CH 621

Han Fei arrived at the theme park at Northern Countryside at around 5 am. With technological advancement, there came many entertainment choices. There were few people who would visit actual theme parks, much less one which was closed to the public.

“Being rich is great. You can build a theme park just for the sake of memory.” Han Fei was surprised when he arrived. He thought the old park would be old and deserted. But the place was well-maintained and far larger than a normal theme park.

Han Fei took out his phone and looked on the map. He had a new discovery. The theme park was on the opposite end of the plastic surgery hospital. The two locales were similar to how they were positioned in Fu Sheng’s memory world.

“Fu Tian and Fu Sheng are gone. So who is running the theme park?” Xin Lu Theme Park shut down years before Immortal Pharma took over. There wasn’t much info about it online. The only detail was it was washed away by time and bad management.

“There’s no murder or serious case that happened here, so why is this place a permanent scar on Fu Sheng’s heart? Or those cases disappeared along with Fu Sheng?” The gate was closed. The surrounding was silent. There was no one around, but the theme park was brightly-lit. The different rides operated like normal. “How much electricity will go to waste because of this?”

Out of habit, Han Fei checked the camera locations. He walked around the fences before he found a blind spot about 100 meters away from the gate. “This spot will be hidden for a second when the two cameras turn to 30 degrees. I need to use this chance well.”

Han Fei lowered his head and acted like a man out on a morning jog. He watched the cameras as he moved along the edge of the fence. As the cameras turned, Han Fei suddenly picked up speed to grab the fence. As he prepared to jump over, a clown suddenly appeared on the other side of the fence.

Han Fei had no idea when the clown appeared. He was gaudy-dressed, with thick makeup on his face. Han Fei halted. He was now a public figure. He couldn’t be seen breaking into a theme park. Han Fei jumped back down and looked at the clown across the fence. He felt like he should say something. “Good morning. I’m just looking around.” The clown felt very strange to Han Fei. It was as if a ghost, and not a human, was under the clown makeup.

The clown titled his head and revealed an exaggerated smile. He didn’t scold Han Fei but took out a red balloon from behind him and handed it to Han Fei.

“This is for me?” Han Fei accepted the balloon. The balloon had a human face printed on it. From afar, it looked like he was holding a floating human head. “This theme park is rather unique.”

After Han Fei accepted the balloon, the clown clapped happily before waddling away.

“What a strange person.” This was a serious comment from Han Fei. Han Fei knew he was already featured on the surveillance. He abandoned the plan to infiltrate the theme park and used the front door instead.

“I’m sorry, but when will the park open?” Han Fei came to the ticket booth. The booth was painted with cartoon pictures. It looked like a house from a fairy tale. A uniformed worker sat inside the booth.

“Is he asleep?” Han Fei called for a long time and knocked on the glass. He then reached in to tap the person’s shoulder. Before he got close, the worker’s head fell from the shoulders and dropped into his palm.

“An AI worker?” This was supposed to be scary, but Han Fei wasn’t frightened at all. He pulled the head out of the window. “Is it broken? I didn’t do this!” Han Fei waved at the cameras, holding the broken head. However, no one came. Han Fei decided to find the guard. He found the guard booth after walking for a few minutes. He knocked on the window. The guard was woken up from his sleep. Once he opened his eyes, a human head stared at him.

The guard tripped and fell from his chair.

“Sorry. I’m here to look for someone. Your ticker seller’s head fell!” Han Fei explained. Eventually, the guard exited the booth.

“You’re Han Fei, the celebrity?” The guard stammered. He didn’t expect to see a famous celebrity.

“How can you be a guard when you’re so timid?” Han Fei placed the head on the table. “When will your park open? What do I need to do to visit this place?”

“We’re a private theme park. We don’t open to the public.” The guard was embarrassed. “But if this is urgent, I can contact my superior for you. I personally don’t have the right to let people in.”

The guard made a few calls. Then a uniformed worker came from inside the theme park and led Han Fei into the park. The worker looked like he just woke up too. His hair was disheveled. A worker Id hung around his chest.

“Mr. Han, why are you here so early in the morning?” The worker’s name was Tao Tao. He was Han Fei’s fan. When he heard Han Fei was there, he jumped up from bed and raced over.

“Don’t worry. I just want to take a look around.”

“I’ll accompany you.” Tao Tao wiped his sweat as he stared at Han Fei carefully. Han Fei was technically an actor, but he was also called the Walking Death. Death followed him everywhere.

“There’s not one visitor, why keep the rides running? Isn’t that a waste of money?” Han Fei asked.

“That’s the order of our former CEO, Fu Tian. We have to keep the theme park running 24 days a day. I think he said it’s because… he was waiting for someone.”

“Waiting for someone?”

