From the moment the options appeared to the moment he made his choice, only a few seconds had passed, yet Chen Ge displayed remarkable composure.
By the time Fan Cong finally processed what had just happened and began to feel a chill creep up his spine, Chen Ge had already guided Xiao Bu to the door of Room One.
He clicked on the door with the mouse, and a line of text appeared at the bottom of the screen — Your room card cannot open this door. You lean against the door panel and hear a sigh coming from inside.
According to Fan Cong's description, the inn owner's father would soon die in Room One. The old man probably knew his child was a perverted killer, and he was well aware that his own days were numbered.
Room One couldn't be opened. Chen Ge didn't linger — he headed straight for Room Two, occupied by a woman dressed provocatively, suspected of working in a special line of work.
He clicked on the door of Room Two. This time, no dialogue box popped up. The door wasn't shut properly and swung open directly.
"This woman doesn't even lock her door when she sleeps?"
Entering Room Two, Chen Ge saw a woman crouching in the corner of the room wearing only her underwear, seemingly sorting through clothes in front of a large suitcase.
"Boss Chen, be careful. When I entered Room Two before, there was no big suitcase in there." Fan Cong spoke up as a warning. Chen Ge also halted in his tracks — the guests staying in this inn could very well all be killers.
Chen Ge tried clicking on the woman with the mouse, and a new option appeared on screen — This gorgeous, beautiful-looking lady is picking out clothes for herself. Do you want to tell her about the murder that just took place?
One: Tell her the inn is extremely dangerous and to be extra careful.
Two: Grab the desk lamp and smash it against the back of her head.
Three: Ignore her and go back to your room to sleep.
Staring at the three options, Chen Ge fell into deep thought: "A kind-hearted person would pick the first option, but approaching her rashly could end badly — I can't trust this woman just yet. A person with evil intentions would probably go for the second option, but when you analyze it rationally, with Xiao Bu's strength plus the weight of a desk lamp, there's no angle that would knock this woman out or kill her. This option feels half-baked — if they'd offered a knife, maybe."
Chen Ge's analysis sent cold sweat trickling down Fan Cong's spine. He quietly pushed the fruit knife on the computer desk as far away as he could.
After a moment's hesitation, Chen Ge chose the third option. The instant he did, the woman crouching in the corner turned her head to glance at the doorway.
She had no skin on her face. She held a small knife in her hand, and protruding from that large suitcase was half a slender, pale-white arm.
"Is she changing clothes or changing faces?" Chen Ge quickly maneuvered Xiao Bu out of the woman's room, closing the door behind him. "The inn owner is a killer, the guests are either lunatics or psychos — am I the only sane person in this whole town?"
"Boss Chen, maybe we should just leave this inn. I've got a feeling this place is way more dangerous than the residential complex."
"There's a female ghost outside the door — where would we even run?" Chen Ge guided Xiao Bu over to the front of Room Three. "That high school student can't be a killer too, right?"
Worried that the woman from Room Two might come chasing after them, he decisively clicked on the door of Room Three. The dialogue box at the bottom of the screen popped up again — Someone inside is on the phone. The voice is very faint, and you can just barely make out words like "older brother," "mom," "hiding a body," and "hidden room."
"The guest in Room Three is pretty weird. Who's he talking to?" Chen Ge stared intently at the screen, lost in thought.
"Could it be his dad? The call mentions his brother and mom but doesn't mention his father at all." Fan Cong ventured a bold guess. "Boss Chen, that high school kid in Room Three might be the only one who could actually help Xiao Bu."
"Why do you think that?" Chen Ge looked mildly surprised.
"Weren't you saying we should think from the game designer's perspective? I've been playing this game for weeks, died countless times, and I've gotten a pretty good picture of its worldview." With Chen Ge's guidance, Fan Cong was also starting to try thinking like the game's creator. "All the adults are either lunatics or psychos, while most of the kids are victims. Maybe that's how the game designer sees the world — adults are hypocritical and terrifying, and only in children can you find a trace of innocence and kindness. The high school student doesn't technically count as an adult. He's somewhere between a child and a grown-up. I think you should try making contact with him."
Fan Cong understood clearly that this game was far from just a simple horror mini-game — it carried deeper meaning. But his abilities were limited, and this was as far as his analysis could go.
"You're oversimplifying it. Xiao Bu's worldview is one of complete despair. To interpret the game's world, you first have to understand Xiao Bu as a character." Chen Ge turned to look at Fan Cong. "In this game, every child's name is Xiao Bu. Every child who's died, been killed, or suffered misfortune is called Xiao Bu. Do you really expect that kind of kid to be innocent and kind?"
Chen Ge turned back to the screen. "Actually, the longer Xiao Bu survives in this world of despair, the more something feels off. You checked the news before too — every tragedy in this game is based on real cases. That means most of the scenarios actually happened in reality. So have you considered one thing: if there really was a Xiao Bu in real life, after she actually went through all these horrific events, how did she survive?"
Chen Ge's words came pouring out at breakneck speed. Neither Fan Cong nor Fan Dade could keep up. "What are you trying to say?"
"What I just had Xiao Bu do — the real Xiao Bu may have actually done it." Chen Ge was beginning to grasp the core of this game. He wanted to say more, but something new appeared on the computer screen.
The door of Room Three opened at that moment. A student in a school uniform stood in the doorway. Then the dialogue box at the bottom of the screen appeared — It's dangerous outside. The guest in Room Three is worried about your safety and invites you to come inside. Standing at the doorway, you see the guest in Room Three holding a family photo. Dad and Mom are standing together happily, with two boys who look exactly alike beside them.
Chen Ge clicked the screen again, and new content appeared in the dialogue box — You overheard words like "hiding a body" in the boy's phone conversation from outside the door. You're terrified and don't want to go in. The guest in Room Three swears to the heavens to convince you. He says that even though he's killed before, he was forced into it — he's the only trustworthy good person in this whole town.
"See? How was my guess? This high school kid should be a huge help to us." Fan Cong was thrilled, feeling he'd actually contributed something.
"Good people never point at their own nose and declare themselves good." Chen Ge shook his head, then clicked the screen once more. The dialogue box displayed the final line — You're very curious about the guest in Room Three and decide to hear his story before making up your mind.