Chapter 92: The Painting Inside The Painting
“If I have sinned, I hope the police can take me away and not leave me with you people to torture me!”
Gao Ming could hear Manager Gou roar as he reached the door of Nightlight Studio. He glanced into the office.
“The main artist is on leave. The game director is missing. Even the cat is gone!” Manager Gou slammed the table, and his toupee slanted. “What can you people do? Am I being too kind to you that you do this to me?” Logistic Zhang Wang took a sip of coffee and grumbled, “Whose fault is it that the studio is like this? We were supposed to develop horror games. You have to make us make a dating sim. It’s normal for Teacher Xia and Wei Dayou to choose to leave.”
“I drop my face to beg for this sponsor, and you’re blaming me for it?!” Manager Gou patted his face. “It’s because I have hope in you that I find this chance for you.” “Did you get that in reverse?”
“Does that matter?” Manager Gou was so mad that he removed his toupee to wipe at his sweat. “Get on the phone to call Xia Yang back!”
“His phone is off.” The programmer, Li Jie, was helpless. He silently closed off the recruitment page on his computer.
“Then, call his home!” Manager Gou walked to Wei Dayou’s table. “What about this one? Have you called the police?”
“Do you need to involve the police?” Li Jie really thought Manager Gou had lost his mind.
“Even if he’s dead, I want to see his body!” Manager Gou shouted, “I’ve been in this business for over two decades. I can’t believe I’m saying these words!”
Gao Ming stood at the door and didn’t see Xuan Wen. He coughed and entered the office. “Manager Gou, did no one come for an interview today?”
Seeing Gao Ming, Manager Gou lost the few hairs he had. “Other people have pillows sent to them when they want to nap, but for me, people run into my house to set it on fire. Why is that?”
“Don’t misunderstand. I was just asking. Plus, the cat is not missing.” Gao Ming walked to Xia Yang’s table. Before he could do anything, footsteps came from the corridor. A few officers knocked on the door and entered the office. “We’re from the east city district. We have some questions.” The leading officer took out a portrait. “Is Wei Dayou here? Who has the most contact with him normally?”
“The people who should be here aren’t here, but everyone who shouldn’t be here is here.” Manager Gou accosted them. “We are also looking for Wei Dayou. He left me a resignation letter, and then he stopped coming to work. It’s like he has disappeared.”
“How is his mental state lately?”
“Very stable.” Manager Gou grumbled, “Stably insane. He doesn’t do his work but told me he is going to save the world!”
“We wish to talk to you.” Manager Gou and the police entered the inner room. Gao Ming didn’t know Xia Yang’s computer password, so he could only search for clues from other things. Xia Yang’s drawings were extremely absurd but filled with scary beauty. He was good at drawing portraits.
Gao Ming flipped through one of the drawing books. Gao Ming saw many drawings. Xia Yang drew the characters from his games. “Xia Yang has seriously studied my designs. He even filled in a lot of details himself.” Gao Ming looked for about 10 minutes. Everything at Xia Yang’s work table was normal.
“It looks like I have to go to his home.” Gao Ming was considering what to do with the police, and Manager Gou walked out. After the police left, Manager Gou waved his fists angrily, “Ridiculous. Even though my people are useless, they won’t murder! They probably can’t even murder a chicken!” After that, he turned to Gao Ming and said unwillingly, “Xiao Gao, I’ve heard about your stuff from Wei Dayou. Since Dayou is missing, if you have nowhere else to go, why don’t you stay with us?”
Before Gao Ming could answer, someone knocked on the door again. Xuan Wen appeared in her familiar suit. “Is this Nightlight Gaming Studio?”
The warm voice was comforting. Everyone turned to her.
“Who are you looking for?” Manager Gou put his toupee back on.
“It’s like this. I wish to get you to help me develop a horror game. Money is not an issue.” Xuan Wen placed her laptop on the table. “You have to make the game in the shortest amount of time and share it with as many people as you can.” The studio became silent. No one knew how to respond. Manager Gou slowly moved to the laptop. When he saw the account number and gaming proposal on it, he thought he was scammed.
“Xuan Wen?” Gao Ming hurried over. “What did you…”
“If I’m an employee, I won’t have enough power, so I went to borrow some money.” Xuan Wen whispered. “I didn’t use any gory methods.”
Looking at Xuan Wen’s account, Gao Ming sucked in the cold breath. He believed Xuan Wen never intended to return the money. “What if the tragedy doesn’t come?” Xuan Wen was shocked. “Aren’t you and I tragedy enough?”
Gao Ming didn’t know what to say. He was pushed away by the excited Manager Gou. Xuan Wen was welcomed with passion. The workers at the studio smiled. Fate influenced Xuan Wen but not by a lot. Manager Gou shouted praises for God while Gao Ming sneaked away.
If Xia Yang was really Dead Water, he had to detain the man before he cleared more games.
…
After finding out Xia Yang’s home address, Gao Ming departed. In less than an hour, he arrived at a bungalow in the north city. Even though North City was not as expensive as East City, Xia Yang must be loaded to be able to afford a bungalow.
“No wonder Xia Yang is so easy-going at work. With his background, working is probably just to relax.”
The neighbourhood was very quiet. It was far from the city like a slice of paradise.
Gao Ming prepared a speech for his sudden visit. But when he came to Xia Yang’s home, he realised the door wasn’t locked. There were many unfinished paintings in the yard.
“Teacher Xia?”
Gao Ming entered the bungalow. The decor was oppressively artistic. There was no shadow but Gao Ming felt like he was in the shadow world. His hand moved to his heart. Gao Ming evaded the ruined paintings on the ground and slowly moved to the living room.
The living room was decorated with incomprehensible paintings. The strange lines and piercing colours formed a strange world that only a few could understand.
“Was Xia Yang drawing the shadow world?” Gao Ming had seen that world through the blind man. It was filled with horrors and nightmares.
“The blind man saw that world after being in the silence and darkness for darkness. How did Xia Yang see it? Or did he imagine everything?” The more he studied the paintings, the more off Gao Ming felt. Xia Yang wanted to manifest the shadow world through paintings.
Most of the paintings were abandoned. Gao Ming walked deeper into the living room. He looked at the wall. The several meters wide white wall was painted with red by Xia Yang. It was a painting of his living room. It was so real. Someone sat on the sofa in the living room. As if sensing the gaze, the person inside the painting slowly turned his head around. His expression was detached as red paint dripped down his face.
“Xia Yang!”
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