Chapter 203: The Haunted Construction Site on Huaishu Road 01

Chapter 203: The Haunted Construction Site on Huaishu Road 01

As the fog dissipated, Lu Cheng found himself standing on an empty lot.

Around him were the players and NPCs who had gathered in the 12th floor conference hall, all looking as bewildered as he was.

The sides of the lot were piled high with miscellaneous items—sand, cement, stacks of rebar, and overturned carts.

Further away, a partition enclosed an area where dust was flying everywhere.

The pile driver emitted a grating noise that made Lu Cheng's teeth ache, so he covered his ears and moved aside.

Not far away, Qin Fei and Mi Yang saw each other's positions and pushed through the crowd to join him.

The sound of the pile driver continued, causing the ground to tremble. Mi Yang approached Lu Cheng with a grimace:

"What's going on? Is this haunted construction site our next challenge?"

They wouldn't need to move bricks, would they...

Qin Fei looked up thoughtfully at something nearby. Lu Cheng and Mi Yang followed his gaze and their breath caught.

Before them stood an old, dilapidated building. Its faded, colorful tiles indicated it might be over forty or fifty years old.

The building wasn't tall, only five stories, but it gave an eerie sense of towering into the clouds. Dark clouds hung over its top, and brown reflective glass lined each floor, creating a cramped and oppressive atmosphere.

A sign hung at the entrance:

"No. 404 Huaishu Road Sinar Mas Department Store"

The building stood directly in front of the construction site, separated by only a road. The sign of the shopping center reflected blindingly, making many people squint.

As the pile driver sounded again, the system announcement finally arrived.

"Congratulations to the players for successfully triggering a large-scale group haunting. Relevant information has been synchronized to your attribute panels; please check them promptly!

Successfully clearing the group haunting will grant additional points. The system wishes every player good luck!"

Upon hearing the announcement, Qin Fei's almond-shaped eyes lowered slightly as he calmly brought up his attribute panel.

"Hunting Name: A Night of Terror at the Huaishu Road Construction Site"

Gasps echoed around them, indicating that many players were shocked by the haunting name.

"Hunting Status: In Progress"

"Clearing Requirement: Survive until Mid-Autumn Night"

"Hunting Description:"

You are a construction worker who has been working odd jobs on various sites. As Mid-Autumn approaches, you receive a job offer:

To move bricks at the construction site opposite the Sinar Mas Department Store on No. 404 Huaishu Road in the city center.

You secretly rejoice because the pay for this job is exceptionally high.

However, upon arriving at the site, you hear that three previous teams have taken on this project before you.

All three teams failed to start work and left hastily after spending just one night on the site...

The content in the attribute panel ended there, and Qin Fei frowned.

Unlike "Naughty Vivian," this haunting provided no additional hints; everything had to be figured out by the players themselves.

"Hey! You workers!"

A rough voice called out from nearby. A middle-aged man wearing a hard hat and sporting a large belly slowly walked up to the group.

"In broad daylight, daydreaming! Now that you're here, don't think about slacking off. If you cut corners, I won't pay you!"

The man scolded, roughly pushing aside a few players near him and moving to the center of the crowd.

Qin Fei quickly scanned the entire lot and confirmed that all forty people from the Weird Tales Hotel were present.

This newly appeared NPC was indeed a local character in the construction site haunting.

He seemed to be a foreman.

The foreman lit a cigarette, held it between his teeth, and glanced at his watch:

"It's now 1:20 PM. By 1:30 PM, form your teams of ten and register with me."

"This afternoon, you'll carry sand and move bricks. Teams that fail to complete their tasks will have their pay deducted tonight!"

Ten minutes, teams of ten, registration.

These key words quickly registered in everyone's minds.

Several familiar figures emerged from the crowd and approached Qin Fei and the others. They were the two Starlight players they had encountered in the corridor earlier.

Two more people followed them, also members of Starlight, one of whom Qin Fei had seen in the Research Institute instance.

It wasn't a pleasant memory.

Near the end of the instance, Qin Fei and Lu Cheng had snatched the pendant containing Edward's map from him.

Qin Fei vaguely remembered that this person was named Yiwu, a player with combat talent, known for being quite aggressive.

During the few underground meetings in the Research Institute instance, he had spoken up.

Yiwu clearly also remembered that incident and pursed his lips unhappily. His somewhat sharp gaze lingered on Lu Cheng and Qin Fei's faces before moving away.

