Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chenghe finds himself in a world bathed in seven-colored light, with Li Guanqi missing and Destiny altered.
• Li Yi stands up, uninjured, holding a gray fragment that absorbs Nightmare and Destiny powers.
• Ji Li's appearance changes, his hair growing rapidly and eyes turning gray, indicating a Gray Soul revival.
• Destiny opens, leading to Tianhai, with Li Guanqi as the sole passenger initially.
• Li Yi uses a Puzzle Piece Fragment to increase the power of Destiny, accommodating everyone.
• Ghost entities enter Destiny: Mu Nianmei, White Robe Ghost, and Skin Peeling Ghost.
• Ji Li and Li Yi exchange a significant gaze, acknowledging their opposing fates in Destiny.
• Skin Peeling Ghost enters last, glancing at the gate of Shanming University of Finance and Economics.

Character Developments

• Su Chenghe: Realizes he's now a direct participant in Destiny and struggles to leave.
• Li Yi: Uses a Puzzle Piece Fragment to expand Destiny's power, revealing his method to reach Tianhai.
• Ji Li: Experiences a superficial Gray Soul revival, maintaining his will.
• Skin Peeling Ghost: Voluntarily enters Destiny, showing resistance to the process.

Significant Themes

• Destiny and fate manipulation.
• The power of Supernatural Auras and artifacts (Puzzle Piece Fragments).
• The struggle between Ji Li and Li Yi, foreshadowing their opposition in Destiny.

Character Interactions

• Su Chenghe and Li Yi: Su Chenghe observes Li Yi's actions, trying to understand the situation.
• Ji Li and Li Yi: Exchange a meaningful gaze, acknowledging their impending conflict in Destiny.
• Skin Peeling Ghost and others: Last to enter Destiny, showing reluctance and awareness of the events unfolding.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Guanqi finds himself in a vast void with a starry sky above and an empty chessboard beneath him.
• He realizes he's not a lone piece but the active player in an endgame, and Destiny wants him to play with his body.
• Ji Li and Li Yi enter Destiny, encountering a White Robe Ghost and Su Chenghe respectively. The void shifts, and they meet, with the moon-like eyes in the sky moving slightly.
• Both men face their opponents again, Ji Li with a severed-headed sculpture of himself, and Li Yi with Su Chenghe.

Character Developments

• Li Guanqi accepts his role in Destiny and decides to play the game with resolve.
• Ji Li and Li Yi, both injured previously, enter Destiny and face their opponents with newfound determination.

Significant Themes

• Fate vs. Free Will: Li Guanqi grapples with Destiny's role in his life, deciding to play the game despite its unsolvable nature.
• Confrontation: Ji Li and Li Yi face their opponents, each dealing with a manifestation of their past fears or failures.

Character Interactions

• Li Guanqi, Ji Li, and Li Yi all encounter their respective challenges, with Ji Li and Li Yi meeting briefly before being forced to face their opponents again.
• The White Robe Ghost and Su Chenghe, representing death and past failures, confront Ji Li and Li Yi respectively.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Guanqi discovers an anomaly on his chessboard, which represents Destiny.
• He realizes he's the only one who can change fate, and others are mere pieces.
• Ji Li, Li Yi, and Su Chenghe are present in Destiny, each with their own objectives.
• Ji Li and Li Yi plan to use Li Guanqi's life to move Destiny towards Tianhai.

Character Developments

• Li Guanqi gains a macroscopic view of Destiny and understands his unique role in changing fate.
• Ji Li and Li Yi exhibit a strong determination to meet Tianhai and reveal their cold calculation towards Li Guanqi's fate.
• Su Chenghe understands the true nature of Destiny and the role of Ji Li and Li Yi in Li Guanqi's fate.

Significant Themes

• Fate and Destiny: Characters grapple with the concept of Destiny and their roles within it.
• Calculation and Manipulation: Ji Li and Li Yi demonstrate their strategic thinking and willingness to use others to achieve their goals.
• Fear and Acceptance: Su Chenghe faces his fear of meeting Tianhai and accepts his role in Destiny.

