Starting with a haunted house to create a thrilling game arena

Chapter 34: Zhang Peng, the Murderer

"Boss, you're finally back!"

"I missed you so much!"

The next morning.

Shen Yue excitedly welcomed Zhang Ze back to the haunted house and showed him the revenue records for the past few days. Zhang Ze glanced at them and was satisfied that the income was stable.

"You missed me that much after I was only gone for one night?"

"A day apart feels like three autumns!" Shen Yue said matter-of-factly. "By the way, boss, our haunted house has become quite famous; lots of people come specifically to see you!"

"Hehe, maybe someone helped us promote it," Zhang Ze chuckled.

The Mystery Tracking Studio wrote several articles promoting Zhang Ze's haunted house. Although it only has one scene, the crow's nest, it has attracted many tourists from outside Hanjiang City with its 100% positive reviews.

"There was this weirdo last night who said you solved some case and wanted to come over today," Shen Yue continued.

Case solved?

Zhang Ze thought for a moment. Strictly speaking, he had not assisted the police in solving any cases. At most, he had participated in a few famous strange tales in Hanjiang City.

For example, the case of the gifted teenager, the murder case at the Peace Hotel, and so on.

Out of caution, Zhang Ze used the crow's vision from last night to spot the man in the baseball cap who had tried to chat up Shen Yue.

"Yo ho."

"Isn't this Zhang Peng?"

Zhang Ze's eyes flickered slightly.

He had never met Zhang Peng before, but he recognized Zhang Peng at a glance as one of the murderers in the Fu'an Apartment massacre.

As expected, this guy was supposed to cause trouble for Chen Ge, but he was torn to shreds by Zhang Ya.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Peng came to him.

After glancing at Shen Yue, Zhang Ze guessed that this girl had caused trouble again.

But...

He just happens to need a "new employee" right now.

Zhang Peng is the perfect candidate to be the perpetrator of the family annihilation case.

"Good, isn't it a joy to have friends coming from afar?"

"Give this distinguished guest a good welcome. When he arrives, tell him that the person in red in the haunted house is me. I'll be waiting for him inside the haunted house, and I'll give him an unforgettable experience."

Zhang Ze gave the instructions.

Shen Yue nodded. She would carry out her boss's orders without hesitation!

It was gradually approaching noon.

The New Century Amusement Park was bustling with activity.

Another busy day.

Uncle Xu stood in the center of the venue with a bright smile, maintaining order. Chen Ge had disappeared, leaving Xu Wan to run the haunted house alone, creating a subtle competition between her and Shen Yue, who was standing alone in the ticket hall.

People took photos and commemorated the occasion.

Not only are the haunted houses open to each other head-on.

Even the ticket office staff are two very attractive young women!

None of the tourists present expected that Zhang Peng, the murderer of the Fu'an Apartment massacre, was mingling in the crowd, dressed in casual clothes that were difficult to identify, silently standing at the entrance of the haunted house.

Zhang Peng's gaze shifted from Xu Wan to Shen Yue.

"I feel like I've come to the wrong place."

"Forget it, this haunted house is obviously more popular and has more buzz. What that girl said last night probably wasn't lying."

Zhang Peng muttered to himself.

three years ago.

Together with several others, they set fire to the Fu'an Apartment, burning down the home of a family of four, leaving only the male homeowner's elderly father imprisoned beside him.

He could have kept this secret forever, but Chen Ge suddenly appeared and ruined everything he had painstakingly built.

kill.

revenge!

A sinister glint flashed in Zhang Peng's eyes.

"Welcome! This way, please!"

"We're forming a group here, three more people can join us. The haunted house is huge, be careful not to get lost!"

"Our boss is personally dressed up in a costume to play with you all this time, as a female ghost in red. Don't get so scared you wet your pants when you see him!"

Shen Yue happily attracted tourists and pulled three strangers to be Zhang Peng's teammates. Zhang Peng glanced at these people and they all looked stupid. They were definitely ordinary tourists, not plainclothes police officers.

well.

It seems Chen Ge was completely unaware of himself.

"The haunted house is very large. After I kill someone, no one will find out immediately. It's enough time for me to run out of the fire escape and escape without being caught."

Zhang Peng thought to himself.

They were assigned gas masks.

The three tourists, clearly a group, expertly put on masks and struck up a conversation with Zhang Peng.

"Is this your first time playing? We've all been three times! This haunted house is amazing, the area is huge, the special effects are incredibly realistic, it's like an open world."

"Don't be scared if it's your first time playing here. There are only two employees in the haunted house, one named Lao Zhou and the other named Li Yang. As for the NPC monsters, Little Bear and Bald Qiang won't scare you on their own. Just make sure they don't bump into each other, or they'll fight!"

"There's also a female ghost in red. She's a key NPC; if she catches you, the game ends!"

"..."

Judging from their tone, the three were clearly seasoned veterans. Zhang Peng nodded in deep agreement, "I see, I understand!"

He secretly memorized this information.

There are two employees at the haunted house.

There are two monsters created using special effects.

The red-clad female ghost, a key NPC, is played by the owner of the haunted house.

Zhang Peng's goal was to take down the owner of the haunted house.

The game has officially begun.

Zhang Peng followed the group of three into the haunted house. There was a somewhat eerie oil painting on the wall. Pushing open the door, they found a hidden world inside.

First, there is a deep, dark corridor.

After walking for a while, the world before his eyes was gradually replaced by red light, thick, dull, and oppressive, making it hard to breathe. Zhang Peng was also a little surprised.

The special effects... are actually quite realistic.

When the darkness subsided, Zhang Peng appeared in the cabin, but the trio was not with him; they had parted ways.

"A log cabin?"

"According to those three people, the spawn point is safe in the cabin, and the rules for this game are on the table."

Zhang Peng walked to the table.

He was confident that he wouldn't be afraid no matter what rules he saw, since he knew beforehand that it was a haunted house effect and everything was fake.

But he himself was a true outlaw.

He had a peony tattooed on his arm. Peonies bring wealth and prosperity. He got this tattoo precisely because he had long since lost his humanity. He wasn't even afraid of killing people, but he was afraid of the props in the haunted house.

However, when he saw the words on the table...

Even though he had prepared himself mentally, he still felt a jolt, as if his whole body was frozen solid. A chill crept up his spine from the soles of his feet, causing him to shiver involuntarily.

……

"Hot...hot...hot...hot..."

"I'm going to...kill...you..."

Zhang Peng's pupils contracted slightly.

What happened to the agreed-upon game rules?

This seems to have absolutely nothing to do with the rules; rather, it's more like...

He dared not think any further.

"That's impossible. The owner of the haunted house had no idea I was there. If he knew I was there, he would either run away or call the police. Why would he go through all this trouble to scare me?"

"Damn it, this isn't special effects, it's etched on! How is this possible?!"

In an instant, countless thoughts rushed into Zhang Peng's head, almost bursting his brain. His head was buzzing, and he couldn't come back to his senses for a long time.

He hadn't even had a chance to get used to it.

A crisp knocking sound suddenly came from outside the wooden house.

"Thump..."

"Knock knock..."