Chapter 16: Red Shoes (1)

Chapter 16: Red Shoes (1)

◎[White World Level: The Red Shoes in the Restroom]◎

With less than seven days remaining before entering the next level, the trio returned to Ruocheng that evening.

Shi Youqing invited Feng Bin for dinner at his home, initially planning to order takeaway from a nearby restaurant. Before they could decide which one, the kitchen suddenly became a hive of activity.

When Shi Youqing rushed over, Bo Huai had swiftly picked up a dropped pot lid and quickly removed vegetables from in front of Feng Bin, moving so rapidly it resembled a sprint.

Feng Bin paused for a few seconds: "I just came to help wash the vegetables, not to take over your job..."

Bo Huai: "I'm just more efficient, not clumsy."

Feng Bin: "???"

Who’s the clumsy one? First, pick up the vegetables scattered all over the stove!

Shi Youqing: "..."

Dinner was eventually prepared by the two in the smoke-filled kitchen, comprising four dishes and two soups. Shi Youqing brought out freshly squeezed orange juice, and almost simultaneously, they all reached for their glasses. Bo Huai gulped it down... astonishingly finishing it in one go.

“……”

That was a 500ml glass!

Shi Youqing and Feng Bin were speechless.

Bo Huai put down his glass: "I like it."

Shi Youqing: "..."

Feng Bin shot him a weary glance, sipping only a mouthful of juice before beginning to eat heartily.

Watching them, Shi Youqing, who had been quiet all day, finally couldn't help but laugh.

His laughter made both men look up at him.

"I’ve had unstable health since childhood. After a fainting incident in middle school that led to emergency treatment, I've mostly been living at home," Shi Youqing spoke slowly, peeling fish in his bowl while smiling slightly, "I studied through online classes or had tutors come home. It wasn’t too bad because my mother was with me, sometimes taking me out... But a day like today, it’s my first time experiencing something so interesting."

Bo Huai stared at him silently.

Feng Bin paused in his serving of food, just offering a smile in response.

Regarding Shi Youqing’s mention of the nonexistent Tanghua Syndrome in the previous level, whether it was a lie or something else, Feng Bin hadn’t pondered much, nor did he plan to probe deeply. He trusted his own eyes: Shi Youqing was in poor health, requiring daily medication. As for the specific nature of the illness, he wasn’t overly curious.

Everyone has secrets, and for Feng Bin, his friend’s return from loss was the greatest fortune.

After all, their lives had long since diverged from those of ordinary people.

Apart from living well... nothing else mattered.

After the meal, Feng Bin didn’t stay at Shi Youqing's home. As he was leaving, he spoke more relaxedly: “Once the team is formed, we will enter the level together when the time comes, regardless of our location. If a player dies in the level, they will also die in the last place they stayed in reality. For us, the chance of surviving each round is only fifty percent. If I die, I hope to be at my own home.”

Shi Youqing nodded: “See you in the level, then.”

That night, Shi Youqing found himself unable to sleep, pondering the clue about “Red Shoes.” He and Bo Huai had already searched the internet with various keywords related to the clue before bed, but the vast and disordered information only added to the confusion.

Tossing and turning, he faintly heard rustling noises outside...

Shi Youqing: "......"

If he didn’t know someone else was in the house, he might have thought it was haunted.

He got out of bed, turned on the light, and opened the door.

In the living room, an array of food, medicine, and daily necessities were neatly arranged on the floor, being methodically packed into a large backpack...

Noticing a massager inside, Shi Youqing hesitated to comment.

“Why aren’t you sleeping?” Bo Huai immediately stood up upon seeing him, “Did I wake you up?”

“...We’re not going on a vacation.”

“I know.”

“All those things...”

“They are essentials, not taking up space needlessly.”

“...We might not be able to take them all in.”

“We can. I asked someone last time, and most items are fine as long as they are not firearms.”

“……”

Shi Youqing scratched his chin, sighed, and went back to his room to sleep.

Perhaps Bo Huai's camping-like preparations had distracted him enough to stop pondering, allowing him to fall asleep quickly this time.

A night of peaceful dreams followed.

Over the next three days, Shi Youqing rested well, taking evening walks with Bo Huai for an hour, and then continued researching clues about the “Red Shoes.”

During these days, they met with Feng Bin twice and kept in touch by phone. With the clue pointing in various directions, Shi Youqing decided not to make any further associations before entering the level, focusing only on noting all folklore, famous cases, and stories related to “Red Shoes”...

On the fifth morning after their return to Ruocheng, Shi Youqing finally sensed something odd.

Before he could react, his surroundings transformed.

