Cauchemar

Chapitre 1

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Deadly Network Encounters and Endless Horror: Apartment 602 - Author: Unintentional Return

If you use the internet, if you frequently video chat with people, if you meet up with people you met online, then be careful, you might be next...

At midnight, Su Yang, a young and lonely white-collar worker, searched for emotional comfort online as usual. This time, he received a seductive invitation from Zhu Su, an online friend who lived in apartment 602 of a certain residential complex. Su Yang, convinced it would be a romantic encounter, readily accepted. Little did he know that he would be drawn into a series of bizarre and terrifying events. First, he was told that Zhu Su had been missing for months. Then, he received a strange text message from "Zhu Su" in the middle of the night. The next morning, the phone that sent the message was found in the hand of a decapitated corpse… Horrific events followed one after another…

Published by Chunfeng Literature and Art Publishing House

602 Man-Eating Apartment Part 1

Apartment 602, the Man-Eating Apartment (1)

"Okay, let's meet in an hour and a half."

Su Yang typed the last line, then closed QQ, stretched comfortably, and a smile appeared on his lips—looks like he'll have another romantic encounter tonight. In the online world, it's all about the thrill and excitement. As for heart-fluttering and romantic encounters, those are things for novels or teenage fantasies, no longer suitable for urban adults.

Su Yang tidied himself up a bit, changed his clothes, and combed his hair in front of the mirror. The face reflected in the mirror was fairly handsome, clean and rugged, but lacking some youthful vigor and showing more of the decadence of a life of nightlife.

Su Yang left home and boarded a bus. The address Zhu Su had given him was quite a distance from his house, requiring one transfer and estimated to take at least an hour. He checked his watch: 6:55 PM. That meant he could meet her around 8:30 PM, and then they could warm each other in the concrete jungle of the city, spending a passionate night together…

Thinking of this, Su Yang couldn't help but whistle happily. He'd experienced his fair share of online romances, or rather, online one-night stands, but none had gone as smoothly as this. Within just half an hour of meeting online, Zhu Su had not only given him her phone number and address, but had even sent him a photo. The woman in the photo was fresh, charming, and full of allure; for a womanizer like Su Yang, she was indeed very attractive prey. Su Yang even considered whether there was a chance to extend their relationship, perhaps becoming weekend lovers. Su Yang thought she would be happy to accept his suggestion, because from her words, he could clearly sense her loneliness, just as she said, "Living alone in a small attic, it's cramped and cold; I want a warm embrace." At that moment, Su Yang responded opportunely, "Two people's coldness together becomes warmth. Two people's warmth together makes them unafraid of the cold." Perhaps it was this sentence that touched Zhu Su, leading to this romantic encounter. Of course, Su Yang knew very well that a romantic encounter was just that—a romantic encounter. Separation was inevitable, like two hedgehogs that, if they huddled together too closely, were destined to hurt each other. So there was no need for excessive sadness or fear.

The drive was smooth; it was rare to cross downtown Guangzhou on a Saturday night with almost no traffic. What was expected to be a journey of over an hour took only fifty minutes. Zhu Su's place, Buyun Garden, is considered one of the more remote areas of Guangzhou. There was even a section of road without streetlights, completely dark—the first time Su Yang had encountered this in his three years in Guangzhou.

After getting off the bus, Su Yang sent Zhu Su a text message as agreed, telling her that he was waiting for her near the Agricultural Bank of China at the station. A short while later, she replied: "Can you come up by yourself? I'm in apartment 602, building 6, Buyun Garden." Su Yang happily agreed. For a womanizer, what could be more exhilarating than walking straight into his prey's home?

Su Yang quickly found Buyun Garden. It looked quite large, with somewhat old, ordinary apartment buildings—at least a dozen in total. However, none of them had a penthouse on the top floor. This puzzled Su Yang; why would Zhu Su describe her home online as a cramped attic?

