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☆ 1 ☆ The Eternal Bus (1/4)

现实虚拟中【无限】   ☆ 【Unlimited Flow】 Author : 名利

RAW: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=6862965

—— A bus that loops forever.

—— A haunted house that accepts screams as payment to skip scenes.

—— A dark and shadowy university that demands the best behaviour

—— A lift that leads to hell and back.

—— A stairwell that doesn’t let you leave until you reveal its history.

—— A library that was filled with death and secrets.

In the 23rd century, the struggle between life and death was being played out worldwide.

People blessed with “good luck” were forced to wander through mysterious dilemmas and pay attention to its rules.

“—— Don’t disturb the driver while driving.”

“—— Don’t push the lift button at random.”

“—— Don’t pile up your rubbish in the stairwell.”

“—— Don’t make a lot of noise in the library.”

But all changed when someone finally noticed that amid all the recent spirit shenanigans, a person in a pink hoodie consistently strung out.

**

Xu Jin Yi, who had a sizable collection of single-player horror-themed RPGs, was pleasantly delighted to discover that several of them had been upgraded to a VR version.

Using VR’s default avatar with a pink hoodie, Xu Jin Yi relied on her bountiful experience to beat bosses, break puzzles, and tease NPCs.

There was only one obstacle she couldn’t beat.

NPC: “… I don’t know your name yet, pink hoodie.”

Xu Jin Yi hesitantly entered her ID: “… YourRealDaddy24K??”

[Blocked word detected. Please re-enter ID】

[TN: slightly re-edited 11.02.2023, Leave a like in support!]

“— Riverside (江城Jiang-Cheng) Station is here! Passengers getting off the bus, please bring all your belongings and get off through the back door.”

As the hour hand of the clock approached the hour of seven, the sun had already set beyond the western horizon, drenching the surroundings in a serene stillness. The only disturbance in the tranquillity was the announcement ringing in Wang Zhou Zhou’s (王周周) ears, heralding the arrival of a bus.

The bus pulled up beside a lush swath of greenery, its dull orange and red exterior seamlessly blending in with the surrounding beauty. The number “25” was carelessly attached to its glass window, lending it an unremarkable appearance. With a thundering sound, the front door creaked open, beckoning passengers aboard.

Pausing his video, Wang Zhou Zhou stepped onto the bus, his eyes fixed downward as he retrieved the boarding code from his phone.

“— Code swiped successfully.”

Clutching his phone tightly, Wang Zhou Zhou scanned the bus for an unoccupied seat. To his surprise, the bus was remarkably packed for the hour of the day. Settling into a seat near the window, just before the back door, Wang Zhou Zhou leaned back and took in the other passengers.

In front of him, to his left, was an elderly man who sat hunched over, his head bent low, with a plump black plastic bag at his feet. Ahead of him, two rows of seats faced each other, and in one of them, a man who appeared to be a “social animal” (a slang term for office workers who work long hours) reclined comfortably. However, the other man had his back turned to Wang Zhou Zhou, making it impossible for him to make out his face clearly.

And the rest…

With a discreet tilt of his head, Wang Zhou Zhou cast a sidelong glance, taking in the view behind him. To his left, two men were seated in the last row of seats, and for some inexplicable reason, Wang Zhou Zhou felt that they were exchanging a surreptitious, hostile gaze. Despite the availability of numerous other seats on the bus, they had chosen to sit side by side and appeared ready for a physical altercation.

As if sensing his gaze, both men turned their heads toward him in unison, their faces set in stern expressions and their eyes devoid of emotion. The sudden movement caught Wang Zhou Zhou off guard, and he quickly averted his eyes.

Glancing at the time on his phone, Wang Zhou Zhou saw that it was 19:10. This was the final stop of the bus route, and in just five minutes, the bus would set off on its journey.

The bus was so hushed that Wang Zhou Zhou felt self-conscious about playing on his mobile phone. He rummaged through his pockets and finally located his headphone cord, which had knotted into a tangle.

Wang Zhou Zhou: “…”

He resigned himself to his fate and began to untangle the ball of yarn.

“— Code swiped successfully.”

“— Code swiped successfully.”

Two more passengers boarded the bus.

Wang Zhou Zhou casually glanced up.

‘Ah, it was them.’

Two girls boarded the bus, one after the other, and after surveying the interior, they decided to take a seat in a double seat a row away from the old man. Wang Zhou Zhou, plugged into his headphones, nodded in greeting.

These girls were classmates of Wang Zhou Zhou at driving school. Tomorrow, they would be taking their second driving test together. Their instructor had taken them on a tour of the exam centre earlier in the day, which was why they had gotten off the bus a little later than usual.

Thankfully, they had made it just in time to catch the last bus.

At the front of the bus, the two girls chattered quietly, their voices filling the otherwise silent atmosphere. At one point, the hush around them was so profound that even the girls fell quiet, their attention diverted to their phones.

At the last minute, before the bus left…

“— Code swiped successfully.”

The final passenger to board was also a fellow classmate at driving school. He was panting heavily, sweat streaming down his face.

Wang Zhou Zhou recognized him. He had been careless and lackadaisical during their driving lessons. On his first time behind the wheel, he had almost run over their instructor while manoeuvring into an open field.

It appeared that he had nearly missed the bus, perhaps due to the instructor holding him back for a scolding.

Wang Zhou Zhou was sceptical about the man’s chances of passing the test tomorrow.

