Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• The rescue operation at the World Heritage Museum intensifies.
• Li Guanqi is severely injured and repelled by the ghost, warning that Lu Caiwei is in danger.
• Su Chenghe and Wang Da Chui attempt to rescue Lu Caiwei, but Su Chenghe's calligraphy scroll barrier is quickly destroyed.
• Xiao Qian Duyue's Eye of Calamity reveals the museum has mutated into a location with powerful supernatural forces.
• Hong Fu prepares to use the White Candle as a last resort.

Character Developments

• Li Guanqi realizes his underestimation of the ghost's strength and regrets not heeding Xiao Qian Duyue's warning.
• Lu Caiwei is injured and struggles to maintain her composure.
• Su Chenghe and Wang Da Chui display determination to rescue Lu Caiwei.
• Xiao Qian Duyue's Sin Item is suppressed, hinting at her vulnerability.
• Chang Nian remains silent and determined, suggesting she might use the White Candle if all else fails.
• Yu Guo expresses concern for Chang Nian's well-being and the potential consequences of using the White Candle.

Significant Themes

• Underestimation: Characters underestimate the ghost's strength, leading to setbacks and injuries.
• Determination: Despite the dangers, characters remain committed to rescuing Tong Guan and Lu Caiwei.
• Consequences: The potential use of the White Candle highlights the severe repercussions of failure.

Character Interactions

• Li Guanqi and Lu Caiwei work together but are defeated.
• Su Chenghe and Wang Da Chui team up to rescue Lu Caiwei.
• Xiao Qian Duyue and Hong Fu support each other and the rescue team.
• Yu Guo expresses concern for Chang Nian, hinting at their close relationship.
• Chang Nian remains silent, but her determination is evident to those around her.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hong Fu uses the Lotus Seed to enter the mist, followed by Yu Guo using the Cartilage.
• Yu Guo realizes they've entered the Seventh Exhibition Hall, but the mist has become denser and more disorienting.
• He loses sight of Hong Fu and can't find the door or a way out. He concludes they've fallen into a trap set by the Ghost.
• Yu Guo is attacked by the Ghost, and his Cartilage is devoured by a black spot in the mist.
• Outside, the mist expands rapidly, and the staff members decide to prioritize their own safety over rescuing Su Chenghe and the others.
• Chang Nian decides to enter the mist alone to rescue the trapped members and confront Tong Guan.

Character Developments

• Hong Fu: Shows determination and bravery by entering the mist to rescue Su Chenghe.
• Yu Guo: Demonstrates quick thinking and caution but falls into the Ghost's trap.
• Chang Nian: Shows leadership and selflessness by deciding to enter the mist alone to save the others.

Significant Themes

• The power of the Ghost and its sin items.
• The importance of teamwork and communication in facing supernatural threats.
• The consequences of underestimating the enemy and not heeding warnings (as seen with Xiao Qian Duyue's previous advice).

Character Interactions

• Hong Fu and Yu Guo: They enter the mist together but get separated due to the Ghost's trap.
• Chang Nian and the other staff members: They discuss and decide on their course of action, with Chang Nian ultimately deciding to enter the mist alone.
• Lu Caiwei and Chen Hansheng: They prepare to use their sin items to help the others escape, but Chang Nian intervenes.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Guo navigates a misty Supernatural Barrier, understanding that a powerful Ghost is using it to kill and seize Sin Items.
• He realizes that Chang Nian might use the White Candle Sin Item, which would be snatched by the Ghost, putting her in grave danger.
• Yu Guo decides to regroup with other Staff members to increase their chances of survival.
• He finds a bloodstain trail, indicating that others have the same idea, and follows it towards the Seventh Exhibition Hall.
• He encounters Hong Fu and Su Chenghe, who reveal that they've been fighting a mysterious woman, not a ghost, who's been targeting their Sin Items.
• Yu Guo realizes the woman is using Tong Guan as bait to lure them and steal the White Candle.

Character Developments

• Yu Guo demonstrates strategic thinking and courage, prioritizing the safety of others over his own.
• Su Chenghe shows concern for his allies' well-being, despite his initial primary goal being to strengthen relationships for the Manager Mission.
• Chang Nian's potential action, using the White Candle, highlights her determination to rescue Tong Guan, even at great personal risk.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice for others: Yu Guo and Chang Nian's actions show their willingness to put others' safety above their own.
• Trust and alliance: Su Chenghe's initial goal of strengthening relationships and Yu Guo's decision to regroup with others emphasize the importance of trust and cooperation in facing adversity.
• Unpredictability of supernatural threats: The true nature of the threat (a woman, not a ghost) and her method (using Tong Guan as bait) underscore the dangers and uncertainties of their mission.

