Chapter 20

The players present, upon hearing Gu Yi'an's words, remained silent and quiet.
In fact, some veteran players had initially considered following Gu Yi'an's lead and fiddling with their phones, but their attention was quickly diverted by the new players revealing the beginner tips.
The beginner tips were crucial to their future chances of clearing the game, so naturally, they cared more about long-term matters.
After Gu Yi'an mentioned this, the quicker-witted ones began trying to unlock their phones to check for information.
Unlocking the phone wasn't difficult, they just needed to hold it at a certain distance and angle so that the front camera could clearly capture their face, and the phone would unlock successfully.
While they were busy with their phones, Gu Yi'an turned and headed toward the two-story office building about ten meters away.
In the two game worlds she had experienced before, clues were always found by exploring the outside.
Staying in one spot was a waste of time.
"Hey, why are you leaving first?"
The speaker was the female player who had pressured the new players into revealing the beginner tips.
She turned and called out to the players still standing in place, "We have a task now, let's all go."
She took the lead and followed Gu Yi'an.
The other players exchanged glances and also prepared to move.
Suddenly, there was a noise at the main gate of the courtyard.
The silver electric retractable gate automatically contracted, making enough space for a car to pass through.
A dusty white sedan drove into the courtyard.
This car caught the attention of all the players, including Gu Yi'an.
Everything in the game world was worth the players' attention.
Gu Yi'an was almost at the entrance of the office building, but upon hearing the noise, she stopped to watch.
The players halted, observing the sedan as it drove onto the path around the flower bed.
Those standing directly in the sedan's path realized they were blocking the way and tried to move aside.
But as soon as they took a step, an unexpected change occurred.
The sedan suddenly accelerated and charged straight toward the players in front of it.
The scene that no one wanted to see unfolded.
Two players were knocked to the ground.
To make matters worse, the sedan didn't stop and ran right over them.
A female player let out a sharp scream.
The scream snapped everyone back to their senses.
Gu Yi'an immediately ran toward the scene of the car accident.
The small car had hit two people before slamming on the brakes.
A screeching sound echoed as the car came to an abrupt halt.
The moment it stopped, the driver's side, passenger side, and rear doors all swung open simultaneously. Three men in black uniforms stepped out.
Gu Yi'an arrived at the accident site, where an experienced player was checking on the condition of the two victims.
"Beyond saving," the veteran player announced the diagnosis.
Gu Yi'an was blocked by the crowd, but she could still see the bright red blood on the ground.
In the blink of an eye, two lives were lost.
This was the Game of the Gods.
The three men in black uniforms who had stepped out of the car, the older one leading, followed by two younger ones, approached the scene of the accident.
The players watched them warily.
"So you're the unlucky ones thrown here by the Divine Eye to die?" the older man said, his tone unpleasant from the start.
The players, new to this place, didn’t understand why the man would say such a thing, but they gathered from his words that death likely awaited them.
The older man showed little interest in talking to the players. He passed through the crowd, which automatically made way for him, and turned to instruct the two younger uniformed men behind him.
"You, call the funeral home and tell them to pick up two more bodies."
"You, take these unlucky souls inside to register."
The older man assigned tasks to the two younger men, presumably his subordinates.
He glanced back at the players.
"Why so many women?" he frowned.
He didn’t bother lowering his voice, and though he didn’t speak loudly, all the players could hear him clearly.
Some of the female players had already turned pale. However, everyone understood their current situation and knew better than to provoke someone who clearly held important clues.
The female players pretended not to hear.
The older man withdrew his gaze. Without lingering any further, he headed back toward the small car, clearly washing his hands of the matter.
Of the two younger uniformed men left behind, one with a square-jawed face, a sturdy build, and standing at least 1.8 meters tall, took out his phone to call the funeral home.
The other, wearing black-rimmed glasses, was nearly as tall as his companion and had a slender build. However, his handsome features gave him a scholarly, gentle appearance, making him seem approachable.
