Chapter 19 Welcome Home
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If domestic films were considered the lowest point in the horror film industry, then R-country’s horror movies were the best. Before the apocalypse, these movies were incredibly famous worldwide and had a large fanbase. Some even inspired fanfiction works because of their high popularity. As a result, after the fusion of two dimensions, R-country became the center of catastrophe movies.
Everyone knew about tsunamis and earthquakes, and a few famous tokusatsu movies were enough to entertain the locals. In these movies, the heroes fought against monsters, but in reality, they would accidentally smash your newly bought car while battling those monsters.
Additionally, the more popular the two-dimensional works, the stronger the characters’ abilities. For example, in a lesser-known novel, no matter how powerful the main character was described, their fused abilities wouldn’t even reach one percent of their strength in the book.
However, if we used a protagonist from a popular novel… the effect would be different. The popularity and dedication of fans determined the strength of these characters, and the same goes for the villains in the books. Because of this, a few years after the fusion of worlds, two-dimensional creations were almost entirely banned, and people were no longer allowed to watch old works. After all, anything you create could potentially appear in reality, and watching old works might increase their popularity, causing the strength of the two-dimensional characters to grow stronger…
“The Misty Grudge” was the top-grossing film of the year, creating a fusion zone in its wake. However, the “Ghost Stain” that Lin Zhaohe encountered was probably a low-budget horror movie that even Qi Ming couldn’t recall, so its influence was limited.
Nonetheless, even with its limitations, it was still a horror film.
Trembling and on the verge of tears, Lin Zhaohe sat in the car, contrasting sharply with the brave fighter he had been moments ago, battling villagers on the cliff. It was hard to fathom that they were one and the same.
“Can I avoid going back?” Lin Zhaohe’s face contorted in anguish at the thought of the creature lurking on his ceiling at home. “At the very least, please don’t make me sleep there tonight…”
“Well, here’s an idea,” Qi Ming pondered. “Find a hotel, and I’ll stay by your side for the night, just to see if you’ll end up going back or not.”
“Alright,” Lin Zhaohe agreed. “But can we still find the plot? How could all the films in the company suddenly vanish…”
Qi Ming: “Don’t worry, I’ll help you search again. We’ll definitely find it before your demise.”
Qi Ming’s kindness touched Lin Zhaohe deeply. He said, “Brother, you’ve been so good to me. When I pass away, your place will be reserved on my tombstone.” Qi Ming replied, “Brother, there’s no need for that. Tombstones are quite expensive nowadays, and you might not be able to afford one.”
Lin Zhaohe wondered, “The boss wouldn’t let us be unable to afford a tombstone, right?”
Zhuang Lao: “…” Waiting there for me?
Zhang Xiaoxiao almost applauded Lin Zhaohe’s technique for negotiating a salary raise. He thought to himself that higher wages must have their reasons, and Lin Zhaohe didn’t let any opportunity slip by.
After a few hours of driving, they finally left the fusion zone. Once they departed, the sky immediately cleared up, and the radiant sunshine uplifted their moods.
Arriving near the company, Qi Ming found a hotel for Lin Zhaohe to stay and assured him that he would return to the company to search for the original film. He would join Lin Zhaohe later in the evening.
Lin Zhaohe expressed gratitude and sincerely thanked him.
After spending a few tense days in the village without proper rest, Lin Zhaohe quickly freshened up in the hotel and climbed into bed to sleep.
The hotel bed was delightfully soft and comfortable. He felt as if lying on a fluffy cloud. Lin Zhaohe closed his eyes, and soon his relaxed body sank into a deep, dreamless sleep.
It was only when a knocking sound echoed that he was roused from his slumber.
Lin Zhaohe, feeling groggy, climbed out of bed and made his way to the door. He asked, “Who’s there?”
“It’s me,” a voice that faintly resembled Qi Ming’s replied. “Open the door.”
Lin Zhaohe responded with a puzzled “Oh” and reached out to twist the doorknob. To his surprise, there was nothing outside. It was empty, devoid of any presence.
He stood rooted to the spot for a brief moment, but quickly regained his senses.
Returning to the room, Lin Zhaohe dialed Qi Ming’s number and inquired about his whereabouts.
“Still at the company,” Qi Ming replied. “Isn’t it strange? We couldn’t find the film earlier, but I searched again, and tada, I actually found it!”
Lin Zhaohe perked up upon hearing the news that the film had been located. “Did you manage to obtain the film source?”
“Yes, I’ll come over right away,” Qi Ming said. “Wait for me at the hotel.”
Lin Zhaohe wanted to say something more, but Qi Ming had already ended the call.
Wait a moment, if Qi Ming was still at the company, then what was that creature that knocked on the door just now? And it seemed like he even opened the door and let something in…
Lin Zhaohe shivered and glanced around the empty room, feeling like something was amiss. He swallowed nervously, considering the idea of switching rooms once Qi Ming arrived.
Fortunately, Qi Ming arrived swiftly, panting as he knocked on Lin Zhaohe’s door, holding a DVD in his hand.