Character Interactions

• Yu Guo and Su Chenghe: They work together to escape, with Su Chenghe providing crucial information about the mysterious woman.
• Yu Guo and Chang Nian (implied): Yu Guo's concern for Chang Nian's safety indicates their close bond, likely stemming from their shared history at Tiannan Academy of Drama.
• Yu Guo, Su Chenghe, Hong Fu, and Wang Da Chui: They temporarily unite to escape the mist, demonstrating the importance of teamwork in survival.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chang Nian enters the mist to rescue Su Chenghe and others, despite the White Candle's limited offensive capabilities.
• She follows Yu Guo's clues, leading her to believe she's walking into a trap.
• She discovers the location where the four in distress gathered, but realizes she's heading in the wrong direction.
• A ghost attacks her from behind, and she uses wax mud to defend herself.
• A black hole appears beneath her, targeting the White Candle, which she struggles to keep.
• Yu Guo attempts to save the candle but fails. The candle's wick freezes above the black hole.
• Chang Nian looks back and sees Tong Guan, her lost love.

Character Developments

• Chang Nian demonstrates her stubbornness and determination, putting others' safety above her own.
• She shows resourcefulness in using wax mud to defend against the ghost.
• Her resolve to rescue Su Chenghe and others, even at the cost of meeting Tong Guan again, highlights her sense of responsibility.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility: Chang Nian feels obligated to rescue Su Chenghe and others, even at personal cost.
• Sacrifice: She's willing to alter the timeline and never see Tong Guan again to save them.
• Determination: Her stubbornness drives her to face the supernatural threat alone.

Character Interactions

• Chang Nian follows Yu Guo's clues, leading her to the rescue site.
• She interacts with the ghost, using wax mud to defend herself.
• Yu Guo attempts to save the White Candle but fails.
• Chang Nian sees Tong Guan, her lost love, at the end of the chapter.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tong Guan suddenly appears, freezing time and phenomena around Chang Nian.
• Chang Nian asks Tong Guan to return home with her, but he reveals he's incomplete and needs her help.
• Tong Guan transfers information into Chang Nian's mind and disappears.
• Chang Nian and Yu Guo are enveloped by pure Supernatural Power and vanish.
• An unknown woman and man discuss Chang Nian's fate and Tong Guan's return.
• The man in white commits suicide, turning into a piece of paper.
• The woman decides to continue her plan to obtain White Candle.

Character Developments

• Tong Guan: He appears incomplete and seeks Chang Nian's help. He reveals he merged with a ghost using the Space Map, creating a unique Sin Item with spatial and soul attributes. He's now trapped within the Space Map.
• Chang Nian: She remains determined to help Tong Guan, accepting the information he leaves in her mind.
• The Unknown Woman: She's revealed to be working with the man in white, aiming to obtain White Candle. She's powerful and knowledgeable about fate, but she's also trapped by it.
• The Man in White: He believes in controlling fate and is willing to take risks. He commits suicide after discussing plans with the woman.

Significant Themes

• Fate and Destiny: The characters discuss fate and its influence on their lives. The man in white believes he can control fate, while the woman is trapped by it.
• Risk and Consequences: Tong Guan's risky plan to merge with a ghost succeeds but leads to his current predicament. The man in white's suicide also has significant consequences.
• Cooperation and Betrayal: The woman and man in white cooperate to obtain White Candle, but their goals and methods differ. The man in white's suicide could be seen as a betrayal of their cooperation.

Character Interactions

• Chang Nian and Tong Guan: Their reunion is emotional and brief. Tong Guan entrusts Chang Nian with his plan and disappears.
• The Unknown Woman and the Man in White: They discuss their plans and goals. The woman warns the man not to kill Tong Guan, but he commits suicide anyway, ending their cooperation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Caiwei uses the Compass Watch to rescue Chang Nian and Yu Guo from the World Heritage Museum, but it paralyzes her for half a month, preventing her from participating in the upcoming Manager Mission.
• The rescue operation is deemed an "Unsolvable Mission" by Tong Guan, who reveals he didn't need rescuing and was waiting for Chang Nian to "unlock" him.
• The operation results in significant losses for Branch No. 7, including the destruction of top-tier Sin Items and a loss of lifespan for some members.
• Branch No. 2, Branch No. 3, and Branch No. 5 form an alliance with Branch No. 7 for the Manager Mission, with each branch sending one Branch Manager and one Vice Branch Manager.

