Visa On Arrival Chapter 1

Amusement Park

“Hurry up, there are so many people for this ride, let’s go!” Qi Ranyue pulled Chen Rong’s hand and rushed toward the line for the flume ride.

Chen Rong bent over, clutching her stomach, out of breath. “Slow down, I can’t keep up!”

Hot summer day, splashing water, cheering, refreshing, exciting…

By noon, they had basically finished all the rides in the amusement park.

“Going to the restroom?” Chen Rong held a pack of tissues and invited Qi Ranyue.

“You go ahead, I’ll wait for you outside.”

“Okay.”

About 20 minutes passed, and Chen Rong still hadn’t come out.

Qi Ranyue frowned in confusion, looking at the restroom entrance. She took out her phone and messaged Chen Rong: “Are you done? Is everything okay?”

“When are you coming out?”

After sending the message, she walked into the restroom, checking herself in the mirror while waiting for a reply.

Chen Rong came out of the stall, washed her hands, and walked over to her. She stopped, her brow furrowing for a split second before returning to a natural expression. “I’m fine!”

“Let’s go sit over there for a bit.” Qi Ranyue pointed toward the spectator seats for the evening fireworks show.

Although they were having fun, the two were used to this Special Forces-style travel. It was inevitable to feel exhausted from excessive movement and emotional output. They sat quietly; Qi Ranyue held Chen Rong’s arm, resting her head on her shoulder with her eyes closed, napping.

Bursts of cheers and screams erupted from the park from time to time—the echoes of roller coasters roaring past.

Chen Rong whispered in Qi Ranyue’s ear, “What ride is that?”

Qi Ranyue, now mostly recharged, squinted at the direction she was pointing.

With an “Uh,” Qi Ranyue searched her memory. “That ride isn’t included in the ticket price, so it wasn’t in our plan. I heard it’s a new one. Are you interested? We can go take a look!”

This was an immersive theme and extreme thrill two-in-one attraction. It combined incredible weightlessness, extreme speed, sharp turns, and a Doomsday Underground City supply cache, allowing you to experience the feeling of a “post-apocalyptic world.” The price was 599!

599! The two looked at the number in disbelief, staring at each other. The air went silent for two seconds, and both felt a sense of helpless amusement.

“Did I see that wrong?”

“I must have seen that wrong, right?”

“599 is more expensive than my entry ticket.”

“What kind of sucker would buy that?”

An NPC dressed as an Indian princess passed by and overheard them. “This project just opened, and I happen to have many experience tickets here. If you’re interested, I can give you two!” She gave them a playful wink.

Qi Ranyue’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the beauty wearing a royal blue corset, a transparent veil with mirror sequins draped casually over her shoulder, and a loose long skirt embroidered with gold thread. In a flattering tone, she said, “Thank you, thank you so much, sister! Let me buy you a milk tea.”

The young woman was charmed by her cute expression. She smiled, waved her hand, pulled two tickets from her pocket, and handed them over.

After the tickets were checked, a staff member came over to help them check their seatbelts.

The car slowly climbed to the highest point, and their hearts rose to their throats. Suddenly, it plunged. Their hearts were wrenched upward as if they had been thrown from a great height. Blood rushed backward, scalps went numb, and the wind shrieked in their ears. Their bodies were repeatedly tossed from their seats only to be jerked back by the seatbelts. It lasted only two minutes, but it felt as long as a century. The lights and shadows before them blurred into streaks of color.

When the car came to a steady stop, their feet felt like they were stepping on cotton, and their legs trembled weakly. When they opened their eyes, the car had stopped in a dim underground space.

Their brains stalled instantly—shocked, at a loss, and in disbelief!

“I… I… Holy crap, what’s going on? Why did it stop?” After the baptism of the roller coaster, her heart was still pounding. Combined with the current situation, the panic that there had been an accident spiked immediately.

