Nie Xiaoqian liked Li Miao very much.
She liked her at first glance. With her high star rating and strong spirituality, she judged people and things purely on instinct.
When seeing Li Miao for the first time, she felt she was extraordinary, glowing all over.
Warm and powerful.
Even though Master Sister was still weak now, Nie Xiaoqian had a premonition that she would grow up quickly, able to protect them and easily control their life and death.
“Call me whatever you want.”
Li Miao didn’t mind.
After breakfast, guests started coming in one after another.
Besides those who booked in advance, there were also walk-ins.
People gradually filled the first-floor lobby, and even the lounge was full.
Someone waiting impatiently asked loudly, “Boss, do you only have the Painted Skin dungeon here? Can’t we play something else? It’s so boring sitting here waiting.
“I see twenty or thirty people ahead of me. When will it be my turn?”
“Very soon,” Li Miao comforted the guest. “Up to 50 people can enter in one batch. Once someone comes out, you can go in.”
“50 people?” The guest clicked his tongue. “Boss, with so many people entering, won’t it affect the experience?”
“It won’t,” Li Miao guaranteed. “It’s very big inside and very interesting. Plus, the more people, the more fun it is.”
More people meant more guests to guest-star as NPCs; otherwise, Painted Skin and Nie Xiaoqian alone couldn’t handle it.
Ruhua now had her exclusive dungeon and was constructing the plot on the third floor, having no time to help on the second floor.
“By the way, the Ruhua dungeon just opened. Want to try it?” Li Miao asked.
“New dungeon opened?” Everyone was surprised, asking about the content and plot summary.
Li Miao hadn’t had time to do those things, not even a poster. She could only say, “Just opened, still in testing. Original price 200, now 20% off, only 160.”
“200?”
“So expensive! Boss, are you robbing us?”
Guests were unhappy. “Painted Skin is only 88; why is Ruhua so expensive?”
“It’s worth the money. You’ll know once you experience it. Same as always: full refund if not satisfied.”
Li Miao had done market research. Large-scale haunted house escape rooms were priced around this range, with some selling tickets for over 300.
Her Ruhua dungeon was so good; she didn’t want to sell it cheaply.
Also, there were many robot-like NPCs in the Ruhua dungeon. Li Miao knew they weren’t real people, but the players inside wouldn’t know—they would think they were real people.
If she sold it too cheaply, shrewd customers would calculate the costs, think it wasn’t profitable for her, and suspect her motives.
“Forget it, forget it. Not going.” Everyone shook their heads, not wanting to be ripped off. “Let’s play Painted Skin first. If it’s fun, then we’ll go to the Ruhua dungeon.”
Just then, players came out.
It was Skinny and his three friends.
Zhang Qiang and Wan Ling were hugging each other, crying with snot and tears running down their faces. “Boohoo, so scary. Scared me to death.”
Fatty and Skinny also had glazed eyes.
When Li Miao went to ask them, they jumped in fright: “Ah! Don’t come over!”
They were clearly traumatized.
Li Miao hurriedly turned the room lights to maximum brightness and pointed to the customers peeking out from the lounge. “This is the first floor. Look, everyone is human.”
Skinny snapped back to reality. They had come down from the second floor; this wasn’t the Painted Skin dungeon.
Boohoo, we finally made it out alive.
He really thought he would die in the haunted house.
Skinny lost all his previous arrogance and coldness, squatting on the ground and crying his heart out.
Boohoo, scared to death. Really scared to death.
Whose haunted house NPC transforms?!
It was too f***ing scary.
I watched that beauty lift her own skin and turn into a green-faced, fanged evil ghost.
This special effects mechanism level is top-notch internationally.
Customers from the lounge came over, surrounding the four curiously. “Is it really that terrifying inside? Can it scare people to tears?”
Fatty nodded repeatedly. “It can scare you to death. I advise you to be mentally prepared.”
Unexpectedly, upon hearing Fatty say this, a thick-browed customer got even more excited. He looked at Li Miao. “Boss, four people came out, so can four people go in now?”
Several people were eager to try. They had already changed clothes, ready to go in anytime.
Li Miao nodded. “Go in. If you’re scared, shout ‘I want out’.”
This was the password Li Miao agreed on with Painted Skin. Once someone shouted this, they would be sent to the second-floor entrance to go downstairs themselves.
Now with more and more guests, filling both floors, Li Miao couldn’t handle everything alone and couldn’t go to the second floor to pick people up.
She also told Painted Skin to take it easy and not scare people into fainting.
Fainting meant finding a way to carry them down, which was too much trouble.
Sigh, short-staffed!
“Hehe, there hasn’t been a haunted house that can scare me yet.”
The thick-browed customer was dismissive. “Boss, don’t worry. We absolutely won’t shout that phrase. We’ll play to the end. Maybe we’ll even scare your NPCs.”
Saying this, he cast a scornful glance at Skinny and the others, looking down on them.
Li Miao hurried them upstairs, then took Skinny and the others to the lounge for water.
Li Miao had pasted many Exorcism Talismans in the corners of the lounge. Although not as effective as the Yang Energy Hut, they could disperse some yin energy from the customers.
As long as the yin energy is dispersed, their reason would return, and they wouldn’t be so afraid.
Sitting on the sofa in the lounge, drinking a cup of hot water, the four felt warmer. They couldn’t help burping: “Ugh, so comfortable.”
Hearing Li Miao introduce the Ruhua dungeon to other customers, Skinny was curious. “Boss, you opened a second dungeon?”
Li Miao nodded. “Opened just today, still in trial operation. Full price 200, now 20% off, 160. Want to try?”
Before Skinny could speak, Zhang Qiang and Wan Ling shook their heads frantically like rattle drums. “No, no, no. I’m going shopping, going somewhere with lots of people. Not playing haunted houses anymore. Never again.”
“The Ruhua dungeon isn’t scary, different from Painted Skin.” Li Miao saw Skinny’s interest and tried to persuade them.
“Not playing. Not playing even if it isn’t scary,” Wan Ling said firmly.
Li Miao was a bit disappointed. “Alright.”
Refreshed, the four moved together toward the exit. As they went through the Yang Energy Hut, Wan Ling’s body quickly shed its fear.
She suddenly wanted to try other dungeons.
Although Painted Skin was scary, she had to admit the architecture inside was very atmospheric, the plot interesting, and the immersion strong.
Wan Ling wasn’t the only one thinking this; the other three also stopped.
Otherwise… go play?
They came from another city. It wasn’t easy to make the trip; it’s best to play everything available.
Since we’re here.
“Boss, four tickets for the Ruhua dungeon.” They turned back.
Great, finally someone for the Ruhua dungeon.
Li Miao was excited, collected the money, and told them to go straight to the third floor.
Wan Ling was curious. “Boss, don’t we need to change clothes for this dungeon?”
The Painted Skin dungeon required changing into ancient costumes.
Li Miao shook her head. “No need. The Ruhua dungeon is set in 1930s Hong Kong. The clothing is a bit different from now, but not much. Just go in.”
The four nodded and walked to the elevator.
Arriving at the elevator door, they saw four tear-stained people crawling out of the elevator.
It was the thick-browed customer and his three friends who had mocked them earlier.
“Ow ow, help me!”
The thick-browed customer cried miserably.