Chapter 210 Strange Tales of the Huaishu Road Construction Site 08

Chapter 210 Strange Tales of the Huaishu Road Construction Site 08

The crimson third-floor safety door resembled a gaping mouth filled with blood, wide open in the darkness.

It was poised to bite and chew into pieces any players who dared to enter.

Xiong Li tugged at his collar again.

Qin Fei's analysis had successfully pushed the atmosphere into an even worse state.

Tension caused everyone's adrenaline to surge, which in turn stimulated their minds and nerves intensely.

Xiong Li knew very well that this was precisely the time not to let his imagination run wild, but he couldn't help it. Terrifying scenes played out uncontrollably in his mind.

Xiong Li clung tightly to Cui Wenxuan, while his other hand held onto their team's third member, a player named Chen Zaocha.

The three of them moved like frightened birds, eyes wide open with every step they took.

Compared to South Team, Qin Fei's advancing figure seemed almost too relaxed.

The red glow above them spread out in a fan shape on the stairs, casting a light path that looked like it led straight to hell.

The slender young man walked right down the center of this light path.

Step by step, his pace steady and light.

He had just said a bunch of terrifying things, yet he himself seemed completely unaffected, continuing to observe the surroundings as he climbed upstairs.

"The elevator behind us made a sound," Qin Fei said. "Those people must be catching up."

Qi Xiu hummed in agreement.

It was best to keep them at this distance.

If Qin Fei and his team really wanted to shake them off, it wouldn't be difficult.

But pushing them too hard might not be a good idea.

If the other side decided to go all out and try to force information out of them through violence, it would only cause trouble.

"T-there's something I want to say..."

Chen Zaocha, who had been silent until now, spoke up, his gaze wary and timid. "I think there are four people following us..."

Chen Zaocha belonged to a guild called "Peeking Heaven," a special functional guild within the rule world. Although it was a guild, the distribution of player professions was highly imbalanced, with all members suited for scouting roles.

Such guilds typically operated like mercenary squads, collaborating with other players and selling their skills.

Chen Zaocha was either B or C level; Qi Xiu wasn't sure, but since he was sent to represent Peeking Heaven in the guild league, his personal abilities shouldn't be too poor.

Qi Xiu's brows furrowed instantly.

Xiong Li drew a sharp breath: "What do you mean?!"

Four... When they first noticed someone tailing them, they had confirmed that the message from Black Feather was correct—there were indeed only three people following them.

When did it become four?

Who could the extra one be...?

Qin Fei blinked, his long lashes fluttering like tiny fans in the darkness: "It must be a ghost, obviously."

A scene that should have been captivating now only added to their unease.

Xiong Li really wanted to cover the person's mouth.

He now felt that Black Feather was stirring up trouble, hoping to scare them to death before they even encountered a real ghost.

But Qin Fei wasn't being malicious. The young man used his slender fingers, like delicate green onions, to tug at his collar and said meaningfully:

"I suspect this rule is secretly in effect."

On the other side of the screen, some viewers were slightly taken aback.

Some spirits who had come from other live streams only now realized that the streamers in the camera frame had changed their clothes.

All of this was due to "Rule Four of the Women's Clothing Area."

If you are a staff member and need to stay overnight in the women's clothing area, please change into the clothes sold in this area promptly.

The department store does not welcome outsiders.

This rule had caused many players considerable trouble because it was quite difficult to interpret.

Firstly, the players were not staff members, so theoretically, they didn't need to follow this rule.

But after reading the entire text, Qin Fei quickly realized that if they were to relax and ignore this rule, they would surely face disaster tonight.

On one hand, the accommodation area where they were staying tonight did belong to the women's clothing area.

More importantly, the last sentence, "The department store does not welcome outsiders."

After studying this rule, Qin Fei and some players from the eastern team believed that it needed to be considered alongside the closing hours of the entire building.

In a department store, the term "outsiders" could only refer to "customers."

And "internal personnel" clearly referred to "staff."

The final sentence directly corresponds to the first sentence, clearly stating that only "staff" have the right to stay overnight in the department store, not "customers."

In response to this rule, the players devised a specific strategy:

Since employees wear clothes from the women's section when they stay overnight in the building,

it follows that if they wear clothes from the women's section, they might be able to create the illusion of being employees.

The women's section closes at 5:30 PM. After having dinner in the residential area, the East Team changed into their clothes secretly in their rooms.

Since they were planning to act together with the South Team that night, Qi Xiu shared their conclusions with Cui Wenxuan.

The South Team then also decided to change into the mall clothes they had purchased.

Although the foreman mentioned that the third floor closes at midnight, moving between floors as an employee would undoubtedly be safer than doing so as a customer.

Qin Fei, Qi Xiu, and Zhu Ning all bought their clothes from the same store, choosing similar styles—oversized T-shirts—which they easily slipped into.

Cui Wenxuan's group, however, faced more trouble.

