Chapter 58

Hearing the word "ghost," Gu Yi'an knew that whatever they were about to face would likely involve spirits.
Dai Qi reached out and took the room key from the employee before Uncle Wu could.
Uncle Wu glanced at him, withdrew his outstretched hand, and said nothing.
Gu Yi'an observed this scene and realized that Dai Qi probably wanted to be the team leader.
In the early stages of the game, having someone willing to step up as a leader could save a lot of trouble. At the very least, the team wouldn't fall apart before they encountered any real danger.
Gu Yi'an tacitly accepted Dai Qi taking the lead.
The other three new players remained silent.
Since arriving in this world, they had been confused about everything and had no idea what they were supposed to do. With experienced players around, they decided to follow along and see if they could learn something from them.
Dai Qi glanced at the room key and said, "Why aren't you taking us up? Your hotel's service attitude is really poor."
At that moment, aside from the six players, only the hotel staff were in the lobby.
Through the glass walls of the hotel, the players could see that it was late at night outside.
Dai Qi's voice wasn't loud, but it echoed through the empty hotel lobby.
Instantly, all the hotel staff in the lobby turned their attention toward the players.
Dai Qi's behavior was within Gu Yi'an's expectations.
If it were her, she would also try to get the staff to escort them to their room.
This hotel was very likely haunted.
Under such circumstances, if the players went alone without guidance, what if something happened before they even reached their room?
They needed to find a way to have someone lead them there.
Hearing Dai Qi's words, the female employee stopped what she was doing.
"Didn't you look up guides online before coming? You're treating it like a haunted house adventure. I'm giving you the chance to adventure, go find the room yourselves."
The players could sense the employee's displeasure. Combined with her familiar tone earlier, it seemed they might be playing the roles of people who had recently had a conflict with her.
One of the new male players curiously asked the player next to him, "Is this the identity the game assigned us? Curious adventurers?"
His voice was soft, but Uncle Wu's ears were sharp.
Uncle Wu wasn't one to flaunt his status as an experienced player, so he casually replied, "With so many new players, the game's difficulty isn't high. We're quite lucky this time, it's rare for the game to assign us identities."
After speaking, he looked at Gu Yi'an, seeking agreement.
Gu Yi'an nodded and said, "There aren't many games where the gods assign us roles, but generally, such games tend to be more difficult. We can't afford to let our guard down."
Based on Gu Yi'an's experience, games where the gods assign roles to players are usually those where having a specific identity is essential to clear the stage.
Uncle Wu, upon hearing the first part of Gu Yi'an's statement, was pleased that this female player agreed with his point. However, Gu Yi'an's follow-up contradicted his view.
Uncle Wu felt a bit displeased, but he wasn't the type to show his dissatisfaction over a single remark. He simply said, "This game is a matter of life and death. Whether it's easy or difficult, it doesn't hurt to be cautious."
The novice players, seeing that Uncle Wu seemed approachable and the timing was right, seized the opportunity to ask him questions.
While Uncle Wu was answering the novices' questions, Dai Qi was busy flattering the female staff member, addressing her as "beauty" repeatedly.
"Beauty, you're magnanimous. Please just take us there. What if we accidentally wander into a restricted area?"
Upon hearing this, the female staff member's face briefly showed a conflicted expression, as if reluctantly giving in, and she said, "I'll take you there."
After saying this, she asked another female staff member nearby to cover for her.
At the hotel entrance, a waiter was leading guests toward the front desk.
Seeing this, the female staff member quickly stepped out from behind the front desk. She approached the players and said stiffly, "Follow me."
Dai Qi, full of youthful energy, immediately smiled and said, "Thank you, beauty."
He was the first to follow the female staff member, with Gu Yi'an right behind him. Uncle Wu and the novice players trailed after them.
As they moved away from the front desk area, the attention from other hotel staff on them noticeably decreased.
The female staff member led them to the elevator, seemingly unwilling to engage in conversation. She simply pressed the button for the fifth floor.
Gu Yi'an deliberately glanced at the panel and noticed that there was no fourth floor.
