Chapter 27
The phone was beeping on the other end. Cen Xun put the phone to his ear and waited boredly in the sound of the wind on the top floor.
The phone rang for a long time and was finally automatically disconnected. Cen Xun called again. After calling three times, the phone that he thought no one would answer was actually picked up.
"#"
As soon as he picked up the phone, indistinct mumbling came out of the receiver. Cen Xun lost consciousness for a moment, but the nightmare ruler flashed quickly and hit him on the head with a "snap".
Cen Xun regained consciousness and calmly said to the person on the other end of the phone, "Tong Ming, speak human language."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, and then a vague and strange voice rang out: "Fourth Brother?"
Cen Xun: "Alive?"
There was a rustling sound over there for a moment, and Tong Ming's voice became unclear again: "&＃"
Cen Xun took a deep breath, held the phone, and activated the special skill [Absolute Domain]: "I declare that after a call is connected using my phone, all creatures talking to me will remain absolutely lucid."
Tong Ming's voice finally became clearer, and he said weakly, "If I say I'm dead, do you believe me?"
Cen Xun squinted his eyes and smiled in the wind: "Believe it, because I am half dead now."
There was another rustling sound from Tong Ming's side. After a long while, he slowly asked, "Brother, why did you suddenly think of calling me today?"
"Did you see the meteor shower last night?"
Tong Ming laughed and said, "I saw it. It's very beautiful."
Cen Xun: "You didn't destroy the TV station, did you?"
"The TV station is doing fine," Tong Ming sighed, his tone full of pity and sorrow. "But my colleagues, in order to grab the headlines and boost sales, scrambled to get on the roof to film the meteor shower, and ended up falling to their deaths. It's so pitiful."
"How could such a tragedy happen?" Cen Xun's tone was filled with the same pity, as if he felt the same pain. "We also suffered heavy casualties here. The principal insisted on holding a general meeting of all teachers and students in the middle of the night, and then a meteor fell, killing all my colleagues and students."
Tong Ming: "Ah, really? Light candles for them."
Cen Xun: "I've already observed a moment of silence."
There was silence on both sides of the phone for a few seconds, and finally, Tong Ming and Cen Xun suddenly laughed together.
Throwing away his feigned sadness, Tong Ming asked cheerfully, "Brother, what level are you at now?"
Cen Xun smiled and replied, "Red clothes."
"As expected of you, Fourth Brother. After all these years, you're still as strong as ever!" Tong Ming praised him and jokingly said, "You called me, aren't you just catching up? I have to say upfront that my level isn't high enough to even fill your teeth."
Cen Xun said slowly, "What are you talking about? We are brothers after all. Even if I starve to death, I can't bite you."
Tong Ming forced a smile and said, "Brother, you're suddenly so polite. I'm even more scared. Tell me your purpose. We've known each other for so many years. Don't I know your character?"
"Don't worry, I don't mean to eat you." Cen Xun changed his hand to hold the phone: "I came here to invite you."
"Tell me more."
Cen Xun lowered his voice and said, "Everything started from when I became the principal last night."
Tong Ming was so shocked that he cursed: "You actually became the principal? Damn, how many followers do you have under your command? How can you support them all?"
Cen Xun was very calm: "So I developed an IP plan for my nightmare university."
Tong Ming: "Wh-what plan?"
Cen Xun patiently explained to him, "In the future, Nightmare World will gradually open up dungeons for players to play. Your TV station and my Nightmare University should both be included in these dungeons. So how can we stand out from the other dungeons and attract more players to join and earn points? My idea is to build Nightmare University into a large-scale IP, raise its profile, and thus maintain its long-term operation."
Tong Ming was stunned and quickly said, "Wait! What is a player? What is a copy? What is Nightmare World? Am I in the same world as you? Why don't you understand anything?"
Cen Xun was a little surprised. He didn't expect that Tong Ming didn't know anything about the players and the game.
He briefly explained the relevant concepts to Tong Ming, who quickly grasped them and suddenly realized, "I was wondering why there were people sneaking into the TV station every day to cause trouble. It turns out they're all so-called players, treating my TV station like a game instance!"
After digesting this shocking news, Tong Ming pondered what Cen Xun had said and said thoughtfully, "You mean you want me to join your Nightmare University and help you run it?"
Cen Xun admitted it and asked him, "How about it, do you want to be my dean?"
Tong Ming declined with some embarrassment. "Well, Fourth Brother, after becoming a ghost, it's hard for me to maintain my sanity. All I want all day is to eat fresh flesh and blood. I don't know how you manage to stay awake, but I might not be able to control myself, let alone help you. What if I eat your students?"
