The sound of rapid keystrokes and mouse clicks filled the air as Ye Xiu and Liu Hao sat side by side in the dimly lit practice room. The two were locked in an intense team match, their characters darting across the virtual battlefield with precision and speed. It was business as usual for Excellent Era—preparing for yet another important tournament.
But something lingered in the back of Ye Xiu's mind: the strange phone call from days ago. As much as he wanted to brush it off, the eerie tone of the unknown caller and the cryptic message kept creeping into his thoughts. He had told no one—not even Liu Hao—but the unease had stuck with him like a shadow.
Just as they were about to secure the final victory in the match, Ye Xiu's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen. The same unknown number.
His hand hesitated over the phone, torn between the game and the call. He shook his head and ignored it, shoving the phone into his pocket. The match was too important to be distracted by some mystery caller again.
But Liu Hao noticed. "Hey, Ye Xiu," he said without turning away from the screen. "You've been getting a lot of calls lately. Something going on?"
Ye Xiu didn't answer immediately, focusing on the last critical strike that secured their win. The final blow landed, and the victory screen flashed across the monitor. Both of them leaned back in their chairs, letting the adrenaline drain out of them.
After a moment of silence, Liu Hao looked at Ye Xiu, waiting for an answer.
"It's nothing," Ye Xiu said dismissively, though his voice lacked conviction.
Liu Hao raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't seem like nothing. You've been off your game since that seminar, and that phone call seems to be bothering you."
Ye Xiu's hand twitched as the phone buzzed again. That same unknown number flashed on the screen for the third time in the past few days. He couldn't ignore it anymore. With a sigh, he gave in and told Liu Hao about the strange call.
"Some unknown guy called me during our meeting the other day. Told me to meet him at some location and said he had something important to tell me," Ye Xiu said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Didn't say who he was, just that he had answers I might want."
Liu Hao frowned, leaning forward. "And you didn't think that was worth checking out? This sounds serious. What if it's related to the upcoming matches? Could be a sabotage attempt."
"I don't know, man. It's probably just some crank trying to mess with me," Ye Xiu said, though a flicker of doubt crossed his face.
"You don't believe that." Liu Hao's eyes narrowed. "Let's get to the bottom of this. It's too weird to ignore."
Before Ye Xiu could reply, the phone rang again. Same number. He exchanged a look with Liu Hao, who gave him a nod. This time, Ye Xiu picked up.
"Who is this?" Ye Xiu asked, his voice sharper than before.
There was no immediate answer. Just silence on the other end. Then, a faint screech, like static, filled the line, making Ye Xiu wince. His eyes flicked to Liu Hao, who had leaned in closer to listen.
The screeching sound continued for a few seconds, growing louder, before abruptly cutting off. The line went dead.
Ye Xiu stared at the phone, his heart pounding, confusion knitting his brow. He disconnected the call and set the phone down on the table, exchanging a puzzled look with Liu Hao.
"What the hell was that?" Liu Hao muttered, still staring at the phone. "Did they just… screech at you?"
"Seems like it," Ye Xiu said, his mind racing. The call had been disturbing, but now there was an added layer of mystery that unsettled him even more. "Maybe we should just forget about it. Whoever it was, they're messing with me."
Liu Hao shook his head. "No way. If this was just some troll, they wouldn't go through this much trouble. This is something else, Ye Xiu. We need to figure out what's going on."
Ye Xiu let out a long breath. "Yeah, maybe."
Trying to shake off the lingering tension, Ye Xiu stood up from his chair. "I'm heading out to the base. We've got more practice in the morning. You coming?"
Liu Hao nodded, though his mind seemed just as preoccupied. "I'll catch up. I need to check something first."
Ye Xiu left the practice room, making his way through the quiet halls of the base. The strange phone call gnawed at him, but he tried to push it to the back of his mind. There was no sense in getting paranoid over a few weird calls.
When he finally reached his dorm, something stopped him dead in his tracks.
On his bed, sitting squarely in the middle of the blanket, was a small, neatly wrapped parcel. His heart skipped a beat. He hadn't ordered anything, and there was no reason for anyone to leave something in his room without him knowing.
Cautiously, he stepped closer. Resting on top of the parcel was a folded piece of paper. With growing unease, he picked it up and opened it.
The message was brief, but its meaning was chilling.
"If you want to know the complete truth, meet me where I asked."
Ye Xiu's eyes narrowed as he stared at the note. His mind raced, replaying the voice from the phone call. Someone was playing a dangerous game, and now, they had escalated it.
He glanced at the parcel again but didn't touch it. Whatever this was, it was more than just a prank.
Suddenly, the phone call, the screeching, the message—it all seemed connected. Whoever was behind this, they weren't going to stop. And now, it seemed like Ye Xiu didn't have much choice but to find out what was going on.
Still holding the note, he sat down on the edge of the bed, his mind buzzing with possibilities. What truth could this person be talking about? And why target him?
As the night grew darker outside the window, Ye Xiu knew one thing for certain: he couldn't ignore this any longer. It was time to get to the bottom of whatever was happening—no matter what it took.
The unanswered questions swirled around in his mind as he prepared for what was to come. Something was stirring in the shadows, and Ye Xiu was about to confront it head-on.