An hour later, Qiao Liang approached the entrance of the 'Ultimate Horror' once again, carrying his golden lantern.
Everyone was cheering him on.
"Go, Old Qiao! You can do it!"
"Don't worry, there's nothing to fear once you get used to it."
"If someone as cowardly as me can do it, you would be able to as well!"
Obviously, the last line had come out of Ruan Guangjian's mouth. Qiao Liang rolled his eyes to show that he was not buying it.
After leaving the Golden Maze, Qiao Liang went straight for the 'Haunted House Nightmare' and went through a challenge once again.
This time, everything went smoothly. Maybe it was because he had already done it before and now felt more prepared; maybe it was because he had been re-energized by everyone and Boss Pei's friendship in particular.
Although he had left out two or three minor details, he had more or less completed everything. Then, he successfully obtained his proof of qualification from one of the staff.
That was how he ended up at the entrance of the 'Ultimate Horror', ready to meet his fate.
He was terrified, but he could only maintain a death-like grip on his golden lantern... as if it were his only lifeline.
"I'm going in! Wait for me to emerge a victor!"
Qiao Liang waved goodbye to everyone and then walked into the 'Ultimate Horror'.
Once he entered, visibility dropped significantly. There were dim, yellow lamps hanging from the walls. The paint was flaking, and the posters looked rotten. There also seemed to be dried blood and white calcium-looking things stuck to the wall. Everything came together to create a horrific atmosphere.
A girl dressed in a nurse's uniform and wearing a mask had blood all over her body. She sat behind an old office table in the hospital, with both hands hidden under it. Her head hung low, causing her hair to cover her entire face.
She blended in with the scene around her, so that Qiao Liang had not noticed her at first. He had almost thought that she was just a prop that was meant to be a corpse.
However, after looking around, he realized that the desk she was at was meant to be a front desk. He had to walk past it.
Qiao Liang quietly switched on his lantern and then approached the desk. Just as he wanted to ask a question, the nurse looked up in an extremely stiff manner!
Her eyes were filled with blood, and there seemed to be a deep gash across her forehead. There was also fresh blood flowing through her mask, which seemed to be coming from her mouth. Qiao Liang could clearly see fresh bite-marks on her neck, and the wounds were still bleeding.
He sucked in a deep breath.
This was only the front desk, and yet they had done such a good job with it.
The corpse-like girl at the front desk did not say anything. Instead, she stretched her hand out in an extremely stiff manner.
Even her arms were covered in make-up. The skin looked like it was rotting, and there seemed to be dark red wounds which were also bleeding.
Qiao Liang stared at her for a while, stunned. After that, he quickly placed the admission ticket that he had obtained from the 'Haunted House Nightmare' on her hand.
There was a photo on that admission ticket. Once the corpse-like girl verified that it was Qiao Liang, she retrieved a disclaimer from the desk and handed it to him to be signed.
That disclaimer contained many detailed clauses and even asked if Qiao Liang suffered chronic diseases like heart diseases. He had to answer truthfully.
Qiao Liang checked the relevant boxes, signed the form, and then handed it back to the girl.
Compared to ordinary haunted houses, Thriller Hostel was actually much safer. That was because the horror levels of the three projects gradually increased.
Anyone who could make it through the 'Haunted House Nightmare' would have proven that their heart and mind were capable of enduring a certain level of shock. That significantly reduced the chances of unexpected situations occurring.
The corpse-like girl stiffly took the disclaimer, checked it carefully, and then kept it. After that, she slowly took out a key and placed it on the table.
Qiao Liang fearfully picked it up and said, "I-Is there anything I have to take note of?"
The zombie didn't answer him. Instead, she stared at him blankly with her blood-filled eyes.
Qiao Liang did not know what to say. "..."
He silently used the key to unlock the door and then entered a dimly-lit corridor.
Before this, Qiao Liang had heard Chen Kangtuo talking about the 'Ultimate Horror' before. It was located in a huge factory building, and a dimly-lit and cramped corridor like that probably connected all the little projects together to form a ring-like structure.
Although the long corridor's set-up looked like outdated horror, compared to the fear that Qiao Liang had felt in the 'Haunted House Nightmare', it was nothing much.
Obviously, the 'Ultimate Horror' would get progressively scarier. Those who had made it through the 'Haunted House Nightmare' could take time to adjust in the early stages of this project, and they would not be dissuaded from going through with it at the beginning.
There was another door at the end of the corridor. This time, he did not need a key. However, just like the previous door, he had to pull this one open.
It seemed like every door here was to be pulled open and not pushed.
Qiao Liang reached out to grab the black, rusty, iron doorknob; mentally preparing himself for what was to come.
He knew very well that planting a jumpscare right at the entrance was a customary routine for many haunted houses, and hiding jump scares behind doors to be pulled open was much easier. Thus, Qiao Liang had no idea what to expect once he opened that door.
However, after bracing himself and pulling the door open, no corpse dropped from above, and nothing scary appeared. Instead, the room was lit as per normal.
The walls were pure white, and the floor tiles were flat. The place looked just like a consulting room in an ordinary hospital. Several relaxing oil paintings of landscapes hung on the walls, and there was only one desk, two chairs, and one hospital bed in the space. Beside the bed was an electrocardiograph (ECG) machine.
At once, Qiao Liang felt comforted and... confused.
What was going on? He had almost thought that he had transmigrated.
He looked at the golden lantern in his hands, which looked out of place there.
A female doctor dressed in a white coat smiled at him and said, "Hello. I am a doctor here. Before you go in any further, I have to conduct a simple ECG and psychological test on you."
Qiao Liang lay down on the hospital bed, and the doctor began to wipe his chest, where the electrodes were to be placed, with alcohol. This felt like a regular medical examination that one would sit through in a hospital.
The female doctor did not look very old—just about thirty. Although she wasn't beautiful, she wore a smile on her face the entire time, causing Qiao Liang to feel very comfortable.
Soon, the ECG test was done. The ECG chart would be released in about two minutes.
Qiao Liang reached out to get a paper towel and wiped the alcohol off his body. Then, he followed the doctor to the desk.
"Look at those pictures and tell me what first comes to mind."
Qiao Liang had an impression of the pictures. It looked like the 'inkblot test', which was a projective psychological test. The subject was to observe the pictures. After that, what he answered, his reaction time, the amount of time he paused for, and subconscious actions would all reflect something about his mental state.
