-ranked members of the investigation bureau wielded considerable power.

“All abnormal events follow a certain trajectory and occur within a specific area; beyond that, everything else is unknown,” the investigator tried to force a creepy smile, likely attempting to encourage Gao Ming. “The probability of ordinary people getting involved in these abnormal events is very low. This kind of experience, where one can see the truth, is rare.”

“You’re quite good at comforting people,” Gao Ming remarked, digesting all the information. The tunnel he passed through on the night of the Ghost Festival was precisely at the junction of three cities. He wondered if something from Xinhai had entered his body.

“The anomaly has already occurred, so there’s no use blaming fate or others. We must face it with full effort. As long as we’re careful, we can survive until dawn,” the investigator said, stroking the black band, allowing Gao Ming to see the text displayed on it. “Many investigators in Xinhai have sacrificed their lives to gather this information, which can help you survive. Please remember and abide by every rule.”

“When you’re involved in an abnormal event in an apartment building, pay attention to the following points for self-rescue.”

“First, find all the residents as soon as possible and agree on a contact signal. After some time, the residents may be replaced once the abnormal event starts.”

“Second, don’t trust the clocks you see; the time is inaccurate.”

“Third, after midnight, do not open your door under any circumstances unless something that doesn’t belong to you appears in your home.”

“Fourth, don’t suddenly turn on lights. Fifth, don’t listen to any audio…”

“So, does doing nothing mean we can safely survive until morning?” Gao Ming wanted to address the root of the problem, not just avoid mistakes by following rules. “If we follow the rules, can we just go to sleep and avoid all misfortune?”

The investigator swiped the black band, then shook his head seriously after a moment. “Rule eleven states, ‘Do not sleep; stay alert at all times.'”

“Thank you for providing me with so many precautions, but I still have things to do,” Gao Ming used Zhao Xi’s phone to send a message to Teacher Yao in room 2707. He needed to confirm some things with Teacher Yao.

“All the information you see now has been obtained by investigators at a bloody cost. You can doubt their accuracy, but never gamble with your life!”

“Rules are rigid, but people are adaptable…” Gao Ming opened the door of room 2706, looking at the corridor swallowed by shadows. In his mind, he left a thought unspoken.

As a game designer, in a sense, he was the rule in the ghost story.