Chapter 3: The Thrilling Interview

"Indeed, it is very simple, just to survive." The person in the middle stroked the mask on their face, causing the paper figure to display a strange expression: "In our city, countless legends are hidden, the thirteenth step of the abandoned village school, taking the last bus of the dead, the fleeting faces in the surveillance footage at dawn, the little girl in the red dress who lingers at the door... There are far too many similar legends; are they all merely fictional?"

I inadvertently came across your company's advertisement and am very interested in your underworld show. In the era of the internet, I firmly believe that only innovation and seeking differences can lead to success, which is why I wish to join you. Adapting to circumstances and taking advantage of opportunities, in order to enhance my persuasiveness, I also placed a crumpled little card on the black tribute table

With my palm resting on the doorknob, I imagine that upon opening the door, there will be a dozen cameras recording me, and a formally dressed host will give me a warm embrace, holding a microphone and shouting: "Congratulations, Mr. Gao, for passing the test. Here is your one million prize..."

"Are you here for an interview?" The person in the middle raised his head in a mechanical manner, his voice hoarse and deep, as if opening a rusty can.

The body leans backward, and the intention to retreat arises

They were dressed in formal attire, similar to what I had previously imagined radio hosts to be like. The only thing that made me feel uncomfortable was that all three of them were wearing paper masks, which at first glance made me think they were three paper figures and puppets.

Hiss... The temperature in the room suddenly dropped, and I took a breath of cold air, my body stiffening at the doorway

Yes, I am here for an interview. The three individuals before me are inscrutable, and they may very well be the murderers of Xia Qing's brother. In the presence of such a cold-blooded killer, it is essential to remain calm

Do you have any relevant work experience? For example, have you ever live-streamed on other platforms?

"Your reaction is quite swift, I have come to appreciate you a bit." The laughter, reminiscent of a cackle, seemed almost inhuman. "Active in the shadows of midnight, striking at the most chilling horrors of this city, do you not find it exhilarating?"

Wait a moment, are you implying that the hosts of our underworld show have to go to those places every day to seek out spirits for material

The best scenario did not occur, nor did the worst scenario arise; inside the door was merely an abandoned warehouse

The eerie and terrifying environment, combined with the acrostic poem from the old woman, left me on edge, and the more I thought about it, the more afraid I became

If everything is merely a prank or an alternative variety show, then the other party's efforts seem rather excessive, and I have been vigilant everywhere, yet I have not found any cameras or obvious signs of human intervention, which suggests that this does not appear to be a joke

Interested? The three of them exchanged glances, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was my imagination, but the paper masks on their faces seemed to reveal a chilling smile.

I did not believe in these idealistic things before, but on that night, I found myself in deep contemplation as I looked at the house number above me

The masked man seemed to have long been aware of my thoughts, yet I did not see any action from him. The door behind me creaked and slowly closed by itself: "Don't be nervous, your interview has only just begun"

"The answer lies within this city, where you will become a witness to another world, witnessing true horror." The masked man spoke without a hint of jest, his tone flat and oppressive.

"You can find yourself here, which can be considered a stroke of fate, but the hosts of the underworld show are not something the living can do." The masked man crossed his arms and supported his chin, "May I ask you a few questions?"

In Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, and Japanese, the pronunciation of the number 4 is similar to that of the word "death," which often leads to it being regarded as an unlucky number. For instance, some buildings do not have a 4th or 14th floor, there are no ferries named No. 4 in Hong Kong's New Ferry, and in Taiwan, there are no license plates with a single-digit number of 4. When selecting mobile phone numbers, we also tend to avoid numbers ending with 4.

Just the simple thought of having to pry open a coffin lid at night, force open the door of a tomb, and possibly being chased by a horde of spirits and ghosts makes me feel utterly uncomfortable

"To survive..." After the interviewer uttered these words, I realized that things were beginning to spiral out of my control

With an enigmatic confidence, I nodded with a smile: "Please, go ahead and ask."

