Yao Shuo and the others arrived at the company today, and the staff along the way gave them sympathetic looks, mixed with a hint of schadenfreree.
“……”
After entering the practice room, Yao Shuo was the first to speak, “Did you notice anything?”
“What?” The other four didn't understand what Yao Shuo was referring to.
Yao Shuo pointed at the door and said, “Didn’t you notice how weird the staff were today?”
The others thought about it for a moment, “…No, we didn’t.”
Gao Xiayu, upon hearing this, immediately took out his phone to check the Weibo hot search, and seeing no member's name on it, he put his phone away relieved.
Pei Luming, thinking he had caught on to Yao Shuo's meaning, started rummaging through the practice room, “Is it a hidden camera?” After a brief search, he said, “No, we should act like we don’t know.”
Indeed, no cameras were found in the practice room, but this strange feeling persisted, making Yao Shuo feel uneasy.
Gao Xiayu waved his hand, telling them to stop wandering around, “Alright, warm up and get ready to practice. The teacher said she’ll be here in half an hour.”
Repeating the same dance routine in the practice room was incredibly tedious. During the break, the others collapsed on the sofa by the wall to rest, while Yao Shuo, having lost a game of rock-paper-scissors, had to go out and buy drinks for everyone.
As soon as he stepped out of the practice room, that strange feeling returned.
Passing by the rookie group’s office, a few staff members were staring at him.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Yao Shuo walked over.
“Sister Keran, can I ask why you’ve been staring at us and smiling?”
This morning, when the assistant picked him up from his home, she had been hesitant to speak, constantly glancing at him through the rearview mirror, and couldn’t stop smiling. Yao Shuo, still half-asleep and not in the mood to ask, had let it slide.
After arriving at the company, they first went to the conference room for an album page design meeting. Along the way, they were watched by the company staff, who also had that same look of schadenfreree.
And now, it was happening again.
Ke Ran, who had been called over, couldn’t help but chuckle, “It’s nothing, really. It’s just that your company’s group variety show is about to start recording, and we’re curious, that’s all.”
“…” Yao Shuo looked at her suspiciously, trying to guess what she meant.
The content of the group variety show was kept completely secret from the artists, and they were not allowed to disclose it to them. To lower their guard, the company had told them it would just be a simple game of hide-and-seek in the office building, plus some other games, nothing too difficult.
So, they believed it.
However, everyone in the company except the participating artists knew the actual content of the variety show.
Not only did they know, but they had also been invited to experience it. Ke Ran and the others had watched the internal test video yesterday, where the MR group’s members were scared out of their wits at the amusement park, crawling all over the place. The entire theater had erupted in laughter.
They had only experienced one part of the show, and it had already been so entertaining. One could only imagine how much more fun it would be with the infamous “coward group” from the entertainment industry.
Returning to the practice room, Yao Shuo immediately shared the information he had gathered with the others.
“I knew something was off. I just asked Sister Ke Ran why they were laughing, and she said it was nothing, just that the group variety show is about to start recording, and they’re curious.”
“What group variety show?”
“Didn’t they say there would be one during our comeback? I didn’t hear about it in the meeting.”
“Maybe you’re overthinking it.”
“Oh, it’s the company’s group variety show.”
The other four didn’t understand why Yao Shuo was so worked up.
Seeing the four of them still not taking it seriously, Yao Shuo was speechless. Although he didn’t know what kind of challenges the variety show would have, he had a gut feeling that the production team would torture them to death.
-
The nanny van snaked through the night, moving along the elevated highway, with only the towering streetlights and the backdrop of high-rise buildings.
All the vans from Random Entertainment were present, forming a line as they headed toward their destination.
Meanwhile, at the amusement park recording site, Jiang Juyou, who was participating as an NPC, had arrived before nightfall and gone through the entire process with the production team.
The Random Entertainment platform already had a splash screen ad, which, when clicked, would redirect to the live stream.
“Random Entertainment Group Variety Show – 3 AM at the Amusement Park”
It was still before 2 AM, and the official start was a while away. Because it was late at night and no prior announcement had been made, there were only a few thousand people in the live stream room.
“Just saw the splash screen and thought I was seeing things.”
“What is this?”
“3 AM at the Amusement Park… The name alone sounds ominous… I’m out.”
