After Xi Wutong said all that, she spoke no further. She hurried away, leaving him with these final words:
"A considerable number of cases have similar circumstances. That's part of why I was transferred to Fu City. I know you'll be taking part in the investigation too, Mr. Qin, and I hope we can work well together. None of these cases can be made public, and I don't have many resources at my disposal. Mr. Qin, if you decide to return to Lower River Village to investigate, please contact me."
In the end, Qin Manjiang agreed to her request.
Even before learning that this world had another side, Qin Manjiang had already suspected there was more to Old Qin's suicide. Now, not only Old Qin but even his adoptive mother, whom he could barely remember, had died the same way.
There was only one lead now-Qin Manyi.
She was the only suspect anyone had actually seen.
After searching online for news about his hometown, Lower River Village, Qin Manjiang finally discovered that... his hometown had long since become a notorious site of ghost stories in the Fu City area.
Someone committed suicide there every year, always in exactly the same way. Although the authorities had never released the news, no secret stayed buried forever. A few stories leaked from within Lower River Village, quickly turning it into a must-visit destination for ghost story enthusiasts and thrill seekers.
Yet apart from the suicides that occurred every year without fail, nothing else strange happened in Lower River Village.
Becoming the subject of ghost stories had brought unexpected profits instead. More and more people had visited this remote, impoverished place in recent years, and with tacit approval from all sides, Lower River Village's eerie reputation had only grown.
Qin Manjiang simply hadn't known, because he took little interest in anything.
Only after returning home and opening his door did Qin Manjiang finally have a little time to himself.
The wind in Fu City was strong that night. Thick, ink-black clouds crowded the sky, hanging so heavily they seemed about to fall. It looked like rain again.
Wind carrying the scent of moisture slipped through the window, bringing an uneasy atmosphere to the silent night.
His phone lay on the desk. Qin Manjiang sat before it, propping his chin on one hand as he quietly watched Fu City in the darkness.
He suddenly realized that, like the father and son in the cinema, he had never been accepted by this enormous city.
The people he knew, the people who knew him, his ties to society-all were being severed.
Humans were social animals. It was difficult for anyone to exist apart from other people and society.
Sometimes, Qin Manjiang wondered what it was that anchored a person's existence in this world.
If not a single person in the world knew someone, then in a certain sense, that person was no different from someone who didn't exist.
A gust blew through the window, tousling Qin Manjiang's hair, which had gradually grown longer.
Old Qin was gone. Li Xijiu was dead. Qin Manyi had lost her memories of the past.
Everyone closest to him was gone.
He intended to withdraw from university, too.
He hadn't lied to the class monitor. From the moment Li Xijiu threw him out of the fire, Qin Manjiang had understood what lay ahead.
He could no longer return to a normal life.
He could only keep winning this game, all the way to the end.
There were no rewards and no choices. Failure meant death.
Qin Manjiang instinctively reached up to adjust his glasses, only to discover that the bridge of his nose was bare.
Right... those glasses were gone. Like Li Xijiu, they had been left in the past.
Qin Manjiang tilted his head back and gazed at the looming black sky. The oppressive atmosphere, the slightly chilly wind, his hair stirring in the breeze-beneath the silent night, a sliver of pure white seeped through a gap in the dense clouds. The moon was still there. Its light seemed about to drip down along with his memories of the past.
Li Xijiu, you really were a sly one.
Those still alive carried everything that had vanished. Old Qin, his adoptive mother, and Li Xijiu-the weight of their memories pressed against Qin Manjiang's heart. He didn't dare forget, because he knew that once he did, they would truly be dead.
Letting out a long breath, Qin Manjiang rose and closed the window.
Fu City was still Fu City. It wouldn't change for anyone.
All his old ties had been severed. There was no one left in this world who would keep him in their thoughts.
Qin Manjiang didn't want to experience that feeling again, either. For the rest of his life, he would settle things with this game.
Outside the window, the sky grew darker, packed with storm clouds.
Boom- After a thunderclap, rain came pouring down in torrents.
Qin Manjiang had already closed the window, and now he found himself in a somewhat leisurely mood.
