The Walk-in Closet Safehouse CH1
Chapter 1: Lucky Balloons
Even though it was a holiday, there were very few people on the commercial streets—not even a tenth of the crowd at the hospital.
Cui Ye walked out of the subway station clutching a thick stack of pathology reports and sat under the rain shelter, waiting for the mall to open. In her mind, she kept replaying a scene she’d just witnessed at the hospital: a patient, gender indistinguishable, wrapped up like a mummy and strapped tightly to a stretcher with restraint belts. Even then, the patient's head thrashed violently like a fish gasping for oxygen. Their eyes were so swollen and bloodshot the eyelids were nearly invisible, and blood seeped through the bandages, forming a startling crimson smear across the mouth. It was a gruesome sight.
It took four doctors working together just to keep the stretcher steady. Passersby scrambled to get away, but Cui Ye stood her ground, watching from a distance. A blood-red prompt appeared over the patient’s face: [DANGER: Beginners Stay Away]
The slightly mocking words were crumpled into a mass, nearly blending with the bloodstains on the bandages. It looked as if someone had slapped a mosaic over the person, adding a layer of eerie weirdness to an already horrific scene.
But it was fine. As long as she was sure these hallucinations weren't physically hurting her, she’d just treat them like a little lag in the world map she’d been living in for twenty-four years, as if a tiny bug had appeared just for her.
She had just finished checkups in neurology and ophthalmology. Both doctors told her that her body components were in good working order. Finally, staring at her dark circles, they tactfully suggested she stop using her youth as an excuse to pull constant overtime. They told her to take a few days off, and if the symptoms didn't fade, maybe consult a therapist.
Seeing that her hallucinations weren't getting better—in fact, they were getting bolder—Cui Ye felt like she’d be transferring to the psych ward pretty soon.
As she watched the emergency patient being wheeled away, the crowd started whispering again. Word was that this new "Scale-Spot Disease" had popped up shortly after the rainy season started this year. Similar cases had appeared in previous years, but the mortality rate back then was lower than the risk of drowning; many people recovered shortly after being hospitalized.
Though many were left with scars at the corners of their mouths, those marks usually faded within two years, so nobody really took it to heart.
But this time, the scale-spot disease seemed different. Not only was it contagious, but it was incredibly destructive to facial skin, leaving many people disfigured. One look at the patient photos circulating online was enough to give you nightmares for a week, sparking a fair bit of panic.
The news media reported on drug research progress every day, but an effective cure was nowhere in sight. While official death tolls weren't being released, you could tell things were bad just by looking at the city-wide disinfections happening every other day. That was one reason the streets were so empty.
The other major reason was the rainy season. Any food that wasn't vacuum-sealed rotted instantly, forcing many shops to close down. Even the food still being sold in sealed bags had its shelf life slashed. There had been so many cases of food poisoning—many of which later developed into scale-spot symptoms—that most people were forced to quit their takeout habit.
No one ordered food anymore, no one ate out, and people barely even went shopping. Even on a holiday, the only place overflowing with people was the hospital.
Cui Ye only came out today because of her appointment. Plus, her food stock at home was disappearing fast. Since the subway back home passed right by a mall, she figured she'd stop by to grab some instant food and dried vegetables.
Prices for all kinds of food had skyrocketed. Since this rainy season was dragging on, food rotted even faster, and fresh greens were basically extinct. Everything had been turned into dried vegetables that were easier to store. Dried mushrooms and fruit slices were what Cui Ye bought most often.
There were ten minutes left before the mall opened. Cui Ye sat under the shelter, staring blankly at the gloomy sky. She’d almost forgotten what a sunny day looked like. The rain had been going on for five months now, and even a break like this was rare. She just hoped it wouldn’t start pouring again by the time she left the mall; the bedding at home was so damp it could practically drip. Maybe she should buy a new dehumidifier...
As she was zoning out, a line of text appeared out of thin air against the gray sky. Another hallucination...
Cui Ye: "What is it this time?"
[A Gift for the Lucky]. The green font was surprisingly clear for once. The five words hovered in mid-air. Cui Ye didn't care at first; she figured it was just some poor soul’s cash being blown into the sky. Given the clarity, maybe it was a hundred-yuan bill. Based on her experience, as long as the text wasn't red, she didn't need to worry.