Since Qiao Liang did not know much about the details, he could only answer the questions based on his first impression.
The biggest advantage of a projective psychological test was that the intentions behind the questions were hidden, so that a more truthful answer could be obtained.
Ordinary psychological test questions often contained ridiculous questions like 'Do you think you are mentally ill'. Naturally, that would affect the accuracy of the tests.
On the other hand, the projective method required the host (the doctor) to have professional knowledge. Ordinarily, it would take twenty minutes for one to finish the full inkblot test. However, such tests were normally only prepared for patients who had a mental illness.
The test that Qiao Liang was taking was merely meant to determine visitors' psychological state. Thus, it did not take that long; it was done in about two minutes.
The doctor kept the pictures, smiled, and nodded. "Alright, don't be nervous. I'll go and look at your ECG results."
The doctor took the ECG graph and sat in the chair across from Qiao Liang again.
"Congratulations, your test..."
Qiao Liang was overjoyed that he would be able to continue with the project. However, at that moment, the doctor fell backward without any warning. At the same time, there was a loud bang, and all the lights in the room went out!
The originally snow-white walls were instantly covered with all sorts of terrifying pictures. There were hideous, roaring faces, twisted arms, dense and bloody handprints... all those scary images of various colors glowed faintly as they surrounded Qiao Liang!
For some reason, all the oil paintings of landscapes became blood-red as well. There was even a fluorescent red, twisted, and bloody handprint at the back of the ECG results in Qiao Liang's hands!
Obviously, this room was not without a set-up. All those pictures had been drawn on the wall using transparent, glow-in-the-dark ink. Once the lights went out, they would become visible!
At the same time, there were bursts of sniggers and mocking laughter coming from around Qiao Liang. Some were high-pitched, and others were low. They echoed coolly around the entire space, causing Qiao Liang's psychological barriers to collapse at once!
Qiao Liang screamed and stood up, trying to run. However, he tripped on something. Luckily, he held onto the table and prevented himself from falling.
The feeling of something grabbing his ankle and dragging him scared him half to death. He subconsciously shook his trapped ankle... but to no avail.
At that moment, the mocking laughter and sniggers around him got even louder. They sounded maniacal now. There were even some voices that wheezed and coughed as they laughed.
In the chaos, Qiao Liang felt around. Thankfully, it was just a simple noose around his ankle. The other end of the noose was connected to the desk, and the doctor—who had fallen to the ground earlier—had disappeared without a trace.
Clearly, the table and chair were scene props. The four legs of the table were completely fixed in the ground, and there were mechanisms under the chair where the doctor had sat.
It was just that Qiao Liang had no more time to think about those issues. Flustered, he lifted his foot and struggled to free himself from the noose. His first instinct was to try and run for his life. He tried hard not to look at the hideous graffiti on the wall as he ran to the ECG machine beside the bed and picked up the golden lantern on the table.
This was his life-saver!
However, at that moment, a blood-stained hand reached out from underneath the bed!
Qiao Liang was scared out of his wits. He panicked and ran towards the entrance, but that door had already been locked automatically. No matter how hard he tried, he could no longer get it open!
The beast under the bed was going to crawl out at any moment. Qiao Liang had no choice but to run to the other door—the only other exit.
Clearly, when he was lying on the bed for the ECG test, the 'beast' had already been lying quietly underneath it, waiting for him to turn back to retrieve his golden lantern.
Qiao Liang opened the door in a panic, wanting to rush out. However, the moment he pulled open the door, a dead body dropped from the opposite wall without warning!
It was a tiny corner. After opening the door, Qiao Liang was to turn right. However, that 'corpse' hung from the wall directly opposite the door. A noose had been tied around its neck, causing the corpse to dangle in the air. It was the female doctor that had given Qiao Liang his ECG test earlier.
'She' was now bloodied all over, and there was an inexplicable smile on her face.
Obviously, this was a doll that had been created after that doctor's image. However, it looked so life-like. Coupled with the little light that permeated into the corridor, it still terrified Qiao Liang.
He took two seconds to recover from the shock... before he gripped his golden lantern tighter and escaped!
Chapter 581: Gradual Progression of Horror Experience
There was another long corridor ahead. However, this time, it was more mottled, dilapidated, and scary compared to the previous one. It had more turns and twists as well.
Every turn was a shock to Qiao Liang.
The long corridor was very quiet as if no monsters would suddenly appear, but such a cramped environment gave Qiao Liang great mental stress.
It was only then that Qiao Liang finally remembered.
He was being tricked!
The girl at the front desk with the zombie getup was terrifying but not scary. She first raised Qiao Liang's psychological state and alertness more gradually.
Right on the heels of that, the psychiatrist—through a series of arrangements—made Qiao Liang mistakenly believe that Ultimate Horror had not officially started. He made him think that it was a routine physical and psychological test.
Qiao Liang let down his guard as a result.
Of course, the ECG machine should be real so should the psychological test. They could indeed show the health status of the player. They might be asked not to continue on the spot if they were deemed unsuitable for the game.
However, once they find out that tourists had no problems with his health, the horror game would begin as soon as the psychologist announced it!
Qiao Liang was now 100% sure that there must be some hidden mechanism under the table controlling all these. However, he was so scared that he did not possess the courage to explore all these.
Qiao Liang could only hold the golden lantern tightly and walk forward guardedly.
He had to say that these initial arrangements were very extensive, especially when the gentle-looking doctor suddenly started to scare him. It challenged Qiao Liang's psychological defense.
He escaped, and the path seemed safe, which quickly calmed Qiao Liang down. He might still be frightened, but he would not give up immediately because of excessive fright.
Of course, Qiao Liang was thinking of giving up now, but the current level of horror was maintained at an appropriate level: To yell to the staff to give up the challenges might seem to be making a mountain out of a mole hole.
He felt that he had to continue sticking to it, but he would feel the sense of horror lingering around him, swallowing him up bit by bit as he continued walking.
He looked around, thinking that there must be microphones, cameras, and secret doors everywhere. There would likely be staff coming to rescue him whenever he wanted to give up.
However, it was also because of that... that he felt that he could continue persevering.
"I heard there is a safe house here. I should at least persevere until the first save point?"