The man grumbled to himself before taking a seat in front of the office worker.

Wang Zhou Zhou averted his gaze.

At last, the bus pulled away, beginning its journey.

“Vehicle is starting; please sit still and hold on tight. Next stop: Riverside Station.”

Wang Zhou Zhou’s hand holding the headphones paused for a moment.

‘Which station? Wasn’t this the Riverside Station?’

Under the driver’s professional skills, the bus smoothly departed from the stop and moved forward.

‘…Maybe I heard it wrong.’ Wang Zhou Zhou hesitated for a moment and withdrew his gaze.

***

The bus route #25 made a stop right outside Wang Zhou Zhou’s doorstep, making his daily commute to and from school a breeze. The trip from the bus terminal to his home took a mere seven stops. While he was not familiar with the other passengers, he would occasionally see the two girls from driving school on the bus when he disembarked.

However, today something unusual occurred.

“— Riverside Station is here! Passengers disembarking, please bring all your belongings and disembark through the back door.”

… It was Riverside Station again.

But he had obviously boarded the bus at Riverside Station!

The next stop should have been East Riverside Station!

At first, Wang Zhou Zhou couldn’t believe his ears. Had he misheard the announcement of the next stop? But as he looked around at the other three people in his driving group, he saw that they too were staring in confusion.

Despite having been learning to drive for over twenty days and riding the same bus route more than fifty times, the four of them were sure that this was not the expected stop.

The atmosphere on the bus grew tense as they all realised that something was amiss. Nobody got on or off at this stop, only adding to the eerie silence.

As the bus started to move forward once again, Wang Zhou Zhou’s hands trembled as he struggled to convince himself that it was all just his imagination. He repeated to himself, ‘I’m just imagining things, I’m just imagining things.’ But deep down, he knew that something was not right.

He glanced at his mobile phone screen.

There was no signal.

Instead, the phone’s screen still played a video commentary on an endless loop:

【Seven people took the evening bus and disappeared.】

【The seven people on the late evening bus are suspected of being accidentally involved in a Spirit Shenanigans Event!】

No pop-ups. No comments.

Wang Zhou Zhou could only view the statements discussed by one netizen on his cellphone. He couldn’t do anything else.

He couldn’t dial 110*.

Finally, the bus stopped again.

“— Riverside Station is here! Passengers disembarking, please bring all your belongings and disembark through the back door.”

Wang Zhou Zhou: “…”

He was getting a bit desperate.

The other three didn’t act, probably because they were clinging to their luck like him.

But this time, the electronic transmission dashed their hopes again.

“— — Code swiped successfully…”

Wang Zhou Zhou: “!”

He jerked his head up. Someone else boarded the bus?

At the front of the bus, a figure in a pink hoodie swiped their phone and sauntered to the back of the bus with a nonchalant expression. As the bus jolted forward, the person stagger along took a seat beside Wang Zhou Zhou.

Wang Zhou Zhou was at a loss for words, his mouth hanging open without saying a word. But the person next to him remained absorbed in their phone, not even glancing in his direction.

“Vehicle is starting. Please sit still and hold on tight. Next stop: Riverside Station,” came the announcement over the PA system.

Despite not wearing headphones, the hoodie-clad figure remained unfazed, their calm demeanour unchanged by the announcement.

Wang Zhou Zhou suddenly thought: ‘Apart from the four of them, were the people in the vehicle really alive?’ He shook his hand and put his headphones back on to listen to the video, which he hadn’t yet finish.

【…surveillance shows that seven people boarded the #13 bus, but three days after the time had elapsed, the police still hadn’t found the bus or its passengers.】

【Is this a new Spirit Shenanigan Event? Will these seven people stay on this “Eternal bus’ forever? What happened on the bus? Why didn’t the seven people get off the bus after sensing something was wrong?】

Old Li (老李) in the video paused and frowned as he offered his opinion:

【Maybe some of the seven passengers may have attempted to exit the bus, but those who did may not have returned to reality.】

【The officers are still doing everything they can to investigate. Old Li says the police likely shared this information so that we might all survive.】

【After all, we never know when an unexpected Spirit Shenanigans Event may occur.】

Wang Zhou Zhou paused the video.

He collapsed into the padded bus seat, his nose was suddenly sore, and he wanted to cry a little.

The Spirit Shenanigans Events had only occurred in the last few years. Still, they had occurred so infrequently that everyone had assumed they were the lucky stars not involved in them until now.

Wang Zhou Zhou sniffled.

He was a little indignant. ‘I’ve got my fucking second exam tomorrow!’

He didn’t know if the others thought so too, but suddenly the other man stood up.

“Open the door!” A man strode towards the driver’s seat, his tone hostile as he knocked on the protective door. “Open the door, I want to get out!”

But the driver remained silent, unfazed by the man’s demands as the bus continued on its route.

The man’s patience was wearing thin. “I fucking told you to open the door!!!” he bellowed, pounding on the door with increasing force. Despite the man’s rage, the protective door held strong, causing no disturbance to the driver.

The man, breathing heavily, turned on his heel and stomped towards the back of the bus. Wang Zhou Zhou watched him warily, wondering if he could actually get off.

The man seized the armrest of the rear door, shaking it violently. “Open the door!!!” he shouted. “Open the door for me! I want to get off!!!”

But the bus continued its journey, the man cursing and pacing before finally lifting his foot and launching into a frenzy of kicks.