The elevator quickly arrived at the fifth floor as indicated on the display.
Under the female staff member's guidance, the six players followed her to the door of room 504.
"Room key," the female staff member said.
Dai Qi handed the room key back to her.
She used the key card to unlock the door and turned on the light.
The six players followed her inside.
Gu Yi'an scanned the room.
It was a standard double room with a simple, clean, and comfortable decor, accommodating two people. It included a TV and a bathroom.
The female staff member looked at the six players and said, "If you insist on staying, there's nothing we can do. We confiscated your phones to prevent you from taking unauthorized photos."
"Wouldn't it be better if you just left and retrieved your phones from security? Six people cooped up in here, aren't you afraid of getting bored?"
The female staff member's words were still dripping with sarcasm.
"Oh, the TV can be turned on. We've taken your money, so we'll still provide you with the TV."
At this point, she seemed to realize her attitude wasn't great, and her tone softened a bit as she said, "When you come out tomorrow, you'll know our hotel doesn't have any ghosts. Alright, I hope you'll stop spreading baseless rumors."
"Spreading rumors may be cheap, but the damage they cause to our hotel is immense."
After finishing, the female staff member handed the room key to Dai Qi.
She left the room, closing the door behind her for everyone.
The six players stood by the entrance.
Dai Qi took the initiative to speak, "Even though we're on the fifth floor, it's actually the fourth floor, meaning this room number is actually 404. Did you hear that? She kept emphasizing there are no ghosts..."
"There must be ghosts. Every time it's The Game of the Gods, it's always ghosts and monsters. No need to overthink it, we're definitely dealing with ghosts again this time."
Uncle Wu said it as if it were routine.
He continued, "Let's watch some TV for now, wait for the ghost to appear, and then deal with it."
The three newbie players listened obediently.
Among them, the male newbie curiously examined the room's furnishings, but since everyone was discussing together, he didn't wander off.
Dai Qi said, "Uncle Wu, we should still search this room. There might be clues."
Uncle Wu knew there was some truth to Dai Qi's words. He sighed, "These old bones of mine... Alright, let's search."
After saying this, they all turned to look at Gu Yi'an, who had remained silent the whole time.
There were only three veteran players in this round, so Gu Yi'an's opinion was quite important.
Uncle Wu and Dai Qi didn't underestimate Gu Yi'an because of her appearance.
On the contrary, they noticed that despite her stunning looks, she carried a strong presence and knew she wasn't ordinary. Generally, beautiful people tend to be protected and appear delicate, but someone with a commanding aura protects themselves.
Seeing them look at her, Gu Yi'an said, "That staff member just mentioned a phone. If that's the case, we should be able to get phones from the security guard."
"You mean the phone is an essential item for our mission this time?" Dai Qi asked.
Gu Yi'an nodded and said, "Otherwise, there wouldn't be the matter of phones being with the security guard. I lean toward the idea that we need to obtain the phones."
Uncle Wu said, "We're already inside. If we get the phones, won't we be unable to come back in? Let's take another look around here first."
He turned to the three newbie players who had been silent and said, "Each of you pair up with a veteran player. We'll start searching the room now."
Uncle Wu had a good heart and intended for each veteran to take one newbie under their wing.
Gu Yi'an and Dai Qi had no issue with this, after all, everyone started as a newbie, and there was no problem helping newcomers when possible.
However, Dai Qi might have felt that his leadership was being overshadowed by Uncle Wu, so he spoke up, "This male player, the bold but clueless one, you're with me. We'll search the private bathroom."
He was the first to decide his search area and also the first to claim the newbie he had his eye on.
Uncle Wu shot Dai Qi an annoyed look and said to the two female newbies, "Either of you can come with me."
The two female newbies were a bit timid. One of them asked, "Uncle Wu, who would you prefer to have with you?"
They didn't dare to choose who to follow, worried that Gu Yi'an might take issue with it.
Uncle Wu said, "You, then."
He turned to Gu Yi'an and said, "She and I will start searching from the window side."
Uncle Wu took the female player who had just spoken away with him.
