Chapter 36: Ghost Mountain Villa 36 Part 2
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Due to the fear of further problems and the fact that the injured couldn’t be moved easily down the mountain, the rescue team chose to take the crew members, whose injuries had been treated, with them up the mountain to the high-end resort villa hotel.
The frantic owner, who had made the phone call, seemed genuinely scared and didn’t dare to stay at the villa. He was pacing back and forth in front of the villa’s entrance, looking extremely anxious and frightened.
From a distance, the middle-aged owner spotted the group approaching. Before they reached him, his eyes lit up, and he jogged over to greet them.
“Master Yan, Master Yan, you’ve come too? That’s wonderful! I feel so much better with you here.”
The rescue team leader had just reached out to shake hands with the middle-aged owner to comfort him and ask him to speak slowly when he saw the owner sprint past him and directly approach Yan Shixun, who was trailing behind.
“Ever since someone asked me if the travel variety show had booked my hotel, I watched all the live broadcasts and recordings of this show online. I was initially curious about what kind of program it was, but I didn’t expect the villa in the live broadcast to look exactly like my vacation hotel! The villa had that same appearance when I took over.”
“Oh my, the ghosts in that villa scared me so much. Even sitting in my hotel, I felt terrified, as if there was a ghost standing behind me. Every few seconds, I’d look back, and every few seconds, I’d glance around. Even the wind blowing against the glass made me think there was a ghost. It was just like being at the live broadcast scene, and this immersion feeling is really torturous.”
The middle-aged owner hurried over to shake hands with Yan Shixun but was deftly evaded as Yan Shixun took a step back. Unfazed, the owner continued speaking with excitement, pouring out the details of what had happened. It seemed like he had genuinely been quite frightened.
“I thought it was almost over, but just moments ago, before I called you, there was this sudden ‘thump!’ Several bloody people appeared in my hotel. Some of them fell to the ground. There was even a woman who suddenly appeared in the employee lounge on the first floor, frightening the hotel staff. Master Yan, and all of you from the rescue team, please help me figure out what’s going on!”
Listening to the middle-aged owner’s description, it matched the condition of the crew members who had gone missing, especially Liu Yiyi.
The rescue team leader’s expression turned serious, and he quickly led his team into the hotel.
As expected, it was Liu Yiyi and the others.
Rescue Team Leader: “This wound has opened up again, and it seems like it has been injured three times. This is too severe, worse than what we saw in the live broadcast earlier. Our emergency equipment may not be enough. We need to contact headquarters and request a helicopter.”
Several rescue team members immediately made contact, reporting the rescue situation and requesting assistance.
Meanwhile, the other group of crew members who had lost contact with the rescue team and a few Taoists finally managed to establish communication. They agreed to come to the hotel and use it as a temporary field hospital.
However, because of the high viewership and intense discussions about the reality show, the loss of the live broadcast signal for most of the day had boosted the show’s popularity to its peak.
Millions of people were waiting anxiously in front of their screens, both on video and social media platforms. They eagerly awaited official updates on the rescue progress, praying for the safety of everyone involved.
Taking into account the societal impact, the authorities confirmed with the rescue team that all personnel were alive, with only one female critically injured, who would be urgently airlifted for treatment. They also confirmed with the Taoists from the Haiyun Temple that there wouldn’t be any more supernatural occurrences. After some discussion, they agreed to allow the show to resume its live broadcast to ease the concerns of the worried audience.
Sometimes, the more you try to conceal things, the more it can lead to suspicion and conspiracy theories. It’s often better to be open and let everyone see everything through live broadcasts, allowing them to confirm with their own eyes. People tend to wholeheartedly believe in what they see.
This is the fastest way to quell discussions and topics.
Initially, Zhang Wubing, who thought his travel variety show was done for after such a serious incident, was sulking in a corner of the hotel lobby, when he was dragged out by the rescue team leader.
Zhang Wubing: “?”
With a phone suddenly shoved into his hand, Zhang Wubing looked bewildered, his face still showing traces of dried tears, making him look quite foolish.