This young man, who carried an air of an ancient scholar, looked at the players and introduced himself, "My name is Lu Zize. You could say I’m your senior. Like you, I’m a junior investigator."
His voice was gentle, soft, and pleasant to the ear.
After introducing himself, Lu Zize politely suggested, "You’re all junior investigators but haven’t reported in yet. Let me take you inside to register."
His tone carried a note of consultation, giving the players an opportunity to speak.
One of the players spoke up, "Aren’t we going to do anything about them?"
The player was referring to their motionless companions on the ground.
Lu Zize lowered his gaze, glanced at the gruesome scene, and calmly looked up at the players. "Don’t make a fuss. This is something we’ll have to face every day from now on."
"But you're the ones who hit them!" The questioning player was very dissatisfied with Lu Zize's indifferent attitude.
It was clearly these three who had driven the car and hit people, yet they acted as if it were nothing, completely unbothered, directly calling the funeral home to come collect the bodies.
Faced with the player's anger, Lu Zize remained as good-natured as before. He said, "It was an accident. I'll take you to check in first, then explain the situation to you."
Gu Yi'an listened to their conversation, her gaze fixed on the small car from earlier.
The older man returned to the small car, started it, circled around the other side of the flower bed, headed toward the main gate, and drove out of the compound.
"Lu Zize, why waste words with them? Just take them straight to the office."
The uniformed man who had made the call ended his conversation. Seeing that Lu Zize still hadn't gotten the players in order, and that they even seemed to be demanding an explanation, he immediately took charge.
This man was not as easygoing as Lu Zize.
He spoke with a fiery temper. The player who had just questioned Lu Zize, sensing the situation was turning bad, immediately fell silent.
The player group quieted down.
"Thanks, Brother Yong," Lu Zize said with a hint of gratitude to the uniformed man who had helped him get the group in order.
The uniformed man, whom Lu Zize called Brother Yong, waved his hand. "The team leader has gone to wash the car. He'll be back in an hour. Hurry up and take them to register."
Lu Zize nodded, appearing obedient.
He then turned to the players and said, "Follow me, all of you. Don't delay. When the team leader returns, we still have matters to attend to."
His tone remained gentle.
Lu Zize took a few steps toward the office building.
The players exchanged glances and reluctantly followed.
Lu Zize and the others' disregard for life made the players especially wary of him.
Gu Yi'an was also among the cautious. In one hand, she held her black phone; in the other, she tightly gripped her prop, the small coffin.
She had a feeling she could use this prop in this world as well. Though she didn't know why other players' ghost-attacking props didn't work, as long as hers did, that was enough.
Perhaps because she felt more confident, Gu Yi'an followed without hesitation.
Soon, she became the leader among the players.
The other players closely followed behind Gu Yi'an.
Lu Zize, leading the way ahead, walked a short distance before glancing back and noticing that Gu Yi'an was only a few steps behind him.
Lu Zize's eyes lit up.
He paused, waiting for Gu Yi'an to catch up, then spoke proactively, "Actually, it's not just you all who are afraid, I'm afraid too."
Gu Yi'an hadn't expected Lu Zize to strike up a conversation with her.
And the topic was that he was also afraid.
What could a grown man like him be afraid of?
But since he had brought it up, she took the opportunity to ask, "Are you afraid of accidents?"
Their group stepped into the office building. Two cameras aimed at Lu Zize, who was at the front, and the office building's door automatically slid open. They turned into a side corridor.
On both sides were rooms, with only the fluorescent lights overhead illuminating the hallway. Every few meters, wall-mounted cameras swiveled to focus on the newcomers.
Having just entered from outside, Gu Yi'an and the others felt the corridor was dim and carried a chilly, eerie atmosphere.
Their footsteps echoed in the hallway.
Lu Zize said, "Starting about a month ago, investigators have been dying in accidents every day. Originally, this office building had over fifty staff members. But now, only four of us remain."