“Let’s change rooms and watch it,” Lin Zhaohe quickly suggested upon seeing him. “There’s something off about this room.”
Qi Ming asked, “What’s wrong?”
Lin Zhaohe briefly explained the incident with the door being knocked, and Qi Ming agreed, saying, “Let’s switch rooms then. I’ll ask the hotel.”
He made a phone call and went out for a moment. When he returned, he had a new room key and helped Lin Zhaohe carry his luggage to the guest room downstairs.
Lin Zhaohe was getting a bit impatient. He was eager to see what this “Ghost Stain” was all about.
Qi Ming pulled the curtains closed, dimmed the room lights, and connected the hotel’s projector to his phone screen.
The film was quite old, with a blurry image quality, but from the language and architectural style, it was evident that it was an R-country horror film. The movie began with a woman being killed in a gruesome manner, and her body was left untouched, casually lying in the middle of the room.
Perhaps the air conditioning in the room was too low, as Lin Zhaohe couldn’t help but feel a bit chilly. He whispered, “Have you seen this before?”
“Yep,” Qi Ming sat beside him, the dim light making it difficult for Lin Zhaohe to discern his expression or gauge whether his colleague was afraid or not.
“I’m a little scared,” Lin Zhaohe admitted honestly.
“Scared of what?” Qi Ming asked. “It’s noon, when Yang energy is at its strongest.”
Lin Zhaohe lifted his hand to check the time on his watch and indeed, it was exactly noon. According to logic, the temperature should be at its highest during this time. However, Lin Zhaohe couldn’t shake off the feeling of coldness. He touched his own arm and discovered unexplained goosebumps forming on his skin.
The screen flickered, revealing a young man moving into a new home. Unluckily for him, he moved in directly below a deceased woman’s apartment. On the second day of his move, a dark stain appeared on the ceiling above him… The plot seemed eerily familiar to Lin Zhaohe, who watched with a spine-chilling sensation.
Qi Ming, on the other hand, remained unaffected. He didn’t even shift his gaze, fully engrossed in the movie before him. He remarked, “Lying on the floor doesn’t seem comfortable.”
Lin Zhaohe: “What did you say?”
Qi Ming: “It’s nothing.”
Lin Zhaohe swallowed nervously, unable to bear it any longer. He stood up and pulled open the curtains.
It was exactly noon, and the sunlight should have been scorching, but for some unknown reason, there was no warmth when it touched his body. The cold sensation on Lin Zhaohe’s skin grew stronger, and he felt something was amiss. He was about to ask Qi Ming if he felt the same when his phone suddenly received a message.
The screen displayed the name “Qi Ming,” conspicuously visible.
Lin Zhaohe felt puzzled. Wasn’t Qi Ming right in front of him? Why would he send a message instead?
Unlocking his phone, Lin Zhaohe’s blood ran cold as he read the contents of Qi Ming’s message.
Qi Ming: Brother Lin, great news! I found the source of that movie online! I’ll come over shortly, and we can watch it together!
Lin Zhaohe: “… ” He slowly turned his head to look at the person sitting in front of him—Qi Ming.
Qi Ming was still at the company, but then who was the person watching the movie with him right now?
The film continued playing on the screen, reaching the part where the young man, bothered by the water stain, decided to go upstairs to investigate. As he reached the upper floor, he discovered that there was no one living there… Intrigued, the courageous young man decided to enter the room and explore the situation further…
“Aren’t you going to watch?” Qi Ming, facing away from Lin Zhaohe, whispered softly, “Aren’t you going to watch?”
Lin Zhaohe didn’t respond. He slowly began to retreat towards the direction of the door.
Qi Ming sat there quietly, his voice starting to sound hoarse, mixed with a woman’s melancholic tone, “Don’t you want to see me?” He turned his head, looking at Lin Zhaohe. “I’ll accompany you, let’s watch together.”
As the words fell, Qi Ming’s face contorted and transformed. His hair rapidly lengthened several inches, instantly taking on the appearance of the female ghost that Lin Zhaohe had seen before.
The scene before Lin Zhaohe terrified him to the core. After letting out a scream, he turned and tried to run—only to find that the door was locked. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t open it. All he could hear was the increasingly closer sound of crawling behind him. Then, a cold liquid flowed down Lin Zhaohe’s neck, making its way onto his shoulder. Black strands of hair enveloped his field of vision from top to bottom.
“AHHHHHHHHH—HELP, HELLLLLLLP—” Lin Zhaohe screamed in madness, desperately kicking at the door in front of him. With his efforts, the door was finally kicked open. However, instead of the hotel corridor, he was met with a familiar setting.
He saw his own room and the prominently displayed black water stain at the center of the ceiling.
He ran forward, only to find himself back where he started. He moved backward, but the entity was right behind him. Finally, Lin Zhaohe chose the third path. His vision went black, and he collapsed softly onto the ground. As consciousness faded away, so did the fear.
It was such a relief to faint, Lin Zhaohe sighed with gratitude.
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