The elevator stopped on the seventh floor.
“Miss, why are we going to the seventh floor?” Wan Xingzhou asked, puzzled.
Gu Jiu stepped out of the elevator and replied, “To room 705.”
“For what?”
Lu Ji looked at him with an expression that seemed to say “Are you an idiot?” and answered expressionlessly, “One of the four players who died last night stayed in room 705.”
Wan Xingzhou looked surprised. “You guys actually remembered every player’s room number?”
Although there were only 23 players, and that wasn’t a lot, it wasn’t easy to get close enough to see other players’ room numbers during registration. After the players registered, the receptionist took the register away, so he hadn’t had a chance to see it. Not remembering was pretty normal for him.
“I just took a quick look because I was standing close by,” Gu Jiu said casually.
Just a quick glance?
Wan Xingzhou exclaimed in amazement, “Miss, could you be the legendary genius with a photographic memory?”
Gu Jiu replied, “It’s just a shorthand method. If you learn it, you too can have a photographic memory.”
Wan Xingzhou was still in awe. When everyone finished registering, none of the players had thought to glance at the other players’ room numbers, but Gu Jiu had deliberately looked. She was incredibly quick-witted!
“Miss, did you already know yesterday that the register might be useful?”
Wan Xingzhou’s eyes sparkled as he looked at her, realizing that although Gu Jiu hadn’t been a player for long, her gaming instincts were incredibly sharp. She always seemed to pick up on small clues, uncovering hidden information in the game world.
It was quite rare.
“Not really, just thought it might be worth a look.”
Seeing Wan Xingzhou’s skeptical expression, as if he thought she was joking, Gu Jiu silently reflected that she was telling the truth. She had simply glanced at it out of instinct, with no particular reason.
Even if it was true, Wan Xingzhou thought it was impressive.
Players could accumulate experience through countless game worlds, but a natural instinct like that was very unique and useful, even more valuable than extensive gaming experience.
No wonder she managed to lead them successfully through “Death Movie.”
Wan Xingzhou felt increasingly lucky to have latched onto a “golden leg.” Following Miss Gu Jiu was sure to lead to success.
When they reached room 705, Lu Ji was about to push the door open, only to find it was locked.
Of course, hotel doors require a key card, but where could they find one now?
Gu Jiu had just checked through the room cards behind the reception desk but hadn’t found a card for room 705.
“Ah Jiu, step back; I’ll kick it open,” Lu Ji suggested. A mere door was no match for him, and he was about to kick it down when Gu Jiu stopped him.
She looked at Wan Xingzhou, who was standing by, and nodded her chin toward him. “You kick it open.”
Wan Xingzhou was confused. “My leg strength isn’t as good as Sister Lu’s…”
He still remembered how, in the last game world, Lu Ji had kicked Mr. Herlan with one blow. Her long, straight legs had captured the gaze of both men and women, brimming with strength, earning admiration from everyone.
He had full confidence in Lu Ji’s leg strength.
“I know,” Gu Jiu nodded, “but I want to see what kind of bad luck you’ll encounter after kicking down the door.”
Wan Xingzhou: “…”
He wanted to take back what he said earlier; while following Miss Gu Jiu might indeed lead to a successful game clear, there was a high chance he’d end up as a victim of her “testing” before then.
Reluctantly, Wan Xingzhou went over and kicked the door.
Surprisingly, the door gave way easily, proving it wasn’t particularly sturdy.
The light inside the room was dim. Since no card was inserted to activate the power, not even the lights were on.
Wan Xingzhou didn’t dare to barge in. Instead, he pulled out a flashlight and swept its beam around the room. The sight just past the entrance made his hand tremble, almost dropping the flashlight.
A blood-soaked person was sprawled on the floor, neck twisted at an unnatural angle, as if forcibly turned 180 degrees, facing the doorway. The eyes were wide open, with more whites than irises visible, creating a horrific and chilling image.
Having seen countless terrifying scenes in game worlds, Wan Xingzhou wasn’t that easily scared.
But he feared it was just another one of his hallucinations.
Sure enough, when he looked again, there was no one on the floor—no bloodstains, nothing.
Seeing the fluctuating expression on his face, Gu Jiu asked, “What did you see?”
Wan Xingzhou honestly recounted what he had seen just now. Then he heard her ask, “Do you remember his appearance? Was he a player?”
Wan Xingzhou looked perplexed. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? Didn’t you make an effort to remember the faces of the players when entering this game world?”
“I did try, but I can’t remember.” Wan Xingzhou grimaced. “When there are too many people, I get a bit face-blind. I can’t remember faces in a short time. Aside from recognizing gender, everyone of the same gender looks about the same to me… I even spent a while remembering what you and Lu Mei look like.”
Gu Jiu was at a loss for words.
So he was face-blind? While it wasn’t entirely incurable, it was certainly inconvenient.
Gu Jiu walked into the room, with Lu Ji following behind her, and pulled the curtains open.
It was a beautiful day outside, with bright sunlight streaming in and flooding the room with light.
Gu Jiu walked around, observing signs of use in the room. The bed was unmade, with sheets left askew, as if someone had suddenly gotten up from bed, casually pulling the covers aside…
She said confidently, “It seems the player who stayed in this room got up in the middle of the night to open the door.”
The result, needless to say, must have been tragic.
Wan Xingzhou’s heart couldn’t help but quiver, remembering how he had almost, in a sleepy daze, opened the door himself last night.
After inspecting room 705, they took the elevator up to the ninth floor.
Their targets on the ninth floor were rooms 901 and 906, both of which had been drawn by players who had disappeared from today’s register.
Silently, Wan Xingzhou went up to kick open the doors. Once the doors were open, he shone his flashlight inside. This time, he was mentally prepared; no matter what he saw, he wouldn’t panic.