"Four?" Gu Yi'an was puzzled.
"Sister Man went home and doesn't live with us."
Lu Zize stopped walking, glanced at the lock on the door, and pushed open the door bearing the plaque "Director's Office." "Give me your work badges, and I'll register them."
Gu Yi'an had already inspected her work badge earlier. Aside from a unique serial number, there was nothing particularly unusual about it. She handed it over readily, earning a grateful smile from Lu Zize.
He seemed like a novice salesperson, sincerely thanking a cooperative customer.
Nothing about him seemed out of the ordinary.
Lu Zize sat in the director's chair, turned on the computer, and while looking at Gu Yi'an's work badge, his fingers flew across the keyboard.
His fingers were slender, his nails neatly trimmed, a pair of very elegant hands.
"Registration is complete. You can now come and go freely in the investigation bureau, but avoid areas with restricted access. Those places don't use facial recognition. If you enter recklessly, you might be mistakenly killed."
"From now on, we're colleagues."
Lu Zize handed Gu Yi'an's work badge back to her, accompanied by a broad smile.
Even through his black-framed glasses, Gu Yi'an could sense the sincerity in his eyes.
Returning the kindness, Gu Yi'an smiled back.
"Thank you."
She stepped aside to let the other players come forward.
The next in line was the female player who had earlier pressured the newbie into revealing the beginner's tips.
The woman beamed as she handed over her work badge and said, "Senior Lu, could you tell us what kind of accidents have been happening? We're really scared we might encounter them. If you explain, we can take precautions."
Lu Zize froze for a moment, seemingly startled by her enthusiasm. After accepting the badge, he replied politely, "Please wait a moment. Once I finish the registration, I'll explain everything clearly."
He quickly completed her registration and placed the work badge on the desk.
The female player watched his movements with growing interest.
She picked up her badge and asked casually, "Senior Lu, aren't you going to give me some tips too? It would be terrible if I accidentally wandered into a restricted area."
Lu Zize looked at her, his expression largely unchanged, his tone still as gentle as before.
"I've already said it once, and you were all in the office. I won't repeat it."
The female player glanced at Lu Zize, then turned her gaze to Gu Yi'an, who was waiting nearby. She smiled and said, "I get it, Senior Lu. I also like good-looking people."
She stepped away from the desk and walked directly over to Gu Yi'an, holding up her work ID.
"Let's get acquainted. I'm Tang Jiu."
The other players craned their necks to watch the commotion around Gu Yi'an.
Lu Zize continued registering the players in an orderly manner, but his gaze occasionally drifted toward them.
Gu Yi'an looked at the work ID Tang Jiu had shown her. The girl in the photo had a bright, cheerful smile.
Gu Yi'an unfolded her own work ID.
She said, "Gu Yi'an."
Tang Jiu grinned and casually slung an arm over Gu Yi'an's shoulder, suddenly leaning in close to whisper in her ear, "You're pretty clever. I like clever people.
I was a step behind you both times.
Want to team up? You handle the thinking, I'll handle the action. Let's clear the game together."
Gu Yi'an wasn't used to others getting so close. She took half a step in the opposite direction, creating some distance between herself and Tang Jiu.
She knew exactly which two times Tang Jiu was referring to.
The first was when she moved away from her original spot and avoided the car accident.
The second was when she was the first to follow Lu Zize, earning his favor as a result.
Gu Yi'an felt that both instances were simply due to her good luck.
Her experiences in the first two rounds of the game had taught her not to sit idly by and wait for disaster. And because she had an item in her possession, she had the confidence to follow Lu Zize immediately.
Neither of these things were something she could have predicted on her own.
Just like how she had cleared the first round by luckily guessing the meaning behind the beginner's hint, and the second round when the god gave her a hint, He didn't like how she addressed Him.
Gu Yi'an said, "You're overthinking it. It was just a coincidence."
