Chapter 10: The Fridge
Hearing Jiang Yi's praise, Han Fei felt a bit embarrassed. He couldn't tell Jiang Yi that he had experienced it firsthand.
"I've hit the jackpot with you. With you in this drama, the first few scenes are solid." Jiang Yi looked at Han Fei with a satisfied smile. "I knew that with your acting skills, you couldn't have remained unknown for long. Now, it seems like you've been heading in the wrong direction. You should try more thriller films in the future."
"My dream is still to become a comedian. I enjoy seeing people smile. That feeling brings me joy."
"People need to make a living, you know. You can gain fame through horror films and then transition to comedy." Jiang Yi was very pleased with Han Fei. "You passed the audition. Rest well today, and officially join the crew tomorrow."
"But..." Han Fei still didn't know if he could make it through tonight. According to the rules of the game, he had to log in every day.
"I'll try my best to negotiate a higher remuneration for you. Don't worry." Jiang Yi was straightforward, and all his emotions showed on his face. Perhaps that was also the reason why he hadn't become a renowned director until now.
From the start of the audition to passing, it had only taken about ten minutes. After grabbing a meal from the crew, Han Fei was about to leave when his phone vibrated again. This time, it was a call from Li Xue.
"Did you find anything?"
"I'm waiting for you at No. 21 North Street in the old city. I found Meng Shi."
"Good! I'll be right there!"
The "Evil Flower" crew was in No. 15 North Street, not too far from No. 21. Han Fei used his phone's navigation and ran over.
Passing through one old building after another, Han Fei finally stopped at the entrance of an aged residential compound.
"Over here!" Li Xue's voice echoed within the compound. She was still dressed as she was in the morning, with a Phantom Series motorcycle parked next to her.
"Meng Shi lived in the family compound on North Street?"
"There are twelve people named Meng Shi in the city, and I checked them all. None of them matched your description. You didn't seem like you were lying, so I expanded the search range and finally found Meng Shi." Li Xue stared at Han Fei's face for a long time.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Just continue."
"Follow me." Li Xue led Han Fei into Unit 4, and they arrived on the third floor together.
In front of the door on the far right of the third floor, there was a brazier with half-burnt paper money inside. Looking into the room, a black and white photo was placed on a dark ancestral altar.
"You told me in the interrogation room that you met Meng Shi last night, but the Meng Shi that matches your description actually passed away ten years ago."
"Passed away?" Han Fei stood still, not daring to enter the room.
The shopkeeper had died a few days ago, and Meng Shi had also passed away ten years ago. Han Fei realized that everyone related to the game, except for himself, seemed to have died.
"No, there is one more person." Holding onto a glimmer of hope, Han Fei looked at Li Xue. Before he could speak, it seemed like Li Xue already knew what he wanted to ask.
"Chenchen is Meng Shi's grandson. His original name was Meng Chen, and he also died ten years ago."
"They're all dead?" A chill ran down Han Fei's spine. He never expected that the NPCs in the game would be people who had died ten years ago in reality.
Thinking back to last night when he was sitting with them, eating dumplings, and feeling a warm atmosphere, Han Fei felt his scalp tingle.
What kind of eerie game was this?
"If you two don't have any business, please leave. I don't want any more disturbances." A middle-aged man with snow-white hair walked out of the slightly crowded room. He appeared to be in his forties or fifties, but his hair was completely white, and his health was not in good condition.
"Uncle, we didn't mean to disturb you. There are many doubts in this case, and with the advancement of technology, many unsolved cases have made breakthroughs. I'm sure you also want to see the killer brought to justice as soon as possible, right?" Li Xue, who usually seemed fearless, displayed an unprecedented gentleness in front of the victim's family. Her tone was gentle, and she showed great patience.
"It has been ten years, and the killer still hasn't been found. My health is deteriorating, and I can't hold on much longer." The middle-aged man walked into the kitchen, placed a bowl of freshly made dumplings on the ancestral altar, and lit an incense stick. He bowed three times toward the black and white photo.
"Did Grandma used to make dumplings every New Year's and Chinese New Year's?" Han Fei looked at the photo of the old woman on the ancestral altar as he unconsciously walked into the room. "I remember she said that dumplings symbolize the exchange of fortune and reunion. Eating dumplings can dispel the misfortunes of the year."
Han Fei's words seemed to trigger a memory deep in the man's heart. He looked at Han Fei in disbelief, as if the old woman had indeed said similar things.