Character Developments

• Lu Caiwei: Becomes paralyzed after using the Compass Watch, unable to participate in the Manager Mission.
• Tong Guan: Reveals he was never in danger and was waiting for Chang Nian, making the rescue operation unnecessary.
• Su Chenghe: Shows his practical side by prioritizing the survival of his branch over further interference in Tong Guan's matter.
• Li Guanqi: Struggles with Lu Caiwei's decision to participate in the Manager Mission, fearing for her safety and the branch's future.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice: Characters make significant sacrifices for their branches and allies, such as Lu Caiwei using the Compass Watch and the loss of Sin Items.
• Interdependence: The branches form an alliance, acknowledging their need for mutual support and respect.
• Change and Adaptation: The Manager Mission's format changes, requiring branches to adapt and make difficult decisions.

Character Interactions

• Chang Nian and Yu Guo: Chang Nian rescues Yu Guo, and they work together to relay information about Tong Guan's situation.
• Li Guanqi and Lu Caiwei: Li Guanqi cares for Lu Caiwei after her paralysis, but they disagree on her participation in the Manager Mission.
• Su Chenghe and Li Guanqi: Su Chenghe respects Li Guanqi's ideals but is more pragmatic, prioritizing his branch's survival. They work together to form an alliance with Branch No. 7.

Key plot points

• On returning to the Seventh Branch, Chang Nian reports that Tong Guan was targeted by a powerful stranger seeking the white candle. Ji Li identifies the attacker as Gu Xingjian, who used a paper decoy to pursue schemes in two places at once—keeping Ji Li occupied at the Tiannan Academy of Drama while acting at the World Heritage Museum.
• Chang Nian’s account also points to a mysterious woman with silver ornaments and unfamiliar abilities. Ji Li suspects she is Miaojiang, whose deep knowledge of Heavenly Sea may be supporting Gu Xingjian’s broader plans. He decides that certain preparations must be accelerated.
• Female Voice informs Ji Li that the Fifth Manager Mission begins at midnight in two days. She then touches his forehead, sending him into a vision—or shared nightmare—set in the Eighteenth Floor of the Black and White Building. There, the uncanny Ruru points a game console at him, and a message appears: “Please click to start your game.”
• Fang Shenyan wakes Ji Li. Female Voice explains that the mission will use a new dual-line format, split between a Game World and the Real World. Each branch must send its manager and vice manager as a pair: one enters the game, the other stays in reality. For the Seventh Branch, only Ji Li and Fang Shenyan qualify; they must decide who takes each role.

Character developments and interactions

• Ji Li remains wary and strategic, recognizing Gu Xingjian’s tactics and the danger of a possible alliance with Miaojiang. The unsettling vision also leaves him shaken and searching for its connection to the coming mission.
• Chang Nian gives Ji Li a full account despite Tong Guan’s distrust of him, showing her confidence in Ji Li’s responsibility to the branch.
• Tong Guan’s distrust of Ji Li persists because of his parents’ disappearance, maintaining a personal barrier between them.
• Ji Li and Fang Shenyan awaken from the same nightmare, linking them to the coming game mission. Fang takes Ji Li’s cigarette case and joins him as they hear the rules.
• Female Voice shifts from her usual gentle manner to a solemn announcement, revealing the mission’s unprecedented structure.

Significant themes

• Schemes and divided attention: Gu Xingjian’s paper decoy lets him operate across multiple locations, extending his reach.
• Distrust and uneasy alliances: Tong Guan’s suspicion and the possibility of Gu Xingjian working with Miaojiang complicate the Seventh Branch’s position.
• Reality intruding on nightmare: The shared vision foreshadows a mission that explicitly divides participants between a game world and reality.
• Escalating danger: The new rules, combined with the approaching threat around Heavenly Sea, signal a major and potentially perilous turning point.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Shenyan and Ji Li discuss the upcoming "Manager Mission."
• The Female Voice explains the rules of the mission, which involves finding Ruru's Mother in either the game world or reality.
• The mission has two paths: one in the game world and one in reality. Each path has its own rules and challenges.
• The game world path involves playing a game console with limited choices and the ability to obtain hidden items.
• The reality path involves finding Ruru's Mother, with the goal of bringing her back to the Eighteenth Floor, alive or dead.

Character Developments

• Fang Shenyan shows interest in the Manager Mission as a way to increase his strength.
• Ji Li is concerned about the increased difficulty of the mission and the potential consequences of failure.
• The Female Voice reveals information about the mission, showing her role as a Branch Manager's will.