She knew her own limits. Without the corresponding ability, pretending to be a clever person would only end up harming herself and others.
Tang Jiu brushed it off, saying, "I know. This is just how you clever folks turn people down, so tactfully."
She wore an expression of disbelief.
Seeing Tang Jiu acting as if she had latched onto her, Gu Yi'an could only sigh helplessly and say, "You're the clever one here. Why pin it on me?"
Tang Jiu had been quick to realize the game's extreme difficulty and pressured the new players for hints. She was also the first to notice that offensive items against ghosts couldn't be used. And when Gu Yi'an was about to leave, she had rallied the other players to follow along.
It was clear that Tang Jiu was anything but simple.
"See? You're still denying it."
Tang Jiu declared with righteous confidence, "Since you can recognize that I'm a clever person, you must be clever yourself."
Her logic left Gu Yi'an speechless.
Truly, the logic of a genius.
Meanwhile, Lu Zize had finished registering everyone. He stood up and walked to the center of the office, facing the group directly.
"You're probably visiting Sinless City for the first time."
Gu Yi'an glanced at her work badge, which read: Special Investigation Bureau, Directly Administered Zone of the Divine Eye.
Was the Directly Administered Zone of the Divine Eye the same as what Lu Zize referred to as Sinless City?
Lu Zize continued, "Here, with the presence of the Divine Eye system, no crime can hide. But sometimes, there are minor inconveniences."
"Cameras controlled by the Divine Eye system are installed in every corner, including bathrooms, toilets, and bedrooms. These places often have moments of privacy, so when necessary, we cover the lenses with items like clothing for a while and remove the coverings afterward."
"The problem lies precisely in this. Sometimes, we forget to remove the coverings. When the Divine Eye system detects a camera being blocked for an extended period, it sends a task to the Investigation Bureau, dispatching investigators to look into these anomalies."
"That's right, this is what we investigators do."
One player, quick to speak, blurted out, "Isn't that just like being a neighborhood committee busybody?"
Lu Zize looked at the player with confusion.
After a moment of reflection, the player realized his mistake and apologized, "I was wrong, it's not like a neighborhood committee busybody. It's just... our investigative work seems a bit... overly intrusive, doesn't it? What if someone just went to the bathroom and forgot they had covered the camera before leaving?"
Lu Zize, with his good temper, showed no sign of anger.
"That's fine. Better safe than sorry. If they were in danger, our investigation would be meaningful."
After Lu Zize explained the investigators' work, most players felt a sense of relief.
The job of an investigator seemed too easy, just knocking on doors and asking questions. Too simple.
Unlike the other players, Gu Yi'an grew highly alert after hearing about the investigators' duties, bracing herself for what Lu Zize would say next.
Sure enough, Lu Zize had more to say.
This time, his voice grew somber, losing its previous warmth and clarity.
"Besides this task, we investigators have a new mission to investigate the cause of death of former investigators."
All the players realized that this new mission Lu Zize mentioned was the core of the game.
They focused intently on Lu Zize, who seemed lost in memories.
His gaze distant, Lu Zize recalled, "Their deaths all appeared to be accidents. Sudden heart attacks, accidental falls from high buildings, choking to death, falling down stairs, stumbling into ditches with sharp rocks while walking at night... including the recent car accident, we stepped on the brakes, but for some reason, it accelerated instead."
"Can all of these still be considered accidents?" the same player who had earlier compared the investigators to neighborhood committee busybodies spoke up again.
His question echoed the doubts of the other players.
With so many deaths in such a short time, it could hardly be called accidental, especially with such bizarre and varied causes of death that clearly didn't seem normal.
Lu Zize heard the players' questioning and patiently replied, "The Divine Eye system has also detected anomalies. The accidental death rate in our Sinless City is close to zero. However, over the past month or so, there have been over fifty accidental deaths at the Investigation Bureau, this is highly abnormal."
