(2/5)
Changsheng Building
Chapter 212: You will all die here.
In almost an instant, pitch darkness that allowed no light to penetrate enveloped the world outside the glass, with a chilling cold seeping in through the gaps.
Inside the blackened lampshade, the weak flame flickered, barely illuminating the shop.
Though it was not the first time, everyone still couldn’t help but feel their hearts pounding with fear.
“It’s dark now.”
Qi Qian’s eyes darkened: “Everyone get ready.”
Due to the previous experience on the first floor, they squeezed into the narrow space behind the counter at the fastest speed, standing within the range of the lamplight.
All they had to do next was wait.
The atmosphere grew oppressive.
Outside the blurry glass was pitch darkness where one couldn’t see their own hand, like water dyed with ink, while inside the shop was deathly silent. This small area barely illuminated by the light became the only safe place amid the danger.
Everyone stared intently outside, subconsciously holding their breath, waiting silently.
“Ring ring.”
In the distance, a clear ringing sounded, standing out starkly in the deathly stillness like black water, as if symbolizing the start of a massacre.
Everyone’s hearts skipped a beat.
It seemed the “customers” had started to visit.
After what happened on the first floor, they were now well aware of the entire process.
The oil lamp symbolized the shop’s opening, and the customers entered the shop to “purchase” goods. During this time, although the lamp oil would burn rapidly, the store clerks, who were anchors, were not in danger.
The real danger began only after the customers left the shop.
However… according to the nightmare’s usual pattern, as time passed and the floors rose, the difficulty would certainly increase.
So, although they were well-prepared this time, even activating the anchor’s medium ability to pre-select the problematic items, no one could guarantee that no new mishaps would occur during this process.
“Ring ring.”
A new ringing came from another direction.
Everyone’s eyes flashed, exchanging glances.
It seemed the visiting pattern of the “customers” from the first floor was broken, or… the number of “customers” on the second-floor shop increased?
In any case, this proved their previous guess correct.
Drawing a later number wasn’t necessarily safer.
In the “Changsheng Building” instance, luck wasn’t a decisive factor. Accurately speaking, as the floors increased, everyone was equally in danger.
In the deathly silence of the shop, everyone held their breath.
“Tap, tap, tap.”
Familiar footsteps approached from the darkness.
—They’re coming!
Everyone tensed up instantly, focusing all their attention on the darkness outside, waiting for the customer’s arrival.
Rigid, steady, mechanical footsteps got closer, and the dense darkness approached with it.
“Ring ring.”
The glass door was pushed open, the small bronze bell hanging on it jingling, a shock to everyone’s ears.
A cold, foul-smelling wind swept in from outside.
In the oil lamp welded to the counter, the weak flame flickered intensely. Everyone could almost hear its frantic crackling, but the area illuminated by the light was gradually being suppressed by the darkness.
The “customer” had walked in.
“Tap, tap, tap.”
The “customer” walked step by step into the shop, and as it passed the counter, the temperature in the air plummeted, making everyone clearly feel the hairs on their arms standing up.
Even knowing they were probably safe, they couldn’t suppress the physiological reaction of hair-raising fear.
They waited, continuing to wait.
Based on their experience, the “customer” should stop at the empty shelf they had deliberately cleared and take the needed item.
The footsteps gradually moved away from the counter.
Step by step, they passed the foremost shelf, seemingly heading deeper into the shop.
How could this be?!
Everyone held their breath, showing shocked expressions.
Wen Jianyan’s heart sank.
Actually, before the darkness descended, he had already sensed something was off… He didn’t think the second floor would let the anchors pass easily based on the previous experience, but he hadn’t expected that their arrangement would be entirely useless?
Standing behind the counter, Tong Yao’s pupils constricted, almost not daring to believe her ears.
In other words… none of the radios she selected using her activated ability were the real target of the customer?!
How was that possible?!
The footsteps abruptly stopped.
The sudden silence made everyone’s hearts tremble.
“Tap, tap, tap.”
The footsteps started again, this time directly heading towards the counter.
Each step’s interval was identical, as if precisely calculated, stepping on everyone’s increasingly intense heartbeat. Soon, the footsteps stopped before the counter.