Significant Themes

• The duality of the mission, reflecting the two paths and the balance between Branch Managers.
• The importance of the puzzle pieces and their potential use in escaping Tianhai.
• The restrictions and freedoms of the game world and reality paths.

Character Interactions

• Fang Shenyan and Ji Li discuss their approach to the mission, with Ji Li favoring the game world path and Fang Shenyan favoring the reality path.
• The Female Voice interacts with Fang Shenyan and Ji Li, providing information and guidance about the mission.
• The chapter does not involve interactions with other characters, as the mission rules prohibit communication between players from different branches.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A new Manager Mission begins with no completion conditions, time limit, or information about the ghosts, making it unprecedented for Fang Shenyan.
• The mission's rules are changed; death now means True Death, increasing the stakes.
• Branch Managers are informed that they must obtain one of seven puzzle pieces to deactivate the Yin Body mechanism, with three failing to do so facing True Death.

Character Developments

• Fang Shenyan's strength has significantly improved, making him one of the strongest candidates. He's now considered the Vice Branch Manager of the Seventh Branch.
• Ji Li considers Fang Shenyan his greatest trump card against Gu Xingjian.
• Su Chenghe, Branch Manager of No. 2, faces a personnel crisis due to Wang Da Chui's loss of strength and the increased danger of the mission.
• Wang Da Chui, Su Chenghe's Vice Branch Manager, accepts the possibility of being trapped in the Game World to protect Su Chenghe.

Significant Themes

• The theme of power and strength is emphasized, with Fang Shenyan's growth and the increased danger of the mission highlighting the importance of personal power.
• The theme of friendship and loyalty is explored through Su Chenghe and Wang Da Chui's bond, with Wang Da Chui willing to sacrifice himself for Su Chenghe.
• The theme of survival and the consequences of failure are accentuated, with the new rule of True Death adding urgency and gravity to the mission.

Character Interactions

• Fang Shenyan and Ji Li discuss the mission and potential strategies, with Ji Li considering Fang Shenyan a crucial asset.
• Su Chenghe and Wang Da Chui discuss the mission's challenges and Wang Da Chui's willingness to sacrifice himself for Su Chenghe.
• Chen Hansheng, Branch Manager of No. 1, offers advice to Su Chenghe, highlighting the loophole in the mission's rules.

Plot and events

• Chen Hansheng explains that a Gamer can avoid entering a game by not inserting the first Game Coin. Su Chenghe immediately sees this as a way to withdraw from the Manager Mission, and Wang Da Chui agrees to follow his decision.
• Li Guanqi asks whether Su is certain he wants to forfeit. Su admits he does not: he needs puzzle pieces to offset the cost of his deaths, and Tianhai Power offers precious chances to survive. But with Wang Da Chui’s condition, he believes withdrawing is the less dangerous choice.
• Teng Shan arrives. Li Guanqi has made him acting vice branch manager and chosen him for the mission, valuing his four missions of experience and, especially, his background designing a successful horror-puzzle game.
• Before Li Guanqi can explain which route he has chosen, Ji Li arrives with Fang Shenyan. Fang’s name alarms the branch managers: although not a manager, he ranks eighth among the managers, suggesting he may be a formidable participant in the upcoming mission.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Chenghe reluctantly accepts forfeiture, revealing the conflict between his fear of the mission and his urgent need to gather puzzle pieces and stay alive. He exchanges a familiar greeting with Ji Li.
• Wang Da Chui supports Su without hesitation.
• Li Guanqi shows concern for Su while also preparing carefully for his own mission, selecting Teng Shan for his particular expertise.
• Teng Shan is shy and self-effacing, but his game-design experience makes him a strategically valuable choice.
• Chen Hansheng is pleased by Li Guanqi’s preparations and offers guidance, though his history with Ji Li makes him wary of the newcomer.
• Ji Li remains aloof and unreadable. Fang Shenyan, by contrast, openly studies the others and introduces himself directly. Their contrasting presences unsettle the room.

Significant themes

• Survival versus risk: Su must choose between a dangerous mandatory mission and forfeiting a chance to earn the puzzle pieces he needs.
• Expertise in unexpected forms: Teng Shan’s quiet personality and unremarkable appearance conceal skills ideally suited to a horror-puzzle challenge.
• Reputation and power: Fang’s ranking gives him influence before he has done anything in the room, and his arrival raises the possibility that Ji Li’s team will upset the mission’s balance.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Guanqi proposes an alliance between the unaffiliated branches (Branch No. 7, 5, and 6) for the upcoming Manager Mission, which will now involve actual deaths and require alliances.
• Chen Hansheng (Branch No. 9) and Su Chenghe (affiliated with Branch No. 1) initially support Li Guanqi's idea but later leave, indicating their reluctance to commit.
• Ji Li (Branch No. 7) agrees to an alliance with Li Guanqi but also promises Su Chenghe non-interference in the mission.
• Unexpectedly, three figures, including a stunning woman, enter the private room, greeting Li Guanqi.

