"If you can survive, don't think about dying."
A horror film actor and a comedy film actor stood facing each other, looking at themselves in each other's eyes.
Even though their futures were different, the paths they had chosen were similar.
One became the manager of the cryptic world with his living body, the other dragged his sick body to become the pillar of support for the group of patients. The two of them stood in their own darkness, turning into a firefly under the night sky.
"I will try my best to survive." The young man still had the same smile on his face. "My acting is very good. You are the first person to know my secret."
He controlled the game account left behind by Yan Zu and looked at the messages and pictures left behind by the boy. These were proof of his existence.
"You should have many accounts like this, right? Don't you feel tired watching over them? Perhaps one day, you won't be able to hold on any longer. " Han Fei moved a chair over and sat down next to the young man. He could sense that the man was in a bad state. The pain in the man's heart could not be released. Whenever a new pain appeared, he would suppress it inside his heart.
"That's how my illness is. A normal person can feel joy and despair, but I can't feel anything. I'm surrounded by desolation, and it's very, very stuffy. Nothing can get out, and things from the outside can't get in." The young man did not even raise his head as he continued to look at the dead boy's life. "Before this, I didn't even have the intention to share these things with others, but for some reason, you make me feel very relaxed. It's like … in this world, only you can understand my voice."
"Did a 52 Hertz whale meet another 52 Hertz whale?" Han Fei knew the truth. This was just his own soul talking to him. From another perspective, this was a tragic truth.
"Yes, even though this is the first time we've met, for the first time, you've made me feel lucky. It's like the reason I've held on until today is to wait for you." The man flipped through the boy's memory. After a long silence, he spoke again. "Can you promise me a small favor?"
"To help you keep a secret?"
"Of course not." The man's hollow eyes regained focus. "I will try my best to be the last one to light up in the group chat, but as you said earlier, if one night I suddenly can't hold on anymore …"
The young man's heart was extremely depressed. He presented everything that could make him laugh to the audience and left all the pain to himself. During his conversation with Han Fei, his words started to stutter. His fingers were shaking like he was very, very cold.
"I hope that when the time comes, you can take over Firefly's account and take good care of the traces of their existence on my behalf and guide the newcomers who join the group chat."
"Did the old man who asked you to be the manager say the same?"
"Yes, the dark night has no boundaries. Even if the world no longer exists, the dark night will still exist. Compared to the darkness of the night, we were as small and fragile as fireflies. We can't compare to the night sky, and we can't illuminate anyone, but we can choose our own way of living and not allow ourselves to blend into the night. " Young men actually understood the right thing to do and the principles of the human world, but understanding and healing themselves were two completely different things. This comedian had already worked very hard.
Compared to the other patients in the group chat, the young man was very lucky. He met Han Fei that night, a person who could completely understand him and resonate with his soul.
After saying that, the young man moved his eyes away from the computer screen. He looked at Han Fei seriously, waiting for Han Fei's answer.
The ghost in Room 4094 still had not shown up. Han Fei had no idea who was trying to summon the ghost. Ever since he entered the room, he had been conversing with his own soul and now it was time for a turning point.
Han Fei needed to make his own choice and his choice would affect the choice of the next owner of Room 4094.
"Of course, I'll record down your account and history but I hope that day will never come."
After Han Fei gave the answer, the young man's expression relaxed. For someone who could not smile, this was a moment of unprecedented relief.
"Do you mind telling me your contact details? It'll be easier for us to keep in touch. "The young man took out his phone. His black phone was still flooded with messages from the group chat. It appeared like the group chat was the only thing left in his social circle.
Han Fei gave the phone number that he had used for many years. Initially, the young man did not have much of a reaction but when he was about to key in the last number, his finger froze.
"This number …"
Lifting his head in disbelief, the young man looked at Han Fei with confusion. "How did you know my number?"
The blood that leaked out from his heart rushed to his brain. The young man's skin started to turn pale. The person who was summoned would immerse themselves in their past based on their own memory. But when they realized something was wrong, they would slowly wake up and realize they were just a lonely soul.
"Not only do I know the phone number that you have been using for almost seven years, I also know that your phone will always have a sentence on it — The best actor is you in real life (Chapter 1: You in front of the mirror)." Han Fei saw the change in the young man and the temperature in Room 4094 started to drop.
"How did you know that? I've never told anyone that before! "
"Because you are me. There is no other 52 Hertz whale in the world, but there are us who are willing to be fireflies in the dark." A smile that was similar to the young man's appeared on Han Fei's face. It was a kind and gentle smile. It would make people around him feel comfortable but only they knew that behind the smile, there was a soul that could not smile.
"I will help you fulfill your last wish, become the new manager and protect all the patients, even if I end up as the only lit avatar in the group chat." Han Fei placed his hand on the young man's shoulder. "The things that you insist on are the things that I have been doing. We have never given up, haven't we?"
The warmth of Han Fei's palm brought some warmth to the young man. The shock and confusion on his face slowly turned into calmness and serenity.