“Is the group variety show live?”
“The victory of night owls!”
Setting up the live stream was also for better editing. The audience was much more entertaining than the production team, so they could directly select the parts with the best audience reactions to cut. However, it was tough on the director, as the workload was immense.
Before 3 AM, the live stream room, which had previously been a poster image, suddenly came to life.
The artists who had already arrived at the site hadn’t even entered the amusement park yet, but the cameras were already aimed at them.
The four girls from AIcho got out of the car, saw the cameras and staff, and politely bowed to greet them, “Hello… Good evening, uh, early morning. Thank you for your hard work.”
As they straightened up, they saw Jiang Juyou standing in front of them.
Although surprised, they still bowed and greeted her.
Jiang Juyou, dressed in black and holding a flowchart, showed no expression when she saw the four of them. Instead, she said, “Please proceed to the selection pod to choose your identity. After exiting the pod, it will be an individual competition. Please be cautious in your interactions with others.”
“There it is! The company’s concept! Cyberpunk!”
“Look at the amusement park in the background, it’s old and rundown. It’s probably going to scare the five of them to death.”
“Can’t tell if it’s cyberpunk or horror…”
The artists from Random Entertainment participating in this variety show, including singers and actors, totaled forty-one. At exactly 3 AM, everyone had entered the park, dressed in their costumes, and selected their identities.
Among them, the production team only revealed the identities of two artists in the live stream room.
"...Welcome to the amusement park. Who? Who's at the entrance?" Yao Shuo got out of the car and his legs went weak. The full moon hanging high in the sky reminded him of some unpleasant memories, making him as jumpy as a startled bird, reacting to the slightest movement.
After carefully listening and confirming that no one was outside, he continued to read his mission card.
“Your mission… Survive until the end, and escape from the amusement park.”
“Please wear your equipment and select your identity card, then prepare to enter the park.”
Yao Shuo put down the card and, following the instructions, reached into the box to draw an identity card, “The manager of the Speed Coaster project.”
It read: “The clue to escaping the amusement park is hidden in the Speed Coaster area. Please go and find it, but be careful—if you’re killed, the clue will be stolen!”
The other revealed identity was Pei Zhiping, who drew the role of the clown.
As the artists changed into their costumes and entered the park one by one, the director also inserted a game explanation into the live stream, with Jiang Juyou as the presenter.
“The artists are currently selecting their identity cards. The clue to escaping the amusement park is hidden in each person’s identity. Among them, only five are human, while the rest are clowns. Clowns can only obtain clues by robbing others.”
“Now, we will switch to the player’s perspective. Ladies and gentlemen, please close your eyes—”
The video switched to the first-person view, exiting the selection pod and pushing open the rusty iron gate of the amusement park. The inside was not only rundown but also had many damaged facilities.
The protagonist held a circular lens and, after glancing at the park’s environment, put on the lens—
The screen went completely dark, and a female voice spoke.
“Welcome to Adventure Amusement Park!”
After the voice ended, the screen lit up, and the scene before them was no longer a ruin but a dazzling amusement park filled with stars. The facilities were intact, and the streets were bustling with people. There were families, couples holding hands, and children.
There were staff selling cotton candy and cartoon characters in costumes greeting the queuing visitors.
“Please enter your nickname.”
“Holy—” Yao Shuo couldn’t help but curse out loud.
He realized it was a live broadcast and quickly stopped himself by covering his mouth, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
But the audience in the live chat wasn't much better off than he was.
"What the hell?"
"Huh?"
"......?"
The screen was filled with question marks, and Jiang Juyou couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile.
He wanted to take off his glasses to see the contrast, but the glasses were already on his head and couldn't be removed.
The shock was also felt by other artists, especially those from the acting department, who looked like they had been abducted by aliens to another planet, unable to believe what they were seeing.
"I almost forgot that these people haven't experienced the technological capabilities of Random Entertainment."
"Yeah, yeah, I was also shocked the first time I saw it!"
"Four years later, I still want to ask, how did they pull this off?"
The artists entered at different times, and even the entry points were different. The amusement park had a total of six exits, five of which were for staff only, the same entrance they had used when they arrived. Their mission was to exit through the visitor's entrance, which would complete the task.
Some adapted quickly, while others were busy marveling and trying to take off their glasses to see the contrast.
