"I don't understand what you mean." The Suit Man was courteous and refined. "Is there something unusual that happens after dark?"
The woman turned her head and gave him a very strange look.
The Suit Man didn't avert his gaze. He smiled and looked right back at her until she finally looked away. Then she turned and left the old dormitory building.
She didn't say a word.
The middle-aged man in the tank top tried to chase after her to ask a few more questions, but the woman was like a ghost. She didn't seem to be walking fast, yet she vanished around the corner in an instant.
"W-where did she go?" the middle-aged man who'd nearly broken down earlier asked, trembling. He couldn't make sense of the world they were in, and he couldn't understand how a grown woman could disappear in the blink of an eye.
"If you're curious, go ask her." The young man in the baseball cap chewed his gum and glanced at the middle-aged man, unconcerned. "Maybe she'll take you with her."
After being put in his place, the man could clearly sense everyone's displeasure with him, so he fell silent and meekly followed the others.
The farther in they went, the more clearly everyone felt it.
That eerie, sinister atmosphere clung to them, as if a pair of bloodshot, scarlet eyes were fixed on them from somewhere unseen.
But they couldn't find them.
A damp, musty chill washed over them, mixed with the smell of mold and something else they couldn't identify.
The corridors were cluttered with junk on both sides, leaving them no choice but to walk down the middle.
Once they found the staircase on the right, they carefully made their way up.
This dormitory really did feel awful. Black mold and dark yellow stains covered the walls.
Piles of some unknown, cottony substance lay on the floor. The place looked as though it had been abandoned for a long time.
The Fatty frowned and came closer, as if he wanted to say something, but Jiang Cheng stopped him.
He quickly stepped forward, putting some distance between himself and the Fatty.
The girl in the dinosaur pajamas was tucked into the middle of the group. Her eyes were red, and she rubbed her arm as she murmured, "This place looks so creepy. Do you think something bad happened here?"
The Hat Man adjusted his crooked cap and sneered. "I'd say something bad definitely happened here. Otherwise, they wouldn't have abandoned it."
"What might have happened here?" The middle-aged man in the tank top's eyes twitched.
The Hat Man's lips curled into a smirk. He gave a suggestive look, then lowered his voice on purpose and said mysteriously, "Maybe someone died here."
At the thought that someone might have died here, the middle-aged man in the tank top and several others shuddered. The girl in the dinosaur pajamas started sobbing again.
She could have cried harder, but perhaps she was afraid that the noise would draw something out, so she did her best to hold it in. Still, tears streamed down her face.
But this wasn't the real world. There weren't many people here overflowing with sympathy.
Or rather, anyone who'd been that sympathetic had already died many times over in previous missions.
Even the Suit Man, who'd always maintained a refined image, couldn't help showing a trace of disgust. He quickly masked it and resumed his carefree expression, but Jiang Cheng still caught it.
"Hey, Suit!" Jiang Cheng called.
The Suit Man turned around and looked at Jiang Cheng, puzzled. "What is it?"
"I think you're a really good person," Jiang Cheng said, looking at him with complete sincerity. "Having you on our team will improve everyone's chances of survival. You're not only sunny, but also very helpful."
The Suit Man froze for a moment. He thought about it, seemingly unsure why Jiang Cheng had suddenly said all that. Still, he appreciated the compliment. It helped him maintain his image.
"It's nothing." The Suit Man nodded with a smile. "Since fate brought us together, I'll do everything I can to get everyone out of here safely."
This was the first time the Fatty had heard Jiang Cheng compliment anyone, and a sense of foreboding rose in his heart.
"Well said," Jiang Cheng praised him. Then he turned to the Dinosaur Pajamas Girl, the middle-aged man in the tank top, and the other newcomers. "Suit says he'll protect you. Why don't you hurry over to him?"
The Suit Man: "???"
The Fatty: "...I feel like I've seen this scene somewhere before."
Almost at once, several people rushed to the Suit Man's side. The Dinosaur Pajamas Girl looked fragile, but she was the first to reach him and grab his left arm.
Another male newcomer was a little slower, but managed to grab his right arm.
Perhaps because of his age, the middle-aged man in the tank top was still half a beat behind.
By the time he caught up, the good spots beside the Suit Man had already been claimed, so he could only stretch out his arm and grab the Suit Man by the collar.
And so, the Suit Man was pushed to the front the whole way. He had no choice but to keep walking. Worst of all, he continued soothing everyone in his courteous, refined tone.
They finally reached the fourth floor. The Suit Man used the excuse that he needed to get the keys, and only then managed to shake off the people clinging to him.
His face was flushed red. Some of that was from being squeezed too hard, but the rest was probably because of Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng was looking at him with admiration, genuinely convinced he was a good person.
"All right," the Suit Man said. "Since you all trust me so much, I'll assign the rooms."
Under his arrangement, the Qipao Woman and the Dinosaur Pajamas Girl would stay in Room 407. The middle-aged man in the tank top, the male newcomer, and another woman with darker skin would stay in Room 406. He and the young man in the baseball cap would stay in Room 405.
His gaze moved from one person to the next. When it landed on Jiang Cheng, his expression suddenly turned into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You and your chubby friend seem to have known each other before. You two can stay in Room 404."
404 didn't sound lucky.
The Fatty was about to object, but Jiang Cheng patted him on the shoulder and agreed in a carefree, cheerful tone.
It was clear that the Fatty wasn't the only one unhappy with his assigned room, but it was getting dark, so even those who weren't pleased had no choice but to return to their rooms.
After all, a door between them and the hallway was still safer than standing around in that eerie corridor.
They took the key and opened the door. The Fatty had prepared himself, but the sight inside still shocked him.
Before you continue