The World Below Surface

The two men locked eyes through the rearview mirror, their gazes unrelenting. It felt like an eternity before Chu Xiu let out a heavy sigh, retracted his firearm, and concealed it somewhere unseen with a flick of his wrist.

Lu Yan's tense expression gradually eased, but their car continued to hurtle down the open road with lightning speed, swerving past the tree draped in the lifeless bodies of black cats. Only just before the intersection did Lu Yan barely tap the brakes before jerking the steering wheel hard, skillfully executing a dangerously sharp drift? Chu Xiu even heard the scrape of the tires against the road, generating sparks that flew into the air.

It wasn't until they turned onto Yin—Ming Road that Chu Xiu sat upright in his seat.

"Excellent driving," he praised.

Not just anyone could have executed that turn under such circumstances.

However, Lu Yan's countenance remained cold, and he didn't glance back. His voice was frigidly firm as he commanded, "Buckle up."

He slammed the gas pedal to the floor, and the engine roared through the trees.

"Wait! You..." Chu Xiu was cut off as he was nearly thrown from his seat. When he managed to steady himself, he realized something was amiss.

Lu Yan didn't strike him as the sort of person to gamble with his life just to intimidate someone. So what could have prompted him to drive like a madman?

The angle of the rearview mirror seemed purposely adjusted so that only the driver could glimpse what was trailing behind them. Chu Xiu struggled to find the proper angle amid the bumps, but he eventually glimpsed the reason for Lu Yan's sudden departure.

And it was...

Chu Xiu's eyes grew wide.

A figure he knew all too well was at the intersection, shrinking to a tiny dot in the distance. He was a tall and lanky figure in a brown leather jacket. It was himself!

As the figure at the intersection stared straight at them, Chu Xiu's heart sank. He wished he could seize the steering wheel and take control of the car, but Lu Yan seemed to be more composed now as if he had braced himself for what was coming.

"Did you see that?" Lu Yan suddenly asked from the driver's seat.

Chu Xiu nodded silently.

"This haunted place is real," Lu Yan sighed heavily. "What do you want? Are you looking for death?"

"You're here too," Chu Xiu said, stepping back. He softened his tone, not wanting to provoke resistance. "Why did you come here?"

"That's not your concern," Lu Yan replied coldly.

The trees rushed past them, and the wind howled, rattling the windows. Soon, they could see the exit up ahead.

Both of them breathed a sigh of relief.

Although Lu Yan was somewhat unwilling since he had met Chu Xiu, he couldn't ignore this lead without verifying its authenticity.

"What about your friends?" Lu Yan asked.

"They left me behind to play games," Chu Xiu said. "By the way, are you still staying at that hotel?" He wanted to confirm if someone was impersonating him.

Lu Yan's expression turned bitter, and he coldly laughed at Chu Xiu's expectant gaze. "I have nothing to say. Also, I'll drop you off at the next intersection."

"No rush," Chu Xiu said, "Are you interested in playing another game with me?"

"I'm not interested. And put away your gun." The vehicle suddenly stopped, and Lu Yan said coldly, "Now, get off the car immediately!"

"Alright." Chu Xiu got out of the car nonchalantly.

Yin—Ming Road was an empty stretch, with only a few people around, even on workdays. Some buildings were scattered in the vicinity. Chu Xiu scanned the area before loading bullets into his gun and aiming at the wheels. He squeezed the trigger.

Meanwhile, inside the hotel, four individuals sat in a group, discussing Wen Zheng Xin's account. The atmosphere was sombre, and they spoke in hushed tones, making it hard for Wen Zheng Xin to hear them. He studied their lip movements and expressions, looking for any signs of hope.

"Whether you believe it or not, there are things in this world that exist. I have shared my experiences with you, and you must realize that there are things that humans cannot touch," Wen Zheng Xin said with a bitter smile.

"We believe you, of course," said Shi Yan. "So, where is the statue you brought with you?"

Wen Zheng Xin hesitated before speaking. He was unsure about these four people, but they didn't appear to be the type he could lie to. He stammered momentarily before reluctantly admitting, "It's gone."

"Gone?!" The four exclaimed in unison, with Nie Yun Zhen being the most agitated. "When did it disappear?"

Wen Zheng Xin's voice was barely above a whisper. "Just this morning. I had wrapped it up and placed it in my bag. But when I woke up this morning and checked, it was gone."

A sudden realization hit Nie Yun Zhen like a bucket of cold water. He had entered the hotel room and spotted the statue on the bedside table, despite Wen Zheng Xin's insistence that it was in his bag. The question now was, who had put it there?

