HAGLTP Chapter 29

Not only the starship, but even the star patterns on Xiao Lu’s body began to stir, each line becoming more radiant.

At the same time, an indescribable sense of repulsion surged from his heart, like an instinctive reaction some animals have when encountering a rival.

It urged him to attack.

Ye Qi gently patted Xiao Lu’s shoulder, silently asking what was wrong.

Xiao Lu shook his head, indicating he was fine. He pointed in the direction he had just sensed: “I think we need to go that way.”

The two quietly exited the embarrassingly awkward cinema.

As they chased out of the cinema, they saw the bustling crowd on the street parting like the sea.

Everyone fell silent, as if making way for someone, their gazes all fixed on the other side of the road.

Blending into the crowd, the two followed their line of sight, but only saw a silver-white car driving off into the distance. It was too far away for Xiao Lu to even make out the model of the car.

But he had a sense that the person sitting inside that car was the one he was looking for—Duan Kai.

The car drove further away, gradually disappearing from view.

Watching the crowd slowly return to its lively state, Xiao Lu whispered to Ye Qi, “Let’s go. We need to follow.”

Following the subtle sensation, the two made their way to the Film City Amusement Park.

This was a theme park built around various popular dramas and movies, a major attraction in Film City. Almost all tourists visiting Film City would stop by the amusement park. Some even traveled from afar, specifically to experience certain movie themes, driven by fervent fandom.

This place used to be filled with laughter and joy, carrying countless people’s beautiful fantasies.

But at this moment, it appeared deserted, with buildings of various styles standing in the night, bathed in the cold-toned moonlight, giving off an eerie vibe.

A faint stench lingered in the air, the same smell they had encountered underground before, the scent of decaying corpses.

There were no bodies in sight, but the smell had already wafted to the entrance, leaving them wondering what kind of scene lay within.

The subtle sensation they had felt earlier stopped here, and they had no choice but to go in and take a look.

The two found a secluded corner and slipped into the Film City Amusement Park.

Walking through the deserted amusement park in the dead of night was indeed unsettling. But fortunately, Xiao Lu was not alone; although Ye Qi was silent, he followed him with a gentle determination.

As they ventured deeper, the stench in the air grew stronger.

Xiao Lu’s gaze turned forward.

In the night, a bright pink sign stood out, featuring a cute cartoon mermaid and a chubby starfish, appearing somewhat bleak.

This cartoon-themed area, through the original owner’s memories, Xiao Lu recognized as a popular animated film from over a decade ago, a childhood memory for a generation of New State residents.

But now, it looked somewhat hair-raising.

Xiao Lu turned to Ye Qi and asked, “I remember, this is the largest water park in Film City, right?”

Ye Qi nodded, affirming his words.

The largest water park, permeated with the stench of corpses. The combination of these two key phrases led Xiao Lu to a grim suspicion.

Ahead lay the water park that countless children had longed for, and even before getting close, the overwhelming stench made him frown.

In the massive swimming pool, layers upon layers of corpses were piled up, discarded like garbage. The scene was far more exaggerated than what he had seen in the hospital, and not all of them were failed experiment corpses; some were just ordinary people.

“These starry ones…”

Xiao Lu felt relieved he hadn’t brought Huang Sansheng along; the inherently kind-hearted chubby boy would surely be distressed by such a sight.

It was better to expel these non-tribal invaders sooner rather than later.

Suddenly, Ye Qi stood up and walked towards a corner where some clutter was piled up.

There lay some personal belongings of the deceased, carelessly discarded scarves, hats, jewelry, notebooks, and more.

Ye Qi bent down and picked up a mask, a grotesque ghost mask, black in color, exuding an unsettling madness and coldness.

Xiao Lu recognized the mask; it was a signature piece from Ye Qi’s role in the movie “City of Illusions.”

Ye Qi was not the main character; he hid in this distorted, closed city, lurking in the shadows, a mad and dark figure, a villain who toyed with people’s hearts. Yet in the end, during the climax, there was a shocking twist.

It turned out that this seemingly villainous character was the true agent of justice walking in the dark, who ended the city’s greatest conspiracy with his own death.