When they bought their clothes, they hadn't considered this, and everyone had chosen them haphazardly. The most casual of them was Xiong Li.

Xiong Li, a burly man nearly 1.9 meters tall, had bought a lace doll dress. The poor player struggled to squeeze himself into it and felt too embarrassed to walk out like that, so he put his original clothes over it.

Xiong Li kept tugging at the neckline throughout their journey, not just because he was nervous but mainly because the doll dress was suffocating him.

Before leaving the residential area, Qin Fei's group of six had prepared thoroughly. However, those trailing behind them were not as meticulous.

Those individuals had been watching them since dinner and hurried after them upon noticing their departure. Qin Fei was almost certain that they hadn't realized the trap in the fourth rule and treated it as simple, ignorable information.

"The operating hours have passed, yet these 'customers' are still wandering around the department store."

Qin Fei spoke as if to himself or perhaps with a hint of anticipation, looking back at the chaos.

"What awaits them?"

Qin Fei was curious as well.

Just as Qin Fei finished speaking, a piercing scream cut through the air, reaching everyone's ears.

"Ah—!!"

"Ahhh—!!!"

The screams were frantic and shrill. The players standing lower down trembled instinctively and turned back, only to see empty stairwells.

The tails hadn't caught up yet.

"Save—"

"Run, don't worry about him!"

"Move!!"

The chaotic footsteps and shouts grew closer, then quickly faded away. The pursuers, realizing the closing distance, deliberately concealed themselves.

"Damn!" Cui Wenxuan, a mix of fear and shock, looked at Qin Fei as if he were a ghost.

What kind of jinx is this!

The others nearby were equally pale and breathing heavily. Cui Wenxuan, momentarily at a loss, swallowed and looked at Qi Xiu.

Qi Xiu seemed surrounded by a cold aura: "Don't panic. The screams lasted only a few seconds; nothing should be chasing us."

If the chase continued, silence wouldn't have come so quickly.

He paused, then made a decision: "We continue upstairs."

They followed the rules for nighttime movement, while the tails did not. This was their safety guarantee.

Moreover, turning back now would likely result in a face-to-face encounter, which could be even more dangerous.

Unbeknownst to them, the six had already reached the safety exit on the third floor.

As they stepped onto the last stair, it felt as if a web that had been hanging in the air shattered with a "pop."

The faint music from the stairwell suddenly became clear.

Gongs and drums clashed, mournful music played, and cries and chants intertwined.

The players froze for a moment, then felt their hair stand on end!

Xiong Li almost screamed in shock: "What the hell is this..."

The sounds were barely audible before, but now there was no doubt.

"Is there a funeral procession on the third floor...?" Xiong Li's lips turned white.

Who would hold a funeral procession in a department store late at night?

This was clearly abnormal.

Qin Fei wore a thoughtful expression.

"Don't panic." The young man waved his hand and gave Xiong Li, whose courage inversely matched his size, a reassuring smile. "The third floor should be fine; we paid 200 yuan for this information."

Xiong Li: "..."

The number 200 doesn't really lend much credibility!

Qin Fei took the final step forward, crossing the red aura.

The blur before his eyes suddenly vanished.

What caught his attention first were countless strings of white paper money.

Amidst the mournful music, the ground was covered in blindingly pale paper offerings, a familiar scene that nearly transported Qin Fei back to Shouyin Village.

The remaining five people also stepped into the third floor, instantly stunned by the sight, their faces draining of all color.

Countless paper money, tin foil, wreaths, and funeral garments filled the space.

Brown-black coffins lined the roadside, with vague shadows flickering inside. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be merely straw dolls shaped like humans.

The live stream camera zoomed out, giving a close-up of the paper dolls standing on either side of the corridor. Their flat, eerie faces, with two red patches, almost caused the viewers' hearts to stop beating.

The third floor was entirely filled with shops selling funeral supplies!

"Wow!" a spirit exclaimed in shock.

—"Young man, would you like to buy something?"

An aged voice interrupted Qin Fei's thoughts.

A hunched figure emerged from a nearby shop. The elderly person, whose age was indiscernible, had a face full of wrinkles and leaned on a cane as thick as a wrist.

Qin Fei glanced at the unmistakable "Not Interactable" label above the NPC's head, his eyes flickering slightly.

Before arriving on the third floor, the supervisor had clearly warned the players:

Do not try to get cheap deals.

Do not buy anything randomly on the third floor.

After a moment of consideration, Qin Fei nodded and politely asked, "Could you please tell me how to get to Room B12, 1011?"

The NPC's withered face showed a vivid disappointment, muttering something about "no taste," then pointed a direction in a fit of pique.

The dimly lit hallway stretched out towards an enigmatic terminus. In contrast to the tranquility of the first floor, the third level bustled with activity. Establishments emblazoned with the character "奠" shimmered with the spectral presence of figures drifting by.