Qiao Liang might have dropped out wholeheartedly if he knew that he would have to suffer for another half an hour. However, he looked at the golden lantern in his hand and thought about the safe house. He defeated the inner demon and decided to continue moving on.
...
In the safe house after a while...
The Ultimate Horror project had a loop structure. The central most area was the safe house. Many doors led to the various areas of the Ultimate Horror project.
There was a staff behind every door who would record the progress of the tourist. There must be a corresponding record no matter whether they were entering the safe house or leaving it.
The number of times they entered the safe house and the props they carried would have an impact on the ticket refund at the end.
To put it simply, if they passed the game in one go with the headwear with little devil horns on without entering the safe house, then the ticket would be refunded in full. Moreover, a certificate would be issued.
It could also be viewed as saving their progress. For example, Ruan Guangjian challenged it twice. Ruan Guangjian would head to the safe house on his second try through a special passage and start over from a specific area.
Lin Wan, Ruan Guangjian, Chen Kangtuo, and the rest were at the safe house, waiting for Teacher Qiao to arrive.
The decoration style of the safe house was much more normal than the setting style for the rest of the game. However, there was still a sense of age. That was to prevent tourists from feeling too comfortable, affecting subsequent visits.
In other words, entering the safe house would naturally relax the player. However, the setting in the safe house would constantly remind visitors that they were still in the Ultimate Horror project. That was just a temporary rest point, not the end of the adventure.
Ruan Guangjian looked at his watch, more than 10 minutes had passed.
The amount of time everyone toured around in the Ultimate Horror project was different. That was because some of these projects needed exploration.
For bold people like Ruan Guangjian who walked fast, it would take a shorter time. If one was a cautious and indecisive type, the overall timing would be longer.
At the same time, the staff would closely monitor everything through real-time surveillance cameras.
On the one hand, it was to ensure that the passenger flow was not congested because some projects could only be experienced by one person at a time so they would only let more people in when the other was done with it.
On the other hand, it was also to ensure that the staff could rescue the tourists as soon as possible if they were to give up.
"He wouldn't give up halfway, right?" Ruan Guangjian was a little worried.
Everyone came to the safe house because they wanted to welcome the exhausted Teacher Qiao when he arrived, to cheer him on so that he could finish the game as soon as possible.
However, it would be awkward... if Teacher Qiao did not persevere to the safe house.
Chen Kangtuo thought for a while. "It should not be. The Ultimate Horror experience was personally adjusted repeatedly by me. I have also limited what the staff could do so the early stages are not so scary. Teacher Qiao has the golden lantern with him so it would make no sense for him not to reach the first save point."
"But isn't he taking a bit too long?"
The second save point of the safe house was pushed open as everyone discussed.
Qiao Liang's face was pale. He stubbornly held the golden lantern in his hand. He let out a sigh of relief after seeing the scene in the safe house.
I'm saved!
Everyone was taken aback. They did not expect Qiao Liang to enter from the second save point instead of the first!
Actually, Qiao Liang wanted to enter the safe house during the first save point to rest. However, the first two projects were a little too 'weak' for him. That made him swell and feel that he could persist until the next save point.
He, therefore, chose to skip the first save point.
That decision made his intestines squirm. He really beat himself up after experiencing the other two projects.
Qiao Liang first came to an experiment laboratory after escaping the doctor's room for a psychological test. High shelves were all around, with all sorts of organs such as eyeballs, tongues, and gums preserved in yellow solution. They might be fake, but it still felt very scary.
The shelves were arranged in a maze structure. One should go around it and find a workbench full of various medicine bottles and reagents as if the perverted scientist doing experiments here left temporarily.
Qiao Liang did not dare linger for too long. He did not dare make any sound while in the state of high alert. Yet, he never stopped observing the situation in fear that the perverted scientist would suddenly jump out from somewhere.
Fortunately, no monsters appeared, and he passed it safely.
The second project was two rows of shoe cabinets. No abnormalities were found after careful testing, but after he crossed about a third of the room, a roaring zombie—with the appearance of a cleaner—suddenly appeared behind him and caught up to him.
Qiao Liang ran quickly subconsciously, but the shoe cabinets around him began opening automatically one by one without any warning. The metal cabinet doors flapped against each other to make a 'ping-ping, pong-pong' sound as stuff even sprang out from the drawers.
These cabinets obviously had sensors. Contraptions would pop out scary stuff when people walked by it and would return to their original state after they left.
The cleaner zombie behind him was actually walking rather slowly. Its purpose was purely to scare the tourists. The shoe cabinets were the things that really scared them as they were automatic. The faster the tourists ran, the faster they popped out.
A large number of shoe cabinets would open at the same time, making it more terrifying.
The third project was a classroom with a few students taking exams with an invigilator.
The invigilator asked Qiao Liang to sit down in the back row to answer the questions. However, during the process of reading the question, a student in the front on his left raised his hand and said that his pen was broken. The teacher gave him something like a mousetrap with a pen inside.
This student began to dismantle it carefully but failed in the middle of it. Both his hands were clamped directly, bone and blood clearly visible. He began to howl in pain, but the more he struggled, the tighter the clamp became. In the end, his right wrist broke. Four fingers dropped off from his left hand, and he passed out on the floor.
The other students and the teacher were still answering their questions casually while all these happened, turning a blind eye.
Qiao Liang knew that these were all fake. They were all props, but that actor's skills made it so realistic that he was still frightened out of his wits.
After a period of waiting, Qiao Liang realized he could leave now. However, the student who passed out just now blocked his path so he would have to step over the 'corpse'.
The fourth small project was a very large space. It was much more spacious than the other small projects he was in previously. It was an oversized kitchen with a complicated structure. The visibility was very low, and the sound of chopping came from in front of him where the light was the strongest. He could see a door.
However, when he got closer, he found a figure that was a sturdy pig-headed man with a butcher knife. When he was chopping were stumps of arms, and the surrounding barrels were filled with disgusting and bloody meat.
Qiao Liang did not even dare approach it. He carried the lamp and circled around two or three times before finally being able to determine that the place might be large, but there seemed to be only one exit. These dark places were all scary scenes, probably made for timid people like Qiao Liang.
When the pig-headed butcher saw Qiao Liang approaching, he squatted down to fill a bowl with broth from the cauldron and handed it to Qiao Liang.