"Don't worry about that," Cen Xun said. "My skill can keep you sane. The fact that you can speak clearly on the phone with me right now is because of this skill."
Tong Ming hesitated for a moment and said, "We've been brothers for many years, so I'll be frank. Fourth brother, your rank is much higher than mine. If I go to you, firstly, I won't be able to guarantee my own safety, and secondly, I won't be able to find a place for my own followers."
"And," Tong Ming sighed, "I like my TV station. You know me. Since I was a child, I have loved the exhilarating feeling of prying into other people's privacy. If I don't rely on this strange world of the TV station, I won't be able to enjoy it. I feel heartbroken when I think about giving up this strange world, so I..."
"I'm not asking you to give up. I have no intention of annexing your Ghost Domain," Cen Xun slowly interrupted. "What I mean is that you can continue to manage your TV station, and it will still exist independently of Nightmare University."
Tong Ming was a little surprised: "Huh?"
Cen Xun continued, "I'm only hiring you as the dean of Nightmare University. This is a formal employment that will pay you a salary and establish the rights and obligations of both parties through a contract."
"The previous president set strict rules for Nightmare University. The president cannot harm faculty and students, and you don't have to worry about your life."
Tong Ming couldn't believe it: "Is it true? It's so good?"
Cen Xun continued to throw out the benefits: "Besides, there are more people in Nightmare University. You can come here to spy on more people's privacy, right?"
Tong Ming Tong Ming actually felt a little shaken.
Tong Ming was silent for a moment: "Fourth brother, I need to think about this carefully. Can you give me some more time?"
Cen Xun raised the corners of his lips. "Okay, but I suggest you stay on the line. The rules I set up only work because of the signal connection."
"Okay, now that I've explained my recruitment package, why don't you tell me about your strengths?" Cen Xun was very interested in Tong Ming's skills. "Since this is a recruitment, it's a two-way selection."
There was nothing wrong with this, so Tong Ming said readily, "My special skill is omniscience. My eyes can see some things, but currently I can only see things that have already happened. The higher the level, the more I can see."
Omniscience skills? Cen Xun raised his eyebrows in interest: "What are the conditions for upgrading?"
In addition to the skill upgrades that come with upgrading special identities, individual skills can also be upgraded after meeting certain conditions.
For example, Cen Xun’s new special skill “Talismans Bring All Things” requires him to draw 100 bad luck talismans and use them to bring bad luck to 100 people.
Although Tong Ming's special skill wasn't an offensive one, Cen Xun believed it had great potential. Even if it only allowed him to see past events, what if he upgraded it to the highest level? Would he even be able to see future events?
Tong Ming quickly gave an answer: "Spread the news and let others see it. The more people see my message, the wider the scope of the news will spread, and the faster it will escalate."
Cen Xun smiled: "Then you should join my team."
"Besides my Nightmare University, where else can you find followers from so many strange domains to spread the news and upgrade?"
"Also," Cen Xun said calmly, "I'm not being harsh, but think about it. Your skills aren't offensive, and leveling up takes time. If you encounter a high-level damage-dealing player before you've even grown up, what are you going to do?"
Tong Ming was silent.
Cen Xun smiled confidently and said, "It's good to lean on a big tree for shade. Tong Ming, joining Nightmare University is your best choice right now."
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment. Tong Ming seemed to have finally made up his mind and said to Cen Xun, "Let's meet and talk. I need to confirm the effectiveness of the contract."
Cen Xun came down from the bell tower, walked down the spiral staircase, and entered the principal's office. As he walked, he said, "How do we meet? The streets are impassable right now, covered in black fog. I can't get to your TV station by normal means, right?"
Tong Ming murmured for a while, then said, "Fourth brother, I'll send an interview invitation to your phone later. Once you click accept, I'll send a reporter over. You can just come back with the interview car."
Cen Xun was curious: "Is it so ceremonial?"
"It's not a sense of ritual," Tong Ming explained with a smile, "It's one of the rules I discovered. Between strange domains, unless the domain master actively invites them, it's difficult for outsiders to find the entrance to a strange domain. This invitation is also a type of contract."
Cen Xun sat down on the swivel chair behind his desk and turned on the hands-free mode. Hearing this, he slowly stroked his chin, as if thinking about something.
If Tong Ming hadn't told him about this hidden rule, he really wouldn't have known about it. It might take him several attempts to figure it out.
It is very useful.
Tong Ming smiled and said, "Brother, I have already sent a car over there. Remember to open the strange domain to my followers."
