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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
• 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.

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.

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