The World Below Surface

Lu Yan arrived at the hotel, his gut churning with an unshakable sense that something was amiss. Though he couldn't quite place what was wrong, a creeping unease clawed at his mind. As he sifted through the search results on his computer screen, his eyes froze on several faces that he knew all too well. It wasn't their features that he recognized, but rather an inexplicable sense of déjà vu that washed over him like an icy wave. Living in a world so fraught with strangeness had honed his instincts to a razor's edge, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong. But what?

He glanced at the time displayed on his computer desktop, racking his brain for any memory of what he'd done that day. Lu Yan didn't keep a diary, relying on his mind alone to keep track of his daily activities. In a world where ghosts could easily alter audiovisual and physical records, he knew better than to trust any external sources of information. Though ghosts could still manipulate memories, if there came a day when he couldn't even remember the past, it would be better to remain lost.

What had he done today?

He left the hotel and returned a lost cat to its grateful owner before returning to his hotel. But as he stared at the reflection of the receptionist in the glass door...

No, this wasn't like him.

Before unexplainable horrors had upended the world, he might have done something kindhearted like returning a lost pet. But now? The very idea seemed ridiculous.

What happened yesterday?

Yesterday, he...He returned a lost feline to its owner, arrived at the hotel, and was coerced into playing a supernatural game with four individuals who summoned a female ghost... But why couldn't he recollect this occurrence? Lu Yan took several deep breaths to recall what had happened yesterday. No, his memory had not been tampered with. Rather, he had instinctively rationalized the strange nature of the situation. With his usual level of caution, he would never have returned to the hotel, knowing there was a ghost lurking in the bathroom mirror.

After all, this was not his usual version of the world, and with the presence of these outsiders, even if he did nothing, he could still be pulled into the most spine-chilling and outlandish events. Was it just him, or had everyone who participated in the game forgotten? What secrets did that black cat hold?

Lu Yan's eyes flicked to the clock. In just a few hours, it would be midnight. Would those people still come to him tonight if his memory were wiped clean?

**

"Tomorrow night's game is equally eerie; it will take place inside the elevator," said Ye Sheng Ke.

As they drove back to the urban district, the vehicle was hurtling through the night, causing Nie Yun Zhen's heart to pound with anxiety. All he wanted was to return to the statue as soon as possible. The others sat silently, gazing out the window at the dimly lit cityscape while chatting in hushed tones.

"In reality, every game we play is terrifying, but tomorrow night's..." Shi Yan trailed off, her forehead creased in concern.

Thanks to years of experience and a plethora of horror movies, they had learned to avoid places like mirrors, toilets, and elevators - all prime locations for paranormal phenomena - during their missions. Elevators, in particular, were especially fraught with danger.

As a confined space, an elevator was a death trap in the event of a supernatural encounter. Shi Yan knew this firsthand, having undertaken a mission involving an elevator malfunction. They had managed to subdue the ghost and open the door, but the elevator was stuck between the second and third floors. Shi Yan climbed out and returned to help her companion, only for the elevator to plummet to the ground when they were halfway out.

As they fell, Shi Yan held tightly onto her companion's hand. Blood splattered across her face, and she could only grasp the upper half of her friend's body while the lower half disappeared into the abyss.

Then, Shi Yan saw her - the red-clothed woman, twisted and grotesque, lying on top of the elevator. The same ghost who had cut the cable condemned them to their fate.

Since that day, Shi Yan had been plagued by a deep psychological trauma that made her avoid elevators at all costs. She took the stairs whenever possible, even though it put her at risk of encountering other terrifying entities.

"Senior, are you afraid?" Ye Sheng Ke's voice wavered with concern.

Shi Yan's response was unyielding. "What can fear accomplish? We must press on."

Shi Yan's resolute façade concealed her quivering hands. Whenever she confronted an elevator, the image of her colleague's mangled lower half would surface in her mind, along with the haunting prospect of a female spirit lurking on top of the elevator.