Character Interactions

• Ji Li and Li Yi: They share a common goal and communicate as if no one else is present, excluding Su Chenghe.
• Ji Li, Li Yi, and Su Chenghe: The three interact briefly, with Ji Li and Li Yi focusing on their shared objective, while Su Chenghe grapples with his understanding of Destiny.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Guanqi, the player, is struggling to find hope in a seemingly lost chess game.
• The black pieces, led by Ji Li and Li Yi, are aggressively advancing, cornering Li Guanqi.
• Li Guanqi uses a Sin Item, a white dragon, to mark a path for his only living piece on the chessboard.
• Ji Li and Li Yi, unaware of the chessboard's context, are clearing the void within the chessboard, aiming to force Li Guanqi's move.

Character Developments

• Li Guanqi: Realizes the existence of a powerful entity outside the chessboard, influencing his destiny.
• Ji Li: His Evil Spirit briefly revives due to an unknown force approaching him in the void.
• Li Yi: No significant development in this chapter.

Significant Themes

• Hope and Despair: Li Guanqi struggles to find hope in a seemingly hopeless situation.
• Power and Influence: The entity outside the chessboard demonstrates immense power, overshadowing destiny.
• Perspectives: Ji Li and Li Yi's actions within the chessboard are perceived differently by Li Guanqi.

Character Interactions

• Li Guanqi and the Entity: Li Guanqi becomes aware of the Entity's presence and influence.
• Ji Li and Li Yi: They are unknowingly working together to clear the chessboard, drawing closer to each other.
• Ji Li and the Unknown Force: Ji Li encounters an unknown force in the void, reviving his suppressed Evil Spirit.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Li is attacked by the White Robe Ghost using the Evil Spirit, which Ji Li had thought was no longer a threat.
• Ji Li's five senses are taken away, and he's on the verge of being annihilated by his own Evil Spirit.
• A golden talisman on Ji Li's back activates, saving him from the Evil Spirit's attack.
• Ji Li kills the White Robe Ghost and sends it to the Underworld.
• Li Yi appears in the void and uses his gaze to attack a young man in white.
• The Ghost in the sky, revealed to be Li Guanqi, flips the chessboard, freezing time and space.

Character Developments

• Ji Li faces his most intense mental attack, learns about his resurrection power, and feels intense hatred towards the White Robe Ghost.
• Li Yi appears, using his gaze to attack the young man in white, showing his determination and power.
• Li Guanqi, revealed as the Ghost in the sky, shows his ability to control the chessboard and time.

Significant Themes

• The power of the mind and mental attacks.
• The theme of resurrection and its true source.
• The theme of hatred and its consequences.
• The theme of control and manipulation, as seen in Li Guanqi's actions.

Character Interactions

• Ji Li vs. White Robe Ghost: Ji Li is nearly destroyed by the White Robe Ghost but ultimately defeats it.
• Li Yi vs. Young Man in White: Li Yi uses his gaze to attack the young man, showing his power and determination.
• Li Guanqi vs. Everyone: Li Guanqi flips the chessboard, freezing everyone and everything, showing his control over the situation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Time rewinds one minute.
• Li Guanqi realizes the game isn't meant for him; he's just a pawn.
• He understands that humans and ghosts can't coexist equally, and hope is forbidden for him in Tianhai Hotel.
• He fails to counter Ji Li using the white dragon, confirming his fate as a lost game.
• The Skin Peeling Ghost's power is revealed to be immense, controlling Li Guanqi's fate.
• Li Guanqi decides to gamble by flipping the chessboard to change his fate.
• The Skin Peeling Ghost flips the chessboard, annihilating all pieces and the chessboard, erasing their existence.

Character Developments

• Li Guanqi accepts his humble role in the game and decides to gamble with his life to change his fate.
• The Skin Peeling Ghost is revealed to be a powerful entity, not controlled by fate, and has intense interest in the game.

Significant Themes

• Fate and free will: Li Guanqi struggles with his role as a pawn in the game, trying to change his predetermined fate.
• Power dynamics: The relationship between humans and ghosts is unequal, with ghosts holding more power.
• Hope and despair: Li Guanqi clings to hope despite his dire situation, ultimately leading to his decision to gamble with his life.

Character Interactions

• Li Guanqi interacts with the Skin Peeling Ghost through the eyes in the sky, understanding that the ghost controls his fate.
• Li Guanqi's actions influence the Skin Peeling Ghost, leading to the ghost flipping the chessboard and erasing the pieces' existence.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A rift opens in the sky, revealing destiny as layers of threads that entangle humans and ghosts, freezing them.
• Li Guanqi, who had narrowly escaped death, smells the scent of death and feels a profound fear of annihilation.
• He sees an ordinary door within the rift, which he feels he has seen before but can't recall.
• Su Chenghe, standing apart, sees the same door but feels intense fear and trembling.
• Li Yi, who failed to assassinate Ji Li, meets another pair of gray eyes in the rift and sees faces of his acquaintances, revealing the reason behind his actions.