The yellowed skin had lost all color. A deep ligature mark appeared on the young man's neck. There was no make-up on his face but there were obvious ligature marks at the corner of his eyes. He looked like a crying clown.
As more memories came back to him, the young man's throat started to emit another stranger's growl. His rationality was slowly swallowed but even then, he still did not touch the computer or the study table that stored his friend's memory.
Veins popped on the young man's skin. The young man's face became more and more different from Han Fei's. The man's body seemed to have been dried out and slowly shrunk.
Room 4094 changed along with the young man. The spacious and luxurious decor was replaced by simple furniture. Cracks appeared on the walls and the roof collapsed. It felt like it was trying to crush Han Fei and the young man who stood in the middle of the room.
It was not until the old light on the roof touched the young man that everything stopped.
Room 4094 became extremely dilapidated. The young man before Han Fei's eyes became muddled and his consciousness blurred.
"Pa!"
The sound of the jar shattering gave Han Fei a fright. He pulled out the blade and turned around. He saw the door to the other bedroom was pushed open and a student in his teens stood at the door.
Beside his feet was a white jar. Inside the jar was white rice and a piece of yellow paper. The paper talisman had a name written on it — Ying Huo.
'This student is the owner of Room 4094?' Han Fei shielded the young man behind him as he stared at the man carefully.
The man's lowered head slowly lifted. He was holding a name list and a picture frame in his arms.
Different from the other tenants, the man's picture frame did not contain a picture but a picture of a game character. It appeared to be Ying Huo's avatar.
"Are you the one who summoned Ying Huo's soul into the Ziggurat? You don't even know his real name and picture, why do you insist on meeting him? " Most of the souls summoned into the Ziggurat were living people. In other words, the person called Ying Huo was on his deathbed.
"I can't summon the soul alone." When the student spoke, countless human faces appeared from his mouth. The faces surged outwards like a tidal wave.
The chilling wind caused Han Fei to lose his balance. If not for the fact that they purposely avoided the young man behind Han Fei, Han Fei would've been tossed out the window already.
"I've never met Ying Huo, I don't even know his real name but he is the most important person to me, to all of us." As the student spoke, Han Fei saw walking corpses from his mouth. They hid in the darkness inside their bodies, shrouded in shadow. To them, skin and flesh were just clothes used to isolate them from the outside world.
"You guys? You're all from the Happiness Neighbourhood Patient Group? " Han Fei's mind spun and many guesses popped up. "You're not the kid with the username Yanzu, are you?"
"That group's name is not Happiness Neighbourhood. There's a problem with the soul summoning. Ying Huo's memory is mixed with one of your souls. The two different memories are intertwined and the scene you see has changed." The male student's tone was as cold as a corpse but to Han Fei's relief, the man did not reveal too much killing intent.
"You've seen what happened earlier. Ying Huo is still protecting the promise between you and my soul is the same as Ying Huo. We will continue to protect this most precious thing." Han Fei's soul filled with kindness and tolerance entered Ying Huo's consciousness. When Ying Huo was about to collapse, it was Han Fei's soul that steadied his consciousness.
Ying Huo was willing to accept death but Han Fei, who had spent so much time in the cryptic world, was different. His will to live was as strong as steel. Even the dead would persevere.
"If you really care about the friendship between you and Ying Huo, then please allow me to take Ying Huo with me. Ying Huo had always been seeking death, but this experience might change some of his views. He has been protecting the traces of your existence, this time, I hope you can give him a second chance. "Han Fei had to take Ying Huo with him to have a chance to save everyone inside the building.
"We never intended to harm Ying Huo and we didn't expect Soul Summoning to work. Every one of us has tried to call his name but none of us have succeeded in the past 14 years. But today, he really came here. The promise that he has kept for 14 years appears to be waiting for you. " The male student misunderstood something. The soul summoning would work tonight was more likely because the butterfly would return tonight.
"Is that so?" Han Fei thought to himself. "If I'm not mistaken, he has asked me for a similar favor earlier. He hopes that I can become the new manager of this place."
Manager had a different meaning in the cryptic world. When Han Fei said that, the male student's brows twitched.
To make matters worse, the male student did not correct Han Fei nor did he continue the topic. He merely had Han Fei hold onto Firefly's phone.
After the change to Room 4094, Ying Huo's phone changed as well. It was very old and the cracked screen was stuck on a group chat page.
At the top of the page was the name of the group chat. However, the name was not Happiness Neighbourhood but Death.
"This is the us that Ying Huo has been protecting, the us that has turned grey, the us that will never come online …" The male student lowered his head. Before he finished, Ying Huo's phone vibrated.
When he came to, he realized the name of the group chat had been changed. The hopeless death had been changed to — Ziggurat Owners' Rights Group.
Seeing the notification that the group name was successfully changed, Han Fei was startled. He glanced at the male student sheepishly.
"I just wanted to give it a try, I didn't expect the manager to change it so easily."
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