Listen to me sister, we cant just go around slitting our throats.
Hu Shuo covered his neck and took a few steps back, looking at her with a wary expression.
“That makes sense! If you kill the wrong person, you’ll be a murderer!” another Hu Shuo chimed in.
“My neck hurts just watching.”
“Your moves are really ruthless.”
Tong Yang said with a half-smile, “I won’t kill the wrong person. I won’t act unless I’m completely sure.”
After all, Tong Yang didn’t want to bear the label of a murderer more than anyone else present.
It had been a tough journey to get to this point, and with everything in the future looking predictable, she wouldn’t let her life be ruined in an instant.
Tong Yang pulled a chair over and sat down, one leg crossed over the chair, the other knee propped up, her right hand playing with a butterfly knife as she squinted at the similar faces around her. “We have about eight minutes left. Let’s talk about which world’s script you all have.”
Hu Shuo raised his hand, “Real world, no script. I unlocked a plot in a shop and came out.”
Another Hu Shuo said, “Parallel world, just a security guard from Tan Wanqi’s script. Didn’t do anything, nothing happened.”
Zhou Jingyun said, “Real world.”
Another Zhou Jingyun said, “Parallel world.”
Tao Bai smiled with his eyes, “Real world.”
Another Tao Bai showed a similar smile, “Parallel world.”
Chu Shiyu said, “I don’t have a script. The plot I encountered should be from the real world.”
Another Chu Shiyu said, “Parallel world, from Tan Wanqi’s script.”
“If we divide the scripts of the real world and the parallel world into A and B, you are each from A world and B world. First, let’s figure out how to separate A and B.”
Xu Junyue crossed her arms and stood behind Tong Yang. Hearing this, she excitedly pulled out her butterfly knife and said, “What if we draw an X on all the faces in A world? Tong Yang, what do you think?”
“Xu Junyue, shut up!”
“Can you act like a decent person? We’re friends! Friends for several years!”
“How about I draw an X on your face?”
Xu Junyue said confidently, “So what? Drawing an X on the face is so cool!”
“Why don’t you draw it yourself?”
“I’ll draw it, and you all will too? Whoever doesn’t draw is a dog.”
“Get lost!”
“Xu Junyue, you’re a lunatic.”
Chu Shiyu suggested, “How about cutting hair?”
Tong Yang thought for a moment, “Sure.”
“Ah? I don’t want to! My hair is my lifeline!”
“Why do you care so much about your hair as a guy? Plus, you have a buzz cut; it’ll grow back in two days!”
“You don’t understand anything! What’s wrong with being a guy? What’s wrong with a buzz cut?”
Chu Shiyu explained, “If we can mark each other in a way that doesn’t harm anyone, it might be replaceable. Cutting hair makes it obvious.”
Tong Yang nodded, “Good point. So, should A world people cut their hair or B world?”
“BBB!” Hu Shuo protected his head and dove into the crowd.
Chu Shiyu said, “Hair will grow back anyway; I have no objections.”
“Then let’s cut it in B world.”
A world represents the real world, while B world represents the parallel world; A world is the real script where personal plots are unlocked in shops, while B world is the parallel script of the Tan Wanqi death case with gaps.
Not finding scissors, Xu Junyue used the butterfly knife to shorten the hair for B world.
When it was B world Chu Shiyu’s turn, she saw three boys with haircuts that looked like they were chewed by a dog, and she resolutely declared she would do it herself.
She twisted her hair into a strand and slowly cut it with the blade. To be honest, it didn’t look any better than what Xu Junyue had done.
But that was fine; a messy cut couldn’t possibly be identical.
Tong Yang looked at the people present. Besides herself, He Jingjing, He Jingjing, and Xu Junyue, there were eight people from the other two worlds, making a total of twelve.
It was basically impossible to completely distinguish them in just a few minutes; they could only take it step by step.
Moreover, they still couldn’t figure out what the parallel world was doing mixed in with them.
Aside from that, there was only He Jingjing left.
Tong Yang turned her gaze to her, and He Jingjing immediately glared at her, looking tense and on guard.
“Sister, I’m fine.” He Jingjing smiled and gently pushed her away.
Tong Yang thought for a moment and asked, “Where’s the real He Jingjing?”