"We are in this together," Ye Sheng Ke soothed, albeit hesitantly.

Although Ye Sheng Ke sought to assuage his teammate's trepidations, he could not dispel the uneasy forebodings which plagued them both.

Shi Yan's brow furrowed with worry. "While we didn't encounter any danger at the hotel yesterday, we have still invoked a ghost. Are we certain we want to return to the same place today?"

Even Ye Sheng Ke could not confidently answer Shi Yan's apprehensive query.

Nie Yun Zhen's reassurances belied his own doubts. "Why not try our luck today? Perhaps we may uncover some clues."

Despite his words, his inward thoughts remained a mystery.

Nie Yun Zhen was always known for his courage, so it was unsurprising that he entertained such thoughts. When Shi Yan had to turn to Chu Xiu for help again, he responded with a cold and dismissive "Go," closing his eyes and ignoring her.

As the morning light grew stronger and the sun began to rise, they arrived at the hotel where they had stayed yesterday, the faint light of dawn still lingering in the sky.

"That game tonight is related to the elevator. Let's take a ride on it before we go up today," Chu Xiu suggested as they exited the car.

His gaze lingered on Shi Yan for a moment, a subtle hint that his words were intended for her. She agreed, but her expression seemed strained, betraying the fear gnawing at her insides.

As they made their way to the elevator in the lobby, Shi Yan's eyes widened in terror, as if she were facing a terrifying beast. The elevator seemed to loom over her, ominous and foreboding.

Chu Xiu led the way, positioning himself closest to the door and within reach of the emergency and elevator buttons. The other three followed suit, stepping hesitantly into the small enclosure.

The elevator door slowly closed with a resounding "Ding," sealing them inside. The air grew heavy and frigid, sending chills down their spines. Shi Yan felt her nerves tighten as the elevator began its ascent.

Surprisingly, nothing happened on the way up to the thirteenth floor, which exceeded her expectations and made her feel that her vigilance was unnecessary.

As they exited the elevator, Ye Sheng Ke stretched his neck, feeling a twinge of pain.

Strange, he thought to himself, why does my neck feel sore?

He followed the others back to the room without giving it too much thought.

In the monitoring room, security guard Xiao Li sat with droopy eyes, the screen in front of him displaying the various hotel sections under surveillance. In one, four people were taking the elevator upstairs, and shockingly, there was a woman in white sitting on one of the men's shoulders! But Xiao Li was too tired to notice, and his head soon drooped down onto the desk as he drifted off to sleep.

"Today's game also requires five people. Who should we invite?" Nie Yun Zhen asked, peering out the window at the dawn light just starting to creep over the horizon, signalling the start of a new day.

He yearned to rush down to the monitoring room downstairs and unravel the mystery surrounding the missing statue. At first, he harboured suspicions that the other three may have stolen it but soon dismissed the thought as improbable.

Even though everyone wore clothing with pockets, it seemed implausible that they could have concealed a statue of such length on their persons. Furthermore, finding a hiding place proved to be an equally daunting task. As the driver, he thoroughly searched the vehicle after the first person exited the building where they had played the four-corner game, but his search proved fruitless.

The question remained: where was the statue?

After much deliberation, the four of them discussed where to find a scapegoat to help them, given that this game did not specify a particular number of players nor stipulate that only one person could play at a time. They decided to seek out one or two NPCs to act as shields without any qualms.

"Alternatively, we could use the man from yesterday. If we enlist someone who is slow-witted, it is very likely to impede our progress," one of them suggested.

The man who lived next door to them had proved himself to be a capable team player, judging by his performance the previous day.

"However, he has already seen our faces. It will be difficult to trick him into opening the door for us again."

Chu Xiu spoke calmly, "We just need someone to open the door." His companions immediately understood what he meant.

