Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• A Ghost Messenger appears at Fengdu Mission, much more powerful than the previous one.
• Li Guanqi, trapped in Class 4 of Grade 1, fears for his life as the Ghost Messenger approaches.
• The Ghost Messenger enters the classroom, but Li Guanqi's escape plan is thwarted when the Ghost Messenger clones itself to block both doors.
• Just as Li Guanqi is about to give up, a commotion outside the classroom causes the Ghost Messenger to retreat.
• Chen Tang, Ruan Zi, and Chang Sheng arrive, and Li Guanqi decides to leave the floor with them.
• An unknown man in glasses observes and records these events.

Character Developments

• Li Guanqi's desperation and survival instincts are tested as he faces the powerful Ghost Messenger.
• Chang Sheng's determination and aggression are shown as he chases the Ghost Messenger.

Significant Themes

• Survival and desperation in the face of supernatural threats.
• The power dynamics between humans and supernatural entities.
• The theme of recording and documentation, as seen through the man in glasses' notebook.

Character Interactions

• Li Guanqi's tense standoff with the Ghost Messenger.
• Li Guanqi's relief at seeing Chen Tang and Ruan Zi, followed by Chang Sheng's arrival.
• The unknown man in glasses observes the events without interacting with the characters.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Branch No. 5's team, except for Wang Kui, is gathered in Building C's second-floor corridor.
• Wang Kui has gone missing.
• Li Guanqi recounts his experiences, including the incidents with Hao Zhi, Chen Ping, Wang Da Chui, and Xiao Chen's death.
• Chang Sheng reveals he encountered Gao Zhihua in Building B, who told a different story about the campus extinction event.
• They deduce that Gao Zhihua's stories about the "eye monsters" and the "invisible great fire" are the main plot, leading to supernatural events in Buildings A and B.
• They hear a broadcast hinting at Chen Ping's possession of Wang Da Chui, leading them to the broadcast room.

Character Developments

• Li Guanqi: Invested heavily in this mission, emotionally affected by Xiao Chen's death.
• Chang Sheng: Discovered high heels in Building B, chased by scorched ghost tide.
• Ruan Zi: Experienced multiple supernatural incidents while avoiding Ghost Messengers.
• Chen Ping: Possessed Wang Da Chui, hinted at in the broadcast.

Significant Themes

• Supernatural events and their connections to the main plot.
• The search for Wang Kui and Wang Da Chui's fate.
• The team's struggle to understand and adapt to the mission's challenges.

Character Interactions

• Li Guanqi and Chen Tang: Discuss and analyze the mission's events.
• Chang Sheng and Li Guanqi: Share their encounters with Gao Zhihua and the supernatural events.
• Ruan Zi and the team: Share her experiences and contribute to the team's understanding of the mission.
• Chen Ping and Hao Zhi (via broadcast): Provide a crucial clue about Wang Da Chui's fate.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Guanqi reveals that Hao Zhi might have been the first to encounter the Eye monsters.
• The group decides to investigate the broadcast room on the fifth floor, suspecting it's a trap.
• Fang Shenyan observes the group from a hidden spot and later enters the broadcast room unharmed, finding a tape with a bookmark containing eight characters: "See seven, no taboos; see eight, and chaos ensues."
• The group, except Fang Shenyan, disappears into a mysterious location outside the broadcast room, having missed the crucial clue on the bookmark.

Character Developments

• Li Guanqi: He shows strategic thinking and determination to solve the case, even if it means risking his life.
• Fang Shenyan: He demonstrates exceptional courage and intuition, entering the broadcast room and finding the crucial clue. He also realizes the gravity of the situation and the need to rescue the others.

Significant Themes

• Obsession: Chen Ping's obsession with "him" drives her actions, leading to unforeseen consequences.
• Consequences of Actions: The characters' actions have significant impacts on the story's development and the outcome of the Haunted House.
• Teamwork vs. Isolation: Fang Shenyan's isolated approach leads to others being trapped, highlighting the importance of teamwork.

