I, the screenwriter, have experienced a resurgence of inspiration.

"One million? You're robbing me!"

"Too expensive?" The girl pouted. "Uncle, you might not even come back alive after a trip to the underworld. A million is a bargain for you!"

Just as they were arguing, the police arrived.

The girl's expression changed, she quickly stuffed her things into her bag and ran away.

But there were too many people around, and she couldn't squeeze out at all. In the end, even though she ran on a pillow, she was still taken away by the police.

Before leaving, she clutched the ceramic pillow tightly, her expression wary.

……

The girl was taken away, but the speed at which public opinion spread was terrifying.

The crowd gradually became excited.

"There are really treasures in the dungeon..."

"What do you think, should we go and try picking up some paper money? What if we find a treasure? We'll be set for life!"

"Are you stupid! Didn't you hear what she just said? It's so dangerous in there! It's full of ghosts, and you'll age ten years when you come out. What if you die in there?"

"What's there to be afraid of! Let's take a gamble, and maybe a bicycle will turn into a motorcycle!"

A group of young people got together and became more and more excited as they talked, and they started asking around about where there was a lot of paper money.

……

……

* month * day, 2026.

On this day, the port city was like a hornet's nest had been stirred up.

Missing persons have been reported in almost every district.

At the Yuen Long wet market, an auntie selling vegetables suddenly appeared in front of her stall, clutching two gold ingots in her hand, scaring the shoppers into scattering and fleeing.

In the hospital emergency room, a man suddenly fell from the sky, covered in blood, claiming that he had been skinned by a vengeful ghost, and grabbed the doctor, crying for help.

At a children's playground in Sham Shui Po, a dripping wet woman emerged from the ball pit, saying she had been dragged away by the Black and White Impermanence to dig in river mud for three days...

In short, it seemed like only yesterday that missing persons began to appear one after another.

Like mushrooms, one sprouts here, and a clump grows there.

Without exception, everyone claimed that they went to the underworld, were caught by the Black and White Impermanence, and were only released after being punished.

Some were digging mud in a dried-up river, some were scavenging human bones in mass graves, and some were using shovels to scrape away ghosts stuck to the walls—

Everyone returned in a different state.

Some survivors cried while hugging their families, and trembled at the sight of anything round.

Some were distraught, repeatedly muttering about their relatives in the underworld, losing their appetite and only thinking about going back.

Some brought back a bag full of props, which they immediately resold and became rich overnight.

……

In street-side tea restaurants, on large roadside screens, and on shopping mall projection screens, TVB anchors speak in a serious tone:

[...Recently, several missing persons in our city have returned. Police are reminding citizens not to pick up any unidentified gold-colored paper to avoid personal injury.]

The tea drinkers chatted as they ate pineapple buns.

"You mean, you can really see dead people in the underworld? My dad has been gone for three years, and I haven't dreamed about him even once."

"I also want to see my mom. I want to ask where our insurance policy is."

"Those dark clouds overhead just won't clear; I haven't seen the sun for the past two days!"

"If you want to know if it's true or not, why don't you pick up a piece of paper and try it?"

"What's the point of trying?! I'd be risking my life! I wouldn't dare take that risk."

"That's what they say... but if I could really meet them, I'd gladly give up ten years of my life..."

The uncle who was speaking sighed, lowered his head and stirred the milk tea in his bowl, his eyes looking somewhat vacant.

His daughter passed away last year from cancer; she was in great pain.

If... we could really meet again...

The uncle gripped the spoon tightly, secretly making a decision.

……

The entire port city looked like a pool of water with a giant rock thrown in it.

From the streets to the alleys, from office buildings to public housing, people's hearts are quietly stirring.

Fear, greed, longing, curiosity, desire... countless emotions mingled together, like the dark clouds hanging over the port city, lingering for a long time.

The golden paper money seemed to be floating around even more.

……

……

……

The lights in the temporary Hong Kong office of the Special Investigation Bureau have never been turned off.

"Ring ring ring—"

"Ring ring ring—"

The office was filled with piles of documents taller than a person, the phone rang incessantly, and staff members rushed in and out, their eyes bloodshot.

