Tan Xingyun

Biodata

Appearance

Tan Xingyun is a middle-aged man with a beer belly 11.

Personality

Tan is calm, bold and meticulous without being overbearing. He takes his teammates’ opinions into account, and Xu Xi considers him a reliable teammate 28. He remains cautious even when confident in his driving, but is willing to make decisions under pressure 14 18.

He also values sharing the risks and rewards of cooperation. After obtaining eight wedding candies, he divided them evenly, reasoning that his teammates had shared the consequences of his gamble 23.

Skills

Driving

Tan volunteered to drive the group’s sedan, drawing on more than a decade of taxi-driving experience 11 24.

• Checked the car and reminded everyone to fasten their seat belts before setting off 12.
• Drove the group away from the Ghostly Shadows while his passengers scattered spirit money 16 17.
• Swerved to avoid an oncoming sedan in the tunnel, though his car struck the wall 25.

Investigation and Judgment

• Questioned the funeral-shop owner and learned that Daoji Highway led to a funeral parlor and was rumored to be dangerous 12 13.
• Tested the Red-Skirted Woman with a staged refusal before agreeing to give her a ride 21.
• Tested a Li Kang double with questions about Li Kang’s life outside the instance; the double failed to answer his father’s name until the real Li Kang had supplied it 25.

Story Role

Highway Terror

Tan entered his second instance alongside Xu Xi, Xu Xiuman and Li Kang. He took the wheel after the group found a black sedan beside the only visible road 11 12.

At the funeral shop, the group learned about Daoji Highway and bought joss paper. In an earlier attempt, their limited supply failed to get them past the Ghostly Shadows; after Xu Xi returned to the shop through death rollback, the group bought more paper and incense and escaped the shadows 13 14 15 16 17.

An old woman later blocked the car and demanded a ride. Tan politely refused her, but she grew angry; Xu Xi gave her joss paper and incense, allowing the group to drive away 18 19.

When the group reached a fog-covered forest, Tan and his teammates tested the Red-Skirted Woman before letting her guide them through it. At her village, Tan gave her joss paper as a wedding gift and received eight candies, which he shared equally. Xu Xi later identified the patterned candy as a cure for negative statuses and the white candy as a remedy for physical injuries 21 22 23 28.

In the tunnel, Tan helped identify a fake Li Kang. Following further rollbacks, Xu Xi negotiated for the double’s car, with Tan and the others contributing their joss paper and incense. The group escaped the tunnel and reached the funeral home, clearing the instance; Tan expressed hope that they could team up again 25 26 27.

Later Dungeon

After clearing another dungeon, Tan returned to Player Space, relieved to have survived and to have seven days to rest. Once he had recovered, he checked his panel and the Huaguo rankings. Seeing Xu Xi in forty-seventh place stunned him, and he reflected that he had been lucky to meet him in his second dungeon 166.

Relationships

• Xu Xi — Teammate whom Tan came to regard as an expert. He praised Xu Xi’s interventions and hoped to team up again. After seeing Xu Xi reach forty-seventh place in the Huaguo rankings, Tan considered himself lucky to have met him 17 19 27 166.
• Xu Xiuman — Teammate who sat in the passenger seat. She and Tan coordinated their test of the Red-Skirted Woman and worked together through the instance 12 21.
• Li Kang — Teammate whose identity Tan defended against a double in the tunnel. Tan also took Li Kang’s warning about the tunnel seriously 24 25.
• Red-Skirted Woman — Passenger who guided the group through the forest. Tan’s wedding gift prompted her to give the group candy 21 22 23.