“Bang!”

Once.

“Bang!”

Twice.

“Bang!”

Thrice.

With a sudden jolt, the bus came to a halt after the third try. The back door swung open swiftly, and the man stepped out in surprise.

Wang Zhou Zhou’s eyes widened in disbelief. ‘He really got off the bus?’ he thought to himself.

——— Translators Notes ———

Over the years of reading Chinese novels, I have found that character names sometimes play a role in the story. Authors either imply or explicitly state: he is the bad guy; this will be a crybaby, and so on. As a result, when readers are merely provided simple pronunciation without meaning, they miss out. That is why I’ll put here the character names with Pinyin.

Wang Zhou Zhou

王周周: character approximate name meaning, Wang = king or monarch / best or strongest of its type / grand / great, Zhou = cycle/something that repeats itself, Eternal King?

Old Li

老李: lǎo = prefix used before the surname of a person or a numeral indicating the order of birth of the children in a family or to indicate affection or familiarity / old (of people) / venerable (person) / experienced / of long standing / always / all the time / of the past / very / outdated / (of meat etc) tough; Li = plum

Riverside Station

江城Jiangcheng: Jiang = river, Cheng = city walls / city / town

Spirit Shenanigans

诡秘: guǐmì = secretive / furtive / surreptitious / bizarre / mystery / weirdness / bizarre]

*110 Emergency Calls (Special Service) Call 110 when you meet common criminal or public order cases, emergencies and need help. Call 119 when there is a fire breaking out. Call 120 when you need emergency care and first aid.

  ☆ 2 ☆ The Eternal Bus (2/4)

[TN: slightly re-edited 12.02.2023]

The man stood on the road in a daze, and then his expression changed to one of surprise.

He had actually gotten off the bus!

Behind the man, the bus quickly closed its rear door and slowly drove away.

***

As the bus swayed to and fro, Wang Zhou Zhou couldn’t help but feel a twinge of admiration. Despite the rough approach, the man ahead of him had disembarked with ease.

He hesitated to follow suit. The two girls sitting in front of him to his right had their hands clasped and looked like they wanted to try it too.

Wang Zhou Zhou made up his mind and leaned over to the person in the pink hoodie next to him and whispered, “Excuse me, move over; I’ve to get off.”

Hoodie didn’t even bother to look up as they replied, “The bus hasn’t arrived yet.”.

Wang Zhou Zhou: “…

Of course, he knew it hadn’t arrived! But it was still Riverside Station that he’d arrive at. What if he could never pass the Riverside Station!

With a resolve forged from fear and frustration, he prepared to push his way through.

At this time, the bus stopped again.

“— Riverside Station is here! Passengers disembarking, please bring all your belongings and disembark through the back door.”

Wang Zhou Zhou hesitated, his gaze alight with anticipation as he addressed the hoodie. “Now that we’ve arrived at the station, may I disembark?”

The hoodie finally lifted their gaze to meet his, and Wang Zhou Zhou was struck by the inky depths of their eyes. How did he look? Wang Zhou Zhou lacked the energy to describe and could only recall those eyes. They were unfathomable, cold, and held a power that sent shivers down his spine.

The hoodie said nothing, only stared at him, and Wang Zhou Zhou felt as though he had been plunged into a deep freeze. When he regained his composure, he found himself slumped back in his seat.

The bus’s rear door had slammed shut once more.

The person in the pink hoodie put away their phone, brushed their hair out of their eyes, and resumed their silent contemplation, staring straight ahead.

Wang Zhou Zhou remained silent for what felt like an eternity, not daring to make eye contact with the hoodie again. However, he couldn’t help but follow their gaze and noticed an old woman who had boarded the bus when he wasn’t looking.

Her bent posture was draped in a faded blue floral dress, hiding most of her form, except for a pair of withered, coal-black hands that hung exposed. The old woman stood beside the two young women, her cloudy yellow eyes fixed upon them, and despite there being empty seats available behind them, she decided to take their place. The two girls huddled together, their eyes wide with fear as they nervously tugged at each other’s sleeves.

“Courtesy toward the elderly is a virtue, oh little sisters.”

The hoodie’s voice was like a lullaby, breaking the spell that held the two young women in thrall. “Come, come, sit over here. Give up your seat for the old lady.”

They sprang into action, scurrying past the old woman to make room for her on the seat they had occupied. The old woman settled into their spot, her bones creaking as she settled into the seat. One of the girls stifled a scream as she heard the bones rubbing together, shivering as her companion pulled her away.

“Take a seat here,” the hoodie invited, patting the plastic bench behind them with a warm smile and said meaningfully, “There is no telling what accidents might happen while the bus is moving.”

Wang Zhou Zhou sat to the side, his body trembling as he absorbed the events that had transpired.

The girls gave them a look.

There was no assurance that the individuals on this bus were alive, save for the three of them. Even the friendly looking hoodie might be a ghost.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding their fellow passengers, the girls decided to take their seats behind Wang Zhou Zhou.

The bus journey was smooth, and as expected, the next stop was Riverside Station.

Wang Zhou Zhou’s legs felt unsteady after being looked at by the hoodie, causing him to turn his head awkwardly to avoid eye contact.

As for disembarking, if the hoodie didn’t get off first, how could Wang Zhou Zhou cross his path and leave the bus? This was not a matter to be taken lightly.

Wang Zhou Zhou redirected his gaze to the window.

