Chapter 692: Cooperative Actors [2 in 1]
Translator: Lonelytree Editor: Millman97
Whipping his head around, Yellow Wolf realized that there was no one behind him. “That was strange.”
He tried to turn his neck as far back as he could. Finally, he saw that a part of his skin on the back of his neck had turned purplish like a strange bug had bitten him.
“What is that?” When he raised his phone to aim the flashlight at the back of his neck to take a better look, the phone in his palm suddenly vibrated. “F*ck! Who is calling at a time like this?”
Yellow Wolf glanced at the caller ID; it was Lee Jiu.
He walked to the side, away from the door, and after making sure that he was definitely not in the view of the camera anymore, he answered the call. He had just pressed the accept button when Lee Jiu’s strange voice came through Yellow Wolf’s phone. “Yellow Wolf, there is something seriously wrong with this Haunted House. Things aren’t right with the actors either. This place is seriously wicked!”
“Get over here immediately! I have more than 100,000 viewers on my stream. If you dare drop this on me, I will never forgive you!” Yellow Wolf lowered his voice dangerously in warning. This man was completely different from the persona that he put on when he faced his audience.
“Stop the stream. Get out of the Haunted House first, listen to me!” Lee Jiu’s voice was not much different from his usual voice, but his tone was strange.
“Do you know how much the company has invested in this livestream? I have been hyping this livestream since last week, and all of my fans are anticipating this livestream. I am waiting for this chance to get to the top of the platform, and you’re asking me to leave?” Yellow Wolf squeezed the words through the gaps in his teeth. “If you are doing this because of the pay, then fine, you win. As long as you cooperate with the rest of the script, I will pay you double once we leave this place.”
“This not the issue of money; there is something different about this place compared to other Haunted Houses!” Then came a burst of static through the line, and Lee Jiu’s voice was distorted. “This place is really haunted!”
The call was still connected, and the phone did show that Lee Jiu had not hung up, but the man’s voice could not be heard anymore. The only sound coming through the phone was a sharp static sound.
“A phone signal disruptor?” Yellow Wolf ended the call immediately. He ran back to the sickroom and checked the phone that was conducting the livestreaming. Compared to Lee Jiu, he was more worried about the disturbance to his livestream.
“Where is the man? Where has he gone to? Has the host been captured by the ghosts?”
“If you challenge them often enough, they will naturally answer to you eventually. According to my prediction, he has bitten off more than he can chew this time. I have been to this Haunted House before. The kind of terror is not something that you can possibly imagine. At the time, there were seven of us who challenged the Haunted House, and only two of us came out on our feet.”
“You have to be joking, right?”
“The understanding of terror will be refreshed once you visit this place. Have you ever seen a Haunted House that prepares a trolley to transport fainted customers? Have you encountered a Haunted House that has a VIP room for unconscious visitors at the local hospital? Have you visited a Haunted House where every single employee there knows emergency resuscitation? I had not seen it before, and I have personally experienced it myself. Just wait and see, this is going to get much more interesting.”
The messages rushed forward on the screen. Seeing that the livestream had not stopped, Yellow Wolf sighed in relief. He forced a smile and returned to the scene. “I just went out to take a look, and the rice left on the ground has indeed been disturbed. When we walked into this room, someone else walked past the door.”
Lee Jiu had left alone, abandoning him inside this place, so Yellow Wolf could not follow the script anymore. Yellow Wolf looked at the screen, and occasionally, he scratched his neck. He suppressed the annoyance in his heart and uttered in a strangely nervous voice, “Perhaps you might think that I am lying, or perhaps you believe I have been lying to you, but that is really not the case. Ever since I stepped into this Haunted House, I have felt weirdly unsettled, and there is a sensation that someone has been following me…”
He was rambling to buy time as he figured out a way to pull this all around, but to his surprise, the chatroom of his stream suddenly exploded with activity!
In that instant, the website lagged from the endless stream of messages. This was the first time that he had encountered something like this as well.
“What is happening?” Standing where he was, Yellow Wolf refreshed the page several times before the chatroom became normal again. However, due to the overwhelming number of messages, the video was still stuttering at places.
“Look behind you!”
“What the f*ck! That is one hell of a scare!”
“There is a face on the window! Turn back! Host!”
“Outside the door, he is just outside the door!”
“Motherf*cker! They are real! They are coming!”
The messages exploded, and the video had become so filled with messages that the host could not be seen anymore. This was the first time in his life that Yellow Wolf had experienced this kind of popularity and viewership. He did not listen to the advice and look behind him, but instead, he went to check his livestream numbers. In just a few minutes, his viewership had shot over 350,000 viewers, and it was still increasing at a startling speed.
With 700,000 viewers, I will be able to get the top spot on the website. Based on this development, that should not be too difficult.