"Director Li! Thirty-two more returnees have been registered! They're from Yuen Long, Sha Tin, and Hong Kong Island! Preliminary physical examinations show that they generally exhibit signs of organ failure, consistent with symptoms of natural aging!"

"Director Li! The media are all downstairs! They insist on interviewing about whether the underworld really exists! Some reporters are even asking if the supernatural props are real!"

"Director Li! More than a dozen items have already entered the black market! There are amulets, storage bags, and a few offensive items; the prices are skyrocketing!"

The person in charge rubbed his temples, feeling like his head was about to explode.

It simply couldn't be suppressed any longer.

Returnees are emerging in droves, bringing not only intelligence but also real game items.

Various videos are circulating all over the internet, and there's no way to suppress them.

"The media continues to block the issue, saying that an investigation is underway and that everything should be based on official announcements."

The person in charge pinched his brow and quickly gave the order:

"All returnees will be centrally resettled, given statements and medical examinations. Those who voluntarily register their items will be rewarded, while those who hoard or resell them will be warned according to regulations."

"Director Li, this is not a good situation."

The subordinate smiled bitterly: "Many people don't even register. They just hide when they get back, and the goods are immediately sold on the black market. It's impossible to trace their origin."

A single prop can easily cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. Even if the Special Investigation Bureau explains the value of the prop, a considerable number of them still want to sell it immediately.

"Try to investigate as much as possible first."

The person in charge sighed:

"In addition, we should urge the General Administration to submit the draft of the 'Regulations Governing the Import and Export of Supernatural Props' to higher authorities as soon as possible. Otherwise, some rare props will be lost overseas."

"yes!"

The subordinate had just left when the confidential phone rang again.

It was a call from the General Administration.

"We understand the situation."

Sun Zhao's voice sounded increasingly tired:

"The regulations should be approved tomorrow. In addition, the reinforcement team has already set off and is expected to arrive in Hong Kong tomorrow morning."

Chen Xi's team has been in the instance for three days and is temporarily out of contact. You guys should be ready to provide support from the outside.

With Chen Xi around, the chances of clearing the dungeon are very high.

However, relevant intelligence cannot be sent in; players need to enter. You should gather as much intelligence as possible on the periphery, support returning members, and maintain social stability.

"Mission accomplished!"

After hanging up the phone, the person in charge breathed a sigh of relief.

With the involvement of professional players, the pressure within the dungeon should be significantly reduced.

The number of reporters and crowds downstairs continued to grow.

The waters of this port city have become so murky that the bottom is nowhere to be seen.

The news simply couldn't be kept secret.

……

……

……

That night, the hashtags #HongKongUnderworldInstance#, #LivingPeopleReturnFromUnderworld#, and #FlyingItemsAppearInTheWorld# quickly rose to the top of Weibo's trending topics list, and then all of them went viral.

Clicking on it reveals live videos.

A man with white hair, a woman crying and searching for her husband and son, a ceramic pillow floating in mid-air...

Weibo is down again.

[The underworld and the Black and White Impermanence really exist?! I thought it was just a myth!]

Oh my god... are my grandparents over there too? I wonder if they're doing well...?

Anyone want to team up for a trip to the port city? Maybe we can try picking up some paper money – you might just find a treasure and strike it rich!

[Is the person upstairs crazy? Didn't they see that being caught by the Black and White Impermanence (the spirits of death in the underworld) will age you ten years? What if you die in there?]

What's there to be afraid of in death! Poverty is what's truly terrifying!

Am I the only one who wants to go in and see my deceased parents? I'd be willing to shorten my own life by ten years just to say one more word to them...

This comment has received over 100,000 likes.

Countless people left comments saying they missed their fathers, mothers, children, and loved ones.

After all, there are many people in this world who live with regrets.

—If we could really meet again, even for just a minute, many people would be willing.

Soon, online groups called "Underworld Family Search Group" appeared.

Some people shared strategies, some formed teams, and some crowdfunded to buy equipment... all thinking about entering the dungeon to find their deceased relatives.

Some people even sold their houses to raise money to buy amulets and life-saving items, just to enter the dungeon and find their deceased children.

Is that crazy?

That's crazy.

—But in the face of extreme longing, madness seems quite reasonable.

The world is in chaos because of the arrival of the dungeon.

And the source of it all is the port city.