The Haunted Game Designer

"You say this house is dangerous, but isn't it just an ordinary residential building?" Gao Ming had a reckless look on his face, making the investigator even more anxious.

"The original resident of Room 2507 committed suicide. You must never stay here just because the rent is cheap." The investigator's face was disfigured, making it impossible to read his expression, but his anxious tone made it clear that there was indeed something very wrong with Room 2507.

"Why? Are you saying Brother Zhao's death wasn't an accident but murder?"

"Don't ask why!" Sweat trickled down his scarred face as the investigator pointed at his terrifying visage. "If you don't want to end up like me, move out immediately!"

It was obvious that the investigator knew something, which only made Gao Ming more curious. "You have to give us a reason, right?"

Being asked to move out suddenly would make any normal person reluctant to leave.

"It's not just you. Until the source of the anomaly is confirmed, all residents on this floor must temporarily evacuate." The disfigured investigator had met Gao Ming the previous night and knew he wasn't someone easy to fool. "You subdued the Rainy Night Killer, I admit you're brave, but some dangers are invisible! Those things are the true cause behind the multiple murders in the old port district!"

"Those things… What are you referring to?" Gao Ming narrowed his eyes. Most people would be terrified at the sight of the investigator's face, but he found the man rather interesting.

"The more you know, the easier it is for them to latch onto you. Everything I've said and done is for your own good, to protect you. I hope you'll trust me." The investigator's voice was sincere, but Gao Ming and Xuan Wen remained unmoved.

"You really won't cry until you see the coffin, huh?"

Gao Ming slowly lowered his head. Whether he would cry at the sight of a coffin was uncertain, but Xuan Wen would probably treat it like a capsule hotel—definitely not shedding any tears.

"If you're really unwilling to move out, then remember what I'm about to tell you." The investigator, unable to persuade them, could only give a warning. "Replace everything the deceased used as soon as possible. No matter day or night, never imitate the deceased's actions, and absolutely do not experience the same emotions they felt before death."

"I understand replacing their belongings, but what does not imitating the deceased mean?" Gao Ming was puzzled. "Do you mean that feeling the same emotions in the place where they died would bring them back?"

The investigator didn't answer, nor did he deny it. He simply went upstairs, seemingly to investigate something on the upper floors.

"This investigator from New Shanghai seems to know a lot." Xuan Wen silently walked behind Gao Ming, her gaze both dangerous and alluring. "Now that no one will disturb us…"

She closed the security door and gently approached Gao Ming, her lips slightly moving. "The game you created can be understood as the overlap of two worlds, and you are the key to unlocking it ahead of time. What we need to do is simple—repeat the life the deceased lived in the haunted house, experience the same emotions they had, and completely become them. Then the obsession, malice, pain, and regrets left behind between the two worlds will naturally seek you out, forcibly triggering the urban legend."

"That sounds oddly familiar." The investigator's warning still echoed in Gao Ming's mind. "Sis, are you sure this won't cause any problems?"

Hearing the way Gao Ming addressed her, Xuan Wen was briefly stunned, but she patiently explained, "Urban legend games are the scariest. Once they fully take shape, fear will root itself in everyone who hears them, devouring their hearts. We have no ability to deal with them once that happens. The only option before us is to trigger them in advance and strangle them in the cradle. I know it's dangerous, and people might die—but if we don't do it now, ten or even a hundred times more people will die later!"

Xuan Wen's words made sense. At this stage, the mere distortion of some household games and dating games was already terrifying. If those urban legend games completely merged with the city, the situation Gao Ming would face would become even more dangerous.

"Some things can't be avoided."

"Alright, I'll give it a try."

Under Xuanwen's guidance, Gao Ming sat in front of the living room mirror, holding a blank memorial photo.

All the lights in the house were turned off, and four white candles were lit in the four corners of the room.

The flickering flames danced in the darkness as raindrops fell and thunder roared, with occasional flashes of lightning streaking across the sky.

Regulating his breathing, Gao Ming closed his eyes and recalled everything he knew about the deceased.

Brother Zhao's full name was Zhao Xi. He was an abandoned infant found by the old lady on the third floor near a garbage pile. He never attended school and wore tattered clothes from childhood to adulthood. The children in the courtyard and the old lady's second son often bullied him, yet he never resisted.

As he grew older, Zhao Xi worked as a porter in the port district, earning money for his younger siblings' education. He endured hardship without complaint and supported an entire family.

Though life was exhausting, Zhao Xi was always cheerful. He greeted everyone with a smile, and even those who once bullied him in the courtyard eventually came to call him "Brother Zhao."

As time passed, Zhao Xi became the warmest and kindest person in Lijing Apartment. Though he never married or started a family of his own, he always lent a helping hand to anyone in need. Later, when his younger brother was imprisoned for committing a crime, he took on the responsibility of caring for their foster mother and pregnant sister-in-law.

By all accounts, such an optimistic and strong person would never choose suicide. The neighbors found it hard to believe—only Gao Ming had noticed some subtle signs beforehand.

Years of heavy labor had taken a toll on Zhao Xi's body, and after injuring his leg last year, he was dismissed from the factory.

Without education, with a disabled leg and deteriorating health, finding a job became nearly impossible for him. Staying at home, he faced cold stares and harsh words from his sister-in-law and foster mother.

Zhao Xi knew he was an adopted child. More than anyone, he longed for acceptance and a real family. But no one saw value in him. He had no outlet for his emotions—his only comfort was his phone. Perhaps, to him, the phone understood him better than his family ever did.

The optimism, strength, and enthusiasm he displayed were merely a facade he forced upon himself—he was desperate not to be abandoned again.

But the more he thought this way, the more pain he felt inside.

With no hope in sight, powerless to change his circumstances, he saw himself as a burden—until, at last, he began to hate himself.

The temperature in the room gradually dropped, and waves of negative emotions surged.

Sitting in the living room, Gao Ming felt as though he had been transported back to the night of Zhao Xi's suicide.

The lights were off, the oppressive clouds blocked out every trace of light. Though there was no rope around his neck, breathing became increasingly difficult. His hands instinctively grasped at his throat as a deep sense of disgust rose from within.

The windows and doors offered no escape—he seemed trapped in a forgotten corner of the world, utterly alone and helpless.

His head throbbed, his heart pounded in panic, his mind felt broken. He couldn't sleep; he could only stare into the darkness, tearing through memories.

The reflection in the mirror began to warp, shadows surging like waves, flooding the room. Regret and unresolved obsessions seeped into the depths of his soul.

A familiar chill crawled up his spine. Gao Ming's eyes snapped open—the candles in the living room had all gone out, and Room 2507 was now completely engulfed in darkness!

Raising his head to look at the mirror, Gao Ming's pupils contracted. The full-length mirror reflected an inverted, distorted world.

"Bang!"

Before he could react, a loud crash echoed from downstairs. He rushed to the balcony to check.

In the courtyard of Lijing Apartment, near the stairwell of Building Two, lay a corpse—its limbs twisted, its neck broken—staring directly at the balcony of Room 2507.

(End of Chapter)

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