Xu Zhi

Biodata

Background / History

According to Ning Zhuangzhuang, Xu Zhi was among the first people to enter the game and had already cleared several instances. He helped her survive her previous instance when she was a newcomer, leaving her with a favorable impression of him. Ning believed he might soon be able to leave the game permanently, although this was her expectation rather than a confirmed outcome 5 7 16.

Rumors in the Public Rest Area describe him as having entered the game only a few months after marrying his beloved. He reportedly explained his determination to clear instances as a desire to return to the real world and reunite with his spouse. These details are presented through Lu Dalu’s recollection of his public reputation rather than direct confirmation 90.

During “The Patient,” a ghost operates through Xu Zhi’s body. Lu Mi ultimately exposes the possession, and Hu Pu destroys the human body before the players vote the ghost out. The point at which the possession began is not established in these events 98 101.

Appearance

• Described as a young man of average build 3 16.
• Has small eyes; Lu Mi compares his suspicious stare to that of a rat in a gutter 15.
• Frequently wears a reassuring smile, which can quickly conceal contempt or displeasure 5 16.
• Appears refreshed and dressed in spotless clothing when he approaches Lu Mi in the Public Rest Area after their escape 22.
• During “The Patient,” most of his right leg is eaten by a beast, and he begins using a wheelchair. Lu Mi later cuts off half of one arm after the possessed Xu Zhi bites his ear 86 88.

Personality

Xu Zhi presents himself as a calm, dependable veteran. He organizes frightened players, speaks on their behalf to “Mom,” and offers reassurance during dangerous tasks. His reputation extends beyond the instance: players in the Public Rest Area credit him with carrying newcomers through challenges and hope to be matched with him 5 17 21.

Behind this reassuring manner, he is calculating and willing to exploit others. Lu Mi notices him replacing a contemptuous smile with concern and later accuses him of letting other players risk their lives to obtain clues. His treatment of Ning confirms the danger beneath that façade: he uses a harmful truth-compelling item on her, then dismisses its severe side effects because she would not disclose the mirror’s location 5 16 19 20.

His friendliness is conditional on usefulness. After seeing Lu Mi control fire, he tries to recruit him; when Lu Mi refuses, Xu Zhi immediately becomes hostile and threatens him 22.

Behavior While Possessed

The ghost possessing Xu Zhi retains his outwardly helpful veteran persona, using reassurance, apparent concern, and information-sharing to gain the other players’ trust. It bandages Shang Anbang’s injured hand and encourages him to warn the others about the dog’s claws, while secretly feeding his bloodstained gauze to the creature 89 90.

Unlike Xu Zhi’s earlier utilitarian interest in Lu Mi, the possessor displays an overtly predatory obsession. It claims to have repeatedly watched Lu Mi’s four instance episodes and spent money tipping him, calls him its idol, and expresses excitement about tasting him and being alone with him. Lu Mi immediately regards its flirtatious behavior as inconsistent with the real Xu Zhi 88.

The possessor’s confidence depends partly on its belief that the organizers have guaranteed its safety. When Hu Pu attacks it, it protests that it was not supposed to be in danger and refers to Xu Zhi’s body as a ruined human vessel 98.

Abilities & Skills

Instance Knowledge

Xu Zhi draws on experience from multiple completed instances to interpret rules and identify possible escape routes 7.

• Recognizes that “going to bed on time” requires being in bed, not merely inside one’s room, after Lu Mi identifies the pattern among the victims 3.
• Suggests that the guarded wardrobe in Room 208 may contain something capable of restraining “Mom” 7.
• Understands that an instance can have multiple ways to fulfill its completion condition 20.
• Knows the Public Rest Area’s order-enforcement rules and uses them to discourage Lu Mi from attacking him 22.
• At the beginning of “The Patient,” suggests that the Human-Ghost Showdown has separated established teams to prevent players from automatically ruling out familiar companions as ghosts. He also warns that using a flashlight in the forest will attract dangerous creatures 85.

Organization and Persuasion

Xu Zhi can coordinate strangers quickly and use his veteran reputation to gain cooperation 5 16.

• Arranges nine participants into three rows and directs their poses for the family portrait 5.
• Proposes task assignments and completes the living-room decorations alone 11 15.
• Invokes his earlier assistance to pressure Ning into sharing information 16.
• Redirects “Mom” into opening the door for the relatives, avoiding the players’ risk of stepping outside 18.

Exploitation of Rules While Possessed

• Uses his genuine leg injury and wheelchair to obtain Hu Pu’s sympathy. Lu Mi deduces that Hu Pu’s own history of illness makes her more lenient toward disabled participants; the loss of this protection after Xu Zhi’s legs heal confirms its practical importance 88 96 98.
• Deliberately keeps his eyes open during the dog-feeding task and deposits bloodstained gauze in the kennel. The creature reacts with excitement and a sound suggestive of growth; Lu Mi later suspects that the possessor’s special treatment allowed it to interfere without immediate punishment 89 96.
• Maintains the appearance of a helpful teammate rather than immediately tricking Shang Anbang into opening his eyes, thereby reducing the other players’ suspicion 90.
• Continues groaning after Hu Pu has chopped the human body into bloody remains, exposing the presence of a possessing ghost rather than a surviving human ability 98.

