The next day, before the highly anticipated offline haunted house event even officially opened, the venue was already packed with people.
“Oh my god, why are there so many people? We released only 100 experience tickets for the first day!”
Editor Shaxs and the other editors looked down from the building and were stunned by the scene below.
It was almost as if there had been a ticketing error, and ten times the expected amount had been released.
After all, the offline haunted house event for “I Picked Up A Light Brain” was originally just a promotional activity during the serialization of Fish Soup Noodles’ new book, a small-scale fan benefit to be exact.
So the location was set at Central Starlight Plaza in front of the Huanyu Tower, and everyone had assumed the space would be more than sufficient.
Yet now, the crowd was nearly overflowing.
Upon investigation, it turned out that many fans who hadn’t secured tickets had rushed over as well.
“I’m not jealous or anything. I just happen to live nearby and wanted to take a look at what the guys who won the lottery look like.”
One fan adjusted his glasses and answered in a slow, deliberate tone. His backpack was covered in pendants related to Fish Soup Noodles’ works.
But his voice sounded a bit sinister.
“Uh, I got a ticket for the second day, but I was just too curious about the haunted house. So I came here to see if I could ask today’s participants about their experience. I’m a huge fan of Si Yao, hehe~”
As soon as the girl finished speaking, the envious and jealous gazes around her nearly bored holes into her back.
And there were countless other reasons, some people were hoping to find scalpers, while others were offering absurdly high prices to buy tickets on the spot.
“Still, could everyone step back a little? If it’s too crowded, the lucky winners won’t even be able to get in!”
The staff from Piedmont Park, responsible for managing the haunted house event, were already sweating profusely.
They had never expected the trial experience, originally scheduled to begin at exactly 10 AM, to be delayed because the crowd was too dense to allow the players inside.
But as soon as they made an announcement to disperse the crowd, it only made the situation worse. Now everyone was exuding an overwhelming sense of jealousy.
“Damn it! If I had clicked just a second faster, could I have gotten a ticket?!”
“Sigh, my legs are sore. I can’t move. Unless Teacher Fish Soup Noodles personally hands me a ticket, I refuse to leave… wuuu.”
Voices filled with frustration and regret echoed throughout the venue for a while.
[#I can’t get in, I just can’t get in at all!# Live broadcast: Huanyu’s Haunted House Pop Up Event, First Day Overcrowded!#]
Even the haunted house live broadcast skyrocketed in popularity.
[It’s so funny, I knew the first day would be packed, so I didn’t even bother trying to go watch in person. hahaha]
Online fans were thoroughly entertained, not to mention that the pop-up haunted house shown in the live broadcast room was unexpectedly shocking.
[Why does this look so fun? That huge entrance sign is so cool!]
[I guess you enter through the main gate and then experience different attractions until you reach the exit.]
The entrance was shaped like a giant mechanical guardian with its black mouth wide open. The interior was pitch dark, and nothing could be seen inside, but it gave people an irresistible urge to rush in and explore.
This commotion even alerted the leadership of the Huanyu Headquarters, though the final solution was rather unconventional.
They directly dispatched a team to rush toward the diagonally opposite side of the haunted house and announced that 6,000 mystery merchandise items for “I Picked Up a Traveling Light Brain” would be distributed offline in limited quantities.
First come, first served! Get yours while supplies last!
“Fuck, mystery merchandise?”
“What merchandise? Where are they?”
Only then did the massive crowd of ticketless Fish fans, who had been blocking the haunted house entrance, take off at full speed to line up for the giveaway.
It was as if they were a completely different group from the ones who had been claiming just a moment ago that their legs were injured and they needed Fish Soup Noodles to carry them before they could stand.
“This is crazy. Could this be what Teacher Fish Soup Noodles meant by the magic of Easter eggs? We need to prepare for an overload of people tomorrow.”
Editor Shaxs wiped his sweat while rapidly replying to a flood of messages on his light brain.
“Apologies, this was indeed our mistake.”
Beside him, the manager of Piedmont Amusement Park immediately offered an apology. But at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel deep respect and curiosity toward this book and its author…just what kind of magic did it have?
“So, we can finally go in now, right?” The fans who won tickets and were now finally able to approach the entrance of the haunted house started asking excitedly.
