Chapter 8: Aftermath

“Welcome! This is the [——] Mall’s General Service Desk. How may I assist you today?”

As the name of the mall was spoken, the mannequin’s voice shifted into a garbled, static-like noise, reminiscent of a bad signal, causing a sharp, slight pain at the temples.

Lin Yunhui cautiously stepped forward, his voice trembling with fear: “C-Can you really help us?”

The mannequins turned their faces toward Lin Yunhui, their stiff smiles frozen on their faces.

Unable to control himself, Lin Yunhui took a step back.

Perhaps the question had triggered the mannequins’ response function, as it spoke again, this time listing the services it could offer:

“The General Service Desk offers mall information, directions, points redemption, and lost-and-found services. How may I assist you today?”

When the mannequin mentioned “lost-and-found,” there was a slight pause, almost as though it was reluctant to disclose the information to the customer.

Zhao Yilang swallowed nervously.

The voice of the mannequin, though smooth and devoid of emotion, somehow carried an oddly tempting undertone in Zhao Yilang’s ears.

A vague thought flickered in his mind. 

Since one of the services offered was “directions,” could he ask the mannequins to point him toward the exit of the mall?

As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Zhao Yilang’s heart raced, and he couldn’t help but blurt out: “C-Can you guide me…”

Before he could finish, he felt someone yank him back roughly.

Ji Zizai’s voice came from behind, cold and sharp: “What were you about to say?”

Zhao Yilang froze. 

He stared at the mannequin in front of him, then at Ji Zizai, a cold sweat breaking out across his back.

For some reason, as soon as he realized he could leave, he had completely forgotten all the analysis he’d heard earlier. 

Only an overwhelming impulse to leave remained, and it wasn’t until Ji Zizai’s voice snapped him back to reality that he realized he had nearly crossed the line into a dangerous situation.

Compared to the other services, “directions” was too tempting. 

Rationality returned to Zhao Yilang’s mind, and he no longer trusted that the mannequins would be so kind. 

It was likely just bait to deceive the participants.

Ji Zizai glanced at the young woman who had introduced herself as “Xu Ming.” 

After hearing Lin Yunhui’s question, Xu Ming’s expression shifted, revealing a subtle understanding.

Ji Zizai glanced at him and reminded him, “Keep calm.”

The plastic mannequin still had a stiff smile on its face. 

It repeated the question it had just asked, “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Xu Dengming said, “We came here because our car keys are missing.” 

She said, “Have you seen them?”

Her tone was calm and her attitude was polite, as if the person standing in front of her was not a strange being, but a normal shopping mall employee.

Hearing her words, the dark eyes of the plastic mannequin seemed to become even colder and deeper.

It looked at Xu Dengming quietly, and after a while, it slowly took out a box of lost items from under the counter.

There were quite a lot of car keys among the lost items, and it was difficult for passengers to tell which one belonged to them. 

Fortunately, the mall had marked all the places where they were found, and it was not difficult for participants to find their own one with the leaflets in their hands.

At the moment when she got the key in his hand, a line of familiar words appeared in Xu Dengming’s field of vision again –

“Game Cleared.”

***

Xu Dengming realized that, based on Dou Wenju’s words, some people must have been aware of the abnormal phenomena in the world, but they hadn’t shared this knowledge with the general public.

The organizations that controlled the secrets likely had a well-established procedure for handling ordinary people who accidentally entered these scenarios.

Tap, tap, tap.

Xu Dengming heard a series of footsteps growing closer.

A group of people, dressed in dark uniforms and walking with the purposeful stride of someone well-trained, approached with clear intent.

The leader took out his phone, confirmed their identities, and then forcefully ushered the survivors into a nearby temporary office.

Inside the temporary office, Xu Dengming slowly sipped her hot water, taking one careful mouthful at a time.

It wasn’t until now that she realized her body felt unusually stiff and cold.

The survivors were initially separated for checks, and by the time those were finished, Xu Dengming hadn’t seen Ji Zizai or the others again.

About ten minutes later, the office door opened, and a young man wearing a white T-shirt walked in, accompanied by a few subordinates.

The young man, his expression somewhat detached, showed Xu Dengming his credentials before beginning the questioning.

The credential read “City Comprehensive Public Security Management Bureau.”

Xu Dengming: “What would you like to know?”

The young man in the white T-shirt replied: “We received a report about an unusual situation at Jin Cai Mall. We need your cooperation for a brief investigation.”

Xu Dengming paused for a moment.

The young man in the white T-shirt was a little surprised by her silence and asked: “Is there something difficult about this?”

Xu Dengming took out a shopping list from her pocket: “Since I’m here, I’d like to ask if Jin Cai Mall will be open today.”