Since He Jingjing had already been replaced by someone from the parallel world, the real He Jingjing in the real world was most likely dead.
He Jingjing’s emotions immediately became agitated, “What nonsense are you talking about? She is the real Jingjing!”
Even though He Jingjing was still deceiving herself, the few who initially didn’t believe Tong Yang had already stopped doubting her words after what had just happened.
After all, it was because they chose He Jingjing that they ended the chaotic situation.
He Jingjing’s expression became somewhat complicated as she comfortingly held her sister’s hand and then said, “There is no real He Jingjing.”
Tong Yang pursed her lips, her gaze deepening.
“What?” A world Hu Shuo asked suspiciously.
“Jingjing, what do you mean by that?” B world Hu Shuo also looked confused.
B world Zhou Jingyun, with his messy white hair, frowned so hard he could crush a mosquito, “Don’t joke around; this isn’t funny at all.”
“Jingjing…” He Jingjing stared at her in a daze, her eyes turning red, “What are you talking about? What do you mean there is no real Jingjing? You are the real He Jingjing! The Jingjing who grew up with me!”
He Jingjing shook her head, “Sister, there was originally no He Jingjing in this world.”
He Jingjing shook her head in a daze, “You’re talking nonsense… Are you crazy? Are you sick? Let’s go see a doctor; let’s go back and find Mom and Dad…”
Tong Yang said, “In the real world, He Jingjing was never born?”
He Jingjing lowered her eyes, “Yeah.”
“He Jingjing! How can you say that?! What does that mean? Are you joking? My sister, who grew up with me, never existed? Are you all out of your minds?”
“Hu Shuo? Xu Junyue? Zhou Jingyun… Tao Bai… you all know Jingjing, you know my sister. How could she have never existed?”
He Jingjing said, “Sister, you know Mom’s health isn’t good, and it wasn’t just after we were born that her health declined. She couldn’t possibly have twins; there are no precedents for twins in our family. Even if Mom did get pregnant with twins, only one could survive.”
Tong Yang narrowed her eyes, “But with the appearance of the He Jingjing from the parallel world, plus you, why did your mom have twins in the parallel world?”
He Jingjing tightened her lips, “Gene drug.”
“Gene drug? What’s that?”
“A very terrifying thing that can alter human genes, and the extraction method is extremely cruel. The main component is a nerve from the human brain, which is something the upper class loves.”
“Will people who have their nerves extracted die?”
“No, they will become mindless zombies, no longer consuming resources.”
Tong Yang fell into deep thought. Based on this statement and analyzing the humans she had encountered from the parallel world, they were divided into three categories: the first type, those who had their brain nerves extracted, becoming the obedient lower class; the second type, those who continuously self-destructed to reduce resource consumption, forming the middle class; and the third type, the upper class enjoying all resources and gene drugs.
“So you were sent to the real world since childhood, and during this time, you kept in contact with the parallel world?”
He Jingjing nodded, “Yes.”
“Why? What is the purpose?”
He Jingjing lowered her head and remained silent for a long time.
“I…” He Jingjing bit her lip, “I don’t want to hurt you or my family.”
Tong Yang’s pupils constricted, “Your goal is to integrate into the real world?”
“Yeah…” He Jingjing lowered her eyelids, not daring to look at the expressions on the faces of others.
“Are there many people like you who entered the real world?”
He Jingjing said, “Due to certain restrictions, there can’t be more than fifty people like me in the real world; otherwise, any extra people will mysteriously die.”
If that’s the case, the total number of people like He Jingjing who were sent into the real world wouldn’t exceed fifty, which didn’t pose an immediate threat.
The reason for their restriction should be due to the existence of the time anchor, right?
She suddenly thought of Ye Huai; could he also be one of the fifty?
“What else do you know about the parallel world? For example, how do they cross space?”
Tong Yang also wanted to know the limit on the number of people that “Tong Yang” had mentioned before and whether it was related to the fifty people He Jingjing spoke of.
He Jingjing shook her head, “I don’t know. I’ve never been to the parallel world; all this information is what ‘Mom’ told me.”
“Why… if you’re not Jingjing… why would…” He Jingjing murmured.
He Jingjing said, “Sister, there are more people mixed into the real world than just me; they could exist in various industries. From the beginning, Mom and Dad were deceived.”