However, Su Yang had no time to ponder this question, for at this moment, his mind was filled with fantasies of meeting her. He bought two pounds of red grapes at the fruit shop in front of the garden as a gift for Zhu Su. Although Su Yang sought a simple relationship, a brief encounter, mutual physical pleasure, and a parting after dawn, hoping to forget each other in the future, he also wished to infuse "desire" with a touch of "affection." He always believed that "desire" was like water; even after boiling, it remained water, bland and tasteless, while "affection" was like a pinch of tea leaves; when steeped in water, it produced a sweet aftertaste. The mere release of desire often left behind a deeper emptiness, while the fusion of passion, with its added thrill to the soul, left a lingering tenderness in the heart. Su Yang also believes that women seeking one-night stands are mostly either extremely lonely or have experienced deep hurt. They seek out strangers not primarily out of lust, but out of fear of loneliness. They crave a physical connection and an embrace to briefly offer warmth and escape the coldness of their surroundings. If the other person senses their inner longing and offers them tender comfort, they will feel immense gratitude—a gratitude that can even surpass the effect of a boyfriend's attentiveness. It's like going to the market to buy vermicelli and discovering you've been given shark fin instead; you're bound to feel touched and develop feelings for them, wanting to treat them better in return for their kindness.

Carrying the red grapes, Su Yang quickly found apartment 602 in building 6, following the address Zhu Su had given him. Zhu Su's door was almost identical to the others—a wooden door with an additional security door, reflecting the alienation between people in the city. The only difference was the weathered look of time: the auspicious Spring Festival couplets seemed unchanged for years, their original festive red faded, and the iron gate, too old, had peeling paint and a thick layer of dust, adding to its desolate appearance. For a moment, the word Zhu Su had used online came to mind: "chilling and gloomy."

Su Yang steadied himself, chuckling inwardly at his own absurdity. He had come to enjoy a romantic night with Zhu Su, not to merely admire the gates and indulge in nostalgic sighs. The thought of Zhu Su's beautiful face and graceful figure in the photograph sent waves of heat through Su Yang's body.

Su Yang couldn't find the doorbell. He thought for a moment, then stopped himself from knocking and sent Zhu Su a text message: I'm here, right outside your door. Su Yang worried that if he knocked, Zhu Su's neighbors would inevitably come out to see what was going on, and if they saw her entertaining a strange man at night, it would inevitably attract some gossip.

Su Yang was pleased with himself for his thoughtfulness and attentiveness, but his good mood quickly faded during the wait. After two or three minutes, when Zhu Su still hadn't come out to open the door, Su Yang suddenly became anxious. He impatiently dialed her cell phone, but there was no answer. "Could she be playing a trick on me?" This thought intensified Su Yang's anxiety, like being in the throes of passion only to find the other person is unavailable. He couldn't help but send her another text message, "You don't actually want to see me, do you?"

Apartment 602, the Man-Eating Apartment (Part 1, 2)

Less than a minute later, his phone beeped with a text message. Su Yang opened it and saw it was a reply from Zhu Su: "Wait a little longer, I have something to take care of." His anxiety subsided, and he strolled to the stairwell in front of her building, gazing at the night view of the neighborhood. Because it was an older building type, the buildings weren't fully enclosed like modern garden communities; instead, a half-meter-high concrete railing stood in front of the passageway, offering a clear view of the opposite building. Su Yang, without any hesitation, began to "peep without guilt."

After waiting for about ten minutes, there was still no sign of Zhu Su. The woman in her pajamas pacing back and forth in the building across the street had no longer piqued Su Yang's interest. Suppressing his growing frustration, he sent her another text message: "Are you done yet?" But this time, it was like a stone sinking into the sea; there was no reply. "Could she really have stood me up?" Su Yang couldn't hold back any longer and dialed her cell phone directly. Still, no one answered.

Just as Su Yang was getting frustrated, an old man came up the stairs. "Who are you looking for?" he asked, scrutinizing Su Yang with a wary look.

"I'm waiting for someone, from 602. She's having some trouble and can't open the door right away." To clarify his purpose, Su Yang even held up the red grapes he was carrying to show him.

