Trainee Ch.106

Chapter 106: The Group Variety Show (Extra 6)

They hadn’t even entered the haunted house yet, but StarEpoch was already stuck—just trying to decide on their formation.

Lai Yudong was fine with any position. He’d be happy to go in anywhere, even alone if needed—maybe a little bored, but he figured it’d still be more fun with friends.

But right now, the problem wasn’t whether he’d find it fun.

Judging by their reactions when they heard they were going to a haunted house, this group might really be hopeless—each one acting like they were about to face certain doom.

“Who among us has the biggest guts?” Mo Li asked.

“Lai Yudong,” Qu Xincheng said without hesitation, quickly recommending his “kelp buddy.” “He dared to stick his hand straight into the mystery box during that horror challenge.”

Su Junzhe chimed in, “And he’s not even scared of bugs!”

Hope flickered in Mo Li’s eyes like a survivor seeing light for the first time. “That time in the phone booth—did you get scared?”

“I’d say I was relatively calm,” Lai Yudong replied modestly.

“Then I’ll count on you to take the lead.”

“Sure,” he said. “But who’s bringing up the rear?”

At those words, silence fell over the group. Everyone except Su Junzhe—who clearly found their fear entertaining—avoided Lai Yudong’s gaze like it carried a curse, terrified of being picked for the back.

Seeing how utterly cowardly they all looked, Lai Yudong couldn’t help but feel the cruel sting of reality—how could he have drawn the “traitor” role in this mission?

“Xiao Qu,” Su Junzhe said with a bright, innocent smile, “why don’t you go last? Step out of your comfort zone a little~”

“Me!?” Qu Xincheng was so startled by the suggestion that his knees nearly gave out. “No, no way! What if an NPC drags me off?”

“Then your gameplay experience will be richer than everyone else’s.”

“I don’t need it that rich! I like boring!”

After spending so long arguing and still failing to choose the unlucky one to bring up the rear, Li Xu finally lost patience and stood up. “It’s just a haunted house, not a life-or-death farewell! Stop dragging it out—if we keep wasting time, it’ll be midnight before we start.”

Zhao Yifeng cautiously asked, “Then you’ll…?”

“I’ll go last.”

[Hong, did you forget how you acted in the phone booth?]

[Careful, or you’re gonna slap yourself in the face, hhhh]

[I was just as cocky before going into the haunted house]

With a designated scapegoat—no, a savior—as their teammate, it was only right to shower him with moral support.

So Su Junzhe started clapping in an exaggerated fashion. “So brave!”

Lai Yudong followed up right away, “Let’s give praise—our Xiao Hong is the best.”

Li Xu’s eyebrow twitched furiously. “You guys—”

Mo Li quickly grabbed his roommate and, in a whisper only they could hear, reminded him, “Hong—camera.”

“Huh???”

[Didn’t think I’d ever hear Xu-baby’s nickname Hong on the group show ahhhh]

[Dong-baby, you said that way too naturally!!]

[It’s over—his real name is gone for good]

[A few days ago, a friend outside the fandom asked me, ‘Why does your group have someone called Li Hong (Red)? What’s next, Li Hua (Flower)?’]

[So when Xiao Hong changes hair color next time, does that mean we have to rename him too?]

[Li Huang (Yellow), Li Lan (Blue), Li Lu (Green), Li Wucai (Multicolor)]

After a round of friendly negotiations, the final lineup was decided—

Lai Yudong, Bai Xuanhe, Su Junzhe, Qu Xincheng, Mo Li, Zhao Yifeng, and Li Xu.

Lai Yudong wasn’t sure how brave Bai Xuanhe actually was. From what he remembered, probably not very—otherwise he wouldn’t have been scared out of his wits by Qu Xincheng last time.

He just hoped no one screamed too miserably later on… or they might end up scaring him too.

The teammates’ screams were often scarier than the NPCs themselves.

With a blindfold over his eyes, Lai Yudong felt the person behind him place a hand on his shoulder. One by one, they formed a single line. Under the staff’s guidance, the group shuffled forward slowly in the dark.

The background music grew clearer and clearer, drifting from somewhere far away until it brushed right against their ears.

The staff left them a flashlight and a walkie-talkie, then abandoned them in front of the eerie old mansion.

Only when the walkie-talkie crackled to life with an instruction did they finally remove their blindfolds—only to be greeted by a blood-splattered wooden door. Bloody handprints smeared across the surface, and a pile of white bones lay stacked beside it, gruesome and shocking.

Su Junzhe poked his head out. “Are those supposed to be… the previous explorers?”

[That BGM is so creepy…]

[Haunted houses these days are really going all out—they actually built a full house?!]

[Su Su, please stop asking weird questions!]

[Do we really have to explore this death trap?]

Seeing how all his teammates had shrunk into frightened little quails, Lai Yudong suddenly wasn’t sure if they should go in at all.

After asking several times and finally getting unanimous (if trembling) agreement, he reached out and pushed open the massive door. The hinges let out a long, creaking groan—like a ghost’s wail—beckoning them into the unknown depths.