Until her vision started refreshing with [A Gift for the Lucky] over and over like a bugged screen. More and more appeared until they formed a solid mass. Only then did Cui Ye realize something was wrong. A huge cluster of colorful objects was growing larger in her sight. She slowly stepped out from under the shelter.
Someone let out the first shout, pointing toward the sky. People looked up and realized that, at some point, a massive number of colorful balloons had appeared. They were drifting slowly toward the ground. Many people pulled out their phones to record the scene.
At the same time, a voice sounded in Cui Ye’s ear: [Survival Game loaded. Apocalypse detection report as follows—]
[Game: Damp Rain 1] [Difficulty: Beginner]
[Lucky Balloons have been released; obtain one to unlock Player Status. Random Shops have been deployed, Ticket Office has been refreshed. Players, please actively complete game missions to earn gold coins and upgrade your Safe House. Purchase your ticket to the next station in fifteen days.]
She thought her hallucinations had peaked—now they were hitting her ears too? There was no one else near her. And an apocalypse? A game? This was getting ridiculous...
Cui Ye listened to the people around her. Everyone seemed convinced this was some holiday event put on by the mall. Someone reached out and grabbed the nearest balloon. The next second, the balloon vanished in their hand, making the person cry out in surprise. They stared at their palm, and a second later, a gold coin appeared out of nowhere.
The same scene played out over and over. Everyone was staring at the gold coins in their hands, shocked. Someone even put a coin to their mouth and bit it, finding it impossible to dent. That round, shiny thing looked like it was made of solid gold.
Cui Ye watched all of this with the same disbelief as everyone else, her eyes finally locking onto the balloons still falling from above.
Regardless of whether the coins were real, or if this was a mall stunt or a prank, more people lunged for the falling balloons. A small number of people were too scared to touch them and scrambled into the subway station for cover.
Soon, people realized you could only get one colorful balloon each. After that, no matter what you did, you couldn't touch a second one; your body would just pass right through it. One man tried over and over, refusing to give up, clutching his single gold coin while swiping desperately at every balloon near him.
Meanwhile, Cui Ye was walking toward a white balloon nearby. A flashing, multicolored [Pick this one! Pick this one! Pick this one!...] had formed a literal circle around the white balloon, as if terrified she’d suddenly go blind and miss it. It stayed there for an unusually long five seconds before vanishing, right as Cui Ye’s stomach let out a loud growl. It had only been two hours since breakfast.
She quickly approached the white balloon and noticed it had a smiley face drawn on it. The face was looking right at her, as if it had been waiting.
Cui Ye didn’t overthink it. The moment she touched it, that voice rang out again. This time, she was absolutely certain it came from thin air—there wasn't another soul near her except for the balloons.
[Congratulations to Player Cui Ye for obtaining Safe House: Walk-in Closet (Level 1)]
Even though it was a holiday, there were very few people on the commercial streets—not even a tenth of the crowd at the hospital.
Cui Ye walked out of the subway station clutching a thick stack of pathology reports and sat under the rain shelter, waiting for the mall to open. In her mind, she kept replaying a scene she’d just witnessed at the hospital: a patient, gender indistinguishable, wrapped up like a mummy and strapped tightly to a stretcher with restraint belts. Even then, the patient's head thrashed violently like a fish gasping for oxygen. Their eyes were so swollen and bloodshot the eyelids were nearly invisible, and blood seeped through the bandages, forming a startling crimson smear across the mouth. It was a gruesome sight.
It took four doctors working together just to keep the stretcher steady. Passersby scrambled to get away, but Cui Ye stood her ground, watching from a distance. A blood-red prompt appeared over the patient’s face: [DANGER: Beginners Stay Away]
The slightly mocking words were crumpled into a mass, nearly blending with the bloodstains on the bandages. It looked as if someone had slapped a mosaic over the person, adding a layer of eerie weirdness to an already horrific scene.
But it was fine. As long as she was sure these hallucinations weren't physically hurting her, she’d just treat them like a little lag in the world map she’d been living in for twenty-four years, as if a tiny bug had appeared just for her.