Character Interactions

• Li Guanqi and Chen Tang: Li Guanqi supports Chen Tang, showing a mentor-mentee relationship.
• Fang Shenyan and the Group: Fang Shenyan's isolated actions lead to the group's predicament, highlighting the need for better communication and cooperation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Four groups of human-ghosts visited the broadcast room on the 5th floor of Building C.
• Fang Shenyan discovers a bloodstain leading to the broadcast room, suggesting a person was dragged or crawled there.
• Chen Ping's recording reveals the school's strange occurrences before her death.
• Hao Zhi's voice on the tape asks Chen Ping if she entered "its eyes."
• Fang Shenyan realizes Hao Zhi is the catalyst for the eye monster incident and that the mysterious location is "its eyes."
• An eye monster appears, and Fang Shenyan extracts an eyeball, merging with its gaze and unlocking the mysterious location.

Character Developments

• Fang Shenyan demonstrates his analytical skills and courage, confronting the eye monster and merging with its gaze.
• Hao Zhi is revealed to be the true instigator behind the eye monster incident, manipulating Chen Ping and others.

Significant Themes

• The power of gaze and eyes as a supernatural force.
• The consequences of curiosity and obsession with the supernatural.
• The interconnectedness of the characters and their experiences.

Character Interactions

• Chen Ping and Hao Zhi's recorded conversation provides crucial information about the school's strange occurrences and the eye monster.
• Fang Shenyan interacts with the eye monster, extracting an eyeball and merging with its gaze to unlock the mysterious location.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ta's eye enters Hao Zhi's eye, and Hao Zhi's eye enters Fang Shenyan's eye, creating a closed loop of clues.
• Fang Shenyan discovers a milky white eyeball in his palm, which turns into pus and blood under his gaze.
• He finds himself in a new, untouched broadcast room, with no bloodstains and a tape recorder still on the desk.
• He encounters a female teacher in the corridor, who seems to recognize him but is wary of his appearance.
• Fang Shenyan realizes he's been taken back in time by Ta's eye and sees the female teacher wearing high heels that were previously captured by the Ghost Messenger.
• He chases after her, and the environment shifts back to the old, eerie campus. He encounters an eye monster, the female teacher transformed, who attacks him mentally.
• Fang Shenyan escapes but encounters another eye monster, a male student, who also attacks him mentally.

Character Developments

• Fang Shenyan demonstrates resilience and adaptability in facing the supernatural events and eye monsters.
• The female teacher and male student are revealed to be eye monsters, showing their deceptive nature and ability to blend into the environment.

Significant Themes

• The theme of perception and reality is reinforced as Fang Shenyan's environment shifts between the past and present, normal and supernatural.
• The theme of deception and appearance versus reality is highlighted through the eye monsters' ability to disguise themselves.

Character Interactions

• Fang Shenyan interacts briefly with the female teacher, who is initially confused but later shows wariness and fear.
• He encounters two eye monsters, the female teacher and the male student, both of whom attack him mentally, showcasing their hostile intent towards him.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Shenyan, experiencing mental attacks and seeing everyone as eye monsters, realizes he's not in the past but a parallel space where everyone is an eye monster in disguise.
• He discovers that closing his eyes makes the eye monsters disappear, and he decides to navigate to Class 2, Grade 3, where Hao Zhi is, to find clues about the supernatural incident.
• He waits for the class bell to ring to minimize encounters with eye monsters and then moves towards Building A.

Character Developments

• Fang Shenyan demonstrates his intelligence and adaptability by understanding the eye monsters' behavior and devising a strategy to evade them.
• Chen Ping, now a blind ghost, appears and reveals that she's from the "eye world," challenging Fang Shenyan's understanding of the supernatural incident.

Significant Themes

• Appearance vs. Reality: The eye monsters' true forms contrast with their human appearances, reflecting the theme of things not being as they seem.
• Perception and Truth: Fang Shenyan's ability to "see" and the eye monsters' ability to "see" create a contrast, highlighting the role of perception in understanding truth.
• The Power of Knowledge: Fang Shenyan's understanding of the supernatural incident's nature allows him to devise strategies to navigate the dangerous environment.

