Chapter 74: Werewolf Community 11

Chapter 74: Werewolf Community 11

Lin Ye's gaze instantly glued itself to Qin Fei's hand.

San Tu took the stack of documents, and the three of them began flipping through them together.

At the top was a notification of a police report. On a torn A4 paper, clear handwriting spelled out:

"Esteemed Director of the Werewolf Kindergarten,

Your reported incident - a fire at the community kindergarten - is being handled by the Case Administration Bureau of the Rule-bound World. Case number: 4440444.

Date of acceptance: Ghost Year, Ghost Month, Ghost Day.

For inquiries regarding case progress, please contact the handling department."

Following that were several photos taken at the time.

In the pictures, the entire kindergarten was engulfed in smoke and flames, with the walls no longer recognizable in their original white.

Flipping further, Lin Ye couldn't help but let out a soft gasp, accompanied by a strategic lean back. "Damn!"

In the real world, the internet environment was tightly regulated, and any slightly explicit images would be censored.

This was the first time Lin Ye had come face to face with such realistic images of burn victims.

In the charred black interior, small bodies were piled together.

Some were curled up tightly, while others leaned forward with their hands stretched out, maintaining the posture of pushing a door even in death.

Their clothes were burnt beyond recognition, and in fact, their original features and appearances were no longer discernible.

Almost every inch of their skin was unrecognizable, cracked like charcoal, with black-yellow fat oozing from the crevices.

Lin Ye & Phantom Flame: "Ew—"

San Tu seemed to have a slightly higher tolerance than the two of them, but she still furrowed her brow deeply.

She continued flipping through the documents to the next page.

Following were more photographs.

Most of them captured the crime scene conditions at that time, each depicting an almost identical pitch-black mass, making it near impossible to glean any clues from them.

The only noteworthy point was that in the hands of the sole adult victim on site – Teacher An An – it seemed like they were holding something.

"Hmm?" Ghostfire's eyes widened.

Within their tightly clenched fist, a white corner was visible, still well-protected despite being in the midst of a burning fire.

It was evident that this item held great significance to her.

However, that was the final photograph.

Ghostfire: "That's it???"

The truth came to a screeching halt just a moment before the secret was about to be revealed.

Ghostfire was now incredibly restless, desperate to know what exactly Teacher An An had been hiding in her hand.

Sanzu Road commented, "From the looks of it, the clue trail from the kindergarten ends here."

She had no doubts that there might be something else hidden in the kindergarten that Qin Fei had yet to uncover.

"Should we continue following this lead, our breakthrough point would likely be Teacher An An," Lin Ye said, feeling overwhelmed. "We could inquire around the neighborhood to find out where she lives."

However, Lin Ye didn't hold much hope for this approach.

They didn't even know the exact time when the arson took place.

The police report only stated "Ghost Year, Ghost Month, Ghost Day."

But who the hell knew which day that actually referred to?

Teacher An An's residence might have long been vacated and taken over by new tenants.

In any case, what was burned down was the kindergarten, not her home.

Qin Fei disagreed, "No, we have other means to continue investigating this case."

He raised his hand, his slender and fair fingers tracing an invisible line beneath the phrase "For case progress inquiries, please call the responsible department's phone number" on the police report.

Lin Ye was taken aback. "But there's no phone number written here."

Qin Fei didn't see this as an issue.

With a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his lips, the young man spoke in a relaxed tone, "It doesn't matter, I know the number."

...

Qin Fei genuinely knew, he wasn't just bluffing.

In fact, the moment Qin Fei received this police report, he immediately recognized that he had previously come into contact with the "Regulated World Case Administration" mentioned on it.

"Do you remember when I made a call on the bus in Shouyin Village?"

Qin Fei's unhurried pace of speaking made the hearts of the three people in front of him twitch with anticipation.

Lin Ye nodded eagerly. "Mm-hmm, yes, that's right. The fierce woman on the phone scolded Scarface fiercely..."

He suddenly realized, "You mean you called the Case Management Bureau back then?"

Qin Fei nodded.

Ghost Fire was utterly confused. "So what was the number, then?"

Qin Fei led the trio deeper in and pushed open a door, entering a room that resembled a teacher's office.

There was a working telephone in this room – Qin Fei had found the previous information here as well.

Qin Fei picked up the receiver from the phone in the corner. Under Ghost Fire's curious gaze, he stretched out his hand and slowly dialed three digits on the keypad.

110.

Afterward, he casually turned on the speakerphone, and the busy tone echoed in the air.

Ghost Fire: "…"

Very reasonable but also a bit absurd.

It was not an easy judgment to make.

Promptly, the call was answered, and a soft yet chilling female voice echoed in their ears.