Limits

• Hesitates outside Room 208 without entering, despite recognizing its importance 8.
• Cannot resist the paternal aunt’s supernatural control during their dance; the bones in his legs melt, leaving him collapsed on the floor 19.
• His injuries begin recovering after A Jun appears and suppresses “Mom,” rather than through any demonstrated healing ability of his own 19.
• In “The Patient,” a beast catches him after he falls and calls for help, eating most of his right leg before Hu Pu intervenes 86.
• The possessed Xu Zhi remains subject to the instance’s restrictions on lower-body strength even after a healing potion restores his legs. He cannot escape Hu Pu, and the players subsequently remove the possessor through the voting system 98 101.

Equipment / Items

• Player wristband — Provides access to the game’s interface and shop, which Xu Zhi references when explaining how he obtained the means to extract Ning’s information 19.
• Unnamed truth-compelling item — Used on Ning Zhuangzhuang to obtain the mirror’s location. She cannot clearly remember the encounter afterward, and Xu Zhi admits that the item has severe side effects. Her condition continues deteriorating after the other players recover 19 20.
• Wheelchair — Obtained through his panel after the beast attack in “The Patient.” The possessed Xu Zhi later fits it with snow chains and uses it while deliberately leaving his leg injury unhealed 86 89 96.
• Bandages and medicine — Uses bandages on his injured leg and severed arm. The possessor also bandages Shang Anbang’s scratched hand, then throws the bloodstained gauze into the doghouse 86 88 89.
• Dagger — The possessor attempts to stab Lu Mi after realizing that he has tricked it into drinking a healing potion 98.

Relationships

• Ning Zhuangzhuang — Previously helped her survive an instance and initially enjoyed her trust. Their relationship deteriorates as she recognizes his behavior; he ultimately forces information from her with a dangerous item 5 6 16 17 20.
• Lu Mi — A fellow participant who distrusts his reassurances and challenges his exploitation of others. Xu Zhi later attempts to recruit him for his fire-controlling ability, then threatens him after being rejected 6 16 22. During “The Patient,” the ghost possessing Xu Zhi becomes obsessively fixated on Lu Mi. Lu Mi retaliates against its unwanted bite by severing part of its arm, then ultimately exploits that obsession to administer the healing potion that strips away its protection 88 98.
• Zhang Mei — Relies on his guidance and asks him to accompany her into another instance. He agrees, then uses that dependence to send her toward the exit key before Lu Mi can receive it 20 21.
• “Mom” / Xiao Lei — Outwardly obeys her while pursuing a plan to have A Jun kill her. She later strikes Xu Zhi without killing him before allowing the players to leave 17 20 21.
• Unnamed spouse — According to Public Rest Area rumors, Xu Zhi was newly married when he entered the game and claimed to be working toward a reunion with his spouse 90.
• Possessing Ghost Spectator — Uses Xu Zhi’s body during the Human-Ghost Showdown. Its obsession with Lu Mi and persistence after the body’s destruction distinguish it from the human player; it is voted out after Lu Mi exposes it 88 96 98 101.
• Hu Pu — Rescues Xu Zhi from the forest beast. The possessor later appeals to her sympathy by discussing illness and disability, but she kills his body once Lu Mi restores his legs and removes his privileged status 86 88 98.
• Shang Anbang — His roommate and dog-feeding partner in “The Patient.” Shang Anbang initially admires and trusts him, unaware that the possessor secretly uses his blood to feed the kennel’s occupant and predicts that he will not return to the Healing Area 88 89 90.
• Lu Dalu — Initially celebrates being matched with the famous veteran, but does not help when Xu Zhi falls during the beast attack and later mocks his disability. The possessor’s subsequent helpfulness restores Lu Dalu’s confidence in him 85 86 90.

Story Role / Major Arcs

“Mom’s Anniversary”: Trusted Veteran

• Tells the players that they must sleep only in their assigned rooms. After five overnight murders, Lu Mi’s observations reveal the additional requirement to be in bed during inspection 2 3.
• Helps Ning correct missed cleaning spots, reinforcing her belief that he is trustworthy. Lu Mi remains suspicious of both his motives and his earlier incomplete guidance 6.
• Shares the account of a player killed for opening the wardrobe in Room 208, suggesting that its contents may help clear the instance 7.
• Reassures Xiao Xue that she still has hours before the room check. After she dies during an early inspection, Lu Mi suspects that trusting Xu Zhi caused her to lower her guard 7 8.

