In the early morning, the breeze was gentle and warm. The only drawback was the faint sour smell mixed in the wind. Recently, there had been severe pollution warnings almost every day.
The college student stared at the ceiling for a while. It was that familiar dream again.
He often dreamed, and in his dreams, someone was constantly reading to him.
The strange thing was, he could hear every word clearly in his dream, but he would remember nothing when he woke up.
After a moment, the college student got out of bed to wash up. He buried his face in the cupped water in his palms for about a minute, feeling much more awake.
Then, he took the elevator to the dining room.
Everyone was waiting for him to eat.
The man wore a pair of glasses, with a few wrinkles on his face, looking very gentle and refined. The woman had a gentle appearance, her figure slightly out of shape due to her age.
The two elders looked extremely loving. The college student’s mother smiled and said, “Come quickly, the food is getting cold.”
On the wall behind the dining table hung a master’s calligraphy work, a proverb: A family that accumulates good deeds will surely have abundant blessings.
To this day, this work still exudes the fragrance of ink, the strokes leaving a lasting scent.
The college student sat down next to his mother.
The strange smell from the wind outside was stronger, even spreading to the dining room.
The college student choked, his throat inexplicably itchy, and he couldn’t help but cough a few times.
The woman picked up a piece of food for him with her chopsticks, smiling gently. “You don’t have to accompany us to offer incense this afternoon. We have news of your brother.”
Hearing this, the college student’s eyes lit up, then dimmed again.
Since he was young, he knew he had a brother who had been lost from the family. For so many years, he had been hoping that he could be found. But every time, after getting some news, it would once again be lost without a trace.
“I hope it goes well this time.” The woman had also thought of this. The corners of her eyes turned slightly red, and she covered most of her face with her hand, her body trembling slightly.
That pair of yellowish-brown eyes were moistened with tears.
The man stood up to comfort her and said to the college student, “You go to the company first. I pulled some strings to get you an internship. It’s not good to be late.”
The college student nodded obediently and left with a heavy heart.
Walking out of the mansion, the air outside was even more unpleasant than at home. Perhaps because he hadn’t eaten enough for breakfast, he felt a sense of hunger as soon as he came out.
The college student stood on the driveway and looked back.
His father was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window with his arm around his mother’s shoulder, waving at him slightly.
Due to the perspective illusion caused by the distance, the college student inexplicably felt that the posture of the two people upstairs was a bit stiff. As he was in a hurry in the morning, he didn’t think much of it and drove away.
The car gradually drove away.
Behind the car that was driving far away, scarlet threads, like a creeper, covered the walls of the villa, firmly controlling the things hidden in the garden below.
The man’s arm around the woman’s turned into a ferocious blood-red color.
The couple who were in the villa a second ago suddenly turned into writhing bloody mud, silently seeping into the garden along the climbing plants.
The flesh and blood once again transformed into human form.
In a corner of the garden, something seemed to move. Amidst a rustling sound, it quickly fled in one direction.
The woman was faster.
Her palm transformed into fine threads, shooting towards the flower bushes. In the next moment, a piece of meat with strange patterns was forcefully pulled out. Bound by the red threads, the strange meat could not change its shape.
The woman still stood gracefully in place. Without a moment’s delay, she manipulated the threads to finely slice the strange meat. In the meantime, the man went to fetch a bucket of clean water and skillfully soaked and washed the flesh and blood.
The sliced strange meat spasmed and twitched.
It seemed extremely shocked, and even its voice, filled with resentment, was constantly trembling. “You two are also, also…”
Taisui was a shut-in, but that didn’t mean it didn’t open its eyes to the world. It would regularly send out a portion of its flesh and blood as a body, placing it in instances or other worlds. Through them, it obtained information, a sort of manual internet.
As a tool to seize the sacred object, the college student’s vessel was the most special among them.
The game had always turned a blind eye to this.
Devouring was an instinct among monsters, especially those of the same kind.