"Good day, this is the Case Management Bureau of the Realm of Regulations. We've detected that you're currently engaged in a dungeon activity. All complaints, reports, and applications will not be processed. How may I assist you further?"

This wasn't the first time Qin Fei had heard these words, but this time, a thought suddenly occurred to him:

Players couldn't file a report while in a dungeon.

Then...

What if it happened in Central City?

Perhaps he could try it next time, given the opportunity.

Qin Fei's mind raced, but it didn't hinder his conversation with the operator.

"Hello, I'd like to inquire about the progress of case 440444, which was filed on Ghost Year, Ghost Month, and Ghost Day."

On the other end of the line, the sound of rapid typing echoed, and the operator responded swiftly:

"The case has been closed."

Qin Fei asked, "May I know the outcome?"

"Certainly."

The operator's tone was cold but accommodating.

"Specific investigative details will be faxed to you."

She didn't inquire if they had a fax machine nearby or ask for their fax number. Nonetheless, as soon as she finished speaking, the sound of a machine whirring to life echoed from another corner of the office.

The atmosphere in the room turned chilly, as if an unseen pair of eyes were secretly peering at them through the phone line.

Lin Ye quickly dashed to the fax machine. Sheets of paper continuously spooled out, containing a wealth of information from the operator. Gathering them all, Lin Ye handed them over to Qin Fei.

Qin Fei scanned the pages at an astonishing pace, his reading speed truly remarkable.

First came the conclusion of the arson case.

"The fire at the kindergarten was indeed set by Teacher An An. On a weekend, she lured the children from her class to the school under the pretense of an on-campus activity, then locked the doors and set the place ablaze, killing twenty-four people, including herself."

Based solely on the fleeting remarks they received upon completing the mission, it was not enough to make a definitive judgment.

However, the police investigation results solidified this as an irrefutable fact.

Additionally,

"The fire occurred twenty days ago."

Contrary to the vague timeline stated on the receipt, a corner of the fax clearly displayed today's date: July 1st, 2023.

The crime scene photographs also bore timestamps.

June 10th, 2023.

"What?!" The other three were equally astonished.

They had initially assumed that the fire occurred a long time ago, since there were no traces of it left in the kindergarten.

However, the timeline they just received was entirely unexpected.

"If that's the case, how is the kindergarten still operating normally?" Lin Ye was puzzled.

A class of children were burned to death by their teacher, yet the kindergarten wasn't overturned by furious parents. Instead, after renovations, it stood unscathed in its original location.

Although there were no children in the kindergarten now, it was because it was currently summer vacation.

From the condition of the entire compound, the kindergarten was clearly functioning as usual.

Ghost Fire murmured, "Such a huge incident just happened in the neighborhood, but when we asked the residents this morning, they didn't mention anything to us..."

They had spoken to more than one resident to gather information, but everyone's reaction to their inquiries was the same.

They all shook their heads.

"Strange occurrences? Nothing out of the ordinary has ever happened in this neighborhood. What? You're talking about murders or something? Oh my, how terrifying! That's impossible!"

The ghostly flame recalled the first elderly woman he had questioned, who had given him precisely such an answer.

At that time, several people were seated around her, and they all reacted similarly. It didn't seem like they were putting on an act.

Were the residents of the werewolf community deliberately concealing the truth?

Or did they genuinely, from the depths of their hearts, forget about it?

Qin Fei continued flipping through the faxed documents.

All he found in the kindergarten were records of the aftermath of a fire.

Yet, the images in the fax machine depicted the kindergarten before the fire.

Currently, the entire interior walls of the Werewolf Kindergarten were bathed in a soft, vibrant yellow hue.

Yet, from the stack of photos taken half a year ago, one could discern that the kindergarten was decorated with a rainbow theme back then.

The doors of different classrooms were painted in various colors - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple - creating a lively and amusing sight.

Comparing the two sets of photos, it was clear that the arson took place in the first room along the corridor.

As for what Teacher An An was holding, that mystery was also revealed in the fax.

Lin Ye stared at the color-printed photograph, his eyebrows knitted into a knot. "What on earth is this?"

On a pristine white handkerchief, there seemed to be a pattern resembling bloodstains. Qin Fei reached out and flipped the paper Lin Ye was holding upside down.

"Look at it this way," Qin Fei suggested.

After rotating it, the baffling pattern began to take on some semblance of shape.

It looked like...

"A ghostly face?"

"Mm-hmm."

Qin Fei nodded.

He had already grasped the system of this entire competition.

As stated in the game rules, it was a series of small missions branching out from a major "hidden mission."

Players had two main approaches. The first was to trigger bizarre events within the community through various means, thereby earning points for identification and ghost hunting.

