The cloud layer above Yu Xi Village gradually thickened, making the already overcast sky even darker. Shadows cloaked Yu Xi Village, further enhancing the mystery of the village hidden among the mountains.
Hawkeye slowed his pace and turned to Qian Cangyi, saying:
"The script can only be used as a reference. Generally, characters in the script end up dead, so we don't necessarily have to act according to the script's requirements. We need to act based on the actual situation."
"Remember one thing, dying in the movie world means real death. There are no re-takes in Hell's Movie. Surviving is the only criterion."
"Whether you're a good or bad actor doesn't matter. It just changes the amount of rewards you'll receive. But if you die in the movie world, then you lose everything."
"Though we are actors, we are not like actors in the real world. We don't need to network or make connections. You will never meet any director from the beginning to the end of the film."
"Instead, you need to focus all your energy on one thing, which is to survive till the end of the movie. As long as you live until the movie ends, all your injuries will be healed, even if only your head remains."
When Hawkeye said these words, his tone was not serious, but calm as if he frequently encountered such situations.
Qian Cangyi swallowed, turned his head, and looked into Hawkeye's eyes, feeling the man in front of him becoming increasingly mysterious.
At this moment, Qian Cangyi recalled his previous speculations.
When guessing the basis of Hell's Movie for choosing candidates, Qian Cangyi had considered the aspect of profession.
From all angles, Hawkeye's profession in the real world was unique. Of course, it couldn't be ruled out that his uniqueness had manifested after entering Hell's Movie.
Both possibilities existed, but Qian Cangyi preferred to believe the former. Hawkeye's original profession was unique.
Hawkeye, pointing his right index finger at Yu Xi Village, continued:
"When we get across there to act according to the script, it will increase your character rating."
"The character rating influences the rewards obtained after the end of the movie, which will be beneficial for your next movie."
"And..."
When Hawkeye got to this point, he took off his sunglasses. His expression turned serious, and his eyes were as sharp as a knife:
"Maintain your current cautious attitude and don't mess things up for me. Otherwise, I won't mind breaking your neck."
"I'm not saying this to threaten you, but... to advise you."
With a furrowed brow, Qian Cangyi instinctively took a step back.
Although Hawkeye hadn't gripped his collar and lifted him up, he didn't doubt Hawkeye's words one bit. As long as it is necessary, he believed this man standing before him would be able to kill him within three seconds, or perhaps even less time.
"I understand your meaning, but... what counts as messing things up? And what doesn't constitute messing things up?" Qian Cangyi mustered up courage to challenge him.
Hawkeye put his sunglasses back into his coat pocket and replied:
"There's no specific standard, and you don't need to dance around looking for logical loopholes. I'm not particularly into killing, just don't deliberately counteract me when I warn you."
Qian Cangyi nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
The two of them arrived at the entrance of Yu Xi Village.
A wooden sign bearing the words "Yu Xi Village" stood on the side of the road.
According to the previous agreement, Qian Cangyi recited the lines of Bian Zhe:
"Yu Xi Village is ahead, we're nearly there. But something feels off, Yu Xi Village seems deserted. The village isn't big, but it's home to both the old and young. It's not possible for the entire village to relocate suddenly unless something special happened."
Initially, he thought that he would be a bit nervous when reciting his lines, but when he recited them, he found that his voice didn't waver at all.
It was as if he was beginning to get accustomed.
"Indeed, we'll go inside and take a look first and then decide what to do based on the situation. It's getting late, we need to speed up." Hawkeye assessed the surroundings, keeping an eye out for any unusual movement.
The two of them recited a few more lines and then entered Yu Xi Village.
According to the script's description, the shadow behind the two people would tremble mysteriously after which, Bian Zhe, the character played by Qian Cangyi, would turn around.
However, Hawkeye did not pay attention to the arrangement of the script. He was constantly observing his own shadow.
Unlike Hawkeye, Qian Cangyi waited for the feeling mentioned in the script to appear.
When the houses of Yu Xi Village came into sight, he felt a sensation of being watched from behind.
Qian Cangyi abruptly turned around, but his shadow showed no movement.
"No change," Hawkeye muttered.
No change? Could it be that Hawkeye didn't see it? How is that possible?
Qian Cangyi found it hard to believe, and his face clouded with confusion.
"Indeed, there's no change. Let's move," Hawkeye didn't elaborate.
Although some lines of the script hadn't been performed yet, without Hawkeye's support, Qian Cangyi couldn't progress on his own, so he had no choice but to follow Hawkeye's pace.
Before going on, he glanced back again and saw that his shadow indeed remained unchanged, but he couldn't pinpoint what seemed off.
Qian Cangyi watched as Hawkeye moved further away, and he no longer paid attention to what was behind him.
In the sunlight, his shadow suddenly quivered eerily.
...
The houses in Yuxi Village were common country brick houses.
The black tiles on the roof were slightly decayed, and the earthy yellow skin of the walls seemed about to peel off at any moment. Every detail of the house hinted at its venerability.
The structure of the brick house was simple. There was a living room in the center with bedrooms on either side. The bedroom on the right was connected to the kitchen, which had another door leading outside.
The restroom was located to the left of the left bedroom, but it was not connected to the bedroom. You had to go outside to enter the restroom.
Qian Cangyi and Hawkeye stood in front of the entrance of the living room. The entrance to the living room was not closed.
At this moment, the pages in his mind flipped back, and the script of the second act appeared in his mind.
Qian Cangyi started reading.
[Second Act]
[It's shortly after three o'clock. The house at the entrance of Yu Xi Village.]
[The old house, the open front gate, disappeared villagers.]
[Bian Zhe and Zhang Zian stand at the entrance of the house, seeing no sign of anyone.]
[Bian Zhe: Hello! Is anyone there?]
[Nobody in the house responds to Bian Zhe's shout.]
[Zhang Zian: I guess no one's home. Let's go in and have a look anyway. The door's not shut.]
[Bian Zhe: Sure, but let's be careful.]
[The two enter the house.]
[Inside the living room, hand-made reclining chairs are casually placed. A teacup is placed on the floor beside the chair, with only tea leaves left in it. There is a fruit plate and a snack dish on the long table by the wall, with melon seed shells piled up at the corner of the table.]
[Bian Zhe: Is anyone here? Please say something if you're here.]
[Zhang Zian: Stop shouting. You search the left side, I'll search the right side. Shout out if anything comes up.]
[Bian Zhe: Sure.]
[End of Second Act]
The description in the script was a bit strange, as if the villagers had just left not long ago.
Qian Cangyi was a bit taken aback.
The question is that when they walked into the village, they didn't see any trace of the villagers leaving.
Qian Cangyi shivered at the thought, recalling a spook story he'd once read about the mysterious disappearance of the Eskimo people.
A similarly bizarre event of mass disappearance.