"What's even more frightening is that these accidental deaths are still occurring. As you've seen, today's car accident claimed the lives of two new investigators."
At this point, Lu Zize shifted the topic and asked, "Most of you probably offended someone and ended up being sent here as investigators by some twist of fate, right?"
The players were still immersed in the panic of the ever-present deaths Lu Zize had described when they were suddenly asked if they had offended anyone, leaving them momentarily stunned.
However, the bold and outspoken player who had been speaking all along answered without hesitation, "Us? Maybe we offended God."
The veteran players shot death glares at this player.
They confirmed with a look, this was a newbie player.
After all, that petty God was always watching them!
Lu Zize first glanced at the speaking player, then showed a hint of confusion. "God? Do you mean the Divine Eye system? It's just artificial intelligence; it doesn't have human emotions."
He looked at the players and smiled gently. "My apologies if the question was intrusive. Now that the registration is complete, I'll take you to get your uniforms and show you around to familiarize yourselves with the environment."
Lu Zize's tone remained gentle throughout, subtly making people feel closer to him.
This time, when he offered to show them around, the players' resistance wasn't as strong as it had been at the beginning.
The players had no objections and waited for Lu Zize to lead the way.
Just then.
"Ding!"
Suddenly, the sound rang out simultaneously from eleven different spots in the entire office.
Gu Yi'an instinctively looked down at the black phone in her hand.
From the sound, it seemed to have come from her hand.
The phone screen was lit up.
Gu Yi'an glanced in Lu Zize's direction and saw that he was also checking his phone.
She raised her own phone to check the content.
The screen showed she had received a new message.
The sender was Divine Eye.
Gu Yi'an opened the message.
"Former team leader Liang Shi died in a car accident on the West Ring Line of the Divine Eye Special Zone at 3:24 PM. Junior Investigator Qian Xiaoman is hereby appointed as the new team leader of the Investigation Bureau, effective immediately."
The team leader was dead?
Gu Yi'an remembered that Lu Zize and the others had referred to the older man as the team leader.
Not only did Gu Yi'an realize this, but other players, such as Tang Jiu, also quickly understood that the team leader referred to the older man who had come and gone after the car accident.
In less than half an hour, another person had died.
The players couldn't help but look at Lu Zize.
Although Lu Zize appeared scholarly, he was the only senior present and the only one who wasn't a player.
Noticing everyone's gaze, Lu Zize put down his phone, his expression still calm.
This time, however, he took a moment before speaking slowly, "Team Leader Liang died in a car accident. I don't know if I'll be the next to die. For the sake of our own lives, we need to speed up the investigation into the truth behind the previous investigator's death."
None of the players spoke. They agreed with this point.
The frequency of deaths was too high now, three people had died in the blink of an eye without any warning. Who knew if they would be next?
The unknown is always terrifying.
"I'll take you to get your work uniforms."
This time, Lu Zize didn't mention familiarizing everyone with the environment.
He led them to a room where work uniforms were stored.
"Men's clothes are on the left, women's on the right. The sizes are marked on the clothes. Take two sets each."
A male player tried to get closer to Lu Zize and jokingly asked, "Senior Lu, can we take a couple more sets?"
Lu Zize nodded, "Sure."
His temper and demeanor were still very good, but he didn't say anything more.
Seeing that Lu Zize was in a bad mood, the players didn't bother trying to strike up a conversation.
As the players were selecting their clothes, Lu Zize told them he would wait outside and then left.
The investigator's work uniforms were quite loose. Gu Yi'an picked two small-sized sets from the women's section, but they were still a size too big.
Gu Yi'an's gaze inadvertently swept across the upper part of the room, where two dark lenses were aimed at them as they selected their uniforms.
Along the way, surveillance cameras were everywhere.
After picking out her work uniform, Gu Yi'an left the room. She was the first among the female players to come out.
Once outside, she saw Lu Zize standing by the wall, his expression unreadable as he looked at the messages on his phone.