Character Developments

• Li Guanqi: Realizes the insignificance of destiny and experiences profound fear of annihilation.
• Su Chenghe: Feels intense fear upon seeing the door, suggesting a hidden connection to it.
• Li Yi: Discovers the truth behind his actions and accepts his responsibility.

Significant Themes

• Destiny and Free Will: The revelation of destiny challenges the characters' understanding of free will and their roles in the grand scheme.
• Fear and Acceptance: Characters face their fears and must accept the truths revealed to them.
• Connections and Origins: The door and the faces in the rift suggest deep connections and origins that the characters must confront.

Character Interactions

• Li Guanqi and Destiny: Li Guanqi's interaction with destiny reveals his mortality and the insignificance of his past pursuits.
• Su Chenghe and the Door: Su Chenghe's reaction to the door hints at a hidden connection between him and Tianhai.
• Li Yi and the Faces: Li Yi's encounter with the faces in the rift provides him with the answers he sought, accepting his responsibility.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Li finally reaches the Bronze Ancient Coffin, encountering a gap in the sky with a familiar scent from a previous destiny encounter.
• He finds Li Guanqi and Li Yi in stark contrast—Li Guanqi is enraged, Li Yi is resigned. Ji Li realizes Li Yi has decided to side with Tianhai.
• Ji Li hears a mysterious sigh and sees a shadow, then discovers Li Yi's headless ghost, Ouyang, who had been his friend and later his enemy.
• Ji Li touches Ouyang's shadow and is transported to a dilapidated square filled with corpses, where he experiences the Seven Heads Ritual from Ouyang's perspective.

Character Developments

• Ji Li remains calm and determined despite facing the unknown.
• Li Guanqi is consumed by rage, while Li Yi accepts his fate and sides with Tianhai.
• Ouyang's ghost is revealed, carrying a personal vendetta against Ji Li.

Significant Themes

• Destiny vs. Free Will: Ji Li grapples with the forces of destiny, trying to oppose them.
• Sacrifice: The ritual involves sacrificing individuals, and Ji Li experiences this firsthand through Ouyang.
• Revelations: Ji Li uncovers secrets about the past and the ritual.

Character Interactions

• Ji Li interacts with Li Guanqi and Li Yi, understanding their decisions and the consequences.
• Ji Li encounters Ouyang's ghost, connecting with his past and gaining new insights.
• Ji Li experiences the ritual through Ouyang's perspective, feeling his emotions and sensations.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Li experiences a vision of a ritual from fifty years ago, where a black-robed figure sacrifices seven heads on stone pillars, including those of Ouyang, Tong En, and A Jing.
• The black-robed figure is revealed to be Ji, Ji Li's ancestor, who performs the "Ritual of Changing Fate" using Heterochromia, a ghost-capturing pendant.
• Ji Li learns that the "Ritual Plaza" is indoors, not in the mortal world, and Tianhai is involved.
• After the revelation, Tianhai traps Ji Li and others on a chessboard, intending to turn them into dead pieces.
• Li Yi is injured by Tianhai's gaze, losing his right arm, and Ouyang advises them to go west to find the skin peeling ghost for help.

Character Developments

• Ji Li gains crucial information about his ancestor Ji and the ritual, which will significantly impact his future.
• Li Yi is injured for the first time since arriving in Tianhai, leading to a rare display of hatred towards Tianhai.
• Ouyang awakens from his destiny and provides a helpful hint to the group.

Significant Themes

• Fate and Destiny: Ji Li learns about his ancestor's actions to change fate, and Ouyang awakens from his destiny, highlighting the theme of fate manipulation.
• Consequences of Knowledge: Ji Li's revelation about the ritual leads to immediate danger, illustrating the consequences of acquiring forbidden knowledge.
• Power and Control: Tianhai's actions demonstrate its power and willingness to control and eliminate those who pose a threat.