The second approach built upon the first. While searching for ghosts, if players delved deeper into the background of each mini-mission, they could connect all the dots and uncover the culprit lurking behind the scenes, the one responsible for everything happening in the community.

"This ghostly face is an important clue. We need to keep a keen eye on it in the community later."

Wherever there was a ghostly face, there was likely a mission involved.

It might even lead them to the mastermind's hideout.

The four of them locked the office door and gathered inside to secretly share information. It had been nearly ten minutes since Ghost Fire Lin Ye and the others completed their mission.

Gradually, the voices and footsteps of other players echoed in the hallway.

On the attribute panel, the score between the red and white teams had swung back, now reading 9 to 7.

To avoid attracting attention from other players, Qin Fei and Lin Ye decided to leave the office separately.

"By the way, be cautious when you're with the other players," Qin Fei suddenly reminded as Lin Ye was about to grab the doorknob.

"Pay particular attention to those who came to the kindergarten with you today."

Will-o'-the-wisp still didn't sense the danger, but both Lin Ye and San Tu instantly grasped Qin Fei's meaning.

"Mm-hm." The two nodded in agreement.

"Hmm? ? ?" Will-o'-the-wisp shook his head vigorously. "Why is that?"

San Tu covered his forehead. "Take a look at the scores on your attribute panel."

Will-o'-the-wisp followed the advice and opened the panel, but couldn't spot anything amiss after staring at it for a while.

"What's wrong with the score?" Phantom's eyebrows arched unevenly.

"The Red team has a total of 9 points. Lin Ye and I have 2 points, Third River Sister has 2, and you have 2—"

Phantom suddenly clamped his mouth shut, his expression turning grim.

Right.

What's going on?

The Red team's current score was obtained by the four of them, plus Song Tian.

The White team had been at 1 point not long ago but now had 7 points, thanks to the deceased Ren Ping and the players in the kindergarten.

Then what about that player who pointed out Phantom at the beginning?

Where did his points go?

Logically speaking, he had accused so many ghosts at once that it should have created a huge gap between the two teams' scores in an instant.

Even if we take a step back and assume the system was stingy enough to count that statement as only one identification, it should still have earned a point.

Yet now.

That point was undeniably missing.

"Since we all entered the mission, it means his identification was successful. But the absence of points can only indicate one thing."

Qin Fei's expression was composed.

"The person who said that sentence was not a player at all."

Chances were high that...

...it was a ghost hiding among the players.

And furthermore,

Qin Fei's brows furrowed slightly, his clear and ethereal voice carrying a hint of chill, as if it had been soaked in the winter frost that was on the verge of melting.

"I actually have one more question that I haven't figured out yet."

Looking at Qin Fei's contemplative expression, Lin Ye couldn't help but become a little distracted.

Qin Fei loved to smile. Even when there was nothing going on, his beautifully shaped thin lips would always curve into an upward arc, exuding an indescribable ease and grace in his every move.

Aside from running for his life with ghosts chasing him, Lin Ye seemed to have never seen him so serious before.

The big shot was being serious!

This matter must really be worth pondering over!

Lin Ye instantly brimmed with energy, his gaze fixated on Qin Fei without blinking, afraid that he might miss any earth-shattering words that Qin Fei might utter.

Then, Qin Fei spoke:

"Why is it called the Werewolf Community?"

Lin Ye: "Huh?"

What the heck?

What kind of question is this?

Why does the Werewolf Community have to be called the Werewolf Community?

This question seemed profoundly profound, almost reaching a philosophical level.

Lin Ye was utterly confused, and Ghost Fire and San To's expressions weren't any better.

Qin Fei nodded. "Yes, why is it called the Werewolf Community? Judging from its current development, it should be called the Ghost Community instead."

Actually, the other three people in the room found the question rather absurd.

But Qin Fei had an air of righteousness, making them involuntarily follow his line of thought and ponder over his words carefully.

Ghost Fire's expression was odd. "You... Don't tell me you're suggesting that there are actual werewolves in the community?"

Werewolves were creatures from Western folklore, and they didn't quite fit in with the atmosphere of this instance, which was steeped in the local flavors of modern China.

If that was the case, could the "secret behind the community" mentioned by the system refer to the possibility that among the ghosts hiding within the community, there was a werewolf?

Did that ghostly face resemble a wolf's?

Ghost Fire's line of thinking had completely veered off course.

San Tu frowned and said, "Could it be that 'Werewolf Community' is just a name, nothing more?"

She thought Qin Fei was overthinking things.

Just like in the real world, neighborhoods could have all sorts of names, perhaps just for the sake of sounding nice... The idea seemed far-fetched even to San Tu herself.