Yellow Wolf still did not turn his head around. After he promised the double payment, Lee Jiu finally returned to help him. Everything was still within his control, and of course, he did not forget about the necessary facial expressions.
Looking at the messages, Yellow Wolf appeared, for all intents and purpose, to be frozen in fear. Only the corners of his lips were twitching wildly. “Ghosts have really appeared? Don’t try to trick me! My grandfather forbade our people from opening the Yin gate. This could lead to very serious repercussions!”
The viewership was climbing like a rocket. Because most Haunted Houses kept their interior a secret, it was rare for there for a livestream inside a Haunted House. Furthermore, Yellow Wolf had chosen the most popular Haunted House online to carry out his livestream, and there was a reason behind his stream’s rising popularity.
His already large fanbase and the heavy manipulation of his company, combined with the popularity that Chen Ge’s Haunted House enjoyed on the internet, all contributed to an effect that was beyond everyone’s expectations. The users on the platform all swarmed into his livestream room, and the messages started to roll over the chatroom.
“Ghosts are real! Big Brother Wolf has encountered actual ghosts!”
That topic rose to the top of the website immediately, and that only worked to attract more viewers to join his room.
Yellow Wolf was overjoyed internally, but he had to put on a mask of fear. “Do not panic. Especially at a time like this, we shan’t panic. Do not worry. My ancestors are all diviners, and because of that, I have experience when dealing with problems like this!”
The more he said things like that, the more the viewers reacted. Many asked for him to turn around, and many others told him to run. After all, there really was a ghost behind him!
Yellow Wolf was in deep appreciation of Lee Jiu’s make-up skill. For such an effect, paying double price was absolutely worth it. His body swayed unevenly from left to right, adding to the impression that he was shuddering in fear. The more the messages told him to leave, the more he stayed put.
He placed his arms before his chest to assume a strange pose. Without turning around, Yellow Wolf yelled at the camera, “Since this has already happened, running away is too late. Calm down! We must calm down!”
He slapped both of his palms together, and Yellow Wolf exclaimed loudly, “No matter who is standing behind us, there is no reason to fear! Find the serenity in your heart; know that heaven is always watching over you!”
Once he uttered that statement, Yellow Wolf’s gaze turned instantly. The expression of fear that he had assumed earlier was slowly disappearing.
“Do not be afraid. The more fearful you are, the more they are likely to bully you!” Yellow Wolf picked up the phone and claimed in a courageous voice, “Do not worry, I am never alone. With all of you with me, we will survive this together. Do not forget to tip your host for his bravery, and in a minute, we will charge out to vanquish this evil!”
Seeing the money that viewers were sending his way, joy spread through Yellow Wolf’s heart, and even his cheeks looked redder. He turned around to face the door and bellowed, “As my grandfather once said, you have to firm calm your heart! Clear your mind and practice the Ba Gua in your heart. The soldiers will rise behind you!”
He pointed both of his fingers at the window. Even at a time like that, Yellow Wolf did not forget to adjust the camera so that both himself and the window and door of the sickroom appeared on screen. The sickroom door that was closing caused a creaking sound, and a pale face was peering in from the window.
This was a paleness that was not achievable by make-up; it was a lifeless type of white. The person appeared like he was there, but it felt like he could drift away at any moment.
The unknown face, eyes that were missing two black pupils, the cracked, dry lips, and the black hair that swayed downward covering both of the ears…
When Yellow Wolf saw that face, his body staggered involuntarily backward, and then a compliment for Lee Jiu arose in his heart. He’s a true professional. This is too good!
With his arms shaking, the livestream was a mess. Of course, there were still sceptics claiming that this was just a ploy by the Haunted House workers. Some of the viewers even suggested calling the police to send the law enforcement to the Haunted House to rescue Yellow Wolf.
The presence of sceptics was predictable, but Yellow Wolf could not ignore the people who wished to call the police. He was in the middle of acting with Lee Jiu. How was he going to continue if the police got involved? In less than half an hour, the viewership shot up dozens of thousands, which was unprecedented for Yellow Wolf and even the other hosts on his platform.
“There is no need to trouble the police. At the very least, I am a descendent of a long line of powerful diviners. Today, I will show you the true power that I have inherited from my ancestors. If it is effective, I hope that the users will rescinded the negative reviews that they have left on my paper talisman Taobao shop.” He reached into his backpack and crushed some cinnabar. Then he leaped upward and placed his finger on the forehead of the face that was beyond the thin pane of glass. “Hear my cry, the Emperor of the Sky! Be gone, demon! You are no match for my power!”
His voice echoed in the sickroom. Yellow Wolf used the cinnabar to draw a symbol that no one could have understood on the glass. Then he staggered backward while gasping for air like he had done something incredibly taxing. “Everything should be fine now.”
Yellow Wolf lifted his head to glance at the window, and the human face outside the window was still there. The perfectly white eyes were filled with confusion like they were looking at an idiot.