Nie Yun Zhen raised his hand, "I can do it. Or, if needed, I could even break the lock in the monitoring room." In truth, Nie Yun Zhen desired to sneak into the monitoring room unnoticed. If caught, he would claim that he was planning to sabotage it.

Chu Xiu nodded and retrieved a gun from his waist, handing it to Nie Yun Zhen. Nie Yun Zhen was taken aback but held the gun, gaining confidence. He gave a thumbs-up with his free hand, "I'll go then!"

He hurried out of the room, excited to complete his task. Someone suddenly clamped a towel over his mouth and nose as he turned a corner. Nie Yun Zhen's first instinct was to shout, but he quickly realized his mistake as he inhaled. He struggled, trying to turn his head to see his attacker. However, the person behind him was too strong, and Nie Yun Zhen could not break free. Despite his efforts to hold his breath, he inhaled some gas from the cloth and passed out.

...

After about twenty minutes, Nie Yun Zhen returned to the room with an unconscious man. To everyone's surprise, it wasn't Lu Yan; but another older man dressed sharply, with a faint trickle of blood on the back of his head.

Shi Yan was taken aback, "Who is this?"

"I had no choice; Lu Yan refused to open the door no matter what. I even sent a woman to knock, but it was no use. I don't know if he was asleep or if there was another reason, so I picked someone at random," Nie Yun Zhen explained.

"But what about him...?"

Nie Yun Zhen gestured dismissively, "Knocked him out.. Rest assured, I know exactly what I'm doing, and he won't suffer permanent harm."

Now unconscious, the man they brought into the room was none other than Wen Qing's father – the very same man who had lost the precious statue.

Nie Yun Zhen had hoped that this aggressive tactic would force the man to divulge the statue's location.

However, he soon realized the difficulty in achieving his aims – keeping the statue's whereabouts hidden and engaging in the game together. It would be far better to work together to find the statue.

Nonetheless, Nie Yun Zhen could not be the one to offer up the information. Otherwise, his previous plan to steal the statue would become apparent.

Indeed, before this, he had already gone downstairs and erased all corresponding surveillance footage, leaving no evidence to implicate him.

After some time, the middle-aged man gradually regained consciousness, his dry eyelids fluttering open to reveal a pair of widened, alert eyes.

"Shh... it's best you remain silent. One wrong move and my hand might slip." The leader levelled his gun at the man's forehead, a chilling warning.

The middle-aged man swallowed hard, nodding in silent agreement to indicate his comprehension.

Nie Yun Zhen asked him, "What's your name?"

"My name is Wen Zheng Xin," the man quivered, his voice barely above a whisper. "Please, spare my life. I can pay you whatever sum you want..."

"Mr. Wen, there is no need to fear." Shi Yan spoke with a soft and gentle voice. "We're not interested in money. But we do require your participation in a game tonight. Then, and only then, will we release you."

Wen Zheng Xin's throat tightened as he spoke, "Ah? W-what game?"

"Well..." Thinking that they would be together later, Shi Yan did not want to waste time explaining. She frowned and said coldly, "You don't need to worry about it. Just take the elevator with us tonight and keep your mouth shut."

On the fourth night, they'll play "Another World."

Starting from the first floor, they must take the elevator to the roof. There they won't leave the elevator when it stops at the top. Instead, they'll press the button for the second floor. Upon arrival at the second floor, they'll stay inside the elevator and press the button for the second to last floor. When the elevator reached the second to last floor, they won't leave but pressed the button for the third floor...

They'll repeat this pattern until they reach the middle floor, where the elevator doors open to reveal another world. They could choose to step out or stay inside. They needed to repeat the steps in reverse order to return to their own world.

As they journeyed, a woman may enter the elevator. Remember! Don't look at her, don't speak to her, and pretend not to hear anything she says. Making any inappropriate movements may leave you stranded in that world forever.

Shi Yan nervously repeated the rules in her mind, her imagination filling her with fear.