“Sister, I never thought of hurting you. I also… really like it here and don’t want to go back to the parallel world. It’s very scary there, even in the upper class.” He Jingjing’s eyelashes fluttered, transparent tears hanging on her lashes, swaying precariously.
Tong Yang asked, “Is today’s incident related to you?”
He Jingjing shook her head, wiping away her tears, “I don’t know. ‘Mom’ just told me to hide my identity and not expose it before they enter the real world.”
“Tong Yang, kill me. I don’t want to go back to the parallel world. I also don’t want to hurt you…”
“No! You can’t hurt Jingjing! She hasn’t done anything! She’s innocent!” He Jingjing suddenly lunged in front of her, her face marked with obvious tear stains, not allowing anyone to approach her sister.
“Even if she’s from the parallel world, so what? She won’t hurt us! People from the parallel world are just like us! They’re just us from another world; why must we kill them? Tong Yang, you act without distinguishing right from wrong; you’re the one who’s more terrifying! They’re just ordinary people!”
Xu Junyue extended a finger and waved it in the air, “No, no, no! They’re not ordinary people. Have you ever seen an ordinary person use human brain nerves to make gene drugs?”
B world Chu Shiyu sighed, “Jingjing, the parallel world is much scarier than you and I can imagine. Their goal is to replace people in the real world and enjoy the resources of the real world. If we don’t act against them, we will be the ones who die.”
“I don’t care about any parallel world or real world! You can’t hurt Jingjing!”
Tong Yang shot Xu Junyue a sideways glance and asked, “You really can go through with it against your friend?”
Xu Junyue said, “For the common good of humanity, even if I can’t do it, I will.”
“Don’t rush to act; there are a few more dangerous people over there.” Tong Yang pointedly looked at a few people who were the same in both A and B worlds.
A world Tao Bai asked, “Tong Yang, are you sure the people from the parallel world will definitely harm us?”
Tong Yang said, “Don’t ask such stupid questions. Our presence here is the best proof.”
B world Zhou Jingyun frowned, “What do you know?”
“I only know that you don’t want to die here and want to live and return to the real world, so it’s best to listen to me and stay alert to the people around you.”
“Although I can’t tell who among you is from the parallel world for now, you all know in your hearts. If you want to survive, cooperate with me as much as possible, don’t act rashly, and find a way to gain my trust. Besides that, you have no other choice.”
Tong Yang put away the butterfly knife and stood up from her seat, “As for He Jingjing, you all better be cautious. If she makes any strange moves, you can kill her directly without mercy.”
Tong Yang’s gaze swept over everyone present as she said, “Please remember one thing: any hesitation, retreat, and useless kindness here will become a blade that stabs you.”
“Time is 10:10 PM. Please players enter the eighth floor along the passage.”
The corridor lights lit up one by one, forming a bright passage.
At the end of the passage, the escalator leading to the eighth floor, which had been sealed off, began to operate.
“Let’s go,” Tong Yang said.
“I wonder what the situation is on the eighth floor?”
“The script says the venue is on the 7th to 9th floors. We won’t have to go to the ninth floor afterward, right? Do we have to go through the same thing twice again?”
“No way! I can’t take it anymore!”
…
[Eighth floor, eighth floor, eighth floor!]
[Watching from behind the screen is so comfortable, though I feel a bit sorry for them.]
[Wait a minute, I can’t figure this out. Although there are two people from the same A and B worlds, they know who is from the real world. Why does Tong Jie want them to not act rashly? Wouldn’t it be better to let the real world kill their parallel world selves?]
[No way! The margin for error is too low! If the real world can act against the parallel world, the parallel world can also act against the real world. There’s a fifty percent chance that the one who dies is from the real world, which is too dangerous. I also think it’s better to hold off until we can recognize them.]
[So the people from the parallel world won’t act against them?]
[So far, it seems that way. They haven’t directly exposed their intentions.]
Tong Yang indeed had such plans.
[Then what about He Jingjing?]
[He Jingjing provided some information about the parallel world, and the information she and Tong Jie understood matched up, so she probably isn’t lying.]
[But after all, she’s from the parallel world. We can’t just pretend nothing happened, right?]
[Let’s see what Tong Jie plans to do.]