Luckily, it was just a normal bowl of chicken soup.
Qiao Liang finally saw the second save point after he bolted out of the butcher's room. It was also the second entrance of the safe house. He opened the door to enter without any hesitation.
Qiao Liang finally heaved a sigh of relief after seeing the setting in the safe house. The hand grappling on the golden lantern finally relaxed.
He had revived!
However, he had to say that this arrangement was very insidious.
There was a corridor between every project. It made the tourists able to relax for a short while. However, the subsequent corridors were becoming even more scary and twisted.
The horror levels from the small projects were also gradual.
The first project only had scary scenery, creating an illusion that 'monsters may appear at any time', making tourists panicky.
The second project had a zombie that slowly approached them, forcing the tourists to quickly pass through the shoe cabinet hallway where the really scary things were hidden in the shoe cabinets.
The third project had a live performance. He might just be watching it, but the terror had risen to another level.
The fourth project was even worse. They started to engage the tourists directly by getting them to drink something in such an environment.
All projects were not like a monster suddenly popping up to scare people, but they created a subtle atmosphere of terror, slowly pushing up the psychological tolerance of the tourists.
When one was about to lose it, one could then enter the safe house to rest for a short while and to adjust yourself.
Qiao Liang realized that he seemed to be fooled.
This haunted house was not particularly excessive in its degree of horror.
However, it was interesting how they could always control this sense of horror at the critical point so that one could still continue to persevere even though you were frightened!
Chapter 582: This World has Gone Mad!
A round of applause came as soon as Qiao Liang entered the safe house.
"Teacher Qiao, you're awesome! You actually persevered to the second save point!"
"That is enough to show that your potential has yet to be fully stimulated!"
"Quickly adjust your state! You'll have absolutely no problems clearing the Ultimate Horror in one go!"
Qiao Liang sat down with the rest. He could not help but start swelling in pride in the face of the rain of bootlicking.
Everyone said that I'm awesome for persevering to the second save point?
Yes, I think so too!
Qiao Liang's tense mind finally relaxed, and at the same time, he finally had time to take a good look at the safe house.
There were snacks, drinks, and toilets.
There were several doors around with serial numbers on them, representing different save points. There was a staff beside every door. In addition to selling drinks and snacks, these staff members also jotted down the progress of every tourist and printed vouchers.
They could only return to Ultimate Horror with this voucher.
When Qiao Liang came in, the staff also gave him a corresponding voucher. This piece of paper could be taken along with them. There was an express safe passage in the safe house, leading directly outside.
However, he would obtain the permission of the staff to go to each project from the safe house. That was because every staff had to decide based on the number of tourists currently in each project to see where to send him to so that it would not affect the experience of the other tourists.
In short, Qiao Liang was satisfied and was looking subconsciously at the exit. He had reached the second save point, which seemed to earn him bragging rights!
"Could he... rest now?
Everyone seemed to have realized his thoughts through his expression.
"Teacher Qiao, say, I was right, wasn't I? It isn't scary at all, especially the opening. You will not be able to experience anything with this lantern," Ruan Guangjian said with a smile.
"Come, you should wear this for the rest of the experience."
Ruan Guangjian gave Qiao Liang the headwear with little devil horns, trying to exchange for the golden lantern in Qiao Liang's hand.
Qiao Liang's face changed and tightened his grip on the golden lantern. "Don't come any closer!"
He was kept alive because of this golden lantern. Wouldn't he die on the spot if he did not have it?
"Come on! As the saying goes, everything is hard at the beginning. You have had a good start; the rest is about this level! I believe you can do it!" Lin Wan encouraged.
Qiao Liang did not know what to say. "..."
As if I believe you! It would definitely not be the same level moving on!
Qiao Liang had realized that this horror house would continue increasing the level of horror according to the threshold of the tourists, ensuring that the tourists would be scared every time... but not give up.
Qiao Liang knew it very well and was unmoved. He coughed slightly. "I think that such good experiences should be slowly savored over a few times. Brother Ruan set a very good example for me; I'll save my progress first and try the rest another day..."
"Definitely on another day? Teacher Qiao, I remember you said in your video that you hate such behaviors!" Chen Kangtuo smiled and said.
"If this were to be known by your fans, they would also do the same and vote another day..."
Qiao Liang's lips twitched.
Sh*t, he was being threatened!
As a UP Master, the one thing he hated to see the most was 'definitely on another day'. However, was he going to do that now as well?
It really did seem to be a little difficult for him...
"Oh, right, there is one more thing," Chen Kangtuo continued.
"Teacher Qiao, actually Wu Bin from our HR department had been interviewing Boss Pei's friends recently, wanting to publish a book that explained Boss Pei's attitude towards his work and the Tengda spirit.
"I just gave your contact to them. They would probably call you up to interview you soon.
"However...
"If you claim to know Boss Pei the best and yet has not even cleared Boss Pei's haunted house and gave it an interpretation... wouldn't this interview be unconvincing?
"I'm afraid they could only find others when the time came..."
Qiao Liang was taken aback. "R-really? You're not bluffing me, are you?"
Chen Kangtuo shrugged. "We from Tengda have always upheld integrity as our motto! Do you think that Boss Pei will be able to let me go if I lie-bluff you? Look at the chat history if you don't believe me."
Chen Kangtuo gave him his cell phone with Wu Bin's chat log.
Qiao Liang read it and realized that Chen Kangtuo was speaking the truth!
"This..."
Qiao Liang once again fell into a conflicted battle.
What Chen Kangtuo said made sense, wouldn't it be embarrassing if they interviewed him about the Thriller Hostel... yet he could not answer?
He did not experience Boss Pei's works entirely as someone who declared that he was the one who understood Boss Pei the most...
That wouldn't do!
Qiao Liang looked at the golden lantern in hand and finally decided.
"Alright, I'll clear the entire Thriller Hostel this afternoon!"
...
...
After half an hour, at the exit of Ultimate Horror...
Qiao Liang came out with the golden lantern. He could only describe his current feeling as finally seeing the sun again! However, Qiao Liang felt that all the suffering he went through was worth it, looking at the clearance certificate in his hand!
The prop used by Qiao Liang (golden lantern), the number of times he entered the safe house (twice), and the clearance time (46 minutes) were recorded on the certificate.
