The Ultimate Horror Live Stream - Chapter 10 - Someone Outside the Door

“Hey, we’re a legitimate Live Room, let’s not get carried away!” I quickly stopped the Experienced Drivers¹ from getting too wild. My actions were merely simulating the deceased’s behavior, not intending to actually do anything.

“Streamer, you’re playing with fire now!”

“Relax, I won’t do anything that violates moral or legal boundaries. I’m well aware of that.”

“Well said, but why do I feel a bit disappointed?”

The Live Room was buzzing with onlookers eager for drama, and I wisely decided to end this topic.

“Don’t forget, given the victim’s personality, he might have struggled to control himself, but his financial situation wouldn’t have allowed him to do anything outrageous.”

A man fleeing debt, living in fear, hiding in a cheap inn on the outskirts, barely scraping by-his economic condition must have been dire.

We’re back to square one: what exactly did the deceased do that night?

If I were him, huddled in a creepy room, deep into the night, with nothing to my name, would I choose to step outside for a smoke?

“When I checked into Room 203, the Old Lady warned me not to go out no matter what I heard. It’s likely she gave the same advice to the deceased. But what if he didn’t heed her warning and ventured out at night?”

Logically, it makes sense that the victim’s death was linked to his nighttime outing.

Checking the time, it wasn’t midnight yet. I opened the door and placed the camera at the entrance, using my phone to watch the live stream. The third floor was deserted, enveloped in a deathly silence.

“Let’s take a walk. Since I’ve decided to confront the ghost, there’s no point in being timid.” Leaving the camera at the door, I looked at Room 206 across the hall, recalling the eerie deceased. To say I wasn’t scared would be a lie.

“If I could enter Room 206, maybe I’d find clues the police missed.” Unfortunately, this thought remained just that-a thought. Asking the Old Man such a request could alert him, as I suspected the elderly couple might be involved in the murder.

I descended to the second floor, where the Scarred Old Man and Short and Fat Old Lady were absent, leaving only a woman in her twenties at the front desk.

She knelt in the corner, facing away from me, seemingly praying to a photo of a Little Girl, no older than two or three.

“Excuse me, do you know where the landlord is? The TV in my room is broken.”

“The TV was already broken. It’s beyond repair.”

“Oh, that’s an interesting way to put it. If it’s broken, it needs fixing.”

The woman stood up, wiping the black-and-white photo of the Little Girl before the incense burner. “Just like people, once they’re broken, they never change.”

Her voice was low, still facing away from me. “If you have nothing else, you should return to your room. It’s not safe here at night.”

“You’ve piqued my curiosity. By the way, is the Little Girl in the photo your child? I noticed-”

“She’s my sister. She went missing when she was very young.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m used to it. I just hope the next one to go missing isn’t me.” Her tone was somewhat pessimistic.

“Is Anxin Inn run by just the three of you? Where’s your husband?”

“I have a brother. He’s working out of town.”

“Life’s tough. If you need help, feel free to ask.” I offered, though my eyes never left the woman, noticing her slight tremble, as if she feared something.

“I mean anything, whether it’s assistance or anything else you can think of.” This was merely a probe; I didn’t expect her to trust a stranger unless she was truly desperate.

After a fruitless search, I returned to Room 203, closed the door, and set the camera aside.

This 35-a-night cheap inn couldn’t be expected to have high security measures. Besides worrying about vengeful ghosts, I had to guard against human trickery.

The peeling wooden door looked aged, the lock loose, likely the most popular style from the late ’80s.

I pressed the handle, shaking it back and forth. Honestly, this wooden door probably couldn’t withstand the kicks of a mischievous eight or nine-year-old.

I pocketed the key, opened the door slightly, and noticed the eerie flickering in the hallway. The dim bulb at the stairwell added to the creepy atmosphere, making it easy to lose the desire to venture out.

“I wonder how this inn stays open.” I placed the thermos the Short and Fat Old Lady had brought in the door gap, with a teacup on the lid. This wasn’t to block the door but to serve as a warning.

If someone tried to open the door at night, they’d knock over the teacup, alerting me to respond.

Being cautious wasn’t paranoia; the recent experiences had been truly terrifying. I still didn’t know if I was dealing with humans or ghosts.

Next to the door was a separate compartment-the Bathroom. During the initial investigation, Liu the Half-Immortal’s bullet screens had distracted me from checking it.

“Hopefully, there won’t be anything strange.” I muttered, attempting a poor self-hypnosis as I opened the Bathroom door.

The floor was covered with new tiles, the walls with clean ceramic pieces. The toilet and sink were standard, but further inside, beneath a barely-used solar water heater wrapped in packaging, was a bathtub semi-fixed to the wall.

“For a 35-a-night cheap inn, this Bathroom seems overly luxurious.” Although there were no talismans or idols, the dim light reflecting off the pale tiles gave an inexplicable eerie vibe.

The exterior decor was stuck in the ’90s, yet the Bathroom had been renovated, creating a stark contrast.

“Something’s off, too illogical.” In cases, any situation defying logical thinking often reveals the perpetrator’s unintended slip-up. “Why was only the Bathroom renovated?”

After pondering, I had a theory. “The owners are hiding something. Could this Bathroom be a scene of a murder?”

I grabbed the camera, explained the Bathroom situation, and began searching for clues.

Time ticked away, and half an hour passed when a soft knock on the door interrupted my search.

I quietly approached the door, listening intently. When the knock sounded again, I peeked through the gap.

In the dim light, I could only make out a vague white figure standing silently at Room 206’s door!

“She’s knocking on the door of the room where someone died three months ago!”

The light was too dim to see clearly. Leaning against the door, I strained my eyes.

The white figure appeared tall and slender, with long black hair cascading over her shoulders.

“Is it human or ghost?”

The figure stood silently, and time seemed to freeze. I clutched the talisman in one hand and raised the camera with the other.

“What’s there to fear? I’m here to confront the ghost. To expose the Underworld Showroom’s true nature, I can’t back down now!”

With this thought, I released the talisman, slowly turned the lock, and began to open the door.

“Come on, show me your true face. Let me see what a ghost really looks like!”

Just as I was about to fully open the door, the cursed bulb at the stairwell went out, plunging everything into darkness. Only the cold wind from the hallway seeped into my clothes.

My back was instantly drenched in cold sweat, and in the silent darkness, something seemed to be moving!

The bulb flickered, briefly illuminating the hallway, and in that instant, I saw a pale, lifeless face with black hair rushing towards me!

“Whoa!”

The door swung open, knocking over the thermos, the teacup clattering, and scalding water splashed onto my leg.

The slippery floor and sudden pain caused me to lose balance, falling backward, instinctively holding the camera while grabbing the vague white figure with the other hand!

“Thud!” I fell heavily, and as I regained consciousness, I realized I was holding a piece of pure white dress, while two long, alluring white legs were right in front of my nose.

Footnote:

1. Experienced Drivers(老司机): In Chinese internet slang, this term refers to someone who is knowledgeable or skilled, often in a humorous or ironic context. It can imply expertise in a particular subject or activity.