Chapter 7: Midnight Thriller Live Room

A message flashed on the screen: "Welcome to the Hell Show. The live broadcast task has been released. Come up with a name for your stream."No matter the format of a live stream, the ultimate goal is to grab attention and attract viewers. With that in mind, a name that catches the eye is a must.I recalled the words of the paper-faced interviewer: "Operating in the shadows of midnight, cutting through the city's most terrifying horrors, doesn't that sound exciting?""If it's for the thrill, why not choose a name full of intrigue?" I thought as I typed four characters into the blank space: "Midnight Thriller Live Room""Name registered. Would you like to start the live stream today?"I thought for a long time but finally clicked "No," mainly because the driver was still in the car. There was no need to involve him in this."Dude, hurry up. I don't have much time..."The Peaceful Inn was located on the northern outskirts of River city, right next to the Grim Hill Prison. It was a desolate area with few people around, and only the occasional migrant workers would rent rooms there to save on rent.The buildings on both sides grew sparse, the bustling city lights fading into the distance. The smooth, neat concrete roads turned into bumpy, hard-to-navigate dirt paths."Do you see that sign? That's the Peaceful Inn. We can stop here, it'll be difficult to turn around further ahead." The balding driver pulled over, clearly unwilling to drive any further.I looked in the direction he was pointing. About fifty meters away stood an old three-story building, its rooftop strung with small, colorful light bulbs forming a sign: "ace Inn?""It's supposed to be Peace, the bulbs are probably broken," the driver said, handing me a cigarette. "Take care. I heard evil spirits can't stand the smell of smoke. I can only take you this far."I shook my head and smiled bitterly, paying the fare and grabbing my black suitcase as I got out of the taxi.Looking around, I couldn't see a person. The only thing visible for hundreds of meters was the dim red glow from the "ace Inn" sign."Maybe I should call the police?"Before I could take out my phone, a roar of an engine suddenly sounded beside me, and clouds of dust filled the air. When I turned around, the taxi driver was already more than a hundred meters away."Damn..."The driver was quick to flee. Now, even if I wanted to go back to the city, it was impossible.I lifted my suitcase and trudged along the dirt road. A true warrior not only faces the grim realities of life but also learns to deal with unreliable teammates.In the dim light of my phone, the eerie old inn finally came into full view.A three-story standalone building, with two stairwells on the left and right, the steps piled with uncollected garbage, and police tape discarded in the corners.This wasn't the yellow and white caution tape from construction sites, but dark blue and white tape used for murder investigations!"Such things aren't even recycled?" If a normal person came here, they might not notice anything unusual, but with my background in the police academy, I already started tagging this place with labels of murder and the bizarre."Is anyone here? I want to check in." The stairs were narrow, and I reached the front desk on the second floor.The counter was covered in oil stains and grime. A notebook lay open, carelessly scribbled with guest details and ID numbers, written in messy handwriting that looked more like a child's doodling."Who still uses hand-written records in this day and age?" I casually flipped through the pages, the earliest entry from a week ago: "So, I'm the only guest in the whole building right now...""Cough..." A pair of bony fingers pressed down on the notebook, and an old man with nearly bald hair stood up behind the counter. "Checking in? Only you?"His voice was like a candle in the wind, weak and barely audible. I stepped back casually, my peripheral vision locking onto his features: thin eyebrows, old age spots on the left side of his face, and a large, fist-sized scar on the right, as though his face had been burned."Yes, only me." His face was the kind you couldn't forget after a single glance. To be honest, before my live stream even began, I already felt a sense of dread."ID, please. One person, 35 yuan for one night. No need for a deposit, just don't break anything in the room." After registering, the old man handed me a key and shouted toward the dimly lit hallway, "Wife, take the guest to room 103 and bring some hot water.""103?" The Hell Show task had me check into room 203. I furrowed my brow. "Can you switch me to another room?""Sure, which one do you want?""203.""Bang!"The