Though the Sunflower Apartment wasn’t far from Jin Cai Mall, Xu Dengming clearly didn’t want to make another trip for shopping.

The staff standing behind the young man in the white T-shirt exchanged a collective look of confusion at her words.

This wasn’t entirely their fault.

Usually, people who had entered the game for the first time and managed to survive tended to be in a state of shock and dazed disbelief. 

It was rare to see someone who, even after escaping, couldn’t forget a shopping list.

Curious, one of the staff leaned forward to see what was so important about the list that it couldn’t even be forgotten after surviving a dungeon.

“Soap, tissue paper, compressed biscuits…”

In Xu Dengming’s perspective, the young man in the white T-shirt seemed surprisingly understanding. 

Although the mall staff had already received notice to leave early, she still asked politely.

She had still contacted the relevant personnel, who helped her complete the items on her shopping list.

After handing the procurement task to his subordinates, the man in the white T-shirt asked Xu Dengming about her experience in the elevator, making sure to go over every detail carefully.

The man in the white T-shirt said slowly, “You say your name is Xu Dengming.” 

He paused, then added, “Who is Xu Ming, then?”

Xu Dengming remained calm. 

“It’s also me.”

The man in the white T-shirt looked at her.

“Xu Ming is a pen name,” Xu Dengming added, before she continued, “To be honest, I’m still an immature creator.”

The man in the white T-shirt raised an eyebrow. 

“Then may I ask, what works have you created?”

“I have no works.”

The man in the white T-shirt blinked, clearly puzzled.

Xu Dengming flashed a sincere smile, her lips curling up. 

“Because I’m immature in a very realistic way.”

There was a moment of silence. 

The man in the white T-shirt tightened his grip on the recorder, and his subordinates behind his all simultaneously wore the stiff, awkward expression of “What did I just see?”

Though he realized Xu Dengming was making up a story, the professional career of an ordinary resident from a suburban area was not the key focus of this case. 

The man in the white T-shirt shifted the topic back to the main matter at hand.

After gathering enough information, he placed a confidentiality contract in front of Xu Dengming.

Xu Dengming glanced at it briefly. 

The contract especially emphasized that any details of the “copy experience” could not be leaked, though the penalties for violation were not detailed. 

It only stated that the management bureau had the right to pursue accountability, leaving plenty of room for imagination.

Perhaps it was the lighting, but Xu Dengming thought the texture of the contract felt strange.

It was less like the usual white paper and more like some kind of leather.

She picked up the contract and pointed to the word “copy” mentioned in it, asking, “I’d like to know, what exactly is a ‘copy’?”

The man in the white T-shirt glanced at her and actually gave an explanation. 

“You can simply think of it as a space with special rules. People who meet certain triggering conditions will be pulled into it, go through certain events, and if they’re lucky, they can leave alive.”

He didn’t mention what happens to those with bad luck, but Xu Dengming could imagine it.

The man in the white T-shirt continued, “Once you sign the contract, you can go home. I’d suggest forgetting everything you’ve experienced today— the more you know, the more likely you are to be captured again.”

Xu Dengming didn’t say more and quickly signed the contract.

The conversation had left her with a strange feeling. 

Although the man in the white T-shirt spoke directly, he had a persuasive aura about him.

Xu Dengming couldn’t shake the thought that perhaps the woman’s aura, along with the confidentiality contract, was something like her own [Eye of Observation], holding power that went beyond the ordinary.

However, the power of the contract wasn’t very strong. 

If Xu Dengming weren’t so weak right now, she might not have noticed it so clearly.

After signing, Xu Dengming didn’t linger in the office. 

She stood up decisively and left. 

As she reached the door, she bumped into Lin Yunhui.

When Lin Yunhui saw Xu Dengming, a look of joy crossed his face. 

“You made it out… you’re here too!”

He had obviously wanted to share his thoughts on surviving the ordeal, but as the words left his mouth, he remembered the confidentiality contract signed at the bureau and quickly adjusted her wording.

Lin Yunhui walked briskly to Xu Dengming, bowed deeply with a serious attitude. 

“Thank you very much,” he said. 

After a pause, he added, “Thank you again. I wasn’t able to help before, but we can meet here now, all thanks to your calmness.”

Xu Dengming shook her head. 

“It wasn’t calmness…” 

She smiled and her tone grew more encouraging. 

“The pressure during the job search season is so great that graduates, when things aren’t going well, can easily put life and death aside.” 

She looked at Lin Yunhui, who clearly hadn’t entered society yet, her expression softening further. 

“In a few years, you’ll feel the same way.”

Lin Yunhui shivered silently.

Their paths home were different. 

After bidding farewell at the bus station, the settlement information from the system appeared in front of Xu Dengming.