Character Interactions

• Fang Shenyan interacts with various eye monsters, demonstrating his ability to evade them by closing his eyes.
• He encounters Chen Ping, a blind ghost, who reveals crucial information about the supernatural incident, challenging his understanding and leading to further revelations.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Haunted House project spans Buildings A, B, and C, divided into the old world (supernatural, desolate) and the New World (ordinary, illusory).
• "It" (a mirror-like entity) creates eye monsters (substitutes) by making eye contact, pulling people into the New World, and likely causing their death in the old world.
• A hidden character starts a fire, creating scorched ghosts, and saves Chen Ping, who becomes an anomaly with albino eyes.
• Fang Shenyan meets the blind Chen Ping, learns about the hidden character, and goes to find Hao Zhi in Class 2, Grade 3.
• Upon entering the classroom, they find a horrifying scene: the teacher's head is the only part remaining, students are hanging from the ceiling, and three corpses (Li Guanqi, Ruan Zi, Chen Tang) are on a makeshift stage. Chang Sheng is alive but stabbing his thigh with a knife.

Character Developments

• Fang Shenyan understands the Haunted House's mechanics and seeks the truth.
• Chen Ping, now blind, reveals she has albino eyes and can sense the other her in the old world.
• The hidden character is revealed to be a person who started a fire, creating scorched ghosts and saving Chen Ping.
• Chang Sheng is alive but in a distressed state, stabbing his thigh with a knife.

Significant Themes

• The duality of reality and illusion, represented by the old and New Worlds.
• The consequences of making eye contact with "it," leading to death or becoming an eye monster.
• The struggle for survival and the search for truth in a supernatural environment.

Character Interactions

• Fang Shenyan interacts with the blind Chen Ping, learning about the hidden character and guiding her to find Hao Zhi.
• Chen Ping expresses her desire to find Hao Zhi, revealing her obsession with him.
• Fang Shenyan and Chen Ping enter Class 2, Grade 3 together, discovering the horrifying scene inside.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Shenyan enters Class 2, Grade 3, finding 43 corpses hanging from the ceiling and Chang Sheng on a platform.
• He discovers that Hao Zhi is not among the corpses, indicating he was never there.
• Fang Shenyan plays a tape recorder, causing a mutation in the air and revealing the truth about Chen Ping being a vengeful ghost.
• He pulls Chang Sheng down from the platform, causing the ghost to manifest and explode, leading them to a white void.

Character Developments

• Fang Shenyan: Proves his intelligence and bravery by uncovering Chen Ping's true identity and defeating the ghost.
• Chen Ping: Revealed to be a vengeful ghost using illusions to lure people, seeking revenge for her death.
• Chang Sheng: Initially reckless and bold, but later shows impatience and desperation on the platform.

Significant Themes

• Illusion vs. Reality: Chen Ping's illusions create a terrifying reality, blurring the line between the two.
• Revenge: Chen Ping's motive for luring people is revenge for her death.
• Power and Control: The ghost uses its power to control and manipulate others, seeking to maintain its influence.

Character Interactions

• Fang Shenyan and Chen Ping: Fang Shenyan sees through Chen Ping's disguise, leading to her manifestation and defeat.
• Fang Shenyan and Chang Sheng: Fang Shenyan saves Chang Sheng from the ghost's influence.
• The Group in the White Void: They are united in their confusion and desire to find out why they were pulled into the white void.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Shenyan arrives in a white, spherical space with Chang Sheng, Li Guanqi, and Wang Da Chui, who are trapped there.
• They learn that this space is about 100 square meters and is likely connected to the project's Path to Life.
• Fang Shenyan discovers that Chang Sheng and the others were teleported here after trying to reach Class 2, Grade 3 to find Hao Zhi.
• They exchange information about their experiences in the project, leading to the revelation that Gao Zhihua is the source of the supernatural incidents.

Character Developments

• Fang Shenyan: He demonstrates his intelligence and analytical skills by piecing together the truth of the project.
• Chang Sheng: He shows impatience and a desire for control, wanting to gather everyone's intelligence.
• Li Guanqi: He displays calmness under pressure and a strong desire to complete the project, showing expectation towards Fang Shenyan.
• Wang Da Chui: He is in a death-like state, his mind invaded by a ghost.