"602?" The old man stared at Su Yang with a suspicious look. "Are you sure you're not mistaken? No one has lived here for a long time."

"Impossible, right?" Su Yang asked, somewhat puzzled. "Doesn't Zhu Su live here?"

“Zhu Su lives here, but she hasn’t been back for several months.”

"She hasn't been back for months? How is that possible? Doesn't she have anyone else at home?"

"No. Her parents immigrated to Australia two or three years ago and have never come back. She did have a boyfriend before, but I haven't seen him since she left. Maybe they moved away together."

"Oh, so it really is possible that someone was joking with me. Thank you." Su Yang gave the old man an awkward smile, as a way of expressing his gratitude and also to cover up his embarrassment.

The old man nodded slightly in response, then turned and went upstairs.

Su Yang stared blankly at the iron door of apartment 602. He didn't feel like this was a scam, because Zhu Su online had been so certain, it didn't seem like she was deliberately trying to manipulate him, but the upstairs neighbors had even less reason to deceive him. Could it be a misunderstanding? Su Yang couldn't help but call Zhu Su again, pressing his ear close to the iron door to listen. The apartment was silent; no cell phones rang. He looked at the iron door and noticed a layer of dust covering the lock and doorknob, indicating that it really hadn't been opened for some time.

Su Yang sighed and casually placed the red grapes he was carrying on the door of 602—regardless of whether the person who invited him was deliberately deceiving him, he felt he should still show his commitment. Moreover, he had a vague feeling that this person who was playing tricks on him must live in this building or be close to Zhu Su, otherwise how would they know Zhu Su's detailed address and have her photo?

It was nearly 10 p.m. when Su Yang got home. He took a shower, went online to check his QQ history, and felt increasingly frustrated. He had thought he was having a stroke of good luck in love, but it turned out he had run into a wall and suffered a setback.

"Damn it," Su Yang cursed angrily, deciding not to let the person behind his manipulation get away with it so easily. He sent another text message to the number that claimed to be Zhu Su: "Kid, why are you messing with me for no reason?"

Shortly after, a text message arrived: "I wasn't playing a trick on you, I just didn't have the courage to see you."

Su Yang was completely confused: "Then are you Zhu Su or not? If not, then who are you?"

“I swear, I am Zhu Su.”

"Then why did your neighbor say that 602 has been uninhabited for months and is just an empty house?"

“I’ve always lived there, they just haven’t seen me.”

Su Yang fell into deep thought; he felt something was amiss. He considered it for a moment and decided to test "Zhu Su's" true identity: "Did you see the fruit I left at your door? What did you say it was?"

About three minutes later, the text message arrived again: "I saw your red grapes. You're so kind; even though I lied to you, you still sent me fruit."

Su Yang breathed a sigh of relief. Could it be that she really was Zhu Su, and that she did indeed live in 602? Realizing she hadn't lied to him, Su Yang's mood instantly improved. So, he half-coaxed, half-teaseed, "Then tell me, how will you compensate me?"

"How do you want me to make it up to you?"

"I want you to come to me right now."

"Do you really still want to see me? How can I find you then?"

Su Yang smiled; it seemed that the gentle approach was indeed effective.

"Take bus 545 to the Sports Center stop, then take any bus to Shangshe stop. After getting off, take a motorcycle to Shangling Apartment. I'll meet you downstairs."

The text message went silent. Su Yang's newly ignited anger was doused with cold water: "Are you still playing me?" All his good mood was suppressed by anger and embarrassment, and he could only resentfully play the game.

About an hour later, the text message arrived again: "I've gone out to your place."

Su Yang nearly jumped up when he saw this; it truly was a case of good things coming to those who wait, full of twists and turns. It seemed Zhu Su was doomed. He replied with a beaming smile, "Okay, how long will it take?"

Around 12:30.

"Why so late? Shouldn't it only take an hour to get there?"

"It's hard to catch a bus at night. I'll text you later."