Character Interactions

• Ji Li and the black-robed figure (Ji) interact through the vision, providing insight into Ji Li's lineage and the ritual's origins.
• Ji Li and Li Yi work together to avoid Tianhai's attack, showing a brief moment of cooperation despite their previous tension.
• Ouyang provides crucial information to Ji Li and Li Yi, fostering a sense of teamwork and shared purpose.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chessboard representing destiny shatters, and a gap in the sky appears, indicating impending disaster.
• Tianhai, the entity controlling destiny, is displeased with humans probing its secrets and decides to eliminate them.
• Li Yi, who previously revealed destiny, loses an arm and flees to complete an unknown mission.
• Li Guanqi, another employee, disappears without a trace.
• Su Chenghe, the only employee left, experiences auditory hallucinations urging him to steal, possess, and surpass something. He flees towards higher ground.
• Ji Li, the protagonist, emerges from the void and decides to follow Su Chenghe, seeing him as a path to survival.
• Ji Li has an extreme idea to go see Tianhai through the gap in the sky, despite the risks and inopportune timing.

Character Developments

• Li Yi: Loses an arm and is forced to flee, harboring deep resentment.
• Li Guanqi: Vanishes without a trace, likely escaping.
• Su Chenghe: Experiences auditory hallucinations and flees in fear.
• Ji Li: Decides to follow Su Chenghe and contemplates going to see Tianhai, displaying increased recklessness and willfulness.

Significant Themes

• The struggle against destiny and the consequences of defying it.
• The desperation and fear humans experience when faced with the unknown and powerful.
• The theme of willfulness and acting on one's desires, as seen in Ji Li's decision to go see Tianhai.

Character Interactions

• Li Yi and Li Guanqi: Their fates remain unclear, but they both face the consequences of revealing destiny.
• Su Chenghe and Ji Li: Su Chenghe's hallucinations and fear contrast with Ji Li's reckless decision to follow him and potentially confront Tianhai.
• Ji Li and Tianhai: Ji Li's decision to go see Tianhai, despite the risks, sets up a potential confrontation between the two.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Li and Mu Nianmei approach the gap leading to the Annihilation Space, where Tianhai resides.
• Mu Nianmei's ghostly form begins to decompose due to extreme fear as they near the gap.
• Ji Li enters the Annihilation Space and realizes it's a Supernatural Barrier filled with loneliness, gloom, and despair, but no signs of death or fighting.
• He hypothesizes that the barrier wasn't created by Tianhai but might be trapping it, causing the annihilation emotions.

Character Developments

• Mu Nianmei: Her fear of Tianhai causes her ghostly body to decompose. Despite this, she remains with Ji Li, showing loyalty and resilience.
• Ji Li: He demonstrates courage and determination in facing Tianhai. He also shows compassion towards Mu Nianmei, granting her freedom after their agreement is complete.

Significant Themes

• Fear: Mu Nianmei's fear of Tianhai and the Annihilation Space is a significant driving force in the chapter.
• Freedom: Ji Li grants Mu Nianmei her freedom, highlighting the theme of liberation from oppression.
• Empathy: Ji Li's profound empathy allows him to understand the true nature of the Annihilation Space and its potential secret.

Character Interactions

• Ji Li and Mu Nianmei: Their bond deepens as they face the Annihilation Space together. Ji Li's compassion towards Mu Nianmei is evident in his decision to grant her freedom.
• Ji Li and Tianhai: Ji Li's interaction with the Annihilation Space and his hypothesis about Tianhai's role in it reveals a potential secret about the barrier's nature.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Li encounters Tianhai's attack, a heterochromatic pupil that annihilates everything it illuminates.
• Ji Li dodges and counteracts by discarding his coat onto the pupil, causing it to disintegrate.
• Ji Li enters the Skin Peeling Ghost's territory, discovering a vast expanse of human skin covering the ground.
• Ji Li throws a piece of his own skin towards the Skin Peeling Ghost, causing the human skin barrier to bleed and howl.
• Tianhai's erasure power descends, tearing apart the Skin Peeling Ghost's barrier and threatening Ji Li.

Character Developments

• Ji Li demonstrates his resolve and resourcefulness in facing Tianhai's attacks.
• The Skin Peeling Ghost reveals its true form and barrier, showing its defensive capabilities.
• Tianhai's power is shown to be overwhelming, capable of erasing barriers and threatening Ji Li directly.