"Grandma was great at cooking. The fish soup she stewed was so fresh, milky white in colour. You could smell its fragrance from afar."
"How do you know all this?" The middle-aged man approached Han Fei and said, "Have you seen my mother? You should have been just a teenager ten years ago, right?"
"I did see her. She even treated me to a meal of dumplings." Han Fei didn't know how to explain, and he didn't want to be seen as mentally ill. So, he sensibly changed the topic. "Uncle, can you tell me more about Grandma?"
Some memories were extremely painful. The middle-aged man hesitated for a while before allowing Li Xue and Han Fei into the room.
"My mother was a good person, a very good person. She never got married and adopted three orphans. She used all the money she painstakingly saved to support these three children." The middle-aged man sat on the other side of the sofa. "I am the eldest, but I've always been weak since I was young. My mother named me Meng Changshou, which means 'longevity.' I'm the most useless one among the three brothers."
"The second one is Meng Changxi, an abandoned child. He had a facial deformity, but he was very intelligent and excelled academically from a young age. However, perhaps due to his face, he felt inferior and had an introverted and gloomy personality."
"The third one is Meng Changan. He is the most accomplished among the three of us, with the best academic performance and the most friends. The wall couldn't hold all the certificates and awards he received. He now works at the major company Eternal Pharmaceuticals and is said to be a department executive."
When the middle-aged man mentioned the third brother, Meng Changan, his eyes finally showed some colour. But that colour quickly faded. "My brother sends me money every month, but he hasn't come back since my mother had an accident."
"What happened to Grandma ten years ago?" What Han Fei wanted to know the most was this.
"Actually, I didn't know about it at first. It wasn't until Meng Changxi went missing and the police came to our door that I realized something was wrong." The middle-aged man's eyes were filled with self-blame and pain. "After my mother retired, she ran an ice cream shop. The police found many animal corpses and a dead body in the freezer of her shop."
"A corpse hidden in the freezer?"
"The forensic pathologist estimated that the time of death was a week ago. During that week, my mother must have known that there was a corpse in the freezer, but she didn't report it to the police." The middle-aged man clenched his fists.
"Could it be that grandma killed that person?" It was crucial for Han Fei to figure out whether the old lady was a good person or a bad person. It was an important breakthrough for his survival in the game.
"I've hit the jackpot with you. With you in this drama, the first few scenes are solid." Jiang Yi looked at Han Fei with a satisfied smile. "I knew that with your acting skills, you couldn't have remained unknown for long. Now, it seems like you've been heading in the wrong direction. You should try more thriller films in the future."
"My dream is still to become a comedian. I enjoy seeing people smile. That feeling brings me joy."
"People need to make a living, you know. You can gain fame through horror films and then transition to comedy." Jiang Yi was very pleased with Han Fei. "You passed the audition. Rest well today, and officially join the crew tomorrow."
"But..." Han Fei still didn't know if he could make it through tonight. According to the rules of the game, he had to log in every day.
"I'll try my best to negotiate a higher remuneration for you. Don't worry." Jiang Yi was straightforward, and all his emotions showed on his face. Perhaps that was also the reason why he hadn't become a renowned director until now.
From the start of the audition to passing, it had only taken about ten minutes. After grabbing a meal from the crew, Han Fei was about to leave when his phone vibrated again. This time, it was a call from Li Xue.
"Did you find anything?"
"I'm waiting for you at No. 21 North Street in the old city. I found Meng Shi."
"Good! I'll be right there!"
The "Evil Flower" crew was in No. 15 North Street, not too far from No. 21. Han Fei used his phone's navigation and ran over.
Passing through one old building after another, Han Fei finally stopped at the entrance of an aged residential compound.
"Over here!" Li Xue's voice echoed within the compound. She was still dressed as she was in the morning, with a Phantom Series motorcycle parked next to her.
"Meng Shi lived in the family compound on North Street?"
"There are twelve people named Meng Shi in the city, and I checked them all. None of them matched your description. You didn't seem like you were lying, so I expanded the search range and finally found Meng Shi." Li Xue stared at Han Fei's face for a long time.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Just continue."
"Follow me." Li Xue led Han Fei into Unit 4, and they arrived on the third floor together.
In front of the door on the far right of the third floor, there was a brazier with half-burnt paper money inside. Looking into the room, a black and white photo was placed on a dark ancestral altar.
