Escape from the Thriller World – Chapter 3
by Little PandaVolume One: The Old Corpse in the Mountain Village
The Haunted Tong Lau
Four people died in one building.
Kim Hyo-rin lagged behind them at the back, stumbling and falling while wearing her heeled shoes.
No one paid attention to Kim Hyo-rin as she fell behind to the last position in the line.
Looking up, she saw a woman’s dress floating down from above the stairwell, presumably blown off from the clothes drying rack on the rooftop?
Her gaze shifted to the rooftop.
Hong Kong buildings in the 1970s were constructed in the “Tong Lau” style (traditional Hong Kong tenement buildings), with shops and residential areas connected as one.
The traditional architectural style made public areas appear narrow with densely populated residential spaces.
They were currently on the eighteenth floor, with the twenty-third floor being the top floor, and from this level’s corridor, looking up diagonally, they could see it clearly.
In her daze, Kim Hyo-rin saw Wei Chen wearing a school uniform on the rooftop.
Wei Chen’s facial expression resembled that of a withered elderly person, and he walked uncontrollably step by step toward the edge – one more step would mean a descent into the abyss.
Kim Hyo-rin shouted loudly: “Wei Chen, don’t jump!”
Just as her words fell.
A blue figure behind him gave a push, and Wei Chen fell headfirst, plummeting straight down.
With a “boom⦔ – a violent sound echoed as he fell from the rooftop to the ground floor of the building. Wei Chen lay spread-eagled on the open ground, blood flowing from his forehead.
Wei Chen became the second victim.
Kim Hyo-rin’s piercing scream attracted the “ghost’s” attention, and she watched as that blue shadow swooped “whoosh” toward their floor.
Kim Hyo-rin ran as fast as she could, no longer bothered by her cumbersome heeled shoes. She took them off and ran towards the stairwell exit.
But it was too late – the “ghost” was already clinging to her shoulders!
“Ahβ¦β¦” A horrific scream came from Kim Hyo-rin.
The crowd running downstairs all heard this violent sound. Ning Lan, reaching the twelfth floor, saw Wei Chen’s body falling from above.
She had already predicted that running to the rooftop would be a dead end – Wei Chen had run in the wrong direction.
Because in γThe Wicked Ghostγ, the second victim died in exactly the same way.
The setup from γThe Wicked Ghostγ seemed unchanged in this game – they could clear the level by following the original plot!
Ning Lan didn’t care about others’ lives and deaths – they were now in a horror movie!
Every second counted for survival!
The death watch on Ning Lan’s wrist issued a new mission: escape this building and head to Pawnshop No. 8 at 123 To Kwa Wan Road, Hong Kong.
Hong Kong people believe in the custom of pawnshops, saying that pawning can rid one of a year’s bad luck and welcome good fortune.
The Pawnshop No. 8 in the mission must be a supply station in the game – they could temporarily avoid the “ghost” once they got there.
Ning Lan pressed the button on her watch and continued running towards the stairs connecting to the next floor.
The players followed Ning Lan, running like headless flies.
The “ghost” had returned, disguising itself as Kim Hyo-rin and mixing among their group, while the real Kim Hyo-rin had already been strangled to death on the eighteenth floor.
In Kim Hyo-rin’s delicate voice, it called out: “Handsome guy, I’ve twisted my ankle, could you help support me?”
She was trying to strike up a conversation with the handsome guy before her, Chen Feng.
Chen Feng was a shifty-looking young man among their players, with eyes like a thief.
He was an experienced pickpocket who usually engaged in petty theft.
He ended up at the Hell Hotel after being caught and beaten to death by an angry mob.
Though he had stolen many things, this was his first time touching a beautiful woman’s hand.
Chen Feng, seeing such a girl-group beauty actively showing interest in him, felt his lecherous desires rising.
His “salty pig hand” (Chinese slang for a person who gropes or touches inappropriately) touched Kim Hyo-rin’s hand as he said: “A girl from an idol group, your hand is so smooth!”
Kim Hyo-rin weakly showed him affection, pretending to lose her balance and falling into his arms.
Just as Chen Feng was about to be completely mesmerized by her beauty, “seven greens and eight confusions” (an idiom meaning totally bewildered), Ning Lan paused her steps as she saw Kim Hyo-rin’s nails growing sharp, ready to strike Chen Feng.
Ning Lan then said: “The ghost is right beside you and you don’t even know it, fool!”
In the moonlight, people have shadows, but this Miss Kim Hyo-rin had none.
She was the “ghost” that had been following them.
Ning Lan said nothing more and continued running down the stairs, with the remaining few players behind her.
The ice-faced Shen Qingyou was a step ahead of them, already reaching the seventh floor.
She hadn’t expected Shen Qingyou to be such a capable runner, “having two brushes” (an idiom meaning having real skill).
Upon analysis, she must have been a long-term running enthusiast.
Could Shen Qingyou’s identity be that of an athlete, physical education teacher, or police officer?
She had no time to speculate about Shen Qingyou’s identity.
Ning Lan’s lips curled upward as she watched Chen Feng being held back by the female ghost.
This was just as well – his death would buy them more time.
“If you want to live, run faster!” Ning Lan said as she quickened her pace.
They were currently on the tenth floor.
On the twelfth floor, Chen Feng violently yanked his hand away from Kim Hyo-rin. Kim Hyo-rin’s face instantly transformed into a horrific visage, her eyes bloodshot, as she opened her blood basin mouth and lunged at Chen Feng.