Tong Yang hadn’t figured out what to do about He Jingjing yet.
She knew He Jingjing wasn’t lying. The things she encountered in the parallel world at the Experimental Middle School didn’t seem like normal thinking beings. They had most likely had some nerve extracted from their brains, turning them into obedient slaves.
As for whether to kill her, at least for now, she didn’t pose a threat. They could decide later.
The group walked through the bright corridor and arrived at the escalator.
As they rode the escalator to the eighth floor, the lights in the seventh-floor corridor went out one after another, returning to pitch-black darkness.
The situation on the eighth floor was not much different from the seventh, with only a dim light above the escalator, while other areas remained engulfed in endless darkness.
Once everyone left the escalator and stood on the eighth floor, a black blackout curtain suddenly dropped from above, blocking the escalator entrance and completely separating the eighth floor from the seventh.
Instantly, the surroundings became pitch black.
“What are we doing up here?”
“Shh! Don’t talk.”
“Beep—”
A beam of light suddenly lit up on the right side, revealing a woman in a red wedding dress covered by a red veil standing in the light.
“Damn!”
“You scared me!”
Behind the woman was a pale wall, and the light shone down from above her head.
She stood quietly in place, holding a red handkerchief, her nails painted bright red, her skin so pale it was almost the same color as the wall.
“What does this mean?”
Before the crowd could react, the light on the right suddenly brightened.
They turned to look, and a man dressed in clothing from the Qing Dynasty stood straight in the light, a yellow talisman stuck to his forehead, his arms stiffly extended in the air.
“I know him!”
“Isn’t that a zombie?!”
“Then what’s over here…”
“A female ghost!”
“No way? I can accept that there are people from the parallel world, but I can’t accept that there are ghosts in the real world!”
“They can’t move, right?”
“If they do, I’m really going to die. I’m not joking!”
[What the hell? A zombie? Is it that thrilling?]
[The eighth floor can’t be a ghostly survival game, right?]
[Thanks, I’d rather have zombies than ghosts.]
[So thrilling, so thrilling!]
Tong Yang thought it was unlikely; the parallel world didn’t belong to supernatural phenomena. The multiverse wasn’t entirely impossible, but she didn’t really believe in spirits.
With a loud bang, LED lights suddenly lit up not far down the passage, revealing an advertisement: Midnight Cinema.
“A cinema?”
“Right! In the parallel world script, wasn’t there a movie at 8:40?”
“But 8:40 has long passed!”
“Beep beep—”
A machine made a sound, and the lights under the advertisement lit up.
There was a counter selling popcorn and cola, with two expressionless salespeople standing behind it, dressed in black uniforms, their faces pale, with bloodshot eyes, staring wide-eyed.
“The movie will start in ten minutes. Please collect your movie tickets and snacks.”
Based on what had happened on the seventh floor, they needed to complete the corresponding tasks to end the game and enter the next venue, so there was no other choice.
Tong Yang stepped forward first, and the salesperson said, “Please choose popcorn or fries.”
“Fries.”
“Please wait a moment.”
The salesperson scooped some fries from a closed cabinet, while the other operated the drink machine, filling a cup with cola.
[The parallel world has quite a sense of ceremony; they prepare snacks and drinks even after killing a few people.]
[I’m done; I feel like something will definitely go wrong when we enter the cinema.]
[Oh no, I hope this doesn’t give me psychological trauma!]
“This is your snack and drink. Your movie ticket is here. Please watch the movie strictly according to the screening hall and seat number.”
Looking into the paper bucket containing fries, Tong Yang saw that it wasn’t fries at all but some pale, unevenly sized fingers, while the transparent drink cup sealed with a lid contained a reddish-brown liquid, with a faint smell of something foul.
“Please enter.” Another salesperson opened the side gate, bowing to Tong Yang and making a “please” gesture.
It seemed they needed to separate and enter the screening hall individually.
Tong Yang picked up the items and glanced back at the others.
“Wait for us!”
“What will we do if you go in first?”
“Did they really prepare fries and cola?”
Tong Yang tilted the contents of the paper bucket slightly, immediately hearing a gasp.
“Are you crazy? I’d rather die than eat fries!”
“Be careful.” Tong Yang reminded, then walked alone into the screening hall passage.