Dense raindrops hammered the streets, raising billowing white mist.
The glow of the streetlights blurred into circles, making the whole city hazy and dreamlike. It didn't look quite real.
Just like that game.
The reverse side of the material world had entered his life like this, changing its course in a remarkably short time.
Just then, his phone rang.
He picked it up and checked the number. It was the South Sky Road Branch.
"Hello, this is Qin Manjiang."
"Classmate Qin, your younger sister is implicated in a homicide. We've assessed her mental state, and the prosecution has decided not to bring charges. However, her current condition makes her unfit to live in society. We'll be sending her to Sleep Mountain Psychiatric Hospital. We'd like you to accompany her tomorrow and sign the relevant consent form."
"Does she have to be sent to a psychiatric hospital?"
"Yes. At the very least, she needs a professional assessment confirming that her mental state is stabilizing before she can be placed in her family's care."
"All right, I understand. I'll be there."
"Thank you for your cooperation."
The call ended.
Outside, rain poured through the night. Bean-sized drops struck the awning with a relentless clatter.
The decision regarding Qin Manyi was what Qin Manjiang had expected.
They said the decision not to prosecute was based on her mental assessment, but in truth, the homicide was simply too bizarre, and Qin Manyi's alibi was rock-solid. Now that she had completely forgotten the past, sending her to a psychiatric hospital really was the best option.
I'll bring her home after a while.
There were far too many unanswered questions surrounding Qin Manyi. Qin Manjiang now strongly suspected that she had been the one to click that link two years ago.
Then there were the deaths in Lower River Village and Old Qin's death. Everything around him seemed connected to her.
Qin Manjiang didn't put down his phone. Instead, his thumb hovered over the Ghost Story Game icon.
He had yet to take a proper look at everything the game contained.
Just as he was about to tap it, Qin Manjiang's breathing inexplicably quickened. Heat began spreading around his heart. At that moment, the entire world seemed to have been soaked in water, and everything around him began twisting unnaturally...
Was this a sign that the game was starting?!
Forcing himself to endure the intense discomfort, Qin Manjiang tapped his phone screen.
[Game released. Players assembling.] [Welcome to the ghost story world.]
Lines of red text appeared on the screen. Qin Manjiang's breathing grew increasingly labored. He braced his left hand against the desk, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.
[Multiplayer mode activated.] [Ghost story: Sick Sheep] [Player summoned: Green Vine] [Player summoned: Pond Fish] [Player summoned: Knife-and-Brush Clerk] [Player summoned: Boss Shi] [Player summoned: So Annoying] [Player summoned: Abyss]
Qin Manjiang saw his own name among them!
But it wasn't over... After the text melted into the black background, another page of blood-red words appeared!
[Challenge mode activated.] [Ghost story: Close Your Eyes] [Player summoned: Xingqiu] [Player summoned: Thousand Miles] [Player summoned: Lemonade with Ice] [Player summoned: Horsehead with a Sword] [Player summoned: Fragrant Grass at Sunset]
One blood-red name appeared after another.
In the pitch-black night, across different cities.
Someone stood before a floor-to-ceiling window on the top floor of a skyscraper, frowning at their phone.
Someone sat in a luxurious bathtub, holding their phone between clasped hands.
Someone hurried back to their trailer, phone in hand, halfway through filming.
Someone whistled, wearing a raincoat as they wandered in circles through the downpour.
Someone lay on a park bench, the tip of their cigarette glowing and fading...
The chosen players' hearts lurched, their expressions darkening.
Those who hadn't been chosen were overcome with joy, a red gleam in their eyes.
Every shade of human life was on display.
Yet what none of them had expected was that, ordinarily, this damned game only released two games at once: one multiplayer and one challenge.
But this time... after the challenge-mode players had all been announced, another new screen appeared!
[Exploration mode activated.] [Exploration player: Yang.]
Thank you to purej999 and Huaqingli for the tips! Thank you to Wang Dajuan for becoming a deacon! Thanks to Huajuemingzi, and thanks to Roast Duck! The day after tomorrow, this new book will receive its first round of recommendations. Please give it your support. Thank you, everyone.
(End of chapter)
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