The grip on his shoulder tightened. It almost felt like someone giving him a massage.

Okay. That confirmed it—Bai Xuanhe definitely wasn’t very brave.

Lai Yudong raised the flashlight, its dim beam barely cutting through the darkness. Honestly, his phone’s built-in flashlight would’ve done a better job. The mansion was pitch-black—nothing was visible at all.

He took a step forward, about to cross the threshold—when a force born of teamwork (or rather, terror) pinned him firmly in place.

The six behind him clung on tightly, chain-linked like six iron plates dragging him down.

Lai Yudong: “……”

So this was what they called moving forward under heavy load.

He tried to reassure them. “Don’t be scared, don’t be scared—it’s all fake. I’m in front. Let’s keep moving. If we stay still too long, an NPC might come to push the progress.”

No amount of comforting words could compare to that single phrase—“NPC might come to push the progress.”

Instantly, the sandbags behind him found their legs again, and the team managed to take a hesitant step forward.

Their formation shifted from shoulders linked to hands tightly clasped.

[Captain Yuzu never fails us]

[How long is this going to take, lmao]

[Is there a time limit?]

[Not for filming—no matter how long it takes, they’ll have to finish, even if they stay in there for three days and nights]

[Yuzu could probably clear this faster alone carrying ten sacks of rice than with his teammates]

[Not gonna lie, I’m getting scared too]

[Just realized this livestream has no “high energy” warning…]

Lai Yudong marched down the corridor like an unstoppable tank, flashlight raised, while also taking on the role of emotional support. “It’s fine, it’s fine—there’s nothing up ahead.”

The uneven footsteps behind him were somehow more unnerving than the eerie background music—especially when Su Junzhe murmured, “If something else slipped in among us, we probably wouldn’t even notice.”

That line alone sent the horror level skyrocketing.

Qu Xincheng and Mo Li clung to each other like two basketballs stuffed in a net bag, being carried front and back by Su Junzhe and Zhao Yifeng.

“How long do we have to keep walking?” Bai Xuanhe hunched his tall, 1.82-meter frame, trembling as he shuffled forward. He was somehow half a head shorter than Su Junzhe now, and the endless corridor ahead had his imagination running wild with all sorts of terrifying possibilities.

He deeply regretted taking the second spot—Lai Yudong wasn’t a double-door fridge; even leading the way, he couldn’t shield them from whatever NPC might suddenly jump out.

“Just follow the light. We only need to go into rooms if we trigger a story mission,” Lai Yudong explained, clearly well-versed in haunted-house mechanics.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a loud, frantic noise erupted from deeper inside the mansion—like someone pounding on a door.

“BANG! BANG! BANG—!”

“AHHHHHHHHH!!!”

“Is that a ghost!?”

“W-where!?”

The team instantly descended into chaos—screams erupted from all directions, overlapping into one panicked chorus, with Su Junzhe’s laughter cutting right through the noise.

The more timid ones bolted toward the middle like they were fleeing for their lives, huddling together for warmth and safety. Even Li Xu, who had been acting all tough outside, scrambled up from the rear and shoved Zhao Yifeng into the last position.

Lai Yudong shone his flashlight down the long hallway. After a few tense seconds, nothing else moved.

He said calmly, “It’s fine. Someone was just knocking on the door.”

[“Just knocking on the door”?? HOW is that fine!!!]

[His guts are made of steel. I would’ve yeeted that flashlight across the hall.]

[This is the same guy who didn’t even flinch when a ghost slapped the glass right in front of him—what’s a little door knock to him, lmao]

[Captain Yuzu = Iron Tank confirmed]

“Let’s sing something to boost morale!” Bai Xuanhe suggested, his voice louder than his courage. “Come on, pick a song! What about our theme song?”

“The theme song? How does it even go again?” Qu Xincheng was so terrified his mind went blank—emptier than one of Lai Yudong’s unfinished assignment files.

Mo Li hurried to start them off: “In the darkness, I hear your call…”

Lai Yudong turned back, shining the flashlight on them. “Don’t you think those lyrics sound even creepier right now?”

Everyone: “…”

…Fair point.

[Stop calling into the void, please!!]

[If an NPC suddenly yells ‘Qu Xincheng!’ the prince is gonna hit the ceiling, LOL]

[I can never listen to that theme song the same way again]

[Can’t tell if Yuzu’s being kind or just messing with them hhhh]

[How could such a sweet boy possibly mean to scare them!]

The seven regrouped and set off once more, Zhao Yifeng now taking the rear. They moved at a painfully slow pace—it looked like they’d been walking for ages, but in reality, they hadn’t covered more than two meters.

As they passed by one of the rooms, the door suddenly swung open from the inside—without warning.

Cue another round of blood-curdling screams from the team.

“It’s fine, it’s fine—it’s a living person,” Lai Yudong reassured them.

Standing before them was a Taoist priest NPC, dressed in a traditional robe, holding a Sanqing bell and a ritual sword—every inch the image of an exorcist ready to banish evil spirits.