Pei Zhiping and her group were the first to arrive, entering at two o'clock, and by the time everyone else arrived, she had already explored the park for a while.
The members of Timetrain were the last to enter, having come straight from the airport, but they were still a bit late.
Pei Luming held the glasses in his hand, standing at the entrance of the amusement park, hesitating to go in. Once inside, the staff would no longer accompany him, and he would be on his own.
His courage hadn't quite reached that level yet.
Just as he finally mustered the courage to step into the amusement park and close the iron gate, he suddenly heard footsteps. He was about to ask the staff to open the gate when he saw Pei Zhiping running past him, covering her mouth and holding her breath, moving so fast it seemed like someone was chasing her.
"What's wrong with her?" Pei Luming turned to ask the staff.
The staff outside didn't respond, only urging him to put on his glasses quickly.
The audience, who had just seen Pei Zhiping's segment with a god's perspective, were now gleefully watching Pei Luming.
"So impatient, when will he put on his glasses, please."
"Hahahahahaha, can't wait to see Pei Luming's reaction."
"What's wrong with her? Hahahahahaha, you'll find out soon enough!"
Tricked by the staff into putting on his glasses, Pei Luming hadn't even had a chance to gasp at the beautiful scenery when he turned his head and locked eyes with a strangely moving zombie.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh――"
"Hahahahahaha!"
"Don't scream! They react to sound!"
"You're done, Pei Luming, you're going to be marked. The one in the floral print loves chasing people who scream."
Unprepared and terrified, Pei Luming, of course, didn't want to see a zombie, and immediately let out a high-pitched scream, drawing the attention away from his sister.
The countdown timer in the top right corner showed three minutes and forty seconds remaining.
Many viewers like Pei Luming were also confused, having just entered and not understanding the rules. But the live chat was there to explain things for them.
"Failing to find clues will trigger a penalty. Jiang Wangran's role is a visitor to the carousel. He just failed the game, and the first two failures were only visible to him. The third failure is visible to everyone. Let's congratulate Jiang Wangran, the unlucky guy, for entering zombie mode."
"Don't worry, the zombies will disappear in three minutes!"
"There's a rule explanation in the bottom left corner. If you're unclear, you can click to view it. If three full-zone zombie penalties are triggered, the penalty won't disappear. This is just the first one, lasting five minutes."
The mastermind behind all this was now sitting in the Ferris wheel, a nearly six-foot tall man now so scared he was limp, not even sitting on the chair but directly on the floor.
He had found a good spot, but it was tough on Pei Zhiping, who was being chased by zombies.
Her role was a clown, and the only way to get clues was to eliminate human players, but the tools to eliminate human players were hidden in the penalties for their game failures.
Pei Zhiping not only had to dodge the zombies but also search them for tools.
"Ugh――too realistic!" Pei Zhiping ran all the way and finally climbed onto a phone booth. She glanced at the timer in the top right corner, still more than three minutes left. She just had to hold on for those three minutes.
Below the phone booth, zombies were reaching out to her, some even stepping on other zombies trying to climb up.
Suddenly, a strange scream rang out from somewhere, and the zombies that had been attacking Pei Zhiping suddenly turned their attention to the source of the sound. Those who couldn't climb up changed their target and ran towards that direction.
Pei Zhiping, now with no dignity left, was on the verge of tears, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, big brother."
"Pei Luming, did you see that? You finally got called 'brother.'"
"Pei Luming will be touched to death."
"Hahahahahaha, you two are killing the show."
The countdown reached three seconds: three, two, one――
As the penalty ended, the zombies chasing Pei Luming suddenly turned back into normal visitors, who were confused about why they had suddenly started running.
"Huh?"
"What am I doing here?"
"I wasn't just in line for churros, was I?"
"Too realistic!"
"Random Entertainment, please, let me play this after they're done. Please, open the authorization, or sell those glasses."
"The details are amazing."
The screen switched to Jiang Wangran.
He held a newly found game ticket in his hand and approached Jiang Juyou, "Challenge!"
Although acting as an NPC, Jiang Juyou couldn't help but exclaim, "You're really good at finding things."
The game had only started a few minutes ago, and Jiang Wangran had already found three game tickets, now his fourth.