Other than this information, there was also a very important sentence on it. "You are the first person who cleared the Ultimate Horror!"
Everything was recorded by the system and was automatically printed on the official certificate as a souvenir.
They did not fool him. There was really the honor of being the first to clear the game.
No one fought for this honor, including Ruan Guangjian.
After receiving this certification, all of Qiao Liang's previous complex emotions such as fear, grievance, tension, etc. were wiped out and were replaced by inspiration, excitement, and joy!
He might have stayed in Ultimate Horror for quite some time, but he walked slowly in many places because he was scared and ended up extending it to 46 minutes. However, the honor of being the first person to clear the game was worthy of being a permanent collection!
Of course, Qiao Liang knew in his heart that this position was given to him.
Qiao Liang would only be able to be second if Ruan Guangjian really wanted this honor. However, Ruan Guangjian gave this honor up very generously.
A round of applause and cheering sounded outside when Qiao Liang walked out of the exit.
"Congratulations, Old Qiao!"
"You defeated yourself!"
"It's great! I'm sincerely proud of you as your fan!"
"Boss Pei's hard work was not in vain!"
The fans that came with him previously, Lin Wan, Chen Kangtuo, and Ruan Guangjian gathered and applauded warmly.
Qiao Liang was moved to tears. He rushed over to hug Ruan Guangjian.
"Brother Ruan, thank you, thank you so much!
"And everyone, I would not have been able to defeat myself and obtain this honor without you!
"At this point, I want to thank... thank Brother Ruan, I would not have persevered without you!
"I would not have been able to clear the game without everyone's help and would have missed out on this great work from Boss Pei!"
Everyone was now slightly embarrassed, seeing how moved Qiao Liang was.
Actually, everyone just wanted to see you scared shitless and get you to make a video...
However, they were embarrassed to tell him the truth, seeing how happy Qiao Liang was. They could only continue to smile and keep up the act.
"Ah, my cell phone."
Qiao Liang suddenly realized something and took his phone out of his pocket.
The player could choose whether to bring their cell phone with them when entering the Ultimate Horror or not. If they chose not to bring it, they could deposit it with the staff and collect it when they came out.
Qiao Liang did not bring it in because he did not dare to.
Think about it, in a quiet haunted house where terrible monsters were wandering around, the player was tiptoeing around trying to get past them. At that very moment, their cell phone rang...
That was not a good image to imagine.
That was why Qiao Liang only retrieved his cell phone after he cleared the Ultimate Horror. He saw three missed calls after he unlocked the phone; they were all from Boss Pei.
"Boss Pei... is actually so concerned about me? He called me three times?"
Qiao Liang could not help but feel moved.
Boss Pei was very busy at work. He usually did not reply to messages sent to him. It was very rare to see him take the initiative to call others—and three times in a row at that!
That was enough to show that Boss Pei really cared about him as a friend!
Qiao Liang was confused and timid before he entered the Ultimate Horror. However, his confusion and timidity were wiped out after Qiao Liang exited the Ultimate Horror, leaving only pride.
He immediately dialed back with his head held high.
"Boss Pei! I did it!" He excitedly announced the moment the call was connected.
Pei Qian nearly spat his coffee out on the other end of his phone.
As*hole, what have you done?!
Pei Qian thought that Qiao Liang had given up the idea of going to Ultimate Horror previously after the call. He relaxed and started working on his own stuff.
However, he picked up his phone to look at the report from a Manage Loss Trainee after a few minutes. He became muddle-headed instantly.
Why did this as*hole still enter?!
I gave you so many favorable conditions, so many temptations... but it did not manage to stop you from your death?
He hurriedly called Qiao Liang, but no one answered!
The first thing that Qiao Liang said when he called back was 'I did it', which almost made Pei Qian topple over in anger.
"You... passed the Ultimate Horror? You're not afraid?"
Pei Qian felt confused in addition to shock.
That was because other than to lose money, he worked on the Thriller Hostel project because he wanted to retaliate against people in his notebook.
The Ultimate Horror was very much like the 'Smog Mountain' State Mental Hospital; only a few people should be able to pass it, right? Putting aside the fact that Ruan Guangjian could get through it, Teacher Qiao actually passed it as well?
Then... where was the dignity of the Thriller Hostel?
"I was afraid! I was nearly scared to death!" Qiao Liang said with relief. "However, Boss Pei's spirit ignited me!
"Just like how mountain climbers cannot not-go to the mountain because the mountain would not move.
"I have to go as well since, Boss Pei, your project is here! I must clear it since it is a puzzle by Boss Pei!"
Pei Qian was speechless and choked with anger. "All the benefits I've mentioned before are gone!"
Qiao Liang smiled. "Yes, but I don't have any regrets! Boss Pei, thank you for letting me understand that this unforgettable trip to the haunted house is more precious than those things added together!"
Pei Qian was silent for a moment before hanging up the phone silently.
Mad, this world has gone mad!
Chapter 583: The Lonely Expresser
In the Maid Cafe in Thriller Hostel...
"So, what is your impression of Boss Pei?"
After introducing themselves, Wu Bin and Cui Geng began interviewing Qiao Liang.
After emerging from the 'Ultimate Horror', Qiao Liang went to the Healing Springs to wash his hands. The warm water immediately got rid of his terror and fear. The residual feelings finally dissipated.
Qiao Liang guessed that he would not be haunted by the frightening memories of tonight anymore and that he would have a good night's sleep... right?
After that, he met Wu Bin at the Maid Cafe to be interviewed.
Until now, Wu Bin and Cui Geng had interviewed Li Shi and Liang Qingfan to understand the Tengda Spirit. They had already figured out two aspects of Boss Pei's personality.
The only problem was that the picture they had of him at the moment was still not enough. They couldn't even form Boss Pei's silhouette—they only had fragments of him.
Thus, they had to keep gathering material.
As good friends of Boss Pei, Qiao Liang and Ruan Guangjian had both been booked for interviews. However, they had to be interviewed separately.
That was because, strictly speaking, those were not simple interviews.
Every person's view of Boss Pei was subjective. They could not directly use them.
Wu Bin had to seriously analyze every word that came out of those people's mouths, repeatedly compare them with previous examples of Boss Pei's actions, test the theories, smooth out the edges and make the information presentable, get rid of the false and keep the true, and then include what little was left into the book.