It was a common occurrence for flesh and blood bodies to constantly seek out their own kind, trying to devour the other to strengthen themselves.
This lump of strange meat in the garden had been secretly watching the college student for several days. During this time, it was sufficiently cautious, preventing the other from pretending to be weak while being strong, and even followed him home to continue observing.
Who knew that the male and female hosts of this house were also of the same kind!
Impossible.
The monster struggled desperately, but the woman had knotted the blood threads into a fishing net. This process only caused more bloody mud to be squeezed into pieces.
“Why are you… not…”
There’s no monster aura, and they’re not devouring each other.
The woman urged her ‘husband’ to speed up the cleaning. The more meat slices there were, the better it was to eat them fresh.
She even brought out a small stove to barbecue on the spot. Amidst the sizzling sound of oil, the woman smiled and said, “Meat, too, is divided into grades.”
There was rotten meat, fresh meat… and ‘king meat’.
King meat usually contained purer energy.
They were specially created by Taisui. Before the college student entered the game, they were already in the real world.
According to Taisui’s way of doing things, if the sacred object was lost, they would also lose their value. Where, they no longer needed to perform their duties.
Eating was fine.
But—
“…Still, let’s not eat it.”
A bucket of fresh and plump meat. He showed a gentle and warm smile and spoke his ‘wife’s’ thoughts: “Good.”
It was just that if they stayed together for a long time, they might lose control and eat each other. To avoid this situation, they could only let the ‘child’ go to work.
Ring ring, ring ring.
The most primitive mobile phone ringtone rang.
The middle-aged man frowned, not happy to be interrupted while processing the ingredients.
“Hello.” His voice remained the same as usual.
“Dad, the company just notified in the group that there will be some employee training. I might be back late.”
The superior had arranged everything before he left. He mentioned that the current employees in the company were all people Zhou Qi’an cared about. The employee training concerned the future of these people, so an experienced person had to be there to supervise and share some things at the right time.
If Brother Zhou cares about it, I definitely have to put my heart into it.
The college student continued while driving, “I’ll try to come back during my lunch break and have lunch with you…”
“No need.” Knowing what he was about to say, the middle-aged man directly interrupted, devouring the food and saying, “They said the news was wrong again. Your brother can’t be found for the time being.”
Because of his chewing, his voice sounded a little strange.
The college student just thought his parents had been secretly crying again and comforted him, “Don’t worry, we’ll definitely find him.”
The middle-aged man hummed perfunctorily.
Seeing that the meat was about to go into the woman’s stomach, he directly hung up the phone.
“Mom and Dad must be very sad.”
The college student sighed and tried to concentrate on driving. Right now, he felt more guilt than sadness, because he had just violated the traffic law by answering the phone while driving.
I’ll turn myself in later.
“I wonder if Brother Zhou arrived safely in the new world.” The college student took a deep breath. “I have to work hard too.”
He suddenly belatedly thought, if he went to the new world, what about his parents?
His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. The college student’s face changed. Why had he never considered this question before? It was as if there was a gray area in his mind. When he questioned himself, he gradually forgot this question again.
In a moment of carelessness, he actually ran a red light.
“I’m doomed!”
An overwhelming sense of guilt completely overwhelmed him.
The college student took a deep breath. He couldn’t bear it anymore. He turned the car around and went in another direction.
At the next intersection, he encountered another red light. The cars next to him were constantly honking. The college student subconsciously turned his head.
Confirming that he hadn’t seen wrong, he said in surprise, “Mr. Ying?”
Ying Yu: “Isn’t it a workday today?”
If he remembered correctly, the direction the other was going was completely different from the company’s.
The college student nodded. “I’m going to turn myself in.”
“?”
“I just violated the traffic rules twice in a row.” There were no surveillance cameras at the previous intersection, so the ticket wouldn’t be sent.
Ying Yu was silent for a moment upon hearing this.
If that auntie who dug eighty-one holes had this kind of awareness, that would be great.
Ying Yu’s driver was even more silent. If he has to turn himself in for this, then wouldn’t I be facing the death penalty?
