Chapter 222

Seventy-Seventh Page This Video Hall Feels Off

Sweet chocolate paired with a slightly light bone broth soup might be an unconventional combination, but it’s not bad at all. It’s not so delicious as to leave a lasting impression, though. Considering its price, it’s hard not to feel like you’re not getting your money’s worth.

Even though Sister Zǐ paid for it.

She also agreed with my proposal.

We planned to find an old video hall, pick two movies we’ve never heard of before, and spend our afternoon date there… Saying we were going to find one, I actually didn’t know any other video halls. I just hoped that the video hall in Píngchéng Old Street, which Lǐn Huā had taken me to, hadn’t closed down yet.

From the Balance Commercial District to Píngchéng New Street, it takes seven subway stops, which puzzled Sister Zǐ: “We still have to ride for that long? Where exactly are you taking me?”

“Uh, it’s somewhere you’ll definitely be surprised.”

“A good place? Humph, I look forward to it!”

On weekends, Píngchéng New Street was bustling with activity, rivaling the繁华步行街 in the Balance Commercial District. The smooth stone-paved road exuded an ancient charm, but our destination wasn’t there.

Compared to the lively Píngchéng New Street, Píngchéng Old Street was less crowded and somewhat desolate.

However, there were shops for food, drink, play, and entertainment. As long as you didn’t expect too much, it could still be a satisfying place.

But there was a problem…

I didn’t know how to get from the new street to the old street.

Lǐn Huā had led me through this alleyway before, but now I found myself struggling to navigate on my own. The narrow alleys seemed identical, and I couldn’t tell east from west. I walked with Sister Zǐ through the maze-like alleyways, sometimes even entering residents’ courtyards to ask for directions. After passing by a familiar guardian lion statue multiple times, Sister Zǐ finally couldn’t help but question.

“Say, aren’t you lost?”

I scratched my nose and admitted sheepishly.

“Yes, I’m lost.”

“… Sigh.” Sister Zǐ sighed helplessly.

Save me! A Dream and Cherry Sauce!

—”Your sense of direction is terrible! Just determine a general direction and walk straight, and you’d get there!!”—

In high walls, people’s ability to judge direction decreases.

“Why don’t you try using a map on your phone? Has your three-year-old phone become unable to use maps?”

Sister Zǐ waved her phone and said, “Current GPS positioning technology is very accurate, and the map detail is high. Even these alleys are clearly marked… Are you heading to this video hall?”

With the help of the map on her phone, Sister Zǐ even found the video hall as the destination. She could check detailed indoor photos after opening the app… Technology was indeed convenient, but it no longer surprised her.

“It really looks quite old-fashioned… But it has a certain charm.”

Sister Zǐ didn’t seem interested in such antique shops, but she didn’t say anything, probably trying to consider my feelings.

As I followed Sister Zǐ’s navigation, I introduced the place.

“The old street will be demolished next year, maybe only left for three or four months. The elderly owner is getting old, and with few customers nowadays, it’s unlikely they will reopen elsewhere.”

“Such shops are so old that younger people haven’t heard of them, naturally they won’t come. Even among my generation, most only know about it.”

She was only three or four years older than me, yet she spoke as if we were from different generations…

“We’re out.”

Finally, we managed to get out of the maze-like alleyways.

Sister Zǐ pointed to the arcade room at the intersection.

“Oh, there’s an old-style arcade room over there!”

Recalling what Lǐn Huā had said, I tugged her arm and said, “We can’t go there. It’s a black shop that swallows coins.”

Though I hadn’t been inside either.

Píngchéng Old Street wasn’t long, you could see from start to finish, and it wasn’t much of a tourist attraction, just a place where nearby residents lived their daily lives.

The video hall was not far away.

Just the gate was tightly shut, with yellowed posters from many years ago stuck to the entrance. The cold winter wind swept fallen leaves past, creating a heavy feeling of desolation.

It was hard to tell if it was in operation unless you got closer.

“… It’s really dilapidated.”

Sister Zǐ couldn’t help but say.

The storefront looked more decayed than in the pictures.

When I first came here, I felt similarly. Although the shop was in disrepair, the rows of neatly arranged videotapes were still impressive. They were treasures of the old owner…

Thinking this, I pushed open the door.

“Excuse me… Eh?”

The shelves were empty, not a single videotape. I turned to look at the counter on the right side. The old, white-haired confused old man was gone, replaced by a young girl…

Although the room was dim, Sister Zǐ recognized her before me.

She exclaimed, “Professor Shí? What are you doing here?”

Professor Shí Huǒróng, the chief designer of the Deep Spell Research Institute, was wearing dirty white coats and work pants, with a cumbersome welding helmet on her head. She was reluctant to leave the underground cave, but now she was sitting behind the counter in civilian clothes…

This change was too big, and I didn’t recognize her at first.

“Oh! Aren’t these Zǐ and Lingmeng?”

