My game is depressing worldwide.

After Xiong Xuewen joined, the studio's efficiency inexplicably improved.

Not only am I busy with my own work during the day, but I also have to make wallpapers for "Desktop Battle" at night.

It's not just wallpapers related to the games from Asylum Studios, but also wallpapers related to some of his favorite anime and games.

He already had light dark circles under his eyes, but after joining, they became even darker.

Along with Zhou Qian, the earliest member to join, and the new members who joined later, there is a trend of opening a book.

The development of Outlast is also progressing at an unexpectedly fast pace.

Soon, the day of the escape challenge arrived.

13th Floor, Building B, Yanxin Building, Lincheng City.

in the afternoon.

Although the event has not yet started, streamers and players have already lined up in long queues to participate in the trial.

Many people had to murmur amongst themselves.

"Dude, are you a fan of the Asylum game too?"

"A mental hospital? What's that? I'm here to get the Vision v1 VR headset for free, it's quite expensive."

"Wasn't it said that you needed to maintain a certain heart rate below a certain threshold to receive the rewards after completing the trial levels?"

"What's so scary about it? It's just a horror game. I've played so many games over the years, and none of them have ever scared me."

"That's true. This event is like a charity event; how much money must have been given away?"

The last in the line.

Wearing a mask, He Xiangsong craned his neck to look around for a while, then reached out and called out, "Old Wei! Over here!"

Old Wei, with a sports camera clipped to his chest, strode forward, glanced at her up and down, and said with a wicked grin, "The good man who brought glory to the country is back?"

Upon hearing this, He Xiangsong awkwardly touched his nose: "Brother Wei, please stop making fun of me."

As a student studying abroad in the United States, summer vacation is already over at this time.

However, because his cousin was getting married, he still traveled a long distance back to China.

He's been a fan of Lao Wei's live stream since junior high school. Back then, Lao Wei was just a small-time streamer. Despite the age gap, they were good friends despite the age difference.

He saw a message in the group before he set off.

The Vision v1 and Outlast co-branded challenge offers prizes to players who complete trial levels with a heart rate below a certain threshold.

I checked the time and realized I had just enough time, so I signed up to give it a try.

I can't believe I was actually chosen!

The two received their name tags and stood at the back of the line. Old Wei, still looking rather frivolous, asked in a low voice, "Didn't your foreign girlfriend come back to China with you?"

"No, if my dad knew I was dating a foreigner, he'd break my legs."

"What a pity." Old Wei shook his head regretfully. "I was planning to have foreigners evaluate the horror game made by us Chinese, set in the beacon of the world."

"Are you that confident in the game's quality?"

"Of course! Asylum Studios is a bit eccentric; every game they make challenges themselves in a different area, and this game is definitely a masterpiece!"

At this point, the first batch of demos had already begun.

But less than five minutes later, someone came out with a deathly pale face.

He Xiangsong asked somewhat uneasily, "Is this game really that scary?"

"Hey! It'll definitely be fun, but it's not going to scare anyone that much," Old Wei confidently patted his chest. "At least it won't scare a tough guy like me!"

"...No wonder you can make a living as a streamer; planting flags and creating program effects are ingrained in your bones." Such a confident statement made He Xiangsong's expression a little strange. He scanned Lao Wei's body from head to toe, "Don't get stuck on the testing machine."

"No way, didn't you see there's an ambulance parked downstairs? And when I was getting my name tag, they carefully checked my medical report."

"I hope you'll include your confident remarks in the video later."

Because there's still some time before the event starts, Lao Wei hasn't started his live stream yet.

Previously, the footage relied on the action camera on the chest.

The two chatted idly as they moved slowly forward with the group.

Since there was no time limit for this challenge, I thought I would have to wait in line for at least two hours.

However, after queuing for only half an hour, the two noticed something was wrong.

This team seems to be moving a bit fast?

At this pace, it's estimated that Liu Neng will have his turn with the other two in about half an hour.

The people queuing around also noticed something amiss.

"The guys in front are no good. Look at them, their faces are pale and their legs are weak."

"Yeah, could this be a plant by the organizers?"

"Very likely. It's just a game, how terrifying could it be?"

He Xiangsong and Lao Wei exchanged a glance and looked at each other blankly.

"No wonder they didn't limit the challenge time; they knew no one could finish it, huh?"

Old Wei had already sensed something was wrong, but having already made that boast, he could only stubbornly insist, "Don't worry, it's definitely a shill! They're doing an event, and they're spending a lot of money giving away gifts, so it's normal for them to hire some shills to generate buzz."

"...The medical report, the ambulance?"

"It's just the marketing tactics of third-rate horror movies. Aren't you Americans the originators of this kind of thing?"

"Brother, I'm just studying abroad, are you going to strip me of my citizenship?"

But the further they went, the more they felt something was wrong.

This queue is lining up way too fast!

A few are enough.

So many people went in and came out in just a few minutes, they can't all be shills, right?

Not good.

Old Wei felt a little uneasy. He coughed lightly and said, "Judging from your appearance, you're not usually very brave, are you? Do you often deal with horror themes?"

He Xiangsong shook his head: "I'm a medical student, so I've seen plenty of bloody scenes. But I've hardly ever been exposed to horror movies or games."

Hearing this, Lao Wei breathed a sigh of relief.

He was genuinely worried that he might not be able to hold on and leave early, only to be ridiculed by He Xiangsong.

There's no need to worry about that.

This kid will definitely be the first to give up and leave.

However, these embarrassing things definitely cannot be said!

"It's okay, just come out early and wait for me. I'll treat you to dinner tonight!"

At this moment, two more people came out.

This time it was a man and a woman. The girl was obviously quite frightened. Her big, bright eyes were watery and red like a rabbit's. She was helped out by the staff.

He Xiangsong's lips twitched: "...Okay, I'll wait for you outside then."

Two more players have been eliminated; it's time for new players to join.

Heading towards the demo area.

Along the way, posters for "Outlast" and Vision v1 appeared alternately.

Either it introduces the device's performance and some cutting-edge technologies used in its operation.

Alternatively, it could introduce the background story of the game "Outlast," its real-world references, and gameplay tips.

The lobby was much more pleasing to the eye than I had imagined.

At a glance, there are about 50 machines inside, spaced quite far apart.

A computer, a comfortable recliner, and a Vision v1 system.

The two were far apart, and they separated for the time being.

As Lao Wei walked, he observed the surroundings, feeling somewhat surprised.

He had played VR games before, but those games had almost nothing to offer besides VR controls.

But look at the demo scenes in the lobby now.

Instead of controllers, the players wore headset-like devices.

His hands were empty.

They lay on the recliners, just like they were sleeping.

If it weren't for the occasional screams and the game's forced termination notification.

Soon, after the staff cleaned and disinfected the equipment, it was Lao Wei's turn.

Like other players, I lay on a recliner, put on my equipment, and started streaming.

Take a deep breath.

Start!