SABA Chapter 11

Chapter 11

“Click—”

The sound of the lock turning was exceptionally clear in the dark and silent environment. Bei Caijie was closest to the door and reacted quickly, turning the doorknob.

Qi Yingyi asked nervously, “How is it?”

Bei Caijie shook her head, “It’s locked.”

He Xinran recovered a bit. His smile was gentle and reliable, like a reassuring older brother next door: “It seems the director wants us to explore this secret passage.”

He stood in front of the fireplace, intending to be the first to try and redeem himself: “Then I’ll go first. If there’s danger, I can protect you all.”

After speaking, he prepared to go down and scout the situation.

“Wait,” Jiang Tiao finally removed the picture frame, “There’s a combination safe in here too!”

He Xinran’s teeth were about to shatter. He even suspected Jiang Tiao was deliberately going against him. Otherwise, why did he always propose an opposing opinion right after he finished speaking?

“Let me see.”

The group gathered around, heads bumping together.

It was a safe embedded in the wall. It was impossible to move, so opening it could only be done with the combination.

“The combination might be numbers or letters.”

“There’s a phone book on the desk with many names and phone numbers.”

“Could the books on the bookshelf have clues?”

“And that retro pendulum clock that doesn’t move, 11:55, could this time have any meaning?”

“Oh my god, that clock started moving!”

While everyone was discussing intensely, in an unnoticed corner, He Xinran silently retracted his foot that had been halfway out. His hatred for Jiang Tiao had reached its peak. But this was a live broadcast, and he couldn’t do anything in front of the cameras!

“Tick—tick—tick—”

The pendulum’s swing sounded like drumbeats hitting everyone’s hearts, adding a sense of urgency to the already terrifying atmosphere.

Qi Yingyi watched the second hand incessantly approach ’12’ and swallowed hard, “Do you think this might be a countdown to something?”

Everyone’s hearts tightened. Before they could speak, a sharp chainsaw sound echoed from above. As the second hand reached ’12’, a hole was ripped open in the ceiling, and a female ghost in red clothes descended, hanging upside down. Her face was like that of “The Weeping Woman,” twisted and distorted, with misplaced features – one eye was backward, and the other was vertical.

She used a wooden shackle to grab Qi Yingyi, constantly pulling him forward, wanting to be face-to-face with him.

“Ahhh! Mama—” Qi Yingyi’s tears streamed out. He struggled desperately, clinging to Luo Xingwen, who was closest to him, as if he were his last hope.

[Hahahaha.]

[Why! It was quite scary at first, but that “Mama” from Yingzi just made me laugh until I cried.]

[Hahaha, Yingzi, Yingzi is already kneeling to the ghost.]

[Hahahaha, he’s kneeling to Luo Xingwen, not the ghost.]

The barrage of comments was filled with laughter, but the room was in chaos. Luo Xingwen had Qi Yingyi holding onto his thigh and couldn’t exert any force to pull him away. The pendulum clock continued to tick second by second; no one knew what would happen when all three hands reached 12 simultaneously.

Bei Caijie was also sweating profusely. She grabbed the phone book from the table and randomly entered a number into the safe before realizing, “There are only five chances, and we can’t just try random combinations!”

The tension allowed Jiang Tiao to briefly overcome his fear. He looked at the female ghost who kept trying to get face-to-face with Qi Yingyi and felt like the scene was familiar.

“Yingyi!” Jiang Tiao suddenly had an epiphany, “I think she wants you to look at her face!”

Qi Yingyi had already buried his head completely between his knees and Luo Xingwen’s shoes. Hearing Jiang Tiao’s words, his entire being rejected it: “Wuwuwu, why, why do I have to look at her face? I can’t, I really can’t!”

Jiang Tiao squatted beside Qi Yingyi and coaxed him, “How can a man say no?”

Qi Yingyi cried miserably, “Wuwuwuwu, Your subject is unable to do so—”

[Hahahaha, he can bend and stretch, Mom is relieved.]

[Hahaha, men can’t say no, but I can not be a man.]

[Hahaha, Jiang Tiao’s expression seems to have thousands of words he wants to say, but also like he doesn’t want to say anything.]

Alright, knowing he couldn’t persuade this side, Jiang Tiao turned his attention to the other. He gently patted the female ghost and said in a lively and gentle tone, “Why don’t you stop grabbing him? He can’t do it. Grab me instead.”

The female ghost hung upside down, her long black hair completely obscuring her profile. Only from Qi Yingyi’s angle could one see the ghost’s face clearly.

Seeing that the female ghost didn’t speak, Jiang Tiao continued to coax her as if they were lovers, negotiating, “It’s okay if you don’t grab me, I just want to see your face.”

Ghost: “……”

[Hahahaha, what is this! Why did it suddenly turn into ‘Ghost’!]

[My god, one sentence actually made me feel moved! Why! Why! Why can you perform like this in a variety show, but when you play a devoted lover in a drama, you make people cringe until their toes curl?!]

[Hahaha, a man’s mouth deceives ghosts, reasonable in conversation, but already starting to help untie the rope!]

The female ghost sensed Jiang Tiao’s movement, and the rope “swish”ed and retracted.

