“Because two people died from the fall, their bodies were just lying at the entrance of the first-floor hallway. So many people gathered to take a look, and it was truly horrific—the blood even flowed out of the hallway…”
The man in the floral shirt showed a look of unease as he continued, “That day, a lot of people moved out, especially from the first floor. It was almost emptied because Xiao Bo and Qiang Zi lived there, and they often had conflicts with the other tenants. Dying so tragically made everyone feel uncomfortable. Our apartment suddenly became known as a ‘murder house.’ I even heard the landlord cursing that day.”
Fu Huan chuckled and asked, “So why didn’t you move out, big brother?”
The man flashed a knowing smile. “You rented this place because the rent is cheap, right?”
Fu Huan nodded.
The man explained, “It’s hard to find such affordable housing these days. We even got the landlord to lower the rent after the incident. Not only did I stay, but many of us on the third floor didn’t leave either. Life’s tough, and with our measly wages, if we spent it all on rent, how could we survive? Look at Mr. Chu—he didn’t move out either. If there were really ghosts, wouldn’t they haunt his place first? What am I afraid of? Xiao Bo and Qiang Zi were close to me when they were alive!”
Everyone exchanged glances, deep in thought after hearing his words.
The man in the floral shirt, thinking they were scared by the idea of a haunted apartment, slapped his thigh. “Don’t worry, all that talk about haunted houses is just nonsense! If it were really haunted, would there still be so many people moving in?”
A gentle voice chimed in from nearby, “People have been moving in after the fall?”
The man in the floral shirt looked up and saw a beautiful woman with a calm and kind demeanor asking the question. He didn’t mind explaining further, “Yeah, for the past few nights, there’s been the sound of people moving in—so much clanging and banging that I could hear it from upstairs.”
Li Zhi asked curiously, “They moved to the second floor?”
The man in the floral shirt nodded, “Yep. I went to take a look at the second floor that day, and wow, the new tenants had already hung lanterns and pasted couplets on their doors. They seemed like people who knew how to live well. So all that talk about South Street being a haunted house with no one daring to live here is just a lie. Plenty of people are taking advantage of the cheap rent and moving in.”
As they were talking, Grandma Qiu walked over with a rag, her face stern. “Finished eating yet? If you’re done, don’t hog the seats!”
The man in the floral shirt laughed awkwardly, quickly placed his breakfast money on the table, nodded to the group, and hurried away.
Seeing Grandma Qiu’s unhappy expression, the players felt it wasn’t wise to linger any longer. They quickly finished their breakfast and stood up.
“Let’s go to my and Xiang Ling’s room,” Fu Huan suggested. “I’ve got some items there, so it’s safer.”
She didn’t explain what kind of items, but anything given by the system was usually reliable. The others didn’t ask further and followed her into room 104. The rooms weren’t very different from one another, but once everyone was inside and the door was closed, the spacious single room felt a bit cramped.
“Let’s summarize what we know so far,” Li Zhi said.
Fu Huan eagerly raised her hand and immediately spoke, “Last night, we heard a really strange noise! It was in the hallway—this heavy breathing sound, like it was sniffing around. It scared me and Xiang Ling so much that we held our breath, and then the noise went away.”
Yuan Cheng looked skeptical. “You just had to hold your breath?”
Meng Yuhan nodded emphatically. “Yes! My sister and I did the same, and it left after we held our breath.”
Yuan Cheng looked regretful. “I used an item to avoid it last night. If I’d known, I would have just held my breath. What a waste of an item!”
The others living on the first floor felt both regretful and relieved. At this moment, Li Feng, who had been standing quietly by the door, spoke in a low voice, “I didn’t hear that sound last night.”
Qiao Junyuan nodded. “Me neither.”
Everyone was surprised, and Li Zhi spoke up, “It seems like whatever it was only goes to the first and second floors. We don’t know about the other floors yet, but for now, the way to deal with it is by holding your breath. Everyone, stay alert when you sleep tonight.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Although they still didn’t know what that thing was, at least they now knew how to avoid it, so it didn’t seem as terrifying.
Xiang Ling added, “I also heard the sound of an offering table being knocked over.” She thought back deeply, “It was like someone, startled, bumped into the offering table while fleeing in panic. After that, that heavy breathing sound appeared.”
The others remembered as well, “Yes, yes, but at that time, there shouldn’t have been anyone outside, right?”
Li Zhi smiled slightly, “No one was there, but there could’ve been ghosts.”
That time period was exactly when Xiao Bo and Qiang Zi, who had fallen to their deaths earlier, were supposed to return as malevolent spirits, right?
Fu Huan shivered. “Could it be that Xiao Bo and Qiang Zi ran into that monster and got scared off? A monster so terrifying that even ghosts are afraid—how terrifying must that thing be!”
Even though they now knew that holding their breath could help them avoid detection, the mere thought of a creature that could frighten ghosts wandering around the hallway in the middle of the night gave everyone the chills. Sure, holding their breath could keep them safe, but what if the monster came too late and they fell asleep? Or if the creature lingered too long and they couldn’t hold their breath any longer? How could they possibly get a good night’s sleep in the coming days?
