Super Thrilling Live Broadcast

Chapter 5: I Am the Anchor

The question of whether ghosts exist in the world is much more difficult than questions like which came first, the chicken or the egg. After all, most people know the taste of chicken and eggs, but very few have actually seen what a ghost looks like.

I'm sure even those who specialize in paranormal research can't give a definite answer at this moment, let alone me, a third-rate detective born under the red flag and raised in the spring breeze.

However, not knowing does not mean unable to answer. In life, many times, it is not necessary to give the correct answer, only to say what others want to hear is enough.

The Masked Man said at the beginning that to become a host of the Netherworld Show, one must not only be good at communicating with the audience but also learn to protect oneself.

This sentence is full of implications, and the test has already begun since I walked in.

I'm not entangled in whether there are ghosts in the world, but rather reorganize my experiences from this night: the legend of the dark road, the old lady holding a doll on a rainy night, the interviewer with a paper-faced mask, and the five strange questions.

Everything seems to be breaking common sense, all for preparing for this last question.

They have laid so much groundwork, the answer they want is actually obvious.

"I believe there are ghosts in the world, that is my answer."

As soon as the words fell, applause sounded in the not-so-big room, and on the other side of the table, the three interviewers clapped stiffly.

"You answered four out of the five questions correctly. Congratulations, Mr. Gao, you will be formally employed by the Netherworld Show and become a contracted anchor of our company."

For many reasons, I have been rejected by companies in Jiangcheng countless times, and I never expected this time to go so smoothly. However, the more embarrassing thing is, at this moment, I have no joy in being hired.

"Is it too hasty to hire him like this?"

"No, you are the most suitable candidate we have ever encountered. If you have no other questions, let's sign the contract here." The man sitting in the middle stood up slowly. He was about the same height as me, and his paper-faced mask looked at me horizontally across the table.

"I do have some questions. I answered four out of five questions correctly. Can you tell me which one I answered incorrectly?" There was a flaw in the deduction, which is fatal for a detective.

"You don't need to know now..." Laughter came from under the paper mask. "Because you will soon experience that despair firsthand, and you will understand where you went wrong."

"Experience it firsthand? That's a terrible answer." Anyone with a normal mind would not want to experience the scenes in those questions.

"Mr. Gao, do you have any other questions?"

"No..." How could there be none? My brain is now surrounded by countless doubts, but these questions can't be asked, or even if they are asked, the other party will definitely not answer, and may even bring disaster upon oneself.

To pass tonight peacefully, the wisest choice is to show obedience on the surface, and after leaving here, immediately call the police and cooperate with them to arrest these "mentally ill" people.

"Well, let's prepare to sign the contract." He took out a scroll from under the table, which was somewhat old, with a yellowed and blackened surface, and pressed my right hand on it.

"It's so cold..." Before I could react, a strange bug crawled out from under the floor, resembling a centipede but with a horn on its forehead one or two centimeters long, like a dragon.

It crawled along the table leg, onto the table, and moved quickly.

I wanted to dodge, but the Masked Man's arm pressed me down like a pair of iron tongs, unable to struggle, only able to watch as the strange bug bit my wrist.

"Ah!" The needle pierced my bone, and the pain made me cry out, but the pain lasted only a few seconds. When I came to my senses and looked again, there was a plum-shaped black wound on my right wrist, blood staining the scroll, and the strange bug lost its vitality, curled up into a ball, and fell into a gap in the floor.

"The contract is signed. From today onwards, you are a member of the Netherworld Show." The Masked Man released his hands, still in a tone of neither cold nor hot, and moved a chair next to the table.

"All your live broadcast equipment will be provided by us. You just need to do a good job with the program and attract more viewers." He opened the suitcase, which contained all the tools needed for live broadcasting: cameras, mobile encoders, selfie sticks, tripods, and even a large-screen mobile phone.

If it weren't for the fact that some of these items were still stained with uncleaned blood, I would almost believe that this was a normal company.

"Your live broadcast tasks will be directly posted to your phone by us. As for the way of broadcasting, you can choose by yourself, but please remember, after starting the broadcast, you must use the tools we provide, because only our equipment can capture things that ordinary people cannot see."

"After each live broadcast, we will evaluate your performance based on popularity and gifts. Points can be accumulated and exchanged for many unexpected good things from us."

"However, where there is reward, there is punishment. When your points are negative, you will evaporate from the world without a trace, just like Xia Chi who brought you here!"

Upon hearing this, I could no longer pretend to be calm. To make a person disappear without a trace so easily, this must be a well-organized large criminal group. What's even more helpless is that I seem to have unwittingly boarded a thief ship as well.

"All the details are written on the contract. If you have any questions, please look them over. What do you think?" He picked up the scroll soaked in my blood, and there were many items listed in the boxes, mainly stating that I could not disclose the existence of the Netherworld Show to outsiders and could not refuse tasks, and so on.

It is worth noting that on the back of the contract is the points redemption table.

The first line reads: One point can be exchanged for one hundred grams of pure gold.

"Are you kidding me? Gold is currently selling for 250 yuan per gram, so one hundred grams is 25,000 yuan."

Continuing to read down, five points can be exchanged for a Thai ancient doll (a small ghost).

Seven points can be exchanged for Xiangxi Corpse Insects, ten points for Huidi Taisui, twelve points for a hand-copied version of the Jade Maiden's Joyful Technique, fifteen points for opening the mortal eye, twenty points for washing the tendons and cutting the bones, thirty points...

"What is all this?" It's full of devilish and crooked paths, making me at a loss for words, feeling like we're not even in the same world.

My gaze kept moving down, and at the end of the redemption table:

...

Longevity, a thousand points can extend life by twelve hours.

Ten thousand points can choose to quit and return everything to the beginning.

"You've read it all, right? Keep the contract

safe, and please familiarize yourself with the live broadcast tools as soon as possible. Your first live broadcast will probably take place tomorrow night."

"Can I refuse?"

"We don't interfere with your choice. However, your current points are zero, and stopping the broadcast once will deduct ten points."

"Okay, I understand. Can I leave now?" To be honest, I didn't want to stay here for another moment.

"If you have any questions, you can call me. The phone in the suitcase can contact me." The man supported his paper-faced mask with one hand and waved the other hand lightly, and the closed door slowly opened. "Mr. Gao, I sincerely wish you can survive..."

I didn't hear the rest of what the Masked Man said clearly, but there probably wouldn't be anything good coming out of that lunatic's mouth anyway.

Pushing open the door of Room 444 and groping upwards, I ran out of the corridor in one breath, not caring about the direction, and ran along the street.

After running for what felt like a long time, lights finally appeared in front of me: "It's car lights!"

"Where to?" A taxi stopped in front of me, driven by a middle-aged man with thinning hair.

"Back to the New District, East Ting Tang Road, Jiangcheng." I couldn't wait to open the door and get in.

"Twenty yuan to start, plus one yuan for the latest regulation on fuel surcharge."

"Stop talking nonsense, just drive." I was still in shock, and I didn't care about the money at all. I was panting heavily, clutching the suitcase.

"Brother, it's not that I don't want to take you, but it's late at night, and you're panicking, holding a suitcase. Who knows what you have inside? What if..."

"You're thinking too much." I opened the suitcase to show him the camera inside. "Don't worry, I'm just a daredevil anchor living on the edge of death."