Recap
Young, dull, poor — Shen Ji quickly built the image of a taciturn youth in his mind.
Because he was young, he had been assigned to a job no one else wanted. In the sweltering summer, he stood at the amusement park gate in a mascot suit, a living advertisement.
Even if he collapsed from exhaustion, drenched in sweat, fainted from heatstroke, he would never abandon his post or trouble his coworkers. He swallowed everything. Perhaps inside he carried a whole world, but in reality, defeated by life, he numbed himself with endless work.
By day, he wore the mascot suit, no longer human.
By night, he became a walking corpse, part of the park itself.
A filthy mascot, wearing a rabbit mask — would he meet Alice too?
Alice belonged to Wonderland. But here was Heaven. The mascot and rabbit mask belonged to Heaven. The next Alice to appear must also belong to Heaven.
Shen Ji gathered his thoughts and lifted his head, only to find the old man gone. Outside, the sky had already turned pitch black.
He got out of bed and reached for the security booth door, but when his fingers touched the handle, he calmed himself and turned instead to the desk by the window, searching for useful clues.
The old man had vanished without a trace and the sky had changed unnoticed. To rush outside would be dangerous. Since he was the night guard, there had to be patrol schedules and routes.
The worst scenario was that he was the only night guard.
Opening the drawer, he found several yellowed documents. Sitting down, Shen Ji flipped through the stained “Amusement Park Employee Rules.” As expected, on the last page he saw the worst outcome—
Night shift staff: One.
Night patrols: Two.
Patrol times: 00:00–01:00, 04:00–05:00.
Night shift rules:
- During patrol, check all facilities for locks or malfunctions. If you find one unlocked, confirm the source of the fault and escape immediately.
- After nightfall, the park is fully sealed. If a visitor mistakenly enters, contact the manager and calm the visitor.
- Night staff must not abandon their post, must not shout, must not deliberately harm others. Otherwise, the park cannot guarantee employee safety.
Three rules, seemingly simple, but in truth contradictory and terrifying.
If a facility malfunctions, it should just be recorded for repair. Why emphasize “escape immediately”? Did something break free at night?
If the park was sealed, then what kind of “visitor” could enter? Was it a human or a ghost?
What could a lone night guard encounter that could endanger his life?
On the desk lay a flashlight, a chipped baton, a dead Nokia phone, and a ticking watch.
*(T/N: The nokia phone is probably the sturdiest weapon…)
The watch read 11:35. Less than thirty minutes until the first patrol. At least the past twenty minutes hadn’t been wasted.
Time ticked away. The vast amusement park, emptied of visitors, was silent. Even the cicadas had gone mute.
The booth’s weak light reflected the glowing letters above the park gate, a shining sign in the night. Its shadows painted Shen Ji in deep crimson.
He waited quietly for the hour to arrive. His black eyes reflected the neon flicker, like an insect swimming.
Three minutes left. Shen Ji put the Nokia back in the drawer, pocketed the watch, and picked up only the baton — not the flashlight.
He slid the chair under the desk and stood at the booth door. One minute left.
Light in hand could comfort him, but it would also expose him.
He abandoned the flashlight. Once outside, his greatest challenge would be keeping time correctly. He would have to track the seconds in his mind, aligning them with the watch.
At the final second, midnight struck. Shen Ji opened the door and stepped out. A new day began in his heart.
First, he checked the park gate. The iron fence was locked. Its five-meter height blocked any adult from climbing over, and the gaps were too narrow for a child to squeeze through.
Satisfied, Shen Ji looked beyond the gate. Distant mountains loomed like ghosts, encircling the park like natural walls, sealing every exit.
The park glowed brightly, yet his gaze could not pierce outward. The shadows rose higher and higher, until they reached the sky, towering over the trapped park.
His task was patrol. Shen Ji moved on.
Leaving the booth, he could barely see the path. Under moonlight, the park’s buildings were only vague silhouettes.
The guard’s duty was to check locks and faults. Locked facilities should not malfunction. But if unlocked, how could he confirm the source of the fault?
Risking danger and escaping immediately were contradictory. Shen Ji could only take it step by step.
He had noted all facilities on the “maintenance list.” The first was the carousel, the last the haunted house. From there, he could circle back to the gate.
At the carousel, Shen Ji bent to check the lock — then froze. Was it his imagination? In the corner of his eye, a shadow had appeared on the empty ride.
The shadow stood still, yet its form shifted, moving toward him. Within breaths, it was close.
Shen Ji snapped his gaze up — but saw nothing. Only the painted horses, frozen in place.
Staring at them too long, a strange thought crept in: were those brightly painted horses filled with faith, or with clay idols?
His baton struck the chain, producing a nightmare sound. Shen Ji jolted awake, realizing he had stepped onto the platform.
Cold sweat drenched his back. Was it the echo that frightened him, or had his mind been bewitched, curious about lifeless things?
He stepped down, confirmed the carousel was locked, and moved on.
Prepared now, the next few facilities showed no such illusions.
After midnight, the park was eerie and silent, a stark contrast to its daytime brilliance. Shen Ji walked alone from one site to the next, his shadow his only companion.
The moon had turned red. The giant Ferris wheel loomed clear. Shadows hung from it, one after another, like uneven ornaments decorating a tower of flesh.
The swaying tower glowed under the red moon, radiant like a child reunited with its long-lost mother.
Her light enveloped Shen Ji. A song of longing echoed above the park. Looking up, he saw the hanging figures open hollow eyes, mouths moving in silent chorus — a lullaby.
The song drew closer, speaking of a mother’s selfless love. Its mournful melody urged tears, whispering that only by offering oneself could one repay her care.
Shen Ji’s eyes remained calm.
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Update: Apparently it’s translated by White Moonlight Court….although some chapters are locked. Let me know if you want me to continue translating this.