He turned to Wen Zheng Xin and asked again, "Are you absolutely certain you placed the statue in your bag?"

Wen Zheng Xin's voice trembled slightly as he replied, "Yes, I'm positive. I wrapped it in parchment paper given by the master and tucked it into my bag, which I then placed in the closet. But this morning, when I opened the bag, the statue was gone. If you don't believe me, you can search for it."

Nie Yun Zhen's mind raced. He remembered stealing the statue from the bedside table without any parchment paper. The front desk attendant had conveniently passed out, providing him a perfect opportunity.

And who was the person captured on the surveillance camera entering the room?

But none of them notices the girl in the blood-stained school uniform climbing the hotel's outer wall. Her twisted limbs and abnormal bluish-purple complexion made anyone's skin crawl, and the long trail of blood she left behind only added to the horror. She disappeared shortly after, but not before glaring with her glowing green eyes full of resentment and malice at a certain window on the first floor. Eventually, she crept into the elevator and vanished from sight.

"Let's go look for it," Nie Yun Zhen suggested, hoping to uncover more clues. "If we can find it, we'll have another bargaining chip."

Shi Yan couldn't help but feel concerned. She worried they were too passionate about this matter, especially considering that the "divine statue" hadn't yet been confirmed effective. Any strange curse they might stumble upon would undoubtedly be a death sentence.

But even Chu Xiu agreed that they needed to pursue this matter further.

Surviving until now was largely due to Chu Xiu's presence. So Ye Sheng Ke and Shi Yan agreed, and the four of them accompanied Wen Zheng Xin downstairs to find the hotel manager.

Today, the hotel's business was clearly suffering, with few customers. Wen Zheng Xin knew the hotel owner, and after making a phone call, the manager quickly led all the security guards and staff to them.

"This is a troublesome matter. We don't know who stole it, and we had to search for it for so long," complained two staff members hiding in the toilet to chat.

"He even asked if any suspicious individuals had entered the hotel recently? I think he's strange himself. He doesn't let anyone into his room to clean, even after staying for several days. I don't know what's inside."

"Hey, do you think he locked himself in?"

They were chatting across a door panel when they suddenly heard light footsteps walking into the toilet from outside. They immediately fell silent.

If someone with bad intentions heard them talking behind a guest's back, they would be in trouble.

After the two staff members quieted down, the sound of water flowing from the faucet in the toilet suddenly came on.

It turned out that the person was just washing their hands. The two of them hoped that the person would hurry up and leave so they could continue gossiping.

However, even after waiting a long time, they still did not hear the sound of footsteps leaving, and the faucet continued to flow with the sound of rushing water.

One of them sighed, 'This is so annoying. It must be someone who forgot to turn off the faucet after washing their hands. When they find out, they'll have to pay a fine.'

She hastily pulled up her underwear and smoothed her skirt as she rose to her feet. With her back to the door panel, she flushed the toilet, then turned to face the door.

Above the door panel, a face appeared. Its skin was rotting and pale, and its lips curved into a strange, unsettling smile.

She couldn't contain the terror that gripped her. It's a ghost! The thought flashed through her mind, but before she could scream, a soft, pale hand covered her mouth and shoved her into the toilet bowl.

She fought to free herself, but the hand was too strong. With a gurgling sound, she was pulled into the tiny hole, disappearing without a trace. Only a few strands of hair floated on the water's surface.

The flush button was pressed again, and a torrent of bloody water rushed out, removing any evidence of her existence. When the water cleared, the bathroom was once again empty.

On the first floor, the hotel manager apologized to the group. "We did our best to search for him, but we couldn't find him. Except for a guest with the surname Lu who checked out, everyone else is still here. Mr. Wen, is it possible that you misplaced it somewher e-?"

"-Do you have Lu's contact information?" interrupted Wen Zheng Xin.

"Wait a minute," said Nie Yun Zhen, looking at Wen Zheng Xin with suspicion in his eyes. "You said all the rooms were searched, what about your own room?"

"Mine? If I could find it in my room, would I have made such a big deal about it?" Wen Zheng Xin angrily retorted, but no matter how you looked at him, he seemed to be concealing something.

"Regardless, it won't hurt to check," Chu Xiu interjected, and they followed the manager to Wen Zheng Xin's room.

"Ah, there really isn't anything there. You won't find anything even if you go," Wen Zheng Xin protested several times, but his efforts were in vain. Instead, they grew more convinced of his guilt.

A strange and pungent odour filled the room, making Shi Yan suspicious of Wen Zheng Xin. The latter's face turned pale, and he muttered a few words before shutting his mouth.

