Chapter 73: Too Ashamed to Face Anyone

According to the chatter in the livestream, after her phone screen was taken over by Sadako, Liang Xiaoyu gradually retreated deeper into the house. Though no one saw what happened in the mirror or on the television screen, everyone could clearly hear the sounds from the TV. It was as if they were living through her ordeal themselves. When the black hair crept around her from behind and Sadako crawled out from the TV, she was utterly terrified. Then she lost consciousness.

But the story didn’t end there. As the viewers described, when the black hair coiled around her neck, she screamed once, then her expression turned blank—as if possessed—walking straight to the cherry blossom tree in the courtyard. Gripping the strands of hair, she hanged herself. Her death was gruesome: her face was contorted, her tongue hung out, like a slaughtered pig dangling from a meat rack. Someone even posted a screenshot of her hanging. Liang Xiaoyu was almost frightened to death by her own ghastly image.

Yet what scared her more was something else. “Officer, are you joking?” she whispered, swallowing nervously. In the livestream, a user with the nickname “Rabbitland Net Police” was present. Liang Xiaoyu knew this person was affiliated with the newly established “Rabbitland Fantasy Park Office”—a bona fide official, definitely not someone who would joke around. Rabbitland Net Police: [It’s absolutely true. That person died suddenly from overwork a week ago. The phone number hasn’t been deactivated yet. It’s been exactly seven days... Ah, my supervisor’s here—I can’t say more!]

A chill ran down Liang Xiaoyu’s spine. With official resources, it was easy to identify the owner of any phone number that called her. The person who called as a broker had really been a ghost. No—wait! Suddenly remembering something, she grabbed her phone to check her call history. The last entry was from this morning. She shook her phone and breathed a sigh of relief, “False alarm, there wasn’t any call before.” “There are no good people left in the world; even the adorable net police lie!”

...

Outside the park.

In a military camp conference room, a group of people watched the livestream. Men and women, most over fifty. They were experts specially hired by the military, taking turns every day to monitor Liang Xiaoyu’s stream and analyze what they saw.

A young soldier lifted his hands from the keyboard and looked at the experts. The chief expert nodded at his middle-aged assistant, who began typing rapidly. Two minutes later, the assistant looked up, “Professor, the records in the telecom company’s server are gone too.”

Everyone exchanged bewildered glances. They had clearly seen a new call record appear earlier. “It seems that this Fantasy Park can influence the real world in some way,” the chief expert said, pushing up his glasses. “At the very least, the means by which it accesses information from reality are beyond what our current technology can block.”

“Its threat level is already at the maximum,” another expert said with a wry smile. “Discovering this only proves that we have no power to resist it at all.” “Let’s not be too pessimistic,” said another. “We’re partners, after all—every nation envies us for it.”

“Yes,” someone agreed. “Thanks to Fantasy Park, we’re able to leap forward in technology, and even explore martial arts and supernatural abilities. Who knows, maybe the whole Earth will soon become a world of extraordinary beings, and we’ll live for hundreds more years.”

“Mr. Qiao’s identity is almost confirmed. Hopefully he’s a native Earthling, not an extraterrestrial posing as one,” someone remarked. “We should analyze Mr. Qiao’s personality and interests. If we ever meet him, we must make him happy—this is for the country,” chuckled a white-haired female professor. “If only I were fifty years younger.”

The group chatted idly as they watched the large screen before them. It showed Liang Xiaoyu’s livestream. The experts spent all day here, bored, with little to do but joke and talk. This wasn’t the only place—similar scenes were playing out all over the world. Firsthand news from Fantasy Park had become the global focus.

...

Liang Xiaoyu sat on the ground, drawing circles. The livestream viewers urged her to go back inside and take another look, but the experience had left her with a shadow in her heart. She dared not return. Whenever she closed her eyes, she saw sticky, blood-soaked hair and hands crawling out of the TV. Though she hadn’t sweated, her back felt clammy and cold, and she didn’t dare shower alone.

She suspected the haunted house’s description was false. Wasn’t it supposed to offer psychological comfort after failure? How could it have frightened “Rain the Brave” so much!

Sadako. Don’t be a ghost! Even you scare me! I’ll curse you with a circle!

She sat grumpily, munching on snacks delivered by Drift from the entrance. Potato chips, one after another, crunching in her mouth. Suddenly, her left hand grabbed at empty air. Turning her head, she saw an old fellow grinning mischievously at her. He was clutching her bag of chips, shoveling a handful in with his black claw-like hand, chewing noisily like a cow eating peonies.

“These are tasty,” Zhou Botong said with a smile.

Liang Xiaoyu rolled her eyes, ignoring him.

...

She’d figured out the old rascal’s personality. He was just like a mischievous child—the more you scolded him, the more energetic he became.

“Is the haunted house fun?” Zhou Botong asked.

Liang Xiaoyu didn’t reply.

“I heard you got scared to death in there?” Zhou Botong continued.

“Who said that!” Liang Xiaoyu snapped, looking up. He’d only recently arrived, obsessed with playing with dinosaurs, not yet interested in phones.

“They all said so.” Zhou Botong gestured around.

Liang Xiaoyu glanced around. Everyone who met her gaze quickly looked away. All volunteers in the park, who usually called her “Rain Goddess” or “Sister Rain.” She lowered her head, pretended not to notice, then suddenly looked up. The group hurriedly turned their heads again. It was like playing hide-and-seek with their eyes.

Liang Xiaoyu’s face was nearly green. These troublemakers had spread the story of her being scared to death all over the place.

Suddenly, her phone rang. She shivered involuntarily. Noticing Zhou Botong’s odd expression, she forced herself to act nonchalant and pulled out her personal phone. It was her mother calling. She relaxed.

“Mom, what is it?” she asked as she answered.

“Xiaoyu, you’re on the front page again!” Her mother sounded delighted.

“Front page of what?” Liang Xiaoyu frowned.

“Check your messages—I sent it. Haha, mom loves you.”

The call ended.

Liang Xiaoyu checked her phone, and nearly spat out blood. Several newspapers and web media had posted her photo on their front pages: a twisted face, tongue sticking out, hanging from the cherry tree like a butchered dog.

Liang Xiaoyu covered her face with both hands: Waaaaah, I can’t show my face anymore!