I really don't want to work in the world of weird rules!

The person on the television released his hand, turned around dramatically, and spread their arms wide in front of them.

[Attention, audience!]

A thunderous cheer erupted instantly, but under the blinding light, it was impossible to see what was sitting in the audience.

Gu Changyuan then realized that he was standing behind a colorful question and answer stage, which was the contestant's seat.

To be honest, it wasn't as scary as I imagined. Facing a host with a TV head is much more reassuring than facing those vengeful ghosts with missing arms and legs.

Compared to the monster in the subway that gouges out people's eyes, and the swollen evil spirit in the convenience store, this thing is practically handsome.

Gu Changyuan took a deep breath. Good, his brain was still functioning normally. He touched the invisible mask on his face and quickly observed his surroundings.

Is this your first time seeing a stand-up comedy show live? Oh, and don't hold back your cheers! Your screams are the soul of this stage!

The person on the television was gesticulating wildly, stirring up the audience's emotions and pushing the atmosphere to a climax. Judging from this performance, they were definitely a talk show host.

So, the so-called Tuesday quiz show was actually just a segment in a talk show.

The studio set was brightly colored and exaggerated, the live band was playing in the shadows, the audience was hidden in the dark, and the host controlled the show with exaggerated body language.

All these elements come together to create a classic, old-fashioned American stand-up comedy scene with a strong sense of nostalgia.

and many more.

Gu Changyuan's heart skipped a beat.

It felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck my mind.

Old-fashioned American stand-up comedy.

Q&A session.

Participants must know the answer key in advance.

Gu Changyuan recognized this keyword.

【※Warning before reading! ※】

[Note: Daydream Weaver Ltd. shall not be liable for any consequences, including fear, auditory hallucinations, self-harm, or death, arising from reading this document.]

[You may continue reading only after you have signed this disclaimer.]

This is not some bullshit D-rated ghost story at all.

This strange tale is...

【The Mysterious Exploration Records of Ghost Stories/Ghost Stories】

【The Human Sacrifice Choir】

[Category: Anomaly appearing in "Strange Tales Exploration Records", internal identification code Qterw-A-104 of Daydream Weaver Co., Ltd.]

[Disaster Level: A]

[Note: The incident that led to the complete restructuring of the company's hazard assessment system resulted in numerous investigator injuries and fatalities.]

[Current record: Official survivor record, none.]

[3, 2, 1... Ladies and gentlemen, the performance is officially beginning!]

It's over. It's over.

Looking at the scene before him, Gu Changyuan found that every detail matched the information perfectly.

......

The tragedy began with a bizarre, D-rated phenomenon themed around 1970s American talk shows:

Good evening, everyone! Tuesday's fun, Tuesday's excitement!

You are watching the Tuesday Q&A Show!

The live broadcast officially began, accompanied by upbeat band music. The host, dressed in a suit and tie, waved to the cheers of the audience. From the set design to the program, it was a quintessential American talk show.

Of course, this is on the premise that we ignore the staff who are completely unrecognizable and the old-fashioned CRT television set that the host is wearing around his neck.

......

According to records, the host claimed that the talk show had a different theme every day, but the on-site investigation team had never entered other days before. All the investigation records were locked on "Tuesday".

......

Is everyone looking forward to Tuesday? Me too!

After all, this is the only day we can see our lovely new faces—the quiz show contestants!

Gu Changyuan listened silently to the opening remarks, which were perfectly accurate and matched exactly.

......

Starting from the twelfth exploration, the on-site investigation team had already thoroughly understood the core element of stand-up comedy: the entire question bank for "Q&A".

With this complete guide, they survived ninety-nine subsequent explorations without a single casualty, and even managed to take away the completion rewards.

......

However, during their 101st exploration, which was also their "100th" attempt to pass the game using the question bank, a sudden change occurred.

......

So, will the contestants be able to answer correctly again this time?

Accompanied by an exaggerated drumbeat, a spotlight suddenly shone down, illuminating seven metal platforms arranged in a semi-circle in the center of the stage. The blinding beam of light precisely landed on three of the platforms, where Gu Changyuan, the deputy team leader, and the supervisor stood.

[Please welcome... Mr. Badger, Mr. Falcon, and Mr. Deer!]

[Let's give them a round of applause!]

In the dark, unseen audience seats, a burst of enthusiastic applause and cheers immediately erupted. Gu Changyuan broke out in a cold sweat, and a strong sense of dizziness rushed to his head.

[Oh my god! A breaking news alert!]

The host waved his arms dramatically and took a card from a faceless staff member next to him.

[Looking back, it's been quite a while since all the contestants answered all the questions correctly, hasn't it?]

[The number of times they answered correctly consecutively was an astonishing...]

[A total of ninety-eight times!]

Gu Changyuan held his breath, his fingers gripping the edge of the metal table in front of him tightly.

[That means today is the ninety-ninth challenge! Haha!]

My tense nerves suddenly relaxed. As long as it wasn't the hundredth time, it was fine. My heart was still pounding wildly in my chest, making my eardrums buzz. Indeed, the probability of blindly hitting that fatal "hundredth time" death point was not high to begin with.

