Ah Xu leaned back in his chair, thinking hard as the other two chatted about lunch.
If I use Xiao Ling's account and something goes wrong… the trouble will fall on her and Jia Le too, he realized.
No, it's better to create a new identity — one that no one can trace back to us.
He looked up at Xiao Ling, who was still scrolling through messages from the livestream app.
"Hey, Xiao Ling," he said suddenly. "I was thinking… maybe it's better if we make a new account before replying to that broadcasting company."
She blinked, confused. "Why? Wouldn't it be easier to just use my account since it already has attention?"
"Yeah, but think about it," Ah Xu explained, leaning forward.
"If anything weird happens again, I don't want you or Jia Le dragged into it.
This way, we can livestream safely under a new identity — something anonymous.
If it goes well, we can tell the company we're moving to a new account for privacy reasons."
Xiao Ling frowned, considering his words.
"Hmm… I guess that makes sense. I don't want my parents finding out about this either," she admitted.
"Exactly," Ah Xu said, smirking.
"We'll make the new account look
professional — something mysterious, like a paranormal investigation channel.
I'll handle the content.
You can manage the page and talk to the broadcasting company."
Jia Le raised an eyebrow. "So what, we're ghost hunters now?"
Ah Xu chuckled softly.
"You could say that… but let's keep it low for now. No names, no faces. Just the stream and the truth behind those places."
Xiao Ling sighed, still unsure, but nodded.
"Fine. I'll make the new account tonight and text the company that we've decided to start fresh."
As Ah Xu watched her type on her phone, a small smile crept onto his face.
The idea of using the livestream as both a cover and a weapon was starting to take shape.
If the system wants me to face horrors, he thought, then the world might as well watch me do it.
Later that night, Xiao Ling sat on the couch, typing furiously on her laptop.
After a few minutes, she turned the screen toward the others.
"Alright, done! The new account's up — we're officially 'The Night Horror.'"
The logo on the page flickered faintly: a dark silhouette under a blood-red moon.
Ah Xu nodded approvingly.
"Perfect name. Creepy enough to catch attention."
Jia Le raised an eyebrow.
"Hold on… what exactly are we doing with this account?"
Ah Xu leaned back, his tone calm but serious.
"I've been thinking — what happened at Feng Mansion wasn't a one-time thing.
There are other haunted places out there, other… presences.
If we livestream those explorations, we can turn it into something meaningful — a proper investigation channel.
I'll go to these sites myself."
Xiao Ling gaped at him.
"Wait, what?
Since when did you turn into a thrill-seeker? You're the same guy who said,
'Why sleep in a haunted mansion when I have a warm bed?'"
Ah Xu chuckled softly.
"Yeah… I did say that.
But after everything that happened, I can't just pretend it's all over.
Someone needs to find out what's really going on in these places — and I might be the only one who can."
Jia Le frowned, still unconvinced.
"You're serious about this?
Exploring haunted houses when you could be sleeping comfortably?"
"I am," Ah Xu said simply.
Then he smiled reassuringly.
"Look, I'm not asking you guys to come into the field with me.
I'll handle the exploration part.
But if you two could help manage the channel — editing, admin, and communication — that'd make things much easier."
Xiao Ling exchanged a glance with Jia Le.
Despite their doubts, curiosity flickered in both their eyes.
"I guess,"
Xiao Ling murmured, "if you're really doing this, someone has to make sure you don't get yourself killed on camera."
Jia Le sighed and leaned back.
"Fine. I'll handle logistics — but you owe me big time if we get famous."
Ah Xu grinned, a spark of determination lighting in his gaze.
"Deal. From now on, The Night Horror begins its first official investigation."
Unseen by the others, the faint flicker of ghostly energy rippled through Ah Xu's palm — the system silently awakening as if responding to his resolve.
After everyone retreated to their own rooms, the mansion grew quiet.
The only sound was the soft hum of the city outside and the faint ticking of a wall clock.
Ah Xu sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the holographic blue interface flickering before him — the System Menu.
Lines of glowing text floated in the air:
[Daily Quest Available]
Objective: Acquire Feng Mansion from Mayor Lee
Reward: 1x Spin of Horror
[Main Quest Available]
Objective: Devour 10 Weakened Ghostly Figures at Feng Mansion
Reward: Full control over Feng Mansion
Ah Xu exhaled slowly. "Guess it's time to stop avoiding it…"
He pressed 'Accept' for both quests.
The room trembled faintly as a surge of cold air swept through.
Then, new notifications appeared in rapid sequence:
System Alert:
Daily Quest and Main Quest have been accepted!
Directive:
Host must find Mayor Lee at the Central District of Pujiang to acquire the Feng Mansion deed.
Note: Bring Jia Le. His presence will be useful for this quest.
Before Ah Xu could even process that, another alert flashed across his vision — this one pulsing red.
Time-Locked Requirement:
Host must be at Feng Mansion by 10:00 PM tonight.
Failure to arrive within the given time frame will result in automatic nightmare activation.
Ah Xu's breath caught in his throat.
"By ten tonight?" He glanced at the clock — it was already past 2 noon.
"Looks like… a nap will have to wait," he muttered, rubbing his temples.
Then, a wry grin crept onto his face.
"Guess I'll need Jia Le's help sooner than I thought."
Outside, the city lights of Pujiang glimmered faintly — unaware that something far darker was already counting down the hours.