55-56

*Chapter 55: The Call*

The bar, on stage.

The magician's clichéd performance was nearing its end.

The guests in the audience displayed bored expressions and began chatting among themselves.

"Here we go again, the same old magic tricks."

"I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen this card trick at the bar. Can’t he come up with something fresh? Maybe make the assistant’s clothes disappear or something."

"If he could do tricks like that, he wouldn’t be performing in a bar. He’d be in Las Vegas."

"Or at a strip club."

Amid their crude remarks, the magician concluded his act and exited the stage to scattered applause, retreating backstage.

Standing at the edge of the stage, the bar owner glanced back at Arthur, who was humming a cheerful tune. His gaze lingered on the red clown mask Arthur wore, and a faint smile curled on his lips.

“Next up, let’s welcome… the Clown!”

"The Clown?"

Hearing the introduction, a few patrons looked puzzled.

"Is this a new guy?"

"What’s he gonna do? Juggle or blow up balloons?"

Under their curious gazes, a clown walked onto the stage.

Dressed in a red suit and green vest, he wore a crude clown mask, his mouth stretched into an exaggerated grin.

"I used to think my life was a tragedy, but now I realize… it’s a comedy."

Standing on stage with his arms outstretched, Arthur gazed at the crowd below and let out an uncontrollable laugh.

"These days, everyone’s living a miserable, destitute life, one that could drive anyone insane."

"So, why not face this cold, cruel world with a little more laughter?"

"Ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Swaying his body and stepping in rhythm, Arthur’s sharp laugh echoed throughout the bar, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.

"Hey, Clown! We didn’t come here to listen to your complaints!"

Frowning, one of the patrons shouted at Arthur, who appeared to be losing it on stage.

"Yeah, freak!"

"Get off the stage, you weirdo! Clown!"

The jeers caused Arthur to halt his lively movements.

He stood silently, listening to the boos coming from every corner of the bar.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

From behind the clown mask came an even louder, more gleeful laugh.

"My mother always told me to smile."

"Now, let me share that joy with all of you. Ha, ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

As Arthur’s voice faded, one of the patrons who had been jeering suddenly clutched his stomach and began laughing.

"What’s going on? What’s so funny?"

The others, confused, looked at the man who couldn’t stop laughing.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

"Ah-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

"Ha-ha, you—ha-ha—why are you—ha-ha—laughing?"

"I don’t know! Ha-ha-ha-ha! I just can’t stop! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Strangely, as the first person laughed, more patrons followed. Three, four, five…

Soon, the entire bar erupted in uncontrollable laughter. Faces contorted into grins, and everyone laughed madly, filling the space with a deafening cacophony of mirth.

On stage, Arthur spread his arms wide and danced to the sound of laughter, embodying the spirit of a clown.

...

“F**k this! They’re all insane… completely insane…”

Backstage, a white comedian watched the chaotic scene unfold with a look of terror. Trembling, he pulled out his phone and dialed 911.

*Operator:* “New York Police Department. What’s your emergency?”

*Comedian:* “This is a bar in New York… send the cops now!”

*Operator:* “What’s happening there?”

*Comedian:* “They’ve gone mad! Everyone’s gone mad! They’re laughing… they’re all laughing!”

*Operator:* “I’m sorry, sir. Did you say… laughing?”

*Comedian:* “Yes! Everyone in the bar is laughing non-stop, like lunatics! That clown—he made them all laugh, ha-ha-ha-ha… like maniacs!”

*Operator:* “Sir, are you sure this isn’t a joke?”

*Comedian:* “It’s not a joke! Ha-ha-ha! Everything I’m saying is true! That clown… he’s making everyone laugh, ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha!”

*Operator:* “Sir, are you okay?”

*Comedian:* “I—ha-ha-ha-ha! The clown is looking at me, ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha…”

*Operator:* “Sir? Sir? Officers are on their way to the bar.”

*Arthur:* "Why so serious?"

...

“Amanda, we’ve got a situation!”

In New York, at an FBI field office, Agent Zhou received a call from the NYPD.

Driving swiftly toward the scene, Zhou briefed Amanda in the passenger seat about the situation.

"The NYPD received a call about an incident at the bar we visited earlier. According to the caller, a clown has caused everyone there to burst into uncontrollable laughter."

Had this been before today, Amanda might have dismissed it as a clown pulling off a successful performance.

But after witnessing Harvey’s bizarre death, Amanda immediately connected the bar incident to it.

"Can we confirm the clown’s identity?"

"Not yet."

Shaking his head, Zhou swerved past a car, ignoring the driver’s curses, and sped onward.

"Could this be another supernatural event?"

Eyes on the road, Zhou asked Amanda.

While the FBI had established the Bureau of Supernatural Investigation (BSI) under Director Robert Mueller and the president’s executive order, Amanda was the only agent with direct experience investigating supernatural cases.

"Possibly."

In the passenger seat, Amanda replied uncertainly.

Since joining the BSI, she’d handled numerous "supernatural" cases, most of which turned out to be hoaxes or crimes disguised as paranormal events. Harvey Cruz’s death was assigned to her only because of its peculiar nature.