After all, the book was about the Tengda Spirit. A minor mistake could result in a world of difference. They could not afford to be careless.
What's more, Wu Bin ordinarily had other work to do as well. That was why he always had to spend a long time organizing all the information. At best, he took two weeks; at worst, he could take an entire month.
Now, he was finally done analyzing Li Shi and Liang Qingfan's interviews and could continue conducting more.
Qiao Liang was a good friend of Boss Pei's. At the same time, he was an extremely influential UP Master on Aili Island. Wu Bin guessed that he would definitely be able to provide a unique perspective!
"My impression of Boss Pei..."
Qiao Liang sipped his coffee and fell into deep thought.
If he had been asked that question before today, he might have given a completely different answer. However, after finishing all of Thriller Hostel's projects, Qiao Liang suddenly had fresh perspectives and understanding.
He organized his thoughts and said, "Firstly, I think Boss Pei is an extremely magnanimous person. He could work with and tolerate people with the weirdest tempers and even become good friends with them."
Wu Bin: "You are referring to...?"
Qiao Liang cleared his throat. "I should not expose this. I can't badmouth others behind their backs. Moreover, I want to emphasize that, while this person has a very strange temperament, he is actually very kind inside.
"Boss Pei probably could become friends with such a person because he saw that person's good nature.
"However, that doesn't take away from how magnanimous Boss Pei is!
"At the same time, Boss Pei is a person who takes his promises seriously and cares immensely for his friends. After I arrived in Jingzhou, Boss Pei arranged for my meals, my accommodation, and my transport.
"His standards were much higher than I dared to imagine, and no one in my life had ever cared for me the way he does!"
Wu Bin nodded, taking everything down at lightning speed.
Qiao Liang pondered for a moment and then decided to emphasize something again. "I think Boss Pei's tolerance and generosity towards his friends is not pure forbearance or compromise, but also wisdom—or shall I say detachment.
"Boss Pei does not need to compromise with or please anyone. In fact, he doesn't even need to be friends with anyone that he doesn't like.
"He can probably only do that because he views this issue from a detached perspective. His wisdom allows him to view friction within his friendships with indifference!
"This can be likened to an adult who is willing to make friends with a little child. No matter how stubborn or tactless the child is, the adult can smile and tolerate it, without bearing any grudges against the child...
"That's why an ancient saying applies to every person who's a friend of Boss Pei: being friends with a gentleman is like entering a room full of flowers—one forgets the fragrance after a long time."
As Wu Bin listened to this, he could not help but nod.
What Qiao Liang was saying completely fit the impression that he had of Boss Pei. It was very reliable, and could probably be included as an important part of the interpretation of the Tengda Spirit!
What's more, that had only been the appetizer.
Qiao Liang continued speaking until he began explaining more crucial content.
"On top of that, I have the ultimate generalization to summarize all of Boss Pei's identities.
"Boss Pei... is a unique expresser!"
The hand that Wu Bin had been using to write evidently sped up. "An ultimate generalization to summarize all of Boss Pei's identities? That's a very interesting point. Could you elaborate on that?"
Qiao Liang smiled. "Actually, that's an obvious point that's just been neglected because it's easy to just address him as an 'entrepreneur'!
"All of us know that Boss Pei has many identities. He has created many games, filmed a movie, produced a haunted house, and worked on all sorts of projects like internet cafes, take-out, and even handsets.
"All of those things culminate in one identity—an expresser!
"Boss Pei is different from other entrepreneurs, in the sense that the others only work for the sake of earning money. With every decision that they make, they keep a close eye on feedback from the market.
"If there's good feedback, they will continue. Otherwise, they would stop.
"Each time they think about working on a new project or product, they would first think about what is most acceptable to the market, and then they would follow along. Even if the market demands are wrong or unhealthy, they would do it.
"They would explain that, since that's the way the market is and that's the way other businesses are working, they have no other options.
"However, Boss Pei is different. Whenever he thinks about working on a new project, he does not ask about the market. Instead, he searches his own heart!
"Every business of his is working hard to express something!"
Wu Bin's writing hand was moving even faster now. This way of putting it inspired him and made his eyes light up.
On top of being an entrepreneur, Boss Pei had a larger identity—an expresser.
"What exactly is Boss Pei expressing, then?" Wu Bin asked curiously.
Qiao Liang sipped his coffee and fell into deep thought. "He seems to be expressing something different with every project.
"Without a doubt, his games and films are cultural products. There are more than enough analyses of those works online.
"The focus should be on his physical projects!
"Before this, I never noticed that point. However, after coming to Thriller Hostel today and especially after experiencing the 'Ultimate Horror', I suddenly figured many things out.
"Boss Pei's Fish-Catching Take-Out is a good example. It has been incurring losses this entire time, but why hasn't he stopped opening new branches?"
After some consideration, Wu Bin said, "To dominate a greater share of the market?"
Qiao Liang nodded and then shook his head again. "Perhaps that is part of the reason, but it's definitely not the main reason.
"If that were the main reason, he could work on cheap food and throw in a bunch of subsidies. That would be a better and faster way of dominating the market, right?
"Actually, on closer inspection, one would realize that all of Boss Pei's businesses are unique. None of them make ordinary profit-generating methods their priority.
"That's why I think that Boss Pei is trying to express his own thoughts through all of his businesses!
"Take Fish-Catching Take-Out, for example. Boss Pei cannot be doing that to incur losses, and there are better ways to expand his market share. Boss Pei's true aim is to convey the idea of healthy eating, so that it becomes acceptable among more and more people!
"Similarly, Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, Ming Yun Private Kitchen, Zhongdian Chinese Network... and all of Boss Pei's businesses are expressing a certain concept: his view of the industry!
"Furthermore, as Boss Pei expresses himself, he does so with extreme confidence and independence. He never boasts about this and never tries to explain himself. He only quietly expresses his own thoughts and waits for people to figure out his deeper intentions."
Wu Bin quickly recorded all of that down, looking more and more excited as he did.
"This perspective is so novel, and I think it makes a lot of sense! An expresser... that really is the perfect description of Boss Pei!
"Thank you very much, Teacher Qiao. You really understand Boss Pei the most! At least... you're one of the people who do."