She had just finished checkups in neurology and ophthalmology. Both doctors told her that her body components were in good working order. Finally, staring at her dark circles, they tactfully suggested she stop using her youth as an excuse to pull constant overtime. They told her to take a few days off, and if the symptoms didn't fade, maybe consult a therapist.
Seeing that her hallucinations weren't getting better—in fact, they were getting bolder—Cui Ye felt like she’d be transferring to the psych ward pretty soon.
As she watched the emergency patient being wheeled away, the crowd started whispering again. Word was that this new "Scale-Spot Disease" had popped up shortly after the rainy season started this year. Similar cases had appeared in previous years, but the mortality rate back then was lower than the risk of drowning; many people recovered shortly after being hospitalized.
Though many were left with scars at the corners of their mouths, those marks usually faded within two years, so nobody really took it to heart.
But this time, the scale-spot disease seemed different. Not only was it contagious, but it was incredibly destructive to facial skin, leaving many people disfigured. One look at the patient photos circulating online was enough to give you nightmares for a week, sparking a fair bit of panic.
The news media reported on drug research progress every day, but an effective cure was nowhere in sight. While official death tolls weren't being released, you could tell things were bad just by looking at the city-wide disinfections happening every other day. That was one reason the streets were so empty.
The other major reason was the rainy season. Any food that wasn't vacuum-sealed rotted instantly, forcing many shops to close down. Even the food still being sold in sealed bags had its shelf life slashed. There had been so many cases of food poisoning—many of which later developed into scale-spot symptoms—that most people were forced to quit their takeout habit.
No one ordered food anymore, no one ate out, and people barely even went shopping. Even on a holiday, the only place overflowing with people was the hospital.
Cui Ye only came out today because of her appointment. Plus, her food stock at home was disappearing fast. Since the subway back home passed right by a mall, she figured she'd stop by to grab some instant food and dried vegetables.
Prices for all kinds of food had skyrocketed. Since this rainy season was dragging on, food rotted even faster, and fresh greens were basically extinct. Everything had been turned into dried vegetables that were easier to store. Dried mushrooms and fruit slices were what Cui Ye bought most often.
There were ten minutes left before the mall opened. Cui Ye sat under the shelter, staring blankly at the gloomy sky. She’d almost forgotten what a sunny day looked like. The rain had been going on for five months now, and even a break like this was rare. She just hoped it wouldn’t start pouring again by the time she left the mall; the bedding at home was so damp it could practically drip. Maybe she should buy a new dehumidifier...
As she was zoning out, a line of text appeared out of thin air against the gray sky. Another hallucination...
Cui Ye: "What is it this time?"
[A Gift for the Lucky]. The green font was surprisingly clear for once. The five words hovered in mid-air. Cui Ye didn't care at first; she figured it was just some poor soul’s cash being blown into the sky. Given the clarity, maybe it was a hundred-yuan bill. Based on her experience, as long as the text wasn't red, she didn't need to worry.
Until her vision started refreshing with [A Gift for the Lucky] over and over like a bugged screen. More and more appeared until they formed a solid mass. Only then did Cui Ye realize something was wrong. A huge cluster of colorful objects was growing larger in her sight. She slowly stepped out from under the shelter.
Someone let out the first shout, pointing toward the sky. People looked up and realized that, at some point, a massive number of colorful balloons had appeared. They were drifting slowly toward the ground. Many people pulled out their phones to record the scene.
At the same time, a voice sounded in Cui Ye’s ear: [Survival Game loaded. Apocalypse detection report as follows—]
[Game: Damp Rain 1] [Difficulty: Beginner]
[Lucky Balloons have been released; obtain one to unlock Player Status. Random Shops have been deployed, Ticket Office has been refreshed. Players, please actively complete game missions to earn gold coins and upgrade your Safe House. Purchase your ticket to the next station in fifteen days.]
She thought her hallucinations had peaked—now they were hitting her ears too? There was no one else near her. And an apocalypse? A game? This was getting ridiculous...
Cui Ye listened to the people around her. Everyone seemed convinced this was some holiday event put on by the mall. Someone reached out and grabbed the nearest balloon. The next second, the balloon vanished in their hand, making the person cry out in surprise. They stared at their palm, and a second later, a gold coin appeared out of nowhere.
