More than an hour later.

Qiao Laoshi’s last fan emerged from the “Haunted House Nightmare” project with a deathly pale face.

Looking at the rest area again.

Master Ruan was rosy-cheeked, chatting cheerfully, and even wanted to try again.

The others were sprawled awkwardly on chairs, some staring blankly at the ceiling, others with vacant gazes, as if their souls had departed.

As for Qiao Liang, his face was deathly pale as he popped chocolate candies into his mouth one by one.

A pale-faced teammate beside him weakly raised his hand to stop him: “Old Qiao, stop eating, you’ll get diabetes if you eat any more…”

Qiao Liang ignored him, seemingly without even the strength to speak.

Everyone also saw the last fan who came out, wobbling unsteadily due to weak legs.

Seeing each other’s condition, even the dumbest person would have figured out one thing.

They had been completely duped!

Obviously, the only reason for the complete annihilation of Qiao Laoshi’s fan team was that an infiltrator had led them into the enemy’s ambush!

Master Ruan even had the nerve to say he was timid? Was he afraid?

Apart from screaming a lot, where was he afraid?!

Everyone saw Ruan Guangjian screaming all the way through but still completing the challenge, which created the illusion that the project wasn’t that scary.

Qiao Liang went in without making a sound, which further reinforced everyone’s perception.

However, it was all a facade!

It wasn’t that Qiao Liang wasn’t afraid; he was terrified, trembling in the bathtub, not daring to make a sound. By the time he reached the under-the-bed project, he was so scared his legs went weak, and he couldn’t get out by himself—staff had to help him out.

After coming out, he was dizzy with fear, stuffing chocolate candies into his mouth, his mind completely blank.

Ruan Guangjian seemed puzzled: “Huh? None of you completed it? So no one can join me for the next project?”

Everyone: “…”

Have some shame!

Especially Qiao Liang, who nearly fainted from anger.

How could Mr. Pei tolerate such a person? Even be friends with him?

Mr. Pei must have an incredibly broad mind!

Ruan Guangjian’s current state was like someone running over with a perfect score after an exam where everyone else had failed miserably, asking: “Hey, the questions were quite simple, why did everyone fail?”

And he seemed especially sincere about it, which made it even more infuriating!

Of course, Qiao Liang was angry for other reasons, too.

He was puzzled about how the gap between people could be so wide.

Why could this person complete the challenge while screaming wildly, while I was scared stiff and had to be dragged out by staff?

However, looking at Ruan Guangjian’s infuriating “top student expression,” Qiao Liang suddenly had an idea.

You’re indeed not afraid of “Haunted House Nightmare,” but what about… “Ultimate Horror”?

The brochure stated that “Haunted House Nightmare” had a “moderate” scare level and was already this terrifying, while “Ultimate Horror” was directly marked with “Don’t Go.” How scary must that be?

Having played so many of Mr. Pei’s games, the one thing Qiao Liang was certain of was that many of Mr. Pei’s words should be taken with a grain of salt, except when he said a game was difficult or brutal—that should be believed!

Never be stubborn, or you will certainly be taught a lesson.

Thinking of this, Qiao Liang changed his expression: “Master Ruan is amazing! Hidden talents! Since you’ve obtained the entry credential for ‘Ultimate Horror,’ you’re going to experience it, right?”

Ruan Guangjian hesitated a bit: “But no one else has entry credentials, no one to join me.”

“Maybe I should wait here a while, and after you all go in again and get entry credentials, we can go together…”

Qiao Liang hurriedly waved his hands: “No, no, no! There’s no need!”

“I’m not in good form today. I’ve been staying in Jingzhou for several days, so I’ll fight another day.”

“More importantly, shouldn’t Brother Ruan strive to be the first person to complete ‘Ultimate Horror’?”

Ruan Guangjian hesitated: “But if I go alone, I’ll be very scared…”

Qiao Liang: “…”

I don’t believe you for a second!

Saying you’re scared but screaming more happily than anyone, yet still accurately remembering all the steps and executing them flawlessly? Then, coming out with a glowing face?

Qiao Liang chuckled: “It’s fine, I’m sure you can do it! Come on, we’ll accompany you and cheer you on!”

Ruan Guangjian was deeply moved: “Alright, since Brother Qiao has such faith in me, I’ll risk my life and give it a try!”

Everyone left “Haunted House Nightmare,” bypassed the Golden Maze, and headed towards “Ultimate Horror.”

Walking outside under the bright sun, Qiao Liang’s ice-cold hands and feet finally began to warm up.