With Miss Gu Jiu and Lu Ji standing behind him, there was nothing to be afraid of!
Room 901 looked fairly normal at first glance. However, when Wan Xingzhou opened the bathroom door, he saw something lying in a pool of blood, staring at him with lifeless eyes, as if it were neither human nor ghost.
Wan Xingzhou wanted to say, ‘Brother, you’re dead. Stop trying to scare me with illusions.’
With so many players around, why did they always target him? Did they think he was an easy mark?
“What did you see?” Gu Jiu asked again.
Wan Xingzhou truthfully described the scene to her. Gu Jiu nodded without further comment and moved on to Room 906.
Upon reaching Room 906, Wan Xingzhou didn’t wait for her question and reported his vision, “There was a dismembered person, with the head, arms, and legs severed. The entire room looked as though it had been soaked in blood…”
After checking the ninth floor, they proceeded to the tenth.
The target room on the tenth floor was Room 1012.
This hotel had twelve rooms on each floor, which wasn’t a lot.
Just as they prepared to kick down the door, Zhan Shaohong’s enthusiastic voice rang out, “Gu Jiu, what are you doing here? Did you come looking for me?”
Lu Ji’s face darkened, and Wan Xingzhou was speechless. How thick-skinned was this guy to think that Miss Gu Jiu came specifically to find him? The players following Zhan Shaohong remained expressionless. They knew he was delusional, but as long as he was happy, it didn’t matter.
Gu Jiu’s expression didn’t change, and her tone was as gentle as ever.
“No, I’m here to kick down doors.”
Zhan Shaohong: ?????
Before he could respond, a thunderous bang echoed through the hallway, making his eardrums throb. He looked blankly as the door of Room 1012 was reduced to splinters.
The other players gasped, staring at the impressively long, straight, and undeniably… violent leg.
Their eyes traveled up from the leg to its owner.
The owner looked back at them expressionlessly, eyes dull and hollow like those of a vengeful spirit. Well, not quite—a sickly, pale girl, flesh and blood, definitely not a ghost.
Lu Ji retracted her leg and gave Zhan Shaohong a deliberate glance.
Instinctively, Zhan Shaohong straightened up, his whole body tensing as he shifted aside, feeling a chill down his spine. This girl wasn’t just flat-chested; she was a violent maniac not to be trifled with.
Wan Xingzhou, in a daze, silently entered Room 1012, wondering if Lu Ji had gone easy on Mr. Herlan when she kicked him before. Then again, maybe it was just because Mr. Herlan was the boss and could take more punishment…
It seemed that Lu Ji’s powerful kick had even scared away any ghosts. Nothing dared to create illusions this time.
After a sweep of Room 1012, Wan Xingzhou was relieved not to encounter any terrifying visions. His feelings were mixed.
Was Lu Ji actually some hidden master, fierce enough to scare even ghosts?
With Room 1012 checked, Gu Jiu went to wait for the elevator.
Zhan Shaohong trailed after her, trying to engage in conversation while sneaking nervous glances at Lu Ji, afraid that this fierce, flat-chested girl might send him flying with a single kick, turning him into a pile of minced meat.
Though his brother was an S-class master player, here in the game world, his brother couldn’t protect him. He was genuinely worried about being done in.
While waiting for the elevator, Gu Jiu asked, “Shaohong, did you guys discover anything?”
Zhan Shaohong stroked his hair, dyed a stylish shade of gray, and replied, “We’ve only just entered the game world, so we haven’t found much yet.” Realizing this didn’t sound impressive enough, he quickly added, “The game’s mission isn’t timed, so there’s no rush to gather information. Eventually, the boss will come out to hunt us, and if we confront it head-on, we’ll pass the level.”
It was a blunt and straightforward strategy for clearing the game—one that only players equipped with high-grade items capable of taking on a boss could use.
Such players, known as “Item Players,” were both envied and disliked by others. Although they could clear the game using their items, they often left the game world’s clues and story fragmented, making it difficult for others to understand the truth. The other players in the game, consequently, would earn fewer points and be less satisfied.
This was why many players dreaded being in the same game session as Item Players.
Gu Jiu said nothing as the elevator reached the first floor. She nodded politely to Zhan Shaohong before stepping out.
Just as Zhan Shaohong was about to follow, he noticed that fierce girl turning to look at him, her dark, intense eyes stopping him in his tracks.
He watched Gu Jiu leave, then turned to his followers. “Does that violent flat-chested girl have a spot on the player alliance’s leaderboard?”
“Doesn’t seem like it.”
Zhan Shaohong looked astonished. “A girl that terrifying isn’t on the leaderboard?”
“Gu Jiu isn’t on it either.”
“With her looks, Gu Jiu should definitely be on there!” Zhan Shaohong clenched his fist. “I’ll have my brother send her an invitation. She needs to join our team in the Reincarnation Guild.”
The followers wanted to remind him that the leaderboard wasn’t based on beauty, but seeing how absorbed he was, they decided not to bother. Their job in the game was to keep him alive; anything beyond that wasn’t their concern.
However, Liang Lifei seemed displeased and pointedly said, “Young Master Hong, you know, Gu Jiu doesn’t seem to appreciate your attention…”
“What do you know? That’s a beautiful woman’s prerogative,” Zhan Shaohong said without even looking back.
“I like her even more for it.”
The more he interacted with Gu Jiu, the more he was captivated by her, utterly bewitched. He couldn’t shake her from his mind, couldn’t resist the charm of her beauty, the warmth of her gentle gaze—it felt like she was crafted for men. And every time her eyes landed on him, that feeling of being treated so tenderly was intoxicating.
Liang Lifei: “….” Understood. This is the textbook definition of a sycophant.