'Is there really another world?' she wondered with a wry smile. To them, this world was already another world, after all.

As she considered the strange rules of the game, Shi Yan couldn't help but wonder what would happen when five people were confined in the elevator's narrow space.

Seeing Shi Yan's bad expression, Wen Zheng Xin immediately understood the situation and agreed to her request. "Alright, I promise to play if you sent me back right after," he nodded.

Nie Yun Zhen carefully observed his expression. Though Wen Zheng Xin appeared afraid, he didn't fully grasp the situation's danger. Shi Yan chose not to explain the reason for the game, but Nie Yun Zhen felt the need to elaborate. He hoped that scaring this man would prompt him to voluntarily give information about the statue.

"It's okay, let me explain it to you," Nie Yun Zhen said with a friendly smile as he grabbed a chair and sat in front of Wen Zheng Xin. "Perhaps you've heard of a game called 'Another World'?"...

Wen's eyes widened with each passing moment as he recounted their plan.

Lu Yan sat in the adjacent room, wearing his headphones and listening intently to the conversation between Wen Zheng Xin and Nie Yun Zhen. When he returned the kitten, he had accidentally seen a family photo on the table at Wen's house.

Now that he was staying at this inn, he met Wen Qing's father. Likewise, the four-taskers also moved in. He didn't think it was a coincidence, so he had already tampered with Wen Zheng Xin's belongings and planted a listening device on him.

Later, when Nie Yun Zhen went out, Lu Yan successfully drugged and hypnotized him and learned about the game they needed to play and their original plan. If it were another game, Lu Yan might have had some confidence in breaking through, but not this one... he wasn't sure.

Therefore, he had Nie Yun Zhen find Wen Zheng Xin and bring him to play.

He wanted to know if this person, Wen Qing's father, had some unknown secrets.

"No, we can't do this. Don't go looking for death," Wen Zheng Xin said, his face drained of colour after hearing the game's rules. "Even if you want to die, can you not drag me into it?"

"What are you talking about? Where do you find ghosts these days?" Nie Yun Zhen lied without changing his expression or heartbeat. "As long as you cooperate, we guarantee that you will return safely."

Wen Zheng Xin shook his head, "You are too reckless, daring to play anything. There are some things... some things that humans should not touch." As the man spoke, the curious eyes of the other three turned towards him.

Chu Xiu strode up to him and pressed his gun to his forehead, towering over him and demanding, "What did you mean by that? What knowledge do you have of this?"

Wen Zheng Xin's legs trembled beneath him, and he tumbled from his chair to the ground. "Nothing. I don't know anything," he stammered. "Absolutely nothing..."

If only he could keep quiet.

If only he could return home unharmed.

"I'll give you five seconds to gather your thoughts." Chu Xiu's fingers toyed with the trigger, his eyes glacial and indifferent as if he regarded a corpse.

"Five."

"No...you can't do this."

"Four."

"Murder is against the law. The police will come knocking on your door if you kill me..."

"Three."

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" Wen Zheng Xin shrieked. His chest rose and fell violently, and his brow was slick with sweat.

Chu Xiu lowered his gun.

The story begins a few years ago when Wen Zheng Xin's daughter had just adopted a black cat. "She was very fond of it," he said.

Shi Yan interrupted, "Wait, what is your daughter's name?"

Also surnamed Wen, she had thought of a possibility.

Wen Zheng Xin hesitated, "Wen, Wen Qing."

When this name was uttered, the four of them exchanged a look, each seeing something incredible in the other's eyes.

Could it be a coincidence?

They did a good job of concealing their surprise, and Wen Zheng Xin didn't notice anything unusual, continuing with his story. "...Later, my business was not going well, and I set up a statue at home. Actually, I didn't believe in it at first, but... what happened to my daughter was too unbelievable. I had to believe it. My child and her grandmother sought the help of every god and goddess, but it was no use. We couldn't bear to abandon the cat, so we finally invited a statue to be placed in our house, and we worshipped it day and night. That's when..."