His clean, bright home instantly became a cramped, antiquated, enclosed space. Before he could observe his new environment, the system’s voice abruptly announced:

“Welcome player Shi Youqing to the game. Please note, from this moment on, you must not disclose your player identity to anyone in any form, or the mission will fail!”

Shi Youqing looked at the blue floating interface in front of him.

[White World Level: The Red Shoes in the Restroom]

[Game Progress: 0％]

[Prologue: A pair of blood-stained red sports shoes, popular in style, almost new. They're unfortunately discarded in the restroom. Would you like to try them on?]

Quickly scanning the limited information provided by the system, Shi Youqing didn’t immediately call out for anyone. Instead, he first inspected his surroundings.

He was in a restroom stall, relatively clean but evidently long neglected, with a lot of dust. The wooden door was plastered with numerous small ads and fitted with an electronic screen the size of a phone, devoid of any buttons or camera. Shi Youqing did not yet know its purpose and turned to continue his inspection.

The floor beneath him was cracked, with the crevice filled with grime, indicative of the place’s dilapidation. Behind him, there was a toilet, an old trash can without garbage, and an iron box for toilet paper. Neatly placed under the box was a pair of red sports shoes.

At first glance, it looked as if someone was standing there...

Shi Youqing tried to push the door open but couldn’t. Soon, the sounds of others pushing doors or cursing while banging on wooden doors intermittently echoed around him...

Clearly, many people were trapped in stalls just like him.

Suddenly, the previously blacked-out electronic screen lit up.

On the screen, a blurred figure stood against the light, their voice distorted by a voice changer, making it impossible to discern their gender, creating an eerie effect:

"Good morning, everyone. Please do not attempt to forcibly break the doors. Each of your compartments contains something that can kill you. If you wish to survive, you must follow the rules."

"Now, please remember, one of you is a murderer."

"However, in addition to the murderer, there are six others among you who knew the victim killed by the murderer."

"Starting now, you need to identify the murderer. The power will go out three times a day, each time for an hour. During the blackout, the murderer becomes very dangerous, so you need to hide in your compartments! After the power is restored, you have one minute to vote. If you correctly identify the murderer, congratulations, you can leave safely. If you vote for one of the six who knew the victim, you'll receive a clue... You have only three days. After three days, if the murderer is not identified, all of you will die," the strange voice said, then chuckled, "But don't forget, whether the person voted out is correct or not, they will face a terrifying punishment or elimination... Good luck."

Immediately after, the electronic screen flickered off, followed by a "beep" sound from outside.

Shi Youqing tentatively pushed the door, and as expected, it opened.

As soon as he stepped out, a tall figure rushed towards him like the wind.

Shi Youqing opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, his shoulder was already being grasped and checked, only after confirming he was unharmed did the figure release him and start observing the surroundings.

Shi Youqing: "......"

Feng Bin also emerged from his compartment, visibly relieved to see them, cautiously scanned the area, and was about to approach when a nearby compartment door was violently kicked open.

A man around thirty years old ran out in panic: "Damn... where is this? What was that just now? Who's playing this sick joke? And this system, what the hell is it? Do you all have it too? Damn! What’s this about the white world, players...?"

Before he could finish, he exploded into pieces...

It all happened in the blink of an eye.

The wooden doors of the nearby compartments were all stained red.

Half of Feng Bin's clothes were splattered with blood, and he stood there in shock, staring at the scene.

"Ahhhhhh!"

"Ugh... ugh..."

"A dead body! Someone’s dead… Help, please help…"

"Sobbing... What on earth is happening…"

Those emerging from the stalls had all witnessed the man’s death. One person couldn’t bear the sight and fainted, while most screamed and ran away. However, when they reached the sink area, they found the exit to the outside world tightly sealed with massive boulders.

Amidst cries for help on one side, only the three of them remained in the restroom.

Shi Youqing looked up, carefully observing the environment outside the stalls.

Bo Huai wiped the blood off Shi Youqing's hands and then went into the other stalls to methodically inspect each one.

Feng Bin wiped his face and approached the blood-stained floor, frowning as he examined it for a while before turning back to say, "He had a bomb implanted inside him…"

Shi Youqing glanced at it and quickly averted his gaze: "We should… be the same."

As for the cause of the man's death, besides them, every player there knew clearly — he had broken the rule the system initially announced: Do not reveal your player identity to others.

[Author's Note]

Thanks to the user who sent a grenade: "Love this world."

Thanks to the users who supplied nutrient fluid: "Love this world," "Is g an orphan?" and others.

Thank you very much for your support; I will continue to work hard!