Jiang Tiao grabbed the female ghost, looking at her with deep affection, “Since you’re here! Stay a bit longer before you go!”

“………”

A mournful and hollow voice echoed from the hidden speakers in the room. The voice was the same, but the content was no longer crying and screaming.

“A forced melon isn’t sweet. We are from different paths, ghosts and humans. Give up…”

[Hahahaha.]

[If Jiang Tiao’s memory isn’t faulty, he should recall that this is exactly what he said to the ghost just ten minutes ago when she wanted him to look at her.]

[Hahahaha Jiang Tiao: This accursed boomerang, the clown is me?!]

[I’ve never seen the background music of this show involuntarily engage with the guests’ dialogue. This is too much of a variety show effect!]

[Hahaha Jiang Tiao: I never expected to be shut down by my own words one day!]

Just as the female ghost was slowly rising, thinking Jiang Tiao had given up, Jiang Tiao, with lightning speed, lifted her long black wig.

Ghost: “!!!”

Careless!

Jiang Tiao smiled and waved goodbye to the female ghost who was about to leave the ceiling, “A forced melon isn’t sweet, but it’s delicious~”

Ghost: “………”

The few people watched in stunned silence as Jiang Tiao teased an NPC, their emotions complex.

Luo Xingwen was perplexed, “Aren’t you scared anymore?”

Jiang Tiao replied, “I’m more afraid of things that appear suddenly and scare you without warning.”

Bei Caijie’s impression of Jiang Tiao changed somewhat. The rumors online were indeed unreliable. Wasn’t this person quite interesting? Was it all just editing effects before?

She asked with a smile, “What did you see?”

Jiang Tiao thought for a moment, “I think it’s the placement of the facial features.”

The facial features on the ghost’s face, like “The Weeping Woman,” were misplaced, but their positions were subtly different.

Jiang Tiao had an answer in mind and wanted to verify it.

“There are four chances left, can I try first?” Jiang Tiao asked for everyone’s opinion.

Bei Caijie nodded, her twin ponytails swaying, looking quite cute, “Try it, try it. I tried once, and you try once. Since there are five chances, one for each of us.”

Jiang Tiao entered the English word for nose above.

“Click—”

The safe door actually popped open. Inside, there was a piece of paper and a small box.

The paper had a line of eerie red text, as if mocking the controller—The robin died, but not by the sparrow’s bow and arrow. Who killed the robin? Who didn’t want the robin to leave the castle? The sparrow said, the robin killed the robin, and the ghost killed the robin.

Silence fell upon the study.

The barrage of comments, which a moment ago were collectively marveling at Jiang Tiao’s amazing observation skills in finding the correct answer with just one glance, were now startled by the bizarre note.

[What does it mean?!]

[A famous horror deduction children’s rhyme? Who killed the robin?]

[The robin killed the robin? Does that mean there’s a ‘bad person’ among the guests, and the bad person is the ghost?]

[The ‘bad person’s’ goal is to kill other guests? To prevent other guests from leaving the castle?]

[Oh my god, there are bad guys too, this feels even scarier.]

[But I haven’t seen anyone acting suspicious throughout the show!]

[The ‘bad person’ doesn’t want the ‘good person’ to leave the castle, so isn’t the one who’s been slacking off and not contributing the so-called ghost?]

Jiang Tiao silently took a step back, creating distance.

Luo Xingwen: “??? What are you doing?”

Jiang Tiao: “As expected, what’s more terrifying than ghosts and gods is the human heart.”

Qi Yingyi was so anxious he was about to jump, “I’m a good person!”

Bei Caijie: “I’m a good person.”

He Xinran: “I’m also a good person.”

The five looked at each other, their expressions all subtle.

Jiang Tiao shrugged, “Alright, since everyone is a ‘good person,’ then staying here is useless.”

Bei Caijie strongly agreed with Jiang Tiao. She opened the wooden box from the safe, which contained a pistol and instructions.

[Item Name: Immobilizing Water Gun]

[Usage: After hitting an enemy/NPC, it can restrict their actions for twenty seconds. The water bullets have only three shots.]

There were even props? Jiang Tiao was somewhat surprised. Does this mean there will be a battle royale-like plot later?

“So, the question now is,” Bei Caijie tilted her head, holding the pistol, “There’s only one prop, who is it most suitable to keep?”

He Xinran naturally wanted it, but it wasn’t good to say it directly in front of the camera, so he could only hint at it, “I don’t think it matters who keeps it, the important thing is that this prop cannot fall into the hands of a bad person.”

Bei Caijie: “Then who among the five of us do you think is least likely to be the ghost?”

Qi Yingyi thought without hesitation: “Jiang Tiao, probably. He’s solved many puzzles along the way. If he were the ghost, he could have dragged out our progress completely, there would be no need to solve them so quickly.”

He Xinran was almost furious. He suggested that so everyone would see his status and choose him. Why wasn’t he seen as a good person? Didn’t he plan to be the first to brave danger for everyone earlier?

Luo Xingwen also felt this suggestion was reasonable.

He Xinran disagreed, “Then what if Jiang Tiao is trying to mislead everyone?”

Bei Caijie thought He Xinran’s point had some merit.

Luo Xingwen: “Then let’s vote.”

He Xinran, Bei Caijie: “……”