The Mirror and A Jun’s Release

• Enters Room 208 after Lu Mi and Ning investigate it, then pressures Ning to disclose the mirror’s location. Lu Mi intervenes and tells her to keep it secret 16.
• Uses the truth-compelling item to obtain that information. Lu Mi deduces that Xu Zhi likely persuaded Zhang Mei to retrieve the mirror rather than taking the risk himself; her involvement is presented as Lu Mi’s inference 19 20.
• Treats A Jun’s release as a successful solution because it interrupts “Mom’s” control and allows the injured players to recover. He expects A Jun to kill her and thereby clear the instance 19 20.
• Dismisses Lu Mi’s decision to kill A Jun instead, but begins reconsidering when Lu Mi restores “Mom’s” memories and reunites her with her daughter 20.

Escape and Public Rest Area

• Signals Zhang Mei to seize the exit key first. “Mom” throws her aside and gives Xu Zhi a nonfatal blow before handing the key to Lu Mi 21.
• Escapes while clutching his stomach and reiterates the item’s serious side effects as Ning dies at the threshold 21.
• Is revealed to hold second place on the leaderboard, below Cheng Cheng 21.
• Approaches Lu Mi with a recruitment attempt, relying on the Public Rest Area’s lethal enforcement rules to protect himself from retaliation. He leaves with a threat after Lu Mi refuses to team up 22.

“The Patient”: Reunion and Possession

• Meets Lu Mi again among the ten participants in a Human-Ghost Showdown instance. He explains the game to a newcomer and suggests that established teammates have been separated deliberately 85.
• Orders the group to flee a forest beast, but falls while running. His cries attract the creature, which eats most of his right leg before Hu Pu drives it away 86.
• Acquires a wheelchair and urges Lu Mi to leave his hiding place as the temperature drops. At Hu Pu’s house, he supports Lu Mi’s claim that he arrived late because Xu Zhi had waited for him 86.
• While possessed, tells Hu Pu that using a wheelchair has revived memories of a serious illness and feeling like a burden to his family. Because this account is given by the possessor while courting her sympathy, it does not establish the real Xu Zhi’s medical history 88 98.
• Bites Lu Mi’s ear after drawing him close with an offer of information. Lu Mi cuts off half of his arm, after which the possessor privately reveals its obsession with Lu Mi’s broadcasts 88.

The Doghouse and Misdirection

• Accompanies Shang Anbang to the doghouse for the four-o’clock feeding. While Shang Anbang keeps his eyes closed, the possessor watches the creature take the bowl and scratch his partner’s hand 89.
• Offers to bandage Shang Anbang’s injury, then secretly throws the bloodstained gauze into the kennel. Something inside responds with excitement and apparent growth 89.
• Encourages Shang Anbang to share his experience with the other players, cultivating an image of generosity. Lu Mi recognizes that this apparent helpfulness makes the possessor less suspicious 90.
• Signals the players to gather for a private discussion after Hu Pu demands fresh food for her dog. He later pressures Lu Mi to state whom they should sacrifice, accepting his outward agreement to hand over Zhao Huai 94 95 96.
• Shows Lu Mi the exposed bone of his injured leg. Rather than disproving possession, the unhealed injury convinces Lu Mi that the ghost has deliberately preserved its disability to exploit Hu Pu’s sympathy. Lu Mi secretly leaves Tang Niantao a warning identifying Xu Zhi as the ghost 96.

Exposure and Destruction

• Approaches Lu Mi with increasingly overt possessiveness. Lu Mi pretends to reciprocate his interest and offers liquor while speaking about Tang Niantao’s death 98.
• Drinks the liquor, which Lu Mi has used to administer a healing potion. His legs rapidly regrow their flesh, revealing that the injury was treatable and removing his protection as a disabled participant 98.
• Attempts to stab Lu Mi, who dodges. Hu Pu notices his restored legs, pursues his wheelchair, and hacks his body apart despite his protests that the organizers promised him safety 98.
• Continues groaning after the body has been reduced to bloody remains, allowing Lu Mi to explain the possession without dispute. The players vote Xu Zhi out through their panels 98.
• The later escape sequence confirms that this vote required a two-minute reconsideration period before final confirmation. Because Xu Zhi’s body was already dead, the delay did not present the immediate danger posed by the subsequent vote against Long Xi’er 101.

Notable Quotes

“Because Ning Zhuangzhuang isn't going to last much longer. There's no need to pretend anymore.” 19

“Sorry about that. The item that makes people tell the truth has some pretty nasty side effects. But you wouldn't tell me where the mirror was, would you?” 20

Spoken by the Possessor

“I watched those four episodes of his over and over, and finally got to meet him in person. If I didn't have a taste myself, all that money I spent tipping my idol would've gone to waste...” 88

“No, the organizers said I wouldn't be in danger—enough! This human body is beyond saving. Stop!” 98

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