“Yes, but he couldn’t remember who it was. He only knew that the person would one day return to the theme park and found him who was lost.” Tao Tao shrugged. “I didn’t know the details. Fu Tian was a genius. Commoners like me can’t understand him.” Fu Tian was deified in the company after his death.

“That’s why you keep this large park running? Because of the random order of a dead man?” Han Fei was in disbelief.

Tao Tao chuckled. “Actually, many people share your thoughts. So ever since Fu Tian passed away, the theme park has stopped maintenance, and the lowest price is used to keep this place running.”

“I heard that Fu Tian’s will has been edited. The original will mentioned this theme park? So does that mean this place is related to the black box?” Han Fei commented casually.

“That has to be a rumor. I’ve guarded this place for decades already and know every inch of this place. There’s no black box.” Tao Tao sighed.

“Has Fu Tian been here before? Did he say or do anything interesting?” Han Fei asked directly.

“In the past, the CEO would come to visit the park. He would always sit on the bench at the center of the park alone, close his eyes and rest. It was like he was waiting for someone.”

“Waiting for someone?”

“But he didn’t wait until that person appears. Immortality is just a dream.” Tao Tao accompanied Han Fei to wander around the park. Then, he received a phone call. He needed to go because he was told to participate in some kind of parade. Tao Tao reminded Han Fei not to touch the rides before heading to the west side of the park. Han Fei felt abandoned in the large park. He walked through the singing rides and flashing lights to the park center.

Next to the large fountain, he saw the long bench Tao Tao mentioned. However, to his surprise, there was someone sitting on the bench on the other side of the fountain. It was a kind-looking old lady. She was beautiful and regal, like a royal family member. The old lady was shocked when she saw Han Fei. She seemed to remember something. She smiled and waved at Han Fei.

Han Fei thought the old lady was familiar too. He walked around the fountain and sat on the bench beside her.

“Have I seen you before?” The old lady asked.

“Perhaps on the movies? I’m an actor.” Han Fei studied the old lady. He realized the old lady’s hair was very special. Her hair was white, but the roots were black. It was as if she was aging backwards.

“I haven’t seen a movie in years.” The lady shook her head and then looked at her hands. Her fingerprints were missing, like they had been worn away.

“Actually, I think you look familiar too.” Han Fei rubbed his temples. “Madam, how shall I call you?”

“I’m Du Jing. It is my mother’s name, but I have to live on her behalf.” The old lady said without raising her head.

“Du Jing?” Han Fei was shocked when he heard that name. He had seen this old lady in the memory world before!

She was Du Jing’s biological daughter, and medicine for Du Zhu. In real life, Du Jing helped Fu Sheng and died inside the plastic surgery hospital. Fu Sheng then saved Du Jing’s daughter and tried to give her immortality. Han Fei didn’t know what happened to Du Zhu after that. He couldn’t find anything on her on the internet. The woman was wiped away by Fu Sheng.

“I’m trying my best to live, but the people around me keep leaving. If immortality means always saying goodbye to others, what’s the point?”

“If one person is immortal, it’s boring, but it’ll be different if everyone is immortal. But I can’t imagine that world.” Han Fei looked at the old lady. He asked, “Can you still remember Fu Sheng?”

“Fu Sheng… Who is he?” The lady’s wrinkles deepened.

“He’s the reason this theme park exists.”

“Fu Tian built this theme park.” The old lady seemed to remember something. “But I did hear that he built this park to wait for someone. He had made a promise with that person. If one of them went missing, they would come to this theme park and sit on the bench to wait for the other.”

“Did Fu Tian manage to wait for that person to return?”

“No.” The old lady shook her head. When she said that, the sun rose from the horizon. All the lights went out at once. “The ghost night is over. The parade is about to start. Would you like to come with me?”

“Ghost night? Parade?”

“This theme park has many games left behind by Fu Tian. Ghost night is basically hide and seek. It lasts from midnight to dawn. Then during the parade, everyone will bring their captured ghosts and release them under the sun.” The old lady stood up. “Fu Tian liked games. He had designed many games. He said he was the only person who could clear the games he designed.”

The ground trembled. A giant gate deep inside the theme park opened. A giant black float appeared on the track. The sun shone into the theme park. Strange floats drove out of the buildings on the west. The floats were festooned with red and black flowers. Some looked like giant crows, and others were covered with human-face balloons.

Nightmare, madness, and anomaly seemed to be the parade’s theme. There were actors on the floats. They performed with the props. Even though Han Fei and the old lady were the only audiences, they gave it their all.

“Isn’t it shocking?” The old lady looked at the floats. “Every time I try a new drug, I’ll come to stay here for one night. Seeing everything Fu Tian designed, it feels like he’s still alive.”

“It’s not bad.” Han Fei memorized the design of all the floats and the people on the float.

He realized he couldn’t find the clown he encountered earlier.