My House of Horrors

“Purposely lead people to Li Wan City to be tortured?” Chen Ge felt that had to do with the ‘door’. They needed someone to open the door in Li Wan City, but that would lead to a question. Why would the ghosts in Eastern Jiujiang be so insistent on this door in Li Wan City? How was it different from the other door?

Jiang Long had captured Xiao Bu’s mother and trapped her inside the doll. Chen Ge had no idea what had gone on in detail, but he could make an educated guess. However, even until her disappearance, the door was not pushed open. Instead, it was Xiao Bu who opened the ‘door’ after witnessing what happened in the dungeon; this was probably something that had escaped the ghosts’ expectation.

“Do you have any other questions?” Jiang Xiaohu interrupted Chen Ge’s thoughts. “If there’s nothing else, can you take this away?”

He pointed at the recorder with fear in his eyes.

“Since you knew that your father had committed a crime, why didn’t you call the police?” Chen Ge put the recorder back in his bag. He smoothed down the bedsheet like he had not taken the thing out.

“My sister did plan to call the police. Mom tried to stop her, but it was to no avail. When I woke up the next morning, my sister had already disappeared. Mom said that sister’s condition had suddenly worsened and she needed to be sent for treatment.” Jiang Xiaohu gripped the bedsheet by both hands. “Mom also told me that if I didn’t act obediently, I’d be sent for treatment as well.”

“You were threatened by your mother? Looks like she might be involved in the whole incident somehow.”

“Jiang Long is dead, and both my mother and sister are missing, so what’s the point in asking these questions now?” Jiang Xiaohu raised his head to look at Chen Ge. He seemed to have realized something, and his tone softened. “When the police came earlier, I said the same thing. I’ve told you everything I know.”

“You’ve told me everything you know?” Chen Ge looked into Jiang Xiaohu’s eyes. A normal lingering spirit would not be able to hold Chen Ge’s gaze, much less a child. Just as Jiang Xiaohu turned his head away out of guilt, Chen Ge asked the last question, “I saw a painting on the ceiling in Room 104 at Ming Yang Residence. In the painting, your family of four was biting a little girl’s four limbs. Perhaps you and your sister were dragged into this, but in that painting, you’re all killers, or at least that’s the perception of the painter.”

“Painting?” Jiang Xiaohu was startled. “I don’t know anything about that.”

“You said that Ming Yang Residence was made for ghosts, so the painting was probably done by ghosts as well.” Chen Ge had a feeling that Jiang Xiaohu was still hiding something from him. He was about to continue the interrogation when the boy’s eyes suddenly rolled backward, and his limbs started to spasm. His lips whispered pleas of help like he was about to die from asphyxiation.

Hearing that, Doctor Pei and the workers rushed in immediately. He held onto Jiang Xiaohu’s limbs and gave him a sedative shot. The spirit went out of the boy’s eyes, and he slowly stopped struggling before losing consciousness.

“Mr. Chen, did the boy hurt you?”

“It’s fine. I’ve already asked all that I need to. Thank you for your help.” Chen Ge stood up to thank Doctor Pei.

“I’m glad to be of help. If you need any help in the future, don’t hesitate to ask.” Doctor Pei was just being polite, but Chen Ge treated it seriously. He beckoned Doctor Pei, and the two left the room together.

“Mr. Chen, do you have something else to ask me?”

“It’s not suitable to ask this in there. I wish to ask you a few questions privately.”

“Are you afraid that Jiang Xiaohu might overhear us?” Doctor Pei thought Chen Ge was being a bit too cautious. “Based on our diagnosis, the boy does suffer from mental illness…”

“Sometimes, mental patients are cleverer than normal person. I know several examples.” Chen Ge walked further away before he sighed in relief. “Doctor Pei, you said earlier that Jiang Xiaohu’s sister went to Jiang Long’s place in Li Wan City and found a hidden room?”

“Yes, Jiang Bai told me that in person.”

“Then, have you been to Li Wan City to confirm her statement?” Chen Ge was more curious about that. If Doctor Pei had told the police that, then the police would definitely have gone for a follow up, but in his conversation with Lee Zheng, the man did not bring up anything about a hidden room.

“I’ve not been there myself, but the police have.”

“Did they find anything?” Chen Ge’s heart raced because the ‘door’ should be in that room. If nothing went wrong, the police should have found something.

Doctor Pei shook his head. “I heard them say it was just a normal home. There was indeed a hidden room behind the closet, but there was no iron cage or large doll. There were instead several safes with business documents and cash.”

“Cash?”

Doctor Pei saw the change in Chen Ge’s expression, and he explained patiently, “The police took some pictures. Apparently, that’s Jiang Long’s inheritance, and he was planning to leave them to Jiang Xiaohu.”

“Do you mind telling me the house’s exact location? I just want to go there in person to check it out.” The map of the game was very similar to Li Wan City three years ago, but it was only a similarity; it was a reconstruction of Li Wan City based on Xiao Bu’s nightmare. Therefore, it was Li Wan City in Xiao Bu’s eyes, so there were differences compared to real life.

“His father stayed in the first residential area on Li Wan City’s West Street. First floor, Room 1. The building looks rather old. When the police went to the place, they were surprised that Jiang Long would buy an apartment in a place like that.”

When Chen Ge heard that, it hit him immediately. That was the same place where Fan Chong and Fan Dade lived. It looked like there was a reason that Fan Chong would happen upon that game. Looks like I have to go back to Fan Chong’s home again and return the e-bike.

Realizing that Chen Ge was preparing to go to Li Wan City, Doctor Pei reminded him, “Mr. Chen, I suggest you go in the morning. It’s not safe to go there at night. I have many patients from Eastern Jiujiang here. From talking to them, I’ve realized that they all saw something or heard something at night, and that caused problems to their mental state.”

“There’s something like that?” Chen Ge realized how serious the condition in Eastern Jiujiang was. The monsters were lawless and had seeped into every corner of the place.

“Just take an example from the patient that came to me yesterday. One month ago, he went to the airport to fetch his wife. It was a midnight flight. The couple drove back to Eastern Jiujiang.

“Based on his explanation, when they passed a junction, the buildings on the side suddenly became strange and unfamiliar, and the streetlights dimmed.

“They continued driving, and then, in the rear-view mirror, the driver saw an approaching bus. It was already midnight, so why was there a bus on the road? He not only saw the bus but also all the passengers waving at him, and he heard unknown voices calling his name.”