Significant Themes

• The theme of erasure is prominent, with Tianhai's attacks and the Skin Peeling Ghost's barrier both being forms of erasure.
• The power of rules is emphasized, with Tianhai's erasure being a manifestation of the rules.
• The theme of cooperation between humans and ghosts is introduced, with Ji Li and the Skin Peeling Ghost working together unintentionally.

Character Interactions

• Ji Li interacts with Tianhai indirectly through its attacks.
• Ji Li and the Skin Peeling Ghost have an unspoken understanding, cooperating to set up a barrier.
• Ji Li's actions directly influence the Skin Peeling Ghost's barrier, leading to its destruction.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Li misjudges his own abilities and the situation with Tianhai and the Skin Peeling Ghost.
• Tianhai's power is overwhelming, easily destroying the Human Skin Barrier.
• A Door of Destiny appears, revealing the fate of Tianhai Staff, and providing crucial intelligence about Tianhai.
• Ji Li glimpses the Door of Destiny, understanding it as a rule of self-deception that surpasses Tianhai.
• Ji Li feels an impending danger and decides to flee.

Character Developments

• Ji Li overestimates his uniqueness and the importance of his mission initially, but learns valuable information about Tianhai and the Door of Destiny.
• The Skin Peeling Ghost's true purpose is revealed to be drawing out the Door of Destiny, not resisting Tianhai.

Significant Themes

• Misjudgment and self-deception: Ji Li misjudges his abilities and the situation, and the Door of Destiny is a rule of self-deception.
• The power of rules: Tianhai's power is overwhelming, and the Door of Destiny is a rule that even Tianhai must follow.
• Fate and destiny: The Door of Destiny reveals the fate of Tianhai Staff, and Ji Li feels an inescapable fate.

Character Interactions

• Ji Li and the Skin Peeling Ghost become temporary allies against Tianhai, but Ji Li abandons the Skin Peeling Ghost when he senses danger.
• The Door of Destiny reveals the fates of the Tianhai Staff, connecting them in a shared destiny.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Li attempts to escape through the gap, but Tianhai, trapped behind the Door of Destiny, intervenes.
• The Skin Peeling Ghost is defeated and escapes, discarding its skin to block the door temporarily.
• Ji Li is pulled towards the Door of Destiny but is rescued by Mu Nianmei, who sacrifices herself to save him.

Character Developments

• Ji Li: Realizes the truth about Tianhai and the Door of Destiny. Accepts his fate but has no regrets.
• Mu Nianmei: Overcomes her cowardice, risks her life to save Ji Li, and ultimately sacrifices herself.

Significant Themes

• Destiny and free will: Ji Li's actions are driven by his sense of duty and choice, while Mu Nianmei's sacrifice highlights the power of individual agency.
• Consequences of actions: The Skin Peeling Ghost's probing leads to Tianhai's intervention, emphasizing the severe repercussions of underestimating powerful entities.

Character Interactions

• Ji Li and Mu Nianmei: Ji Li's initial disregard for Mu Nianmei's feelings evolves into gratitude and respect as she saves him.
• Ji Li and Tianhai: Ji Li's attempt to escape Tianhai's influence ends in failure, highlighting the power imbalance between them.
• The Skin Peeling Ghost and Tianhai: The ghost's defeat and escape demonstrate the hierarchy among ghosts and the danger of provoking Tianhai.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Li falls from a great height after escaping Destiny and is severely injured.
• An unknown person saves Ji Li and takes him to a hospital.
• Branch No. 2 is under attack by a large number of ghosts and becomes a trapped cage.
• Staff from other branches gather to plan a counterattack against the ghosts trapped in Branch No. 2.

Character Developments

• Ji Li's near-death experience leads to his rescue by an unknown person.
• Hou Guisheng, Xue Tingtao, and Luo Xian stabilize their branches and predict the upcoming disaster.
• A staff member from Branch No. 2 sacrifices themselves to trap all the ghosts inside, buying time for a counterattack.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice: The staff member from Branch No. 2 sacrifices their life to save others.
• Teamwork: The staff from different branches come together to plan a counterattack against the ghosts.
• Resilience: Despite the severe injuries and setbacks, Ji Li and the staff continue to fight.

