Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
That night, after the training ended, I lay in my newly rented apartment near the company, unable to fall asleep for a long time.
Occasional car horns drifted in from outside, and the city never truly quieted at night. I stared at the ceiling, my mind filled with the strange rules and theories of "Nightmare" Company.
My phone vibrated on the pillow beside me; it was a message from Supervisor Zhou: "Gu Qing, you start officially tomorrow. Your first client's information has been sent to your email. Be prepared."
I rolled over and grabbed my laptop, opening the email. The blue light from the screen cast an eerie glow on my face.
The client was a middle-aged businessman named Wang Ming, forty-seven years old, involved in import and export trade. In the photo, he was dressed in a suit, his smile so perfect it looked like it had been cut out from a business magazine.
His request was simple: a "nightmare filled with fear and pressure."
I shook my head and closed the laptop. In this day and age, even nightmares had become a rare commodity that needed to be purchased.
Early the next morning, I arrived at the company. Shen Mo stood at the end of the corridor, as always clad in his black suit, seemingly merging with the darkness.
"Are you ready?" he asked directly without any pleasantries.
"I think so," I replied, though I wasn't entirely sure.
Shen Mo handed me a small black box with a red button on top. "This is the Nightmare Inducer; you should have been taught how to use it during training. Remember, you're just playing a role—don't take it too seriously."
In the nightmare planning room, I sat at a gray desk reading Wang Ming's detailed profile. Recently, his company had faced a cash flow crisis, accumulating significant debts and teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. His mother was seriously ill and required substantial medical expenses. And he—had a penchant for gambling.
"So, his biggest fear is his creditors?" I closed the file and asked Supervisor Zhou, who stood nearby.
Supervisor Zhou nodded, though his gaze seemed somewhat unfocused. "Remember to build up gradually in the dream—start with everyday scenarios, then introduce pressure elements, and finally reach a climax of fear."
"I understand," I replied dismissively, but in my mind, I wondered: why would a businessman spend money to experience his greatest fear?
At ten o'clock that night, I sat in the surveillance van parked across from Wang Ming's house. The equipment inside was sophisticated, with a complex machine at the center connected to numerous tubes and electrodes.
"What is that?" I pointed to an inconspicuous black sedan parked in front of Wang Ming's house.
"Security personnel," Supervisor Zhou answered without looking up. "In case the client has an extreme reaction during the nightmare."
An hour later, Wang Ming fell asleep. The monitor showed that his brainwaves had entered a light sleep state.
Supervisor Zhou placed a strange helmet on my head and attached several electrodes to my temples. "Get ready; you'll enter his dream in three minutes. Remember your role—you're the creditor named Zhao Gang."
I nodded, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over me.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself standing in a luxurious office. Wang Ming was seated behind a desk, talking on the phone. He looked vibrant and full of energy, a stark contrast to the frowning middle-aged man in the file.
"The items you requested are ready for cash on delivery..." he was saying when he suddenly caught sight of me, and the smile on his face froze instantly.
I glanced at the mirror on the wall, which reflected a fierce-looking middle-aged man—Zhao Gang, an image completely foreign to me.
"President Wang, long time no see," I forced a sinister smile and slowly walked toward him.
Wang Ming's hands began to tremble, and the phone slipped from his grasp. "Zhao... President Zhao, what brings you here? I... I was just about to contact you."
"Oh really?" I let out a cold laugh and slammed a stack of documents onto his desk. "Then what about these? The IOUs from last month, the month before that, and even the one before that—when do you plan to pay them back?"
I noticed beads of sweat forming on his forehead, and the fear in his eyes became increasingly evident. Everything was unfolding according to script.
But at that moment, I noticed something unusual. Wang Ming's fear seemed too genuine, not like he was facing a character from a dream, but more like he was confronting a real threat.
"Please, give me a little more time," he suddenly knelt down, his voice filled with sincere desperation. "My mother is seriously ill and needs money for surgery. I promise I will pay you back, please..."
I was taken aback. None of this was in the script. Should I improvise?
"Get up," I tried to maintain the character's ferocity. "I don’t care about your mother; the money must be returned! Otherwise..."
I deliberately paused, observing his reaction. Wang Ming instantly broke down, his words tumbling out in a rush.
