Translator: CinderTL
Although it sounded plausible, Jiang Cheng couldn't shake the feeling that the case wasn't as simple as it seemed.
He had a hunch that the strangeness in the files had more to do with the woman.
Fatty licked his lips and cautiously asked, "Since the woman jumped to her death at Peace Apartment, she must have lived here, right? Which room was it?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Cheng noticed the expressions of the people across from him change instantly.
After a moment, Wan Yuanning's voice broke the silence. "Building 3." She looked at Jiang Cheng and exhaled. "Room 808."
Fatty was momentarily stunned before quickly realizing, "That's Wu's room, isn't it?"
Hua Luo nodded with a strange expression. "Yes, it's his."
Soon, the unease in everyone's hearts began to grow. As their thoughts became clearer, following the current clues, it seemed that the vengeful ghost woman was the source of the eerie incidents.
The other ghosts were the people she had killed.
In that case, Wu, who had moved into Room 808, should have been the one most likely to encounter a ghost. And as the root ghost, she was probably the most terrifying entity in this scenario.
But why hadn't he mentioned anything about it so far?
He was safe.
And he seemed rather carefree.
This carefreeness wasn't reflected in his actions but in his attitude toward the scenario. He didn't seem in a hurry to complete the task and return home.
Some had suspected him before, but with so many unexpected situations arising during the mission, everyone's attention gradually shifted.
Especially since he wasn't one to reveal much about himself or engage in conversation.
This left everyone's understanding of him at a rather superficial level.
Jiang Cheng had tried to probe him a few times, but his attempts were like throwing mud into the sea—no ripples were stirred. Wu had no interest in influencing the group's judgment or misleading them with false insights.
He seemed like someone who simply enjoyed his freedom during the mission.
He was just… odd.
Jiang Cheng's gaze swept over Banana Wolf and the others. It was clear that they had thought of the same thing; otherwise, they wouldn't have called him here.
But instead of meeting at the café where the three groups had previously gathered—a place that was closer and more convenient—they had deliberately chosen to avoid Wu.
"Time is limited, so I think we should be honest," Banana Wolf said, clasping his hands together and speaking on behalf of the three. "We suspect Wu might be compromised. He might have been killed by the ghost."
The implication was clear: the current Wu was a ghost.
"But he hasn't done anything, has he?" Chu Jiu carefully recalled the scenes she had shared with Wu and analyzed, "Only Lu Huaxu from his group had an accident. If he were a ghost, wouldn't it be hard for his group to survive, especially if he was trying to hide himself?"
"Could it be that more than just Wu was killed, and we just don't know about it?" Fatty asked, swallowing nervously.
After a long pause, Jiang Cheng, who had been stroking his chin, shook his head. "It doesn't seem like it. Have you thought about this?" He raised his head. "The information about Li Maoshen, Qiao Yu, and Qiao Yu's brother was all provided by them. Both our groups verified it through our own channels. If they were ghosts, what would be the point of doing that?"
In nightmares, ghosts and players were naturally opposing factions.
A significant portion of the ghosts' malice was directed at the players. Unless the task was completed and the truth behind the case uncovered, there was only death.
Now that the case was gradually becoming clearer, it was time to make a decision regarding Wu's identity.
"I suggest our two groups avoid alerting Group 3 until we've investigated Wu's identity," Banana Wolf said.
"Agreed."
Jiang Cheng, the leader of Building 1, was always the top figure wherever he went. With his nod of approval, Fatty and Chu Jiu naturally had no objections.
"But where do we go to check the information about Room 808?" Fatty asked. "None of us are in Building 3."
"I know where to go," Banana Wolf said, standing up.
Jiang Cheng looked up at him, and from his expression, it seemed he had already guessed.
Standing in front of the landlord's room, Fatty was still hesitant. The elderly man, who was physically disabled, gave him a bad vibe, and his attitude wasn't exactly friendly.
After knocking on the door symbolically, Jiang Cheng pushed it open and walked in. The old man was sitting in a chair, the leather on the back almost completely worn away. He held a large teacup in one hand and turned to look at them, a flicker of displeasure crossing his face.
"Who let you in?" he barked, standing up.
The old man's face was disfigured, making him look terrifying. When his one-eyed gaze swept over them, Fatty felt as if he'd been scraped by a knife.
They caught a whiff of food, and on the corner of the table was a takeout box that had been completely cleaned out.
It seemed the old man had ordered delivery.
But Jiang Cheng showed no fear. He walked over confidently, pulled the old man's chair out from under him, and sat down in it.
"The apartment you rented to us has had deaths," Jiang Cheng said, looking directly at the old man.
"Nonsense!" the old man exploded, glaring with his one eye. "Who's spreading rumors? Is it—"
"Building 1, Room 707, Zhao Jiajia. Room 710, Yu Youwei. Building 2, Room 404, Song Xiaoyou…" Jiang Cheng rattled off a string of names, glancing at the old man with a raised eyebrow. "Shall I go on?"
"They… they didn't die… in the rooms," the old man stammered, his voice noticeably weaker.
Jiang Cheng glanced at Banana Wolf, who immediately jogged forward, took off his backpack, and pulled out a tablet.
Jiang Cheng opened it, found the news article about the woman's fall, and showed it to the old man. "What about this? The suicide in Building 3, Room 808. You must know about that."
The old man's mouth twitched, and his throat bobbed heavily. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Jiang Cheng shouted—
"Stand up straight! Is this how you should be behaving?"
The old man jumped, nearly dropping his teacup.
He was already in the wrong for renting out such a place, and now that he'd been caught, his heart was racing. He instinctively glanced at Jiang Cheng's companions.
His gaze inadvertently fell on Banana Wolf's bag, and his one eye nearly popped out in terror.
Inside was a 30-centimeter-long machete, its handle sticking out, and there seemed to be blood on it.
"No, no, no!" the old man immediately cowered. "I'll refund the rent, alright? I'll give it all back! Let's talk this out, no need for violence."
Fatty sighed. "Why didn't you just say that earlier?"
The old man trembled as he went to a drawer, pulled out some money, and stuffed it all into Banana Wolf's bag. He even gave Banana Wolf a polite smile.
The old man's face wasn't so bad when he wasn't smiling, but the grin tugged at his scars, making him look like a ghost. It startled Banana Wolf so much that he instinctively reached for the knife.
Fatty watched as the old man's legs shook, nearly causing him to collapse.
(End of the Chapter)
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