Cross-talk Script: "Echoes from the Underworld"

A: Hello everyone. Today, we’re going to tell you a story. You know, humans always love to talk about the afterlife, wondering whether they’ll go to heaven or fall into hell. Do you believe in that? (cold laugh)

B: Of course, I believe it! Otherwise, what’s the point of living happily? If we go to heaven or hell, at least we won’t have to worry about work anymore!

A: You think heaven means no work? Not necessarily. (mysteriously) Recently, I received a job offer from the Underworld.

B: The Underworld? (plays along) Haha, a job offer from the Underworld? Did you bump your head? The Underworld hires people? Is it for a position as a death god?

A: Not just death gods! The Underworld has many positions, all to offer "employment opportunities" to those who pass away. (pauses, then changes the subject) For example, have you heard of a “Soul Judge”?

B: (seriously) Oh, this sounds like an interesting job. A Soul Judge? Isn’t that someone who judges whether people should go to hell?

A: Right, exactly. The job of a Soul Judge is to determine people’s sins after death. But this job is not so easy. (pauses for effect, then suddenly changes the topic) You know, the Underworld actually has a special rule: anyone who enters the Underworld must pass an interview.

B: Haha, an interview? The Underworld holds job interviews? I bet the interviewer is a furious ghost!

A: No, no. The interviewer is actually a very gentle old man, looking like your grandfather, kind and warm.

B: (rubbing his head) Oh, so it’s not scary at all? I bet it’ll be easy to pass the interview!

A: You think it’s that easy? Wrong. The interview is about—"the choices you made in life." For example, how did you make decisions? Did you ever regret your actions? Did you do anything you can’t forgive yourself for?

B: (suddenly serious) Wow, that’s tough. If I can’t pass the interview, do I stay in the Underworld forever, as a soul with no chance to be reincarnated?

A: (nodding slowly) Yes, exactly. The rules in the Underworld are strict. Some people who did good in life can’t even get through the door when they reach the Underworld. Then they have to stay there, like a ghost, listening to others tell jokes, but they can’t laugh.

B: (pauses, thinking) So... if I don’t pass, I’ll never go to heaven?

A: (slightly smiling, with a cold glint in his eyes) Oh, no, getting into heaven isn’t that easy. To enter heaven, you need to have an “unfearing heart,” one that holds no burden at all.

B: (feeling nervous) So... does that mean I’ll never make it to heaven? I’m always afraid of death, of failure, of not being accepted...

A: (laughing softly) Haha, exactly. You might find that, in the end, the real interview is not the one in the Underworld, but the one you face every day in life. How you deal with yourself and how you let go of those heavy burdens.

B: (suddenly having an idea) But, actually, I think I understand now. The most important thing isn’t whether you go to heaven or hell, but whether you live with no regrets, right?

A: (slightly smiling) Right, you’re absolutely right. In the end, all the fear and anxiety will turn into a smile, becoming the truest experience of your life. You see, the Underworld interview is nothing more than a summary of your life choices—it's all about how you face yourself and let go of your burdens.

B: (laughing) Haha! Now that you say it, I don’t think the Underworld interview is that scary. As long as I live happily, I’m sure I’ll have no fear when I die!

A: (his smile fading, his voice becoming more somber) But some people live too heavily, and when they die, they can never let go of that weight.

B: (suddenly subdued, thinking) Hmm... I guess you have to let go in order to feel light.

A: Exactly. In the end, the Underworld’s interview is just a summary of your life—a judgment on how you face yourself and whether you can release your burdens.

B: You’re right, I guess the Underworld is more complicated than I thought! (laughs) But, since even death has an interview, I might just pass it—after all, I’ve never done anything bad!

A: Don’t be too sure, the interview isn’t that simple. The real key to your fate is whether you can make the Underworld laugh.

(The lights fade, the atmosphere grows colder, and suddenly, a deep "creak" is heard from the stage.)

B: (surprised) Did you hear that?

A: (slightly smiling, looking down) Yes, I heard it. The bell of the Underworld. The interview has begun.

(The stage goes dark, and the script ends.)