“!”

What was that…?

Like a gelatinous advertisement, a human face was adhered to the bus window, clinging tenaciously even as the vehicle hurtled forward at great velocity. The face was a mere ten centimetres away from Wang Zhou Zhou.

With wide-eyed disbelief, Wang Zhou Zhou was about to let out a sharp cry of alarm. “Ah-woo!”

But his outburst was quickly stifled by the person sitting beside him, pink Hoodie had reached over and covered his mouth, preventing him from letting loose the scream that had risen in his throat.

The hooded individual gazed nonchalantly at their phone, their nails almost sinking into Wang Zhou Zhou’s face, as if nothing of consequence had transpired. But in doing so, they had momentarily forgotten about the girls seated behind them.

The girls, attracted by their movements, caught a glimpse of the human face that was pressed against the window glass, and emitted a piercing high-decibel duet of screeches that struck Wang Zhou Zhou’s ear drums.

Dazed and disoriented, Wang Zhou Zhou heard Hoodie sigh softly beside him. But what came next left him speechless.

The hooded individual rose from their seat, leaned over Wang Zhou Zhou, who sat frozen, and with fluid ease, opened the window, reached out, and detached the human face from the glass before letting it go. These series of actions were performed with remarkable fluidity and ease.

Wang Zhou Zhou: “???

The girls’ duet also came to an abrupt end.

After finishing this fluid action, the hoodie closed the bus window, clapped their hands and sat down.

“…”

Wang Zhou Zhou felt increasingly convinced that the pink hoodie was not of this world. What sort of human could so casually tear a person’s face off with their bare hands!

However, as he pondered this strange occurrence, he realised that the face in the window was all too familiar, as if he had seen it before somewhere.

“…”

It was the man who got out of the bus.

It was his face!

That human face just now looked very soft and flexible, as if it had only melted away the inside of the person, leaving only a little fat to hold the human skin together. The skin was still somewhat thick, and the open mouth was opening and closing on the glass window as if to say…

【Get out of the bus.】

【Why don’t you get out of the bus?】

【Get out of the bus.】

【I’ll wait for you on the side.】

Wang Zhou Zhou’s hair stood on end and goosebumps rose on his skin as he was overcome with fear. From the back seat, he could hear the soft sobs of two frightened girls.

It was clear to him that it was not safe for them to exit the bus, for they too may end up like the grotesque human skin that had just been detached from the window.

The memory of the macabre visage caused Wang Zhou Zhou’s complexion to pale and he felt as if he might be sick to the point of gagging.

“Keep the bus tidy,” the hooded figure spoke softly, their tone calm but firm. “Whatever you vomit, you lick it back up.”

Wang Zhou Zhou: “…

Wang Zhou Zhou struggled to suppress a dry heave, his overactive imagination barely in check. But through this moment of turmoil, he began to understand the gravity of the situation.

According to the brief video he had seen owned by Old Li, it seemed that someone must have attempted to disembark the bus during the original seven-person incident.

Perhaps the difference was that some disembarked at a station, while others did so en route. If those who exited the bus mid-journey were transformed into grotesque human skin husks, then what fate befell those who disembarked at a station?

Wang Zhou Zhou turned his head to gaze at the hooded figure sitting calmly beside him, as if the disturbing episode of them tearing off a human face had never occurred.

But apart from the three clueless passengers in this bus, this pink hooded figure was the only one with whom Wang Zhou Zhou could converse. And based on their apparent calm, it seemed likely that they had some insight into the situation.

After much contemplation, Wang Zhou Zhou finally mustered the courage to ask in a low, unsteady voice, “Excuse me, do you know what will happen if one disembarks at the station?”

“If you get off at the station, you get off at the station.”

Wang Zhou Zhou was left speechless. He took a deep breath and rephrased his question, “What happens if I board the bus at Riverside Station and disembark at Riverside Station?” As he spoke, he felt an inexplicable chill enveloping him.

The hooded figure cast a glance at Wang Zhou Zhou, who then became aware that their eyes were no longer filled with the darkness of ink and instead appeared more natural. The stranger held up their index finger to their lips in a silent shush gesture. They remained silent.

Wang Zhou Zhou was unsure of what they meant and attempted to speak, but before he could utter a word, a pair of hands reached out from the back seat and swiftly covered his mouth.

Wang Zhou Zhou let out a muffled exclamation, his eyes wide in surprise.

‘Again?’ he thought to himself.

The girl sitting behind him appeared pale, but she persisted in keeping Wang Zhou Zhou’s mouth covered, not allowing him to voice his query.

She covered it tightly for a few minutes, and finally –

“— Riverside Station is here; please bring all your belongings and get off through the back door.”

The rear door was opened with a bang.

The hooded figure tilted their head to the side and spoke in a normal tone, “If you get off early, you’ll have to wait for another bus. After all, you must get off the stop you were originally getting off at.”

The girl released Wang Zhou Zhou’s mouth, and he stared blankly at the hooded figure, still at a loss for words.

His mind raced with thoughts. ‘You can’t get off in the middle, you can’t leave the bus before reaching your intended stop.’

The girls gazed out of the window, but all they saw was a dense fog, concealing everything beyond the bus stop marked “Riverside Station.”

What lay within the fog was unknown.

If Wang Zhou Zhou were to leave the bus before reaching his intended stop, he would have nowhere to go and would have to wait for an indefinite amount of time for the next bus. He could be trapped there forever.

