By the time Gu Mian's group entered the cordon, it was already close to six in the evening.

A large crowd was blocked outside, so there weren't many people inside the cordoned-off area.

Those who had managed to get entry tickets for the event weren't ordinary, so Fatty didn't let his guard down just because there were fewer people.

He patted the large pot on his back. "There are several attractions in Film City, and each one is quite large. Exploring just one attraction takes a full day. We only have from seven to twelve, so I bet we won't even finish half of one before the event is over."

"This event isn't for sightseeing," Gu Mian said, looking at the crowd not far away. "It's a lantern riddle guessing game, bro. Once you're in, don't just focus on the scenery; pay attention to the lanterns hanging above."

The event was a lantern riddle guessing game; the lanterns contained rewards. Guess the riddle correctly, and you could get the lantern.

However, Gu Mian felt that things were not that simple. After all, this was an event for a horror game; how could it be called a horror game if there wasn't anything terrifying?

As the event had yet to start and no one had begun to enter, Gu Mian's group was still unsure what to expect.

"But on a serious note, Doctor..." Fatty glanced at the guitar bag behind Gu Mian. "If you die during this event, is it really a permanent death?"

"I suppose so," Gu Mian nodded. "Of course, if you don't believe me, you can test it out yourself."

Fatty was speechless.

By now, it was getting quite dark, making it difficult to see things in the distance. It was almost seven, and the event was about to begin.

Apart from them, those who had managed to get an entry ticket and enter the cordoned-off area were mostly in teams of five or more.

It was rare to see individuals or duos here.

Even a group of three like Gu Mian's was considered small.

Every now and then, teams would pass by them, everyone instinctively glancing at each other before looking away.

All players were competitors, glancing to size each other up. Notably, everyone maintained a safe distance, seemingly avoiding contact.

As the sky grew darker, Fatty reached for his flashlight.

However, as he did so, he suddenly felt an unsettling stare. The undisguised gaze fixed on him gave him the chilling illusion that he might be killed at any moment.

Fatty's scalp prickled. He stopped reaching for his flashlight. Using his peripheral vision, he noticed several men to his right staring at him intensely. There were about a dozen of them, not too far from his group.

Fatty's breath hitched. At this distance, if he spoke loudly, they would hear him; he didn't even dare to make a sound.

Fatty froze, but the people staring at him showed no signs of relenting.

It was an aggressive gaze, staring at him as if he were a little rabbit; furthermore, they seemed certain Fatty wouldn't dare react.

Indeed, Fatty didn't dare. His entire body tensed, his eyes avoiding their direction, and he didn't know what to do with his hands.

Time seemed to stretch on. Fatty anxiously hoped they would avert their gaze, but they continued to stare fixedly at him, disregarding his silent plea.

Who knew how much time had passed—a few seconds, or perhaps a few minutes; it felt exceptionally long.

Just when Fatty was struggling to suppress his shivers, he suddenly heard Gu Mian's voice in front of him.

"Why are those people constantly looking at us?" he asked, not quietly.

Upon hearing Gu Mian's voice, Fatty plucked up some courage and lifted his head, only to be taken aback by what he saw.

Gu Mian had locked eyes with the group, completely oblivious to the threatening aura their gazes held.

Fatty felt like crying. He quickly tried to cover up, "Who's looking at us?"

He wished Gu Mian would just go along with it and answer with a casual "Nothing much." There were so many of them on the other side; if they kept staring, what if they got angry out of embarrassment?

Unexpectedly, Gu Mian didn't play along.

He seriously answered Fatty's question. Not only did he not look away, but he even pointed at them. "That group, the ones who look like monkeys, they've been watching us."

His voice was loud enough for them to hear.

Fatty saw the group of monkey-like men widen their eyes, surprise flickering across their faces. They seemed not to have expected this small team of three to dare speak so brazenly.

Fatty was on the verge of tears. What in the world is happening?!

Chu Changge, however, remained composed. He adjusted his glasses without saying a word.

Someone from the other group, a stern-looking man, stepped forward and advanced towards them.

Nevertheless, he was pulled back by the group's leader after only a few steps. After a few words from the leader, he silently nodded and returned to his group.

Fatty sighed in relief upon seeing this.

Then he turned to Gu Mian and whispered, "Doctor, do you think you might have offended someone just now?"

Gu Mian looked up. "I offend people all the time."

Fatty was speechless again.

Time flew by, and it was almost time for the event. During this period, Fatty noticed that group of people kept murmuring, as if discussing some nefarious scheme.

At this point, other players with event tickets were advancing towards the front, where an entrance to the event area was presumably located.

"Let's go too. I wonder how they'll check the tickets…" Fatty stepped forward curiously.

But as soon as he moved forward, he took a step back to Gu Mian's side. "Doctor, I think it's safer to stick with you…"

There were several LED displays set up within the cordoned-off area, showing the unified game time.

Gu Mian saw the time was 18:59:53.

Only seven seconds left; the event was about to formally commence.

All the while, Fatty was still muttering beside him, "We mustn't split up. I find it pretty scary to be alone in here…"

Yet, in the middle of Fatty's sentence, Gu Mian saw the time on the LED display change to a round number.

The time was now 19:00. The first global large-scale event was officially starting.

At the same time, the game panel appeared for everyone nearby.

[Global Large-Scale Event 'Lantern Festival' Officially Starts]

[Nearby players with entry tickets will be teleported directly into the event area. Please get ready.]

Although it said to get ready, they weren't actually given much time.

The moment Gu Mian read these lines, his surroundings abruptly plunged into darkness. Simultaneously, Fatty's incessant rambling vanished, and the world fell into an eerie silence.

"Is this teleportation?" Gu Mian muttered to himself, looking around at the engulfing darkness.

Several seconds passed, and the surroundings remained completely dark. Isn't this teleportation taking a bit too long? Gu Mian wondered, furrowing his brows.

However, right after that, he heard a deafening voice from above: "Welcome, players, to the global large-scale event, 'Lantern Festival'!"

In the darkness, Gu Mian turned on the flashlight Fatty had given him and saw a giant loudspeaker hanging overhead. So, I'm already inside? he realized.

Gu Mian shone the flashlight around. It appeared to be a small, windowless room, and a strange, foul odor hung in the air.

The loudspeaker overhead continued to blare: "The event rules will now be announced. All players must abide by them strictly!"

Isn't this just a simple lantern riddle guessing game? Why are there rules? Gu Mian's brow furrowed; he sensed things were not as simple as they seemed.

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