The same scene played out over and over. Everyone was staring at the gold coins in their hands, shocked. Someone even put a coin to their mouth and bit it, finding it impossible to dent. That round, shiny thing looked like it was made of solid gold.
Cui Ye watched all of this with the same disbelief as everyone else, her eyes finally locking onto the balloons still falling from above.
Regardless of whether the coins were real, or if this was a mall stunt or a prank, more people lunged for the falling balloons. A small number of people were too scared to touch them and scrambled into the subway station for cover.
Soon, people realized you could only get one colorful balloon each. After that, no matter what you did, you couldn't touch a second one; your body would just pass right through it. One man tried over and over, refusing to give up, clutching his single gold coin while swiping desperately at every balloon near him.
Meanwhile, Cui Ye was walking toward a white balloon nearby. A flashing, multicolored [Pick this one! Pick this one! Pick this one!...] had formed a literal circle around the white balloon, as if terrified she’d suddenly go blind and miss it. It stayed there for an unusually long five seconds before vanishing, right as Cui Ye’s stomach let out a loud growl. It had only been two hours since breakfast.
She quickly approached the white balloon and noticed it had a smiley face drawn on it. The face was looking right at her, as if it had been waiting.
Cui Ye didn’t overthink it. The moment she touched it, that voice rang out again. This time, she was absolutely certain it came from thin air—there wasn't another soul near her except for the balloons.
[Congratulations to Player Cui Ye for obtaining Safe House: Walk-in Closet (Level 1)]
[Detected that Player has awakened Talent: 'Friendly Hint'. ]
[Reward: Rabbit’s Commemorative Coin x1.]
Before she could react, a green key and a gold coin appeared in her hand. The key quickly turned into a tattoo and vanished into her palm, while she shoved the heavy coin stamped with a rabbit design into her pocket. She didn't want anyone noticing she’d gotten two items. Standing out right now was not a good idea.
At this moment, Cui Ye, like everyone else, didn't realize how precious that key was. Compared to the safe house and the coin, she was more interested in the "Talent" mentioned in the prompt.
The sudden hallucinations had been bothering her for days. She’d spent half a month’s salary on a full checkup and found nothing, but this weird game had just given her the answer.
"So it really is a 'friendly' hint."
Even though the text occasionally mocked her for being a "beginner" or "broke," and the tone was hardly friendly, she’d tolerate the name—considering it had helped her "find" enough money for this month’s electric bill.
But if the Talent was real... did that mean the "apocalypse" mentioned by the game was real too?
For some reason, Cui Ye suddenly thought of that patient she saw at the hospital—the struggling body, the bulging eyes, and that blood-red mosaic prompt. She had a very bad feeling.
Standing under a sky full of colorful balloons, listening to the noisy chatter around her, Cui Ye felt a momentary sense of loss. Just then, the mall doors were shoved open. A crowd of staff in mall uniforms rushed out, heading straight for the balloons.
Through the open doors, Cui Ye saw that there were no balloons inside the mall. They only seemed to exist outdoors. As the number of balloons outside dropped rapidly, people from inside began pouring out. The once-dead street suddenly became lively in a way no one could have predicted.
As the balloons thinned out, fights started breaking out over them. Someone would grab one in the chaos and try to make a run for it, only to be tackled and beaten by others trying to snatch the gold coin.
Chaos spread like a virus. Shouts for help and curses filled the streets. Sirens and emergency alarms began to wail. By then, Cui Ye had already slipped into the empty mall. When she finally came back out, she was lugging two large bags of supplies.
The bags were stuffed with various canned goods and several packs of desiccant. She had wanted to pay, but there was no one at the registers. She had to use the self-checkout. While she was there, she saw a few people shadily pushing carts full of food away. They gave her a look like she was an idiot as they left, but Cui Ye didn't care.
Even if the chances were slim, she still held onto the hope that this "apocalypse" was temporary and that order would be restored soon. At the very least, she felt it was a bit too early to start "looting."
Carrying enough canned food to last her fifteen days, the hungry Cui Ye finally felt a tiny bit of security. However, she still knew nothing about the "Ticket Office" the game mentioned. If she survived the fifteen days but couldn't find the office or buy a ticket, she didn't know what would happen. She just hoped the tickets weren't too expensive.