Wang Zhou Zhou slouched in his seat, overcome with despair.

The bus soon picked up three to five more passengers, and as no one disembarked, the empty seats on the bus filled up rapidly.

If there had been a few more trips, the bus seats would have been filled.

Those few additional passengers, like the other passengers on the bus, had empty expressions and moved in a mechanical manner.

“Driver!” Hoodie suddenly called out in a loud voice. “How many more stops until Rising Signs (志兴Zhi Xing) Mansion Station?”

The ghostly passengers all jolted at the sound of the hoodie’s voice.

After a brief pause, Wang Zhou Zhou heard the driver’s low, gruff reply, “Seven more stops.”

“Okay, thank you, driver,” the hoodie responded.

The back door of the bus was then closed, and it continued on its journey.

Rising Signs Mansion was Wang Zhou Zhou’s intended stop. Was it just a coincidence? His heart began to race with excitement.

There were still seven stops left until…

The hooded figure resumed their gaze at their phone, and after asking the question, they remained silent.

Wang Zhou Zhou made the decision to trust the pink hoodie.

He yearned to return home.

——— Translators Notes ———

Rising Signs Mansion

志兴: Zhi-Xing: Zhi = aspiration / ambition / the will/ sign / mark / to record / to write a footnote; Xing = to rise / to flourish / to become popular / to start / to encourage / to get up

  ☆ 3 ☆ The Eternal Bus (3/4)

“— Riverside Station is here! Passengers disembarking, please bring all your belongings and disembark through the back…”

“— Riverside Station is here! Passengers disembarking, please bring…”

“— Riverside Station is here! Passengers disembarking…”

“— Riverside Station…”

……

Wang Zhou Zhou closed his eyes and finally opened them after listening to the sixth electronic announcement.

The bus was now full of stiff-looking ‘people’.

The bus was dead silent.

The girls in the rear seat were too afraid to cry, but their hearts were quivering.

The last stop.

The bus wobbled to a halt.

“— Rising Signs Mansion Station is here! Passengers disembarking, please bring all your belongings and disembark through the back door.”

At that moment, Wang Zhou Zhou seemed to hear the sound of fireworks bursting into bloom next to his ears, which made his ears ring a little for a while.

Here we are.

Rising Signs Mansion had arrived.

The hoodie simply got up and turned his head sideways to the dumbfounded Wang Zhou Zhou, “I’m getting off first, buddy.”

Wang Zhou Zhou woke up as if from a dream and subconsciously shouted, “Wait! I’m going too!”

They yanked Wang Zhou Zhou’s hands away.

“……”

“I’m not deaf, and keep your cold hands off.” The hoodie had an odd tone as if they were very disgusted.

The two people, one in front of the other, stood in the back car doorway, intending to get out.

Suddenly, the hoodie turned back.

“Are you getting off at this stop too?”

He asked the girls who were silently following behind.

“…….”

The hoodie spoke with a smile and a gentle tone, “This bus is quite small, so if you get off early, the next one might be full.”

“It’s better not to get off early.”

They gave a good natural reminder.

Not intending to hear back from the girls, the hoodie got off the bus by themself.

Wang Zhou Zhou, following them, paused for a moment and turned his head to whisper to the pale girls.

“It’s better for you to get off at your station. Ask the driver how far it is.”

His gaze was unflinching. After closing his eyes, Wang Zhou Zhou finally got off the bus.

“……”

The girls had to return to their original seats, and one of the calmer-looking girls asked loudly while the car was still at the station, “Driver!”

“How many more stops are there for Richmoor (茂银Guang-Mao) Bank..?”

After a long silence, a low male voice came from the front.

“Two stops.”

The girl gritted her teeth and boldly returned, “Okay, thank you, driver!”

The bus closed its doors and swayed onward.

**

— Rising Signs Mansion

As soon as Wang Zhou Zhou got off the bus, his legs bent, and he fell to his knees.

Wang Zhou Zhou: “!”

Shit, did his legs turn into empty skin husks like that man?

He was a little horrified and hurriedly went to touch his leg.

…. Ah, nope, just scared soft.

Wang Zhou Zhou covered his face and secretly spat at his own guts.

“Little brother, are you all right?”

Others waiting at the station asked Wang Zhou Zhou hesitantly. They just saw the tall, leggy little brother drop down and cover his face.

He remained silent till he found what to say.

“Brother, listen to me, don’t take the bus today. I just got back from the shenanigans.”

Passerby: “… fuck.”

He didn’t care if his statements cast a psychological shadow on the pedestrian. Wang Zhou Zhou sat on the ground and took out his mobile phone to dial “110”.

After coming out of the shenanigans, the mobile phone signal also came back.

“Hello? Uncle police, I want to call the police. It’s about the Eternal bus shenanigans, I have a clues to offer.”

***

Qin Yue Qing (秦月倾) pulled Shen Xi’s (沈溪) sleeve. The two sat on the plastic seat stiffly.

Shen Xi touched the back of her cold hand to soothe it. She turned her head and watched the two people who had gotten off the bus disappear when they stepped into the station.

They must have returned to the real world.

The bus rattled along for maybe five or six minutes before returning to the station.

“— Rising Signs Mansion Station is here! Passengers disembarking, please bring all your belongings and disembark through the back door.”

This stop was a repeat of the previous one, they didn’t make it back to Riverside Station, but they were also stuck at Rising Signs Mansion Station.