Cen Xun said "hmm" and went down by himself without taking anyone else with him.
He was not afraid of what Tong Ming would do to him, nor did he think that Tong Ming would lie to him about his skill level.
The old principal sacrificed all the teachers and students in the school for a full nineteen rounds before he became a monster in red clothes. Tong Ming only occupied a TV station, and his upgrade was very limited.
Furthermore, Cen Xun also has the support of Shenxing-level props.
The one who should be afraid is actually Tong Ming.
The reason why the TV station was chosen as the venue for the first meeting was to take Tong Ming's feelings into consideration.
After all, meeting another monster in his own territory will make Tong Ming, as the weaker party, feel more secure.
The two foxes knew what was going on and tacitly communicated with each other in a seemingly gentle and harmless conversation.
Cen Xun tolerantly forgave Tong Ming for testing him.
Ten minutes later, Cen Xun saw the interview car sent by Tong Ming at the school gate.
The reporter in the car was an elegant and intellectual woman who looked like a living person, but as soon as Cen Xun got closer, he discovered that she was actually a blue-class monster.
The female reporter was frightened by the high-level weird aura from Cen Xun. She could not maintain her normal human form and her head turned into a microphone. The driver was also frightened and turned into a thin newspaper portrait, floating under the seat tremblingly.
Cen Xun asked Tong Ming: "What should I do? I don't know how to drive."
Tong Ming's attention suddenly shifted: "No way, you go to work and come home every day, but you can't drive?"
Cen Xun said calmly, "In the past, I had people to pick me up and drop me off when I went to and from get off work, and I also had a dedicated driver when I went out."
"Why do I feel like I've eaten some damn dog food again?" Tong Ming cursed, and then his words were filled with malice: "By the way, I haven't asked you yet, where is your little bird? Is it dead? If it dies, it must have become very ugly, and its beauty must have faded!"
Cen Xun had a blank expression on his face: "Don't mention him, they're divorced."
Tong Ming: "Oh, they're divorced."
Tong Ming: "What!! You guys are actually divorced!!!"
Cen Xun: "Before we talk about my ex-husband, can you please let me get in the car first?"
Tong Ming, possessed by a voyeuristic urge, couldn't wait to gossip about Cen Xun. He spoke rapidly, "Do you have any weaker special identities or skills? You can select the default identity and default skills on the system panel. Long-press to adjust them, and your aura will then become the corresponding level!"
Cen Xun did as Tong Ming said. After selecting the lowest level "Fu Sheng Wanxiang" as the default stunt, the female reporter and the driver indeed returned to their original appearance.
Cen Xun got in the car and heard Tong Ming asking impatiently: "What happened? Didn't you love him like the apple of your eye before? I asked you to go out with me to have fun but you didn't come. Then you suddenly divorced me without notifying me. This divorce is too sudden! Ah, I didn't even get to see what Feng's expression was at the time."
Cen Xun sneered: "Don't you know everything? See for yourself."
Tong Ming felt very aggrieved: "I have to get access to something related to you before I can read it. No, I can't wait even a second. Fourth brother, tell me now."
Cen Xun pressed his brows with a headache and ended the conversation with one sentence: "He is a player."
""
Cen Xun had the foresight to cover the receiver of his phone. Sure enough, the next second, a roar of laughter erupted from the other end of the line. "Wow, wow, wow, this is truly shocking gossip! They once swore to be together forever, but who knew it was all a conspiracy? Their true feelings were toyed with, and lovers turned enemies in an instant. Shocking, truly shocking! I even thought of the headlines for today's news!"
Cen Xun's face darkened: ""
It is one thing to have a small accident yourself, but it is another thing entirely to have it exposed to the public.
After Tong Ming calmed down from his excitement, he angrily said, "I told him that something was wrong with his appearance. We agreed to sacrifice nine children, so how could there be one extra one out of nowhere? And he touched your leg right away. He's so young and he's already seducing people. It's obvious he's not a serious person!"
"Has that been enough?"
Tong Ming certainly hadn't said enough and continued his passionate speech: "I've already advised you, but you still don't believe me and insist on marrying him. This is the end of being in love! Will you dare to fall in love again in the future? Will you dare to forget your brother for the sake of a beautiful woman?"
"The smile won't disappear, it will only shift. Tong Ming's mood improved, but Cen Xun's mood became very bad. He said in a cold voice: "I'm suddenly a little hungry now. When we go to your ghost domain later, can I eat you?"
Tong Ming shut up immediately.
After a while, he spoke in a low voice: "So where is he now?"
