Cheryl and Allen kept their eyes fixed on Ivan's headless corpse, their gaze sharp and intent. The sight was undeniably horrific, yet, in comparison, the red high heels seemed to overpower the fear that gripped them. After all, when faced with a ghost or a lifeless body, the latter lost its terror.
Allen, in his heart, silently apologized to Ivan. Though he respected the dead, respect had its limits. The cursed high heels were key to his survival, and he could not afford to relinquish them.
At last, he made his move.
With a sudden, almost desperate lunge, he threw himself onto Ivan's corpse!
The sight stunned both Cheryl and Hank.
Though Cheryl also coveted the high heels, she knew that every action must align with the character's logic. In their eyes, the deceased was still Hang Qingshu, and the natural reaction after such a shock would be to secure the crime scene and inform others.
Even if they wanted to take the cursed heels, a reasonable excuse was necessary to justify rifling through his pockets—certainly not to take them as Allen had done, so boldly and recklessly.
But Allen's next move left them horrified.
He swiftly grabbed Ivan's body and tugged at the back of his clothing. As he lifted the corpse, he deliberately tilted the pockets downward. In an instant, a red high heel fell out.
Without hesitation, he snatched it up and slipped it into his pocket. At the same time, he gritted his teeth and spent 50 redemption tokens to claim ownership of the heels, reducing his token count to 111.
"You... why did you pull open his clothes?" Hank demanded, his voice filled with urgency.
"I needed to check if there were any postmortem lividity on his back," Allen explained smoothly, offering the excuse he had already prepared. "After death, blood circulation ceases, and within two to four hours, blood will pool in the lower parts of the body due to gravity. If there are signs of lividity, we can estimate the time of death. And, of course, the crime scene needs to be preserved!"
Cheryl, seething with rage, could hardly believe her ears. She never imagined that Allen would be so cunning! With a simple mention of "postmortem lividity," he had skillfully masked his true intentions. Furious, she snapped, "Wait! That high heel that fell from his pocket—it could be crucial evidence! Let me see it!"
Inwardly, Cheryl thought, "Even if you managed to trick me earlier, what about now? You've just taken a dead man's possessions—how will you explain that?"
Yet Allen calmly replied, "This high heel belongs to me! I don't know how, but Hang Qingshu must have stolen my shoes!"
"What?" Cheryl froze, bewildered. "Your shoes? Are you joking?"
"I have a fetish for cross-dressing—what of it?" Allen's voice was cold, dismissive. "It has nothing to do with you, does it?"
"Nonsense!" Cheryl's fury reached its peak. Just as he was about to explode, Hank intervened.
"What does it matter now? Someone's dead! Who cares about shoes?"
As he spoke, Hank clenched Cheryl's hand firmly, signaling him to stop.
Cheryl immediately realized that the high heels now belonged to Allen, and there was no way she could take them from him.
In the Ghost Cinema, the restrictions on acquiring cursed objects were relatively lenient. Since the process of obtaining these items could lead to certain inconsistencies in the plot, the actors were not strictly required to follow the narrative logic during this particular phase. Upon touching the high heels, Allen received a prompt in the script to claim them within three seconds, or else he would either discard them or become the temporary owner, incurring the loss of redemption tokens.
After securing the heels and using redemption tokens to claim ownership, the script amended the high heels as Allen's property. Though this felt like a narrative stretch, it did not cause a scene or result in a failed take.
Cheryl understood that if she continued to argue, she might lose more redemption tokens. Since Allen had already gained ownership, any attempt to seize the heels would be futile; doing so would lead to death, even within the film's context.
"Hey, what's going on? Are you arguing?"
It was Liu Ying's voice.
Allen quickly ran to the corridor to stop the group, urging, "Don't go any further! Especially you two ladies! The scene... it's too horrific."
After covering Ivan's body with a cloth, Cheryl followed the others downstairs. The death of a companion was not new to him. He had seen worse and more terrifying ways of dying; his mental fortitude had long been forged in such trials. Still, despite the repetition, the feeling of loss remained heavy. On the other hand, Allen's clever acquisition of the heels didn't disturb him as much, and he even found himself admiring his ingenuity.
"Indeed, something's gone wrong..." Hank slumped onto the couch downstairs. His hands clenched tightly into the leather, and every word seemed to crack through his teeth. "This is murder! There's a killer in this villa!"