Jiang Juyou turned the mini Ferris wheel, and a small ball fell out, which she placed into a bucket next to it. The acrylic box above displayed a line of text.
"Dance question: Oh, today's perfume smells so good, let's put some on the neck, cast a spell, play the guitar. [Question: Which song's dance moves are these?]"
Jiang Wangran: "......"
He stared at the text in silence.
He looked up and asked Jiang Juyou, "Is this from our company?"
Jiang Juyou chuckled helplessly, "Do you think I'd play another company's song and pay them royalties?"
Hearing this, Jiang Wangran fell silent again.
An actor who had wandered over to take a look, Jiang Juyou reminded Jiang Wangran, "Five seconds to answer, five, four......"
"Jiang Wangran, you're done for. You don't even know your wife's dance moves."
"My ship is sinking today."
"You know what? Sinking ships are even better to ship."
"I thought this would be a horror variety show where people get scared to death, but I'm about to die laughing. Who's going to save me?"
"Let's just guess, NiGHT's SugarFree?" Jiang Wangran guessed a girl group song, thinking about the company's strategy with NiGHT's recent debut, assuming they'd want to promote their debut song.
Jiang Juyou calmly said, "Wrong answer. The correct answer is Equals3's debut album track 'Adult Ceremony.'"
Jiang Wangran: "......?"
His stunned expression after hearing the answer had the live chat in stitches, with "hahahaha" filling the screen, making it seem like they were about to laugh themselves into oxygen deprivation.
"That move was danced by Sang Mo in the MV. You're done, Jiang Wangran. Try to avoid your wife later."
"Equals3's name coming up really brought the show to a climax."
"Laughing so hard I'm about to throw up. Why are all the idols in your department so funny?"
The entire park's broadcast announced――
"Task failed, penalty is about to begin."
"Who else? Where are you all finding these game tickets?" Yao Shuo was rummaging through his operation room for a long time without finding any game tickets, feeling like his role was useless.
He crouched under the table, looking to see if there were any underneath, "Nope, just a hand full of dust."
As soon as he crawled out from under the table, Yao Shuo felt something was off.
What was once a bright, lively amusement park with its unique lighting atmosphere had now returned to the desolate feel of when they first entered the park.
His office, which had been warm and clean, had transformed into a place covered in cobwebs, with the chair he had moved earlier now missing a leg.
“Who?” Yao Shuo tilted his head to listen.
It sounded like someone was whispering around him, accompanied by eerie giggles.
“I can’t take this punishment anymore; it’s seriously terrifying.”
“Headphone users are dying… I felt the voice came from behind me, but I was clearly lying in bed. Who gets it?”
“Please, everyone, wear headphones. Please, I can’t be the only one scared.”
The countdown in the upper right corner indicated that everyone was currently in the punishment period.
This punishment was far scarier than zombies; it was a mental attack. The entire street was empty, yet whispers and giggles echoed in his ears, sending shivers down his spine.
Even covering his ears didn’t help, as the glasses were fixed to his head, and the headphones were bone-conducting. Even if he covered his ears, he could still hear faint sounds.
Once the punishment ended, everyone started asking who had failed.
Sang Mo ran into Jiang Wangran and asked, “Did you find the game ticket yet?”
Jiang Wangran paused for a moment, shrugged, and said, “…No.”
“Do you know who failed just now?”
“…No idea.”
Among so many people, there were still those who could step up and venture outside. After the first hour, the first elimination announcement of the night rang out.
“Xu Zhenya—Eliminated.”
After playing for so long, some who had entered early had been playing for two hours. This was the first time anyone had been eliminated.
Pei Luming, who had drawn the Joker card, tilted his head in confusion upon hearing the broadcast. "How did that person find the prop?"
He sat on a bench, observing the passing tourists, and began analyzing. "The card said the item can only be found during the punishment period. There was a zombie attack, a ghost whispering, and an eternal night… How exactly did they find it?"
Just as he finished speaking, the punishment period warning sounded.
Pei Luming leaned back. “Why can everyone find it except me?”
As he prepared to sit there and wait out the punishment period, a tourist in front of him suddenly pounced on another person and started biting.
Pei Luming jumped up and hid behind the bench. “Another zombie attack!”
He quickly ran, aiming to reach a high spot where the zombies couldn’t reach.
