The Haunted Cinema

Uncovering the address of the workplace was hardly a challenge. This world, in many respects, bore little difference from the reality of the world outside. As such, services like Baidu and Google were readily available, and even this fictional city could offer a clear and detailed map. Located within the Jiangsu Province, this coastal city was home to a villa situated in the suburban Binhai District, on the outskirts near a forested area. Reaching it from the city center took nearly two hours.

On June 30th, at seven in the evening, Allen found himself seated on the bus, heading toward the location of the plot.

During the blank period between acts, everything remained uneventful. Over the course of this time, whatever Allen did had not deducted from his death-redeeming tickets. He currently had 181 tickets left, and the three soul-calling talismans were limited to a single use. Furthermore, these talismans were consumables, dissipating with each use.

As the bus left the city limits, the number of passengers dwindled, one by one. Despite his best efforts to remain calm, Allen couldn't help but feel a surge of anxiety. While he knew what would happen next in the first act of the script, the weight on his chest remained, as if a massive stone had been pressed upon him.

However, the thought of soon reuniting with Hank and the others brought a slight sense of relief. No matter what, following Hank would certainly be better than facing things alone. While his survival skills were no match for the likes of Julian, Edith, or Donna, he could still be considered a seasoned actor. Cheryl and Ivan both bore cursed items, so, in some ways, he was luckier than most.

Finally, the bus reached its destination. After disembarking, Allen took out his phone and opened Google Maps, following the indicated route. The air here was noticeably fresher than in the city, and the surroundings were lush with verdant greenery.

After walking for more than ten minutes, Allen finally—well, how should he describe it?—came across a villa, one with an incredibly peculiar design. The house was strikingly strange, as it had no windows at all. How was it supposed to be illuminated?

"Are you here for the job too?"

A familiar voice called out. Allen turned to see Cheryl, also holding a phone and carrying a backpack. She regarded him with the gaze reserved for a stranger and asked, "Is that so? What's up with this villa? It looks so strange, doesn't it?"

Allen responded immediately, "Yeah, I thought the same. You're here too, then? That's great."

"These rich folks are really something," Cheryl mused, giving a slight cough. "I mean, look at this house. Who designs something like this?" She paused, then added, "Well, it looks like we'll be living here together for the next three days. I'm Lu Zenan. What's your name?"

"I'm Zhang Hua."

"Ah, I see. Alright, let's go. Anyway, it's impressive, isn't it? Sending in the resume online and getting an immediate response, and they've already transferred fifty thousand in advance to the account. You got that too, right?"

"Yeah. I didn't expect the job description to be so simple. No wonder they're rich—they don't seem to care about the details."

For someone unemployed, three hundred thousand in cash was no small amount. Moreover, the job didn't seem overly complicated. And with the deposit already transferred, there was no turning back. Though Allen still had some lingering doubts, it was clear that he had little choice but to proceed.

The villa was tastefully furnished, with a certain degree of opulence, spread over two floors. Yet, the absence of windows was an unsettling detail that aroused suspicion. Upon reaching the entrance, Allen stepped forward and rang the doorbell.

And then, the door swung open to reveal—

Hank!

With a warm smile, Hank greeted Allen and Cheryl, saying, "Please, come in. You must be here for the job interview, right?"

Allen and Cheryl entered and exchanged pleasantries with Hank. "Are you the owner of this place?" Allen asked.

Hank shook his head, "No, I'm not. Like you two, I'm here for the interview as well. With the two of you, there are now seven of us."

"Is that so? Then the owner…"

"The owner isn't here."

"What?"

Hank led Allen and Cheryl into the expansive living room. The space was grandly decorated, gleaming with golden accents. The furniture appeared to be high-end foreign imports, and the layout of the room was quite splendid.

Within the living room sat four people. One of them, naturally, was Ivan. The other three were a man and two women, clearly newcomers to the acting scene.

"Ah, new arrivals," Ivan said, standing up first, smiling as he looked at them. "Looks like we're all here now."

The new actors—a somewhat shorter man, a stunning woman in green, and a young girl who appeared to be a college student with twin pigtails—sat together. The short man seemed nervous, while the woman in green and the twin-tailed girl appeared slightly more at ease. After all, they had a bit of time to adjust to the strange reality of becoming actors in the Ghost Cinema. Compared to Allen, who had been thrust directly into the horror bus, they were certainly better off.

The girl with twin pigtails blinked her large eyes and said, "Hmm, I really don't understand. Why do we need seven people just to take care of a mental patient?"

