Qian Lai

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Qian Lai (钱莱) 17
Alias(es)	Tang-Suited Young Man; Young Master Qian 17 40
Gender	Male 17 29
Affiliation	An unnamed family that has practiced the mystic arts for generations 40 41
Occupation/Role	Mystic practitioner; survival-game streamer; Yu Qing’s teammate in the Angel Psychiatric Sanatorium 17 27 43
Status	Alive; still searching for an escape key with Yu Qing at his latest documented appearance 50
First Appearance	Appears unnamed as the Tang-jacketed survivor 14; introduces himself as Qian Lai 17

Background

Qian Lai comes from an established family of mystic practitioners. His family’s traditions include working with ghosts and understanding the structure of human dreams; he possesses exceptional talent for commanding ghosts 40 41 43.

Yu Qing suspects that he is the son of a wealthy family, but this is an impression rather than a confirmed account of his upbringing 29.

Appearance

• Clothing: A green Tang-style short jacket decorated with hanging copper coins 25 43.
• Accessories: Sunglasses and a ghost-warding bell worn on his wrist 29 30.
• Height: Tall enough to comfortably drape an arm over Yu Qing’s shoulders; no exact measurement is given 29.
• Temporary change: Underworld liquor makes his skin unusually pale. He explains that the effect will disappear once he sobers up 40.

Personality

Qian Lai is intelligent, responsible, and cooperative. Yu Qing chooses to trust him after observing that he consistently favors everyone surviving together. He is also willing to deceive hostile NPCs: copying Yu Qing’s apparent speech impairment, he pretends to stutter to avoid morgue duty 17.

His usual manner is lazy, familiar, and teasing. He leans on Yu Qing to spare himself effort, jokes about Yu Qing’s supposed husband, and casually socializes with ghosts. After seeing Yu Qing’s hobbies field, he briefly worries that their physical familiarity could be mistaken for romantic interest; Yu Qing assures him that the feeling is not mutual 29 31 40.

His supernatural expertise does not make him fearless. He is frightened of darkness rather than ghosts, and his vivid imagination worsens his panic in the dream’s outer void. Nevertheless, he carries Yu Qing to safety and later mobilizes every corpse in the Dungeon to search for him 43 50.

Qian Lai can also become physically aggressive. After returning from the corrupted dream, he repeatedly punches Xue Ziyi until the other streamer begs for mercy 44.

Abilities & Skills

Ghost Command and Communication

Qian Lai has an exceptional aptitude for commanding ghosts, supported by his family’s longstanding familiarity with supernatural beings 40 43.

• Befriends four female ghosts in the Detention Room, drinking underworld liquor and playing finger-guessing games with them 40.
• Works alongside female ghosts while breaking through the Sanatorium’s wall 41.
• Summons every corpse in the Dungeon to help search for the missing Yu Qing 50.
• His rapport with ghosts does not extend to confidence around the BOSS: a black tentacle tapping his shoulder frightens him sober 40.

Talismans and Formations

Qian Lai draws talismans and assembles formations for attracting, strengthening, or repelling ghosts 23 30.

Technique	Demonstrated use	Limitations / Details
Ghost-Attracting Formation	Sets up a formation outside the ward to draw the female ghosts away from Yu Qing. Yu Qing instead kicks the defeated Doctor into it so the ghosts can take revenge 23.	Yu Qing identifies the formation as strengthening the ghosts within it 23.
Ghost-Exorcising Talisman	Draws a talisman for Yu Qing’s attempt to confront Xu Han 29 30.	Bites his finger to strengthen it with blood 30.
Ghost-Exorcism Formation	Deploys yellow talismans around Yu Qing when Xu Han attacks 30.	Has barely any effect against Xu Han’s intense resentment; Qian Lai dismantles it to seek other help 30.
Ghost-Sealing Talisman recognition	Identifies talismans concealed in a breached wall 42.	Yu Qing determines that the numerous embedded talismans collectively form a powerful exorcism formation 42.

Dream Knowledge

Qian Lai understands the protective layers and control centers of dreams through his family’s mystical teachings 41.

• Explains that warm colors surround pleasant dreams, while cool colors surround nightmares; exceptionally beautiful dreams appear red and exceptionally evil dreams pitch-black 41.
• Describes a Dream Core as a usually ping-pong-ball-sized, white-glowing representation of the dreamer’s consciousness 41.
• Proposes breaking outside the Sanatorium’s apparent boundaries to find the Core and possibly the escape key 41.
• Recognizes that the corrupted Core means Xu Han has not controlled the dream for a long time 43.