Character Developments

• Li Guanqi: Shows political acumen by proposing an alliance and analyzing the situation accurately. He's an idealist but not naive.
• Ji Li: Displays strategic thinking by agreeing to an alliance with Li Guanqi but also ensuring Branch No. 7's independence. He's calm and collected, with a clear purpose behind his actions.
• Su Chenghe: Reveals his pathetic yet responsible nature, seeking survival and favor from others. He's relieved when Ji Li promises non-interference.
• Chen Hansheng: Shows reluctance to commit to an alliance, prioritizing his branch's interests. He's practical and ambitious.

Significant Themes

• Alliances and Survival: The upcoming mission's increased difficulty forces branches to form alliances for survival.
• Power Dynamics: The branches' stances and affiliations reflect their power dynamics and influence.
• Responsibility and Ambition: Characters grapple with their responsibilities and ambitions, leading to different decisions.

Character Interactions

• Li Guanqi and Ji Li: They discuss and agree to an alliance, showing mutual respect and understanding.
• Ji Li and Su Chenghe: Ji Li reassures Su Chenghe, promising non-interference in the mission, showing a degree of understanding and compassion.
• Li Guanqi and Chen Hansheng: Li Guanqi tries to persuade Chen Hansheng to join the alliance, but Chen remains reluctant, highlighting their differing priorities.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Managers from Branch No. 6 (Luo Xian), No. 7 (Li Guanqi), No. 10 (Zhu Xiaoning), and No. 9 (Fang Shenyan) gather at Simple·Tea.
• Luo Xian proposes an alliance and non-interference agreement between Branch No. 6, No. 5, No. 7, and No. 10.
• Ji Li suggests all managers choose the Real World, while he and Gu Xingjian (No. 9) choose the Game World for a direct confrontation.

Character Developments

• Luo Xian shows political acumen by proposing an alliance and demonstrating caution towards Fang Shenyan.
• Li Guanqi displays his steady and considerate nature, as well as his willingness to ally with Luo Xian.
• Zhu Xiaoning reveals his timid personality and dependence on Branch No. 9, showing concern for not causing trouble for the alliance.
• Ji Li exhibits his strategic thinking and desire for a fair fight with Gu Xingjian.

Significant Themes

• Alliances and strategic partnerships in the face of increased mission difficulty.
• The power dynamics between branches and their managers.
• The theme of a fair duel between Ji Li and Gu Xingjian.

Character Interactions

• Luo Xian and Li Guanqi discuss and agree on an alliance.
• Ji Li advises Zhu Xiaoning on his mission choice and reassures him about his role in the alliance.
• Ji Li and Luo Xian share their chosen worlds for the mission, setting the stage for their respective confrontations.

Key plot points and events

• Su Chenghe and Wang Da Chui return to Branch No. 2 and meet Lan Yu, the newly promoted Vice Branch Manager of Branch No. 1. Lan Yu says the branches need to discuss the approaching Fifth Manager Mission.
• Inside a private room, Su finds Lan Yu, Xue Tinghai, Huangfu Jiajia, and Gu Qingyun gathered around a hot pot. The strained silence between Xue and Gu suggests they have been negotiating.
• Xue reveals that Gu has offered to lend him a powerful defensive Sin Object, but only if Xue eliminates a branch manager. Xue objects to the price.
• The intended target is left unnamed. Lan Yu supports the deal by providing information on the target and offering an alternative: Xue can fulfill the bargain by forcing the target to use an unusual, powerful Sin Object. If he does, Lan Yu promises Gu’s Sin Object without charge, whether the target survives or not.
• Xue accepts the terms. Their faction’s plan is therefore to hunt the target, while Branches No. 2 and No. 8 intend to prioritize survival rather than the mission’s main contest.

Character developments

• Su Chenghe is wary of Lan Yu and especially fears Gu Qingyun’s ruthless, unpredictable nature. He learns that a manager has been marked for a possible attack but does not discover who.
• Lan Yu demonstrates his political skill and ambition: he supplies intelligence, reshapes the bargain, and effectively sets his faction’s strategy.
• Xue Tinghai is driven by concern for his brother, Xue Tingtao, who must join the mission despite being timid and ill-suited to it. He reluctantly accepts a dangerous bargain to improve his brother’s chances.
• Gu Qingyun remains indifferent to the mission’s prize, treating the trade as a chance to pursue his own agenda. His willingness to demand a manager’s elimination underscores his extremism.
• Huangfu Jiajia remains detached from the tense discussion, concentrating on eating.