At the same time, his empty mind was finally able to recall the previous experience.

Qiao Liang realized it wasn’t that his group was too fragile, but that “Haunted House Nightmare” was truly terrifying!

Other haunted houses created pitch-black scenes, occasionally playing strange sounds or having something jump out to scare you, mainly relying on sudden, unknown fears.

But “Haunted House Nightmare” was completely different; it played more like an “open conspiracy,” a psychological battle!

The visibility in the scene wasn’t low, and everything you had to do was explained in advance, allowing you to mentally rehearse what was about to happen.

But this did nothing to diminish the fear!

To make a somewhat inappropriate comparison, regular haunted houses were like watching horror movies—the sudden appearance of severed heads and copious amounts of blood would create a strong visual impact, terrifying you in the moment, but this fear would gradually fade after the movie ended.

“Haunted House Nightmare” was like you just finished watching a horror movie and were forced to leave home, arriving at an unfamiliar place under dim streetlights and faint moonlight.

No sudden scary things were jumping out, no ghostly howls, just silence. Yet you keep looking back, wanting to confirm whether there’s a mysterious shadow behind you, and the more you look back, the more panicked you become, the more panicked you are, the more afraid you feel. You want to run wildly, yet don’t dare to, and can only completely collapse under this increasingly heavy psychological pressure.

As someone who liked to analyze, Qiao Liang naturally made these analyses after calming down.

At the same time, he became more certain of one thing.

Ruan Guangjian was too despicable!

To persist in such a terrifying place and remember all the steps to complete it—this person definitely had major issues!

Arriving at the entrance of “Ultimate Horror,” Ruan Guangjian once again put on the expression of “a hero departing never to return.”

“Brother Qiao, I’m going in!”

Qiao Liang wouldn’t be fooled, and hypocritically said: “Yes, go for it, we’ll all support you!”

Only after Ruan Guangjian had shown his entry credentials to the staff and stepped into the dark entrance did everyone’s tense faces finally return to normal.

Qiao Liang chuckled: “He dared to trick us! See how I, Qiao Laoshi, tricked him back with just a few words! How long do you think he can last in there?”

The fans looked at each other with varied expressions.

“Don’t underestimate him. Before, he kept screaming but persisted… I estimate he’ll last at least ten minutes this time.”

“I don’t believe it! This level’s difficulty is marked ‘Don’t Go,’ which is a whole tier higher in scariness than the previous one. Can he come out unscathed? That would be underestimating Mr. Pei too much!”

“Come on, talk is cheap, let’s make a bet. Whoever loses buys dinner!”

Everyone stood at the entrance, with nothing else to do, and decided to play a guessing game with prizes.

Qiao Liang began to analyze: “Currently, large haunted houses around the world typically take more than half an hour to play through—any shorter wouldn’t justify the ticket price.”

“Looking at how large this venue is, the entire process should take about half an hour as well.”

“So, let’s guess when he’ll come out!”

“Either under 20 minutes, or over 20 minutes, including completion!”

The fans also started thinking, trying hard to analyze, so they wouldn’t have to pay for dinner.

“I choose to believe in Mr. Pei. Mr. Pei’s ‘Ultimate Horror’ must be truly terrifying. I guess under 20 minutes!”

“I also think under 20 minutes.”

The fans all unanimously chose under 20 minutes.

Then, everyone looked at Qiao Liang, waiting for his prediction.

Qiao Liang pondered for a moment: “Of course, I believe in Mr. Pei, and I also believe ‘Ultimate Horror’ is extremely scary. But in my view, Ruan Guangjian is a person who absolutely cannot be judged by normal standards.”

“Everyone underestimated him before, which is why we suffered such a big lesson, being wiped out in ‘Haunted House Nightmare.'”

“This time, I’m guessing he’ll persist beyond 20 minutes, and may even complete it!”

Everyone took out their phones, watching the countdown while waiting for Ruan Guangjian to emerge.

Ten minutes.

Fifteen minutes.

The more time passed, the more confident Qiao Liang became, looking at the others as if they were just free meals waiting to happen.

He had already lasted fifteen minutes, which meant Ruan Guangjian had gradually adapted to the horror level inside.

Holding on a bit longer and pushing past 20 minutes wouldn’t be a piece of cake?

Seeing the increasingly anxious expressions of his “meal tickets,” Qiao Liang’s lips curved into a smile as he stared at the countdown on his phone, just waiting for the 20-minute mark to pass so he could declare his victory.

However, just as the countdown reached 17 minutes, he heard the “meal tickets” burst into cheers.