Cen Xun said coldly: "Kill him."
If the conditions weren't prohibiting it, Tong Ming would have almost burst into tears of joy: "Great! That's how it should be! Cold and decisive, that's like you, brother!"
As they were talking, the car stopped and the reporter pushed the door and got out. Cen Xun said to the phone, "I'm here."
Tong Ming: "That's right, I'm at the door, brother!"
Cen Xun got out of the car and looked up at the towering building in front of him. The building was black in color and was in the shape of a "U". The edges on both sides and the top floor protruded to form a black "frame", while the center floor was retracted. A huge black round glass window was embedded in it, slightly protruding like an eyeball, which easily gave people a strange feeling that they were being watched.
Cen Xun discovered that the facade of the building looked very much like a camera.
Not bad, the atmosphere of the dungeon is instantly filled to the brim.
Cen Xun walked into the glass door of the building with satisfaction, and a figure was already waiting at the door.
No, that can no longer be called a figure. It is thousands of eyeballs connected by mucus, densely packed together. Each eyeball is swollen like a big blister, and there is a black dot in the middle of each blister, which we can call a pupil.
Tong Ming's cell phone was sandwiched between two of the blisters.
""
Almost the moment he saw Tong Ming, Cen Xun decisively used his special skill [Absolute Domain] and established a new rule in this strange domain:
"I declare that journalists must maintain a respectable appearance and remain sober throughout interviews with principals!"
The rules came into effect, and Tong Ming returned to his normal human form. At the same time, the system prompted that the awakening progress increased by 1% to 29%.
Only 1% died?
Cen Xun thought about it and felt that it might be related to the low level of this strange domain. Tong Ming’s TV station was only a Qingyi-level strange domain. It was relatively easy to modify the rules here, and the cost was also relatively low.
Tong Ming looked at himself and said in a complicated tone: "Fourth brother, your skills are quite amazing."
As Cen Xun surveyed the interior of the TV station, he asked him, "What's with those eyeballs on your body?"
After returning to normal, Tong Ming is a handsome young man with black pupils, black hair, fair complexion, and a scholarly air. Judging from his appearance, no one can tell that he actually has a serious voyeurism problem.
"It's a long story," Tong Ming said after hanging up the phone and putting it back in his pocket. He sighed, "A while ago, our department suddenly had a sales rush. The workload was getting heavier, and the time was getting tighter. I suddenly developed a strong desire to see more people's privacy and publish the most explosive news."
"At that time, the whole TV station was in a state of disarray. I don't know why other departments were going crazy, but everyone in the news department started gouging each other's eyes out. I thought, I can't fall behind. I have to get the most explosive news."
"But I only have two eyes. What if I don't have enough? I can only dig them out from other people."
"I won't go into detail about the process, but in the end, I dug everyone's eyes out and turned them onto myself."
"Look, that's what you just saw," Tong Ming shrugged nonchalantly. "Then the meteor shower came, and they frantically climbed up to the rooftop to take pictures of the meteors. Because they had no eyes, they fell to their death. The conditions for the sacrifice were met, and I became a monster because of it."
Cen Xun asked with interest, "You should be the director now, right? What are the requirements to become the director?"
Tong Ming pressed the up button of the sightseeing elevator and said with a faint smile: "Kill the King of Scrolls monsters born in other departments and become the King of Scrolls among Kings of Scrolls."
The transparent elevator quickly descended. Cen Xun followed him into the elevator and saw a notice with red letters on a black background, titled "Precautions for Using the Sightseeing Elevator," posted on the smooth glass elevator door.
Dear Visitor:
Welcome to Qianmu TV! To ensure the best possible experience for all visitors, please observe the following precautions and maintain a civilized manner.
1. The sightseeing elevator can only accommodate ten people at a time. If you find that the elevator is overloaded before entering, please exit immediately! Do not affect other people's sightseeing experience.
2. Corpses cannot fly or climb walls. If you see strange creatures on the way up the sightseeing elevator, don't be afraid. They are just special small animals similar to corpses.
3. Please protect your belongings and beware of scams. If you encounter a vendor in the sightseeing elevator offering to buy or sell glasses, immediately refuse the transaction! Close your eyes and pretend you didn't see them!
4. The sightseeing elevator is indestructible and operates stably, so please keep this in mind! If the elevator breaks down, don't worry; it's just a special feature added by the TV station to enhance the experience.
Finally, I sincerely wish all visitors to have the best visiting experience! 】
After reading the precautions, Cen Xun raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at Tong Ming: "Is it a strange domain of rules and strange stories?"