‘The next stop will be here.’

Shen Xi swallowed nervously. Qin Yue Qing’s face was pale as she bit her lower lip to death and didn’t make a sound.

…… Someone got on the bus.

They were two children.

Shen Xi’s pupils tightened.

As soon as they got inside the bus, the two youngsters, who appeared stiff and walked weirdly, went directly to the rear.

They came to a halt in front of the seat where the hoodie and Wang Zhou Zhou had previously sat.

Two pairs of hollow black pupils peered at Shen Xi and Qin Yue Qing. The two ghostly youngsters paused for a time before settling onto the empty seat.

“……”

Shen Xi reached out involuntarily to touch her heart. Her heart nearly leaped through her chest.

The bus would have been full if Wang Zhou Zhou and the hoodie hadn’t gotten off just now.

On the bus, you have to give up your seat for the old, the weak, the sick, the disabled and the pregnant. Small children need seats more than two adults like them.

But what will happen to those without seats on this bizarre bus?

Shen Xi forced herself to calm down against the immense pressure, and after five or six minutes, the next stop finally arrived.

“— Richmoor Bank Station has arrived. Passengers getting off the bus, please bring all your belongings and get off through the back door.”

In exactly the same mood as Wang Zhou Zhou, Shen Xi stood up with a trembling body and pulled Qin Yue Qing, who had to get off at the same stop as her, to the rear car door.

Her legs were shaking.

She took a deep breath.

Qin Yue Qing tightened her grip on Shen Xi’s shaking arms, her face pallid but resolute as they exited the vehicle together.

Is it finally…… over……?

“They’re out!!!”

Shouts could be heard from nearby as soon as they stepped out of the vehicle. The next second, a tall guy shielded them behind him with one hand while holding the blaster on his chest and directing it forward with the other.

Shen Xi reluctantly turned around to see police officers encircling the number 25 bus.

The boys who had jumped off the bus had phoned the cops for them.

The officer at the front of the group gripped their gun securely and moved fast to the driver’s side.

“There’s no one on…”

They muttered.

Nobody was in the driver’s seat of bus number 25. The strange bus had appeared out of nowhere at the Richmoor Bank station!

The bus appeared to be unaware of the surrounding officers. It slowly closed its doors and shook a few more times, trying to drive away.

Before the policemen could think of a way to stop the bus, the unmanned 25 disappeared into thin air as it had come.

…… No, it would be better to say that it drove on the road once again out of sight of everyone.

Shen Xi and Qin Yue Qing fell to the ground softly, unable to get up for half a day.

The surrounding police officers did not come forward to disturb them for a while. They silently watched the two young girls for a good half day before they broke down and cried out from their suppressed emotions.

‘If it’s one-stop later if it’s one-stop later…’

Qin Yue Qing hugged Shen Xi and bawled.

They would really die on this bus that was on a perpetual loop!

“Are you guys okay?”

A familiar male voice came from the side. As one of the people who experienced the [Eternal Bus Shenanigans], Wang Zhou Zhou followed them to the Richmoor Bank Station.

He crouched by the side and looked at Shen Xi guiltily, “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you guys at that time.”

“…… No,” Shen Xi patted Qin Yue Qing, whose sobs gradually subsided, “I want to thank you for that, for not giving up on us and for reporting to the police on our behalf.”

“What’s more, if you and that little brother hadn’t gotten off the bus, we would have really been in trouble.”

Seeing the girls’ emotions gradually calming down, one of the officers came to them and said to them in a gentle tone.

“The general situation has already been told to us by Mr Wang. If you don’t mind, we’ll go back to the police station and do a more detailed investigation. Is that alright?”

The officer added, rather humanely, “Of course, call your family first to report your safety.”

**

[The Eternal Bus Passed!]

A girl removed her VR glasses and smoothed her somewhat frizzy long hair.

Xu Jin Yi was quite satisfied with the realism of the game.

Although turning a single-player oriented RPG into a VR game was strange, she liked it.

Especially after adapting it into a VR game, Eternal Bus added many interactive NPC characters.

It was cool to play.

A tall, leggy, and handsome guy showed a shocked and pale face.

—That’s too realistic.

Xu Jin Yi gave the nod to the VR game and Eternal Bus.

She flung her VR glasses onto the soft bed and propped herself up.

Most of the RPG single-player horror games she had played before had been made into VR, and Xu Jin Yi decided to check out the others tomorrow.

The holiday was quite long anyway.

——— Translators Notes ———

Mini spoiler = As you can see, Xu Jin Yi is a girl, but the character she plays is default one given by VR. She hadn’t changed its face, body or clothes. Since she hadn’t specifically picked gender for her player character and her character looks ambiguous, I chose to use gender natural pronouns when POV is from other characters. Meanwhile, when the chapter is from her POV, she will have female pronouns since she herself isn’t role playing a boy. I did so, because in later chapters some people will see her player character as a boy while others as a girl. The author themselves also affirmed that the game avatar is genderless.

Qin Yue Qing

秦月倾: character approximate name meaning, Qin= Just Surname, Yue = Moon, Qing = to overturn / to collapse / to lean, Leaning Moon?

Shen Xi

沈溪; character approximate name meaning, Shen = liquid / to pour, Xi = creek / rivulet, Running Creek?

