The Haunted Cinema

This time, Allen took advantage of the emptiness inside the bus, once again carefully inspecting its interior.

Using his phone as a light source, he examined every corner with meticulous attention.

As time passed, the Redemption Coupons would dwindle, eventually turning into a negative balance. For Allen, time was running out. He had few choices left...

There was nothing!

At that moment, Cathy also stepped onto the bus.

"Why... where is everyone?" Cathy asked as she approached, her acting still impressively believable. "Where did everyone go? Dustin, and those other elderly passengers?"

"The old beggar's words were true!" Allen showed a pained expression, though everyone knew the truth. The performance, however, had to be convincing. Any misstep could trigger an unwanted outcome. This had been made clear when the head was sawed off in the cabin. Only when one fully understood and grasped the rules could they be allowed to act in this horror film, instead of remaining forever in the dark cabin with a severed head. This prevented inexperienced newcomers from making mistakes in their first horror film.

"So, you're looking for the so-called 'yin qi'?"

"Yes... actually, I overheard a conversation between Dan and Carlin earlier. They mentioned something about 'filth.' I think it might be connected to this."

"'Filth'?" Cathy feigned surprise as if hearing the term for the first time.

"The old beggar said there was some 'yin qi' on this bus, caused by something 'filthy.' There's no doubt about it—this bus must harbor something evil. I fear there's a curse! Even if we escape the bus, it won't help. We must find the source, or our survival is impossible!"

Allen felt utterly uncertain. He knew that crying out wouldn't solve anything. To survive, he had to give everything he had. Before his Redemption Coupons turned negative, he had to uncover the truth!

He had to...

The bus was small, only so big. Soon, he had searched the whole thing—nothing.

"Hmm? Wait a minute..."

As Allen continued his search, he suddenly noticed something strange: why were all the windows closed?

"Dean!"

Cathy's voice reached his ears, and Allen quickly turned to see her, his eyes widening in shock.

This... was...

The bus doors had been closed!

When had they been shut?

Just then...

Thud...

Thud...

Thud...

A chilling sound echoed.

The source was... above them!

Allen looked up at the ceiling. The thud thud sound, resembling footsteps, grew louder and nearer.

Someone... was walking on the roof of the bus!

No, wait... was it a person?

The sound drew closer, and after a long moment, it was directly above Allen and Cathy.

Allen swiftly grabbed Cathy's hand. Even at the brink of death, as a man, he knew he had to protect the woman who had shown him kindness.

He glanced at the windows on either side, wondering if they should leap out. But what if doing so only led to a fatal encounter with the ghost?

Thud!

The footsteps stopped.

Now, Allen and Cathy were directly beneath them!

He tugged at Cathy, inching them away. In that moment, life and death hung by a mere thread.

Instinctively, Allen held Cathy close. Though they had only just met, and he didn't even know her real name, he knew he could not abandon her to escape alone.

Earlier, he had tried to open the window, but it was locked. Shattering the glass would be time-consuming and risky.

Just as Allen was ready to make a desperate dash for the door...

Suddenly, there was a clattering noise from above. A blood-soaked body came crashing down outside the window!

It was none other than... Ms. Mu, the tour guide!

Her lifeless body sprawled on the ground, her face, drenched in blood, her clothes stained red—there was no doubt she was dead.

Cathy immediately covered her mouth and closed her eyes, unable to bear the sight.

Then, the footsteps resumed above, moving toward the rear of the bus. Soon after, the sounds disappeared entirely.

Another person had died!

Allen seated Cathy and felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness. In the absence of information, he was utterly powerless in the face of the current situation!

"Dean," Cathy finally found her voice, "Do you think... we'll survive?"

Her words were more than just a line—they reflected her inner fear.

"We must survive!" Allen replied firmly, refusing to give in. "We're just here on a trip; we can't die like this! I will find the answers!"

Whether the ghost had moved away, Allen couldn't tell. But for now, it seemed they wouldn't be killed.

However, his conviction grew stronger. He was getting closer to the core of it all.

He had to find a way to survive... he had to!

Meanwhile...

Dan, Carlin, and Clark, joined by four others, formed a search party to look for Liu An.

At that moment, Clark was feeling a profound sense of frustration.

He had started to wonder if returning to the bus would be the best choice. Leaving the mountain seemed impossible. However, according to the storyline, it was illogical to skip searching for Liu An and just head down the mountain. A misstep here could lead to an NG.

Clark's real name was Eamonn, a seafood merchant. That day, he was responsible for delivering a new batch of goods to a hotel in the city center. While making the handoff at the warehouse, he happened upon a poster in a corner. As he picked it up, he saw the title "The Horror Bus." At first, he thought it was a promotional poster for a new horror film. But no such film had been announced recently. Then, he saw the cast list—his own name was there.

Eamonn was stunned. Suddenly, his head was impaled on an iron hook, suspended in the air. His body was still alive—just his head hung there, but he could see his own headless corpse on the side. Then, his body began to move. Beside it was another severed head, its expression grotesque, like the evil spirit of a horror film.

The body of Eamonn, without a head, grabbed the severed head and placed it back on its neck. Then, the head of the evil spirit took control of Eamonn's body, slowly walking towards his own head. All the rules of the Ghost Cinema appeared in his mind. Only by following the rules and acting in the horror film could one escape this nightmare. Otherwise, his head would remain forever impaled on the hook, watching as his body merged with the evil spirit's head.

That was how it all began. But Eamonn's mental fortitude was no match for Allen's. He admired how Allen had quickly regained his composure, and followed him off the bus. Yet, leaving the bus didn't grant him safety.

Now, he had no choice but to continue playing his part in the story. Though Clark's character wouldn't face danger until the second act was over, Eamonn still couldn't shake the fear.

After all, Liu An, a minor character, had replaced Dustin. But who would replace Dean when he went missing? Could it be... him?

As they continued searching, Eamonn clung to Dan and Carlin, hoping for protection. He ignored the other four extras.

The end of the second act was drawing near. By the time the clock passed midnight, the third act would begin—and Eamonn feared that was when his time would come.

A young man, fresh out of secondary school, who had moved to Shenzhen to start a seafood business, he had just begun to find success, finally able to build relationships with restaurant owners to supply seafood to their hotels. But now, he found himself trapped in this strange horror movie world and didn't want to die here.

Just then, one of the extras spoke up: "Where could he have gone?"

"Yeah, we can't find him..."

Ahead, another extra appeared.

"You?" Dan asked, stopping in his tracks. "Have you found Liu An?"

"Follow me." The extra said nothing, turning and walking away.

Dan furrowed his brows and followed. However, behind him, Carlin hesitated, and Clark also sensed something was off.

The story was already in disarray...

Perhaps it was time to escape!

Watching Dan, Carlin, and the other extras walk away, Eamonn turned and ran back toward the bus. Whatever happened, he thought, he might as well go back to the bus. If the Redemption Coupons were to be deducted, so be it. He was certain that staying out here would only lead to death.

Meanwhile, Dan and Carlin kept running, eager to find Liu An and uncover any clues.

On the bus, the doors had been unlocked, and Allen, kneeling by Ms. Mu's corpse, carefully examined her body.

Like the driver, there were no visible wounds, just blood everywhere.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's going on...?"

Allen turned at the sound, surprised to see two figures approaching—none other than...

Zhang Dekun and Jiang Yi, whom he thought were dead!