Do you want to go in

Certainly. I remained composed. A few years ago, I was expelled from the police academy. With a forged resume, I nearly visited the human resources departments of various major companies in Jiangcheng. I have already summarized my experiences in dealing with interviewers; I had also found template answers online for the questions they frequently ask.

Ordinary pigments or paints, when left for an extended period, will clump and fall off, while the color deepens, taking on a reddish-brown hue, which seems to be a characteristic unique to blood

Name

To be reasonable, I do not dislike watching thriller and supernatural films, but asking me to be the protagonist in a thriller film is an entirely different situation

There is a small door on the side of the interior wall. After searching outside with no results, I pushed it open out of curiosity

Is anyone there? The light is clearly on, yet the furnishings in the room give the impression of having been neglected for a long time

The table and chairs in the center of the room are engraved with various heart-stopping words, and in some places, long scratches have been made by fingernails, suggesting that those who once sat there endured extreme torment and suffering

Is anyone there

What does it mean

I stepped onto the tattered, damp carpet and felt a strange sensation, as if I were stepping on hair that had solidified with blood.

Do not be careless. Since the address provided by Xia Qingzhi is accurate, this is very likely the first crime scene where her brother was murdered. In other words, I am currently in a room where a homicide has occurred

With a creaking sound, accompanied by the unpleasant noise of the door opening and swirling dust, I entered the room

The pitch-black corridor has no visible end, and occasionally I step on dry, cracked wood and the corpses of insects beneath my feet. What concerns me even more is that this is the fourth underground level, my phone inexplicably goes black, and my only weapon, a German-imported 8,000-volt stun gun, has also stopped working. I have lost all means of protection and must face everything that is about to happen with bare hands.

"It doesn't seem like a performance..." I am now ninety percent certain that the underworld show is neither a prank nor a variety show, and it seems I have gotten myself into a big trouble

That is true, but the hosts of the underworld show are different from those on other platforms. We not only need to communicate and interact with the audience, but more importantly, we must protect ourselves and ensure our survival

Perhaps... If I had been asked before coming here, I would have undoubtedly said: Yes, all of that is fabricated

I am very sorry, but I do not have similar experience. However, I possess strong communication and adaptability skills, and my personality is very suitable for becoming a host. Being pragmatic, honestly acknowledging one's shortcomings, and emphasizing one's strengths are among the interview techniques.

"Ghost stories? No, no, it seems you still haven't grasped the situation." The masked man propped his chin on his hands, his gaze hidden beneath the paper figure piercing through me like a sharp sword: "The truth is always more terrifying than any story, I assure you. The deepest despair you have ever experienced begins the moment you learn the truth."

YY is joyful, while reality is always melancholic

Walking to the innermost part, the four characters "Underworld Show" are painted in blood-red pigment on the wall. At first, it seems nothing unusual, but after a while, one cannot shake the feeling that the characters contain a sense of ferocity and eeriness.

The floor emitted a groan, and occasionally, one could see the corpses of one or two unknown insects in the exposed holes.

Room 444

Gently closing the door, the flickering light bulb above my head emits a long-lost brightness, and I feel a slight sense of peace.

It feels as if I have reached the final level of a game, and my current mood is quite complex

In a room that is not too large, there is a black ceremonial table measuring two meters in length, with three people seated side by side on the other side of the table

The dim light swayed overhead, the carpet emitted a musty odor, and decaying tables and chairs were piled in the center of the room. On the innermost wall, four large characters were crookedly written—Underworld Show.

There are no flashlights or cameras as one might imagine, nor are there vengeful spirits with bloodied faces and severed heads.

The address on the advertisement is completely accurate, I can hardly believe it myself, that such a place truly exists in Jiangcheng

Gao Jian

The scenes in live-streamed ghost stories are indeed quite intriguing, perhaps satisfying the psychological needs of a significant portion of people I was responding to the three individuals in front of me in a half-hearted manner, while in my heart, I was already contemplating retreating