Luck and Physical Assistance

• Luck stat: 103. Yu Qing discovers the value by linking their systems. He connects Qian Lai’s extraordinary luck to their safe elevator escape 25.
• Mobility: Runs quickly enough to carry the low-stamina Yu Qing through the void while following his directions 43.
• Demolition: Uses a purchased sledgehammer to breach the third-floor mezzanine wall and later expose a concealed mirror in the Director’s Office 41 48.

Equipment & Items

• Ghost-warding bell — Worn on his wrist and used during his attempt to repel Xu Han; neither the bell nor his formation stops that attack 30.
• Talisman papers — Used to construct formations; he strengthens his work by biting his fingertips and applying blood 23 30.
• Sledgehammer — Purchased to break through the Sanatorium’s walls 41 48.
• Strawberry lollipop — Offers one to Yu Qing in exchange for keeping his private hobby secret 25.
• Sobering medicine — Buys medicine to recover from his drinking session before beginning the wall-breaking plan 41.

Relationships

• Yu Qing — Roommate in ward 104 and trusted survival partner. Yu Qing rescues him from the corridor’s vines; Qian Lai subsequently supplies talismans, helps investigate the Dungeon, carries him out of danger, and organizes a search when he disappears 17 30 43 50.
• Female ghosts — Drinking companions and cooperative supernatural allies. Four accompany him out of the Detention Room, and others assist with the attempt to breach the dream 40 41.
• Xu Tang / Tangtang — Temporarily holds the transformed rabbit girl at Yu Qing’s request, despite being horrified by her condition 20.
• Xu Han — A dangerous ghost whom he attempts to restrain during Yu Qing’s investigation. His defenses prove insufficient 30.
• The BOSS — Fears the tentacled entity and treats Yu Qing’s claim that it is his husband with nervous curiosity. Before carrying Yu Qing, he mutters that the “tentacle monster” should not get jealous 31 40 43.
• Xue Ziyi — Participates in an attempted keycard escape alongside him, but later beats him after the duo returns from the corrupted dream 32 44.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Forming an Alliance

The Tang-jacketed survivor initially urges the group to follow the Sanatorium’s rules. During registration, Yu Qing prevents him from speaking before adopting an apparent mute act himself 14.

After Yu Qing rescues him from sound-seeking vines, Qian Lai admits that his stutter was an imitation intended to avoid morgue duty. They exchange information in ward 104 and conclude that the director likely possesses the access card needed to escape 17.

Surviving the Sacrificial Ritual

Qian Lai prepares a Ghost-Attracting Formation to rescue Yu Qing from the Doctor, only to return and find Yu Qing already commanding the monsters. His formation becomes the site of the Doctor’s punishment 23.

When the strange old woman’s rhythmic movements mesmerize them, Yu Qing breaks free and tackles Qian Lai out of the path of corrosive water. Skeleton orderlies then identify Qian Lai as the Angel’s newest sacrifice. With help from the female ghosts, the pair escape to the ninth floor and split up to investigate 25.

Both receive 500 points for completing the ninth-floor exploration mission ahead of time. Qian Lai later supports Yu Qing when Zhang Yi grabs him during a dispute over clues 27 28.

Failed Escape and the Dream Investigation

After the unsuccessful attempt to question Xu Han, Qian Lai helps obtain a replacement white coat for Yu Qing’s approach to the director. The subsequent keycard escape fails when the system resumes NPC activity and the director catches the group 30 31 32.

Qian Lai returns from detention drunk and accompanied by ghosts. Once Yu Qing presents his theory that the Sanatorium exists within Xu Han’s dream, Qian Lai challenges the evidence, then supplies the Dream Core explanation and begins breaking through the wall 40 41.

In the outer void, the pair discover that the Core is corrupted and contains no key. Qian Lai carries Yu Qing back toward the Sanatorium, where they expose the director’s control of the polluted dream. Both are credited with the discovery, bringing plot exploration to 78% 43 44.

Final Search for the Key

Qian Lai helps dismantle the Angel Statue and search the Director’s Office, where his hammer reveals a hidden mirror. Their nighttime stakeout is interrupted by the BOSS 48.

When Yu Qing disappears, Qian Lai summons the Dungeon’s corpses to search for him. After their reunion, he helps locate and search the director, but finds no key. With two hours remaining, Yu Qing announces that he has worked out its location, sends Qian Lai away, and confronts the BOSS alone 50.

Notable Quotes

“My family's practiced the mystic arts for generations. We get along... really well with ghosts!” 40

“Tentacle monster, don't get jealous.” 43