Character Interactions

• The unknown person who saves Ji Li is later revealed to be Mu Nianmei.
• Hou Guisheng arrives at Branch No. 2 to find it sealed and plans a counterattack with other staff members.
• Ji Li's condition is critical, and Wang Kun, a doctor, is summoned to operate on him.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Anti-Capture Operation's command center is set up in a tea house across from Wangdu Hot Pot Restaurant.
• The operation's initial plan is to form a cordon around Branch No. 2 and infiltrate gradually, but this plan is shelved due to the inability to communicate with the branch and the loss of two reconnaissance teams.
• Hou Guisheng, the overall commander, decides to dispatch a final reconnaissance team with only five minutes to gather information. If they fail, he will initiate a full-scale assault using the remaining staff.
• Tong Guan volunteers to lead the last reconnaissance team, with Chang Nian and Wei Guang joining him.

Character Developments

• Hou Guisheng demonstrates his ruthlessness and decisiveness as the new Branch Manager.
• Tong Guan shows leadership, empathy, and a willingness to take risks by volunteering for the dangerous mission.
• Chang Nian displays loyalty and support for her husband by joining him on the mission.
• Wei Guang shows camaraderie and bravery by volunteering to join Tong Guan's team.
• Gu Qingyun appears indifferent but keeps a close eye on Tong Guan's actions.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice for the greater good: Tong Guan, Chang Nian, and Wei Guang are willing to risk their lives to save the staff of Branch No. 2 and capture the escaped ghosts.
• The harsh reality of Tianhai's operations: The Top Ten Branches are severely depleted, and the lower-ranking staff are aware of the risks but still participate, hoping for a chance to survive the purge.
• Leadership and decision-making: Hou Guisheng's iron-fisted approach contrasts with Tong Guan's more empathetic leadership style.

Character Interactions

• Tong Guan and Chang Nian: The couple shares a silent understanding, with Chang Nian supporting Tong Guan's decision to lead the final reconnaissance team.
• Tong Guan and Wei Guang: The two men display camaraderie and mutual respect, with Wei Guang eagerly joining Tong Guan's team.
• Gu Qingyun and Tong Guan: Gu Qingyun seems to be observing Tong Guan closely, hinting at potential future interactions or conflicts between them.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A team of four (Tong Guan, Chang Nian, Wei Guang, and Gongsun Liang) is formed to infiltrate Branch No. 2, which has been overrun by Ghosts.
• The team's mission is to secure the conference room, contact any surviving employees, and gather intelligence.
• Upon entering Branch No. 2, they discover a fierce confrontation between surviving employees and Ghosts, contrary to their expectations.

Character Developments

• Tong Guan: Shows strategic thinking and leadership by planning the infiltration and briefing the team.
• Wei Guang: Demonstrates concern for his branch's employees, warning Xue Tingtao about Hou Guisheng and Gu Qingyun.
• Xue Tingtao: Shows naivety and inexperience in dealing with political intrigue within the branches.

Significant Themes

• Lack of Information: The team's lack of knowledge about the situation inside Branch No. 2 puts them at a disadvantage.
• Leadership and Trust: Tong Guan's leadership is crucial, while Wei Guang's warning highlights the importance of trust among the branches.
• Survival and Sacrifice: The employees' desperate fight against the Ghosts underscores the theme of survival at any cost.

Character Interactions

• Tong Guan and the Team: Tong Guan leads the team, briefing them on the plan and issuing orders.
• Wei Guang and Xue Tingtao: Wei Guang warns Xue Tingtao about potential dangers from Hou Guisheng and Gu Qingyun.
• Wu Hui: His maniacal state and the picture on his phone hint at a dark turn in his character, foreshadowing potential dangers.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Staff of Branch No. 2 are engaged in a bizarre battle with unseen ghosts, leading to multiple deaths.
• Tong Guan, the Vice Branch Manager, arrives and witnesses the chaos.
• Gongsun Liang reveals that there are no living people left in the hotel, only ghosts (37 in total).
• Wu Hui, a staff member, guides Tong Guan and others to the attic, claiming there's a defense line there.
• Tong Guan suspects Wu Hui's intentions and sends his wife and another staff member to investigate a different floor.

Character Developments

• Tong Guan: Becomes more cautious and suspicious, realizing the severity of the situation and the untrustworthiness of Wu Hui.
• Wu Hui: Reveals he's been influenced by a girl with a ragdoll, catching ghosts for her. His actions and statements raise suspicion.
• Gongsun Liang: Becomes increasingly anxious and grim as they approach the attic, hinting at a significant discovery.