The leader of the Starlight team for this horror-themed event was named Qi Xiu, one of the more famous high-level players within Starlight.

Qi Xiu wasn't tall, wearing a gray jacket, with such plain features that no matter how one looked at him, they couldn't remember his facial characteristics.

In fact, both sides were well aware of each other's backgrounds, but Qi Xiu still gave a brief introduction in a very formal manner.

After the self-introduction, Qi Xiu said:

"Are you players from Black Feather? Would you be interested in forming a team with us? The issue of decision-making authority within the team can be discussed and decided together with any other teammates who join later."

Lu Cheng turned to look at Qin Fei, who shrugged and took a step back, indicating he had no intention of interfering.

Lu Cheng didn't hesitate much before agreeing.

Although there had been some unpleasantness with Yiwu earlier, seeing Qi Xiu's current businesslike attitude, it was clear he didn't intend to pursue the matter.

Moreover, both sides were backed by large guilds, and the live broadcast of the guild competition included the players as well. Everyone would be more cautious in their actions within the horror setting, significantly reducing the likelihood of betrayal or sneak attacks.

This brought the total to seven people.

While Qi Xiu and Lu Cheng were talking, two unfamiliar players waited quietly nearby. As soon as the conversation ended, the two immediately stepped forward to introduce themselves.

These two players were C-level players from a small guild called Crystal Bubble Dragon, where the highest-ranked player was only B-level.

One of them smiled awkwardly at the group of big shots in front of them:

"Hehe, I know you're all powerful players from big guilds. Well, although our skills are average, we'll definitely follow orders!"

There were no objections from Qi Xiu and Qin Fei, so the two joined smoothly.

Only one spot remained open in the team.

"One spot left, that's a bit troublesome," muttered someone from Starlight.

In the guild competition, players from different guilds rarely acted alone.

This sudden horror event came unexpectedly, and those who were alone probably wouldn't venture out of their guest rooms.

"The last spot will likely go to an NPC," Yiwu frowned.

As soon as Yiwu finished speaking, a tall figure approached.

The newcomer had broad shoulders and long legs, towering over everyone present except Yiwu and Mi Yang, who could barely meet his eyes. Everyone else had to look up at him.

He wore a long black trench coat, with matching black inner clothes and pants, approaching slowly and steadily. The sound of his footsteps, "tap, tap," somehow made everyone breathe more slowly.

Everyone's attention was drawn to him.

"Hello," he nodded slightly, his deep voice resonating like a fine violin.

His deep blue eyes swept over the faces of everyone present.

Though his gaze was indifferent, Qin Fei suddenly felt a tickle in his ears, as if bitten by an ant.

Lu Cheng couldn't help but silently hiss.

It was unclear what kind of chosen one this NPC was, not only handsome but also with such a pleasant voice.

Thinking about it, Lu Cheng subconsciously glanced at Qin Fei.

He didn't know why he looked at Qin Fei, perhaps because, in terms of looks, only Xiao Qin could match the newcomer.

...To be honest, these two looked quite a pair.

Qin Fei didn't realize that in this short time, Lu Cheng had already started pairing him with the pollution source.

From the moment the pollution source approached them, Qi Xiu's eyes darkened.

They had been observing this NPC for two days, assuming he must be part of the horror event. But now, he appeared alongside them in the horror world.

Qi Xiu whispered something to the others behind him, then approached with a smile.

Behind the pollution source, another group of players gathered, whispering with displeased expressions.

Two of them were puppets of Butterfly.

Mi Yang stepped forward, blocking Qin Fei's face with his body.

The eavesdropping expert Lu Cheng, relying on hidden vines, obtained the information:

"That group over there wants to recruit this NPC, but he refused."

The pollution source fabricated a plausible scenario for joining Qin Fei's group:

The Butterfly group wanted him to join, but he wasn't interested, so he refused and randomly chose the nearest group.

With ten people assembled, the group headed towards the foreman.

The foreman, wearing a wrinkled old man's vest, sat on a plastic stool at the edge of the open space.

He continued smoking, one cigarette after another, accumulating a thick pile of cigarette butts at his feet.

Seeing someone approach, he casually counted the number of people without even lifting his head, handing over a stack of laminated cards with dirty blue straps.

"Put them around your necks and don't take them off, not even when you're bathing or sleeping."