He probably didn't want to be disturbed, right?
Gu Yi'an was about to walk in the opposite direction.
Unexpectedly, Lu Zize noticed someone had come out. He looked up and saw her, asking, "Finished selecting?"
The question was purely rhetorical.
Gu Yi'an was still holding the work uniforms in her hands, if she hadn't finished selecting, she wouldn't have come out.
Since Lu Zize seemed willing to talk, and Gu Yi'an wanted to extract information from him, she replied, "Yes, I'm done."
She stopped about a meter away from him and asked, "Senior Lu, do we have any work to do later?"
Not far away, two male players who had already finished selecting their clothes saw Gu Yi'an talking to Lu Zize and wore expressions of deep confusion.
Why was it that when they tried to talk to him, Lu Zize ignored them completely, but when it was Gu Yi'an, he initiated the conversation?
Does this game's character have gender bias? Do attractive women get special treatment?
This game is way too realistic.
Gu Yi'an could feel the two players' gazes.
She was used to being stared at and didn't mind it.
Lu Zize said, "Actually, there's no need to call me 'senior.' I only arrived a few days earlier than you. Just call me by my name. Originally, you were supposed to have work today. But Team Leader Liang passed away, and the new team leader is Sister Man. She took leave and went home. We'll wait until tomorrow to see what work arrangements Sister Man has for us."
He paused here, glanced at his phone again, and said, "In the few days I've been here, the team leader has already been replaced twice. As for those accidents, I'm not sure if they were truly accidental."
Gu Yi'an noticed Lu Zize's action and realized that what he had just checked might be a notification from the Divine Eye system, similar to the death notice they had just received about their team leader, Liang Shi.
Lu Zize would look at these notifications when he was alone. Perhaps his emotions weren't as calm as he appeared.
Gu Yi'an said calmly, "They weren't accidents."
She continued, "With so many accidents, it's far too coincidental. There are no coincidences in this world, only meticulously crafted schemes."
Upon hearing Gu Yi'an's words, Lu Zize lowered his gaze, seemingly staring at the phone in his hand.
He said, "That's what we think as well. Everyone wants to find the person behind all these schemes."
Gu Yi'an couldn't detect anything unusual about Lu Zize. After a moment's thought, she decided to be straightforward: "And that person is among you."
The two male players who had been eavesdropping on Gu Yi'an and the others were stunned.
Was this female player really this bold?
To directly voice such an inference to someone who might very well be the perpetrator.
Didn't she fear that if her guess was correct, she might be the next victim of an "accidental" death?
The two eavesdropping male players found it hard to put their complicated feelings into words.
Upon hearing Gu Yi'an's words, Lu Zize's expression remained as calm as ever.
He looked up, his voice still gentle as before.
"Before I arrived, the investigators had speculated the same. They turned on each other, and in the end, they all died. It was a scandal, so it was classified under the list of accidental deaths."
The explanation seemed reasonable.
Gu Yi'an couldn't find anything suspicious about Lu Zize, so she smiled slightly to ease the tension.
She said, "If it's not someone from the investigation bureau, then finding that person would be like searching for a needle in a haystack, wouldn't it?"
"With the Divine Eye system, if that person is orchestrating accidents, they would inevitably appear at the scene of the incidents. The Divine Eye system captures suspicious individuals along the routes where accidents occur and, through calculations, ultimately compiles a list of suspects."
This method struck Gu Yi'an as unbelievable. "No need to investigate the scene? When an accident happens, there are bound to be many clues left behind."
Lu Zize noticed Gu Yi'an's expression, and a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes. "That's precisely what we investigators are responsible for. Investigating the scenes of accidents is also part of determining the cause of death for those investigators."
That's acceptable then, not entirely reliant on artificial intelligence.
Gu Yi'an suddenly remembered something. "That senior is still downstairs, right? Is he gathering clues?"