"I was wrong; I shouldn't have gambled. I will pay you back, please don’t hurt my mom, don’t take my house..."
This reaction was excessive. I suddenly questioned whether this was truly a dream or something far more terrifying.
The scene in the dream began to distort; the once bright office suddenly darkened, and strange symbols appeared on the walls—a triangle enclosing an eye. This wasn’t in the script.
Just as I was bewildered, the dream abruptly ended. I was yanked back to reality, my head pounding.
Supervisor Zhou was already waiting for me in the car, wearing an eerie smile. "You performed well for your first time, Gu Qing. The client's fear index reached the expected target."
"What were those symbols about?" I asked, still immersed in the strange experience from earlier.
"What symbols?" Supervisor Zhou looked at me with confusion.
"The ones on the wall—the triangle with an eye inside..."
Supervisor Zhou's expression turned serious all at once. "It’s possible you got too immersed and experienced a hallucination. This is common for beginners; don’t worry about it."
The next day, I decided to seek out Shen Mo. He was the most experienced Nightmare Designer in the company and the only person I felt I could trust—despite his always cold demeanor.
Shen Mo was smoking in the designated area, and when he saw me approaching, he gave a slight nod.
"Brother Shen, I want to ask you something." I hesitated for a moment. "Last night in the client's dream, I saw some strange symbols, and the client's reaction felt too real, unlike a dream..."
Shen Mo frowned and exhaled a puff of smoke. "Gu Qing, remember one thing: don’t get too involved; this is just work."
His tone was flat, but his eyes were filled with warning. "Every designer goes through this phase of doubting the reality of dreams. But remember, we are just helping clients relieve their stress; don’t overthink it."
I nodded, but my inner doubts remained unresolved.
Back at my workstation, I secretly looked up more information about Wang Ming. Sure enough, he had recently encountered significant business problems and owed a large sum to a company called Xinyuan Group. What surprised me even more was that Xinyuan Group was actually a sister company of Nightmare Company.
What a coincidence.
In the following days, I continued to provide nightmare services for Wang Ming. Each time I entered his dream, I played the role of the terrifying creditor, pressuring him to repay his debts. Each time, he displayed extreme fear and even began revealing some business secrets in hopes of buying more time.
After the fifth day's task concluded, I was assigned to another client's dream. This time, the client was a young woman named Lin Shan.
In her dream, I played the role of a stranger, merely observing from a distance. The dream setting had her trapped in a maze, constantly searching for an exit. But just as the task was about to end, something strange happened—Lin Shan walked straight toward me with an awareness that felt far too real for a dream.
"You were deceived by them too, weren't you?" she whispered. "Nightmare Company isn’t what you think it is."
I was so surprised that I couldn't find my voice. This completely deviated from the script.
"Next time, meet me at South City Café. The real me." After she said this, she vanished into the mist.
After the dream ended, I felt restless. How could this be?
Three days later, I made an excuse to take a day off and went to the South City Café. Lin Shan was indeed waiting there and said directly, "The 'Nightmare' company appears to provide nightmare services, but in reality, they are using this technology to steal commercial secrets and even manipulate clients' behaviors."
I tightened my grip on the coffee cup, unable to believe my ears. "What evidence do you have?"
"I was once their client and later became a 'Nightmare Designer,' just like you," Lin Shan's eyes flickered with pain. "Until I discovered that those nightmares didn't just exist in dreams; they affected reality, altering people's behaviors and decisions. Wang Ming is just one of many victims."
She handed me a document filled with details. Lin Shan nervously glanced around. "I have to go; it's too dangerous. Remember, don't trust Shen Mo; he is one of the core figures in the company."
She hurried away, leaving me alone in the café, filled with turmoil and confusion.
I didn't know who to trust—myself or anyone else. I noticed Supervisor Zhou and Shen Mo whispering to each other. When they saw me enter, they exchanged a cold glance that seemed to scrutinize me. "Did you rest well? There's a new task tomorrow."
I nodded, trying hard to mask my inner unease. My paycheck had somehow appeared on the table, and the amount was double what I had expected.
Was this a generous reward for my work or a veiled threat and bribe?
I looked out the window; the sunset cast a bloody glow over the skyscrapers. Suddenly, I realized that I had fallen into a reality more terrifying than any nightmare.
And this was just the beginning.
Comment 0 Comment Count