The zombie punishment had already appeared twice, and this time the duration was twenty minutes.
The camera focused on Yao Shuo, whose role was the manager of the high-speed train, but he couldn’t find the game ticket and ended up boarding the high-speed train after much delay.
“If I can board, does that mean it’s safe, right?”
“Am I going to die?”
“Can any staff answer me?”
“Hello?”
The seatbelt was already fastened, and the countdown had begun. Other tourists on the platform were cheering them on. Just as the bell signaling the start of the ride rang out, the punishment period announcement came.
“Not again, am I this unlucky?” Yao Shuo glanced back and saw the countdown in the upper right corner, but he couldn’t tell what kind of punishment it was.
His fellow players in the game were signaling the tourists to step back from the platform, ensuring they didn’t get too close to the train and risk getting hurt when it started.
At that moment, a scream came from behind the crowd, and Yao Shuo’s high-speed train shot forward—
“Ahhhhhhh! I saw it! Zombies!!” Yao Shuo’s scream almost tore his throat.
“Oh no, oh no!”
“This ride only lasts three minutes, but the punishment is twenty minutes!”
“Oh no, I’m going to die!”
They all had health bars, and during the punishment period, injuries would reduce their health accordingly. Yao Shuo hadn’t been bitten or scratched during the zombie punishment, so his health bar remained unchanged. However, during the ghost whispering, he had suffered a mental attack, which reduced his health slightly.
When he got off the train, the area below had already turned into a zombie playground.
But it was during the punishment period that Yao Shuo spotted the location of the game ticket.
The game ticket glowed when viewed from a specific angle, making it easy to find. Yao Shuo had seen the glowing object on the roof of the control room while on the high-speed train.
“So what? I don’t have the guts to get it.”
The speed of the high-speed train slowed down, and it was about to return to the starting point. Soon, Yao Shuo would be surrounded by zombies, and he resigned himself to closing his eyes.
Just as the high-speed train was about to enter the platform, an employee in the control room was bitten by a zombie. After struggling for a few moments, he too turned into a zombie. Hearing the noise from the high-speed train, he tried to rush out but, being mindless, couldn’t use tools. He banged on the door violently, accidentally pressing the departure button—
The train didn’t even stop at the platform; it accelerated and shot out again.
“Ahhhhhhh! Why didn’t it stop!” Yao Shuo’s voice cracked again.
“If it had stopped, he’d die; if it didn’t, he’d want to die.”
“Ahhh, this stupid variety show woke me up!”
“Random Entertainment, the god of horror variety shows!”
“It’s almost dawn! I haven’t slept yet!”
When Jiang Juyou saw Yao Shuo, his walk was wobbly, like he had drunk a few bottles of liquor.
“…What happened to you?” Jiang Juyou asked.
Yao Shuo, fighting the urge to vomit, replied, “…I rode the high-speed train for twenty minutes. I’m so dizzy.”
At first, it was terrifying, then it became thrilling, and by the end, he was bored and even felt like vomiting.
After handing over the game ticket, Jiang Juyou drew a game for him.
"Movie Trivia: Since you mentioned that Xi Guifei was having an affair, who was the lover? [What was the previous line of this dialogue?]"
The barrage collectively helped him answer.
Jiang Juyou began counting down from five.
“…Zhen Jian… Oh no, I haven’t watched it.”
“?”
“How can someone not have watched it? Lend me your eyes!”
“I could act it out, yet someone hasn’t watched it.”
Yao Shuo hadn't watched it but had seen the memes. He didn't know if his answer was correct, so he guessed, "I accuse Xi Guifei of having an affair, bringing chaos to the harem, and deserving severe punishment… Is that right?"
Jiang Juyou smiled. “Correct answer.”
An acrylic box dropped a piece of paper, which was the clue to leaving the park.
Yao Shuo cheered and picked up the card, which read: “You need to kill it to leave.”
“…Does ‘it’ mean a creature, or is it gender-neutral?” Yao Shuo asked Jiang Juyou.
Jiang Juyou shook her head, not speaking.
The reason she didn’t speak was simple—she didn’t know the answer.
She had only participated in designing the show's segments; the rest was done by the production team, and she didn't know the specifics of the props.
“Alright.” Yao Shuo pocketed the card and prepared to leave.
