Horror Game Designer

Xuan Wen could be considered the person who knew Gao Ming the best. She knew many of his secrets, and Gao Ming never hid anything from her. However, from Xuan Wen’s perspective, Gao Ming was still a mystery.

In her memory, which was tempered by the shadow world, she would fall in love with Gao Ming involuntarily because she was a main character in a game designed by Gao Ming. She shouldn’t exist in the world. She woke up from the shadows and headed to the tunnel to change her fate. However, when she first saw Gao Ming, the killing intent in her heart disappeared. She seemed to have met Gao Ming many times before. When she saw Gao Ming from a distance in the tunnel, she hid the blade behind her and subconsciously combed her hair. She was there to threaten him, but somehow, she ended up carrying him out of the tunnel. That was not her plan, but it seemed to have happened many times already.

“Who should I believe?”

The memory given to her by the shadow world and the memory Gao Ming told her conflicted. It was a strange feeling. It was like you had experienced certain things, and someone came to tell you that those experiences were all fake. You were not some killer. You were just you. Xuan Wen wanted to know the truth. It was related to a basic principle--Should she trust the world or herself?

Xuan Wen silenced the outer world and used her power to analyse everyone's emotional state in the video. In the video, Gao Ming paused for a while. He scanned the counselling room. As the youngest psychiatrist at Hen Shan Penitentiary, he was very sensitive to minute changes in his environment. This was the baseline he needed to achieve to protect himself.

“It looks like you have questions too.” The doctor returned to his seat. “My name is Lu Zang. I am Li San Hospital’s pyschiatrist. I’ve been in the business for more than two decades already. Shall we chat?” The gentle light shone into the room through the open window. Holding the resit, Gao Ming sat in the chair Chen Meng vacated. The two doctors sat across from each other. Neither spoke as they observed the other.

Lu Zang looked around 40. He was kind and approachable. His coat was clean, and there was always a pen pinned in his pocket. Lu Zang should have been very handsome when he was young. However, he seemed to have gone under the knife before because there were light scars on his face.

“Doctor Gao, I’ve checked the resit. The drugs will be here soon. Don’t worry.” Lu Zang gave off a harmless feeling. He could easily gain people’s trust. “Actually, I’m quite curious about your job. Isn’t it dangerous to be a psychiatrist for criminals?”

“There’s no need to be so cautious. I’m very familiar with a psychiatrist’s trick. You wanted to use that as a gateway to make me suspect that I’ve been corrupted by the criminals that I consult.” Gao Ming pointed it out.

Lu Zang was not offended when he was exposed. “You should be more familiar than I am regarding the dangers of consulting them. Furthermore, you have already been affected. Do you know why your superior sent you here for this task?”

Gao Ming shook his test.

“You failed your most recent psyche exam. Your superior is worried about your mental health. Your colleagues said that you had been making games during your downtime, but the games you made had some concerning contents.” The people at the prison had contacted Lu Zang beforehand. Gao Ming was both a patient and a doctor.

“The games were made using the criminals’ nightmares and memory worlds. I’m just a recorder.” Gao Ming didn’t think there was anything wrong with him. He was very rational.

“You were only recording at the beginning, but the more you recorded, the more you would be influenced by the stories. You looked into their hearts, and the darkness in their hearts looked back at you.” Lu Zang sat in the pool of light. “The pain in life reached into the dreams. Despair accumulated to form nightmares. They paved the steps downward to lead you to another world.”

Lu Zang’s words hinted at something. “If you don’t believe me, you can test it out using the devices at our hospital.”

“There’s no need. Give me the medicine. I should go.” Gao Ming rejected him.

“Okay. However, before that, I have a question.” Lu Zang looked at the chair hidden in the dark, “There are five chairs in this room. Why did you choose that one?”

“No reason.”

“Then, how about I phrase it this way?” Lu Zang’s eyes looked through Gao Ming’s heart. The scars on his face moved like dragons. “When I took the patient away for his treatment, you fell asleep here. What kind of dream did you have? Was it a nightmare?” Since Gao Ming was unwilling to answer, Lu Zang smiled, “Once you answer me, you can leave.”

“It was not a nightmare for me.” Gao Ming answered expressionlessly.

This answer surprised Lu Zang, “Then, what did you see in your dream?”

“I dreamed that all my games became real.”

“Isn’t that a nightmare?” Lu Zang smiled. He was very satisfied with Gao Ming’s answer. He used the phone on his table. Soon, the door opened again. A doctor in a white coat entered the room, pushing a cart filled with drugs. Behind that doctor was another man.

Xuan Wen paused the video again. So many things happened. She recognised both men who had just entered the room.

The doctor who pushed the cart also had the surname Lu. He had been killed by Gao Ming. One couldn’t help but wonder what was his connection to Lu Zang. The other man who entered the room was recognised by everyone easily. He was imposing and handsome. He was Situ An.

“Why are you here too? Did you run out of medicine already?” Lu Zang instantly stood up when he saw Situ An.

“Keep doing your work. We can talk about me later.” Situ An waved his hand as he walked to the chair beside the bookshelf. That seemed to be his reserved seat. The room became crowded. Chen Meng happened to walk out of the other room. The dark circles under his eyes became heavier. He held a pack of medicine in his hand.

Xuan Wen memorised everyone in the video. After all, even the weakest among them had become a big ghost.