The pulsating blood-red light cast an erratic play of light and shadow in the shop.
Standing behind the counter, my heart pounded relentlessly. I wasn't sure what I was afraid of, so I took a deep breath to gather the courage to open the drawer.
The black large-screen phone vibrated with a low hum, and a row of sinister blood-red characters danced on the screen.
"Host identity bound. First live streaming location: Eight Immortals Bun Shop. Open live room?"
Below the red characters were two options.
Yes, No.
I hesitated for a moment but eventually pressed the "No" button.
"Prompt: 1 remaining chance."
The menacing blood characters vanished, the phone returned to calmness, and the screen now displayed only the black-and-white icon resembling a memorial picture.
In the picture, my expressionless face stared back at me, resembling a dead person.
A chill ran down my spine, and I threw the icy-cold phone back into the drawer, rushing back to the bedroom to turn on the lights.
Unable to feel any drowsiness, I sat on the bed and lit a cigarette.
The live-streaming location was the Eight Immortals Bun Shop, and coincidentally, I had sleepwalked to the Eight Immortals Bun Shop. Could there be any connection between the two?
Could my sleepwalking be related to this app?
Impossible!
It's too absurd. Instead of this, I'm more inclined to believe that I am cursed!
There's something called psychological suggestion.
If you tell someone that they will have bad luck in three days, even if they don't believe it, their subconscious mind will link any unfortunate events in the next few days to that statement.
In reality, there's no necessary connection, but the person can't help but make associations, leading them to spend money for peace of mind.
That's how we make money in this business.
Even though I consoled myself with this thought, I still couldn't convince myself. There was an uneasy feeling in my heart, and I couldn't sleep. In the end, I picked up the phone again to play games, intending to stay awake until dawn.
Chilled!
Aching all over!
I groggily opened my eyes and found myself surrounded by messy power lines and a grayish-white sky.
Sleepwalking again?
Ignoring the soreness in my body, I sat up abruptly, turning my head to see the Eight Immortals Bun Shop beside me!
The half-open door revealed a thin, old man, half of his body exposed. He stared at me with murky eyes, holding a blood-stained kitchen knife in his gnarled hand.
Without thinking, I got up and ran.
Sprinting back to my shop, I entered through the rolled-up door. My heart was pounding, and I lit a cigarette to calm my nerves. Cold sweat dripped from my forehead, and my mind was filled with fear.
If I sleep in front of the bun shop again, will the old man have to use his knife to turn me into a human bun filling?
What the hell is going on?
I didn't know when I fell asleep last night, and I had no idea how I ended up at the door of the Eight Immortals Bun Shop. The thought of unconsciously leaving the shop filled me with terror.
My mind was in chaos, and I struggled to calm myself down. Lighting a cigarette, I took a deep breath, trying to ease the fear.
For some reason, I had a feeling that this wasn't sleepwalking.
Could it be related to that live-streaming app?
Because sleepwalking started the night I refused to go live. One occurrence could be a coincidence, but could it explain the second time?
Recalling the woman's near breakdown, I shuddered.
Maybe, her transformation into this mad state was caused by that live-streaming app.
Normal people couldn't withstand consecutive scares, right?
Thinking about this, I once again opened the drawer and took out the black phone.
I tapped on the icon with my photo, but the live-streaming app still wouldn't open. Maybe it only activates at night?
Night fell.
I dared not sleep, sitting in the shop anxiously waiting.
The black phone lay quietly on the old counter.
Time passed second by second, and the night grew darker.
The shop was eerily silent, and I could almost hear the sound of my own heartbeat.
I couldn't describe my feelings – I both hoped the phone would ring and dreaded it at the same time.
Buzzing...
As the time approached midnight, the black phone on the counter suddenly vibrated, and the screen flashed with a red light.
It was happening again!
I jerked, gathering the courage to pick up the phone. Hesitating for a moment, I pressed the "Yes" button beneath the blood-red characters.
The blood characters disappeared, and the phone screen went black for a moment. New blood characters slowly emerged.
"Night descends, revealing the monstrous side of the city without disguise. Countless strange tales hide in the unnoticed dark corners. Welcome to join the Strange Tales live room."
"Your identity has been bound. Congratulations, you are now a new host in the Strange Tales live room."
"First live streaming location: Eight Immortals Bun Shop. Mission: Stay in Room 4 for 24 hours, surviving from midnight until dawn."
"This mission's reward: 'Sky-Eye Observation Technique.'"
"More functions and rewards will be unlocked after completing the first live stream."
Following the instructions was a button to start the live stream, accompanied by a countdown.
"Time until live stream: 23 hours, 58 minutes."
"Prompt: Leaking the live stream, failure to live stream on time, or live stream failure will result in your complete elimination!"
Reading the last sentence, my eyebrows jumped.
Complete elimination?
It sounded like a fantasy, but considering my two strange sleepwalking episodes, I increasingly felt that this was no ordinary live-streaming app.
Whether the 'Sky-Eye Observation Technique' was true or false, this app seemed to possess some kind of extraordinary and eerie power. Not following its instructions might indeed be dangerous.
However, staying in the room where multiple people had died several times was a task that sent shivers down my spine.
Should I go?
Feeling apprehensive, I couldn't make up my mind.
I glanced at the countdown. Since there was still so much time, I decided to confirm one more time.
The next day.
Opening my eyes, I had never thought that my old ceiling looked so beautiful.
No sleepwalking!
I lay peacefully in my bed.
But I couldn't be happy because it confirmed that sleepwalking was indeed related to the live-streaming app on my phone.
Failing to live stream on time or not completing the live stream might lead to my elimination, as ridiculous as it sounded.
No longer harboring any illusions, I knew I had no other choice.
If only I had known, I wouldn't have paid attention to that insane woman.
Bitterly sighing, I spent the whole day searching for Wang Lame.
This guy, when I didn't want to see him, he was everywhere. When I needed him, he was nowhere to be found.
I asked everyone in the village who knew him, but no one knew where he went.
Yesterday, he said my misfortune would lead to bloodshed. I didn't know if he was trying to scam a meal or if he really saw something.
But with no sign of him, I had to rely on myself.
Night fell.
The noisy village slowly quieted down, and the chaotic buildings, illuminated by distant bright lights, revealed bizarre silhouettes. They looked like parasitic creatures forgotten at the edge of the city.
With the black phone in hand, I traversed the dirty and disorderly streets, step by step, heading towards the Eight Immortals Bun Shop.
The low and dilapidated building stood alone at the edge of the village, like gravestones on a tomb.
Different from daytime, the bun shop's door was wide open now. A dim light spilled out, resembling a monster's tongue waiting for its prey.
"Time until live stream: 1 hour, 10 minutes."
Glancing at the countdown on my phone, I hesitated at the entrance for a while before forcing myself to step inside.
Just as I entered, I saw a woman in red...