The bold but naive newbie male player followed Dai Qi to the bathroom.
Gu Yi'an and another female player were left behind.
Gu Yi'an said to this female player, "Your name is Xiao Ling, right?"
Xiao Ling nodded.
Gu Yi'an said, "Let’s start searching from the door. Just look around for anything unusual. If you notice anything that seems off, speak up."
As for how exactly to search, Gu Yi'an wasn’t sure herself.
This was her first time encountering such a situation and her first time guiding a newbie step by step.
The newbie female player Xiao Ling glanced around, then looked at the nearby TV cabinet and said, "Senior Gu, this place seems quite clean."
Although Gu Yi'an appeared younger than Xiao Ling, since Xiao Ling was a newbie, she felt it inappropriate to call her "Little Gu," so she addressed her as "Senior."
The hotel room looked well-cleaned, with no excessive decorations on the tables or cabinets. Everything in sight was neat and tidy.
Gu Yi'an, meanwhile, walked over to the side of the door and focused her gaze on the single-control light switch on the wall.
She examined a black logo beneath the switch and noticed something unusual.
Gu Yi'an said, "There’s a small black hole here. It’s probably a pinhole camera."
The newbie female player Xiao Ling was startled and hurried over.
Gu Yi'an stepped aside to make room.
Xiao Ling looked at the black logo.
At first glance, she didn’t see anything wrong, but when she examined it from the side, she spotted the small hole that was clearly a black lens.
"This... this... this is a violation of privacy."
Gu Yi'an glanced around the room and said, "There might be more in other places. Let’s go tell the others first, so they know what to look for."
"By the way, did your newbie prompt mention 'the silent person' or describe a state of silence?"
Gu Yi'an needed to clarify this point.
Xiao Ling no longer felt the need to hold back. They still had to rely on the experienced players to guide them, and providing information would help gain their trust.
Xiao Ling said, "It’s 'the silent person,' the Silent One."
Gu Yi'an nodded.
She now had a rough idea in her mind.
Gu Yi'an and Xiao Ling walked over to where Uncle Wu and the other newbie female player were searching.
Uncle Wu had lifted the sheet of a single bed and spotted a large stain on the mattress. Frowning, he said, "Is this blood? Bloodstains that weren’t even properly cleaned."
He then looked at another spot. "Not even a strand of hair was removed."
Gu Yi'an was about to tell Uncle Wu about the pinhole camera she had discovered when she suddenly felt something moving in her coat pocket.
Was it the hanged ghost, or the now-miniaturized notebook?
Gu Yi'an stepped further away from the bed, intending to take out whatever was inside her pocket. But as soon as she moved away, the movement in her pocket stopped.
Was it warning her that the bed was strange?
Her retreat didn’t raise Uncle Wu’s suspicions.
Young girls are often the most particular about cleanliness, so it was a normal reaction to instinctively keep their distance.
Gu Yi’an said, "Uncle Wu, we found a pinhole camera near the light switch. Can you check if there are any on your side?"
"A pinhole camera?"
Uncle Wu frowned, as if something had occurred to him. He strode over to the television, crouched down, and carefully examined the socket below.
"There’s a camera in the socket too," Uncle Wu said.
Gu Yi’an added, "There are probably many more cameras we haven’t found yet."
Uncle Wu replied, "This hotel is completely lawless. They’re just filming people’s private moments. Let’s check the bathroom, there are bound to be even more there."
Gu Yi’an thought the same.
All four players gathered at the bathroom door.
Uncle Wu, leading the way, glanced inside and asked, "What are you all doing?"
Gu Yi’an, a step behind Uncle Wu, also saw the scene inside.
Dai Qi was curled up in the bathtub, staring intently at the mirror on the wall.
The newbie male player was examining the wall tiles one by one, though it was unclear what he was trying to accomplish.
Uncle Wu said, "I and…"
He paused, glancing at Gu Yi’an.
Gu Yi’an said, "Little Gu."
Uncle Wu continued, "Little Gu and I both found pinhole cameras."