Su Yang reluctantly put down his phone, glanced at the time on his computer, and saw it was just past 11 o'clock. Wouldn't that mean he had to wait another hour and a half? So he turned off his computer, lay down on the bed, and said, "Hehe, whatever, I'd better conserve my energy first."

In a daze, Su Yang heard a text message. He jumped up, opened it, and saw that it read: "Come pick me up, I'm downstairs."

Su Yang quickly washed his face and rushed to the apartment building, but it was eerily quiet. Apart from two tables of people drinking outdoors at a small restaurant, there wasn't a soul in sight. He suspiciously dialed Zhu Su's number, but before he could even say "hello," a piercing scream came from the other end, startling him so much he nearly dropped his phone. He immediately hung up.

Apartment 602, the Man-Eating Apartment (3)

After a few seconds of hesitation, Su Yang nervously dialed Zhu Su's number again, his heart pounding: Had something happened to her? The phone rang for a long time, but no one answered. Su Yang became even more anxious. With trembling hands, he sent her a text message: "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Two minutes later, my phone beeped with a text message: "It's nothing, just kidding."

Su Yang breathed a sigh of relief: "You scared me to death. You should play less of these kinds of games. Tell me where you are?"

"I'm at the corner in front of your apartment building."

Su Yang shook his head. Although he really disliked this game of hide-and-seek, he had no choice but to walk quickly toward the corner of the apartment building.

However, apart from complete darkness and a nearby house, there wasn't a soul in sight around the corner of the apartment. Su Yang felt his anger rising: "Stop playing around and come out now, or I'm going back."

"I'm right around the corner, didn't you see me?"

Su Yang was furious. "There's not a soul in sight here. Don't tell me you're in a civilian house."

"You're right, I'm in the first room on the second floor of the house. Come on up."

"You're just deliberately messing with me, aren't you?" Su Yang was so angry he felt like his lungs were about to explode. He was basically convinced that this was all a scam. The so-called Zhu Su, the so-called 602, the so-called date—it was all a lie. He couldn't help but secretly regret being blinded by lust and running out in the middle of the night to meet some online friend.

A gust of cold wind blew by, and Su Yang couldn't help but shiver; the autumn air in October was already a bit chilly. But the sound carried on the wind sent an even deeper chill down his spine: he heard the classic Nokia text message ringtone coming from the second floor of the house! A chill pierced Su Yang's bones: Could she really be on the second floor of the house?

Su Yang took a few steps back, positioning himself under a streetlamp. The light from the streetlamp made him feel a little more at ease. He forced himself to calm his uneasy mind and sent Zhu Su another text message: "Are you really in the house?"

After pressing the send button, Su Yang held his breath and carefully listened to the sound. Sure enough, the Nokia phone's text message ringtone came clearly from the second floor of the house again, vibrating in his eardrums.

Su Yang was stunned. This was too strange. How could she have gone up to the second floor of a house?

Su Yang recalled the events of the evening, and the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. He suppressed his panic and waited under the streetlight for three minutes. When Zhu Su didn't reply, he hastily sent a text: "Since you're not sincere about coming out, then let's not meet." Ignoring the continued beeping of text messages from the second floor of the house, he turned and headed back to his apartment. But he still felt a strange sensation in his back, as if a pair of eyes were watching him from the second floor. He couldn't bear it any longer and started running.

Under the astonished gaze of the apartment security guard, Su Yang ran home and drank a large glass of cold water before his pounding heart finally calmed down.

Looking at the familiar furnishings in the room and listening to the rumbling of the train passing by outside, Su Yang couldn't help but chuckle at his own cowardice: a bored person making a fuss has scared him like this; it seems he was born with the desire to steal but not the courage.

Just then, the text message alert rang again. Su Yang's heart, which had just settled, jumped again. He picked up his phone and saw that it was Zhu Su again: "Why haven't you come to pick me up yet?"

Su Yang felt a surge of anger. "Miss, there's a limit to your tricks! Don't stand people up and then blame them!" He was about to send the message when he hesitated. Maybe she really was coming… He thought for a moment, deleted his previous message, and retyped: "I've already gone out, but I haven't seen you. If you really are coming, then come find me yourself. I live in room 604 of building A."