When he heard the decision from the municipal authorities in Binhai City and the news that the program team still had broadcasting rights, he was overjoyed, almost tongue-tied from happiness.
Observing everything in the hotel in silence, Yan Shixun rolled his eyes at this silly guy. He wondered if this was a dog turned human, as he seemed just a step away from wagging his tail like a propeller.
However, this also made Yan Shixun deeply aware of how important Zhang Wubing was to this travel variety show.
This rich third-generation guy, who had been attracting dirt and living a difficult life since birth due to his constitution but had been well-protected by his elders, was genuinely determined to make this variety show a success.
Over there, Zhang Wubing was smiling radiantly, with even his gums showing.
Meanwhile, Yan Shixun shifted his gaze away and avoided the several Haiyun Temple Taoists who had reunited after getting lost earlier and had just returned to the hotel. He walked to a sofa in one corner of the living room and sat down.
With medical professionals on hand, a rescue team heading down the mountain, official explanations for the public, and the assurance of the Haiyun Temple’s Taoists for any supernatural occurrences.
Everything seemed to be in capable hands. This allowed Yan Shixun to relax and not worry about the situation.
After all, he had fulfilled his and Zhang Wubing’s agreement, anything beyond this wasn’t his responsibility.
However, before Yan Shixun could even close his eyes for a brief rest, he sensed someone approaching rapidly, casting a shadow over him.
He remained alert and opened his eyes, swiftly turning his sharp gaze in the direction of the approaching figure.
——It turned out to be Zhang Wubing, who was grinning widely and pointing the live broadcast camera at him.
This time, Yan Shixun got a clear look and saw that Zhang Wubing indeed had a swaying tail behind him, much like a happy and foolish dog.
“……”
Yan Shixun raised an eyebrow in an expressionless manner.
He couldn’t say much with the live broadcast already underway, so he used his cold, dangerous, and emotionless black eyes to silently inquire of Zhang Wubing.
Zhang Wubing, still immersed in the joy of the show continuing, hadn’t sensed Yan Shixun’s sour mood.
He continued to smile foolishly, handing the tablet to Yan Shixun and swiftly assembling the makeshift broadcasting equipment. He adjusted the camera to focus directly on Yan Shixun.
“Brother Yan, the audience of ‘Heart-Pounding Journey of Ninety-Nine Days’ is very concerned about our safety. However, everyone is tired and hungry right now, and not in a good condition. Could you please inform the viewers that we are safe for now?”
Zhang Wubing stood behind the camera, gesturing to Yan Shixun to pay attention to the content of the live broadcast. He emphasized the need for a positive and uplifting message to ensure that the program, which they had worked hard to retrieve, would not be taken down due to violations.
If anything went wrong with the program, he would…he would cling to Yan Shixun’s thigh and cry!
After saying this, Zhang Wubing left the live broadcasting equipment here, trusting Yan Shixun with it, and rushed over to coordinate with the rescue team.
This left Yan Shixun alone, his face dark, silently facing the live camera.
The atmosphere was so heavy that even the Taoists on the other side were looking around curiously, muttering, “Strange, I feel like there’s a cold wind blowing from somewhere. I don’t see any ghosts though.”
With his acute hearing, Yan Shixun: “…….”
Do I look like a ghost to you?
But Yan Shixun’s low spirits couldn’t dampen the excitement of the viewers eagerly awaiting the live broadcast.
After hours of anxious waiting, the viewers who were concerned about the safety of the travel variety show crew finally received an official announcement from the authorities in Binhai City.
In the official announcement, the authorities of Binhai City did not mention the strange and dangerous encounters faced by the members of the production team and the rescue team. They only briefly reported that everyone was out of immediate danger, provided a concise account of the rescue process, and then directly shared links to the live streaming channels of two video platforms. They encouraged everyone to verify the authenticity of the information with their own eyes.
Not only did the main broadcast of the production team reopen, but also due to some team members being mentally unstable and needing immediate evacuation, the authorities allowed the rescue team to use the production team’s split-screen broadcasting equipment to live broadcast the rescue team escorting these mildly injured individuals down the mountain. This was done to stabilize public opinion and provide a sense of security to everyone due to the reliable performance of the rescue team.