Earlier, three people had stepped out of the sedan, an older team leader who had died, and two younger men in uniforms: Lu Zize and the man Lu Zize referred to as Brother Yong.
Gu Yi'an recalled that Brother Yong hadn't entered the office with them.
Lu Zize said, "If Team Leader Liang hadn't been in that unexpected car accident, we would have been using the clues Brother Yong found to deduce the cause of this incident."
It seemed this investigation bureau was somewhat reliable, someone was actually doing the work.
While Gu Yi'an and Lu Zize were chatting, the other players noticed their conversation and, afraid of missing any clues, quickly grabbed two sets of clothes and came out.
They crowded together, straining their ears to listen to Gu Yi'an and Lu Zize's exchange.
Lu Zize noticed the commotion outside. He adjusted his glasses and said, "I'll take you to where you'll rest tonight. Without our guidance, don't wander around."
Upon hearing this, the players speculated that Lu Zize was planning to act alone without them.
"Senior Lu, are you going somewhere? Can you take us with you?"
The one asking was the female player named Tang Jiu.
Lu Zize responded, "Do you all want to come along?"
His gaze swept over the players present.
Gu Yi'an shook her head.
Since Lu Zize clearly didn't want the players following, forcing their way would only annoy him.
Gu Yi'an's reaction pleased Lu Zize.
He smiled at her.
But when he turned to the others, the warmth in his expression faded slightly.
Lu Zize's tone remained gentle throughout.
He said, "I'm going to the market to buy groceries. Given the recent situation, we don't trust outside food, so we've decided to cook ourselves. If you want to come along, you can help carry some things. For now, follow me upstairs and put your clothes away."
He didn't address the players' suspicions about him, but his attitude made the other players uneasy.
The players obediently followed Lu Zize to the second floor.
Lu Zize pushed open a door labeled "Archives."
"This is where we'll be staying."
Gu Yi'an was close behind, so she was the first to step inside.
She surveyed the room.
Clearly, it was a large archives room that had been repurposed.
The windows were shut, but the curtains were drawn open, allowing ample light inside.
With just a quick glance, Gu Yi'an spotted four active cameras.
Cameras were the most common items here, nothing unusual.
One wall of the room was lined with bookshelves and piled with large boxes.
In the spacious room, three bedding sets were laid out on the floor along one side.
The disarray of the bedding indicated they had been used.
"Because we're worried about accidents, we've been making do at the investigation bureau these days," Lu Zize explained. "Team Leader Liang was concerned earlier about the number of female newcomers, precisely because of this issue. With everyone sleeping together, having more women can be inconvenient."
His meaning was clear: they would all be sleeping in the same room at night.
The female players, including Gu Yi'an, took in the room's setup and heard Lu Zize mention mixed-gender accommodations. Their expressions soured entirely.
If the female players needed to change clothes, there was no private space for it.
The male players were fine; they had nothing to worry about.
Special circumstances required special treatment.
Gu Yi'an had initially struggled to accept it, but once she calmed down, she quickly came to terms with the reality.
Lu Zize said, "Check the boxes over there, there are sleeping bags. If you don't want to stay here, you can look for a hotel or guesthouse later. If you're alone, be careful and watch out for unexpected situations. By the way, do any of you have money?"
His question was met with silence from all the players.
It was already generous enough for the deity to assign them identities.
Expecting money on top of that? They were probably dreaming.
Although the new players didn't know this, they could infer it from observing the expressions of the veteran players.
Everything went without saying.
Seeing this, Lu Zize immediately understood that the newcomers had no money.
He was a good-natured person and didn't get angry at the players for doubting him, nor did he rub salt in the wound by emphasizing their poverty. Instead, he suggested, "Find a place to put away your work uniforms."
After the players had stored their uniforms, Lu Zize's gaze swept over each of them and finally settled on Gu Yi'an.
"You stay here and rest for a while."