The newbie male player was startled. He looked at the players at the door and exclaimed, "Is this hotel insane? How could they do something like this?"
He added, "Does that mean there are cameras here too?"
He was visibly agitated, but Dai Qi in the bathtub showed no change in expression.
Dai Qi, staring at the mirror on the wall opposite the bathtub, said, "This is a two-way mirror. If there’s someone on the other side, they’re welcome to watch me."
He smiled, looking even more eerie than a ghost.
The two newbie female players standing behind Gu Yi’an were almost frightened by Dai Qi’s smile.
They silently retreated a bit, moving closer to the door.
Gu Yi’an and Uncle Wu remained calm.
They had already encountered more than one or two ghosts.
A two-way mirror was still within their range of acceptance.
But the newbie male player, who had been inspecting the wall tiles, was even more shocked. "What? This mirror is a two-way mirror? Can people on the other side see us?"
He looked at Dai Qi, then at the composed Uncle Wu and Gu Yi’an.
He realized his reaction might have been a bit too intense.
The newbie male player held back for a moment before saying, "Um, Brother Dai, I couldn’t find any new tiles. Is this search even useful?"
Dai Qi stepped out of the bathtub, his clothes still neatly in place.
He said, "You won’t see it by checking tile by tile. Step back and look at the overall picture."
The newbie male player caught on. "Brother Dai, you already figured out which area has different tiles?"
Dai Qi didn’t answer directly. He walked over to Uncle Wu and the others, no longer smiling eerily as before, but appearing normal and energetic.
He said, "This time the novice hint is 'The Silent One', the silent person. Arranged by God, we came to this room and discovered the two-way mirror, pinhole cameras, and such. This time, He is probably giving us a choice: whether or not to become the silent one ourselves."
Gu Yi'an glanced at the bathroom wall and noticed that the tiles on the side where the two-way mirror was located had a slight color difference compared to the others.
They were the same style of tiles, but the discrepancy was due to differing ages of use, meaning that area had been renovated.
Uncle Wu said, "Are you suggesting we go downstairs and cause a scene now?"
Gu Yi'an stepped back outside and said, "Let's talk out here."
The bathroom wasn't an ideal place for a conversation.
No one objected, and they all stepped out.
The novice male player voiced the purpose he had deduced from Dai Qi's instruction to find the tile differences.
He said, "Brother Dai, when you asked me to look for differences in the tiles, were you suspecting that a murder had happened here and someone had hidden a body inside the wall?"
Dai Qi glanced at him, coughed lightly, showing not a trace of guilt, and said, "No, I just wanted you to stop hovering around me."
Dai Qi's words hit the novice male player hard, and he fell silent.
No one paid him much mind.
Uncle Wu said, "I've been thinking about it, and the idea I mentioned earlier about causing a scene downstairs isn't very feasible. Without our phones, we have no evidence. If we go down and make a fuss, we'll probably just get thrown out of the hotel by the staff, and it won't be easy to get back in. I think we need to find a way to retrieve our phones first."
Dai Qi nodded and volunteered, "My idea is to climb out the window, get our phones from security, and bring them all back here."
Gu Yi'an's gaze shifted to the bed that Uncle Wu had uncovered earlier.
The stain she and Uncle Wu had seen before had disappeared at some point, leaving the surface clean.
Gu Yi'an said, "Right now, we might need to worry about one thing: whether this place is actually haunted."
Everyone looked at Gu Yi'an. She was the first to discover the pinhole cameras, so they trusted her judgment to some extent.
Seeing everyone's eyes on her, Gu Yi'an remained calm and simply pointed to the bed Uncle Wu had just uncovered. "Uncle Wu, do you remember what you saw earlier? It's completely clean now."
Uncle Wu listened, approached the bed with some doubt, and only then dared to confirm it.
"It's gone? How did that happen?"
Gu Yi'an didn't go near it. She guessed it was probably because she was carrying many ghosts with her, only when she approached would the bed reveal its true appearance.
She said, "No matter what's going on, there's something strange about this place."
Gu Yi'an turned to Dai Qi and asked, "How confident are you that you can get down from the fourth floor without being caught on their surveillance?"