However, for individuals like Liu Yiyi, who had severe injuries or were mentally unstable, it was not advisable to move them immediately. They were temporarily treated in the vacation villa to stabilize their injuries. Later, they would be transported to the hospital for more professional treatment by helicopter.
There were also several production team members who were supposed to stay behind at the base of the mountain, awaiting further instructions from the director’s team. Unfortunately, they lost contact with the director’s team and encountered the blood-red humanoid creatures in the mountain. During the earthquake in the mountain, they didn’t have the guidance and protection of Taoists like the other scattered groups did. As a result, they ended up falling into crevices or tumbling down the mountain, suffering from various external injuries. These injured individuals, who shouldn’t be moved or exposed to further stress, were temporarily kept in the hotel and received emergency medical attention until their condition improved.
These injured individuals who shouldn’t be moved or stimulated were temporarily kept in the hotel and received emergency medical attention until their condition improved.
After receiving comprehensive and detailed information from the authorities, the audience’s long-held anxiety finally subsided. Some more emotional viewers were even overwhelmed by a rollercoaster of emotions, leading to tears of relief.
On social media platforms, the hashtag #GuiMountainEveryoneisHere!!# quickly soared to the top of the real-time trending list within a few minutes, accumulating over tens of millions of real-time discussions.
People followed the provided link by the authorities of Binhai City to directly access the live streams of the production team and the rescue team. They were anxious to witness their safe escape from danger.
Due to the overwhelming number of viewers and the prior abrupt interruption of the production team’s live broadcast, the video platform’s official team had taken notice. Seeing the current situation, they decided to seize the opportunity and prominently featured the show’s live channel on the platform’s homepage, ensuring that anyone visiting the platform would easily notice the program.
This not only accommodated the massive audience and rode on the wave of the incident’s popularity but also earned the platform a favorable reputation for being humane.
The video platform was quite satisfied with this outcome and even posted updates on its official social media accounts, tagging the guests of the show one by one.
However, when they attempted to tag Yan Shixun, they encountered an issue.
“This guy named Yan Shixun seems to not be from the entertainment industry? Why can’t we find his affiliated talent agency and manager? What’s his social media account called? It seems like he doesn’t have one?”
“Let me check… Huh??? It really seems like he doesn’t have one? That can’t be right, can it?”
“Even if he’s not from the entertainment industry, it’s quite strange for a young person these days not to have a social media account. What should we do?”
“Forget it, let’s just post it like this, there’s no time to waste.”
So, under the trending hashtag #GuiMountainEveryoneisHere!!#, everyone eagerly following the developments of this incident on the video platform saw the updates.
@VideoVV: Everyone, rest assured, the entire cast and crew of ‘Heart-Pounding Journey of Ninety-Nine Days’ have returned safely. Thank you for your concern. You can continue watching their live broadcasts here on the video platform. Just click and watch, no need to wait anxiously~ (Our bowl cut editor is here to ask, does anyone know the social media account of the fourth guest, Yan Shixun? Our boss asked our editor to tag Brother Yan, but our editor can’t find Brother Yan’s account! They might get a pay cut, please help our editor.)
Under this official post, they thoughtfully included a grid of images featuring the eight program guests and one tour guide, and they tagged each of them individually.
With such a massive readership and discussion, each guest quickly gained an astonishing number of fans and saw their click-through rates soar.
Among them, An Nanyuan’s fans even doubled!
Even the most popular reality shows and talent competitions in recent years couldn’t bring participants and contestants such a tremendous surge in popularity and followers.
However, this nearly lifeless travel reality show, put together by a new director, accomplished it. A program that no one had high hopes for, and even several prominent reality show influencers mocked its content, suddenly skyrocketed in just a few days, looking like it had the potential to become a top-tier show.
Those who had initially looked down on the show, rejected invitations from director Zhang Wubing, including managers and artists, were now filled with regret, wishing they could turn back time.
——So what if there are ghosts? Wealth and fame come with risks! Besides, it’s not like nobody got hurt, right? It means it’s not really dangerous.