Significant themes

• Family and sacrifice: Xue risks himself to protect his brother.
• Power and coercion: Gu’s valuable Sin Object gives him leverage, while Lan Yu uses information and promises to steer events.
• Survival versus ambition: Some branches pursue a targeted attack, while others plan simply to endure the mission.
• Uncertainty and danger: The target’s identity and abilities remain unknown, leaving the impending hunt ominous.

Character interactions

• Lan Yu greets Su and brings him into the meeting, where Su observes the tension between Xue and Gu.
• Xue challenges Gu’s demand; Gu counters by emphasizing Xue’s need to protect his brother.
• Lan Yu mediates—not by rejecting the bargain, but by adding intelligence and a less direct way for Xue to satisfy it. His intervention persuades Xue to accept.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gu Xingjian is found painting a corpse in his apartment, which he refers to as his "big brother," implying a familial relationship or a past connection.
• Gu Xingjian is called away for a meeting, where he announces the start of the Fifth Manager Mission, which involves two branches: one handling the Game World and the other the Real World.
• Clyde, after much internal struggle, volunteers to accompany Gu Xingjian on the Manager Mission.

Character Developments

• Gu Xingjian: He is shown to be secretive and potentially dangerous, with a mysterious past involving the corpse he's painting. He's also manipulative, as seen in his handling of the Manager Mission announcement.
• Clyde: He's revealed to be afraid of Gu Xingjian and is torn between prioritizing his survival and seizing an opportunity for a powerful Sin Item. He ultimately decides to join the Manager Mission.

Significant Themes

• Secrets and Mysteries: The chapter is filled with secrets, such as Gu Xingjian's past and the true nature of the Manager Missions. The theme of mystery is also prevalent, with the academy's rules being hidden even from most of its staff.
• Power and Ambition: Clyde's internal struggle highlights the theme of power and ambition. He's willing to risk his life for a powerful Sin Item, indicating his desire for strength and survival.

Character Interactions

• Gu Xingjian and Clyde: Their dynamic is tense and uncertain. Gu Xingjian seems to be plotting something, while Clyde is wary of him. Their interaction is minimal in this chapter, but Clyde's decision to join the Manager Mission sets the stage for future interactions.
• Clyde and Jiang Xi: Jiang Xi's concern for Clyde is evident, but she's also aware of the secrets he's keeping. Their interaction is brief but shows a level of camaraderie.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Li and Fang Shenyan receive information about the Branch Managers' locations. Only two are in the Game World (Ji Li and Gu Xingjian).
• Ji Li and Fang Shenyan encounter an identical-looking person (later revealed to be Gu Xingjian) at the bridge leading to the Seventh Branch.
• Gu Xingjian tells Ji Li about two human skulls in the Black and White Building's first basement level.

Character Developments

• Ji Li: He's determined to settle the score with Gu Xingjian and sees Gu Xingjian's defeat as a way to overcome his inner demon.
• Gu Xingjian: He's driven by a deeply ingrained concept that he must kill Ji Li, but he's also conflicted and respects Ji Li. He reveals information about the Black and White Building.

Significant Themes

• Identity and Self-Discovery: Both Ji Li and Gu Xingjian struggle with their identities and the reasons behind their existence.
• Destiny and Fate: The concept of destiny is explored through Gu Xingjian's internal struggle and his belief that someone will always step on him.

Character Interactions

• Ji Li and Gu Xingjian: Their interaction reveals their shared confusion and loneliness, despite their enmity. They also share a sense of understanding about each other's power and determination.
• Fang Shenyan and Gu Xingjian: Fang Shenyan attempts to attack Gu Xingjian but fails, showing Gu Xingjian's power and Fang Shenyan's curiosity about Gu Xingjian.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Li learns about two human skulls, one male and one female, displayed at the Black and White Building's first basement level.
• He realizes these skulls might belong to the Tong En Couple, who died eighteen years ago.
• Ji Li speculates about two major events from fifty years ago: a failed confrontational plan against Tianhai and a subsequent failed do-or-die plan that led to his memory loss.
• He decides to focus on the Fifth Manager Mission and removing his Inner Demon to catch up to Gu Xingjian.

Character Developments

• Ji Li becomes more determined to uncover the truth about his past and the events surrounding the Tong En Couple.
• The Female Voice reveals she has objectives and is more human-like than other branch consciousnesses. She expresses sadness about losing her permissions to go out and possess other abilities.