Xu Jin Yi

许金艺 : character approximate name meaning, Xu = To Permit/Allow, Jin = Gold/Respected, Yi = Skill/Art, Allowed Golden Skills?]

Richmoor Bank

茂银Guang-Mao: Guang = wide / numerous / to spread; Mao = luxuriant / (chemistry) cyclopentadiene

  ☆ 4 ☆ The Eternal Bus (END)

We got on the bus at 19:12. I recall the time because as soon as I sat down, I began playing with my phone. One of the people learning to drive with us was already on the bus… I’m unsure what his name is; I didn’t pay attention.”

“— His name is Wang Zhou Zhou.”

In the office, Shen Xi held a warm cup of water. Before proceeding, she took a sip to moisten her throat.

“I see. I have to thank him. Wang Zhou Zhou boarded the bus first, followed by us and last was the other man learning to drive. He must have came running since it was the last bus and he didn’t want to miss it. When he climbed aboard, he was gasping for breath..”

“Why did you girls get on the last bus so late?”

“Because we have our second driver’s exam tomorrow. Our instructor brought us in early to familiarize us with the procedure. Because there were so many people present, it took us a while to finish.”

“The instructor didn’t give you a lift?”

“No. We didn’t want to bother our instructor. Seven o’clock isn’t too late. Qin Yue Qing and I live near Richmoor Bank. We can take the Route 25 bus to get there. We’ll be home in just over 30 minutes.”

“I understand; please continue.”

Shen Xi inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled again.

The officer noticed this expression on her face and sensed she was going to reveal something significant.

“… Wang Zhou Zhou was not the first person to exit the bus. Before him, the other man stopped the bus midway and disembarked.”

‘Midway off the bus.’

The policewoman drew the point in her notebook.

“He’s dead.” Qin Yue Qing, who sat next to Shen Xi, spoke up suddenly, her pale lips quivering. “Soon after, we saw Wang Zhou Zhou react to something out the window. That is when we also noticed the man who got off the bus midway. He was stuck on the side of the bus. Only his skin remained.”

Qin Yue Qing still wanted to vomit when she recalled that scene.

Shen Xi patted her hand, gesturing for her to take a break.

“Let me tell.” Shen Xi pursed her lips and swallowed her nausea as she reflected.

“There was no blood on the skin. Also, no eyes or teeth. It was like a resilient leather poster stuck firmly to the bus window. His mouth kept opening and closing as if he was saying something.” When Shen Xi said this, she shook her head regretfully, “I’m sorry, I was too scared at the time to hear what he said.”

The policewoman’s hand holding the pen paused as she looked at the girl.

The other party looked pale but was still trying to cooperate with the investigation. She was even sorry when she couldn’t give details.

“Please continue.”

“At that time, Qin Yue Qing and I were too scared and screamed. But the moment I screamed out, I felt ……” Shen Xi lowered her voice and whispered, “a strong feeling of palpitations.”

“I had it too.” Qin Yue Qing added, whispering, “And it was freezing.”

‘Palpitations and coldness.’

“Didn’t Wang Zhou Zhou scream?” The policewoman suddenly asked, “He was so near to the human skin’s face. Didn’t he have any reaction?”

“…”

Shen Xi had an odd look on her face.

“His mouth was covered by the other boy — he couldn’t scream.”

Female police officer: “..?”

Qin Yue Qing whispered, “Didn’t you guys see nail prints on Wang Zhou Zhou’s face? I think that little brother almost tore off Wang Zhou Zhou’s mouth.”

Wang Zhou Zhou, who was cooperating with the investigation in the office next door, sneezed.

The policewoman noted this and continued, “Do you know that boy?”

“No. We thought at first he was a ghost too and didn’t really dare look at him.” Shen Xi said, “But that little boy helped us several times afterwards, so I guess he wasn’t expecting it when we screamed.”

When it came to this mysterious boy, Qin Yue Qing was a little bolder and talked more.

She said, “That little brother was pretty fierce. After he heard us screaming, he instantly decided to open the bus window and tear down that human skin.”

“???” Policewoman: “With his bare hands…?”

Both girls nodded determinedly: “With his bare hands.”

Policewoman: “…… Okay, continue.”

“He seems familiar with the Eternal Bus and secretly reminds us of it.”

The policewoman resumed writing.

“When the driver was driving, he spoke in a low, soft voice, but after the bus stopped, he spoke at a normal volume. When we got on, we first sat in the special double seat for people with special needs. There weren’t many people, so we sat there. But an old lady later got on and stood behind us and kept staring. Little brother told us to be courteous, so we changed seats from the special seat to one behind Wang Zhou Zhou.” Shen Xi admitted hesitantly, “I also felt a bit cold at my back at that time.”

Qin Yue Qing was stunned and added, “Me too. I thought it was my illusion.”

‘It was cold again…’

The officer paused for a moment before writing ‘cold’ and ‘possibly a warning’ next to it.

“Later, Wang Zhou Zhou questioned the boy, and he said: You can’t get off midway or before your station. Getting off midway will turn you into a human face, and if you get off early at the station, you might get stuck at the station. To return to the real world, you have to continue riding the Eternity Bus all the way to the station where you really wanted to get off in the first place. That little brother asked the driver when the bus would stop at Rising Signs Mansion. I guess that should be a rule too.” Shen Xi said, “After asking, the electronic announcement in the middle broadcasted Riverside Station six times. Wang Zhou Zhou and the hoodie boy got off at the Zhi Xing Building. We wanted to get off too, but the boy in the hoody reminded us it was best not to get off early, so we sat down and asked the driver for our stop. The driver told us there were two more stops. Qin Yue Qing and I got off at Richmoor Bank Station. Still, before we did, the electronic broadcast repeated Rising Signs Building one more time, even though there was a different stop between Rising Signs Building and Richmoor Bank Station. I think it was called… Lok Junction Stop or something. You know what happened later—we got off.”