key in the old man's hand dropped with a clatter to the cement floor. His reaction surprised me."What's wrong? Can't I stay in that room?" I asked casually, slipping one hand into my pocket, holding a talisman, and the other gripping my phone."It's fine to stay there... It's just that a few months ago, someone died here. The room right across from 203...""What's the big deal? He didn't die in that exact room." I forced a lighthearted smile. "Just give me that room, old man, don't get all superstitious. We need to trust science.""Alright, alright..." As the old man searched for the key to room 203, I bent down to pick up the 103 key from the floor. But when I looked closely, I noticed something odd—he was wearing rubber shoes covered in dirt."Why would he wear rubber shoes indoors?""Come on, I'll show you the room." The old man's wife, a short and stocky woman, spoke as she carried a kettle of hot water. Despite her age, she seemed strong and full of energy.I left the key at the front desk, grabbed my suitcase, and followed her upstairs."We're going to 203, right? Why are we going to the third floor?" Since this was linked to the Hell Show task, I couldn't afford to miss a single detail."The first floor is empty. Room 103 is on the second floor, and 203 is on the third."We seemed to walk forever, the only light in the dim hallway coming from a flickering bulb that sometimes turned off for no reason, only to light up again moments later."This is it." The old woman inserted the key into the lock and pointed to the number on the door."Alright, thank you."Just as I was about to push the door open, the old woman muttered behind me, "Hey, it's different from the city here. Don't run around at night. If...""If what?" I asked, growing curious."If someone knocks on your door after midnight, or if you hear strange sounds, just ignore it. Don't open the door.""Don't scare me, I'm a naturally timid person. I can have nightmares for days just from watching someone kill a chicken." I said, my discomfort not entirely feigned. After all, the room where someone had died just months ago was right across from mine."Don't open the door, and you'll be fine... probably..." The old woman turned and left. I stood alone in the hallway, feeling a chill creep up my spine as a cold wind blew through the corridor.Under the dim, flickering lights, I glanced at the door to room 206 across the hall. The wooden door, chipped and rough, didn't seem too different from the others except for the number."Why am I still scared now?" I muttered, taking out the cigarette the driver had given me and lighting it. I pushed the door open and entered room 203.The room was more spacious than I expected. There was a bathroom, a double bed, and an old wardrobe against the wall.The furnishings were simple but adequate. For 35 yuan a night, it was quite a steal.Looking at my phone, I realized it was already 11 PM. I stubbed out the cigarette and set up the camera on the windowsill. "I can't believe my first live stream is in a 35-yuan-a-night inn."The equipment was running smoothly. I plugged in the mobile encoding stick and opened the Hell Show app on my phone."Capturing image...""Connecting to the live stream...""Data stable. Would you like to start the live broadcast?"I had already mentally prepared myself, so without hesitation, I tapped "Yes." The screen went black for a moment, and when it lit up again, it had switched to the live feed.A young man, about 1.8 meters tall and of average build, stood next to the bed, holding a phone."So this is what it feels like to watch myself on TV," I said with a hint of melancholy. The stream had started, but my live room was empty."Different skills, different fields. If it's solving a murder or tracking an affair, I'm fine. But live streaming? I'm a complete novice." How could I attract more viewers? I thought of the popular female streamers and glanced down at my collar. "Too bad I don't have a chest. I can't even sell my body...""Teletubby murdered enters the live room.""Someone's here! Welcome to the Midnight Thriller Live Room! Here, we have the most real challenges, the most terrifying stories!"Just as I was saying this, I suddenly froze. I had no idea what to do next. Was I supposed to sit here and wait for ghosts to knock on my door at midnight?"I clicked on the 'Extreme Beauty Temptation' category, why does this a man show?" The viewer, "Teletubby murdered," seemed just as confused: "What kind of stream is this? There's no stream announcement either?""I'm somewhat of a paranormal exploration streamer. But that's not important. The real reason I'm streaming is to find one answer.""What answer?""Do ghosts really exist?"