?? Season One
Episode Four
Date: 24/11/2025
Title: Mystery in the Depths
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Sheng: W-Where is the restaurant? We've been walking for three hours!
Emily: Three hours? Don’t exaggerate. We’ve only been walking for one hour and twenty-three minutes.
I usually get here in thirty-seven minutes… You’re just very slow, Sheng!
Sheng: … Thanks for your usual kindness.
(A fast shadow passes by him, barely noticed from the corner of his eye.)
Sheng (thinking): What was that? Could it be the thing BIYD was talking about?
Emily: Oh! The manager is over there. He’s been waiting for you at the door.
??? (Manager): Finally, you’ve arrived. I’ve been waiting for you for a very long time.
Sheng: Uhh… alright. And who exactly are you?
Manager: My name is Loken Hot, from France.
You may go back to work now, Emily. There’s pressure with the orders.
Emily: Of course, sir.
(Emily leaves, and Sheng remains alone with the manager.)
Sheng: May I know why you wanted to meet me?
Loken: Come. Let’s talk in my office.
(They enter an office lit by a faint yellow light.)
Loken: What is your full name?
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Sheng: S-Sheng?
Loken: No… that’s not what I mean. I mean, what is your son’s name?
Sheng: What?! I don’t have a son.
Loken: His name is Shab Li, isn’t it?
(Sheng freezes for a moment.)
Sheng (to himself): Shab Li…? That name appeared in the screen message!
Sheng: Are you sure about what you’re saying?
Loken: Yes. I was a close friend of your father.
There was also a third friend with us named Zhao Bolen, from the same town as your father.
But… (pauses for a moment) there’s no need to mention the rest now.
Sheng: But what? What happened?
Loken: Trust me, it doesn’t matter right now. I’ll tell you later.
Sheng: No, I want to know!
Loken: I said later, Sheng.
(He takes a deep breath, then opens an old wooden drawer and takes out a small box.)
Loken: This is what I wanted to give you.
Your father told me to hand it to you when you turn thirty.
Sheng: But… there’s only one week left until I turn thirty.
Loken: …What? (pauses briefly)
It doesn’t matter. Take it now anyway.
Sheng: And what’s inside it?
Loken: You’ll know when you open it.
(Before he can continue, a worker rushes in, panting.)
Worker: Sir! There’s a problem in the kitchen. We need to close the restaurant immediately!
Loken: What’s the problem, Kevin?
Sheng (thinking): Kevin?! The same name as the resident in the building!
Kevin: You need to see it yourself. The water won’t stop!
(They all head to the kitchen. The floor is flooded.)
Loken: What is all this water?!
Cook 1: We don’t know! The water won’t stop even after shutting off the faucet.
Loken: Then shut off the main valve!
Cook 2: The valve is in the sewer, but we sent Emily and Zhao there fifteen minutes ago… They haven’t returned, and we can’t reach them!
Loken: What?! … Sheng, I’m sorry, but can you go down there and check?
Sheng: … No. I don’t want to go.
Loken: Why?
Sheng: Because I don’t need to do this in the first place.
Loken: I’ll pay you 20 dollars.
Sheng: Where’s the way?
Loken: Lolen, the maintenance supervisor, will go with you.
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(After an hour and a half)
Loken: Are you two ready to go down?
Sheng and Lolen: Yes.
(They descend into the sewers… The humidity is suffocating, and the darkness is thick.)
Sheng: It’s very dark here…
Lolen: Don’t worry, I have a flashlight.
(He turns it on, lighting the tunnel with a dim yellow glow.)
Sheng: W-Wait! I saw something there… It looked like a hand with three fingers!
Lolen: You’re imagining things. There’s no—
(He suddenly stops and steps back.)
Lolen: T-T-There’s something behind you… It’s very large!
Sheng: …
(He slowly turns his head as the darkness swallows his features.)
To be continued…
What do you think is behind Sheng?