"Werewolf Community" didn't exactly roll off the tongue elegantly.

The name was peculiar, and it indeed seemed to hold some hidden meaning no matter how one looked at it.

Qin Fei replied, "When the instance first started, I actually thought we would be playing a game like Werewolf, based on the name of the instance."

However, the subsequent announcement of the rules for the confrontation game had nothing to do with Werewolf at all.

Furthermore, Qin Fei had mentioned during his first live broadcast that he believed the system wouldn't tolerate players being inactive or passive.

As an arena mode where one only needed to survive for 15 days to achieve victory, it seemed almost impossible to prevent players from trying to skate by without doing anything.

Qin Fei felt that the system would definitely implement some countermeasures against such behavior.

With no leads to follow, Qin Fei couldn't speculate on any meaningful conclusions and could only say, "In any case, let's all be more vigilant. I have a feeling that either at night or in a few days, there will be new changes to the instance dungeon rules."

Lin Ye and the other three nodded in agreement.

Qin Fei jumped out the window to the outdoor activity area, while Lin Ye and the others returned to the kindergarten corridor through the door.

The corridor was already crowded with people.

Some appeared to be in good spirits, maintaining their composure, while others looked visibly shaken, gasping for breath.

Both Xue Qijī and Cui Ran successfully completed their missions.

Song Tian followed Cui Ran, while the girl with twin braids accompanied Xue Qijī, both returning safely to the kindergarten.

The two groups appeared facing each other almost simultaneously. Song Tian looked at the girl with twin braids, proudly lifting his chin.

His gesture seemed to say, "See, I told you it was nonsense to ask me to be cautious around Sister Ran, didn't I come out unscathed just as I said?"

The girl with twin braids wore no expression; she had no intention of having any further contact with Song Tian.

After completing their missions, these groups of players also received some clues related to the arson at the kindergarten. However, they all, without exception, kept the clues hidden and refrained from mentioning them publicly.

Qin Fei, a male character, didn't leave the kindergarten but instead stayed alone in the outdoor play area. Feeling idle, he summoned the ghost infant from his space and placed it on the swing. He then took on the role of a swing-pusher, serving as a tool for this spectral amusement.

From a distance, the other players in the teaching building saw what appeared to be an NPC pushing an empty swing in the haunted kindergarten, occasionally whispering indistinct words to the air.

The scene appeared particularly horrifying.

Perceiving that players were staring at him, Qin Fei slowly turned his head.

His pale and delicate face bore no expression whatsoever. Despite standing in the sunlight, he exuded an eerie chill all around him.

He gazed at the players, slowly curving his lips into a graceful yet cold smile.

Those who met his gaze couldn't help but shiver.

Some even whispered discreetly to the air, "I accuse Wang Mingming of being a ghost!"

The system didn't respond to this at all, as if it had just dismissed a mere fart.

Xue Qijī seemed to want to address the players, his brows deeply furrowed. After several hesitations, he finally said, "Let's gather and go back first."

It was already late, and soon, the property management would be delivering dinner to the activity center.

A player spoke up weakly, "But, my teammate hasn't come out yet…"

He and his teammate were assigned to different missions by the system at the start of the game. Now, he had successfully returned to the kindergarten, but his teammate was nowhere to be found.

Someone next to him asked, "Your teammate, was he the guy in the denim jacket?"

The player nodded.

The person continued, "If that's the case, he probably won't come back. He seemed to have entered the mission alone."

Alone.

That meant even if he encountered danger, no one else would know.

There had been no new changes in the game points for the past half hour, suggesting that his companion might not make it.

The player fell silent for a moment after hearing this, lost in thought. Eventually, he didn't say anything more.

The teammate he mentioned wasn't someone like Sanzu Ghostfire, who consistently used items to bind themselves as a fixed team. They were merely companions who had spontaneously decided to work together that morning.

On their way to the kindergarten, they had mutually encouraged each other, vowing to strive until the end in this instance, regardless of whether they could win or how many points they could earn.

But now, it seemed to have become an empty promise.

A group of players streamed out of the kindergarten in a line.

Qin Fei followed silently about ten meters behind them. From a distance, he resembled a relaxed shepherd guiding his flock back to the farm.

Quite a crowd had already gathered at the entrance of the Activity Center.

In contrast to the tranquility of the returning players from the kindergarten, the entrance of the Activity Center was bustling with noise, resembling a lively marketplace.

An male player was loudly arguing with someone, his deep voice filled with anger and vigor, as if he was ready to throw a punch at any moment to end the other person's life.

"You're crazy, right?! It was clearly a group meal paid for by everyone. Why do you think you can just take it without contributing?!" the man yelled furiously.

Qin Fei raised his eyebrows in surprise, looking over.