When the light was about to turn green, Ying Yu pushed up his glasses. “Follow me.”
The college student was confused, but he still chose to follow. The car drove into the fog. When the fog in front became thick enough, Ying Yu stopped, and the college student also quickly got out of the car.
“Since we’ve met, we might as well do an instance together.”
Zhou Qi’an had asked him to take care of this person before he left. Right now, the other wasn’t doing anything proper either. Instead of turning himself in, it was better to do an instance.
college student: “The company…”
Ying Yu said lightly, “Just consider it a temporary labor reform for a few days.”
After some hesitation, the college student sent a message to the big boss. The person in charge of the company was much easier to talk to than his superior, and his leave request was approved.
A team of three went down to the instance. Among them was Ying Yu’s driver and Zhou Qi’an’s dance partner, Yu Tong.
After arriving at the designated location and waiting for a short while, a staff member appeared from the fog driving a mechanical car. The college student found him somewhat familiar. When he got closer, he realized it was actually Mr. Si.
Borrowing a colleague’s car, the moment he saw the college student, Mr. Si was filled with anger.
Looking again, a certain annoying figure was not there.
Sweet.
The college student observed his expression and couldn’t help but say, “You don’t know? Brother Zhou has fully evolved.”
Mr. Si’s ears perked up.
Confirming that he hadn’t misheard, he gritted his teeth. “What did you say?”
The college student gave him a one-click triple combo, repeating it three times:
“Brother Zhou has fully evolved.”
“Brother Zhou has fully evolved.”
…
Every sentence was like an iron fist.
Mr. Si took several deep breaths. His mood, which had just brightened a little, was completely gone. “You, mother, f-er.”
college student: “His mother has also evolved.”
And she was picked up by Brother Shen.
“…”
As a human saying goes, good people don’t live long, while scourges last for a thousand years.
After picking up all the players, Mr. Si, as if venting his emotions, drove the mechanical car at a crazy speed.
While the other players were shivering, the college student seriously said to Ying Yu, “It has violated so many traffic laws. In the real world, I feel it could be executed.”
Ying Yu didn’t speak, but Yu Tong took a deep look at the college student. Where did this living King of Hell come from?
The system prompt suddenly sounded, interrupting the currently stiff atmosphere.
The college student stopped his outrageous remarks and quickly pricked up his ears to listen carefully:
[Instance: Best Undercover II (Role-Playing Instance)]
[Instance Difficulty: Four Stars]
[Main Mission: One morning, there was a sudden explosion near Wang’s Entertainment Company. Although there were no casualties, in the period that followed, the company’s senior management died mysteriously one after another.]
[Character Identity: You are an undercover agent sent by a rival company. You have gone through a long struggle at the head office. Due to the death of half of the senior management at your affiliated company, Wang’s Entertainment, you have been promoted exceptionally to be the boss here. Please find all the hidden ghosts in the company and find a way to fulfill their last wishes.]
[Instance Time: One week.]
[Number of Participating Players: 7 (scattered)]
“Boss?” The college student was surprised by his new identity.
Just then, the car suddenly stopped.
All the players were driven out of the car by Mr. Si. At this moment, it was morning in the instance. The sky was gray and gloomy. The outer wall of the entertainment company was charred and emitted a faint musty smell, which should be the result of the recent explosion mentioned in the mission introduction.
Despite this, the bright red sign of Wang’s Entertainment Company at the top showed no signs of fading.
With such a niche name, the possibility of a name clash was not high.
Explosions, entertainment companies.
A player’s mouth twitched. “I’m reminded of a post on the forum.”
From his perspective, the ground was full of pits. It was even a problem how to cross this pit and jump to the company gate opposite.
“…Me too.” A player next to him swung his arms a few times, making a preparatory motion for a standing long jump, preparing to jump over like that later.
“I’m going!”
Amidst the low discussions, the last player to get off the car also had his vision darken. His voice was loud, and he directly asked, “Could this instance have been upgraded from that low-star instance on the forum?”
