Chapter 5: Six Dead People

Outside the window, a strong wind had blown up at some point. The wind carried drizzle, passing through the narrow and long stretch of land, emitting a whimpering sound like the wailing of souls who died unjustly.

Hu Wei rummaged out a few things from the head and foot of the bed: a withered flower, an old ballpoint pen, a pair of broken glasses, and a sweater gnawed by mice.

There was nothing more.

There were very few traces of the workers living in the dormitory. These 4 items were considered the most representative.

Hu Wei unhurriedly placed these things on the table and turned her head to ask, "Mr. 39? Do you have any guesses?"

Xie De shifted his gaze over, his line of sight flashing past the four items on the table, and made eye contact with a pair of blood-red eyes under the table. The mangled, bloody human face formed a ghastly pale smile at him.

Some people look very calm, but inwardly, their soul already left a while ago.

Watching as that person was about to crawl out from under the table.

Gibberish let out another "bzz—" sound. Xie De, who had been given PTSD by the electric shocks, shuddered, came back to his senses, and realized he should run away.

His large, knobby hand grabbed the back of Hu Wei's collar. Forcefully enduring his weak knees, he walked extremely fast out of the room. With a bang, he shut the door, terrified that the thing inside would come out, and even threw a few locks on the door.

Hearing the entity inside angrily scratching at the door with its nails, Xie De closed his eyes, trying to forget that mangled, bloody weirdness.

Hu Wei, who had been pushed outside the door, held that withered flower between her slender fingers. She opened her big, watery eyes, showing not the slightest hint of fear.

"Mr. 39, you took me away too fast. I only had time to grab this flower. The other things are still inside; I didn't get them out."

Girl, if we didn't leave, we'd definitely be dead.

At this time, Xie De felt a stinging pain in his fingertips and realized the cigarette he had lit earlier had burned to the end. He threw the cigarette butt on the ground and said, as if explaining casually but also seemingly comforting.

"Just remembering what those things are is enough. Clues aren't props, and we aren't police handling a case. Closing the case doesn't require evidence."

Then his indifferent gaze fell on Hu Wei.

"Aren't you afraid?"

Hu Wei smiled slightly, a surge of confidence appearing on her face.

"Please rest assured, Mr. 39, I won't drag you down. At any rate, I'm a veteran player who has cleared two instances. I still have this bit of psychological fortitude. I wouldn't rashly interrupt your decisions."

They needed enough time to look for clues, but staying too long would disturb the anomalies. And just now, Mr. 39 managed the time perfectly. Exactly the duration of a cigarette, no more, no less.

In scenario games, a person who has mastered their own strength to such an extreme must indeed be a powerful and conceited guy.

This little girl truly had no sense of fear at all. Xie De felt heavily dealt a blow. And what did she mean by 'wouldn't rashly interrupt his decisions'? What exactly had he decided?

Fine, fine!

Xie De couldn't let himself be led by the nose by Gibberish anymore, and this guy was clearly a coward too! He took a deep breath, looked towards the place with the most clues, the boss’s office.

“Let’s go there?"

Hu Wei nodded firmly.

Gibberish popped up and praised him.

"Not easy, Host! You can actually take the initiative to look for clues."

Xie De couldn't bear it anymore.

"What else? I have to get out of this terrifying place. If I don't get out, if I'm not scared to death, I'll be electrocuted to death by you! And if I don't actively search, should I rely on this little girl who isn't even as tall as my shoulders? She's still a minor! Have a little sense of responsibility, Gibberish!"

Gibberish, not surprisingly, choked on its words for a moment. It silently hid the data file showing Hu Wei slaughtering her way in and out of scenarios seven times, and wholeheartedly supported its host's rising to the occasion.

However, completely within Gibberish's expectations, the host's "rising to the occasion" was like a child playing with a toy. A three-minute enthusiasm.

Walking to the office door, Xie De put his hand on the doorknob and hesitated again.

"Gibberish, do you think I'll be killed upon opening the door? I feel a little afraid to open it."

