The experience of narrowly escaping death had made Allen acutely aware that survival in the face of such imminent peril was no simple feat. To earn redemption tickets, one must gamble with their very life!
Though Allen had always understood this, he now realized that the only way to earn these tickets was through risking one's life. There was no alternative. To acquire redemption tickets without danger was a foolish fantasy. Even renting out cursed objects to others carried the risk that the person would die due to the curse within the horror film.
In the long run, the idea of accumulating ten thousand redemption tickets seemed almost impossibly distant.
However, Allen's will to live was stronger than ever, and even the faintest glimmer of hope was enough to prevent him from giving up. From this point on, during the filming, he would have to do everything he could to accumulate redemption tickets. Otherwise, the accumulating negative balance would grow beyond control. When the film finally ended, and the redemption tickets were tallied... just the thought of his body and head severed, dismembered by that chainsaw in the dark cabin made his entire body tremble with fear.
That being said, despite his recovery, Allen still felt weak and sore, needing time to rest. Moreover, his nerves were still frayed; he sensed that plunging back into danger was not advisable just yet. After all, life was precious, and what had just happened was far too terrifying. He had come mere moments from losing everything, and it had deeply impressed upon him that cursed objects were not infallible—there was no guarantee they could preserve life with absolute certainty.
"Are you alright?" Liu Ying's voice broke through his thoughts, filled with genuine concern. She owed her life to Allen's rescue the day before; if not for his intervention, she might have shared the same fate as the second male lead, Hang Qingshu (whom she didn't know was Ivan). So, her concern for him was only natural. Without cursed objects to protect her, she had no means of defending herself against ghosts. Her only hope of survival lay in staying close to the seasoned actors who were better equipped for such dangers.
After resting for about half an hour, Allen finally began to feel some strength return to his body. But he knew the high heels could only be used one more time. Should he use it again, the overdraft of redemption tickets would exceed five hundred, at which point he would no longer be able to use any cursed objects unless he paid back the debt.
Only one use left…
This meant that his success or failure hinged entirely on this next decision. If he used it again and could no longer earn redemption tickets, it would be as if his death sentence had already been signed. Even if Hank protected him and allowed him to leave alive, the inability to repay the overdraft would lead to his untimely demise. Therefore, he had to plan carefully—he could not afford to act rashly.
Reflecting on his situation, Allen concluded that he was no longer in a position to act alone. Hank, burdened with two cursed objects, had still met such a tragic end. The protagonist halo seemed to have faded completely. Given this, he preferred to join forces with Hank and Cheryl. Even though their combined redemption tickets would be divided among the three, at least the overdraft could be reduced, offering him more opportunities to use cursed objects. As the saying goes, "While there's still life, there's hope." For now, Allen's goal was to clear the overdraft before the movie ended, ensuring the redemption tickets were no longer in the negative.
With this thought in mind, he made his decision and walked into the kitchen, where Hank was preparing lunch. "Liu Haiping, I need to talk to you. From here on, I want us to work together as much as possible," he said.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Allen felt his redemption tickets drop by another ten, bringing the total to -252. Though custom-written lines usually accumulated before they deducted tickets, some pivotal lines could cost as much as ten redemption tickets with a single utterance. But this was something he had to say!
By saving Allen just now, Hank had earned a staggering 700 redemption tickets all at once! This thrilled him immensely. After all, had he been even half a second slower, Allen would have followed Ivan's tragic fate. Therefore, the accumulation of redemption tickets was particularly significant, and saving another person, while ensuring one's own survival, naturally proved more effective in increasing redemption tickets. Clearly, the cinema was encouraging them to intervene in the subplots of other characters and rescue them one by one.
For Hank, such a large gain of redemption tickets was nothing short of a lifesaver, and his spirits were lifted accordingly. He had no qualms about continuing to stay close to Allen, for as long as he protected him, the tickets would keep accumulating.
"Alright," Hank replied promptly. "From now on, let's try to move together as much as possible."
As usual, lunch was delivered to the basement at noon. Afterward, the empty plates were sent back upstairs, a clear indication that the "person" in the basement was still there.
Naturally, the group's faces were filled with unease. It was evident they had come to regard the entity in the basement as a zombie. Even a newcomer like Liu Ying had almost convinced herself that it was undoubtedly a corpse brought back to life!
When the dishes were retrieved, Liu Ying suddenly grabbed the plates and slammed them onto the ground. "Do we... do we really have to keep delivering food? Does it even make any sense?"
Zhao Xiaoya sighed, gently patting her shoulder, and said, "Perhaps not following instructions could be even more dangerous. This zombie eats raw meat, and if we stop feeding it, it may grow hungry enough to come and feast on us."