At first, Qiao Liang beamed. However, when he heard the last sentence, his face fell.
What do you mean by 'one of the people who do'?
I, Qiao Liang, am the person who understands Boss Pei the most! There's no other!
However, on further thought, Wu Bin was working on the official interpretation of the Tengda Spirit. He was also collecting many perspectives of Boss Pei to come up with an accurate way of interpreting his spirit...
He seemed to be good at figuring Boss Pei out in his own way.
Hmm...
I guess that's barely acceptable!
After all, there was no competition among learned men. All of them were trying their best to understand Boss Pei. There was no need to compete and see who was better and who was worse.
Wu Bin pondered for a moment and asked, "Well... Teacher Qiao, you think that Boss Pei is trying to express so different thoughts through all of his businesses. Do you think there's a... central idea?
"Something that covers all the businesses?"
Qiao Liang paused and thought about it for a long time. "I think... not?
"Every business works differently and has a different target audience. I don't think we can generalize them. At least for now, I can think of some vague concepts, but no clear direction."
Wu Bin nodded. "Yes, that seems right. If it's that easy to figure out how Boss Pei thinks, it would not make sense.
"In short, you have enlightened us with your words! Thank you very much!
"I will dig deeper in this direction, and I hope to talk more about this with you in the future! We'll learn more together!"
Qiao Liang was overjoyed as well. "Alright! Actually, bouncing ideas back and forth with you has taught me a lot as well.
"I've already thought about the title for my new series of videos!
"The Lonely Expresser!"
The two men shook hands with a tight grip and warm smiles. What they were both feeling at that moment was indescribable!
Chapter 584: Food Harmony's Operating Philosophy
July 12th, Tuesday...
It had been four days since the official opening of the Thriller Hostel, the peak traffic during the weekend had passed as well.
However, Pei Qian had not managed to pluck up his courage to take a look. He only managed to grasp the trends through the Manage Loss Trainee's report.
The greatest bad news during the opening was that Qiao Liang passed the Ultimate Horror despite his persuasion. However, Pei Qian could now do nothing about this anymore.
Assassination was not an option after all.
At this time, he could only comfort himself. Qiao Liang was only a UP Master in the gaming area. There shouldn't be too many people watching his video recommending the Thriller Hostel... right?
Pei Qian was sipping coffee in the Fish-Catching Internet Cafe as he checked the three-day visitor experience report of the Thriller Hostel.
It might only be three days' worth of data, but some linking could still be gleaned from it.
In short, it seemed... to be still alright?
The traffic was slightly higher than Pei Qian's estimates, but it was still within acceptable ranges because the actual income was within his estimates.
In short, he was still making losses.
Most traffic was in Desperate Escape, and the capacity was limited. It could only receive so many people in a day. The others could only continue queuing.
Until now, the number of people who had experienced Haunted House Nightmare and Ultimate Horror was not on the same magnitude as Desperate Escape.
The reason was simple; these two projects were simply too scary!
Haunted House Nightmare directly wiped out 90% of the people since they gave up after one try and could not obtain the admission ticket to the Ultimate Horror.
According to Pei Qian's original design, Desperate Escape was priced for the mass market. It would not make much money even when running at full capacity.
The Haunted House Nightmare charged moderately, but most rookies would be so scared after the first attempt that they would not enter again. Masters of the game would not enter again either after they cleared it once.
There was no need to mention the Ultimate Horror. Most rookies could not even obtain the admission tickets, and masters who have cleared it would be able to obtain partial refund based on their clearance data.
In other words, the Thriller Hostel was indeed theoretically profitable like what the system required, but that meant that Haunted House Nightmare and Ultimate Horror had to have sufficient traffic.
If these two projects were also full—plus 50% of the income from the Golden Maze, the Thriller Hostel could become very profitable. However, it did not seem too realistic from the current data.
The Golden Maze was rather awkward. This maze did not seem to have the effect of discouraging players, but there were not many items sold, especially all sorts of props in the golden zone because not many people had yet to experience the Ultimate Horror. Therefore, it did not have any added value to most tourists so it did not sell very well.
It was too early to break even, let alone making any profits.
In short, the current situation was completely acceptable!
Pei Qian could not help but feel happier.
For various reasons, the project that almost collapsed in terms of publicity, and yet the momentum had been good so far?
Hmm, this should obviously be attributed to my far-sighted judgment!
Pei Qian could not help but feel a little proud.
While watching the report, the mobile phone placed on the desk vibrated twice upon receiving a message.
Pei Qian picked up the phone; it was from Rui Yuchen.
"Boss Pei, the Fish-Catching Take-Out high-end brand 'Food Harmony' is ready for its official online launch. Could you please sample it this afternoon and give us your comments?"
Eh?
They're pretty fast!
Pei Qian had been watching its every move. He had grasped their every move from the beginning when Rui Yuchen and Lin Canrong began to link up in secret for research and development.
Moreover, the result of this observation was that... the success rate of this method seemed to be very low?
Therefore, Pei Qian had not interfered too much but was silently watching, waiting for this new high-end brand to go online.
"Alright, send it to the Fish-Catching Internet Cafe at Handong University," Pei Qian replied.
Since it was just launched, the Food Harmony high-end brand was only available in Fish-Catching Take-Out No.1 store, which was supplied by the Gourmet Laboratory.
He had to test waters and look at the feedback of most consumers before deciding whether to expand to the other Fish-Catching Take-Out stores or not.
It was because Food Harmony's menu was different from regular Fish-Catching Internet Cafes meals. Their delivery methods would also be different.
If it was to be promoted, it would mean that every chef from the Fish-Catching Take-Out would have to be trained again, some additional ingredients to be prepared, and food boxes and other food delivery supplies to be purchased in bulk.
In short, it could cost a lot of money so Rui Yuchen dare not promote it too rashly.
However, Pei Qian had the opposite idea. He would try it today, but if he felt that there was not much profit to be made he would hurry up and promote it to the rest of the Fish-Catching Take-Out stores!
The delivery guy came near noon.
He wore the same uniform as the other Fish-Catching Take-Out delivery guy, but instead of carrying an insulated delivery box, he had a simple, low-key food box in his hand.
"Boss Pei, please enjoy."
The delivery guy placed the food box in front of Boss Pei and turned to leave.