After the film was released, Ye Qi’s character became deeply ingrained in people’s hearts, almost overshadowing the protagonist, earning him the prestigious Best Supporting Actor award that year.

The original creator’s inspiration for “NO.77 City” came from this film.

Later, the official merchandise was also launched, and this mask was one of them, a limited edition that was very hard to obtain, requiring long queues at the official offline stores.

Ye Qi flipped the mask over and saw his signature on the inside. Years had passed, yet the signature was still well-preserved, showing no signs of wear.

Xiao Lu’s gaze swept over the layers of corpses; perhaps one of them lay quietly, a fan who deeply loved Ye Qi. He had once excitedly snatched up a limited edition mask, brought it to Ye Qi for a signature, and then carefully preserved it year after year.

And now, the mask that had once been treasured was discarded like trash.

Covered in dust, ignored by all.

There were many such items scattered on the ground. Perhaps one of the necklaces was someone’s most cherished memento, or that dusty teddy bear had once held a child’s purest dream.

Seeing Ye Qi fall silent while looking at the mask, Xiao Lu reached out, took the mask from his hand, gently wiped off the dust and dirt, and placed it on Ye Qi’s face: “Now, it’s time to become the great hero and take revenge for him.”

But Ye Qi took off the mask and placed it on Xiao Lu’s head, adjusting the fit gently so it wouldn’t obstruct his view.

He looked focused, as if doing something very important.

Xiao Lu did not stop him; he looked into Ye Qi’s eyes: “What? Do you want me to be the hero for you?”

Ye Qi gazed at him, his eyes like a deep, dark pool. Within them lay a tranquility, yet it seemed to harbor suppressed turmoil.

Xiao Lu lightly tapped the mask, smiling: “Alright then, let’s go together.”

He mimicked Huang Sansheng’s tone: “Let you all see the power of our Ye Qi fan club.”

At that moment, the sound of an engine approached from a distance.

Xiao Lu and Ye Qi quickly hid in the shadows, observing the unfolding situation.

Two altered ones arrived, driving a large refrigerated truck, slowly making their way toward the swimming pool. Upon reaching the pool’s edge, they roughly opened the truck doors and tossed the bodies inside.

“This should be the last batch, right?” one of the altered ones said.

“Should be, those hidden guys have all been found, haven’t they?”

“With so many corpses rotting here, the smell is a bit unbearable.”

“Don’t worry. I heard the captain say that soon they’ll release the swimming corpses to eat these things. Just in time for the swimming corpses to replenish their energy, and when we go to Gold City, we’ll let them stand in the front row.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lu and Ye Qi exchanged a glance.

Gold City was a city not far from Film City. Its area wasn’t large, and the permanent population wasn’t many, but it was known as the entertainment district of the entire Star State.

It had the world’s top casinos, where both the poor and the rich could enjoy the thrill of gambling. Some lost everything, while others became overnight millionaires, leaving behind countless legends.

Although the permanent population was small, the hotels in Gold City were almost always fully booked, attracting tourists or gamblers from all over the world. Before the alterations began, it was the peak tourist season for Gold City, and the number of people still remaining there was uncertain, but it certainly wouldn’t be a small number.

It seemed the next target of these altered ones was Gold City.

Taking advantage of the two altered ones’ moment of disposing of the bodies, Xiao Lu and Ye Qi quietly slipped into their refrigerated truck, hiding behind the seats.

The two altered ones finished their work and returned, completely unaware that someone had infiltrated their territory, so they didn’t check and drove back.

The truck stopped in front of a magnificent yet dilapidated castle.

This place was modeled after a famous vampire movie. The overall tone was melancholic and cold, with sharp architectural angles that, despite the exquisite decorations, still gave a chilling feeling.

This was also one of the most popular attractions in the entire Film City Amusement Park.

Once the two altered ones got out of the car, Xiao Lu and Ye Qi quietly entered the building.

The subtle sensation became even stronger here; Xiao Lu could already feel that Duan Kai was somewhere within.

