Chapter 252: Mirror Ghost (Part 15)

Chapter 252: Mirror Ghost (Part 15)

The night passed peacefully—though that might not be the most accurate description. Upon returning to the hotel, while the players longed for a restful sleep, they remained wary, aware they were in a game instance. No one felt safe enough to sleep deeply.

They even created a watch schedule, with pairs assigned to keep vigil, fearing monsters or ghosts might sneak in and catch them off guard.

Given Jie Fangcheng's abilities, no one dared to assign him to a shift, but they did put Guan Yingying's name on the schedule.

When Jie Fangcheng returned, he glanced at the schedule and casually remarked, "Why all this fuss? Just go to sleep."

Everyone paused, one person cautiously inquired, "Boss, are you saying you'll stay up and keep watch tonight?"

"Hmm? Is there a need to stand guard?"

"If we don't, what if a monster enters the hotel?"

Jie Fangcheng simply picked up his phone again.

Ghostly figures lurked everywhere, but each ghost had an expression of meek obedience.

"Isn't there a bodyguard for that?"

“……”

"Get some rest."

The group, in a daze, returned to their respective rooms.

Jie Fangcheng wasn't particularly sleepy. Having spent the daytime idling in the hotel and finding little else to occupy himself, he had taken a long nap in the afternoon.

Now, with the players off to bed, he turned on the television.

After an initial harsh static, the TV, which had been dormant during the day, seemed functional at night.

Within the perfectly squared screen, the images seemed like overexposed film reels; no matter the channel, the colors were overly vivid.

Jie Fangcheng casually chose a channel, which was broadcasting a conflict resolution program.

What played was a couple; the husband's face, in the bright colors of the television, appeared as if it had been flayed—reddish in hue and with exaggeratedly large eyes.

The host provided an overview of the couple's disputes.

The husband refused to come home or do housework, leaving the care of children and elders entirely to his wife. The money he earned, he'd only give half for household expenses, claiming the other half was needed for "social interactions."

The wife, with her sallow complexion, looked as drained as dried meat. Her wrinkled face accused her husband of staying out and having an ambiguous relationship with a female colleague.

The script in the host's hand seemed to slash across the screen like a scythe. In the camera's view, he, along with the couple, gazed out towards the viewers.

"What's your take on this situation?"

The surrounding temperature seemed to drop by a couple of degrees.

Jie Fangcheng merely glanced at the air conditioning vent, "Don't stand there, you might get hurt."

From the vent, a squirming sound seemed to emanate briefly before the temperature normalized.

The three people on the TV looked bewildered. Jie Fangcheng gestured slightly, "Continue."

.

The next day, when the players appeared in the hotel lobby, they all looked somewhat fatigued.

Though Jie Fangcheng had told them not to worry, no one would entrust their safety to other players.

Thus, many players couldn't sleep at night, but Guan Yingying and Zhu Ping, the two girls, seemed quite well-rested.

Zhu Ping was astute; she had figured out that this was a haunted scenario. Jie Fangcheng, a dominant player, had all his tools and wouldn't need to lie if he wanted to harm them.

If he intended to kill, could the present players even resist him if they tried?

Since this powerful figure had already said to rest, it was evident he was considering their safety.

And if any monster were to appear that even Jie Fangcheng couldn't defeat, the other players would be even more helpless.

Besides, Zhu Ping herself possessed an early warning skill, so she wasn't worried in the slightest.

Guan Yingying appeared well-rested, but Zhu Ping shot her a wary glance.

For some reason, Zhu Ping felt that this player's complexion seemed to be growing increasingly pallid.

"Shall we proceed as we discussed yesterday?"

Some players looked towards Jie Fangcheng.

Yesterday, they agreed that Jie Fangcheng would remain in the hotel during the day, keeping his phone line open, while other players would search for clues in the Xinxin Residential Community. If any danger arose, they'd summon Jie Fangcheng from the security room.

Jie Fangcheng had no objections to this plan.

"Agreed."

With that, the players filed out in a line.

This time, the bus was already waiting at the platform.

After the players boarded, the bus started and headed in the direction of the Xinxin Residential Community.

As it was only one stop away, they soon returned to the community.

Just as Guan Yingying had mentioned, after Jie Fangcheng entered the community the previous night, he killed all the monsters he encountered and even demolished all the buildings in the Xinxin Residential Community. Yet now, everything seemed to have reverted to its original state.

Once the phone line was connected, the kind-hearted security guard agreed to their request to keep the line open.

Around them, the morning bustled with white-collar workers heading to their jobs, parents dropping off their kids, students heading to school, and shop owners preparing to open their stores. The scene was one of a leisurely daily life, seemingly unchanged from the day before.

The "Xiao Qiang Supermarket" was still closed, and the other players scattered like headless chickens, looking for clues. Even Zhu Ping decided to first check on Guan Qing.

Only Guan Yingying remained, staring intently at the Xiao Qiang Supermarket.

"I'll wait here."

Zhu Ping frowned slightly, but seeing that Guan Yingying wasn’t rushing to get clues from Guan Qing and instead chose to loiter outside a supermarket with an uncertain opening time, she simply nodded, "Alright."