Significant Themes

• The truth behind the supernatural incidents is revealed to be connected to Gao Zhihua.
• The project's main objective for the store employees is to choose a side: help 'ta' or help Gao Zhihua.

Character Interactions

• Fang Shenyan observes the others, noticing Chang Sheng's impatience, Li Guanqi's urgency, and Wang Da Chui's strange state.
• Li Guanqi shares information about Wang Da Chui's condition and the fate of Ruan Zi and Chen Tang.
• The three men exchange their experiences, leading to a collective understanding of the project's truth.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group discusses Gao Zhihua's suspicious behavior and motives.
• They decide to expose Gao Zhihua to Ta and the Anomalous Ghosts to reveal his true identity and survival methods.
• Fang Shenyan reveals that they are in Ta's eye, and there are ten blood doors corresponding to five Anomalous Ghosts.
• Fang Shenyan shows a bookmark with a clue: "See Seven, No Taboo, See Eight, Then Chaos."

Character Developments

• Chang Sheng becomes more assertive and strategic, suggesting they use Gao Zhihua to their advantage.
• Li Guanqi is more open to unconventional tactics due to Wang Da Chui's state.
• Fang Shenyan remains analytical and calm, revealing his knowledge about Ta's eye and the Anomalous Ghosts.

Significant Themes

• Trust and deception: Gao Zhihua's true motives and identity are questioned.
• Survival and adaptation: The group must navigate Ta's eye and its dangers.
• Uncertainty and choice: The group must decide which door to choose based on limited information.

Character Interactions

• Chang Sheng and Li Guanqi exchange ideas about Gao Zhihua and Ta's eye.
• Fang Shenyan shares his knowledge about Ta's eye and the Anomalous Ghosts with the group.
• The group discusses their strategy regarding Gao Zhihua and the blood doors.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chang Sheng decides to choose the 'Seventh Door' to return to the old world.
• Wang Da Chui's clue 'eight' is revealed to open the passage, not choose the entrance.
• Li Guanqi volunteers to test the doors using his severed arm, identifying the 'Seventh Door'.
• The three remaining (Chang Sheng, Li Guanqi, and Fang Shenyan) plan their final operation:
  • Chang Sheng will lure the scorched ghost from Building B.
  • Fang Shenyan will lure Hao Zhi to Class 1, Grade 3.
  • Li Guanqi will go to Class 1, Grade 3 to confirm Gao Zhihua's location.
• They synchronize their watches to start the operation at 7 PM.

Character Developments

• Chang Sheng becomes more malicious and unscrupulous, driven by self-interest.
• Li Guanqi accepts responsibility for Wang Da Chui's state and volunteers for the test, showing selflessness.
• Fang Shenyan remains calm and strategic, choosing Hao Zhi as the ghost to lure due to familiarity.

Significant Themes

• Survival: Characters prioritize their own survival and use others to achieve their goals.
• Sacrifice: Li Guanqi sacrifices his remaining arm to help the group.
• Strategy and Planning: The characters use careful planning to increase their chances of success.

Character Interactions

• Chang Sheng and Li Guanqi have a tense interaction when Chang Sheng plans to use Wang Da Chui for testing.
• The three remaining characters work together to plan their final operation, each taking on a crucial role.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Shenyan, Chang Sheng, and Li Guanqi form an alliance to target Gao Zhihua.
• Fang Shenyan confirms that the New World's entities (Them) orchestrated this operation.
• Fang Shenyan's task is to lure an eye monster from Building C to Building A.
• Chang Sheng controls a scorched ghost tide to delay Hao Zhi in Building A.
• Li Guanqi infiltrates Class 1, Grade 3 to confront Gao Zhihua.
• The operation is a gamble, with high risks and potential benefits for each party involved.

Character Developments

• Fang Shenyan: Realizes the true nature of the New World's entities and their intentions.
• Chang Sheng: Demonstrates strategic thinking and risk-taking by controlling the ghost tide.
• Li Guanqi: Shows determination and urgency in his mission, despite the high stakes and personal losses.