Significant Themes

• The pursuit of truth and understanding one's past.
• Loneliness and the search for connection, as seen in Ji Li and the Female Voice.
• The consequences of failure and the struggle against overwhelming odds.

Character Interactions

• Ji Li interacts with Li Yi, learning about the human skulls.
• Ji Li has a silent conversation with the Female Voice, promising to restore her permissions to go out if he returns alive from the Fifth Manager Mission.

Chapter Summary: “Top Ten Branches”

As the Manager Mission approaches, the chapter checks in on the managers and their companions across the top ten branches, showing how each is preparing for a dangerous trip into the Game World.

Key events and character developments

• Branch No. 1: Gu Qingyun tells Lan Yu that he has already cursed Xue Tinghai, giving them a way to influence him despite his superior strength. Lan Yu looks forward to the next step of their plan.
• Branch No. 2: Su Chenghe has forfeited the Manager Mission, something he considers shameful. Wang Da Chui urges him to try rather than wait for an inevitable death. Before Su can decide, Xiao Ou rushes in and volunteers to accompany him.
• Branch No. 3: Chen Hansheng delays departure so he can finish listening to a radio retelling of Cao Cao’s death. A middle-aged man waits patiently for his manager to be ready.
• Branch No. 4: Xue Tinghai forces his frightened younger brother, Xue Tingtao, to take a Sin Object and face the mission. Tinghai reveals that he gave up the fight for a puzzle piece to protect him and, having already died twice, cannot keep shielding him. Tingtao stops crying and manages to stand, while Tinghai privately prays for his survival.
• Branch No. 5: Li Guanqi plans to begin on the Black and White Building’s eighteenth floor because he has died only once and cannot choose his starting floor. Teng Shan reframes this disadvantage as a chance to collect clues while moving downward. Li approves but warns him to avoid people from other branches—even those with whom they have agreements.
• Branch No. 6: Luo Xian prepares Bai Huaiguang, warning him that the Game World will be especially dangerous because Sin Objects cannot be used there. Bai questions her alliance with the Seventh Branch, particularly because of an unfamiliar man accompanying Ji Li. Luo answers that her own side is not virtuous either.
• Branch No. 8: Huangfu Jiajia jokes that she may as well enjoy a final meal before the mission. Bao An scolds her for treating the danger casually and takes away her lollipop, promising she can have another if she returns.
• Branch No. 9: Clyde prays on Tianming Mountain while Huang Banxian watches, visibly torn. Huang urges him to reconsider, saying he would rather see him die at a ghost’s hands than face what lies ahead. After repeated hesitation, Huang finally steps toward him.
• Branch No. 10: Zhu Xiaoning prepares her scissors, her only Sin Object from a Manager Mission. With neither vice manager willing to volunteer, she expects Heavenly Sea to assign one at random. Under pressure, she decides she must bring every available Sin Object, including Gu Xingjian’s Kerosene Lamp, which he appears to have left behind deliberately.

Significant themes and interactions

The chapter emphasizes fear, duty, and the limits of protection: some characters volunteer or push themselves forward, while others hesitate, avoid the mission, or try to protect loved ones. Several relationships are tested through direct warnings and encouragement—Wang Da Chui urging Su Chenghe onward, Xue Tinghai confronting his brother, Luo Xian advising Bai Huaiguang, and Huang Banxian struggling to approach Clyde.
It also highlights strategy and mistrust. Managers weigh starting conditions, alliances, and scarce resources, but Li Guanqi’s warning to avoid even friendly branches suggests that the coming mission may turn cooperation into a liability.

Plot points and events

• On December 8, Ji Li and Fang Shenyan leave the Seventh Branch through the Golden Door, entering a strange, snow-like transition. A woman with an oil-paper umbrella remains behind, promising to await their return.
• Ji Li arrives alone in a small, sealed room containing an old arcade machine. A mysterious voice explains that he must control events through the console rather than enter the game himself.
• The console’s joystick controls movement; four buttons handle picking up, inspecting, managing, and using items, as well as choosing among major decisions. Each choice allows only one input.
• Ji Li learns that the game cannot be quit; it ends only with death or clearing it. One coin starts the game, and the second is for revival.
• The voice refuses to answer questions about Ji Li’s location, the game’s story, or how to recognize completion. It claims that game-related injuries will not affect his ability to operate the console.
• When Ji Li asks what happens if the console is destroyed, the voice begins to malfunction and says he will be “ruled out,” but the explanation is cut off. The start time is abruptly advanced, forcing Ji Li to insert a coin and begin.