“And this mission!” A player sounded agitated, “It’s vague and unclear. We have no idea what it even means.”
At the mention of the mission, the others wore similarly troubled expressions.
In the past, the system would always provide a clear objective. Even if there were traps, at least they’d have a direction. But this time, the mission was too broad, leaving them without a clue where to even begin.
“‘Uncover the truth beneath the shiny, glamorous surface,’” Li Zhi began to speak. “A shiny, glamorous surface—what’s shiny and glamorous? It can’t be this apartment, can it?”
It definitely wasn’t the apartment. The building was run-down, nowhere near anything shiny or glamorous.
Li Zhi’s voice was calm, “Then it can only be the people living in this building. Rather than saying the apartment is hiding a secret, it’s more likely that someone—or some people—living here are the ones with secrets. The mission’s target should be among the tenants; we need to investigate the residents.”
After her analysis, everyone suddenly felt as if a veil had been lifted. Fu Huan thought for a moment and said, “If we’re talking about shiny and glamorous, I think Mr. Chu, whom we met at the breakfast stall this morning, fits the bill. He looked like a white-collar professional, dressed in a suit and tie. He definitely doesn’t seem like someone who would live here.”
“I agree! The guy in the floral shirt said Mr. Chu lives in 603. We could go up and ask around,” someone suggested. “Isn’t his wife home?”
Li Zhi recalled encountering Qu Rong in the bathroom on the second floor earlier this morning. She also fit the description of being shiny and glamorous.
Yuan Cheng clapped his hands, “Then today’s mission is to get a better understanding of the tenants in this building—a little population survey of the South Street Apartments!”
Everyone agreed to the suggestion. The building had six floors, so with five groups of two players, they could easily cover the whole place in a day. They were eager to head out, but Li Feng, standing at the door, didn’t move aside. He reminded them sternly, “Don’t forget the landlord’s warning from last night. The residents here don’t like being disturbed. It’s best not to go knocking on doors.”
But to investigate, they would have to knock on doors. How else could they find out who lived inside? Let alone uncover their secrets.
Li Feng’s words made sense, though, so the group hesitated. After thinking it over, Li Zhi said, “How about this? Today, we’ll just wander around outside and in the hallways. During the day, people are bound to come out at some point, and we can chat with them without intruding.”
She added, “And be mindful of the tenant in 203. I have a feeling something’s off there.”
That person had been in the bathroom for so long in the middle of the night, encountered the strange creature, and yet nothing happened to them. Something was definitely not right.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
This group of players was quite united. After discussing their plan, they split up to take action.
Fu Huan and Xiang Ling decided to return to the breakfast stall to gain favor with Granny Qiu. The old lady had lived in the South Street Apartments for so long, she must know something. Other players headed out of the apartment, hoping to find clues in the surrounding neighborhood.
Li Feng, meanwhile, brought Qiao Junyuan with him to the third floor. The players who stayed on the first and second floors last night all heard the strange noises, but no one on the third floor did. Maybe there was something strange about the third floor.
But when he saw Li Zhi leading Meng Yuhan toward the security office, his steps halted abruptly. He quickly changed direction, walking toward the security office with a dark expression on his face.
As he approached, he overheard Li Zhi casually asking, “Do you have a resident registry here?”
The person inside replied, “No, I only stand guard and maintain the security of the apartment complex. Besides, this is my first day, so I’m not familiar with the residents.”
After Li Jianxi finished speaking, he suddenly felt a sharp gaze lock onto him.
He turned his head and saw a tall, sturdy man standing behind Li Zhi. The man’s face was cold and hard, his brows furrowed, and his eyes were fixed on him with an intense, scrutinizing look.
Li Jianxi: “…”
Li Zhi followed his gaze and looked back, noticing her brother standing behind her, staring at Li Jianxi with an unfriendly expression. She subtly shifted her body to block her brother’s death glare and said calmly, “I’ve asked, and he doesn’t have any useful clues.”
Her eyes conveyed a mix of appeasement and helpless pleading, causing Li Feng to snort coldly in his mind.
Don’t think he was unaware of the rumors about his sister and this weird NPC. He wasn’t one of those overprotective, old-fashioned brothers who forbade his sister from dating, but he drew the line at NPCs in these game instances. It was fine if she dated guys in the real world, but absolutely no way with an NPC!
This particular NPC was bizarre—his background unknown, and every time he would somehow appear in the same instance as his sister. Clearly, he had ulterior motives, and Li Feng had been annoyed with him for quite some time.
Li Feng withdrew his gaze and looked down at Li Zhi. “Do you want to go with me to the third floor? I suspect there’s something on the third floor that the monster either fears or is drawn to, which is why it avoids the area at night.”
Li Zhi nodded eagerly, “Sure!”
She was more than happy to team up with her brother.
She waved cheerfully to Li Jianxi in the security office, smiling brightly, “Bye-bye, I’m heading off now.”
Li Jianxi smiled quickly in return, “Mm, bye-bye.”
Li Feng turned back and shot him another cold, icy glance.
Li Jianxi: “…”