Significant Themes

• Trust and alliances: Characters must trust and rely on each other for the operation to succeed.
• Risk and reward: Each character faces high risks but also stands to gain significant benefits.
• The New World's entities: Their motivations, capabilities, and limitations are further revealed.

Character Interactions

• Fang Shenyan, Chang Sheng, and Li Guanqi work together, each with their own tasks, demonstrating interdependence.
• Fang Shenyan and Chang Sheng have a brief, tense exchange regarding the scorched ghost tide's control.
• Li Guanqi's interaction with Gao Zhihua is anticipated, with high tension and uncertainty.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The three top-tier managers face a dangerous mission in a supernatural land.
• Building B and C are invaded by a Ghost Tide, while Building A remains eerily peaceful.
• Hao Zhi, a ferocious Ghost, pursues Fang Shenyan into Building A.
• Fang Shenyan is chased by both Hao Zhi and the Ghost Tide, leading to a desperate escape.
• Chang Sheng, another manager, rescues Fang Shenyan by pulling him out of a window.

Character Developments

• Fang Shenyan: Shows resilience and quick thinking in the face of danger. He gambles on Chang Sheng's rationality to save him.
• Chang Sheng: Proves to be strategic and self-serving. He creates a plan to lure the Ghost Tide into Building A and rescues Fang Shenyan.

Significant Themes

• Rationality vs. Emotion: Chang Sheng's rational planning contrasts with Fang Shenyan's desperate, emotional escape.
• Trust and Betrayal: Fang Shenyan trusts in Chang Sheng's rationality, while Chang Sheng initially seems to abandon Fang Shenyan but ultimately rescues him.
• Survival: Both characters demonstrate a strong will to survive, even in extreme circumstances.

Character Interactions

• Fang Shenyan and Hao Zhi: A cat-and-mouse chase between a human and a Ghost, highlighting the power imbalance and Fang Shenyan's desperation.
• Fang Shenyan and Chang Sheng: Their dynamic showcases trust, betrayal, and ultimately, rescue. Chang Sheng's actions reveal his self-interest, while Fang Shenyan's gamble demonstrates his understanding of Chang Sheng's character.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Shenyan and Chang Sheng enter Class 1, Grade 3 to find Li Guanqi and Gao Zhihua together, which is unusual and suspicious.
• The scorched ghost tide and the remaining Anomalous Ghosts are preparing to enter the classroom.
• Chang Sheng is attacked by Gao Zhihua, who is revealed to be a ghost, and loses his head but continues to move.
• Fang Shenyan plays a recording to try and distract Gao Zhihua and force the ghost tide into the classroom.

Character Developments

• Fang Shenyan: Realizes the severity of the situation and the existence of a powerful ghost, Gao Zhihua, who is on par with Ta. He decides to play the recording as a last resort.
• Chang Sheng: Loses his head after being attacked by Gao Zhihua but continues to move, showing the strange nature of the ghost's power.
• Li Guanqi: Remains mysterious and close to Gao Zhihua, with his intentions unclear.
• Gao Zhihua: Revealed to be a ghost with terrifying powers, capable of detaching heads from bodies. His true intentions remain unknown.

Significant Themes

• The unknown and mysterious nature of ghosts and their powers.
• The desperate situation and the need for quick decision-making.
• The theme of misjudgment and its consequences.

Character Interactions

• Fang Shenyan and Chang Sheng: Work together initially but are separated by the revelation of Gao Zhihua's power. Chang Sheng's injury does not immediately affect his movement, causing confusion and fear.
• Li Guanqi and Gao Zhihua: Their close proximity and Li Guanqi's strange behavior hint at an unknown connection or relationship.
• The ghost tide and the Anomalous Ghosts: Both groups are preparing to enter the classroom, with the ghost tide hesitant due to the mysterious nature of Class 1, Grade 3.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chang Sheng, headless, goes mad searching for his head.
• Fang Shenyan struggles to use the walkie-talkie while facing multiple ghosts.
• Hao Zhi, the Eye Monster, and two other anomalous ghosts enter Class 1, Grade 3.
• Gao Zhihua reveals his true form and identity, controlling the anomalous ghosts.
• Fang Shenyan realizes the truth about Gao Zhihua and his impending doom.
• Li Guanqi, the shop manager, stabs Gao Zhihua with a bone spike.