Character developments

• Ji Li is cautious and analytical, testing the rules with questions and quickly recognizing that the game’s format itself may be important. Though he has little memory or gaming experience, he adapts fast when the system malfunctions.
• Fang Shenyan appears calm and prepared, saying he has been waiting for this moment.
• The umbrella-holding woman stays behind and expresses faith in the two men’s return.
• The Female Voice presents itself as a rule-explaining machine, but its breakdown suggests the system has limits—or secrets it cannot safely reveal.

Character interactions

• Ji Li and Fang Shenyan share a quiet, deliberate departure, marked by cigarettes and mutual readiness.
• The woman’s farewell gives their departure an emotional note of separation and hope.
• Ji Li’s exchanges with the Female Voice become a contest of inquiry: she enforces strict boundaries, while he probes for practical information. His question about the console exposes a dangerous weakness in the system and triggers the game’s premature start.

Significant themes

• Control and agency: Ji Li’s survival depends on limited, irreversible inputs rather than direct action.
• Hidden rules and uncertainty: Essential information is withheld, making careful questioning vital.
• Technology as a lifeline and vulnerability: The console is Ji Li’s only means of acting, but its destruction may have catastrophic consequences.
• Separation and hope: The woman’s promise to wait underscores the personal stakes of the men’s departure.

Ji Li begins the game by seeing Ruru’s House on the console screen, but a malfunctioning buzz suddenly pulls him out of the Game Room and places him physically inside the house. The room looks more lived-in than before, and the memorial portrait above the entrance now shows an ordinary man rather than an overexposed image.
From the kitchen, Ji Li hears Ruru, her mother, and her father enjoying a family meal. Their conversation suggests a happier time: the father has received a bonus, and the mother has found a new job. Ji Li suspects the game shows an earlier point in the family’s timeline. The family cannot see or acknowledge him, and their conversation repeats exactly, revealing that they are scripted figures trapped in a loop. When he looks at the father, Ji Li finds the man has no face at all.
An alarm then sounds from Ruru’s bedroom. Ji Li recognizes the strange Head Alarm Clock from his earlier nightmare: it has a severed neck and imitates an alarm with its mouth. The rest of the bedroom appears normal, and the beads on its doorway curtain have not become the human eyes he saw in the nightmare. As Ji Li reaches toward the clock, the entire scene freezes and the game presents its first choice: stop the clock, take it away, ignore it, or smash and burn it. The choice is stated to affect the plot’s direction.
Character developments and interactions: Ji Li shifts from cautious observation to testing the rules of the world, realizing that he is an unseen outsider in a looping simulation. Ruru and her mother appear cheerful and affectionate in the repeated family scene, while the faceless father’s presence makes that warmth uncanny. The family interacts naturally with one another but never responds to Ji Li.
Themes: The chapter contrasts ordinary domestic happiness with supernatural unease. It explores the uncertainty of reality, the artificial repetition of scripted events, and the consequences of choice, ending on a decision that will shape what happens next.

Plot points and events

• The game presents Ji Li with his first choice, centered on the mysterious Head Alarm Clock. After ruling out destroying it or passively waiting, he chooses to take it with him, suspecting it is an important game item.
• The choice takes effect without his control: his body picks up the clock and puts it in his backpack.
• The supernatural version of Ruru’s home appears. The room turns blood-red, the floor becomes tangled hair, and the desk transforms into a huge set of gums with thirty-three razor-sharp teeth.
• Hair drags Ji Li toward the jaws. He escapes by using the upper jaw as a foothold and jumping onto Ruru’s bed. The creature makes no further attack.
• The clock continues sounding, but its volume fades, while the voices of the family next door stop. Ji Li suspects the clock’s chimes signal the supernatural world’s arrival and departure. He then notices the gums have one tooth too many.

Character development

• Ji Li remains analytical under pressure. He weighs the choices, observes the clock’s behavior, and responds calmly to the attack rather than panicking.
• His decision-making shows caution: he considers the clock important but does not yet know whether it helps people or ghosts.

Significant themes

• Choice and control: Ji Li makes the decision, but his body carries it out automatically, leaving the game’s rules—and his agency—unclear.
• Observation and survival: Careful attention to timing and unusual details may be as important as physical action.
• Uncanny distortion: Familiar surroundings become grotesque, and an ordinary object may mark the boundary between normal and supernatural worlds.

Character interactions

• Ji Li has no direct conversation with other characters in this chapter. He hears the family next door, whose voices cease during the supernatural event, and confronts the transformed room itself as an apparent threat.