No one answered, but everyone already had the answer in their hearts.
Suddenly, the college student’s sharp eyes spotted something. He called out to the newspaper boy on the side of the road, “Wait!”
He pursed his lips. “It’s fine, just give it to me.”
Any bit of information in an instance was worth paying attention to. The people around immediately surrounded him.
The newspaper headline was striking: “Another Artist Mysteriously Disappears?”
[It is reported that on the night before his disappearance, this artist from Wang’s Entertainment Company, who had just gained some fame, suddenly announced a photo with his boyfriend on social media. The next day, both of them disappeared…]
The crucial text content, several people subconsciously skimmed over, all eyes focused on the photo below.
It was a photo of a kiss on the cheek. The two people in it were all too familiar to the college student.
“It’s Brother Zhou,” the college student was shocked.
Ying Yu had been exceptionally silent today, as had his driver.
Yu Tong finally couldn’t help but say directly, “What kind of couple playing house is this?”
Are they on vacation in the instance!
Due to his excessive surprise, the college student’s hand trembled. Just as a gust of wind blew, the newspaper flew into the air and, with a smack, plastered itself on Mr. Si’s face, who had just gotten out of the car.
“…”
The college student hurried over, jumped up, and yanked the newspaper off the other’s face.
Mr. Si resisted the urge to twist his head off. However, in the next second, his attention was completely focused on the building in front of him. The rabbit ears on his head trembled fiercely.
“Charred?”
Why was the core point of the mission charred?
As this was a newly upgraded instance, Mr. Si was not yet very familiar with the specific information.
But no matter how you looked at it, the instance had exploded before it even began?!
The familiar smell of charcoal seemed to transport him back to that night at the Liangye Mountain Villa. This sky was filled with the shadow of Zhou Qi’an.
Mr. Si suddenly realized something. He stared at the newspaper in the college student’s hand, unable to move his gaze away for a moment.
That happy, intimate photo almost made his eyeballs pop out.
The college student was completely unaware of the gaze coming from above his head and was still happily looking at the newspaper.
The entertainment section was now discussing Zhou Qi’an’s mysterious disappearance. The company had hyped it up two days ago and even released the last set of photos he had taken.
There were even speculations about them eloping.
Under the public opinion offensive, this had become a wonderfully infinite love story.
Belatedly realizing the temperature was dropping, he looked up. Mr. Si’s face was so dark it was about to drip water.
“…”
The college student silently put away the newspaper. There were too many reports about love on it. He had to find a way to bring it out of the instance, so he could show it to Brother Zhou and the others when he got to the new world.
The players were most concerned about how to leave the instance alive. After the initial shock ended, everyone’s focus returned to the mission.
It was estimated that this instance had been forcibly upgraded.
The teacher who was usually responsible for对接 now walked out, making a standing long jump from the opposite side to in front of everyone.
She was mainly responsible for verifying the number of new employees. Seeing the college student, she only shook his hand symbolically.
There had been high-level personnel who had been parachuted in before, with almost no real power, and they had all died accidentally within a few days. Naturally, she didn’t have much respect for this newly promoted one.
“Zhao Hongcheng, Li Tutu…” The responsible teacher called out the names of the newly signed cheap artists one by one.
When she got to Mr. Si, she frowned.
This one had been scheduled to watch the gate earlier, but now the gate had been blown up. There was no gate to watch.
“You’re transferred to janitorial work.”
Coincidentally, the company’s janitor had just been transferred not long ago, leaving a vacant position.
Mr. Si: “…”
Why didn’t you get blown up in the explosion too?
Confirming that everyone was present, the responsible teacher put away the roster. “Let’s go, follow me inside.”
After saying that, she took the lead and jumped back over.
A player behind her had a twitching corner of his mouth and asked what was on everyone’s mind, “Why not temporarily build a bridge?”
Even a wooden plank would be good.
The responsible teacher said lightly, “The previous boss found a feng shui master who said it was unlucky.”