Chen Feng had one arm bitten off by the ghost. He ran down the stairs in pain, with his other hand still in Kim Hyo-rin’s mouth.
Kim Hyo-rin’s throat emitted a “jie-jie-jie-jie” cackling laugh.
Chen Feng was so frightened that he wet himself, feeling urine spreading between his legs. This shameful sensation was the least of this grown man’s concerns now.
Kim Hyo-rin was still approaching him, right behind him.
“Don’t come closer, ah! No!” Chen Feng watched helplessly as Kim Hyo-rin walked toward him.
Chen Feng crawled desperately down the stairs steps, and Kim Hyo-rin pierced through his body with her nails from behind.
Kim Hyo-rin, having penetrated his body, savored putting pieces into her mouth, taunting: “Run! Weren’t you fond of running?”
Blood trickled from Chen Feng’s mouth as he stared at Kim Hyo-rin with wide pupils before collapsing face-down.
Kim Hyo-rin threw Chen Feng’s corpse into the central stairwell gap. His body landed with a “boom” on a section of railing, lying face-up before sliding off.
The real Kim Hyo-rin never emerged and was already dead. Chen Feng became the fourth victim.
The game rules seemed to have circled back to the original plot of the movie.
The movie’s original story had four people, and they also had four people trying to escape.
Pawnshop No. 8 was at the end of this street. By the time they ran out of the building, the “ghost” had already withdrawn.
As Ning Lan escaped the building, she checked the address number: To Kwa Wan Street No. 50. Following the right side of this street would lead them to Pawnshop No. 8 at No. 123.
The sign of Pawnshop No. 8 glowed with purple iridescent lights, and Ning Lan was the first to enter.
The pawnshop had been transformed by the game into a relaxing bar, with lights reflecting off them, creating an atmosphere completely different from the horrific Tong Lau they’d just left.
The NPC bartender mechanically said to them: “Welcome rookie players to the transit station.”
Shen Qingyou, wearing a qipao, had already ordered a Bloody Mary and was sitting at the bar counter, exchanging goods with the NPC bartender.
Shen Qingyou had reached Pawnshop No. 8 before them?
Ning Lan’s death watch vibrated once with a message: Congratulations on clearing, successfully earned 200 points.
Hell Hotel’s point reward system granted points for completing each mission, which could be exchanged for rewards in the mall.
However, they couldn’t yet access this hidden mall – it would automatically unlock only after clearing the first stage.
Hell Hotel had a newcomer’s gift package for new players, which was the transit station Pawnshop No. 8.
Pawnshop No. 8 had everything they might need, and they could exchange items using their earned points.
Shen Qingyou walked past Ning Lan with composure, saying: “A step too slow, mystery novelist.”
Ning Lan glanced at her sideways and said: “Shen Qingyou, don’t get cocky.”
Ning Lan walked straight up to exchange items with the NPC. The bartender NPC slid a screen with his fingertips for Ning Lan to choose from.
“200 points, with newcomer package boost, choose either a card or a talisman,” the bartender NPC explained, pointing at the screen.
With her 200 points, options were limited. After careful consideration, Ning Lan chose an Instant Escape Talisman.
This talisman would work for five minutes, instantly teleporting the user to another dimension where ghosts couldn’t find them.
After Ning Lan made her selection, the NPC pulled it from the screen and handed her a yellow talisman, saying: “When you want to use this talisman, just chant ‘escape.'”
Ning Lan nodded and carefully stored the talisman, knowing it might prove useful at a crucial moment.
Ning Lan sat down at the bar counter, and the middle-aged man beside her began to speak.
“Mother! I was scared to death just now, I saw that female ghost’s face!” said the disheveled middle-aged man, catching his breath.
If it weren’t for Chen Feng’s sacrifice, he probably would have been the one to die!
He was only a hundred meters away from Chen Feng, but he chose to ignore it – he couldn’t save him!
Xie Wu’s mood was particularly heavy.
He ordered a Blue Beauty (a cocktail) from the bartender. The blue liquid swirled in the glass as he gripped it, taking a small sip, helping his mood settle down.
This middle-aged man was a Didi (Chinese ride-hailing service) taxi driver. Xie Wu worked from dawn to dusk just to gather living expenses for his daughter.
Xie Wu worked day and night for that little money, driving continuously for a week without rest, until he finally collapsed at the steering wheel and died from overwork.
When Xie Wu next awoke, he was in Hell Hotel. He heard them say they needed to complete ten stages to get out – he had to see his daughter again, he must make it out alive!
Four people died in one building, and four remained.
Ning Lan, Xie Wu, Shen Qingyou, and a woman called Watanabe Keiko.
Ning Lan glanced at the sweet-looking woman drinking alone in the corner sofa.
She had straight bangs, thin lips, slightly narrowed eyes, and a mole between her eyebrows.
Watanabe Keiko spoke fluent Chinese – she had been traveling to China to work as a translator.
Unfortunately, Watanabe Keiko’s mission to China met with an unprecedented air disaster, where everyone on the plane perished.
That’s how she ended up at Hell Hotel and entered γThe Wicked Ghostγ stage.
Born into a Japanese religious cultural family, she had practiced karate since childhood. Her ability to escape from the haunted Tong Lau was partly due to her physical conditioning.
Noticing Ning Lan’s gaze, she clutched her wine glass and smiled at her, politely nodding her head.
LP: I can’t keep up cause I never watched the movie
Here’s the IMDb of that movie again: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0344290/?ref_=tt_mv_close
Idk where to watch it though… https://movieuwutv.top/movie/261427 – vidbinge server
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