As the scent grew stronger, they discovered it came from the closet. The manager gestured, and a security guard cautiously approached and opened the closet door. Inside, there were only hotel bedding and linens; nothing else.

The smell, like decaying protein, dissipated when the closet door opened.

After thoroughly searching Wen Zheng Xin's room, they concluded that there was nothing there.

But Wen Zheng Xin didn't feel relieved. His face looked even worse, and he walked to the door, petrified.

How could it be?

How could the wardrobe be empty? Where did she go?

"What's wrong with you? You look very nervous," Ye Sheng Ke asked as he followed him. He offered him a cigarette and smiled, but the smile only made Wen Zheng Xin uneasy.

"No, nothing, just thinking about tonight..." Wen Zheng Xin's throat was dry. He took the cigarette but didn't smoke it. Instead, he put it in his pocket, his hands trembling. His face, however, had already regained its composure.

No, he couldn't play this game. He had to find a way to escape.

His daughter was still waiting for him.

If something were to happen to him, what would Qingqing do? Her grandmother was already... there was no way to bring her back to life. It pained him to think of his young and innocent daughter, losing her life just like that. Who could be so cruel as to break into their home and take a life?

Thinking of himself returning from a business trip a few days ago, taking a detour to Qingqing's grandmother's house to see her, only to find his daughter lying in a pool of blood. The memory was like a knife twisting in his heart. If not for the statue that the delirious old woman clung to, Qingqing would have been left alone in the world.

The statue held power to bring the dead back to life, but only if certain conditions were met. He had to ensure that Qingqing's favourite creatures were killed before her death and that the statue was bathed in enough blood. He had already sacrificed the black cat that had brought them bad luck and tearfully bid farewell to Qingqing's grandmother.

Now, he had to find Yun Qian, Qingqing's best friend from school, and sacrifice her in front of the statue. He had already kidnapped her and planned to take her to the old house, but she was nowhere to be found.

He wondered if Yun Qian had somehow taken the statue and left. If that were the case, it would mean Qingqing had not yet been resurrected, but perhaps something else had happened. Had she undergone a mutation? The sudden thought chilled Wen Zheng Xin to the bone. He had to find out what had happened to the statue and Yun Qian, no matter the cost.

But... He saw her die with his own eyes, but what would her current state be if it was really her?

He was trapped in guilt, unable to confess his heinous crime. Exposing the truth now would mean giving up hope of recovering the statue or reviving his daughter.

"What's bothering you?" Ye Sheng Ke asked, sensing his unease.

Wen Zheng Xin shook his head, forcing a watery smile. "It's nothing, really."

They had made a fuss throughout the day, even stopping for a meal midway. The sun was setting, and they were planning to play the elevator game in this hotel.

Everyone, including Ye Sheng Ke, Shi Yan, and Nie Yun Zhen, had reservations about playing here, especially after losing the statue. Chu Xiu was the only one insistent on staying put. No one could understand why, and they eventually gave in.

Meanwhile, two men sat in the lobby of a luxury hotel on the other side of the city, their strained relationship palpable. They were suppressing their urge to argue, and the tension in the air was so thick that even the waiters hesitated to approach them.

"Don't worry, we'll leave once the game is done," Chu Xiu reassured Lu Yan.

"You sure about that? You're just looking for someone to be the scapegoat," Lu Yan retorted.

Chu Xiu's hands were in his pockets, tightly gripping something Lu Yan knew too well. [TN: If this was a BL novel, lol]

"No need to worry, no one's going to die," Chu Xiu said in a calm tone, his finger hovering over the trigger.

Though his voice was relaxed, Lu Yan knew that if Chu Xiu decided to leave, he wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger.

"Why don't you find someone else?" Lu Yan hesitated to participate in the game, intending only to record it and avoid any risks.

But a small voice within him whispered that if he could survive the game, he would receive unexpected rewards.

Chu Xiu surveyed the hotel lobby, his eyes scanning every detail with a hawk-like intensity. The two receptionists seemed preoccupied with their computer screens, and the security guards appeared half-asleep in their chairs. Chu Xiu muttered, "I don't want to work with amateurs."

Lu Yan studied Chu Xiu's face, hoping to decipher his thoughts, but found nothing revealing. He made a vague noise of agreement and continued to observe the lobby.

After a few minutes, they checked in and took the elevator to their room. Once inside, they began to play a game of twenty-one, intentionally throwing the game at each other. It ended in a tie.

At midnight, Chu Xiu spoke up, "Let's go."

Throughout the game, Chu Xiu kept his hands in his pockets, and the muzzle of his gun was constantly aimed at Lu Yan. He had yet to release his grip.

