610 Toxic
“The round thing is not a ball but another kid’s head?!” A-Lin’s pupils widened. She looked down the darkness. Fear overwhelmed her body, and she felt difficulty breathing. Cold air rushed into her lungs. A-Lin felt someone tugging her shirt. She thought it was Li Feng but when she turned back it was instead a pale hand. The hand was connected to a child about six or seven. His face was gone, and he knelt on the stairs looking at her.
“What is this?!” A-Lin screamed until her throat was sore. She let go of her arm on Li Feng and swatted her left arm like something was stuck on it. A-Lin collapsed on the stairs. Her face was covered with tears.
“What did you see?” Han Fei stopped. He didn’t have any issue with A-Lin, so if he could save her, he would.
“It’s a boy! No, three boys! One is missing his head, and the other has his facial features stolen! His face is full of dark holes!” A-Lin shouted through the tears.
“We’re at a plastic surgery hospital. How can there be children?” Bai Cha tried to comfort A-Lin, “You probably saw 3d projections of children set up by Tang Yi.”
“But…” A-Lin mumbled. “The ghost did touch me. I could feel him pulling on me. He wanted to separate me from Li Feng! He wanted to pull me away! Xia Yilan was probably dragged away by them! There is really a ghost!”
“We’re in the middle of a variety show. Don’t get too drawn into it.” Wu Li was confused. “I think I understand why Tang Yi invited a newbie like you. Your reactions are often more authentic than actors like us.”
“But I’m not acting! I’m really not!” A-Lin felt so wronged. In the end, it was Li Feng who hugged A-Lin to console her. Compared to the male actors, Li Feng appeared more reliable.
“You guys need to stop ganging up on her. It’s normal to be spooked. Don’t all of you feel rather scared too?” Li Feng looked at them before settling on Han Fei. “Well, other than him.”
“I want to quit now.” A-Lin shook her head while wiping her tears.
“Tang Yi’s shows are always popular. For a person at your current stage, this is a chance for you to have a breakthrough.” Li Feng was mature and knew the market. “You are different from us actors. This is your first variety show, and you will give the most authentic reaction, and that is what the audience wants to see. After the show is released, you’ll gain more fans. It’ll be easier for you to expand into an acting career in the future.”
A-Lin knew this was a chance she should grasp. Plus, if she had quit now, she would have violated the contract. Her company would lose a lot of money.
“We’re making a variety show. Tang Yi will stop the production if there is really a ghost. He wouldn’t joke with an actor’s life, right?” Bai Cha and Li Feng finally comforted A-Lin, but Han Fei said, “All of Tang Yi’s shows are popular, but none of them last long. Do you think such a conceited producer will care about our safety more than his success?”
Han Fei walked to A-Lin and examined her arm. He found red paint on her wrist.
“Tang Yi will be the happiest if this place is really haunted. He will not stop the production unless someone is seriously hurt. This is a real death game. We are playing the role with our lives.” Han Fei let go of A-Lin. “I have a bad feeling. If you’re really scared, then quitting now is not a bad choice. Don’t be blinded by greed.”
“Don’t you feel ashamed saying things like that?” Bai Cha mocked Han Fei. “Your character matches your personality. Director Jia really knows how to cast people.”
“Well, so be it. As long as you don’t cry later.” Han Fei smiled. He walked to the front of the group and entered the fourth floor.
Tang Yi spent a lot of attention on this new story and spent a lot of money on the set. He added controllable machines in the already creepy building so that scary music or shadow would pass when people walked through. However, these things were placed a safe distance away from the actors so they wouldn’t hurt them.
The fourth-floor walls were also filled with oil paintings of children playing. Wreaths were placed against the wall. The wreaths had many scary messages like, I will take revenge for you, I will kill the doctor, I will catch that face-stealer.
The paper money crunched on the actors’ feet as they moved forward. White couplets adorned the door of every lab on the fourth floor. White cloth was strung over one of the surgical rooms. “The whole fourth floor is decorated as a mourning hall?” Xiao Chen shivered. He felt uncomfortable just standing there.
“Was No. 8 killed here? Is this the first crime scene?” Wu Li read the messages on the wreath. “The wreaths appear to come from the same person. The person promises to take revenge for No. 8. Based on my experience with horror movies, this person is probably someone who had a crush on No. 8. They wanted to use this to scare us after he found out we have killed No. 8.”