Character Developments

• Chang Sheng: Loses his head, descends into madness, and is now useless.
• Fang Shenyan: Struggles to survive, realizes the truth about Gao Zhihua, and faces imminent death.
• Gao Zhihua: Reveals his true form and identity, controlling the anomalous ghosts, and is ultimately stabbed by Li Guanqi.
• Li Guanqi: Reveals himself as the true shop manager, choosing his side, and stabs Gao Zhihua.

Significant Themes

• Despair and hope: Fang Shenyan faces his imminent death but finds a glimmer of hope in Li Guanqi's actions.
• Truth and revelation: The truth about Gao Zhihua's identity is revealed, changing the dynamics of the situation.
• Betrayal and loyalty: Li Guanqi betrays his shop assistant role, choosing his own side and ultimately saving Fang Shenyan.

Character Interactions

• Chang Sheng and Fang Shenyan: Chang Sheng's madness and search for his head contrast with Fang Shenyan's struggle to survive.
• Fang Shenyan and Gao Zhihua: Fang Shenyan realizes the truth about Gao Zhihua and his impending doom.
• Li Guanqi and Gao Zhihua: Li Guanqi reveals his true allegiance by stabbing Gao Zhihua, saving Fang Shenyan and potentially changing the course of the story.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Guanqi, the Branch Manager, uses his remaining bone spike as a last resort to attack Gao Zhihua, revealing Gao's true identity as another terrifying entity.
• The bone spike's attack creates a backlash, weakening Gao Zhihua's suppression and allowing the scorched ghost tide to surge again.
• Fang Shenyan and Li Guanqi manage to escape, with Fang leaving behind the tape recorder and Li Guanqi taking Chang Sheng's head and a walkie-talkie.
• In the real world, Li Guanqi and Chen Tang stand in front of the Haunted House, with Li Guanqi expressing despair about Branch No. 5's future.
• Chang Sheng is rescued and comforted by Hou Guisheng, who reveals he won 50 gold coins from Gu Qingyun in the Disk Game project.

Character Developments

• Li Guanqi shows his desperation and willingness to take risks to ensure survival.
• Fang Shenyan demonstrates his loyalty by not abandoning the tape recorder until the end.
• Chang Sheng shows his resilience despite his near-death experience.
• Hou Guisheng reveals his cunning and strategic thinking, winning a large amount of gold coins from Gu Qingyun.

Significant Themes

• Desperation and Survival: Characters are pushed to their limits, making desperate moves to survive.
• Loss and Resilience: Characters face losses (like limbs or lives) but show resilience in the face of adversity.
• Strategy and Cunning: Characters use their wits and strategic thinking to gain advantages (seen in Li Guanqi's plan and Hou Guisheng's actions).

Character Interactions

• Li Guanqi, Fang Shenyan, and Chang Sheng work together to escape, each playing a crucial role.
• Li Guanqi and Chen Tang share a moment of despair, reflecting on their losses.
• Hou Guisheng comforts and supports Chang Sheng, showing camaraderie and sharing his winnings.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Li and his team have amassed nearly 350 gold coins, dominating the Indoor Game Area.
• Ji Li awaits the start of his special project while Hong Fu investigates other branches' status.
• The Haunted House project fails, and the project is sealed. Fang Shenyan is trying to handle the aftermath.
• Ji Li receives his special project: "Exposing the Malevolent Ghost," with the objective of finding and exposing a traitor among the Top Ten Branches.

Character Developments

• Ji Li remains calm and strategic, focusing on his special project while delegating tasks to his team.
• Hong Fu shows concern for his former colleagues, hoping they won't gamble their future on high-risk games.
• Fang Shenyan is working on the Haunted House issue, hinting at a deeper secret in the mission.

Significant Themes

• The importance of information gathering and strategic planning in the mission.
• The high stakes and risks involved in the commission mission, with potential tragic consequences for those who fail.
• The hidden rules and secrets of the mission, which Ji Li and Fang Shenyan are trying to uncover.