Outside the window, the sky was bright.

Lu Yan glanced out the window and thought about what he had overheard earlier.

Countless pieces of information ran through his mind, and he felt he might have missed something.

"A black cat... a statue.... the road to the underworld..." he mused.

Perhaps he should go and take a look at the road to the underworld.

There was no sound coming from the next room. Everything that needed to be asked had been asked. Lu Yan took off his headphones and walked out.

**

The road to the underworld lay at the end of the crossroads, leading to an abandoned building.

One person persisted in circling the same path, refusing to yield.

He continued to walk until he reached a gate emanating a metallic smell, losing track of how many times he had circled. Without warning, he uttered, "Game over." With a sudden burst of energy, he flung open the gate and bolted out!

This person was none other than Chu Xiu.

He didn't even look back as he made his way to the central road in the forest. As Chu Xiu approached the gate, he saw no sign of the car. The absence of his comrades suggested that they had already departed. However, he knew they would not abandon him so easily. The only conclusion was that someone had assumed his identity and fled with them. Of course, the worst-case scenario was that all three had died, and the car had been moved. But Chu Xiu felt that this option was a bit far-fetched.

Hence, he could confirm that a ghost accompanied the three of them. While he had played alone and encompassed by not one, but three ghosts. As he paced the room, a realization hit him like a bolt of lightning - he had been wandering for what felt like an eternity. Each time he turned a corner, the chilling aura of someone else's presence grew stronger.

Without a moment's hesitation, Chu Xiu broke into a sprint. Unlike the previous day when he had arrived, he veered off in a new direction, his mind racing with the image of the map he had come across and the route he had taken the day before.

Yesterday's main road had consumed much of his time, and he estimated it would take him a full morning to traverse it alone. Instead, he decided to take a risk and breach from an uncharted direction.

As he raced through the scenery, everything around him blurred and hastened at a breakneck speed.

Suddenly, his pupils constricted in fear.

A tree was ahead of him, mere feet away from the roadside. Its presence was insignificant, but it stood out because it was the only tree among the barren branches that had retained its emerald foliage. A rope hung from one of its outstretched branches, supporting the weight of a long-deceased black cat.

But that was not all. It was not just a single feline that hung on the tree, but multiple...

The tree was almost completely covered in the grotesque remains of black cats, their flesh and blood mangled and swinging lightly in the wind. Despite his extensive history with missions, the macabre scene was unlike anything Chu Xiu had ever experienced. He felt the urge to turn and flee but gritted his teeth and charged forward.

To his relief, nothing happened. Chu Xiu passed by the tree, filled with the overpowering scent of dead cats, and continued running.

In the distance, he heard the faint sound of car horns. Exhausted, he felt renewed energy and ran towards the source, waving his arms.

To his surprise, the car stopped about a hundred meters ahead of him. Chu Xiu ran towards it, panting heavily. As he drew closer, his expression shifted slightly.

Lu Yan? What was he doing here?

Unbeknownst to Chu Xiu, Lu Yan was just as shocked as he was.

As Chu Xiu recognized the man from the hotel, he noted that he had cast a shadow under the sun. Realizing it wasn't a ghost, he rushed towards the person and leapt into the car's back seat.

"Excuse me, could you take me away? Please turn around and head back," Chu Xiu requested, his gun pointing at the back of Lu Yan's head, though he maintained his politeness.

Lu Yan was silent for a moment before starting the engine. Yet, he did not comply with Chu Xiu's request to turn around. Instead, he accelerated forward, causing the vehicle to surge ahead.

Chu Xiu exclaimed, "You...?"

Lu Yan sneered, "If you have the courage, shoot me."

With the accelerator pressed to the limit, the car's speed skyrocketed. At this point, a single mistake from the driver could result in a devastating car accident.

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