“…” Is a standing long jump lucky then!
In fact, the responsible teacher was not telling the truth. Now everyone wished they could fall into the pit and get injured. Not only could they get money for a work-related injury, but they could also be hospitalized and temporarily stay away from the company.
If she weren’t a dancer who valued her legs, she would have already sprained her ankle out of respect.
Wang’s Entertainment Company was on the decline. As the injected blood, the first mission scene for all the players after entering the instance was a dinner party. After touring the company, the players were taken to a hotel by a special car. They needed to find at least one ghost hidden in the dinner party in the private room tonight.
Midway, Ying Yu found an opportunity and stuffed a prop into the college student’s hand. “This is a prop to attract hatred. Activate it later and show some suspicious behavior at the dinner party.”
The college student nodded in a daze.
On the other side, Mr. Si used some means to get transferred from janitor to bodyguard. With a sullen face, he followed the main group.
However, this identity was convenient for him to appreciate the miserable state of the players.
It would be best if this stupid college student could be torn apart by a monster. He could also absorb some of the scattered flesh and blood energy.
The college student had a clear understanding of his own position. Shortly after entering the private room, he took the initiative to drink and laugh with the other senior management, attracting the NPCs’ attention and making it convenient for Ying Yu and the others to find clues. At the same time, as instructed by Ying Yu, he deliberately eavesdropped on information, showing great interest in the company’s inside news.
Unfortunately, he overestimated his alcohol tolerance.
At tonight’s dinner party, the alcoholic beverages also contained a slight amount of poison. Not only did it numb the nerves, but it was equivalent to a truth serum in reality.
A senior manager sitting around the round table suddenly showed a strange smile and took the lead in toasting the new leader a glass of wine.
Looking at the dizzy college student, he pretended to ask casually, “I heard you had better opportunities but insisted on coming to our company. Why is that?”
Ying Yu squinted his eyes, turning the new version of the skull ring on his finger,不动声色 measuring the yin energy value of the senior manager who spoke.
The other players’ hearts suddenly jolted, especially when they noticed that when the senior manager asked the question, his gaze also swept around. The ominous premonition deepened.
Was he questioning their identity and purpose for coming?
If they answered carelessly, wouldn’t everyone be in trouble?
Someone’s eyes flashed. Seeing the dizzy college student, he considered whether to take the risk and knock him out first.
While they were hesitating, the college student had already spoken.
He let out a small burp, then slammed the cup heavily on the table, startling everyone.
“Because of love.”
The college student’s tone was resolute.
Brother Zhou and Brother Shen have been to this instance before. Perhaps it was the guidance of fate that brought me here too. I can bring these reports to the new world, just like indispensable souvenirs from a trip.
Love?
The senior manager who had asked was stunned.
The company had an artist or colleague that the other had taken a fancy to? Damn it, a foolish love-struck person who carelessly announced their relationship on social media had just disappeared, and now another one was here?!
Clearly having a chance to debut, yet his mind was full of love. He didn’t know how to cherish it at all.
This bunch of damned new people who don’t understand the value of the red carpet.
A bloody light flashed in the depths of the senior manager’s pupils.
Ying Yu precisely caught the few seconds of the other’s distraction and did further tests, confirming that he was possessed by a ghost.
[Prerequisite Mission — Private Room Ghost has been completed.]
Tonight’s mission was successfully completed. Ying Yu gave the college student a look, signaling him to find an excuse to end the dinner party.
Who knew that one’s character was like their drinking habits. The dizziness caused by the trace amount of poison continued to linger.
Catching a glimpse of Mr. Si in his peripheral vision, the college student’s thoughts became more and more scattered. When Brother Zhou arrived in the new world, how would they solve the problem of car supply?
I heard the price of gas has gone up recently.
He couldn’t help but raise his glass and ask, “Mr. Si the Janitor, are you willing to cheer for their beautiful love?”
Mr. Si: …
I’ll cheer for your mother.