“He’s out! He’s out!”

“It’s not twenty minutes yet!”

“Old Qiao’s treating us to dinner!”

?

Qiao Liang raised his head in disbelief and saw Ruan Guangjian walking out with a rosy face and steady steps.

Indeed, only seventeen minutes had passed!

Seeing the “meal tickets” about to start celebrating, Qiao Liang hurriedly shouted: “Wait!”

“My option earlier was over 20 minutes, including completion. If he completed it, then I still win!”

The fans were stunned.

“What the hell? Old Qiao, you’re cheating! Playing word games!”

“That’s not fair, it was clearly under twenty minutes!”

Qiao Liang chuckled: “The 20-minute figure was estimated based on a complete playthrough taking over 30 minutes. In simple terms, you guessed he wouldn’t complete it, and I guessed he could.”

“Now he’s completed it very quickly, which means that I, who had more faith in him, guessed correctly!”

The fans were speechless.

Qiao Liang was very pleased, feeling that his analysis of problems and people was accurate!

Ruan Guangjian absolutely could not be judged by normal standards. Look at him now with steady steps and a rosy face—does he look like someone who was excessively frightened in there? He just completed it too quickly!

These “meal tickets,” think they can outwit me? They’re still too green!

One “meal ticket” went up to greet him: “Master! Did you complete it?”

Qiao Liang inwardly sneered—this was simply stubborn resistance! Poor losers!

Just look at Ruan Guangjian’s expression, what was there to doubt?

However, Ruan Guangjian smiled slightly: “No, I only got halfway through.”

Qiao Liang: “??”

Among the jubilant fans was a dumbfounded and bewildered Qiao Laoshi.

“W-why?” Qiao Liang couldn’t accept this fact.

Ruan Guangjian smiled and said, “Oh, I intended to complete it. But this project allows you to save progress! Next time I come, I can continue from where I saved!”

“I thought such a fun project would be a shame to complete in one go, so I’m saving some for next time to experience the most exciting parts.”

Qiao Liang: “???”

What the hell do you mean by saving some?!

You’re treating it like good food you can’t bear to finish at once, so you’re saving it for later?

Am I supposed to praise you for being frugal?

Qiao Liang’s analysis was all correct, but the result was wrong.

The fans’ analyses were all wrong, but the result was right!

What kind of haunted house has a save function? Not a proper haunted house!

Qiao Liang didn’t know whether to blame Mr. Pei or Ruan Guangjian.

He only knew that today his wallet would be bleeding heavily…

A fan curiously asked: “Master, what’s it like in there? Is it scary?”

Ruan Guangjian smiled: “It is a bit scary, but it’s especially interesting! I strongly recommend everyone get an entry credential, you’ll get a completely different horror experience!”

Everyone returned his smile.

As if we’d believe you!

Finding a haunted house so fun that you can’t bear to finish it in one go, and specifically want to save your progress—is this even human?

This guy’s words must be taken with a grain of salt!

Initially, everyone was still skeptical, but after hearing Ruan Guangjian speak like this, they were instantly convinced.

“Ultimate Horror” must be extremely terrifying, and ordinary people absolutely should not attempt to challenge it, or the consequences would be severe!

Seeing everyone’s disbelieving expressions, Ruan Guangjian said seriously: “I’m telling the truth! The difficulty level is quite suitable for beginners to experience, and there are save points and safe houses at intervals, where you can relax your mind. It’s designed with great consideration for the players!”

The faces of Qiao Liang’s fans still wore polite smiles: “No thanks!”

They all turned to look at Qiao Liang in unison: “Old Qiao, we’ll pass, but as a professional content creator, don’t you want to go in and experience it, make a video? We’ll give you likes, comments, and shares!”

Qiao Liang responded with a cold laugh, unmoved.

Other people’s fans just want their content creators to crossdress, but my fans want me dead!

Ruan Guangjian expressed regret: “Ah, is that so? That’s too bad.”

“As far as I know, the last project in the haunted house might contain some of Mr. Pei’s philosophical reflections…”

“If you don’t play this project, your future analysis of the spirit expressed in Mr. Pei’s games might be incomplete.”

Qiao Liang: “…”

It had to be said, Ruan Guangjian’s words had struck Qiao Liang’s weak spot.

But… what if Ruan Guangjian was lying?

Looking at his knife-hidden-in-a-smile expression, this wasn’t impossible!

Ruan Guangjian wore a smile, secretly thinking: “Don’t worry, Mr. Pei, I’ll trick Qiao Laoshi into going in, so he’ll make a new video to help promote you!”