Significant Themes

• Trust and Betrayal: Tong Guan's growing mistrust of Wu Hui and the potential betrayal by a staff member.
• Unseen Threats: The invisible ghosts causing havoc and death among the staff.
• Desperation and Survival: The staff's desperate attempts to survive and the grim reality of their situation.

Character Interactions

• Tong Guan and Wu Hui: Tong Guan becomes suspicious of Wu Hui's intentions, while Wu Hui guides Tong Guan towards the attic.
• Tong Guan and Gongsun Liang: They share a silent understanding, with Gongsun Liang revealing crucial information about the ghosts.
• Tong Guan, Chang Nian, and Wei Guang: Tong Guan sends his wife and Wei Guang to investigate another floor, showing his strategic thinking and concern for their safety.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tong Guan ascends to the third floor of Branch No. 2, listening to Wu Hui's account of the situation.
• Wu Hui reveals that there are nine Ghosts in Branch No. 2, with one being a Ragdoll Female Ghost that can alter consciousness.
• Tong Guan realizes that Wu Hui, and possibly others, have been influenced by the Ragdoll Female Ghost's consciousness.
• Tong Guan stabs Wu Hui, killing him, but Wu Hui shows no signs of turning into a ghost.
• Tong Guan decides to scrap the original plan and advises Gongsun Liang to spread the message that Branch No. 2 should not be entered.
• Gongsun Liang leaves, and Tong Guan prepares to hunt the Ragdoll Female Ghost outside the store.

Character Developments

• Tong Guan: Shows strategic thinking and adaptability, realizing the situation's gravity and the influence of the Ragdoll Female Ghost. He takes decisive action to kill Wu Hui and changes the operation plan.
• Wu Hui: Reveals the situation in Branch No. 2 but is later shown to be under the influence of the Ragdoll Female Ghost. He dies at Tong Guan's hands.
• Gongsun Liang: Initially shocked by Tong Guan's actions, he quickly understands the situation and agrees to spread the message. He leaves Branch No. 2 to relay the information.

Significant Themes

• Trust and Reality: The theme of trust and reality is explored as characters struggle to discern what's real due to the Ragdoll Female Ghost's influence.
• Adaptability and Decision-Making: Tong Guan's ability to adapt to new information and make decisions based on the changing situation is highlighted.

Character Interactions

• Tong Guan and Wu Hui: Wu Hui's account of the situation leads Tong Guan to realize the extent of the Ragdoll Female Ghost's influence, culminating in Tong Guan killing Wu Hui.
• Tong Guan and Gongsun Liang: Tong Guan shares his new plan with Gongsun Liang, who understands the gravity of the situation and agrees to spread the message.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gongsun Liang exits the Mist Door unharmed, finding Branch No. 2 seemingly deserted.
• He hears faint voices from the second floor, not recognizing them as Chang Nian or Wei Guang.
• Upon returning to the real world, he finds a large force assembled for a counter-attack operation.
• Gongsun Liang warns them about the Ragdoll Female Ghost and her Death Curse, causing chaos among the staff.
• Gu Qingyun appears, threatening those who try to leave, and Hou Guisheng interrogates Gongsun Liang about his exit from the Mist Door.
• Gongsun Liang realizes the ghost might have let him out to change their plan, but the frontal assault plan proceeds.

Character Developments

• Gongsun Liang gains new information about the Ragdoll Female Ghost and her curse, but his credibility is questioned.
• Hou Guisheng shows anger and determination, prioritizing the operation over potential losses.
• Gu Qingyun demonstrates loyalty and ruthlessness by threatening the staff.

Significant Themes

• Trust and Deception: Gongsun Liang's credibility is questioned, and the ghost's intentions are uncertain, leading to mistrust and confusion.
• Consequences of Decisions: Hou Guisheng's decision to proceed with the plan despite potential risks highlights the theme of facing the consequences of one's choices.

Character Interactions

• Gongsun Liang and Hou Guisheng: Gongsun Liang shares crucial information, but Hou Guisheng questions his credibility and persists with the original plan.
• Gongsun Liang and Gu Qingyun: Gongsun Liang is dumbfounded by Gu Qingyun's appearance and threat.
• Xue Tingtao and Hou Guisheng: Xue Tingtao notices Hou Guisheng's anger and suppression of other possibilities, leading to a cold realization.