The live broadcast started. bullet curtains integration is in progress. The screen switched, and a man in his twenties with white hair appeared on the screen.
I stared at the screen, feeling a bit uneasy seeing myself on it.
At this moment, there were no viewers in the live room, making it quite deserted.
I doubted if this mysterious ghost story broadcast would really attract any viewers.
Facing my own image on the screen, I found it strange, especially sitting alone in a creepy room where someone had died, feeling a bit creepy all over.
Fortunately, after a short while, some viewers actually joined.
"What the heck? I chose a beautiful girl avatar, how did this ghost thing come out?"
"I thought it was a beautiful dance performance, stripping online?"
"Damn, I fell for it again!"
However, it seemed that the viewers were attracted by some colorful advertisements.
"Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Strange Tales live room," I forced a smile into the camera, awkwardly greeting the viewers.
Though I had watched plenty of live broadcasts, being a host was a first for me, and I wasn't sure how to liven up the atmosphere.
"Strange Tales live room? What's this?"
"Look at this dimly lit little inn, this weak-looking male protagonist, and this lingering feeling of a small video. There is only one truth—live performance by real people!"
"Oh, upstairs, I might not be well-educated, don't deceive me! Where's the female lead? I don't want to see a weak male lead; I want to see a fair-skinned, beautiful, big-chested, and long-legged woman."
Nevertheless, the viewers seemed to entertain themselves well. In just about ten minutes, various bullet curtains were flooding the screen, revealing their true nature as water friends.
Though they were clamoring for an online performance, I had a bit of a headache explaining.
"Dear water friends, this is a serious live broadcast, featuring mysterious exploration. There's no female lead, only a righteous male host. My surname is Li, you can call me Boss Li."
"Boss Li fighting against Bald Strong? Damn, this is too hardcore!"
"Pants are off, and you show me this?!"
"Hello, Boss Li, goodbye, Boss Li!"
Half of the audience left the live room instantly.
Indeed, the world is deteriorating.
I shook my head, and the fear in my heart was diluted by the mischievousness of the water friends.
"Let me introduce to you the place I'm in. Baxian Steamed Bun Shop, have you guys heard of it? Yes, it's the steamed bun shop where human barbecue buns are made."
"After the steamed bun shop closed, the owner turned it into a short-term rental. Rumor has it that every six months, a woman tragically dies in Room 4."
Chatting with these water friends, there was still a long night to spend, and I couldn't just sit in the room all the time.
"This is the legendary Room 4. Tonight, I will stay here." I moved around the room, showing the conditions to the water friends.
"Wow, it's so scary. So, is there really no sexy female anchor?"
"I heard about this steamed bun shop. It's really eerie. I heard that all those women had black hair, wore red skirts, had their throats cut, and died in a pool of blood!"
"Upstairs, I figured it out; you are the anchor's plant!"
"I really wasn't joking. I used to live nearby, and as soon as I approached the steamed bun shop, I felt creepy. Boss, you're really brave."
"I heard about it too, and I even saw photos of the scene. It was so bloody. People nowadays are really after money, and they don't care about their lives."
Some believed, and some didn't. They were chatting away, making the live room lively.
As time passed, the popularity of the live room kept rising.
Room 4 remained calm, showing no signs of anything unusual. The viewers scolded me as a fraud, and the rising popularity began to decline. But I didn't care; I just hoped this night could remain calm.
Unfortunately, not long after, the tranquility of the room was shattered by a sudden knocking on the door.
Bang, bang, bang—
"Who is it?"
My first instinct was that the woman had come back.
With a Swiss knife in one hand and a large-screen phone in the other, I walked to the door, sticking my eyes to the peephole.
What I saw was a black-haired woman on the other side. In the peephole, she looked disproportionately large, giving a particularly strange feeling.
"Who are you?"
"This is my room." The woman outside spoke with a low, icy tone, her head lowered. I couldn't see her face, but I could tell she was wearing a red skirt.
"Sorry, can I switch rooms with you tonight? Here's the key to Room 3." I bent down, passing the key through the door gap.
"Open the door." The woman's voice changed a bit, and her pale hand rested on the doorknob. Soon, the sound of the doorknob turning came.
"Lady, wait!"
Click!
The locked door unexpectedly opened, and the woman walked in.
I was startled and quickly stepped back.
With a flowing red skirt, the woman moved like a ghost, barefoot, to the edge of the bed, sitting down, motionless.
I was taken aback, standing at the door, reluctant to approach her.
And the bullet curtains in the live room boiled at this moment.
"I said there must be a female anchor!"
"Black hair, red skirt, a young woman, it's all right! Is she a human or a ghost?"
"Anchor acting skills are a bit exaggerated, but panting welfare, I like it."
"Wait a minute, didn't you guys see, on the other side of the corridor, there's another woman in a red skirt?"
"Of course we saw it. Let me predict the next plot: the anchor battles two red-skirted female ghosts all night, and in the end, X is gone. It's really terrifying!"
"The cooperation between the anchor and the two ladies is a bit rusty, but the atmosphere is well created. It has successfully aroused my curiosity."
Casually glancing at the bullet curtains, my body tensed up. It was a hot day, but I felt cold all over.
