In Virtual Reality

Checker: “……”

“What? Next time, use sticky notes as tickets.”

 

After dropping these words somewhat sheepishly, Xu Jin Yi reached out with her long arm, took the flashlight from the ticket inspector's other hand, and rushed into the entrance.

 

It was dark all around, and after entering the entrance, there was a small preparation room.

 

Xu Jin Yi skillfully turned on the flashlight.

 

The light flickered a few times before finally shining steadily.

 

The faint light reflected the dust in the air, and Xu Jin Yi saw the “Precautions for Haunted Houses” posted on the side.

 

Yes, Screaming Haunted House had the same dos and don'ts as Eternal Bus.

 

Xu Jin Yi, who had memorized a multi-week strategy guide, still read the poster with interest.

 

【Precautions for Haunted Houses】.

 

【1.
Visitors are not allowed to attack haunted house staff.】

 

【2.
When leaving, a single person should leave alone, while multiple people should leave with the same number of companions.
】

 

【[3.
This haunted house encourages visitors to scream.】

 

【We wish all visitors a pleasant journey.】

 

On the second point, in real life, Xu Jin Yi had heard about sweet couples entering to play in a haunted house but exiting alone, leaving the other party unsure whether their partner was inside or outside.

 

It's been in the news quite a few times, and the people in charge of the haunted houses have since added a rule.

 

You bring people in, you bring them out.
There were no excuses to complain about the haunted house afterwards.

 

Xu Jin Yi rubbed her chin, not expecting the haunted house to be quite up to date.

 

But what did this have to do with her? She was a single dog.

 

Xu Jin Yi: “……”

 

She now wondered whether the game developer who included this restriction was making fun of her.

 

After brushing off the dust, Xu Jin Yi officially entered [Screaing Haunted House].

 

***

 

“Lieutenant Li!”

 

Wang Ju rushed into the office, clutching a stack of papers.

 

“There's a suspicion of a spooky incident at the Morphy (墨芬Mo-Fen) Amusement Park,” she said quickly as she handed the information to the solemn-looking Lieutenant Li, “A couple never came out after entering the haunted house at the amusement park.”

 

Lieutenant Li hurriedly spat out his tea and reached out to take the information and look through it.
“When was the case reported? How many days ago? Has the surveillance been transferred? Could it be that they went out unnoticed?”

 

They were a young couple.
The girl's name was Fang Wen Wen (方雯雯), and the boy's Tian Si De (田斯德).
Both were freshmen.

 

A few days ago, Tian Si De went to Morphy's Amusement Park to celebrate his girlfriend's birthday.
After a series of games, Tian Si De set his eyes on the haunted house.

 

The youngster most likely sought to impress his girlfriend by proving his fearlessness.
Both were seen on surveillance entering the haunted house.

 

And then they have yet to come out.

 

“At noon the day before yesterday, the staff of the haunted house and the families of the missing persons reported the incident.
From all the surveillance cameras available in the amusement park, only two people went in and did not come out.
It's been nearly 48 hours.
At first, the staff thought they had sneaked out using blind spots where the surveillance cameras couldn't see them.
Still, the families of both missing people also came to the police, saying the two had not returned for two nights.”

 

Only yesterday, the 'Eternal Bus' matter was cleaned up at the end, and today there was another 'haunted house'.

 

Li Tao (李涛) had a bit of a headache, but at the moment, it was not the time for him to whine.
He pondered for a while.

 

“Hm, Little Wang, don't worry about this matter.
You continue to work with He Du to wrap up the 'Eternal Bus' matter.
Give the amusement park matter to Cao Weimin (曹卫民).
Ask him to bring a person from his department to the amusement park to investigate …..Nah, forget it.
Just call him over, and I'll talk to him personally.”

 

**

 

After entering the preparation room, there was a narrow, short, dark corridor.
After Xu Jin Yi went out of the passage, the first thing she saw was the water well ten paces away.

 

She raised an eyebrow.

 

Xu Jin Yi couldn't help grinning at the familiar well.

 

The PC port of [Screaming Haunted House] opens with a small village in the countryside.
A classic Chinese horror scene.

 

This well had many jump scares.

 

As long as you get closer, you will be pulled by the water ghost.
When it happens, you'll get a quick time event where you have to prove that you can press the correct keys better than a monkey.

 

After flexing your QTE keys, you either lose and fall in, where you'll choke on water, or you win and get a surprise achievement.

 

Xu Jin Yi had all the achievements, but she was here to experience the VR version of Scream Haunted House, so she ran to the water well on her heels.

 

Before she could reach it, she heard a small sound.

 

Xu Jin Yi grinned and slowly raised her evil flashlight, wondering how interactively free this VR version was? Could she jump-scare an NPC?

 

 

 

——— Translators Notes ———

 

Morphy

墨芬: Mo = ink stick / China ink / CL: 塊｜块 / corporal punishment consisting of tattooing characters on the victim's forehead; Fen = perfume / fragrance

 

Tian Si De

田斯德 : Tian = field / farm ; Si = (phonetic) / this / Slovakia / Slovak ; De = Germany / German / virtue / goodness / morality / ethics / kindness / favor / character / kind, This Virtue Field?

 

Fang Wen Wen

方雯雯 : Fang = square / power or involution (math.) / upright / honest / fair and square / direction / side / party (to a contract, dispute etc) / place / method / prescription (medicine) / just when / only or just / classifier for square things / abbr.
for square or cubic meter; Wen = multicolored clouds, Powerfully Coloful Cloud?

 

Cao Wei Min

曹卫民 : Cao = class or grade / generation / plaintiff and defendant (old) / government department (old); Wei = to guard / to protect / to defend; Min = (bound form) the people / inhabitants of a country, People Guard for generations?

 

Li Tao

李涛 : Li = plum ; Tao = big wave, Big Waive of Plums?