"Then let's poison it!" Liu Ying cried, tears streaming down her face. "Is there any poison we can use to kill this zombie? What kind of poison?"
"Don't be like this, Liu Ying," Zhao Xiaoya comforted her. "Where would we even get poison? Besides, zombies are already dead—poison can't kill them. We'll all stick together. We don't want to die either, and I feel the same way."
Liu Ying glanced around at the others, her gaze eventually locking onto Hank, the protagonist. "Liu Haiping, what can we do to survive? This zombie is terrifying!"
"We're still not certain it's a zombie," Hank replied, shaking his head. "I have a feeling that there's more to this than meets the eye. We can't jump to conclusions just yet. What's important is that we continue to investigate the secrets of the Ouyang family. We must… we must uncover everything and bring the truth to light!"
Zhao Xiaoya looked at Hank and spoke, "Please, Mr. Liu. You're the only one here who knows anything about the Ouyang family."
But Hank, in truth, knew little to nothing about the Ouyang family. The only clues he had about them came from Liu Haiping's lines, and they were scarce—mere hints about "raising zombies" and the like. However, zombies were physical beings, whereas what had nearly killed Allen was an intangible, ethereal spirit!
The mention of zombies only deepened his suspicions.
Time passed swiftly. Nothing else of note happened... until six o'clock.
Dinner had already been sent down the elevator. At this point, Allen was sticking closely to Hank and Cheryl. He realized that following them was the only way to maximize his chances of survival.
And the next moment would mark the third act of The Imprisoned Room, the most terrifying scene yet!
With only one more chance to use a cursed object... life and death would be decided in the moments to come! If he failed, he would die, unable to repay the overdraft of his redemption tickets.
It was success or death.
Allen had made up his mind.
Meanwhile, deep in the basement... within the sealed room, an unknown darkness loomed.
From within that darkness, occasional "bang" sounds echoed! It seemed as though something was banging on the door. It seemed...
As though it was ready to break out at any moment!
"Crash!"
A coffee cup shattered into pieces on the floor.
Hank stared vacantly at the spilled coffee on the floor. He then crouched down, carefully picking up the shards, while Allen stood by, assisting him.
"You're too tense, Liu Haiping," Allen sighed, "I understand, given the circumstances…"
"It's nothing," Hank replied, gathering the broken pieces one by one and placing them in the trash.
"By the way, where is everyone?"
Allen glanced around the living room, which seemed eerily empty.
"Weren't we just told to gather everyone together?"
"They wouldn't listen. What can I do?"
At that moment, Cheryl arrived with a broom. "Alright, let's clean this up."
According to the original script, the people who were supposed to help with the coffee spill were not Allen and Cheryl. However, the rookie actors now kept their distance, unwilling to stay close. Liu Ying had complied only because she wasn't sure where she would die, but once she knew the location, she preferred to stay away from them.
Hank rose to his feet, his body bracing against the effort. He knew that the real challenge was about to begin.
Fortunately, with the 700 redemption tickets, he was more than prepared. Even if he needed to overdraw several hundred tickets, he could always make up for it later.
As Allen and Cheryl swept up the shattered coffee cup, both remained highly alert.
The light in the living room seemed dim and muted. Ever since the power outage the previous night, the illumination had been inadequate. The villa, completely sealed off with no windows, felt even more suffocating and ghostly.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Liu Ying, Zhao Xiaoya, and Wu Jun had gathered together.
The first floor was now a danger zone, and naturally, no one dared venture down. The rookie actors, therefore, huddled together, keeping their distance from the others.
"Well, coffee… should I make another cup?" Liu Ying asked, her hands trembling as she held the cup, her complexion pale as death.
Zhao Xiaoya set down her cup, gently shaking her head. "I don't need another."
Compared to Liu Ying and Wu Jun, Zhao Xiaoya appeared to be somewhat more composed.
Wu Jun, who had already been killed off twice in the script, though still alive, was now a nervous wreck. His thoughts were consumed with worry—what if the senior actors couldn't hold back whatever ghost or creature was lurking, and it came for them? Was he far enough away to avoid it?
"Um… excuse me, I need to use the restroom."
Wu Jun set his coffee cup down and quickly left the room. As he reached the stairs, his entire body trembled, and he hurried toward the restroom. Once inside, he locked the door tightly, sitting on the toilet with his hands clasped together, muttering fervently: "Namo Amitabha, Guanyin, Buddha, anyone... please, don't let those things come near me… Namo Amitabha..."