“Don’t! Aren’t you scared?”
“Sister! Sister! What will we do if you leave?”
“Damn! I feel no sense of security with you all. I want to find Tong Yang!”
A world Hu Shuo rushed to the counter in two or three steps, “I want popcorn!”
“Okay.”
A few seconds later, the salesperson placed the paper bucket, drink cup, and movie ticket in front of him.
A world Hu Shuo saw what was in the paper bucket and immediately turned pale, covering his mouth and dry heaving, “I don’t want this…”
“Sorry, snacks can’t be exchanged.”
Another salesperson opened the gate, “Please enter.”
“Please watch the movie strictly according to the screening hall and seat number.”
A world Hu Shuo held the items in his hands, fighting back nausea, and looked back at the others with teary eyes, “Don’t choose popcorn.”
“What is it?”
He tilted the paper bucket, revealing the contents: a bunch of popped eyeballs, even oozing disgusting fluids.
“Ugh—”
“So gross!”
“This is the parallel world’s snack??”
“I’d rather choose fries!”
“Wait—what’s in that drink?”
“Could it be what I think it is?”
…
Tong Yang walked into the enclosed passage, where there were no streetlights, only the number sign outside the screening hall shining with dim light.
The movie ticket indicated Screening Hall No. 3, Seat No. 06-07, which meant the seventh seat in the sixth row.
The passage was silent, and the walls on both sides seemed to be covered with some eerily atmospheric posters that could only be seen clearly when close.
“Tong Yang, wait for me!”
Suddenly, a terrified voice came from behind in the passage.
Tong Yang turned around to see A world Hu Shuo running towards her frantically.
“Help me… help me… I don’t want this thing!” He rushed to Tong Yang’s side, tears welling in his eyes, clearly frightened.
Tong Yang glanced at his paper bucket and immediately averted her gaze in disgust, “I don’t want it either.”
“What should we do? Can we just throw it away? It’s too disgusting! Are the people from the parallel world sick? This is an eye!”
Tong Yang nodded, unable to deny it, “Be confident; the people from the parallel world are indeed sick.”
“But I don’t recommend you throw it away. If there’s a place where you need it later, you’re done for.”
A world Hu Shuo was on the verge of tears, “I’ll never eat popcorn again!”
Tong Yang stared at him for a few seconds and suddenly asked, “Which Tao Bai do you think is from the parallel world?”
“Huh?” A world Hu Shuo was taken aback, “I don’t know; I can’t tell. They don’t seem different.”
“Then are you from the parallel world?”
“I’m not! I’m definitely not! They’re all sick!”
Tong Yang looked at him thoughtfully, “You seem to cherish your hair a lot, even if it’s just a buzz cut.”
“Of course!”
“Look at B world Hu Shuo! His head is left with only scalp after Xu Junyue cut it!”
“Wait, you don’t suspect me, do you?”
“Guess.” Tong Yang smiled meaningfully, neither confirming nor denying, her attitude somewhat ambiguous.
“Damn! Don’t just stab me if you disagree! Even if I die, let me die clearly!”
Tong Yang shrugged, “Don’t worry; I won’t harm you before you do anything strange.”
A world Hu Shuo immediately breathed a sigh of relief, “That’s good.”
“What about you? You won’t suddenly act against me, right?” Tong Yang looked at him warily, “You’re a man; I might not be able to beat you in a one-on-one.”
A world Hu Shuo rolled his eyes, “You’re from the real world; why would I act against you?”
“That’s true.” Tong Yang nodded.
“What screening hall are you in?” A world Hu Shuo asked.
Tong Yang was surprised and replied, “Aren’t we in the same screening hall?”
“I don’t know.”
Tong Yang looked at Screening Hall No. 3 next to her and said, “I’m in No. 3.”
“What seat?”
“04-07,” Tong Yang said without changing her expression.
A world Hu Shuo turned pale, “I’m in Hall No. 2. What should I do?”
Tong Yang said, “Just wait here for the others. There should be someone in the same screening hall as you.”
A few minutes later, the others gradually entered the screening passage.
“What did you choose?”
“Fries.”
“Fries.”
“Fries.”
“After seeing your popcorn, who would still choose popcorn?”
“Damn! If I had known, I would have waited for you to choose first!”