Cui Ye pulled off her raincoat's hood. It wasn't a workday, so the subway car was nearly empty. She picked a random seat and let go of the shopping bags, her hands red from the handles. The train would reach her destination in four minutes. She opened her phone, and unsurprisingly, every trending headline was about balloons, the apocalypse, and the game.
She scrolled quickly through her phone, skipping the useless info and bookmarking a few interesting posts. Before she could read them, a red prompt flashed at the edge of her vision.
Cui Ye looked up warily, but all she saw was a hunched figure disappearing through the train doors. Though the person moved slowly, there was nothing obviously strange about their back. They didn't seem anything like that patient who had been strapped to a stretcher and was still trying to jump up.
If this were before, she might have ignored it as just another "glitch" in her head. But she wouldn't think that way anymore.
Before she could react, a green key and a gold coin appeared in her hand. The key quickly turned into a tattoo and vanished into her palm, while she shoved the heavy coin stamped with a rabbit design into her pocket. She didn't want anyone noticing she’d gotten two items. Standing out right now was not a good idea.
At this moment, Cui Ye, like everyone else, didn't realize how precious that key was. Compared to the safe house and the coin, she was more interested in the "Talent" mentioned in the prompt.
The sudden hallucinations had been bothering her for days. She’d spent half a month’s salary on a full checkup and found nothing, but this weird game had just given her the answer.
"So it really is a 'friendly' hint."
Even though the text occasionally mocked her for being a "beginner" or "broke," and the tone was hardly friendly, she’d tolerate the name—considering it had helped her "find" enough money for this month’s electric bill.
But if the Talent was real... did that mean the "apocalypse" mentioned by the game was real too?
For some reason, Cui Ye suddenly thought of that patient she saw at the hospital—the struggling body, the bulging eyes, and that blood-red mosaic prompt. She had a very bad feeling.
Standing under a sky full of colorful balloons, listening to the noisy chatter around her, Cui Ye felt a momentary sense of loss. Just then, the mall doors were shoved open. A crowd of staff in mall uniforms rushed out, heading straight for the balloons.
Through the open doors, Cui Ye saw that there were no balloons inside the mall. They only seemed to exist outdoors. As the number of balloons outside dropped rapidly, people from inside began pouring out. The once-dead street suddenly became lively in a way no one could have predicted.
As the balloons thinned out, fights started breaking out over them. Someone would grab one in the chaos and try to make a run for it, only to be tackled and beaten by others trying to snatch the gold coin.
Chaos spread like a virus. Shouts for help and curses filled the streets. Sirens and emergency alarms began to wail. By then, Cui Ye had already slipped into the empty mall. When she finally came back out, she was lugging two large bags of supplies.
The bags were stuffed with various canned goods and several packs of desiccant. She had wanted to pay, but there was no one at the registers. She had to use the self-checkout. While she was there, she saw a few people shadily pushing carts full of food away. They gave her a look like she was an idiot as they left, but Cui Ye didn't care.
Even if the chances were slim, she still held onto the hope that this "apocalypse" was temporary and that order would be restored soon. At the very least, she felt it was a bit too early to start "looting."
Carrying enough canned food to last her fifteen days, the hungry Cui Ye finally felt a tiny bit of security. However, she still knew nothing about the "Ticket Office" the game mentioned. If she survived the fifteen days but couldn't find the office or buy a ticket, she didn't know what would happen. She just hoped the tickets weren't too expensive.
Cui Ye pulled off her raincoat's hood. It wasn't a workday, so the subway car was nearly empty. She picked a random seat and let go of the shopping bags, her hands red from the handles. The train would reach her destination in four minutes. She opened her phone, and unsurprisingly, every trending headline was about balloons, the apocalypse, and the game.
She scrolled quickly through her phone, skipping the useless info and bookmarking a few interesting posts. Before she could read them, a red prompt flashed at the edge of her vision.
Cui Ye looked up warily, but all she saw was a hunched figure disappearing through the train doors. Though the person moved slowly, there was nothing obviously strange about their back. They didn't seem anything like that patient who had been strapped to a stretcher and was still trying to jump up.
If this were before, she might have ignored it as just another "glitch" in her head. But she wouldn't think that way anymore.
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