Shen Xi laughed bitterly, “Luckily, I trusted Wang Zhou Zhou and the other boy; otherwise, Qin Yue Qing and I might not have made it back.”

**

Wang Zhou Zhou’s transcript was roughly the same as Shen Xi’s and Qin Yue Qing’s. At most, he added some additional details with strong personal emotions.

For example, the men that sat in the backseat looked at each other fiercely. The social animal that kept turning its back on them may or may not have a face. The old man may have a human head in a black bag by his feet.

Male officer: “……”

The kid sure liked to speculate.

But amid Wang Zhou Zhou’s string of detailed narrations, the male officer instantly caught the key point.

“Are you saying that the boy beside you helped you?”

Wang Zhou Zhou gave a nod.

“He caught my eye when he first got on the bus. This brother was wearing a pink hoodie and looked flamboyant. He skipped all the empty seats and instead sat next to me. But thanks to it, I am still alive. If he hadn’t stopped me, I probably would have tried to get off like the other man and met a similar end.”

The male officer nodded and continued, “Did he have any characteristics?”

“He…”

Wang Zhou Zhou thought carefully and held out his hand to gesture.

“That brother looks a bit shorter than me, about 1,75 metres (5’7″) or so, less than 1,8 metres (5’8″). He had a phone in his hand. He kept looking at it for some time, but I didn’t peek to see. As for his face, he was good-looking at a glance, but his eyes looked pretty intimidating. Nothing else stood out.” Wang Zhou Zhou stammered: “But that brother’s eyes are really scary. When I tried to stand up, he stared at me, my legs turned to mush, and I had to sit back down. I didn’t dare to look at him closely afterwards, but if I saw him again, I would recognize him.”

**

Inside Jiang City’s Bizarre and Mysterious Event Investigation Division conference room.

About twenty people were sitting inside, each with a different expression. They had just read the freshly made statements and held them in their hands.

The sophisticated-looking male officer spoke first: “The survivor’s transcript of this ‘Eternal Bus’ incident is in front of you. Please take a look and express your opinions.”

The people in the conference room flipped through the pages again. After organising their words, they started discussing.

About half an hour passed before the discussion was called to a halt.

“Lieutenant Li (李), I think we should start with the boy in the pink hoodie.” Someone suggested, “After all, he helped Wang Zhou Zhou, Shen Xi and Qin Yue Qing, which shows that he deeply understands the supernatural. If we’re lucky, he might know something about the origins of the Spirit Shenanigans that we don’t.”

The male officer, also known as Lieutenant Li, nodded. “I have also considered what you said. However, neither of the survivors are familiar with him. Under the strong pressure of fear and stress, the impression of the mysterious man in their minds is distorted by personal emotions. Wang Zhou Zhou only remembered that the other party had frightening eyes. Shen Xi and Qin Yue Qiang only had the impression that he was a handsome boy. But none of them could describe any specific facial features to draw a portrait. We can only pay more attention to the investigation.”

The female officer in charge of Shen Xi and Qin Yue Qing’s transcripts looked at the information in her hands and speculated, “But from Shen Xi and Qin Yue Qing’s descriptions, it seems that this mysterious man was quite friendly to them. The other party hinted at how they survived the mystery through a series of body movements and words. We can tentatively classify the mystery man as a friendly faction.”

“Inspector Wang, that’s a bit hasty, isn’t it?” Someone offered a different opinion, “Just by virtue of this one shenanigan that was described through the mouths of the survivors? You can’t possibly know how many filters the survivors would apply to the people who helped them, can you? Besides, Wang Zhou Zhou said he got off the bus with the hoodie, but the station surveillance didn’t see anyone other than him get off. For that alone, we can guess the other person is probably not human.”

Wang Ju (王菊) frowned, “I’m just guessing with the given evidence.”

“Okay.” Lieutenant Li halted the debate, saying, “Little Wang is just giving ideas. It’s good for everyone to have more ideas about the shenanigans.”

He pondered for a long time, then said to Wang Ju, “Little Wang, go and arrange for Wang Zhou Zhou to meet with Shen Xi and Qin Yue Qing and have He Du (何都) work with you to mark out as many notes as possible about the misadventure into the ‘Eternal Bus’. Show me the summary after you have finished. By the way, have the comrades who monitor the Internet pay more attention to see if there are any signs of bizarre and unexplainable incidents emerging. The comrades in the other operations sections should go out more often when they have time. Look for patterns from previous Spirit shenanigans. That’s it, all right, everyone take action.”

——— Translators Notes ———

Lieutenant Li

李: Li = plum

Wang Ju/Inspector Wang

王菊: Wang = king or monarch / best or strongest of its type / grand / great, Ju = chrysanthemum… King of Assholes? XD In BL novels chrysanthemum is usually a synonymy for the back door.

He Du

何都: He = what / how / why / which / carry; Du = all / both / entirely / (used for emphasis) even / already / (not) at all / capital city / metropolis

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