Livestream: While Others Flirt, I Catch Ghosts - Chapter 3
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Chapter 3: Exploring the Villa
“Xiao Dong, have you run into some trouble? Whatever it is, we have to find a way to solve it! Don’t think about doing anything foolish!”
Hearing Aunt Hu’s question, Dong Jianren, who was burying his head in the wontons, looked up with a smile uglier than crying.
“It’s nothing, Aunt Hu. I just haven’t had your wontons in a long time, and I was craving them.”
Hearing Dong Jianren’s reply, Aunt Hu sighed.
“Xiao Dong, you’re a child I’ve watched grow up. Since your parents passed away, all of us old neighbors have treated you like our own. If you’re having a hard time, we can still scrape together a few thousand yuan for you.”
Dong Jianren smiled, stood up, wiped his mouth, and looked at Aunt Hu.
“It’s really nothing, Aunt, don’t worry.”
He put a fifty-yuan bill on the table and turned to leave.
“Hey! Xiao Dong, you gave too much! It doesn’t cost that much.”
Dong Jianren waved his hand without looking back and smiled.
“Consider the extra my way of showing gratitude.”
Watching Dong Jianren leave, Aunt Hu’s brows furrowed even deeper.
“This silly child, I hope he’s not thinking of doing something foolish! Please don’t do anything stupid!”
Ignoring Aunt Hu’s worries, Dong Jianren started packing as soon as he got home. He felt he couldn’t just sit and wait for death. At the very least, he needed to find some means of self-defense.
Soon, a formidable kitchen knife and a plastic bottle filled with boy’s urine were ready (don’t doubt it, the boy’s urine is definitely genuine, Dong Jianren guarantees it with his twenty-five years of integrity).
He opened the map on his phone and searched for Lakeside Villa. Seeing that it was a full fifty kilometers away, he touched the few coins left in his pocket.
Dong Jianren had the urge to slap himself.
“Damn my showing off, damn my extravagance!”
With no other choice, he decided to set off while it was still early.
After a bumpy journey, he was fortunate enough to hitch a ride from an old man hauling cow dung, arriving at the Lakeside Villa mentioned in the mission just as the sun was about to set.
The once majestic villa was now overgrown with weeds. Unknown vines clung to the closed iron gate, and the dark gray walls were chipped and stained with something that looked like blood.
A cold wind blew, sending chills down Dong Jianren’s spine.
Looking at the dilapidated scene before him and seeing no one around, Dong Jianren’s heart pounded.
“This is the end! If I die here, no one will even find me!”
As 8 o’clock drew closer, Dong Jianren gritted his teeth.
“Damn it! If I die, I die! I’m going for it!”
After a short run-up, he grabbed the locked iron gate and climbed over. As his feet touched the ground, a voice rang out in his head, nearly making him scream.
[Ding! Main mission activated!]
Main Mission 1: Discover the truth of the storage room. Mission completion reward: 500 exchange points! Mission failure: Obliteration!
Main Mission 2: Survive until 8 a.m. the next day inside the villa without being caught by anyone or it (**). Mission completion reward: 500 exchange points! Mission failure: Obliteration!
The unease in his heart intensified to its peak. Dong Jianren instinctively opened his phone and logged into his live stream page.
Regardless of whether there were any viewers, he spoke as if to comfort himself:
“Welcome everyone to my live stream! I’m Dong Jianren, a daredevil streamer active on the front lines of death-defying stunts! If anyone finds out something has happened to me, please call the police as soon as possible!”
He walked along the weed-infested stone path, his footsteps unsteady.
Soon, he arrived at the villa’s front door. Before he could even touch the doorknob, a gust of cold wind blew the door open.
This sudden turn of events made him shudder.
Staring into the pitch-black hall, he silently repeated Lu Xun’s* words in his mind:
[TL/N: In this context, Lu Xun (鲁迅) is a reference to a renowned Chinese writer, essayist, and poet who is considered one of the most influential figures of modern Chinese literature. He is known for his sharp critiques of social issues and his insightful observations about the human condition.]
“A true warrior dares to face the absurdity of life.”
After giving himself a pep talk, Dong Jianren stepped into the gloomy villa, guided by the faint light from his phone screen.
The interior of the villa was even more spacious than he had imagined. The two-story circular layout revealed many rooms at a glance. The leather sofas, exquisite wooden furniture, and ornate crystal chandeliers in the hall all spoke of the owner’s wealth and status.
But these were no longer within Dong Jianren’s consideration. The first of the two main tasks clearly pointed to the storage room. The real challenge was the second task: to survive until 8 a.m. the next day without leaving the villa.
Therefore, Dong Jianren decided not to go to the storage room immediately. Instead, he would first familiarize himself with the villa’s layout to prepare for completing the second task.
Slowly approaching a room on the first floor, he came face-to-face with a wooden door with peeling paint.
As he placed his hand on the wooden doorknob, he felt it loosen in his palm. Gently pushing the door open a crack, he saw that the room was not pitch black as he had expected. A worn-out kerosene lamp burned steadily on a desk in front of him, and not far from the desk, a tall figure stood motionless.
With just a glance, Dong Jianren felt his scalp tingle. The second main task specifically stated that he had to survive until 8 a.m. the next day without being caught by “anyone or it (**).”
Whether it was a person or a ghost standing there, there was no doubt that his action of opening the door had alerted them.