Dai Qi thought for a moment and replied, "I only considered whether I could get down and back up. Don’t worry, they won’t be watching the cameras constantly."
Uncle Wu chimed in with the tone of someone who’d seen it all, "No need to worry about the cameras. There are so many of them, no one’s staring at them all the time. It’s late at night, they probably go to bed earlier than we do. At most, they’ll check the footage if something happens. That’s how it always is."
Gu Yi’an said, "I guess I overthought it."
She realized her worries were a bit excessive.
She was still traumatized by the ever-present cameras in the previous game.
Dai Qi said, "Then I’ll go down and retrieve the phone."
Gu Yi’an thought for a moment and asked, "You said that’s a two-way mirror?"
"The mirror by the bathtub is a two-way mirror."
Gu Yi’an said, "One thing I’m worried about now is that they already know our actions from the pinhole cameras. If they’re constantly watching us through those, then you won’t have a chance to slip out."
Uncle Wu said, "So we need someone to go down and cause a scene?"
Gu Yi’an said, "Let’s split into three teams. Dai Qi retrieves the phone, Uncle Wu, you take the newbie down to the front desk to make a fuss. If they’re watching us, the moment you step out, Dai Qi, you can climb out the window, just be careful. Uncle Wu, when you make a scene, be assertive. If they know from the pinhole cameras that we’ve discovered them, it would be suspicious if we didn’t react at all."
The newbie male player was about to suggest they could confront the hotel staff through the wall phone, but upon hearing Gu Yi’an’s plan to use Uncle Wu’s exit as a distraction from any potential surveillance, he quietly closed his mouth.
Uncle Wu glanced at the bed again.
If there really was a ghost, the room was the most unsafe place.
Unfortunately, their mission this time was inevitably tied to this room. If they stayed away for too long, they wouldn’t be able to complete the task.
Gu Yi’an volunteered to stay behind, indicating she had some confidence in dealing with ghosts.
Uncle Wu said, "Alright then. I’ll take the newbie down."
He looked at the newbie female player he was responsible for and instructed, "Xiao Yu, be a bit feisty later, but don’t say we’re leaving. Just say we want compensation to resolve the issue."
That way, they’d have a plausible reason to return.
The newbie female player nodded.
Uncle Wu and the newbie female player left the room with an imposing air.
Meanwhile, Dai Qi pushed open the small window, the large window had a limiter and couldn’t be opened fully.
He squeezed out through the small window.
Seeing how effortlessly he moved, everyone felt he probably didn’t need to worry.
Now only three people remained in the room: Gu Yi’an, the newbie female player Xiao Ling, and the newbie male player.
The newbie male player hesitated and looked at Gu Yi’an, asking, "What should we do now?"
Gu Yi’an said, "We don’t need to do anything. Just be prepared to face any potential haunting that might occur."
The newbie male player was stunned for a moment, then grew excited. "We’re really going to encounter a ghost?"
Gu Yi’an said, "Not necessarily, but it’s highly possible."
It all depended on how bold that ghost was, whether it was afraid of the ghosts she had brought with her.
Just as Gu Yi’an was thinking this, the TV screen in the room suddenly lit up.
The newbie male player jumped in fright.
The female player Xiao Ling let out a short gasp and couldn’t help but move closer to Gu Yi’an.
The three of them turned their attention to the television screen.
The screen displayed a black-and-white image of a man and two women standing in a room with a double bed.
"Isn’t that us?" the novice male player recognized the people in the footage.
As he pointed at the figures on the screen, the people in the image mirrored his gesture, pointing toward the outside of the screen.
Xiao Ling studied the scene and remarked, "This looks like it was filmed by a camera."
The novice male player said, "Oh. That scared me, I thought it was something supernatural. There are so many cameras around here; maybe one of them is connected to the TV. Let me check."
As he spoke, he glanced again at the black-and-white image on the screen.
To his shock, beside the man and two women in the footage, there now stood an unfamiliar woman in a red dress.
"Holy crap! There’s a ghost!"