The short man quickly interjected, "Miss Liu, the owner has strictly instructed that no questions be asked regarding the patient!"

Ivan, picking up an A4 sheet from the table, handed it to Allen and said, "Take a look at this. Your names are Zhang Hua and Lu Zenan, right?"

"Hmm? How do you know that?" Allen asked, a puzzled expression crossing his face. "I don't think I've mentioned my name yet."

"You'll understand once you read this."

The A4 sheet was printed in traditional Chinese characters. The contents were as follows:

"The seven individuals responsible for this work are: Liu Haiping, Hang Qingshu, Zhang Hua, Liu Ying, Lu Zenan, Zhao Xiaoya, and Wu Jun. Their duties are as follows: Each day, you are to prepare three meals at 8:00 AM, 12:30 PM, and 6:00 PM. The patient you are to care for is located in a room in the basement. A small lift has been installed to transport the food from the first floor to the basement. Simply place the prepared meal in the lift along with chopsticks and spoons, and it will be sent directly down. Meals must be delivered at the exact times stated on this document. No delay is permitted. Furthermore, under no circumstances should you inquire about the patient or attempt to converse with them. And most importantly, never, under any circumstance, open the door to the basement room or release the patient. The work will be concluded after the final meal on the night of July 3rd. At that point, you may leave. Until then, you must not step outside the villa. Your final payment will be transferred to your account on the last day. Lastly, a final reminder: Never, under any circumstance, release the patient from the basement room. Absolutely not!"

"What's going on here?" Allen furrowed his brow, his expression one of confusion. "This is so strange. So, the owner won't be showing up for these three days?"

"It seems to be the case," Hank nodded, then sat back down. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Liu Haiping, the name listed on the paper. I'm about to graduate from university next year, so I decided to find a temporary job during the summer. I came across this high-paying job advertisement online and submitted my resume. From what I gather, the owner must have had an urgent matter to attend to, and thus, had to leave for three days. With no time to hire a caregiver, they decided to hire someone online temporarily. But... I still don't understand. The pay seems excessively high. Compared to the work we're doing, it's almost too generous."

"Indeed..." Ivan agreed. "Well, since we have new faces, let me reintroduce myself. I'm Hang Qingshu."

The shorter man scratched his head and said, "I'm Wu Jun, the seventh name listed here. Uh, I'm a taxi driver. I switched shifts with someone else to take this job. Heh, three hundred thousand... I can take my wife on a vacation abroad with that."

The girl with twin pigtails shook her head and said, "I'm Liu Ying. Like Liu Haiping, I'm a university student, and I'm here for a summer job."

The woman in green nodded to everyone and said, "I'm Zhao Xiaoya. I'm just doing this as a part-time job, and I even took three days off for it."

Allen then spoke up, "I'm Zhang Hua," and Cheryl followed with her introduction.

After everyone had introduced themselves, Hank said, "Well, since the pay is so high, we'll just have to follow the owner's instructions. Let's make sure to deliver the meals to the patient on time, as the paper says. I've checked the fridge, and there's more than enough food to last for three days."

"I still feel something's off," Ivan shook his head, "It just doesn't sit right with me, especially the part about absolutely not letting the patient out... Don't you all think that's strange?"

"I feel the same way," Cheryl immediately added, "They even emphasized it again at the end—'Do not let the patient out under any circumstances.' Could it be because the patient has violent tendencies?"

After that, Allen didn't speak much, as he was merely a minor character. The main male lead was Hank, playing Liu Haiping.

As per the instructions, there was no need to prepare dinner that evening. The group moved on to the small food-lift elevator. The lift, located next to the sink in the kitchen, was similar to the food delivery lifts used in restaurants, evidently built specifically for the patient in the basement. The interior of the lift was so small that only a five-year-old child could fit in it—adults could not enter under any circumstances.

The group then began to search for their rooms, unpacking their clothes and personal items. They also began discussing the menu for the next day.

The ingredients here were of high quality. Having been paid so much, they had to take the work seriously. As a result, the seven of them approached the task of planning the menu with great diligence.

"Well, since Miss Zhao is the best cook, we'll leave the cooking to you. The washing and chopping can be divided among the rest of us. Does anyone here have experience with chopping vegetables and good knife skills?"

While the others were busy discussing the menu, Allen's mind continued to churn.

How would this movie unfold?

Three meals a day—there could be no delays. And the basement door must not be opened to let the patient out.

But...

Is the person locked in the basement truly just a "mentally ill patient"?