Suddenly realizing that he hadn't briefed Lu Yan about the elevator game, he quickly said, "I almost forgot to mention the rules. Listen carefully. If a woman enters the elevator during the game, you can't speak or look at her. Don't draw her attention, or we'll end up in a place we don't want to be."

Lu Yan replied coolly, "That's quite terrifying."

At the same time, two groups were waiting in the lobbies of two hotels for the elevator to arrive.

Before entering the elevator, Nie Yun Zhen reiterated the rules to Wen Zheng Xin, hoping he wouldn't jeopardize their mission. With a pale face, Wen Zheng Xin nodded in agreement.

For some unknown reason, both hotels were entirely deserted. The once lively city had grown quiet, and an eerie chill had seeped into the lobby. Even the receptionists appeared to be dozing off.

"Let's begin," Chu Xiu said, stepping into the elevator, with Lu Yan trailing behind.

The hotel where the two were staying had eighteen floors. They selected the topmost floor, number eighteen, and the elevator began to ascend.

Chu Xiu grasped at straws for a topic of conversation. "Do you anticipate that someone will board the elevator midway?" he asked, searching for any shred of conversation to break the unbearable silence.

"It is possible," Lu Yan responded indifferently.

They held their breath as the elevator climbed to the eighteenth floor. The lift continued to ascend without a glitch. Upon the doors opening, they were greeted by a warm, yellow-lit corridor.

"Next stop, second floor," Lu Yan pressed the button for the second floor, and the elevator gradually descended to the target level.

"And then, the seventeenth floor," Chu Xiu added as the elevator again started its ascent. They had unintentionally fallen into a routine of only pressing the button for the next target floor, not daring to exit the elevator.

An icy chill gradually filled the elevator, enveloping them in a bone-deep coldness that sent shivers down their spines. "Do you feel it getting colder?" Chu Xiu inquired.

Lu Yan nodded gravely. The coldness they felt was not solely from the weather outside but something from deep within themselves, a cold that permeated their very bones and left them feeling numb.

They lost count of how many times they had pressed the buttons and how many times the elevator had stopped. Finally, they began pressing the buttons for the middle floors, hoping to escape this unnatural chill. Both of them had stopped talking, their teeth chattering as the coldness seemed to cling to their bodies like a second skin.

As the elevator doors opened again, this time on the eighth floor, they were horrified to find only pitch darkness waiting for them. A noxious, musty smell emanated from the darkness like the corridor beyond had not been tended to in years. The elevator lights flickered, casting ominous shadows over their faces.

Their fear intensified as the woman stood outside the elevator door, waiting to enter. Chu Xiu and Lu Yan immediately lowered their heads, avoiding eye contact with her. They knew the rules: do not look, listen, or talk to her.

Their shallow breathing was the only sound in the elevator's silence. The woman entered the elevator and randomly pressed a button, her presence sending chills down their spines. The elevator descended, its destination unknown.

"Hello," the woman spoke in a strange, hoarse voice. Her words were cold and slow as if she had been submerged in a frozen wasteland for an eternity.

Both passengers pretended not to hear her, keeping their heads down and avoiding eye contact.

The elevator had a mirror, but even looking at their reflections felt like breaking the rules, so they fixed their gaze on their shoes.

"Why are you ignoring me? Where are you going?" the woman asked, her voice growing impatient.

"Oh, I forgot to mention, I'm going down to the 18th floor. Which floor are you headed to?" she asked, her tone growing more insistent.

"Speak up, why are you ignoring me? Which floor do you want to go to?" she demanded, her impatience escalating into hostility.

"Hurry up, speak!" she barked, her voice now icy and menacing.

But the passengers remained silent, unable to answer her.

They knew that responding to her could lead to a fate worse than death.

In another hotel, five people found themselves on the same elevator, which also had 18 floors. As they frantically pressed buttons, a woman entered the elevator on the ninth floor.

What started as a mere game quickly turned into a chilling horror...

In unison, the five people averted their gaze, avoiding eye contact with the woman.

"Hello, where do you want to go?" the woman's voice pierced through the uneasy silence.

Wen Zheng Xin stood closest to her, and his companions couldn't help but worry that he might break the rules and respond to her.

Although he was trembling with fear, Wen Zheng Xin remained steadfast, refusing to engage with the woman no matter how insistently she spoke.

Despite this, the game appeared far from over.

The elevator descended with excruciating slowness, the descent continuing interminably, and no one knew where they were headed.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to them, a schoolgirl drenched in blood lay atop the elevator car, her face twisted with malice and resentment, her deathly stare focused on the unsuspecting passengers.

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