Chapter 244: The Ghost in the Mirror (Part VII)

Chapter 244: The Ghost in the Mirror (Part VII)

It was indeed him!

Zhu Ping, caught off guard, struggled for words. Opening her mouth to speak, her myriad thoughts condensed into a single question: "Why is it you?"

"Hmm?" Jie Fangcheng's voice was slightly distorted over the phone, but his confusion was palpable, "Didn't we agree that you'd call me once you reached the complex?"

He sounded genuinely puzzled, "You guys are slower than I expected. I'm already at the hotel, and you've just arrived?"

Jie Fangcheng thought he had taken his time, but it seemed the players were lagging even more.

What's with these people? Can they even manage?

Reflexively, Zhu Ping retorted, "That's not the case."

Only after refuting did she realize her words might be hard to justify.

They, of course, didn't believe Xie Fangcheng would pick up, hence their decision not to call.

Unexpectedly, without them calling, Xie Fangcheng took the initiative to dial them up.

With that thought, Zhu Ping snapped back to reality.

"By the way... now that you've answered the phone, what's it like around you?"

"Around me?" Xie Fangcheng looked around.

One after another, by the wall, whether lying or crouching, there were piles of ghosts.

These weren't all the ghosts in the hotel. After Xie Fangcheng took out a few and chased a few more, the remaining ones scattered in all directions.

In the previous hotel, Xie Fangcheng had the freedom to tear the place apart to catch ghosts, but in this one, the phone call was evidently crucial.

Manager Xie wasn't unreasonable; he certainly wouldn't demolish this hotel too.

So, when Zhu Ping asked, Xie Fangcheng responded while munching an apple, "It's fine."

Crunch, crunch...

Zhu Ping: "..."

Zhu Ping: "What are you eating?"

"An apple." Beside Xie Fangcheng was a basket of washed fruits. He had also changed into a fresh hotel bathrobe with a TV remote by his side.

"Where did you get the apple?!" Zhu Ping was shocked. After the initial astonishment, she felt her worldview rattled and incoherently said, "You... just ate it like that? Aren't you concerned about consuming something from this kind of place? And the... hotel... aren't there any ghosts around?"

"Ghosts? Oh, there are."

Over the phone, Zhu Ping could hear that strange player seemingly beckoning someone with phrases like "Come here", "Greet the person", "Why so rude?" and so on.

After a short pause, Xie Fangcheng lamented, "They don't want to come over."

Zhu Ping cautiously inquired, "Who are 'they'?"

Xie Fangcheng replied, "Ghosts."

Crunch, crunch.

Everyone was dumbstruck.

This must be a joke, right??

This kid... This kid...

After waiting for a moment and getting no response from the other players, Xie Fangcheng grew impatient.

"I'll leave the phone here. You all search for clues. Call me if something comes up, okay?"

"...Alright." Zhu Ping, still in a daze, set the security room phone on the table.

At that moment, Guan Yingying was the first to snap back to reality.

"Wait a minute!" she exclaimed. "What if the security guard comes back?"

Before Zhu Ping could contemplate a solution, Xie Fangcheng chimed in from the other end of the line.

"The security guard is quite amiable."

He might not have seemed that way, especially with Xie Fangcheng carrying a stick and covered in dirt.

Upon entering the compound, Xie Fangcheng roamed aimlessly. While he didn't find much, he did come across a public washbasin and splashed some water on himself.

The security guard had observed all of this and even warmly greeted him.

"Young man, what happened to you? Would you like me to call someone from your family?"

It was the guard's mention that made Xie Fangcheng notice several landline phones in the security booth.

As if to validate Xie Fangcheng's statement, just after he mentioned the "amiable security guard", an elderly man in his sixties or seventies, dressed in a security uniform and having just finished his lunch, returned.

Seeing players using the phone in his booth, the security guard remained courteous.

"Go ahead."

Even when Zhu Ping tentatively suggested not hanging up the phone, the old man graciously nodded in agreement.

"It's fine."

The group before him looked rather pitiable; each one was covered in dirt and grime, and some seemed to walk as if they had physical disabilities, their gaits quite odd.

With the old man's approval, the group finally emerged from the phone booth.

Under the harsh sunlight, they glanced at each other, standing at the entrance of the security room, unsure of what to say.

The development of this game scenario was utterly... utterly baffling!

"What's that player's deal?" someone murmured.

Initially, Zhu Ping and her group had a strategy to split into two teams. Considering the hotel's situation, it was essential to station more than half of the players there.

Even then, they couldn't ensure a consistent phone line. It was likely the call would work intermittently.

Under such circumstances, their efficiency in finding clues would be significantly compromised.