Character Interactions

• Ji Li and Hong Fu discuss the mission's progress and Ji Li's upcoming special project.
• Ji Li gives Hong Fu simple tasks to complete while he awaits his special project.
• Ji Li and Hong Fu share their concerns about the mission's risks and the potential fates of other branches.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Li wakes up in a small, sealed stone chamber, a prison.
• He realizes he's trapped and that others are also imprisoned nearby.
• A middle-aged man, Shao Yong'an from Branch No. 6, takes charge and tries to gather information.
• Ji Li reveals his identity, making himself a target of others' questions.

Character Developments

• Ji Li: Observant, calm, and strategic. He gathers information before revealing himself.
• Shao Yong'an: Intelligent, experienced, and perceptive. He understands the nature of Special Projects.
• Hu Li: Clever but impulsive. She reveals Ji Li's calm demeanor, drawing unwanted attention to him.

Significant Themes

• Information gathering and control: Characters try to gain information while keeping their own cards close.
• Trust and suspicion: Ji Li's silence and Hu Li's revelation create an atmosphere of mistrust.
• Power dynamics: Ji Li's identity as a Branch Manager initially gives him power, but his silence also makes him a target.

Character Interactions

• Ji Li and Shao Yong'an: Both are strategic and perceptive. Shao Yong'an's questions reveal Ji Li's presence, while Ji Li remains silent, trying to gather more information.
• Ji Li and Hu Li: Hu Li's impulsive words draw unwanted attention to Ji Li, potentially putting him in a disadvantageous position.
• All participants: The initial chaos and questions reveal the participants' fear, confusion, and desire for information.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The staff members remember they must find and expose the malevolent ghost among them.
• A gaunt ghost appears, scrutinizing each staff member, starting a project called "self-proof."
• The first round begins with a young man in denim (Player One), who struggles to prove his innocence within three minutes. He fails to provide any useful information and is returned to his cell.

Character Developments

• Ji Li: He observes the situation, deduces the project's rules, and strategizes his approach.
• The Gaunt Ghost: It serves as a "discipline enforcer," ensuring staff members follow the rules and complete their tasks.
• The Denim-Clad Man (Player One): He panics, fails to prove his innocence, and is likely to be targeted next.

Significant Themes

• Fear and its impact on decision-making and performance.
• The importance of clear communication and self-awareness in crisis situations.
• The power dynamics between the gaunt ghost and the staff members.

Character Interactions

• Ji Li observes and strategizes, while others, like Shao Yong'an, also try to understand the rules.
• The denim-clad man reaches out to Ji Li and Shao Yong'an for help, showing his desperation and lack of understanding of the situation.
• The gaunt ghost interacts with the staff members by scrutinizing them and giving instructions, demonstrating its authority and control.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Each person is given a chance to speak and verify their identity.
• Ge Xing from Branch No. 1 testifies first, using Luo Tian in cell No. 5 to corroborate his identity.
• Hu Li from Branch No. 10 accuses Ji Li, her Branch Manager, of being the malevolent ghost.
• Ji Li admits to being absent for 40 minutes but claims he was investigating the special project's rules.

Character Developments

• Ge Xing: Shows cleverness by using Luo Tian to strengthen his testimony.
• Hu Li: Accuses Ji Li to shift suspicion away from herself, demonstrating cunning and strategic thinking.
• Ji Li: Remains calm and composed, using his status to imply he's been secretly investigating the special project.
• Shao Yong'an: Realizes Hu Li's scheme and plans to use his knowledge of special projects to position himself as a crucial figure.

Significant Themes

• Trust and suspicion: Characters try to establish their identities and innocence while questioning others.
• Manipulation: Characters use various strategies to shift blame or gain an advantage.
• Power dynamics: Ji Li's status as a Branch Manager influences how others perceive his testimony.

Character Interactions

• Ge Xing and Luo Tian: Ge Xing uses Luo Tian to strengthen his testimony, but Luo Tian remains silent.
• Hu Li and Ji Li: Hu Li accuses Ji Li, shifting suspicion away from herself.
• Ji Li and the group: Ji Li's calm demeanor and implied knowledge of the special project intimidate the others.