Then, he turned to the others. "The rest of you, come with me."
The other players looked at this scene with almost universal confusion.
What did this mean?
She gets to rest, while we have to work?
Weren't they all players? The favoritism was just too obvious.
Facing the players' skeptical looks, Lu Zize asked calmly, "Didn't you all want to go out with me?"
The players exchanged glances, they did indeed want to follow Lu Zize.
But the one staying behind was Gu Yi'an, the player who had consistently made the right decisions.
Seeing her remain, the others hesitated. Had they made the wrong choice?
At that moment, the female player Tang Jiu stepped forward enthusiastically and said, "Yes, Senior Lu. If there's anything we can help with later, please don't hesitate to ask."
With Tang Jiu taking the lead, both the veteran and new players got the general idea and followed suit, eagerly offering their services.
"I'm a guy, I'm strong, I can carry things."
"I know how to pick vegetables; I always choose the ones for my family."
Amid the chorus of flattery, Lu Zize and the others left.
The room felt especially desolate with only Gu Yi'an left inside.
It was too large, too empty, even the slightest sound seemed amplified.
An intangible fear began to coil around her.
She took out the tool she carried with her, the Sage Card.
On the black card, the golden characters for "Sage" were particularly striking.
Stay calm, don’t think about the worst, focus on clues.
From her experience in the first game, as long as she followed Lu Zize’s advice and stayed in this room, nothing would go wrong.
Gu Yi'an put away the card but kept the small coffin clutched in her hand.
Her phone had already been returned to her pocket.
She scanned the slightly messy room.
Since everyone else had left, it was time to search for clues here.
Wherever someone had lived, traces were bound to remain.
First, she needed to air out the room.
Although she hadn’t noticed any strange smells, the excessive cleanliness felt eerie.
Gu Yi'an walked to the window and tentatively cracked it open.
She didn’t feel any breeze.
She pushed the window open completely.
Glancing outside, she saw no trees, only two sawn-off tree stumps. Nearby stood a small, single-story house, and beyond the wall, she could see residential buildings.
She didn’t linger on the view. Turning around, her gaze unconsciously swept across the windowpane.
Gu Yi'an froze.
Those dark red, densely packed specks looked unmistakably like tiny droplets of splattered blood.
She returned to the window for a closer look.
Now, she noticed more details.
The window had been wiped, but the person who cleaned it clearly lacked patience. They had only wiped it once, leaving a faint trace of blood along the window frame.
The glass itself probably hadn’t been cleaned at all.
Following this observation, Gu Yi'an examined the wall beneath the window.
The wall was pristine white.
She looked up at the ceiling.
The ceiling and the walls were not the same shade of white.
She reached a conclusion.
Someone had died here before, whether it was murder or an accident was unknown, and the room had been repainted.
Ding!
A sudden chime echoed through the empty room.
Gu Yi'an jolted in surprise before realizing it was her phone.
Who could be messaging her?
She took out her phone.
The screen showed the sender as "Stranger: Liu Han."
Gu Yi'an paused for a moment.
Did the phone automatically identify strangers and display their names, or was this a pre-existing contact note?
Puzzled, she tapped the dial icon to check her contacts.
The contacts list was blank, meaning "Stranger: Liu Han" had been automatically identified by the phone’s system.
This phone system knew far too much.
Gu Yi'an thought to herself as she opened the message.
The content was brief but made her frown.
"Do you know how obsessed I am with your beauty?"
Gu Yi'an glanced behind her, no one at the door, no one in the room.
Who had sent this spam message?
If this were the real world, such a message wouldn’t be unusual.
She had received many like these before and had blocked every sender.
But this time, it was in the game world.
Who had seen her?
And how had they gotten her phone number?
She didn’t even know her own number in this world.
It seemed this world had no ghosts, so it had to be a person.
Someone was secretly watching her!
Ding!
Another text message from the stranger Liu Han.
"Yes, I'm watching you."