“Of course! However, to maintain the atmosphere and ensure the best experience, only one group may enter every 10 minutes. Please follow the instructions and enter in order.”
The staff member leading the way explained with a smile.
Hiding in the crowd, wearing sunglasses and a mask, Ernis immediately raised his hand excitedly, signaling that he was number 001. He was then led inside.
God knew how long he had waited for this day! He had never once won any of the previous lotteries, but this time, luck had finally smiled upon him, a devoted fan of Teacher Fish Soup Noodles!
“Is it really that fun?”
Behind him, his younger brother, Douglas, remained skeptical.
Douglas had always lived on the neighboring water-based planet. He had recently come to the Federation Star to visit his brother Ernis, only to be dragged into this ticket scramble…and somehow, they had actually won.
Although he had always known his brother was obsessed with a certain author, seeing this level of fanaticism made him hesitate.
When the silver-chip ticket was inserted into the custom reading machine, a slightly eerie mechanical voice echoed through the dark entrance of the escape room.
[First group of players has entered. Wishing you success in the game!]
“Damn, this feels legit. Huanyu really went all out…”
Ernis was a typical case of being bad at games but loving them anyway. The moment he stepped through the massive electronic gate, he subconsciously covered his mouth, turning in circles as he looked around in awe.
From the outside, the haunted house didn’t seem that big, but once inside, the full holographic effects made it feel like they had stepped onto a sinister experimental planet somewhere in the universe. The tension was palpable.
It looked like an abandoned laboratory, covered in a thick layer of dust. The tabletops were filled with vials filled with suspicious-looking liquids, and the discarded medical waste added a disturbingly realistic touch.
Douglas put his hands in his pockets, frowning slightly as he observed the dimly lit surroundings.
Though both brothers had orange hair, Ernis was the energetic type, while Douglas, with his buzz cut, had a sharper, more rebellious air.
“I…”
BANG!
Just as Douglas opened his mouth, a sudden loud noise behind them caught them off guard.
It turned out that the heavy silver mechanical door had locked itself.
Now, only the two of them remained inside this high-tech, eerie escape room.
“Fuck, the door just shut! Will anyone hear us calling for help like this?”
Ernis rushed to pound on the door, only to find that no staff members were responding.
Wasn’t this supposed to be a haunted house experience? Why did it suddenly feel real?
“What’s the big deal? We just keep moving forward.”
Douglas glanced around at the dimly lit surroundings. Though a shiver ran down his spine, he still acted tough and grabbed Ernis, pulling him deeper inside.
“Ugh… wait, don’t run so fast!”
As a result, not only was the door locked, but the further they went, the darker it became. The only sources of light were the faint red and green glows from various machines, accompanied by the occasional low hum of scanning devices.
Ernis’ heartbeat began to speed up unnaturally.
At first, he was eager to fully immerse himself in the haunted house experience, determined to find the spoiler plot elements that Teacher Fish Soup Noodles had supposedly embedded inside.
But now, he suddenly longed for the blue sky and white clouds outside.
“Damn it, we’re locked in. Where’s the key?”
Douglas quickly realized the first door was sealed and urged his brother, Ernis to help find a key.
“It’s so dark in here. How are we supposed to find anything…”
But just as Ernis widened his eyes to look, Douglas casually tossed an old flashlight at him. Apparently, he had found it inside a box.
“They must have set up props for us to discover.”
“What the…ah! R-red light?!”
The moment Ernis turned it on, he realized, to his horror, that the flashlight emitted an eerie red glow, making everything look even more sinister.
“Red light is red light. You take the left; I’ll take the right.”
Douglas was now inexplicably invested, and was starting to find the haunted house experience intriguing.
“No way, I’m sticking with you! I’m your big brother; I have to protect you.”
Ernis immediately grabbed his brother’s arm, unwilling to separate.
“…”
Douglas was speechless but ultimately gave in, and the two of them continued exploring together.
Sure enough, following the clues, they soon found a keycard inside a drawer belonging to a lab technician.
Even more surprising, Ernis noticed that the workstation’s ID number matched the Si Yao’s number in the book!
‘Wow, this haunted house was actually tied to the novel’s plot?’
“Wait, there’s also Si Yao’s notebook and light brain!”