"Yes," Tong Ming said calmly, "After entering my strange domain, players can choose between two identities: one is a tourist and use the sightseeing elevator, and the other is an employee and use the employee entrance."
Cen Xun: "The main tasks for tourists and employees must be different."
Tong Ming nodded, patted his head, and suddenly seemed to remember something. He took out a visitor's badge and handed it to Cen Xun. Cen Xun took it and put it on. He listened to Tong Ming enthusiastically introduce the rules of his strange domain. "The task of the tourists is simple. They will be considered successful if they complete the visit to all areas of the TV station. However, they must use eye drops to protect their eyes every half hour."
"What will happen if I don't?"
Tong Ming chuckled and said, "If you don't protect your eyes, of course you'll see scary things."
"What will happen if it drips?"
Tong Ming chuckled again: "My eyes are protected too well, so they will grow more and more. When they grow all over my body, all the eyes on tourists will be mine."
Cen Xun praised this highly: "Not bad, you have some ideas."
Whether you use eye drops or not, your eyes will have problems. This rule should be the core killing intent of the tourist line. Unless the player finds a way to protect his eyes without using eye drops, it will be a dead end.
“What are the employees’ main tasks?”
Tong Ming put one hand in his pocket. "The main quest for employees is a little more complicated. The specific content depends on the department. Players must complete a bunch of small tasks. If they fail to complete them, they will be demoted or fired. If they complete them, they will be alienated. After becoming an outstanding employee, they will have their photos taken and hung on the honor wall."
Cen Xun nodded, but fell into deep thought.
He thought of his own Nightmare University. In such a huge and mysterious place, how should he arrange the main tasks for the players?
At this moment, a dark shadow appeared in Cen Xun's sight.
Cen Xun stared at the thing for a few seconds, then asked Tong Ming expressionlessly, "You call this a 'little animal'?"
Tong Ming then looked outside and saw a body that had been smashed to pieces clinging to the outside of the transparent elevator, "looking" at them with its bloody, empty eye sockets, and its open mouth was filled with wriggling maggots.
It was almost completely enlarged, and the visual impact was shocking. Cen Xun could already imagine how scared the players would be if they saw this thing.
Tong Ming didn't seem to find this terrifying at all. Instead, he admired his masterpiece with an almost intoxicated air: "With Jump Are, players panic and frantically press the elevator buttons, and then the elevator breaks down."
""
The elevator didn't take long or short to rise, and before Cen Xun had time to experience more of Tong Ming's brilliant trick ideas, the elevator arrived at the viewing floor.
As soon as you exit the elevator, you'll see another notice on the wall opposite the elevator titled "TV Station Visiting Precautions":
1. All staff members at Qianmu TV wear red badges. If you encounter difficulties, you can ask for help from staff members wearing red badges. Please note: there are no staff members wearing blue badges at the TV station! If you encounter a staff member wearing a blue badge, leave immediately and report it to the real staff!
2. Eyes are the windows to the human body. Please take good care of your eyes. Visitors must use eye drops in the infirmary once every hour of their visit.
[3. Every day from 9:00 to 11:00, 13:00 to 17:00 is working time. Chasing, fighting, and making loud noises in the work area are prohibited. Otherwise, you will be taken away by the staff for a half-hour visit and education.]
[4. To protect the eyes of staff, photography is prohibited in areas marked with prohibited photography signs. The use of flashlights, selfie sticks, and tripod-type photography equipment is prohibited without permission!]
5. Photos are fragile. Please do not touch any photos you encounter during your visit. Let's all practice civilized tourism!
6. Photos are frozen in time; the objects in them will never move. If you see something moving in a photo, don't be suspicious; it must be due to overuse of your eyes and hallucinations. Please go to the infirmary immediately and get eye drops!
7. The video played by the TV station has a 3D effect. If you find the video too real, don't panic, it's just a special 3D effect.
【Qianmu TV wishes you a pleasant visit! 】
Tong Ming led Cen Xun through the exhibition corridor, pointing to the rows of photos of outstanding employees on the wall, and enthusiastically introduced them to Cen Xun: "Brother, these are all my former colleagues. Now that there are no players coming, I put them up on the wall first!"
Cen Xun looked at the smiling black-and-white photos of employees on the wall and sighed, "You're so nice to your colleagues. They're competing with you for sales, and you even keep their photos. I can't do that. When my colleagues bully me at work, I fire them all."
Tong Ming said meanly: "Yeah, my colleagues are only honest when they are hung on the wall. My husband is the same~"
Cen Xun's smile disappeared: "."
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