The overwhelming sense of relief nearly made Gu Changyuan collapse on stage, but he gritted his teeth and persevered. Among the questions he had memorized before entering the room for the Tuesday Quiz Show, there was an ironclad rule marked in bold red.

Anyone who interferes with the live stream will be immediately removed from the platform.

This is not a conventional punishment, but a physical "destruction." At this moment, they are being broadcast live globally, and any inappropriate movement will immediately lead to their deaths.

So, will this ninety-ninth batch of contestants be able to continue their winning streak and pass the baton to the hundredth batch of challengers?

Or will this amazing record come to a regrettable end tonight?

Please tune in to the channel and stay tuned!

Gu Changyuan turned his head slightly. His two colleagues standing on the other two platforms seemed quite composed. They even gave him an encouraging look through their masks. Nearly three years and ninety-eight safe passes had long since turned the process of dealing with this strange phenomenon into a kind of rigid assembly line operation. The two seniors were obviously confident that this time would be as smooth as usual.

"It'll be alright," Gu Changyuan closed his eyes, silently repeating it twice in his mind. Then he took a deep breath of the slightly musty oxygen in the air and slowly exhaled.

【So, Mr. Deer! 】

"Yes," Gu Changyuan replied immediately.

You seem a little nervous?

"Yes, after all, it's my first time standing on such a big stage."

[Haha, this is great! So real!]

So, let's warm up with our first question!

The old-fashioned television screen on the host's neck flickered suddenly, and then a line of distorted characters appeared. It was a kind of writing that completely violated the logic of human language, exuding a nauseating evil. Gu Changyuan felt a sharp pain in his temples, but his brain involuntarily understood the meaning of the sentence.

Question: Which of the following is NOT a component of the human body?

1. Water

2. Iron

3. Oil

4. Soil

"I choose number four, soil." Gu Changyuan said without the slightest hesitation.

[Correct answer!]

The following process was incredibly smooth. Although the questions became increasingly bizarre, they were all essentially within the realm of common sense. Moreover, the question bank built by the on-site investigation team with human lives was practically a cheating tool.

Even if the question stem is occasionally slightly adjusted, as long as you understand the underlying logic, choosing the correct answer is just muscle memory. This pattern, which requires a little thought to reach a conclusion, actually further reduces the risk of slips of the tongue caused by muscle memory.

Unbelievable! You got it right again!

[How could they even hit consecutively?]

[Oh! He's hesitating! He's caught in a dilemma! ...Okay, confirm option three, strangle!]

So what will become of Mr. Deer? ...Absolutely right! Hooray!

The question bank had an astonishingly high hit rate, and the quiz was unstoppable. Gu Changyuan even had the energy to put on a show, deliberately showing a conflicted expression on a few questions to complement the damn variety show effect.

No matter what, he had to get through this live broadcast safely; this thought was etched into Gu Changyuan's mind like a steel stamp.

During the intermission when GG was broadcast, the host still couldn't resist coming over and frantically promoting the game, trying to trick them into signing a "come back next time" contract. Gu Changyuan pretended to be interested and spoke vaguely, but his back was already soaked with cold sweat. He smoothly made his way to the ninth question, answering the second, third, and fourth questions without any obstacles.

Mr. Deer! Now, here comes your final question for tonight!

It's finally coming to an end.

The other two players performed exceptionally well, securing a perfect record with ease!

So, can Mr. Deer perfectly fill in this last gap?

His gaze swept over the other two answering stations. The agent and the director were secretly gesturing to him from their blind spots, signaling him to stay calm. If he could answer this question correctly, tonight's nightmare would be over.

Are you ready?

"Ready."

【very good!】

The TV screen suddenly flickered.

Question: What percentage of blood loss would cause death in humans?

1.40%

2.45%

3.50%

4.55%

Gu Changyuan frowned slightly. The final question was actually playing word games? He took a deep breath and steadied his voice.

The correct answer is... the first option.

Oh, it seems you've chosen...

"There's a second option,"

Gu Changyuan interrupted the host.

"And options three and four. All four options are correct answers."

The entire studio fell into a deathly silence. Gu Changyuan, bathed in the eerie blue light emanating from the old-fashioned television, spoke steadily.

"From a medical perspective, if an adult loses 30% to 40% of their blood in a single episode, they will experience irreversible shock or even death."

【oh?】

"If losing 40% of your blood will kill you, then losing even more blood will certainly prevent you from surviving."

No, no, no... this is simply unbelievable!

The TV screen flickered wildly with static. In fact, even if you chose the wrong answer, it usually wouldn't immediately trigger the fatal mechanism, but Gu Changyuan didn't want to gamble. In this dangerous and rule-bound space, even the slightest flaw could become a fatal fuse.

You mean this question has multiple-choice questions? Then, is there any intention to change your decision?

"No changes."

The audience erupted in chaos, with whispers flooding the air. Then, a staff member with no facial features rushed onto the stage like a madman and ran wildly to the host.

[...Good heavens! We just received some extremely shocking news from backstage!]

Actually, in our initial set of standard answers, only the first option was correct!