Tong Yang asked, “Which screening hall are you in?”
“Hall No. 3.”
“Hall No. 3.”
“Hall No. 2.”
“Hall No. 1.”
Although it looked like there was a lot of space here and the corridor was long and dark, everyone gathered in the first three screening halls.
Tong Yang, He Jingjing, He Jingjing, and B world Chu Shiyu were in Screening Hall No. 3; A world Hu Shuo, Xu Junyue, B world Zhou Jingyun, and A world Tao Bai were in Hall No. 2; A world Chu Shiyu, B world Hu Shuo, A world Zhou Jingyun, and B world Tao Bai were in Hall No. 1.
“Everyone, stay safe.”
“Let’s go.”
The twelve people entered their respective screening halls.
The screening hall was dark, with no lights on, and the seats were pitch black. The space seemed much larger than expected, and footsteps echoed, making it feel very empty.
Once Tong Yang and the other three entered Screening Hall No. 3, the blue sensor lights installed on the steps lit up, illuminating a small area at their feet.
Tong Yang said, “Let’s find our seats first.”
“Oh…”
“What row and seat are you in?”
The two sisters, He Jingjing, were in rows 09 and 12, while B world Chu Shiyu was in row 08, with no pattern to the seat numbers.
Tong Yang was at the front, walking towards the tiered seats when suddenly the sensor light next to seat 01-01 lit up, revealing an arm in her line of sight.
At the same time, she heard a terrified gasp from behind.
Tong Yang followed the light to look at the seat, where a blurry figure sat, and in the dim light, the first row in the darkness was almost filled with people.
“Be careful,” Tong Yang whispered, then continued walking up.
B world Chu Shiyu followed closely behind her, while He Jingjing and He Jingjing walked at the back.
As they stepped up the stairs, the sensor lights lit up one after another, and in every row of seats, there were some indistinct figures sitting. Due to the unclear light, they could barely see the path ahead, and Tong Yang couldn’t tell if they were living people or some sculptures or props.
Finally, reaching the sixth row, seat seven was in the middle, requiring them to pass through six adjacent seats.
There was also a figure sitting in position 06-01. Tong Yang entered the narrow aisle, inevitably brushing against the body of the person sitting in the seat. The sensation on her leg was hard to distinguish, and Tong Yang didn’t continue to investigate, quickly making her way to seat seven.
Sure enough, only her seat was empty, with others sitting on both sides.
The other three, despite feeling extremely scared, still gritted their teeth and passed through the seats occupied by indistinct figures to sit in their respective seats.
The sensor lights on the steps all went out, and Screening Hall No. 3 fell into a dead silence.
Tong Yang held the paper bucket containing fingers and placed the drink cup, which emitted a foul smell, in the cup holder on her left.
Not long after, the large screen at the front of the screening hall slowly lit up, and the dim light finally revealed the surrounding outlines.
Tong Yang looked to her left and right; they weren’t sculptures or props but living people.
The light from the big screen wasn’t bright, and Tong Yang observed carefully. They were wearing loose clothing, their hands hidden in their sleeves, their eyes tightly closed, and their eyelids sunken. In the cold light, their skin was as white as transparent ice, and it was unclear whether they were still alive.
Tong Yang looked around, and in every row of Screening Hall No. 3, there were seven or eight people sitting, all dressed the same, in the same posture, with the same expression. Aside from slight differences in appearance, everything else looked like a copy-paste.
The big screen was temporarily blank, emitting light but showing no images.
Tong Yang furrowed her brows and grabbed the wrist of the person in the left seat, pulling back their sleeve. Her fingers touched cold skin, and sensing something was off, she looked down to see that his right hand was left with only a bare palm, the fingers completely severed from the base.
Tong Yang’s breath hitched, and she immediately checked the person in the right seat, pulling back their wide sleeve, and sure enough, all the fingers had been cut off!
Looking at their sunken eyelids in the shadows, Tong Yang realized that these people’s fingers and eyeballs had been treated as so-called “snacks,” so what about this reddish-brown liquid that emitted a strong foul smell…
Tong Yang gritted her teeth, pressing her fingers against that person’s wrist, feeling a weak pulse. They were still alive?
“Welcome, audience, to the Midnight Cinema. Next, we will present ‘The Bride’.”