She walked out of the counter with a smile, patting us on the head, acting like a grandfather meeting his grandchildren.

I asked, “Where’s the owner? Is Professor you the old man transformed?”

Considering the professor and the old man were originally about the same age…

The professor waved her hand in denial, “No, no, no! Don’t think like that. Old Lin and his family went out for sightseeing during the weekend. As my ‘granddaughter,’ isn’t it normal for me to watch the store for my ‘grandpa’s’ old friend?”

Playing the granddaughter was quite something.

The old man who owned the video hall needed a cane to walk. Could he really go out for sightseeing?

“But Professor, you’ve been single all your life. How could you possibly have a granddaughter?”

Sister Zǐ’s sharp comment hit the professor’s sore spot.

“Shut up! I adopted a granddaughter, okay?”

I pointed to the empty shelves behind me and asked, “What about the videotapes? Without any videotapes, what’s the point of you watching the store?”

“I’m not here to deal with customers. I’m waiting for the moving company to pack up. As for Old Lin’s precious videotapes, they were moved yesterday.”

“… Moved?”

The professor returned to the counter and sat down, saying, “Yes, this place will close before the end of the year. Anyway, this street will be demolished after the New Year.”

Perhaps I should tell Lǐn Huā and Old Yan this news. After all, this street was their childhood playground.

Hearing this unfortunate news, Sister Zǐ seemed exhausted.

“Does this mean we came here for nothing?”

The professor squinted and asked, “Why, are you here to watch movies?”

… This statement sounded strange.

Sister Zǐ retorted, “What else do you do in a video hall besides watch movies?”

The professor squinted, sizing up both of us, a suggestive smile on her lips.

“Perhaps just want a quiet corner to do some adult things?”

Outside of work, the professor wasn’t very proper, especially considering she was a friend of Master Hālìlùyà, which made sense.

“Please don’t joke like that.”

Seeing Sister Zǐ was getting angry, the professor pulled out several videotapes from under the counter.

“To pass the time, I kept a few tapes. If you don’t mind, you can choose from these. Of course, since today isn’t business, we won’t charge you.”

“Thank you, Professor!”

I thanked her and asked, “What kind of movies are these?”

“All war and horror films. Are you interested?”

I couldn’t accept horror films, but war films were fine. The few videotapes on the table, however, were all unfamiliar to me, obscure movies.

Sister Zǐ said, “I can… No, let’s watch a horror film.”

Hmm, watching a horror film?

Was she up to something?

I picked up a videotape and checked the title and genre on the side of the box.

“When Happiness Knocks… Eh? Naming it like that, it turns out to be a horror film?”

The professor glanced at the tape in my hand and explained, “That’s a domestic horror film. Though it’s labeled as a horror film, it’s hard to categorize. It’s about a family haunted by a ghost. Happiness is the name of the ghost in the movie… However, the film is poorly made. As a horror film, nobody dies, and the ghost is even pacified and saved, which is unusual for a horror film.”

It sounded like a silly script.

Sister Zǐ complained, “Professor, you’ve already spoiled it. Why should we watch ‘Happiness’?”

“I’m helping you avoid landmines. Zǐ, you don’t really want to watch, do you?”

“Then recommend us one… What’s that sound?”

Sister Zǐ seemed to sense something. She looked doubtfully toward the corridor leading to the screening room, which was dark because the lights weren’t on.

“Sister Zǐ, did you hear something?”

She raised an eyebrow uncertainly and asked, “Professor, are there other guests in the store today?”

“No, does this store look like it has guests? Probably stray animals like wild cats or dogs. There are quite a few stray animals around here… Lingmeng, can you use the projector?”

“Yeah, I can. I’ve been here once before.”

The professor picked up a videotape from the table.

“If I had to recommend, this zombie apocalypse film would be it. It’s a zombie horror film with elements of war films. Watching it with an empty mind can be quite thrilling.”

Hmm, the title sounds pretty lowbrow. I wouldn’t choose this one if I used my brain.

I tugged Sister Zǐ’s sleeve and pointed to the first screening room.

“Shall we go? If anything strange happens, Cherry Sauce will remind me.”

—”Yeah, there’s nothing over there.”—

… This tone doesn’t sound right?

The dim screening room was still the same, eerie and creepy. The air conditioner wasn’t on, but thankfully the remote control was hanging near it.

The professor recommended a movie that was split into two tapes. When the first tape was loaded into the old-fashioned projector, a rustling sound of rewinding came from within.

“Sister Zǐ, we’ll have to wait a moment.”

She sat in the second row, her eyes fixed on the warm white screen, lost in thought, clearly not interested in the movie.

I asked again, “Should I go to the counter to get some snacks? What do you want to drink, Sister Zǐ?”

Sister Zǐ replied, “Cola.”

I returned alone to the lobby to get drinks, only to find that Professor Shí Huǒróng, who was sitting at the counter earlier, had disappeared.

The video hall was particularly dark and the atmosphere was eerie…