The actor’s dedication to the role was impressive. Despite the group’s near-hysterical shrieks, he didn’t even crack a smile. Instead, his expression turned stern as he barked:

“What are you doing here!?”

“Exploring,” Lai Yudong replied, staying true to his “adventurer” persona.

“Exploring? In this cursed place!?” The priest glared at them. “This is no place for jest or laughter! Leave at once!”

“Oh, come on. It’s just an abandoned house,” Lai Yudong said, fully embracing his role as the horror-movie protagonist who tempts fate. “They say the family who lived here all died mysteriously overnight—but we’re just looking around. If something really happened here, wouldn’t they have dug it up with an excavator by now?”

Bai Xuanhe forced a laugh. “If you said that in a horror movie, we’d all be dead in three seconds.”

“And yet you still dare to come?” The priest’s frown deepened. “Do you know why this house has never been demolished?”

“Because it’s a cultural heritage site?” Lai Yudong answered instantly.

The priest: “…”

[Suddenly it doesn’t seem scary anymore]

[Su Su is laughing so hard he’s hitting his leg HAHAHA]

[I need to go to a haunted house with Yuzu—guaranteed no fear, only comedy]

[Someone’s abacus beads just exploded all over my screen]

The priest took a deep breath and continued his line, voice heavy with drama: “This family, blinded by greed, dared to perform a forbidden ritual using living sacrifices. They were consumed by their own spell, dying tragic deaths—and the victims’ resentment only grew stronger. Everyone who comes into contact with this place is cursed to die a horrible death. My master sent me down the mountain to investigate and subdue the evil spirits.”

“Then it doesn’t really matter if we leave or not, huh?” Su Junzhe said, spotting the plot hole. “We’ve already come in, so we’re cursed anyway, right?”

Qu Xincheng’s brain was spinning fast. “But isn’t this master here to subdue the evil spirit? As long as he succeeds, we’ll be fine, right?”

Lai Yudong immediately switched into reporter mode. “Quick interview—excuse me, have you succeeded?”

“If I had, why would I be urging you to leave so quickly?”

“Then what about the knocking sound earlier? Was that the ghost—or you?”

“I tried to exorcise the spirit,” the Taoist sighed. “But alas, my power was insufficient. Not only did I fail to destroy it, I ended up angering her instead.” He glanced over the group gravely. “Still, that young man is right—you’re already tainted by the curse. If you leave now, you’ll surely die. Staying by my side is the only way to survive a little longer.”

“Then we’ll just stick with you,” Li Xu said. “You got any tricks up your sleeve to handle this? Or are you gonna call your master down the mountain?”

The Taoist’s face turned ashen. “That would be far too humiliating!”

Li Xu was speechless. “…We’re literally about to die, and you’re worried about your reputation?”

“My secret technique can subdue the ghost,” the Taoist declared solemnly. “But it requires certain conditions to be met. If you’re willing, you can stay and assist me in the ritual.”

He paused, his expression darkening. “However… there is ghostly energy among you.”

[Wow, things are getting intense]

[Wait, what? There’s a mole among them??]

[Knew it—there was a reason they couldn’t show their identity cards!]

[And they still won’t let fans see them! Getting too mysterious now!]

“A mole scenario?” Su Junzhe’s eyes widened. “We’re already terrified out of our minds—now there’s a traitor too? Isn’t that too cruel!?”

Lai Yudong asked seriously, keeping up the act, “By ‘ghostly energy,’ do you mean the curse we caught?”

“Not at all.” The Taoist shook his head. “Among you, there is a presence that does not belong to the living. Someone here has been possessed—or worse, a corpse has been taken over. You’d best be on your guard.”

Li Xu was dumbfounded. “You just let the ghost mix in with us? You’re not going to do anything about it?”

“I can’t tell which one it is. Making random accusations would only harm the innocent.”

“……”

[Your sect is doomed.]

[This plot setup lol]

[I’m betting it’s Xiao Qu, he’s already scared stiff—literally. doge]

“Who do you guys think the mole is?” Lai Yudong shouted ‘Catch the thief!’ while being one himself.

Everyone knowingly turned their eyes toward Su Junzhe, who had been laughing the hardest the entire time.

Su Junzhe: “?”

Su Junzhe: “I’m innocent! It’s not me!”

———————————————————

Author’s Note:

Information Reveal —

Courage Ranking:

Lai Yudong (occasionally scared by teammates) > Su Junzhe (drops to Qu’s level when bugs appear) > Zhao Yifeng (barely steps up when no one else will) > Mo Li (too numb from fear to feel it anymore) > Li Xu (runs purely on pride and stubbornness) > Bai Xuanhe (can still breathe if not sent on solo tasks) > Qu Xincheng (lowest measurable courage unit)

Tanks: Lai Yudong ×1, Su Junzhe ×0.5, Zhao Yifeng ×0.25

Moles: Lai Yudong (real — mission-related), Su Junzhe (fake — for the fun of it), Qu Xincheng (fake — accidentally harmed teammates)

 << _ >>

**TN

“Stop the thief!” says the thief – a thief accuses others to make himself seem innocent