Hearing her response, Zhou fell silent. But his foot pressed harder on the accelerator.

---

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 56: Joy

“We’ve arrived at the scene.”

Responding to the emergency call, the first to reach the location were the local patrol officers.

Inside the police car, an African-American officer studied the bar in front of him before reporting through the radio.

“You stay here and keep watch. I’ll go inside and check things out.”

Turning to his partner, he instructed briefly before stepping out of the patrol car. With his gun drawn, he faced the bar’s entrance, taking a deep breath.

“Maybe we should wait for backup before going in,” his partner suggested, attempting to stop him.

“What if there’s real danger inside the bar?”

“Danger?” The African-American officer smirked. “The dispatcher already said it’s just a clown causing a commotion.”

Clearly, he didn’t take his partner’s concern seriously. According to the dispatcher, the incident was a simple disturbance involving a clown.

Ignoring the warning, he walked straight to the bar entrance.

“Ha ha ha ha ha…”

“Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha…”

As soon as he entered, waves of uproarious laughter hit him like a wall.

“What’s with these people?”

Gripping his gun tightly, the officer scanned the room, baffled by the sight of patrons laughing uncontrollably, as if they were oblivious to everything around them. His dark face showed utter disbelief.

“Has everyone gone mad, or is it something else…?”

Irritated by the incessant laughter, the officer grabbed a nearby patron, who was laughing hysterically, and demanded, “Tell me what’s going on in this bar! Why are you all laughing like idiots?”

“Ha ha… I don’t know… ha ha ha… I just saw someone laughing, and then I couldn’t stop myself… ha ha ha…”

“Stop this ridiculous laughter right now!” the officer shouted, his frustration mounting as the patron continued to laugh uncontrollably.

“I… ha ha… can’t stop… ha ha… it hurts… ha ha… please help me… ha ha ha…”

The patron’s bizarre behavior left the officer stunned. Though the man laughed uncontrollably, his face betrayed an expression of sheer agony.

Turning to observe the rest of the patrons, the officer noticed a similar pattern: hysterical laughter accompanied by visible pain. It wasn’t genuine joy—it seemed as though something was forcing them to laugh.

“What in the world…?”

Horrified by the surreal scene, the officer instinctively took a few steps back. Despite his bravery in entering the bar with his weapon drawn, the eerie situation left him deeply unsettled.

“What are you afraid of?”

A cheerful voice suddenly came from behind him.

He turned and saw a clown dressed in a red suit and green vest, prancing into view.

The clown moved gracefully, dancing amidst the laughter, his sharp cackles cutting through the noise.

“Would you like to hear a joke?”

The officer’s eyes locked on the clown’s red-painted face. Horror twisted his features as his mouth began to curl upward against his will.

Uncontrollable laughter erupted from his throat.

*Thud!*

His gun fell to the floor. He didn’t care. Clutching his stomach, the officer succumbed to the same uncontrollable laughter as the other patrons.

“What… ha ha ha… have you done to me? Ha ha ha… I can’t stop laughing!”

“I’ve simply shared a little joy with you,” the clown replied with a grin. “Laugh, for in this cold, indifferent world, joy is the only thing that truly matters! Ha ha ha…”

Watching the officer collapse into manic laughter, Arthur—the man behind the clown mask—felt his own sense of delight intensify. Humming a lively tune, he bent down and picked up the fallen gun.

“What can you do,

Punchinello, funny fellow?

What can you do…”

He sang softly as he strolled through the crowd of hysterically laughing patrons, heading toward the back of the bar.

“Ha ha… ha ha ha…”

In the backroom, the same erratic laughter echoed sporadically.

Arthur passed by several individuals who had once mocked him. He stopped before the bar owner, who was writhing on the floor, clutching his stomach.

“P-please… ha ha… Arthur… ha ha ha… spare me… ha ha ha… I’m begging you…”

The bar owner’s laughter was so intense that it left him gasping for air. Tears streamed down his face, and saliva dripped from his contorted smile.

Nearby, the lifeless body of a comedian lay on the floor, his frozen grin grotesquely wide. He still held a phone in his hand, as if mid-conversation.

“You gave me a chance once, boss.”

Arthur stood still, his masked face fixed on the suffering bar owner. A smile tugged at his lips as he spoke in a lively tone.

“So, I’ll give you a chance too.”

“Ha… ha ha…”

As Arthur’s words settled, the bar owner’s laughter gradually subsided. He gasped desperately for air, his body convulsing like a fish pulled from water. The relentless laughter had nearly suffocated him.

“T-thank you…”

Lying on the floor, the bar owner strained to lift his head, glancing at Arthur’s red clown mask. His lips twitched upward involuntarily, and he quickly turned his gaze away.

“You were the only one in this bar who treated me with a little kindness.”

Ignoring the bar owner’s gratitude—or fear—Arthur continued in his cheerful tone.

With that, he turned and skipped away, bouncing like a gleeful clown.

“What are you going to do, Arthur?”

The bar owner’s voice trembled as he called out after him.

“Spread joy to everyone.”

---

(End of Chapter)