Then the mechanical voice sounded again.
This time, only once.
[5 minutes to assembly time.]
A boy standing quietly at the edge of the crowd suddenly remembered Zong Jiu’s earlier warning.
“If you don’t want to die, then follow the instructions.”
His face turned pale.
After hesitating for only a second, he gritted his teeth.
“Sorry, Xia-ge.”
Then he suddenly shoved through the crowd and sprinted toward the stairs.
Caught off guard, Xia Chuan was knocked sideways.
“The hell?!”
He rubbed his shoulder angrily as the boy disappeared up the staircase.
“Someone actually believed that pretty boy’s nonsense.”
One of the people beside him immediately chimed in flatteringly, “He’s just some high school kid. How could he understand someone like Xia-ge?”
“That’s right. Xia-ge’s company will definitely contact the police soon.”
Meanwhile, Zong Jiu had already reached the third floor.
He paused briefly at the stair railing and glanced downward through the gap between the floors.
The noisy crowd below looked almost laughable.
He had already warned them.
Whether they listened or not was none of his concern.
Charity had limits.
Besides—
he had more important things to focus on right now.
Zong Jiu lowered his eyes to his hands.
His fingers remained stiff and unnaturally numb. Even bending them required conscious effort.
That familiar frustration surfaced briefly before being suppressed again.
No matter what, this world represented possibility.
For the first time since the accident, he could glimpse a faint chance of recovery.
That alone was enough.
He flexed his fingers once more before calmly stepping toward the broadcasting studio.
The corridor on the third floor was entirely different from the dormitory level below.
Soft crimson carpet covered the floor.
The lighting was warmer.
The walls no longer looked old or decayed.
People continuously emerged from nearby staircases, all heading toward the same destination.
No one spoke loudly anymore.
The further they walked, the heavier the atmosphere became.
Finally, Zong Jiu stepped through the doors of the broadcasting studio.
The moment he entered, even he paused slightly.
The studio was enormous.
It resembled a grand theater capable of holding thousands of people. Layer after layer of seating rose upward in a circular arrangement surrounding a central stage.
Bright white lights illuminated everything so clearly that there was nowhere to hide.
At the very center stood a massive black screen.
More and more trainees entered from every direction, quickly filling the seats.
The entire venue buzzed with uneasy whispers.
“What the hell is this place?”
“This setup feels way too real…”
“Did someone seriously abduct this many people?”
Unlike the chaos downstairs, the people who made it here all carried varying degrees of tension on their faces.
Most had already realized—
something about this situation was fundamentally wrong.
Zong Jiu casually chose a seat near the back and sat down.
Not long after, hurried footsteps echoed from outside.
The boy who had broken through the crowd earlier stumbled into the studio, panting heavily.
He looked around frantically before spotting Zong Jiu.
Relief instantly washed over his face.
At least he’d made the right choice.
Several minutes later, more people gradually arrived in groups.
But compared to the overwhelming number gathered downstairs earlier, the amount that actually came to the broadcasting studio was pitifully small.
Zong Jiu glanced toward the entrance.
Looks like most of them still chose to stay behind.
Right then—
The countdown ended.
The mechanical voice echoed throughout the studio.
[Assembly time has concluded.]
The giant black screen flickered to life.
At the same moment—
A bloodcurdling scream suddenly rang out from below.
“AAAAAAAHHHHH—!!”
The scream was shrill enough to make everyone in the studio freeze.
Another scream followed immediately after.
Then another.
The sounds overlapped chaotically, filled with unbearable terror and agony.
People shot to their feet in panic.
“What happened?!”
“Where’s that sound coming from?!”
“It’s downstairs!”
Several trainees rushed toward the stairwell entrance.
The moment they looked down—
their expressions turned deathly pale.
Fresh blood slowly flowed upward along the stairs.
One step.
Then another.
Like a stream crawling upward from hell itself.
Mixed within the blood were shattered chunks of flesh.
Someone instantly vomited.
The studio exploded into chaos.
“W-What the fuck?!”
“How is this possible?!”
“Dead… they’re all dead?!”
Panic spread like wildfire.
The people who had stubbornly remained downstairs—
were gone.
No one even needed confirmation.
Those horrifying screams had already explained everything.
Inside the broadcasting studio, countless faces turned white with terror.
Some trembled uncontrollably.
Some cried.
Some stared blankly into space, unable to process reality.
Only now did they finally understand—
this was not a prank.
Nor a variety show.
Nor a kidnapping.
This place truly could kill them.
Amid the spreading fear, Zong Jiu quietly leaned back into his seat.
His pale pink eyes reflected the flickering light of the giant screen ahead.
Rather than fear—
a strange excitement slowly surfaced within them.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Then, beneath everyone’s horrified gaze, words gradually appeared across the massive black screen.
[Welcome to Thriller Trainee.]
[Here, you may obtain wealth, fame, power, beauty, authority… anything you desire.]
[Provided that you survive.]
Silence swallowed the entire studio.
The mechanical voice continued calmly,
[From this moment onward, all trainees will officially enter the horror instances.]
[Please strive to survive.]
[Because death here—]
The voice paused briefly.
[—is real.]