The foreman gave the instructions nonchalantly, but the players all tensed up upon hearing them.

Here it comes! The rules of this urban legend!

"And one more thing."

The foreman raised his hand and pointed to the wall behind him.

"Read the construction site rules before starting work. Don’t say I didn’t warn you."

The players took the cards labeled "Temporary Worker ID," put them around their necks, and looked in the direction the foreman had pointed.

The construction site rules were written on the wall with chalk, and due to exposure to wind and sun, some parts had become blurred and illegible.

"Huaishu Road Construction Site Work Guidelines"

1. Working hours on this site are from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and from 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM. Two meals are provided daily, and wages are settled promptly at 5:30 PM each day.

2. When working on the site, always wear a safety helmet.

"Please note that all helmets are blue; there are no red helmets. If you see a red helmet, do not touch it and move away quickly!"

3. Remember the number, names, and faces of your companions who entered the site with you.

If you encounter a stranger during construction, do not speak to them.

Remember, do not! Do not! Do not!

4. Strangers can be trusted.

You can drink water offered by strangers.

Strangers are friendly.

5. After work, return to the accommodation area promptly and do not linger on the construction site. Do not enter the construction area after nightfall, for any reason.

Qin Fei scanned all the rules on the paper at lightning speed and then looked at the foreman's face.

Up close, he could see that this slightly overweight middle-aged man was not as robust as he appeared from a distance.

His skin was a sickly yellow, dry and lined, nothing like the usual plumpness and elasticity of a typical fat person. Instead, it looked completely lifeless and bloodless, as if he had been...

dead for quite some time.

Feeling Qin Fei's gaze, the foreman lifted his head, revealing murky, deep-set gray eyes.

"Is there something you need?" he asked.

This foreman is not targetable.

Qin Fei pursed his lips and showed a well-behaved smile. "Nothing, sir. Is it too sunny where you're sitting? Would you like to move to a shaded area?"

Although the time in the instance was approaching Mid-Autumn Festival, the afternoon sun remained scorching. Qin Fei had already felt his skin stinging after being exposed to the sun for a short while, yet the foreman showed no reaction at all.

There was shade right behind him, but he insisted on sitting under the blazing sun.

The foreman's analytical ability seemed to stall for a moment at Qin Fei's unexpected question. He paused, waved his hand impatiently, and did not answer.

He remained seated under the sun, allowing the glaring light to envelop his entire body.

"Let's go." Qi Xiu turned around and walked towards the construction site piled with cement bricks and stones.

The background of this horror world was almost identical to the normal world, and the construction site's appearance was no different from what Qin Fei had seen before.

The perimeter of the site was enclosed by simple panels, and although there was no guard at the entrance, a turnstile was set up.

Qin Fei's team was the first to assemble and the first to head towards the construction site with their work badges.

Before entering the site, the players exchanged information one last time.

"There's a half-built small house inside the construction site."

Lu Cheng had already scouted ahead for everyone:

"The safety helmets can be collected next to the entrance. I took a quick look, and I didn't see any red ones."

"The hint says we need to carry bricks, but the foreman didn't tell us how to do it," Lu Cheng scratched his head. "There are a few NPCs inside the site, and we could ask them, but the rules tell us not to talk to strangers."

Qi Xiu frowned. "Rule four conflicts with rule three, but rule four is clearly a corrupted and altered rule."

Rule four was too abnormal; even the handwriting and format were different, indicating it was written by someone else.

"The rule states, 'If you encounter a stranger during construction, do not talk to them,'" analyzed An Yang, a player named Star Day. "Strictly speaking, the NPCs we see as soon as we enter the site might not count as 'encountered during construction.'"

However, such nitpicking could cost lives if misinterpreted.

"To be safe, let's not," Qi Xiu made the decision. "We'll observe what they do and follow suit without talking to them."

The group moved towards the turnstile one by one.

Qin Fei walked slowly at the back of the group.

He had no interest in leading the team, and Qi Xiu proved to be a capable and reliable decision-maker, so the princess was content to relax.

One by one, the people in front of him swiped their work badges and entered the construction site.

Qin Fei was about to step forward when a long and distinctly jointed hand suddenly rested on his shoulder.

A slightly warm sensation came from behind, and those hands lightly brushed against the skin at the base of his neck, moving closer in an embrace-like position.

This brought the distance between them to mere inches.

Qin Fei's body immediately stiffened.