"Ming He!"
Chi Hao grabbed Jing Ming He, who was wandering aimlessly around the hotel.
"Ming He, what are you looking for?"
"Brother Hao," Jing Ming He pulled Chi Hao back, suddenly exclaiming with excitement, "I think I understand."
Chi Hao, rarely seeing Jing Ming He so excited, was even more worried. "Understand what?"
Jing Ming He turned and leaned against the stair railing, saying very seriously, "Brother, I understand what this instance wants us to do."
"Oh?" Chi Hao nodded slightly. "Tell me."
"From the moment we entered this instance until now, on the surface, everything seems to be without clues and without a clear goal. But, if you think about it carefully, isn't it like someone is telling us a story? Except, we're not listening, we're watching."
"Mm," Chi Hao responded. "And then?"
Jing Ming He thought for a moment, then continued, "What we don't know, the storyteller also doesn't know. For example, the cause of A Mo's and Li Zhong's deaths, because he doesn't know, that person will just come to observe and won't take any further action."
"And," Chi Hao added with perfect synergy, "apart from us and the art troupe, Boss Hu Feiyan and the people of the so-called Boss Lu are dispensable."
Jing Ming He nodded. "Yes, they appear when the plot needs them to, and disappear without a trace when they're not needed."
After a pause, Jing Ming He added, "The places we can't enter are because the storyteller doesn't know what's inside themselves. Only when he knows can we enter. For example, the storage room where Brother Hui found Wei Hao."
"That flower bed," Chi Hao said with certainty, "is actually outside the instance? Right?"
Jing Ming He nodded. "Most likely. Even if it's within the instance, its function wouldn't be very significant. At least it's certain that it has nothing to do with the instance's storyline itself."
"Ming He, Mr. Chi," You Mi finally found Jing Ming He and Chi Hao at the turn of the stairs from the fifth to the sixth floor. Gasping for breath, she said to them, "Hurry to the fourth floor, An Ruo is dead."
Chi Hao and Jing Ming He exchanged a look and whispered, "As expected."
Jing Ming He gestured for them to go downstairs first, saying as they walked, "Indeed, as expected. But what are the conditions for player disappearance and death? Brother Hao, what do you think?"
"Uncertain," Chi Hao replied. "Disappearance seems random, while death seems to be disrespect, or there are other hidden reasons."
As Jing Ming He was recalling what the two deceased players had done that could be considered disrespectful, he heard You Mi, who was walking ahead of them, turn back and say, "Disappearance, it seems like they've turned into dolls. It's no different from death."
"Dolls?"
"Yes," You Mi nodded. "Didn't we see a doll that looked very much like Ning Ping in the exhibition room before? Just now, Gu Chenhui and I saw a new doll in the exhibition room today, which looks very much like Si Lian."
Turning around, she continued downstairs. "But Gu Chenhui said that he believes that turning into a doll should have a way to save her, but he doesn't know what the method is, or if there's a time limit."
"Si Lian turned into a doll," Jing Ming He glanced at Chi Hao. "Then, what about Qiao Qiao? Her situation might be the same as Gong Liang."
As for what Gong Liang experienced from his disappearance to his reappearance, no one knew, as he himself didn't say.
While they were talking, the three of them had already reached the fourth floor. An Ruo's room door was wide open. Gu Chenhui and Gong Liang were not outside the door. As Jing Ming He was about to enter, he saw Gu Chenhui come out from inside.
"How is it?" Jing Ming He asked casually.
Gu Chenhui shrugged. "No need to look. The same way Fang Chao died. No, not just the same method of death, everything is identical except for the corpse."
After speaking, he hesitated and added, "Moreover, I believe the player's death is not the breakthrough point."
Jing Ming He glanced at An Ruo's room and nodded in agreement. "Yes, I think so too. Instead of studying the death scene, it's better to think about what the death trap is, or to find a way to leave the instance as soon as possible."
Xia Rong and Gong Liang also came out of An Ruo's room. Perhaps they heard Jing Ming He's conversation, as Gong Liang closed the door behind him.
As Gong Liang walked past Jing Ming He's group, he sidestepped towards Jing Ming He and said, "Let's go. The story is still continuing, there's no need to waste time here."
Chi Hao and Gu Chenhui stepped forward simultaneously, blocking Jing Ming He behind them.
Gong Liang looked at the two men who were full of hostility towards him, raised an eyebrow, and turned to leave with an unreadable smile.
Jing Ming He pushed aside the two men blocking him and looked at Chi Hao and Gu Chenhui with a puzzled expression. "Let's go, let's go upstairs or downstairs and look for the art troupe."
"Aren't we going to look for Qiao Qiao?" You Mi asked worriedly.
"Not looking for her for now, I think..."
Before Jing Ming He could finish speaking, they heard a loud bang from the third floor downstairs.
Upon hearing the sound, they all rushed downstairs.
The door leading to the performance hall on the third floor was wide open. Gong Liang, who had arrived first, stood at the entrance without going in.
Jing Ming He stepped forward and asked, "What happened?"
Gong Liang raised his chin and replied, "The stage collapsed. Two people were buried. Guess who?"
You Mi exclaimed, "With the crisscrossing iron frames supporting the stage from underneath, how could it collapse?"
"Where do you think this is?" Gong Liang said dismissively, glancing at Qiao Qiao. "Here, anything that happens is not surprising."
Jing Ming He pulled You Mi. "Sister, let's go inside and see."
Jing Ming He, who was about to enter, suddenly stopped as he saw Wei Hao standing not far from the stage, staring expressionlessly at the collapsed stage.
"It's him?" Gu Chenhui said, walking straight in, his target being Wei Hao standing there.
Jing Ming He and the others followed.
As Jing Ming He and the others walked towards Wei Hao, Wei Hao seemed to sense them and turned to walk towards them.
As the two groups approached each other, Gu Chenhui called out to Wei Hao when they were close, but the latter did not react, as if he couldn't hear Gu Chenhui's voice.
Seeing this, Gu Chenhui stopped, a hint of bewilderment flashing across his face. Wei Hao, however, did not stop and continued to walk forward.
When Wei Hao approached, Jing Ming He and the others finally saw that Wei Hao's eyes held no trace of them; he was looking in the direction behind them.
"Brother Hui?"
As Wei Hao was about to collide with Gu Chenhui, Jing Ming He called out to him. Gu Chenhui, however, did not yield. Jing Ming He knew Gu Chenhui wanted to verify something, so he didn't remind him again.
Everyone watched as Wei Hao gradually approached Gu Chenhui, and finally passed directly through him.
Gu Chenhui's lips curled into a slight smile. He turned to look at Wei Hao, who was walking out of the performance hall, and said with a laugh, "So that's how it is."
Gong Liang, standing on the side, also showed the same smile as Gu Chenhui. Jing Ming He and Chi Hao exchanged a look, and both understood. Only You Mi and Xia Rong looked completely bewildered.