The flame in the oil lamp flickered, burning fiercely, but the seemingly bright light looked particularly weak amid the overwhelming darkness around it, barely illuminating the few behind the counter.
Sinister darkness encroached.
As the footsteps approached, the stench of rotting flesh grew stronger, almost nauseating.
Under everyone’s horrified gaze, a ghastly hand stretched out from the darkness.
It was unmistakably a dead person’s hand.
The skin was pale and loose, the nails a horrifying black, and the back of the hand was covered in rotten spots, exuding a strong stench of decay.
The hand slowly pressed onto the counter.
Everyone almost forgot to breathe, staring fixedly at the dead hand. After a few seconds, the hand slowly withdrew.
“Tap, tap, tap.”
The footsteps started again.
This time, they didn’t stop, heading straight outside.
The glass door was opened, a cold wind rushed in, and the bronze bell hanging on it rang crisply.
The “customer” had left.
As it disappeared, the darkness and stench gradually faded, and the oil lamp’s burning rate steadied, filling the shop with dim, yellow light.
On the counter, a dark handprint was left, with a flat piece of ghost money in the center.
The customer left money and took the goods.
However, no one dared to relax.
They knew the real danger was just beginning.
As the darkness receded, they immediately turned and hurriedly looked at the shelves they had arranged—what they saw made everyone gasp.
The shelves were empty.
All the radios they selected were gone, leaving only the empty shelves starkly standing in the vast shop.
Not a single one was left.
“No way? They were all bought?!” An Xin exclaimed in shock.
Wen Jianyan shook his head and pointed at the counter:
“There’s only one piece of ghost money.”
“Then…” An Xin scratched his head, “Maybe their prices in the ghost realm are different from ours?”
“No, Wen Wen is right.”
Qi Qian interrupted An Xin.
He squinted his eyes, staring at the darkness ahead with a solemn expression, “The customer’s footsteps didn’t stop at the shelves we selected; it went to the back of the shop, meaning its chosen item wasn’t in the front.”
“Hurry, split up,” Qi Qian said, “We must find the missing radios and the one bought by the customer as quickly as possible.”
Although he gave the order, he was also uncertain inside.
It seemed the previous floor’s experience was almost entirely ineffective on this floor.
The clothes were bought, and the mannequins started killing, but… none of the items on this floor required possession. Once bought, they were gone, so how would they kill?
Moreover…
Their attempt to nip the danger in the bud had failed.
Although Tong Yao used her ability, her efforts didn’t pay off. The customer’s chosen item wasn’t among the selected radios, and all those radios vanished with the customer!
Wen Jianyan squinted.
He felt there was some hidden secret yet to be discovered.
While he pondered, the others began searching the shop, looking for clues they might have missed among the shelves.
Wen Jianyan also moved.
He walked towards the place where the sound last disappeared, his gaze quickly sweeping over countless large and small, variously colored radios, trying to find some clue.
Suddenly, Wen Jianyan’s attention was drawn to a corner of the shelf.
A square, brown radio lay quietly among a pile of radios, looking so familiar…
Wen Jianyan frowned.
Was this… the radio Tong Yao held last?
He walked towards it, carefully reaching out to pick it up.
At that moment, a machine’s operating sound suddenly came from behind.
It was extremely clear, as if it sounded right in his ear.
“Rustle… Good evening, dear listeners. I’m your old friend… Rustle…”
It was a deep male voice, using a very standard broadcasting tone, “Tonight’s weather is good; tomorrow will definitely be… Rustle… a sunny day…”
The voice abruptly broke the silence, making one’s scalp tingle.
Wen Jianyan’s heart skipped a beat, and he turned around quickly.
A pitch-black radio stood on the second shelf, its red light flashing, somehow starting to operate.
“I believe everyone should be waiting by their radios now, … Rustle…, listening to our program… You are indeed a group of lucky listeners. Next—”
“Buzz…”
At this moment, a faint electric current sounded from the brown radio in Wen Jianyan’s hand.
A creepy whisper emerged from the radio, as if speaking right into his ear:
“You will all die here.”
Thanks for translating. Appreciate your efforts author and will look forward to more. Hope its not pressuring.