But now, only Xie Fangcheng was at the hotel.

Just him! Yet the phone remained connected, and the surrounding NPCs continued their usual activities.

One minute passed, then two... five minutes went by, and the NPCs were still present.

This player named Xie Fangcheng, could it be he wasn't lying? Was he genuinely that formidable?!

Zhu Ping was initially wary of him. Now, any clever person would instantly realize that, in the face of overwhelming ability, any suspicion would be self-degrading.

If he wanted leadership due to his prowess, would Zhu Ping dare refuse? What threat did he pose when he already held such power?

She'd rather oblige him.

Zhu Ping's tone shifted: "Since the crucial task of guarding the hotel is now in the hands of that player, our risk has essentially halved. Let's proceed to find clues about this Qiao Qiang and then plan our next steps!"

That was, after all, their primary objective from the beginning.

The situation now was different from when they first entered the neighborhood. Initially, there were no NPCs in the area, and the players didn't have much hope of finding any key clues.

But now, NPCs surrounded them.

The weather was clear, and the sunlight scorching.

This game scenario is truly unlike any ordinary one!

In the game scenarios the players had completed, NPCs that interacted closely with players were mostly adversaries, always seeking opportunities within the rules to "consume" them.

Yet, in the XinXin Community, the NPCs they've encountered so far have been quite amiable, resembling everyday folks.

This wasn't because the game scenario was easy—quite the opposite. Recognized as the most challenging ghost-based game, it began by killing He Mingguang; the ghosts in the hotel were notably formidable.

Without Xie Fangcheng, how could the players possibly be searching for clues in the neighborhood like they are now? The difficulty in this area seemed relatively low.

Xie Fangcheng, whom the players entrusted with significant responsibility, switched on the TV. After flipping through a couple of channels and finding nothing of interest, he turned it off with a sigh of boredom.

He then pulled out a deck of cards from the counter, glancing at the trembling ghosts.

"Anyone up for a game of 'Fight the Landlord'?" Xie Fangcheng asked.

.

Inside the XinXin Community, the players finally found the XiaoQiang Supermarket.

The community supermarket was small, with its interior clearly visible from the entrance.

With the midday heat, the shop owner, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, sat in a bamboo chair, gently fanning himself with a hand fan. At first glance, this Qiao Qiang seemed genuinely kind and sincere.

Just then, an elderly resident entered the supermarket to shop.

Qiao Qiang greeted her with a warm smile, swiftly assisting her with her purchases and checkout. He also took a moment to inquire about her well-being.

"Aunt Liu, how's your knee been lately? When I went on a trip recently, I specifically bought this ointment for rheumatism... Here, take it. No need to pay, I bought it especially for you."

After a bit of back-and-forth refusal, Aunt Liu modestly accepted the ointment.

"XiaoQiang truly is a good lad," she remarked.

Qiao Qiang smiled gently, exuding even more of his kind-hearted aura.

This left the players somewhat at a loss.

"With such a mild disposition, Qiao Qiang is genuinely an honest man. How could he possibly have enemies?"

The players had their own stealth skills; some hid under staircases, others in the corners of shops, all keeping an eye on Qiao Qiang.

Half the afternoon had passed, and the sunlight outside was no longer blistering. Aside from realizing that Qiao Qiang was indeed a good man, the players had no other clues.

"Let's not wait any longer. Leave two people here to keep watch; the rest, come with me," Zhu Ping said.

Just as she spoke, a new customer entered the shop.

"Hello," said the woman wearing a T-shirt and black-framed glasses, looking like a recent college graduate. She held an electronic lamp and placed it on a shelf. "I bought this lamp from your shop this morning, but when I got home and tried it, it wouldn't light up."

"Oh? Let me take a look."

Qiao Qiang approached and took the lamp out of its box.

After tinkering with it briefly, the lamp still didn't light up. Qiao Qiang noticed obvious signs of damage on one side.

"Looks like it's been dropped, hasn't it?"

Hearing his remark, the woman frowned, "I just bought it this morning. I tried it when I got home, found out it wasn’t working, and put it back in the box. I never dropped it."

Qiao Qiang glanced at her, "I didn't say I wouldn't refund you."

The woman looked displeased, but it was a minor grievance. After Qiao Qiang efficiently processed the refund, she left.

The players didn't think much of it. Just as they were about to leave, Zhu Ping's ears perked up.

"Damn b*h, who do you think you're glaring at? One day, someone will finish you off, you dumba..."

Zhu Ping swiftly turned her head.

The "honest man" Qiao Qiang spewed a series of vile obscenities before finally reclining back on his bamboo chair.