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**Introduction:**

In the bustling cityscape of modern China, where technology intertwines seamlessly with daily life, a chilling legend whispers through the digital veins of the metropolis. It's a story that has persisted across social media, whispered in dark alleys, and shared in hushed tones among friends - an urban myth that warns of a cursed phone number, one that beckons the unwary into a realm of terror and despair. This is the story of "The Echoes of the Forbidden Dial."

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**Chapter 1: The Birth of the Legend**

Liu Wei was a bright, ambitious young man in his late twenties, working as a software engineer in Shanghai. An avid user of messaging apps and social media, Liu Wei often explored the depths of the internet, seeking out the latest trends and urban legends. One evening, while browsing a niche forum dedicated to supernatural stories, he stumbled upon a post titled "The Haunted Number: Call if You Dare."

The post claimed that there was a specific Chinese phone number - an unassuming sequence of digits - that had a dark history. According to the story, anyone who dialed this number would be greeted not by a friendly voice, but by horrifying screams and wails emanating from the receiver. Some said that the voices belonged to those who had called before, trapped in an eternal scream. Others whispered that calling the number would curse the caller with misfortune, sickness, or even death.

Liu Wei chuckled at first. It sounded like a typical urban legend meant to scare teenagers. But as he read more, he found a series of accounts from people claiming to have called the number and experienced unexplainable phenomena. Some reported hearing the screams, while others claimed they received anonymous messages afterward warning them to hang up or face consequences.

The number itself was a sequence of digits seemingly random - **138-XXXX-XXXX** - but some versions of the story suggested that the number was linked to a long-forgotten tragedy or a ghostly entity. The legend persisted, growing with each retelling, feeding on fears and the unknown.

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**Chapter 2: The First Call**

Curiosity got the better of Liu Wei. That night, alone in his apartment, he decided to test the legend. He pulled out his phone, hesitated for a moment, then dialed the number from the post: **138-XXXX-XXXX**. His heart hammered in his chest, both from anticipation and skepticism.

The line rang three times before a distorted, guttural scream burst through the speaker. Liu Wei recoiled, his hand trembling. The scream was deafening, like a thousand tormented souls crying out in agony. He instinctively slammed his phone down on the table, voice trembling as he muttered, "It's just a joke."

But as he stared at his phone, the screen flickered. An unread message appeared: **"You called me."** His blood ran cold. He looked around his apartment, feeling a sudden oppressive presence, as if the walls themselves were watching him.

He shook off the unease, convincing himself it was a prank - probably a sound effect or a recording. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. That night, he slept fitfully, haunted by muffled screams echoing in his dreams.

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**Chapter 3: The Aftermath**

The next morning, Liu Wei awoke with a pounding headache and a strange sense of dread. He tried to dismiss the incident as psychological stress, but then he noticed something strange: a faint, red mark on his arm, like a bruise but with no apparent cause. Over the next few days, more inexplicable things began to happen.

His belongings went missing, only to reappear in odd places. He received anonymous messages warning him to stay away from the number. His friends noticed his pale complexion and the dark circles under his eyes. When he looked into the mirror, he saw a shadowy figure lurking behind him - just for a moment - before vanishing.

Liu Wei's work suffered; he became paranoid, locking his doors at all hours and avoiding his phone. The legend's curse seemed to seep into his life, pulling him into a spiraling nightmare.

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**Chapter 4: The Curse Unfolds**

As days passed, Liu Wei's health deteriorated. He developed severe headaches, and his vision blurred. His dreams were filled with screams and shadowy figures reaching out for him. His friends grew worried and urged him to seek help, but Liu Wei was convinced he was being targeted by an unseen force.

One evening, while browsing online for answers, he found a forum discussing the legend of the haunted number. An old post caught his eye - an account from a woman named Mei Ling, who claimed to have called the number years ago and lost her brother shortly afterward. She described the phone calls as "the echoes of the damned," and warned others not to call.

Desperate for relief, Liu Wei decided to confront the curse. He traced the number to an old, abandoned telephone exchange on the outskirts of the city - a relic from a bygone era, long forgotten and left to decay.

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**Chapter 5: The Forbidden Exchange**

Under the cover of night, Liu Wei drove to the decrepit exchange, heart pounding. The building was a relic - graffiti covered the walls, windows shattered, and the air was thick with the scent of mold and decay. Inside, the silence was oppressive, broken only by the faint hum of electrical equipment long dormant.

He found the switchboard, covered in dust, with tangled wires protruding like veins. With trembling hands, he entered the number into an old rotary dialer that still sat there, as if waiting for him.

As he dialed, the room suddenly grew cold. The lights flickered, casting shadows on the peeling walls. A deafening scream erupted from the receiver, loud enough to shatter eardrums. Liu Wei fell to his knees, clutching his head, as the screams echoed in his mind.

Then, a whispering voice hissed, "You summoned me." The voice was layered with pain and rage, sending icy tendrils down his spine.

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**Chapter 6: The Haunting's Toll**

Liu Wei stumbled out of the exchange, leaving the cursed machine behind. But the damage was done. The curse had taken hold. His dreams become nightmares - visions of ghostly figures, screams, and shadowy hands reaching out from the darkness. His health declined rapidly; he lost weight, his skin grew pallid, and he became a shell of his former self.

His friends tried to intervene, but Liu Wei was convinced that the curse was inescapable. One night, he disappeared without a trace, leaving only his phone behind. The device was found cracked and shattered, the screen flickering with ghostly images and distorted voices.

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**Chapter 7: The Legend Lives On**

Liu Wei's story became a new chapter in the legend. Others, curious or foolish enough, sought out the cursed number, only to meet similar fates. The number remains active in the shadows of the internet, a digital doorway to terror.

Some say that calling the number is a form of summoning a vengeful spirit - a ghost trapped in the network, waiting to drag others into its eternal scream. Others believe the number is a curse planted by a vengeful entity, feeding on the fears of the living.

The legend persists, warning all who hear it: **Beware the forbidden dial. Once you call, you may never hang up.**

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**Epilogue: The Modern Urban Legend**

In the age of instant communication, stories like Liu Wei's serve as modern cautionary tales. They remind us that some mysteries are best left unexplored, and that technology, while powerful, can also be a conduit for the unknown. The haunted phone number remains out there, lurking in the digital shadows, waiting for the next curious caller to answer its call.

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**Final Note:**

If you ever come across a strange number that whispers in the darkness, remember Liu Wei's fate. Sometimes, curiosity is a curse, and the echoes of the forbidden dial are best left unheard.

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*End of story.*