Taking a bold guess, perhaps this was just a new way to generate buzz. Did you not see how some of the guests who participated had their popularity soar? People like Bai Shuang and An Nanyuan, for instance, saw their fanbase even double, and their celebrity status reached a whole new level! Anyone would be envious.
As for the actor who initially accepted the invitation for this travel reality show but then backed out, leading director Zhang Wubing to seek the help of Yan Shixun and bring him in as a last-minute replacement, he was driven to madness by jealousy. He shouted at his agent, claiming that An Nanyuan’s popularity should have been his, and the praise from the audience for Yan Shixun should have been directed at him!
If an unknown amateur like Yan Shixun could achieve such success, then he, with his fame, could do even better!
Many talent agencies that were following this incident were left dumbfounded.
Those with quick reactions had already started emergency meetings, thinking about how to get their own artists into this show.
However, the audience was unaware of and uninterested in the behind-the-scenes happenings.
What they cared about the most right now was, “Why doesn’t Brother Yan have a social media account?!!!”
Filled with such curiosity and with no outlet for their eagerness, the viewers who rushed into the program’s live channel appeared particularly excited and enthusiastic. They had already planned to ask the director about Yan Shixun’s social media account.
They really wanted to become Yan Shixun’s fans. Yan Shixun was so handsome, he danced wildly in their aesthetic preferences, and he was the epitome of muscular beauty.
Give them a chance! Please!
However, as the viewers eagerly entered the live channel, they were met with a sharply defined, close-up shot of a handsome face right in front of the camera.
It was Yan Shixun himself.
The fans were left stunned, and their phones slipped from their hands with a “clatter.”
All those bold and daring comments they had just made on social media, such as “Brother, I’m available!” or “Brother’s muscles look so good!” suddenly disappeared when they were faced with Yan Shixun. They didn’t dare to say a word.
Many viewers were sending barrage messages, eagerly asking Yan Shixun about the condition of the program team members. However, some fans suddenly fell silent and stared at the live screen without daring to speak.
[Even though Brother Yan is really handsome, but… I get a weird feeling like a mouse seeing a cat when I see him. What’s going on? I’m inexplicably intimidated.]
[Me too… Even though Brother Yan was really cool in the live broadcast, handling those ghosts so effortlessly, making me shout ‘So cool! I can do it!’ But facing Brother Yan for real… Sorry, you guys go ahead, I’m afraid Brother Yan will beat me up.]
[The previous barrage messages are hilarious! So timid? Unlike me, I excitedly clicked in, but got scared out of my wits. Brother Yan’s eyes are too sharp, like knives.]
[Brother Yan, is Bai Shuang still okay? She isn’t injured, right? What about the others? I’ve been waiting anxiously, didn’t even have time to eat, just guarding the screen, afraid of missing updates.]
[Me too, as soon as I saw the official announcement, I dared to go to the bathroom. I was about to burst.]
[Uh-oh, I think I saw a message about Liu Yiyi being seriously injured in the live broadcast of the adjacent rescue team. She’s my childhood goddess! So kind-hearted and with a good temper, I hope nothing happened to her.]
[Haha, the person who commented before, did you start watching this live broadcast midway? Liu Yiyi? Kind-hearted and with a good temper? Please go back and watch her performance in the previous episodes of the show. If I hadn’t held back, she wouldn’t be alive.]
[Didn’t she bring it upon herself? She looked down on Brother Yan because he’s an unsigned amateur and made fun of him, even giving him the worst room. But what happened? Her room turned out to be the most haunted! What do you call this? Digging her own grave.]
[What? My Brother Yan is so handsome, and he hasn’t debuted yet??? I don’t believe it!!!]
[I’m dying of laughter, my Brother Yan not only hasn’t debuted, he doesn’t even have social media accounts. Can you believe it? Don’t believe me? Ask him for his social media account.]
[No, no, I’m too scared. I knelt down as soon as I saw Brother Yan’s seemingly man-eating gaze. I dare not ask that.]
[Actually, me too….]
……
Yan Shixun watched the barrage messages scrolling rapidly on the live channel of the tablet and his face turned completely dark, his gaze devoid of warmth.
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