"You told me in the interrogation room that you met Meng Shi last night, but the Meng Shi that matches your description actually passed away ten years ago."
"Passed away?" Han Fei stood still, not daring to enter the room.
The shopkeeper had died a few days ago, and Meng Shi had also passed away ten years ago. Han Fei realized that everyone related to the game, except for himself, seemed to have died.
"No, there is one more person." Holding onto a glimmer of hope, Han Fei looked at Li Xue. Before he could speak, it seemed like Li Xue already knew what he wanted to ask.
"Chenchen is Meng Shi's grandson. His original name was Meng Chen, and he also died ten years ago."
"They're all dead?" A chill ran down Han Fei's spine. He never expected that the NPCs in the game would be people who had died ten years ago in reality.
Thinking back to last night when he was sitting with them, eating dumplings, and feeling a warm atmosphere, Han Fei felt his scalp tingle.
What kind of eerie game was this?
"If you two don't have any business, please leave. I don't want any more disturbances." A middle-aged man with snow-white hair walked out of the slightly crowded room. He appeared to be in his forties or fifties, but his hair was completely white, and his health was not in good condition.
"Uncle, we didn't mean to disturb you. There are many doubts in this case, and with the advancement of technology, many unsolved cases have made breakthroughs. I'm sure you also want to see the killer brought to justice as soon as possible, right?" Li Xue, who usually seemed fearless, displayed an unprecedented gentleness in front of the victim's family. Her tone was gentle, and she showed great patience.
"It has been ten years, and the killer still hasn't been found. My health is deteriorating, and I can't hold on much longer." The middle-aged man walked into the kitchen, placed a bowl of freshly made dumplings on the ancestral altar, and lit an incense stick. He bowed three times toward the black and white photo.
"Did Grandma used to make dumplings every New Year's and Chinese New Year's?" Han Fei looked at the photo of the old woman on the ancestral altar as he unconsciously walked into the room. "I remember she said that dumplings symbolize the exchange of fortune and reunion. Eating dumplings can dispel the misfortunes of the year."
Han Fei's words seemed to trigger a memory deep in the man's heart. He looked at Han Fei in disbelief, as if the old woman had indeed said similar things.
"Grandma was great at cooking. The fish soup she stewed was so fresh, milky white in colour. You could smell its fragrance from afar."
"How do you know all this?" The middle-aged man approached Han Fei and said, "Have you seen my mother? You should have been just a teenager ten years ago, right?"
"I did see her. She even treated me to a meal of dumplings." Han Fei didn't know how to explain, and he didn't want to be seen as mentally ill. So, he sensibly changed the topic. "Uncle, can you tell me more about Grandma?"
Some memories were extremely painful. The middle-aged man hesitated for a while before allowing Li Xue and Han Fei into the room.
"My mother was a good person, a very good person. She never got married and adopted three orphans. She used all the money she painstakingly saved to support these three children." The middle-aged man sat on the other side of the sofa. "I am the eldest, but I've always been weak since I was young. My mother named me Meng Changshou, which means 'longevity.' I'm the most useless one among the three brothers."
"The second one is Meng Changxi, an abandoned child. He had a facial deformity, but he was very intelligent and excelled academically from a young age. However, perhaps due to his face, he felt inferior and had an introverted and gloomy personality."
"The third one is Meng Changan. He is the most accomplished among the three of us, with the best academic performance and the most friends. The wall couldn't hold all the certificates and awards he received. He now works at the major company Eternal Pharmaceuticals and is said to be a department executive."
When the middle-aged man mentioned the third brother, Meng Changan, his eyes finally showed some colour. But that colour quickly faded. "My brother sends me money every month, but he hasn't come back since my mother had an accident."
"What happened to Grandma ten years ago?" What Han Fei wanted to know the most was this.
"Actually, I didn't know about it at first. It wasn't until Meng Changxi went missing and the police came to our door that I realized something was wrong." The middle-aged man's eyes were filled with self-blame and pain. "After my mother retired, she ran an ice cream shop. The police found many animal corpses and a dead body in the freezer of her shop."
"A corpse hidden in the freezer?"
"The forensic pathologist estimated that the time of death was a week ago. During that week, my mother must have known that there was a corpse in the freezer, but she didn't report it to the police." The middle-aged man clenched his fists.
"Could it be that grandma killed that person?" It was crucial for Han Fei to figure out whether the old lady was a good person or a bad person. It was an important breakthrough for his survival in the game.
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