The images gradually appeared on the big screen.
A bride dressed in bright red stood against the wall, her red veil covering her face, her hands painted with bright red, holding a red handkerchief.
Behind her, there was an invisible door in the white wall, and a hand pushed the door open, resting on the bride’s shoulder.
That hand casually lifted the veil, caressing the bride’s neck.
The bride stood stiffly like a puppet, allowing that hand to do as it pleased.
“Crack!”
Suddenly, that hand grabbed the bride’s neck and forcefully twisted it back, the sound of bones breaking echoed as her head bent at a nearly ninety-degree angle backward, the bright red veil slowly sliding off her face.
The scene became increasingly brutal and bloody.
Tong Yang heard He Jingjing’s sobs from behind.
For ordinary people, such images were too terrifying. That hand ruthlessly tortured the bride, twisting her body into positions that humans could never achieve. The hand’s movements were so casual, as if all the bride’s bones had already been shattered.
What was even more chilling was the bride’s numb expression.
Under such torment, she couldn’t possibly still be alive, yet no matter how she was treated, she kept her eyes open, staring vacantly and numbly at the camera, as if she were looking straight at Tong Yang through the screen.
Having witnessed the cruelty of the parallel world countless times, Tong Yang’s heart still tightened painfully at this scene.
Because this bride was the one they had seen after entering the eighth floor, next to the escalator; because when the red veil fell, the bride revealed her face, which was identical to that of her twin sister.
There was even a deep knife mark left by Tong Yang on her neck.
Even though Tong Yang had personally killed the He Jingjing from the parallel world, seeing such a bizarre and horrifying scene stirred her heart, let alone He Jingjing herself.
Tong Yang turned her eyes away, but the sound of the bride’s bones breaking echoed clearly and unmistakably.
[Tong Jie, what are you doing? That sound gives me chills.]
[Are you all okay? It’s been a while since I heard any sound.]
[What movie are they showing? Why is it just the sound of cracking?]
[Tong Jie? Can you speak?]
“Don’t ask; you wouldn’t want to know what that sound is.”
Tong Yang’s voice was heavy, tinged with a hint of hoarseness.
[Okay, I’m someone who listens to advice.]
[I won’t ask anymore.]
[Just listening feels terrifying.]
[What on earth is going on?]
“I don’t know.”
About half an hour passed, and the image on the screen froze, stopping at “He Jingjing’s” calm face.
“The movie is closing. Please players do not waste resources; consume your snacks and drinks before leaving the screening hall.”
[What snacks? What drinks?]
[What Tong Jie received.]
[What are those? Their reactions just now didn’t seem like normal snacks.]
[Wake up! This is the parallel world; how could there be normal snacks!]
[Then who said they were eyeballs?]
“Please note, if you have discarded the food, players will be punished and become the next movie’s protagonist.”
“What…”
“Eat it?”
“Are you crazy…”
The other three sitting in different positions had completely lost their minds.
They had to eat these things to leave the screening hall?
“Alternatively, you can share the food and drinks with others around you. After they consume them, players can also leave the screening hall.”
Tong Yang stared blankly at the big screen, the voice from the broadcast echoing in her ears.
Suddenly realizing that compared to putting them to death, those hiding in the darkness were merely humiliating them at will.
They showed them disgusting images, made them do disgusting things, and then forced them to bring the contents of the paper bucket to the mouths of their owners.
In the three screening halls, the protagonists of the movie were probably the people who appeared in three different places during the journey from the eighth floor escalator to the screening hall.
The bride by the wall, the zombie with the yellow talisman, and the two salespeople behind the counter.
They didn’t need to do anything, nor did they harm them; they just repeatedly humiliated, tortured, and toyed with them.
Tong Yang’s hands resting on her knees clenched into fists, her expression darkening frighteningly.
Make them eat these things or have others eat them?
It seemed she couldn’t just blindly follow the rules anymore; those hiding in the darkness seemed to treat her like a good student who would obediently listen.
Those people hiding in unknown places were probably wondering whether they would choose to eat it themselves or give it to others around them.
Tong Yang would no longer be a good child; she didn’t know what consequences would arise.
Now, she would do everything possible to break the rules and kill every single one of those hiding in the dark!