What the hell is going on? Yellow Wolf gritted his teeth in anger. Based on their agreed script, Lee Jiu should have retreated by now, but ‘Lee Jiu’ was not cooperating at all. Is he going to demand more money? Give him an inch, and he’s going to take a yard!
His heart was boiling with fury, but after all, Yellow Wolf was an experienced live-streamer from Xin Hai. He could adapt to the situation with ease, so he said, “Hear my cry, Goddess of Mercy! Be cleansed of your sin, evil spirit. Return from whence you came!”
After mumbling his mantra, Yellow Wolf leaped around the room, and while his hand was hidden from the camera, he extended three fingers to the face on the window. He waved his three fingers about, stressing that he was willing to give Lee Jiu three times the pay!
That’s triple the pay; you should be satisfied now!
The face on the window did not look like he knew how to deal with this situation either. Seeing the three fingers that Yellow Wolf kept waving at him, he seemed to have understood something and slowly disappeared.
After Lee Jiu disappeared from view, Yellow Wolf derided him for his greed, shamelessness, and unprofessionalism internally, but none of that resentment showed on his face. He stopped all the gesturing and panned the camera to aim at the door again.
“You see! That thing has disappeared already!”
The chatroom rejoiced, and Yellow Wolf enjoyed a moment of peace. “Earlier, it was a minor ghost who followed me out of the Yin door. As you can see, that was not an effect achievable by make-up. If I am not mistaken, the thing was floating in midair.”
There was some questioning from the viewers because they did not actually see the ‘ghost’ disappear, but Yellow Wolf chose to ignore all that. “It is fine now. Based on my grandfather’s teaching, the first few spirits that escape from the Yin door are never too courageous. After they leave, they shan’t return again.”
Wiping away the cold sweat that was not on his forehead, Yellow Wolf continued. “It was definitely dangerous earlier, but thankfully, I know what I am doing. Okay, we shall leave this place now and continue our exposé…”
The more he said, the more unsettled Yellow Wolf felt. The screen started to shudder again, and the chatroom was rife with activity. A bad feeling rose in his heart. Yellow Wolf lifted his head to look and discovered that the ghost face had returned!
You mother*cker! Are you done with this or not‽ Yellow Wolf gritted his teeth. ‘Lee Jiu’ could stray from the script, but he could not.
He retreated several steps, and Yellow Wolf acted like he was mortified. He turned to the camera and said, “This is bad! Looks like it was not only minor ghosts that escaped from the Yin door this time! The Yin energy at this Haunted House is too powerful!”
He glared angrily on the face on the window. “This time, it will not be easy for me to escape, but worry not because my grandfather has given me many powerful relics!”
He reached into his back to pull out a talisman with a red background and black character. Yellow Wolf’s presence was different from before. He channeled all the hatred that he had toward Lee Jiu and said, “This talisman is the most expensive item at my Taobao shop, and there is only a limited number of them in the world! They are all relics left behind by my grandfather! There is no time to waste; it is my fault to have invited this ghost into our world, so I will banish it banish to the hell realm no matter what!”
Holding the talisman, Yellow Wolf spun around. “Hear my cry, Ruler of Hell! Claim this wandering soul for it is yours. Linger in the mortal realm no more!”
As he ended the mantra, Yellow Wolf extended four fingers at the face on the window. Due to the previous experience, this time, the face understood Yellow Wolf’s meaning instantly after he saw the four fingers. He nodded silently and disappeared. The two parties cooperated seamlessly. After the face disappeared, Yellow Wolf completed his theatrics and pasted the talisman on the window with a flourish!
“There is no need to worry this time! With the talisman given to me by my grandfather, it will definitely not return again!” Yellow Wolf sighed deeply. This livestream was much more difficult than he had expected, filled with endless tests and trials. He glanced at the window with some measure of fear. He was afraid that ‘Lee Jiu’ would continue to return, so he hurried to prepare to leave.
“Alright, we shall move on now.” Yellow Wolf picked up the phone, opened the door, and walked out.
In the underground corridor, the cold wind blew, and children’s laughter tingled down the corridor.
Once Yellow Wolf exited the sickroom, he felt a chill run down his spine. He turned to the phone, and he noticed that the chatroom was going haywire all over again. This time, not only his livestream, the whole platform was lagging from the overload.
The viewership at that instant broke the platform’s all-time record.
“What is it this time?” Yellow Wolf turned around, and when his eyes landed, a chilling air crawled up his feet to his scalp.
Standing several steps behind him were four ghosts dressed in patient’s garbs standing in a row!
Their bodies were twisted in such a way that they did not appear human at all, and the expressions on their faces only worked to accentuate that point!
All of them looked at Yellow Wolf quietly. Then the patient in the middle pointed at himself and then pointed at the three ghosts beside him before raising his arm at Yellow Wolf and extending four fingers toward him.