Horror Game Designer Chapter 6: Faces and Cases

“First my parents came home every night, and now, people are calling me hubby. I only passed by a tunnel on the Hungry Ghost Festival, and I’ve found my whole family.” Gao Ming’s face paled as he watched Xuan Wen walk away. He was sure that Xuan Wan was similar to his parents. They were made from some unknown.

“Not only did she know about the tunnel, but she also managed to guess that I’d come here to delete the game files.” Gao Ming slowly returned to normal after Xuan Wen disappeared around the corner. The fat cat returned to life and curled behind Gao Ming.

“Since the roads are blocked, the only way I can know the truth is through Xuan Wen.” Gao Ming calmed down. “But Xuan Wen is different from the parents. She doesn’t seem limited by anything, and she can walk through the city freely in the daylight…”

“Fa Cai! Why are you here?” Wei Dayou picked up the cat with one hand. He rubbed the cat as he joked with Gao Ming, “Gao Ming, why don’t you stay? See. Even Fa Cai doesn’t want you to go.”

“No. It’s more like it cares too much about its life.” Gao Ming saw the cat play dead before his eyes. “Dayou, I know you’re a good person, so I’ll give you more advice. Do not leave your house after dark and stay away from the new worker.”

“I know how chaotic things are from the news. Don’t worry. You need to look after yourself. If you need anything, call me. We’ve been partners for years already.” No matter how hard Fa Cai struggled, Wei Dayou brought it back to the office. The fat cat grabbed the glass door with its claws as it meowed at Gao Ming outside the office.

“You’ll see the real hell if you follow me.” Gao Ming smiled sadly. “This cat is clever but not too much.”

Gao Ming didn’t go straight home after leaving the studio. He came to the bus station and looked at the city map. Han Hai was a unique city. It was split into 19 zones. The most advanced east city was home to millionaires from all over the world. It was filled with beautiful skyscrapers and luxury that normal people could barely imagine. The old city where Gao Ming lived was the opposite. The buildings were built oppressively close, and walking through it was suffocating.

Several hundred years ago, Han Hai rose up in the war. It was the sanctuary for politicians, merchants and refugees. With its unique advantages, Han Hai became one of the world’s three free ports. However, under the impact of intellectual and biological advances, this great city came to the fork of an era. However, these had nothing to do with Gao Ming. He scanned the many bus stop stations, and many different ghost stories crossed his mind.

“The butcher case, the cat doll dismemberment case, the pervert case, the dissolved body case, the Red Building Cannibal case, the dog kennel case, the drowning case…” Gao Ming’s cases spread through the city. Moreover, he had seen many horror movies. “The God of Flesh, the Hanging Man, the Night of Souls, the Clinic of Skin, the Headless Doctor, the Man-eating Elevator… There are so many!” The settings went from hospital to elevator, from school to under the bed. It could be anything.

“If what Xuan Wen said is true, then it goes beyond the scope of games. It could involve the horror movies and games I’ve experienced.”

Even though he didn’t want to admit it, Gao Ming felt like he had welcomed the end of the world. “The thing from that unknown world appears to be able to combine with this city based on my memory.”

The clouds in the sky were dark. The city was like a choked prisoner, slowly dying. Standing at the bus stop, looking at the rain-covered street, Gao Ming’s face was white. “If only I had a perverted mind. Then the world would be a better place.”

Xuan Wen was clearly abnormal, but she could provide Gao Ming with the clues he desperately needed. At 5.30 pm, Xuan Wen walked out of the office with a red umbrella. She seemed to have guessed that Gao Ming hadn’t left. She smiled as she walked towards him. “Are you waiting for me?”

“I just haven’t figured out which bus to take.”

“Then, why don’t we go together?” Xuan Wen shared the umbrella with Gao Ming. She looked at him with love, but the love was demented like a collector studying some rare specimen. The bus arrived. Xuan Wen went up the bus and took her seat. Then, Gao Ming stood alone at the back of the bus.

One hour later, they came to the old city. Seeing this, Gao Ming started to regret his decision.

Li Jing Apartments had four buildings. Xuan Wen lived in the building across from Gao Ming. Perhaps she had moved in to monitor him several days ago.

“Don’t misunderstand me. The cases happening around here recently have nothing to do with me.” Xuan Wen sounded blurry through the rain. “Actually, I’m very scared too.”

“Is that why you eliminated all the threats?” Gao Ming didn’t even consider this at first, but once Xuan Wen said so, he remembered Yan Lin’s warning. When he was trapped in his room, many things had spread.

Gao Ming and Xuan Wen entered Building Two.

They reached the third floor and saw an old lady burning paper money in the corridor. The basin was filled with ash. She mumbled something as she kowtowed to a black-and-white picture beside the basin. The lady was very old, but the man in the picture was only 40 plus. This was very strange.

“Her adopted son killed himself three days ago.” Xuan Wen stopped moving. “According to the neighbours, the man was a good man. He was honest and uncomplaining. Even though he was not related to the old lady by blood, he treated her family like his own.”

“Many times, we only see the surface. Those who are silent might have many things on their mind.” Gao Ming had seen the old lady’s adopted son in the yard before. The man was called Brother Zhao. He was always cleaning the apartment while holding his phone. Brother Zhao was always smiling, but Gao Ming felt like his smiles were forced.

Gao Ming would sometimes accompany Brother Zhao and chat with him. However, he had not seen Brother Zhao in the yard since last month.

Gao Ming bowed at the man’s portrait and followed Xuan Wen to the fifth floor.

Ropes where one hung clothes crisscrossed the corridor. They were very close to the exposed electrical lines. Even though there was no wind, the grey and white clothes fluttered.

The corridor was lined with old steel, rusted doors. The yellowed door frames formed a great contrast to the bright red couplets.

“We’re here.”

Xuan Wen took out the key to Room 2507. Gao Ming didn’t dare to enter. Room 2507 was the old lady’s adopted son’s room. Three days ago, Brother Zhao jumped down from the balcony of this room.

“Did you rent the dead man’s room?”

Gao Ming was reminded of a game scenario he designed, the well-dressed main character was looking at his death recording while playing a spirit game with his dead wife.