The part of him that came from the starry light instinctively urged him to hurry and confront the other, for the lofty throne could only accommodate one.

The two hid in a corner.

The place was heavily guarded, with several people stationed at every intersection, and the castle’s structure was quite complex, giving off a sense of difficulty in approaching.

Xiao Lu observed for a while but couldn’t think of the perfect way to infiltrate.

With a glimmer of hope, Xiao Lu asked Ivan in his mind: “Do you have a map of this place?”

“Ivan, ah, no cilantro…” Ivan replied drowsily.

Xiao Lu: “…”

Is this thing stupid?

In an instant, he had the thought of returning this old fox, Mr. A.

“Um, master!” Ivan’s consciousness finally returned, seemingly sensing the return crisis, and immediately switched to work mode.

“Searching—”

“Search results: 0.”

“System suggestion: Please explore on your own…”

Ivan’s voice grew softer, tinged with a hint of pitifulness.

“…Alright, you can go back to sleep.” Xiao Lu decisively withdrew his consciousness and silently cursed the old fox in his heart.

He simply said to Ye Qi: “Later, we’ll just grab two patrolling guards, kill them, and change into their clothes. But be careful; if we run into a check, we’ll likely be exposed.”

This was a dangerous plan; once discovered, they would be surrounded. But right now, they couldn’t drop in from above, dig a tunnel, or coordinate with anyone inside.

At that moment, Ye Qi gently patted his shoulder.

Xiao Lu turned around to see him standing up, taking a few steps back, then gesturing for him to follow.

Xiao Lu, confused, followed Ye Qi as he skillfully navigated through the castle’s intricate corridors, almost always narrowly avoiding the patrolling guards.

His astonishment was hard to contain; it felt as if Ye Qi had activated some cheat, knowing even the paths that wouldn’t be noticed by those who weren’t paying attention.

But clearly, this wasn’t the time to ask questions, and given Ye Qi’s current state, even if Xiao Lu did ask, he could only play a game of spot-the-difference on that expressionless face, with all conclusions relying on his own imagination.

The two passed through two more corridors, circumventing the patrolling guards.

Ye Qi’s footsteps paused slightly as he raised his hand, signaling towards a certain spot.

Following his fingertip, a painting caught Xiao Lu’s eye.

In the painting, Ye Qi was dressed in an exquisitely intricate gown, his black hair meticulously tied back with a ribbon. His complexion was pale, but his lips were a deep red, as if stained with blood, and he wore a smile that seemed to hold deep meaning, his hands crossed in front of him, staring at everyone who gazed at the painting.

In the lower right corner of the painting, there was a line of small text—Count Sargent.

This painting overlapped with certain fragments in his memory, and Xiao Lu suddenly understood; this was another film Ye Qi had acted in.

Ye Qi’s role in the film was not significant.

However, the charming yet somewhat sinister vampire count had garnered considerable attention, allowing the 20-year-old Ye Qi to gain a massive following, with discussions about him remaining high on social media, even leading to fan works being produced to this day.

It was said that during the filming of this movie, they rented a real castle.

The director was known for being serious and strict, forcing all actors to spend several months during the shooting period, requiring everyone to familiarize themselves with life in the castle, regardless of their star status. They later filmed several sequels, with the main scenes still set here.

And the castle in Film City Amusement Park was precisely a 1:1 replica from the movie, made at great expense.

With the subsequent sequels, Ye Qi had spent nearly a year in this castle, making him far more familiar than these altered ones who had only been in the human world for a few weeks.

Without needing Ye Qi to explain, Xiao Lu understood why Ye Qi was so familiar with the routes here; it was like returning to his “hometown.”

Seeing the confusion in Xiao Lu’s eyes fade, Ye Qi continued to lead the way.

Following Ye Qi, they took various shortcuts and hidden doors, making their progress seem effortless, getting closer and closer to the location where they sensed Duan Kai.

Having a teammate who was a big star sometimes provided unexpected advantages.

The two gradually approached the uppermost hall, where the decorations became increasingly lavish.

Xiao Lu could already feel the starship growing hotter, indicating he was very close to Duan Kai.