Torch-like lamps hung on the tunnel walls, their flames pushing back the darkness in circles, forcing it to huddle in places the light couldn’t reach. From time to time, audio of monsters roaring echoed from unknown places. The sound of their voices reverberated, and the damp, musty smell of the rocks hit them. It felt as if the oxygen was gradually decreasing, causing their breathing and heart rates to accelerate.

Her mind raced, wondering if the roller coaster had broken down and they were stuck in this underground space. Suddenly, she seemed to remember something.

“Is this the Doomsday Underground City? This is too ‘doomsday.’ How… how are we supposed to get back? Why is this different from usual? Is it broken? What’s happening?” Her voice failed her in her breakdown; fear rushed to her brain, her scalp tingled, and she could barely catch her breath.

They sat in the car for a minute, but it showed no sign of moving.

“What does this mean? Is this car on strike? Do the people up there know we’re down here?” Qi Ranyue couldn’t help but wail again.

Panic was like an invisible hand gripping her heart. Tears burst from her eyes uncontrollably—not sobbing or whimpering, just tears flowing out on their own, sliding down her cheeks.

Qi Ranyue wanted to wipe them away but found her hands shaking so much she couldn’t even lift them. She let the tears fall drop by drop.

In contrast, Chen Rong appeared relatively calm. She was the first to unbuckle her seatbelt and stand up. She looked around, then turned back to gently take Qi Ranyue’s hand. “Get up first! If another car comes behind us and we collide, it’ll be a crash site. That would really be adding fuel to the fire.”

Chen Rong leaned over and reached for her. A crisp “click” sounded as the lock released. After pulling the seatbelt away, she pulled her up and walked toward the side of the tunnel.

“What kind of hellhole is th—”

Before she could finish, a small girl less than a meter tall suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of them. She bowed and said, “Welcome to the Doomsday Underground City. I am your guide NPC.”

Startled by her, Qi Ranyue screamed out loud.

…

“Uh…” The little girl looked at the two startled people with some embarrassment. “Sorry for scaring you. Players need not be afraid; this is part of the game.”

In their hearts, the two cursed her ancestors for eighteen generations.

A portion of the anxiety and panic was washed away at this moment. The grip on Chen Rong’s hand loosened slightly, but her body still lacked strength. The panic had been too intense and the surprise too sudden for her body to keep up with the reaction.

“Then how do we get out?” Chen Rong regained her composure. “Can you take us out first? My friend is shaken up.”

The NPC girl shook her head mysteriously. “You must walk through this Monster Zone yourselves and reach the Safe Zone before you can take the return passage back up to the park. This is an immersive experience game.”

“Can we leave early?” Chen Rong held Qi Ranyue in her arms with one hand and stroked her head to comfort her with the other.

The little girl took half a step back. “There is only this one path to clear the game. Players must complete the tasks to reach the exit.”

“What!” Qi Ranyue was somewhat speechless.

“What’s in the Monster Zone? Will we be attacked?” Chen Rong asked while patting her back a few times for comfort.

“This is a legitimate park. The rules are the same as a haunted house; we won’t attack tourists. You can only reach the Safe Zone by successfully passing through the Monster Zone,” the little girl said mechanically, like an AI.

“And if we don’t successfully pass through the Monster Zone, will staff members take us out? Or rather, can we get out safely?” Chen Rong asked.

The corners of the little girl’s mouth slowly curled into an arc. The smile started from the left corner and spread across her entire face like a drop of ink in clear water. Her gaze was inscrutable.

Her face, with its fake smile, was paired with a terrifying, shrill laugh.

A eerie atmosphere arose.

“I wish you… a successful clearance. I hope… you can come out… in one piece.” After saying this, the little girl flickered like a glitching television screen and disappeared.

The little girl’s sudden disappearance caused Qi Ranyue to let out a small cry. She said hoarsely, “Rongrong, she… she… she disappeared.” Then her body began to tremble, and she practically “hung” onto Chen Rong as if she were melting.