"Surveillance... right, the surveillance footage!"
The manager led another group off to check the surveillance footage, bristling with aggression.
Yu Xiaohe clearly hadn't considered the existence of surveillance cameras when she acted. Now her whole body went rigid.
This boss really couldn't handle pressure. Li Qing glanced at her, then turned to Gong Yao, who was waiting where he stood. "Following the usual formula, the surveillance system should already be broken by now."
Yu Xiaohe looked up doubtfully and saw Li Qing making an "OK" sign with the hand behind his back.
Yu Xiaohe: "..."
After a moment's thought, Gong Yao actually accepted this outcome quite readily. "That's true. Still, it's a good thing if it's been damaged."
Li Qing: "?"
Gong Yao said, "If it's been damaged, that means someone did it. If the cameras were working but couldn't capture anything, wouldn't that just confirm our production was haunted?"
As he spoke, he rubbed his chest, still somewhat shaken.
"One person dying to a haunting every day-who could take that? Luckily, today's filming is already over, with no casualties.
"...I'm starting to wonder if all these strange incidents really have something to do with young Mr. Tao disrupting the opening ceremony..."
On Tao Lele's livestream, a certain young Mr. Tao, who was watching television at the hotel, suddenly sneezed.
Li Qing gave a casual reply out of politeness, then continued back to report to Director Li.
Gong Yao had completely forgotten that he was supposed to be joining his manager at the control room to demand answers. Instinctively, he followed Li Qing back again.
In Gong Yao's livestream chat:
[I... can't watch this anymore!]
[Snap out of it! You're killing me!]
[Who is this man who'd help count the money after being sold out? How did he possess our boss Gong Yao?]
At this point, Li Qing could sympathize with the anxious viewers in the chat.
He even suspected that "keep a close eye on Li Qing and don't let him cause trouble" had been promoted to the top priority in Gong Yao's original consciousness.
Having just escaped death, there were so many things he could have done, yet he insisted on watching one insignificant production assistant like a hawk.
...But Li Qing had to admit that Gong Yao's inexplicable vigilance had won.
He had originally planned to spend some more time alone with Yu Xiaohe, ready for this boss to awaken at any moment.
Yu "Boss-to-Be" Xiao He finally recovered some of the composure a C-Rank player ought to have.
She forced a smile and asked Gong Yao, "So how did you escape?"
The Dungeon Instance's character role had instilled Gong Yao with the directive to "pay attention to Yu Xiaohe." He was very patient with her now, answering warmly:
"I carry a dagger with me."
He produced a solid black dagger from somewhere.
"...Though I don't know why I carry this thing around, luckily, it's very sturdy. I used it to pry open the elevator doors, then took the cameraman up through the elevator shaft."
Li Qing had already seen this scene on Gong Yao's livestream when he met Yu Xiaohe, so he wasn't surprised.
Still, he politely offered his agreement. "Your dagger is sturdy, but you played the bigger role. Most people aren't strong enough to pry open elevator doors with a dagger."
It seemed that even though Gong Yao had lost his memories, his physical abilities were still there.
Gong Yao looked both pleased and a little embarrassed. "Really? Now that you mention it, this is the first time I've realized I could do something like that."
Li Qing nodded.
Gong Yao continued, "Do you think I should take a martial arts film for my next role? I feel terrifyingly strong right now. I wouldn't even need a stunt double..."
Li Qing: "..."
Yu Xiaohe walked slowly behind them. Looking at Li Qing, who seemed untouched by worldly concerns, and the easygoing Gong Yao, whose personality had done a complete about-face since secondary school, confusion once again surfaced on her face.
Just then, Gong Yao's phone rang.
He answered, listened intently for a while, then said, "Mm," and ended the call.
"My manager has finished checking the surveillance footage," Gong Yao said lightly.
Yu Xiaohe's body immediately tensed as she stared at Gong Yao's back.
Li Qing wasn't particularly interested, but still responded with a questioning, "Mm?"
With both hands in his pockets, Gong Yao said leisurely, "Just as you predicted, the surveillance system was broken."
Yu Xiaohe slowly relaxed her breathing, a layer of cold sweat coating her palms.
"What a pity," Li Qing said flatly.
"It's a bit of a relief, too." Gong Yao's lips curved upward. "Maybe everything we've encountered since filming began is just like the truth revealed in the first half of the movie. None of it was caused by ghosts. They were all man-made incidents."
Li Qing finally raised his eyes to look at him. "Does that make you feel relieved? I remember a saying: the human heart is more frightening than ghosts."
Gong Yao laughed. "That's just what novels say. In reality, I don't know how to see ghosts, and I don't know how to destroy them. I only know how to deal with people.
"...Compared to ghosts, the human heart is something we can control, isn't it?"
Li Qing raised an eyebrow and didn't answer.
The day's filming ended with a scare but no harm done. Li Qing found an opportunity to leave the group and went to the mall in search of food.
-At a time like this, Gong Yao stopped pestering him, but Yu Xiaohe had gone back with Gong Yao, too, so Li Qing couldn't very well ask her out alone.
...Forget it. I'm off the clock now.
As he carefully chewed his steak and watched the six players' livestreams, an urgent message popped up.
It was a reply from the Technical Team.
Li Qing casually opened it, only to be blindsided by a wall of densely packed text.
[Hi! Dear Team Leader S-A9B08F013 Li Qing, I'm delighted to receive your request for help! Let's start with the conclusion: player P-RAND4040 (Bai Cha) has a normal identity, with no signs of cheats or anomalous data. Even more exciting, the B002 Dungeon Instance you're in is this player's very first Dungeon Instance~] [Although there are no data anomalies, I still recommend that you continue monitoring this player, because his ID is just so interesting... ahem. In any case, I'm sure an experienced team leader like you already has a plan for handling this, so I won't say any more.] [Incidentally, Miaomiao and I have been following your activities (To the Information Team: we absolutely have not been slacking off watching livestreams during work hours. We are merely monitoring public opinion to support the Administrator's work.)] [Miaomiao and I are very pleased to see that you've successfully integrated into modern human society. However, we do have one small suggestion:] [All the viewers think you're a player, but do you know what the biggest differences between you and the players are?] [-An actor's identity, a livestream, and a sense of purpose.] [It's already too late for the first two, so I suggest you create a goal for yourself-not a goal for Administrator Li Qing, but a goal for "production assistant" Li Qing-to integrate yourself into this story jointly created by the players.] [We will continue following your activities (through other people's livestreams). You can do it, little Li Qing! Whether my Dynamic Intelligent Script Dungeon Instance can be rolled out on a large scale depends on you!] [-Your loving old father, Technician S-A0000002, Zhang Qin]
Before you continue