Before departing, Zhu Ping added, "If you need any help, don't hesitate to call me."

Call it a player's keen intuition, but Zhu Ping sensed that something was off with Guan Yingying.

Guan Yingying didn't decline.

Once Zhu Ping departed, the surrounding players were nowhere in sight.

Only then did Guan Yingying approach the entrance of Xiao Qiang Supermarket.

— Should she barge in and eliminate Qiao Qiang?

Guan Yingying tilted her head slightly.

In that instant, her eyes took on an insect-like multifaceted appearance, fixated directly on the "Xiao Qiang Supermarket" sign.

Eliminate him...

Take him down!

It's merely within this scenario anyway...

Even if she couldn't act against an NPC—since it didn’t align with the scenario's ​1​—her character as this ​2​ wouldn’t make an appearance until three days later.

Only after Qiao Qiang is killed by her past self can she take action.

— But just do it now!

Forget about the scenario's rules...

Creak—

The doors to "Xiao Qiang Supermarket" swung open.

Qiao Qiang stretched languidly, extending his body on the steps.

At that moment, a nearby resident spotted him and greeted, to which he responded with a beaming smile.

"Xiao Qiang, do you have some good news today? You seem so cheerful."

Qiao Qiang raised an eyebrow, a flash of excitement evident in his eyes: "Indeed, there's a piece of good news."

But as for that "good news," it’s best not to reveal it until he sees that woman.

Qiao Qiang hummed a tune cheerfully, settling back into his lounge chair just as he had done the day before.

This time, however, his phone remained silent. Qiao Qiang stared at a photo on his screen, his expression sleazy and unsightly.

After breakfast, several players returned in succession.

The players who had been watching Guan Qing excitedly brought back new clues.

"It seems like something happened to Guan Qing!"

Zhu Ping, who was also monitoring Guan Qing, retorted with discomfort at their enthusiasm, "It's not like something good has happened. Why are you so thrilled?"

The player sneered dismissively.

"The way you put it... If something happens to an NPC, it signals a turning point in this scenario. Isn't that something to be excited about?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than he felt a forceful blow from the side.

Reacting quickly, the player rolled to the side to regain his footing and then looked up, a mix of surprise and anger directed at Guan Yingying, "What the hell?"

Guan Yingying, her eyes unusually dark, glanced at him but offered no response.

"Damn..."

"Enough!" Zhu Ping intervened, stopping the aggrieved player, "Let's focus on the task at hand."

— And what was that task?

At the street entrance, Guan Qing, dressed in a white long dress, had a complexion paler than the fabric itself.

Her eyes, set in that overly pale face, appeared even darker, somewhat reminiscent of Guan Yingying's.

Guan Yingying turned away.

Zhu Ping hurriedly called out, "The plot's about to change. Aren't you staying to watch?"

Guan Yingying merely shook her head and quickly vanished from the players' view.

"What's with that woman acting all weird?" the player who had just had a confrontation with Guan Yingying mumbled.

Zhu Ping didn't want to delve further into the matter. She redirected the conversation to their current situation, "Xiao Zhuang, what did you see in Guan Qing's room earlier?"

Xiao Zhuang nodded, his expression rather somber.

At first, the other players searched outside for clues only to find that nothing seemed to have changed since yesterday; the area was just the same.

What else can be done? Of course, it's time to search for the key informant.

The supermarket by Qiao Qiang's hadn't opened yet, so the players spontaneously gathered outside Guan Qing's door.

With his stealth skills, Xiao Zhuang sneaked in undetected.

Before long, Guan Qing stumbled out, hastily opening her door and heading out.

She looked utterly distraught, with an apparent look of terror on her face.

Xiao Zhuang emerged soon after, looking grim, "Guan Qing has gone to see Qiao Qiang. Let's go together."

Thus, the players once again found themselves near Qiao Qiang's supermarket.

When questioned, Xiao Zhuang found it hard to speak.

"...Guan Qing was secretly photographed by Qiao Qiang."

.

Dusk.

Jie Fangcheng, hands in his pockets, arrived at the entrance of the Xin Xin Residence to pick someone up.

The players now decided against taking the bus since it wouldn’t stop until it reached the first station.

It was better to simply call for a ride and have the boss take them back directly, which was both convenient and quick.

When Jie Fangcheng arrived at the entrance, the players stood there in silence, all wearing grim expressions.

Except for Guan Yingying, who had left in the morning and hadn't returned. Her expression was oddly calm.

Leading the way, Jie Fangcheng asked Guan Yingying, "What happened?"

Guan Yingying shook her head, "I don’t know, I wasn't there."

——She knew.

But the experience of that day was hellish. Guan Yingying remained silent while a player behind Jie Fangcheng couldn't hold back any longer.

"Damn it!! What kind of scum threatens someone with secret photos of her... For the whole day, he's been sending those terrifying messages! Brother Jie! Can we just go back now and beat the life out of Qiao Qiang?!"

Before Jie Fangcheng could respond, another player interjected, "No! Qiao Qiang is a key NPC! We can't kill him!"