At that moment, the broadcast announced that two more people had been eliminated.
Yao Shuo had just left when Han Lemi ran over. She also had a human identity.
Because she had run, she was out of breath, leaning on her knees and panting heavily.
“Jiang Ju… wait, let me catch my breath.”
“I’m exhausted…”
Jiang Juyou nodded. “It’s okay, I have plenty of time.”
Han Lemi, catching her breath, handed the ticket to Jiang Juyou and asked, “Hey, Jiang Ju, do you also lose health points?”
“Huh?” Jiang Juyou couldn’t see her own health bar.
Han Lemi, being carefree, didn’t think too much about it. She immediately switched topics. “I thought this place was a safe zone, but it turns out you lose health points here too.”
“Hey, Jiang Ju, did any zombies come by just now?” she curiously asked.
Jiang Juyou nodded.
Now that she thought about it, zombies had indeed rushed toward her earlier, but Jiang Juyou was in a caravan, and all she had to do was close the windows.
A mini Ferris wheel rotated and dropped a bead.
Both of their attentions were drawn to it. Jiang Juyou placed it in the acrylic box, which immediately displayed a question.
"Counting Trivia: Name five actresses from Random Entertainment’s actor department within five seconds."
As soon as the question appeared, Jiang Juyou began counting down.
Han Lemi wasn’t flustered at all. She started counting on her fingers, “Jiang Tang, Zhai Ke’er, Chen Xi, Xu Zhenya, Si Yanyu!”
“Hah!” Han Lemi clapped for herself.
“Well done, little bun!”
“My good daughter, it’s worth staying up to watch!”
“Please, production team, give Han Lemi more camera time!”
Jiang Juyou also clapped for her, and Han Lemi picked up the clue card, which read, “…It is the owner of this amusement park.”
The little bun thought for a moment and looked up. “I get it! Someone’s identity card is the amusement park owner!”
As soon as the clock struck five, the live broadcast ended, but the show was still going on—
“The full episode will be released next Saturday at 8 PM. Stay tuned!”
“……?”
“Don’t make me curse you at the happiest moment.”
“Damn it! It’s just a trailer!!!”
“Wait, they’re stopping here?”
“Am I some kind of lowly person?”
The live stream room was packed with around ten thousand people, all cursing Random Entertainment.
“No wonder they started the broadcast quietly at 3 AM.”
“Hah… I should’ve just gone back to sleep.”
“…I was actually woken up for this.”
“Random Entertainment, go die! You toy with my heart!”
“Someone, bring out the cannon!”
Those who missed the live broadcast in the evening only saw the trending topics on their way to work or school the next morning.
#Random Entertainment Pranks People at Dawn#
Such a hashtag popped up, and anyone who saw it would want to click in to check it out.
Inside were all the victims from the previous night sharing their experiences.
“Damn, who’s ever seen a two-hour-long trailer?!”
“Why do we have to endure this maddening suspense? I refuse! I refuse!”
“I’m calling the police!!！ Argh!”
“I should’ve called all my fellow fans one by one to wake them up… Not doing that was such a missed opportunity.”
Since screen recording wasn’t allowed, everyone could only describe it in words, but no matter how they tried, they couldn’t convey the shocking change in the world after putting on the glasses.
Over the course of that week, those who had watched the program at 3 AM in the morning hyped it up to the skies, piquing the curiosity of many.
In just one week, everyone knew that Random Entertainment’s group variety show was set to launch this Saturday.
Industry insiders could only shake their heads in admiration, wondering where they came up with so many ingenious promotional tactics, each of which was highly effective.
It was enough to make people envious.
When Saturday finally arrived, everyone had already prepared themselves for a weekly release, but instead, the entire series was dropped at once.
As soon as the first episode was opened, the bullet comments started rolling in.
“Random Entertainment is awesome!”
“Ahhhhh all eight episodes are out!”
“I love this no-nonsense, no-dragging platform!”
“Random Entertainment deserves to be enshrined!”
“Those who watched the live stream, skip to the sixth episode! Watch the continuation first, then go back to fill in the details!”
“Allow high-energy moments, but no spoilers!”
The sixth episode picked up right where the live stream had left off.
Now, the clues were very concentrated, and as long as everyone combined the clues and reasoned them out, they would know who the characters were—