"Host, don't embarrass yourself in front of a kid. Besides, the scenario won't throw completely inescapable death traps at you.”

"Alright."

Upon opening the door, the view inside was unexpected.

What met the eye was warm yellow light shining down from a green-shaded desk lamp on the desk. The light reflected on a dashing and handsome face, bearing a gentle smile.

"So it's Mr. 39, and Ms. Hu Wei."

Hu Wei replied vigilantly and doubtfully.

"Wei Yanchi, what did you find here?"

So Mr. 39's pause when opening the door just now was because there was someone inside. Hu Wei concentrated and held her breath. Living people in scenarios could be harder to deal with than ghosts and monsters.

Wei Yanchi sat at the desk, organizing the notes on it, and said gently.

"If you want to know the clues I have, you have to trade your clues for them."

The tone of his voice was clearly gentle like a breeze and fine rain, but it happened to carry an unprovoked coldness. Like an anglerfish in the deep sea, the warm light that lures creatures seen at first glance. Once believed, one would be swallowed until no bones or flesh remained.

Hu Wei noticed that in the darkness not covered by the desk lamp, there was another person present.

It seems that in this scenario, it's not just her and Mr. 39 sticking together. Things were getting a bit tricky.

Hu Wei didn't believe Wei Yanchi at all. This guy was a known madman among the players. She didn't even plan to step through this door right now.

She frowned and looked at Xie De, only to see the tall, aloof man walk in confidently just like that. Natural, calm, and composed, his silver hair was slightly blown by the airflow, like flowing spring water from the Tianshan Mountains, looking completely unconcerned.

Eh.

Xie De was the opposite of Hu Wei. Seeing a living person inside, he truly breathed a sigh of relief. Isn't it just exchanging information? How normal.

Wei Yanchi's gaze followed the man's movements, the smile on the corners of his mouth growing larger. He watched the man step out of the darkness and into the area illuminated by the warm light of the desk lamp, standing elegantly in front of the desk. A pair of dark green pupils looked at him, as if looking at someone interesting. Wei Yanchi slightly tilted his head.

Xie De's slender fingers placed down a withered flower.

"Found in the workers' dormitory. You should be able to guess."

This withered flower happened to be a withered rose. Finding a rose in the workers' dormitory, this clue was naturally valuable. Perhaps the truth lay within it.

Wei Yanchi took the flower and examined it. Keeping his promise, he handed him the documents from the office, it was an account book.

Wei Yanchi said unhurriedly.

"This boss, he embezzles, and owes the workers their wages."

Just this point?

The two looked at each other. Obviously, neither had finished telling all the clues they obtained.

Wei Yanchi chuckled lightly.

"Looking for someone to cooperate with, at least show some sincerity, Mr. 39."

He smiled in a way that gave Xie De goosebumps. Fine, he was a bit embarrassed, but he hadn't brought the other clue evidence out, mostly because…

...because empty words are no proof. Wasn't he just afraid of people misunderstanding?

Xie De frowned and changed the subject, "We also found glasses, a sweater, and a ballpoint pen. But I don't think these are important."

Wei Yanchi took out a photo again, "Alright, then I have a relatively important discovery here. There are six missing people in this factory, and all six of them had deep connections with the boss. Some were the boss's classmates, some were his neighbors, and one was even closer, the boss's female cousin."

Their mission is to solve the boss's troubles.

And Gibberish had also said the missing people disappeared voluntarily. If disappearance is seen as death, why would anyone willingly go to their death?

Truly complicated.

After finishing sharing clues with the protagonist.

Xie De then turned and left. Hu Wei glanced into the shadows several times before immediately following.

The door was closed again. A woman with a gloomy face walked out from the shadows. Yue Xiamo, holding a knife, asked.

"Why did you share clues with them?"

Wei Yanchi looked at the withered rose on the table, shrugged and smiled,

"Why so serious? Just treat it as me easing the relationships between players."

"Hmph, be careful they don't drag you down as a scapegoat!"