Horror Game Designer

Chapter 686: My Wish

Wang Jie’s eldest uncle was powerful and influential. He appeared formidable but only he knew how many people were waiting to stab him in the back. Even his closest family couldn’t wait to suck his blood dry.

“Once they discover we still cannot influence this Dream Ghost, we’ll lose control of the situation again. This city is overrun by people with great ambitions… Even though their ambitions don’t match their capability.” He glared at Wang Jie with murderous intent.

“Captain, should we…” A man with a chief uniform slashed his neck with his finger.

“No. Wang Jie is my little brother’s only child.” The man denied it. However, his real concern was Gao Ming. No matter how brash Wang Jie was, he didn’t dare to enter his factory before. The fact that he was doing this now felt like a trap.

“The Dream Ghost only has a chance of appearing when one makes a wish at midnight. We built so many wish rooms just to watch him. However, it does not appear every night so I don’t think we need to worry.” Another person offered, “Perhaps Gao Ming won’t even meet it.”

They told Wang Jie’s uncle not to worry but the latter couldn’t silence the bad feeling in his heart.

“We’ll wait for midnight to come. We’ll continue to observe.”

…

Inside the wish room, Wang Jie smirked as he watched the workers activate the devices. He tried to find the hidden cameras. “I wonder when will my favourite uncle make his move? Hasn’t he been meaning to kill me?”

The leader of Team One felt uncomfortable. He didn’t like the people from the Wang Family. They radiated a chilling presence. The man patted off the dust on his clothes and walked to Gao Ming’s side. “Did you discover something?”“Nothing for now.” Gao Ming shook his head. “Gui Yuan is unlike the other Dream Ghosts I’ve met. Its real identity cannot be captured. It has taken root in every wisher’s heart. It is like a dark cloud above the South City.”

“Gentlemen, the tea and cakes are ready. Please wait patiently for midnight.” The manager came to remind them again. Gao Ming ignored him. He stepped on the candy wrappers and walked to a wall. The glass cabinet was filled with different cakes. The cakes were decorated with the names and birth charts of the kids.

“We preserve the cakes of everyone who has successfully summoned Wish for the ease of observation.” The manager followed Gao Ming with his head lowered like a servant.

“The cakes are preserved but what about the kids?”

“They have been sent to other places to rest.” The manager was clearly lying.

“Does every wish require a cake?”

“It’s a ritual to increase the chance of meeting Wish.” The manager told Gao Ming about the ritual. Gao Ming didn’t pay much attention. He picked up a half-eaten cake.

“If you want to make a wish, we have props prepared…”

“You don’t need to worry about me.” Gao Ming picked up an abandoned candle on the table and fixed it to the cake. The manager didn’t press further. He silently retreated.

“Brother Qu, who is this kid? How dares he act like this in our territory?”

“Do you want to die? Be quiet.”

“We’re being kind but he doesn’t even answer us. I want to see how he’ll summon Wish.”

The workers looked down on Gao Ming for a reason. Based on their experience, summoning Wish required the satisfaction of three conditions: Midnight, a special birthday cake written with one’s life chart and a heart that yearned for changes.

Gao Ming wanted to use someone else’s cake to summon Wish before midnight. That was impossible.

Gao Ming placed eighteen candles on the cake. Gao Ming picked up a lighter and ignited the candles one by one. The wish room had no lights. The eighteen candles were the only sources. They lit up Gao Ming’s eyes. The candles dripped on the buttercream. The candles burned silently. Something began to change around them. The cartoon characters on the walls came alive. Their faces were filled with fear as they ran away. The colours on the pastel walls deepened. Some toys lost their eyes. Blood leaked out of their noses and ears. Fog appeared outside the windows. The furniture in the wish room faded in colours. The place turned old. Other people might not be familiar with this place, but the leader of Team One just came back from Li Jing Apartment with Gao Ming. He was shocked. The wish room started to look like the cheap rental rooms in Li Jing Apartments.

“Has the mutation started?”

The manager’s palms became sweaty. He pressed the remote in his pocket. He turned to a mini camera. The wish room changed so he needed to report to Wang Jie’s eldest uncle. Inside the office of the investigation centre branch, Wang Jie’s uncle and his people were in disbelief.

Gao Ming utilised a used cake to cause the anomaly before midnight.

“Captain, we can still stop him. The founder of Dead Water Forum is not to be trifled with!”

“We have sacrificed so many things, but we still had to follow strict orders to summon Wish. He definitely came prepared!”

His subordinates rambled among themselves. Wang Jie’s eldest uncle had a dark expression. Gao Ming, on the screen, opened his lips and said his wish out loud.

“I wish my parents could stay with me forever.”

For some reason, this wish sounded so natural on Gao Ming’s lips. He took a deep breath and blew out all the candles. When the last candle was extinguished, time seemed to freeze in the South City. All the sounds faded away. All the citizens who had made a wish turned to Gao Ming.

A figure appeared deep in everyone’s eyes. Then, shadows oozed out of their pupils. The thing suddenly turned red. Human faces were encased on its body. Different wishes changed its body. With each changes, its presence would get stronger.

When blood crawled all over its body, the pattern that resonated with Gao Ming’s Blood City Tattoo appeared. This creature that the devices failed to record finally stabilised.

Gui Yuan normally would stay in this form. However, the workers soon noticed something was wrong. The ball of scary substance was still changing. It took on clear facial features. When the shadows faded away, a pair of middle-aged couple in bloody clothing stood in front of Gao Ming, holding a birthday cake.