However, his mind raced with thoughts of the prisoner locked in the basement. What connection did he have to the murder? Or was it that, even without releasing him, deaths would still occur? Ivan had the cursed heels—so why did he still die?
Moreover, acquiring the heels had not increased Allen's redemption tokens. The last time, tearing the talisman had added tokens because it was pivotal to the plot. But this cursed object had no connection to the horror movie; thus, acquiring it brought no benefit. Only major changes to the existing narrative or surpassing character limitations could grant additional tokens.
"There's... a killer here?" Liu Ying's face turned ashen, and she nearly collapsed.
Zhao Xiaoya hurried to support her, offering, "Don't worry, we'll find a way to deal with this together."
"How could there be a killer!" Cheryl slammed the table in frustration. This wasn't just a matter of performing—he was completely enraged by Allen's theft of the heels! He had his own plans, intending to claim the heels while searching the body, but now... everything had gone awry! And those heels now belonged to Allen—if he wanted them, he could buy them with redemption tokens! But the issue was, would Allen even sell? As a newcomer, Allen needed the cursed items desperately; the three one-time-use talismans wouldn't be enough for him! Cheryl thought to himself, if he were in Allen's shoes, he certainly wouldn't sell them. After all, redemption tokens could be earned over time, but surviving was the priority!
Now, Cheryl had to drop the issue of the heels. According to the narrative logic, anything that fell from the dead body should have been investigated thoroughly. But Allen's sudden "autopsy" was still a stretch, even within the context of the film. However, with the relaxed rules around cursed objects, as long as his actions were somewhat reasonable, it was acceptable—even if a bit forced. Now that Allen had claimed ownership, Cheryl could do nothing but swallow his anger and remain silent. To continue pursuing the matter would only result in further token loss. After all, the script contained no provision for such a confrontation.
Wu Jun, trembling with fear, stammered, "Wh... What do we do? We can't call the police, and we can't leave... Who is the murderer?"
At that moment, Zhao Xiaoya, who had remained mostly silent, spoke up, "Is there really a murderer? We've searched so many places already and haven't found anyone hiding. Could a living person really evade our search in such an enclosed villa? I don't think that's possible."
"Hard to say." Hank responded grimly, "For example... the 'prisoner' in the basement!"
Upon hearing these words, everyone's expressions shifted to one of shock. Though it was all part of the performance, the realism was striking. In this particular situation, there was little difficulty in displaying such a reaction.
"What do you mean?" Zhao Xiaoya furrowed her brow. "Could that 'prisoner' really get out? Didn't you confirm this already?"
"Yes," Hank replied, his voice steady but tinged with an unsettling edge. "But what if that prisoner has the key to the door? What if, from the very beginning, he's been able to come and go as he pleases?"
"What!"
"Are you serious?"
Without further hesitation, Hank stood up and declared, "Enough talk! Regardless of anything, let's go down to the basement and see for ourselves! We'll find out whether that door is still securely locked!"
Everyone exchanged uncertain glances, then nodded in agreement.
With Hank leading the way, the five of them followed in tow. Cheryl cast a look of seething resentment at Allen. How often did such an opportunity come by? The Ghost Cinema rarely had cursed objects on hand for its actors, and those who possessed them were typically safe from death. Miss this chance, and who knew when the next one would come? Yet, despite his inner resentment, Cheryl could not afford to act on it—his frustration simmered beneath the surface.
As for Allen, he paid no mind to Cheryl's glare. Survival was his utmost priority. If it meant earning others' animosity, he was unbothered. At worst, he could always lend the cursed object to him later. If it were a rental, the Ghost Cinema would certify the contract, and once the horror film was over, the cursed item would have to be returned, or the borrower would meet their end. Renting cursed objects was a viable way to earn redemption tokens, though the risk was considerable. If the borrower died within the film, they would lose everything.
By this point, they had reached the basement, their first collective descent into its ominous depths. The underground chamber, reminiscent of an air raid shelter, caused everyone to falter, their expressions filled with unease.
They proceeded down a narrow corridor, finally... arriving at the door.
The Room of Imprisonment.
Each person instinctively paused, their breaths caught in their throats. Allen let out a resigned sigh; had the soul-binding talisman not been sealed, he might have been able to use its heat-sensitive properties to perform a scan.
The door remained as it had been—securely locked, with no sign of having been tampered with.