It was a little strange to be eating Fish-Catching Take-Out in the Fish-Catching Internet Cafe since the Fish-Catching Internet Cafe itself provided all the meals for Fish-Catching Take-Out.
However, Pei Qian did not mind it. He opened the food box smoothly after careful observation and saw the food within.
This food box was obviously custom-made. It was an insulated lunch box in principle, but it did not have a shiny stainless steel appearance. Rather, it was covered with a special skin-friendly material.
The exterior of the food box at first glance looked a bit like a traditional wooden food box with some traditional patterns, but it did not feel that way at all when you touch it. It had a very comfortable feeling.
Obviously, a lot of effort had been put into making this custom food box.
Stainless steel had good heat retention, but its appearance gave people a sense of cheapness—which would not be able to bring across the brand concept of Food Harmony. However, if they were to use traditional wooden food boxes, then it would not be able to retain heat and would not be able to guarantee the dining experience.
Therefore, the Fish-Catching Take-Out had made a comprehensive consideration in this regard. It must be able to retain heat and must be able to be distinguished from its appearance. The cost had to be controlled as well.
The cost of mass-producing such a custom-made food box could be reduced to between 20 to 30 yuan, but the price was still 10 times higher than the original porcelain bowl used by Fish-Catching Internet Cafe.
That meant that Fish-Catching Take-Out would be able to bear the loss if the porcelain bowl was missing, but not if it was the food box instead. That would be like the shared bicycle. If someone would not be held accountable for losing it, then many people would hide it for private use.
Pei Qian did not mind losing a few of them, but the system would definitely not allow it.
Therefore, the operating method of Food Harmony had to be different from Fish-Catching Internet Cafe.
Pei Qian opened the food box, there were several layers inside, which could be pulled out and placed on the table.
The food in the box looked good, and it could be seen that it had not been shaken violently. Obviously, it placed stricter requirements on the delivery personnel of Food Harmony.
Higher-end brands naturally would have better service and higher value add.
The meals within had an hors d'oeuvre and candied fruit platter, fried prawns with Longjing, double vegetables in broth, vegetarian mixed fried rice, and Matsutake seafood soup.
The shape and function of each layer in the food box were different. For example, this layer of the platter was divided into fan-shaped cells, and the layer with soup had a lid to prevent splashing.
The portions of the dishes were not large. They were generally all servings for one, but there was a variety, trying to achieve balanced nutrition. These meals were basically from Ming Yun Private Kitchen's menu, but the preparation method was definitely different.
It was impossible for Food Harmony to follow Ming Yun Private Kitchen's recipes. No matter whether it was in terms of time, investment, or price; it was only possible to selectively remove some time-consuming steps and optimize these steps.
They also had to ensure that the taste exceeded that of ordinary meals, and balance was made in terms of comprehensive experience and price.
Pei Qian took out the matching tableware from the food box and gobbled up the dishes in no time. He savored the flavors after he had eaten—it was not bad.
It was definitely incomparable with the original dishes from Ming Yun Private Kitchen, but the taste and experiences compared to regular Fish-Catching Take-Out were definitely improved.
Pei Qian gave it some thought and felt that it was not impossible for this to make a loss. The key was to look at the price and specific marketing strategy.
Pei Qian called Rui Yuchen when he thought of this.
"Boss Pei? You've tried it? How do you feel about the taste?" Rui Yuchen's voice sounded a little nervous but was filled with some expectations.
It was a new brand—a new product developed by him and Lin Canrong—so Boss Pei's approval was very important.
Pei Qian pondered for a moment. "How much is one set?"
Rui Yuchen replied, "Currently, it is... 58 yuan. Specific prices would depend on different catering."
His voice was lowered unconsciously, obviously having no confidence in the price. The price nearly tripled compared to the previous Fish-Catching Take-Outs.
Pei Qian was overjoyed, but he did not show it clearly as he continued to question. "What if the food box is lost?"
"Also, these meals are basically about one-third the regular portion. That means one portion had to be divided into three sets for sale? How can we ensure timelines and taste?"
To balance the nutrition, the entire set meal was made up of several dishes, each serving was not big. It was impossible for the chef to cook every small dish. He could only make one serving at a time and split it between three customers.
However, the timing of each customer was different. Even if it was kept warm, the taste would definitely deteriorate if it was left in the insulated pot for too long.
"For food boxes, we would need the customer to pay a deposit first to prevent the food box from being lost or used privately. Of course, the deposit is refundable at any time," Rui Yuchen said.
"As for the time, our current approach would be to unify the delivery time, but there is a problem that some customers may have to wait longer..."
Pei Qian: "How can we make our customers wait? This is definitely not appropriate!
"How about this, let's make it the same as Ming Yun Private Kitchen—make all of them book reservations. We only accept reservations made two hours in advance, cook, pack, and deliver according to everyone's order."
Rui Yuchen froze for a moment. "We only accept reservations? Boss Pei, isn't that too unfriendly to new users? Not only must you pay a deposit, but you have to make a reservation two hours in advance to taste a meal?"
Pei Qian smiled. "What we want are long-term customers. They have no fate with this brand if they are dissuaded by this setback."
"Furthermore, it is not appropriate to pay a deposit. Our meals are only open to the existing users of Fish-Catching Take-Out and Tengda who have good credit. If the food box is lost, we will either deduct their credit or money.
"We might as well make it even more exclusive since it is a high-end brand."
Rui Yuchen fell into silence at the other end of the phone. It seemed like Boss Pei could always propose something even more radical than him.
Only existing users with good credit could taste the food from the Food Harmony brand, and an advanced appointment had to be made two hours in advance. The price was two to three times more expensive than ordinary Fish-Catching Take-Out.
Rui Yuchen's initial goal might be to make it a high-end takeaway brand, but he still felt that this step was a little too big.
It would be a painful fall if he wasn't careful. However, it did not seem appropriate if he did not follow Boss Pei's guidance.
"Alright, Boss Pei, we'll do it the way you mentioned. I will conduct pilot runs in several major Fish-Catching Take-Out stores and report the situation to you again in a week..." Rui Yuchen replied.
Pei Qian smiled and nodded. "Okay, go. We'll decide next week if we will extend the Food Harmony model to the rest of the Fish-Catching Take-Out stores."