When he pushed the door open and entered, the revelry was still in full swing! Singing rang out in every direction, voices mingled in celebration, and colorful mist descended from above.
Everyone seemed to be caught up in the excitement, embracing and kissing. Si Yehan made his way through the crowd. Plenty of people tried to embrace him, but he killed each one decisively with a single slash. Torturing and killing people in a place like this would draw far too much attention.
Before long, security personnel emerged from corners all around and dragged the bodies away. Si Yehan walked over to a freezer and took out some iced drinks. There was also a bar nearby.
He went over and began drinking alone. The singing was loud yet pleasant, and all sorts of sounds mingled around him, but his state of mind remained entirely undisturbed.
Si Yehan raised his gaze slightly and took in everything around him. With the mist between them and his position no higher than the surrounding area, it was difficult to find Chen Zhongshou and his group.
If he wanted to lure them into a death trap as he had planned, he would have to guide them along further.
Cheng Zhuiyu's death had confirmed one killing pattern. The process might have followed what he had said, so there was no need to dwell on it; he only had to be careful when the time came.
The way Wang Yuxiu would die was bound to be related to pleasure. If she wanted to sleep better, she would have to recall happy events as vividly as possible and put herself into a state of bliss.
As for Chen Zhongshou, his death trap was already set, so there was no need to give him much more thought.
For Jin Zhiguang, he still needed to send someone to take care of it.
Si Yehan looked around at the security personnel in every corner and the bartenders behind the counter. Having these people pass a message to Yan Jingxing for him would be a good idea.
Si Yehan walked up to the bar, asked for paper and a pen, and wrote down Jin Zhiguang's room number. "Pass a message to Yan Jingxing. Tonight, send two or three exceptionally attractive hostesses to this room. Make sure they succeed in seducing him."
The bartender wore a burgundy shirt and black casual trousers. A relaxed smile had been on his face, but when he heard the name Yan Jingxing, his smile gave way to a tense expression. "You're an honored guest of Manager Yan's. Why trouble him with such a small matter? I can find someone to do it myself. Rest assured, I'll make sure it's taken care of."
Si Yehan paid no mind to the bartender's fawning. Hearing that he would take care of it, Si Yehan simply walked away.
The bartender watched Si Yehan leave, his expression grave. "So cold and aloof. He must be Manager Yan's honored guest."
Si Yehan returned to his original seat and looked at the iced drink, which was still half full, but did not drink any more. He moved along with the crowd.
The mist around him thickened and thinned. Si Yehan surveyed his surroundings with an apparently casual gaze, and before long, he spotted Chen Zhongshou and Jin Zhiguang sitting together, with Wang Yuxiu not far away.
Aside from himself, only those three participants remained. Si Yehan approached the three of them as though by chance.
Wang Yuxiu narrowed her eyes slightly. When she spotted Si Yehan, she raised a hand in greeting. Chen Zhongshou and Jin Zhiguang also warmly invited him over when they saw him. Only then did Si Yehan join them, and the four exchanged some small talk.
Chen Zhongshou said with a touch of emotion, "It's only been a day, and we've already lost nearly half our people. Chen Guang... Xia Ruifei... Xu Yuanjin. I thought Brother Chen Guang had to be someone hiding his true abilities. How did he die so easily? Xia Ruifei's death was a pity too. As for Xu Yuanjin, there's no reason to mourn her, but nothing bad to say about her either."
Jin Zhiguang looked somewhat puzzled. "What about Cheng Zhuiyu? Why haven't we seen her?"
Wang Yuxiu pondered for a moment before speaking. "The last time I saw her, she was enjoying a burger combo. The ship serves food for free, so she's got it easy."
Chen Zhongshou nodded. "All right. We'll tell her what we're discussing now when we see her later."
Chen Zhongshou looked at Si Yehan, his expression serious. "Brother Si, calling you 'mister' feels too distant, so I've taken the liberty of using a friendlier form of address. After you left this morning, we shared more of our experiences in previous instances and gave some thought to this one. I'll let Miss Wang explain now."
Wang Yuxiu adjusted her round-framed glasses and began her analysis with an exceptionally calm expression. "Based on this morning's discussion, we suspect there's more than one ghost in this instance. From our analysis of the killing patterns, I suspect there are at least two. When we woke up this morning, we all sensed the strong ghostly aura in our rooms, didn't we? That aura came from the sea. But according to the envelope we received at the beginning, there are also many clues on the ship, as well as unrelated patterns. All of that further supports this theory."
Looking at the three people's grave expressions, Si Yehan was also considering how to make them believe it more firmly, so they would walk all the way into the death trap.
The three of them knew nothing of what he was actually thinking, however. Mistaking him for someone seriously considering the matter, they waited patiently for his response.
Si Yehan said calmly, "For now, all we need to do is learn the ghosts' killing patterns and survive. From the last instance to this one, the missions have all been survival-based. We haven't encountered any rule-based horror or battles of wits yet. We have to be careful about investigating the past. If we violate these natives' taboos, things will be even harder to resolve."
Wang Yuxiu's features were cool and aloof, yet she wore round-framed glasses that did not quite match her temperament. Now, a chilling note entered her voice as she spoke. "I tried it this afternoon. These natives can be killed without any retaliation, though I imagine the four powerful figures are different. I killed a waitress. She had the same build as me and wasn't on guard."
Chen Zhongshou was somewhat surprised, but after his first instance, he was no longer so kindhearted. When it came to these natives, he naturally found it hard to think of them as real people. "You'd kill someone too?"
There was not a trace of mercy in Wang Yuxiu's voice. "These natives have served on this ship for so long. They can't be good people either, so why should I feel bad about killing them? Besides, even if they really were good people, I'd still do it if the benefits outweighed the drawbacks. I have a reason I must stay alive. Sacrificing a few inconsequential natives is nothing, but don't worry, I won't harm anyone from the same world as us."
Si Yehan naturally scoffed at Wang Yuxiu's outlook. This sort of identification with one's own kind was utterly foolish. He could understand any way of thinking, but he would not respect it; he felt only disgust.
Chen Zhongshou's expression turned stern. He clearly agreed wholeheartedly with Wang Yuxiu's views. "You're right. Those who aren't of our kind are bound to have different motives. These natives may look like us, and they're human too. But in the end, they aren't humans from the same world or the same planet. They're just an alien species that resembles us. If our two worlds ever meet, we'll only be enemies, so naturally there's no reason to feel bad about killing them now."
Jin Zhiguang hesitated to speak. After a long silence, he finally said, "I don't want to kill anyone. As long as it doesn't affect my clearing the instance, I won't kill anyone. As long as they don't cause any actual harm, I'll let other people do as they please, even if they insult me. I'm not afraid of ghosts, but I hate killing."
As their conversation continued, Si Yehan learned that all three had things they desperately desired, as well as certain moral boundaries. He found it instinctively repulsive, so he made a random excuse and left partway through.
During the conversation, he had already guided them with his words. Now all he needed to do was watch and wait. Tomorrow would be time to reap the harvest.