After sending the text message, Su Yang lay on the bed, staring intently at his phone, waiting for her reply. A long, long time passed, but the phone remained silent. In despair, Su Yang drifted off to sleep, filled with resentment.

While sound asleep, Su Yang was startled by a text message notification. He grabbed his phone and read: "I'm right outside your door."

Su Yang jumped up, turned on the bedside lamp, and, wearing shorts and slippers, went to open the door. But the door was empty; there was no sign of the beautiful woman. Only the draft from the hallway chilled his bare upper body, sending shivers down his spine. Just as Su Yang was about to curse in disappointment, he heard light footsteps coming from the elevator. His heart leaped with joy, and he peeked out, only to see a thin, dark-skinned man in a black long-sleeved shirt, black trousers, and black leather shoes, carrying a black travel bag, walking towards his room. Their eyes met, and both were momentarily stunned. Su Yang felt an inexplicable sense of oppression emanating from the man. Perhaps it was his strange appearance in the darkness, or perhaps it was his gloomy eyes; in any case, it made him feel very uncomfortable. Su Yang could even feel the man's cold gaze scrutinizing him, like a razor's edge slicing across his bare upper body. Su Yang felt his heart tighten again.

"Who are you looking for?" Su Yang asked with difficulty.

"Isn't this Building A, Room 704? I just moved in." The man said expressionlessly.

"Oh, you've gone to the wrong place. This is 604. 704 is one floor up, but you can go up the stairs over there." Su Yang politely pointed to the stairwell at the other end of the corridor.

The man nodded to him in thanks, then walked past Su Yang carrying his black travel bag. Su Yang couldn't help but frown—there was an indescribable stench emanating from the man, or rather, from his travel bag.

Su Yang closed the door, increasingly finding the events of the previous night rather bizarre. He checked the time he received the last text message: 12:50 AM, shortly after sending it. Why was it only arriving now? He looked at his phone; it was nearly 3 AM, almost two hours late, and coincidentally, he encountered that mysterious man right when he received it. Thinking of the man's smell, Su Yang frowned again. He felt he'd smelled that rotten odor somewhere before, but couldn't quite place it. "Moving at 3 AM, that's too strange," Su Yang shook his head and sighed. "Just consider it a dream. Don't think about it anymore. I'll go back to sleep."

Apartment 602, the Man-Eating Apartment II (1)

At seven o'clock in the morning, Su Yang was sound asleep when his phone rang, abruptly pulling him from his slumber. Annoyed, he grabbed the phone and slammed in a loud "Hello!" The caller was a man with a deep, clear voice: "Are you the owner of phone number 13580369***?"

Su Yang flew into a rage, "Nonsense, I'm not the owner of the phone, so what if I stole it?"

"Excuse me, we are from the Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau. We suspect you are involved in a murder case and hope you can assist us in our investigation."

"What did you say?" All of Su Yang's anger turned to ice water, and he sat up abruptly. "A murder case? It's related to me? You're not mistaken, are you?"

"Because we found a message sent to you on the deceased's phone, we'd like to know about your relationship with the deceased. If you don't mind, we'd like you to provide your address so we can visit you later. Of course, if you'd like, you can also come directly to our police station; our address is..."

"Wait, can you tell me who the deceased was, and where they lived?"

"Chen Lijuan, female, 21 years old, lives in a private house in Shangshe, Tianhe District."

"I don't know her."

"I'm sorry, but whether we know you or not, we have to meet with you to talk. It's our job, and we hope you can cooperate."

“Oh…” Su Yang hesitated for a moment, “Then come over, I live in Room 604, Building A, Shangling Apartment, Shangshe.”

"Okay, we'll be there in a bit. Thank you for your support."

Su Yang put down his phone, feeling an inexplicable sense of frustration. How could he have been plagued by such a string of bad luck? First, he was stood up twice, and now he was inexplicably dragged into a murder case. Good heavens, what deity have I offended? Why am I so unlucky?