“I agree.” Li Feng nodded. “That person is most likely the guard. The person disguises as the guard and creates this story to scare us using our guilt towards No. 8. Then he’d kill all of us!”
“Compared to the guard, I feel he is more suspicious.” Bai Cha whispered as he pointed his lips at Han Fei. “All six of us have memories of No. 8 in our script, but he is the sole exception. Don’t you think that’s strange? He and Xia Yilan came from the same company, and I hear they’re shooting a movie together. Now, who was the first to go missing?”
“You mean Xia Yilan is working with Han Fei? She purposely went missing to scare us?” Wu Li thought that was possible too.
“Of course! Think about it! How could a living person disappear just like that? If you were her, wouldn’t you make some noises when you were captured?” Bai Cha slowly directed the blame to Han Fei and Xia Yilan. “This place is so scary, so it’s safer for us to be together. But she decided to wander off on her own. If that is not suspicious, what is?”
“Indeed.” Xiao Chen agreed. “I hear their next movie is based on plastic surgery, and this episode is about plastic surgery. Those two are suspicious!”
After that, the few actors moved away from Han Fei. They even feared him, thinking they would be harmed by Han Fei. Bai Cha successfully made everyone isolate Han Fei. He smiled at Han Fei and felt better. At this eerie place, it was better to stay with the group, so the stranded Han Fei would be attacked next.
Han Fei, who walked ahead, heard their discussion. He was too lazy to comment. When the painter appeared, they would understand real fear and how kind Han Fei really was. Han Fei lifted the white cloth over the surgical room and entered the room. The surgical theatre was filled with rusted medical devices and a very familiar surgical table.
“They left behind so much expensive equipment? The lockdown did happen suddenly. This is such a waste.” Wu Li stood outside the theatre. He didn’t dare to enter the room when Han Fei was inside.
“I’ve only heard of contagion center being on lockdown, but this was a plastic surgery hospital.”
The other actors entered the room. Everyone stayed away from Han Fei as if they were purposely trying to isolate him.
“What’s this?” Han Fei pulled back the white cloth on the surgical table. He moved the table aside to reveal the coffin underneath. The black and red coffin was squeezed right under the table. The gap in the coffin was etched with blood and small bugs. Han Fei wiped away the grime on the surface, and he could read a message—Since I die here, you’ll die here too.
Underneath the message was a face torn from a model. It was cut apart and then pieced back together.
“This looks disgusting.” Xiao Chen didn’t dare to get close. It was the same with the other celebrities.
“I remember a human face was placed under Xia Yilan’s picture in the security room. This should be her part.” Li Feng frowned. With Xia Yilan gone, they couldn’t progress the story. Han Fei tried to move the coffin lid, but it was to no avail. He yanked off the leg of a chair and then forced the coffin open.
“Were you once a grave-robber?” Li Feng was surprised by how direct Han Fei was. If Han Fei was the killer, why was he helping them? It was clear that Han Fei wanted to finish this story.
“Found something.” Han Fei moved a torso wrapped in red cloth out of the coffin. It belonged to a woman. She was missing her limbs, head, and most of her internal organs. “We’ve found one leg, two arms, and the torso. We can piece back the dead body in the elevator soon.” Han Fei carried the body with both hands and turned to look at the others. “This is quite heavy. The male actors should take turns carrying it.”
The actors didn’t nod or shake their heads, but their expressions said everything. The prop was very well made, and it was very heavy. It would slow them down if they ran into any danger.
“The cameras are rolling. Can’t you people at least act? Isn’t that your job?” Han Fei had lost hope in these people.
“How about I help you?” Li Feng offered. She had regular training and a toned body.
“Never mind, I can do it.” Han Fei carried the torso over his shoulder. It looked scary, but Han Fei didn’t mind.
They turned to head downstairs. But as A-Lin turned around, the other actors were all stunned. Even Li Feng took a step away from A-Lin. She looked at A-Lin’s back, and her face paled.
Sensing the others not following, A-Lin asked with confusion. “What’s wrong?”
“A-Lin, did you feel something strange when you got up the stairs?” Li Feng asked.
“No.” A-Lin started to shiver. “Don’t scare me! What’s wrong?”
“Look on your back.” Li Feng slowly approached the girl and lifted up her shirt slightly.
A-Lin’s back was filled with children’s bloody handprints. It felt like many children were pushing her from behind!
