Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 86

From the outside, the Saiya Hotel exuded an artistic flair. It should have once been a rather upscale hotel, but just like people, it seemed to have not withstood the test of time. Now, it emanated a sense of decay and dilapidation.

Not far from it was a fountain park, and beyond were tall buildings shimmering with lights. However, the entire city was shrouded in a hazy fog, with the lights appearing like elusive ship lanterns on a boundless sea at night, seemingly close yet far out of reach.

Without a doubt, this was a large city, perhaps the Blue Harbor City of another time and space.

This was what Zhou Qian thought as he and the other players discovered that they were temporarily unable to leave the Saiya Hotel.

If they tried to move away from the hotel’s main entrance, they would receive a system notification, warning them that they were about to leave the story’s designated area. So, they all headed for the hotel lobby.

The lobby was spacious, but with a dim color scheme, and the furnishings looked very dated. A few guests, who seemed impoverished and were clearly NPCs, came in and out.

The receptionist, a tall man with a somewhat pale and thin face, greeted the eleven players warmly.

“You must be the tourists visiting Blue Harbor City. Welcome to the Saiya Hotel. My surname is Wang. You can just call me Xiao Wang.”

From Xiao Wang, the players gathered that their role was that of tourists. His words were also undoubtedly a hint. It confirmed Zhou Qian’s earlier thoughts—the story of Hall C still took place in Blue Harbor City—just not the “current” one but in a different timeline.

Zhou Qian asked him, “Where’s our tour guide?”

“He mentioned he’s stuck in traffic but should be here soon. Since you’ve arrived first, feel free to pick your rooms,” Xiao Wang said with a smile, handing over six room cards. “It’s the peak tourist season. The Saiya Hotel is quite popular, and we only have six rooms left. Choose as you like.”

Hearing this, all the players became tense.

The hotel had 12 floors and hundreds of rooms. If it was filled with guests and one of them was a serial killer…how would they identify the suspect?

“Hurry and pick your rooms. Though your tour guide informed us in advance, we’re quite busy. If other tourists come, I might have to give the rooms away!”

The players were concerned that if they couldn’t check into the hotel, they might be expelled from the designated story area and possibly die. So, they quickly took their room cards to check in.

Before taking his card, Zhou Qian glanced at Bai Zhou. He stood tall, looking both familiar and distant.

One thing Zhou Qian had to admit was that in the story of Hall A, both he and Bai Zhou were transformed back into their childhood selves. He was very familiar with Bai Zhou’s childlike appearance, making their interactions natural, as if they had never grown up.

However, after leaving Hall A, the tacit illusion was shattered, forcing both to face reality—they had indeed been apart for seven full years, making each somewhat unfamiliar to the other.

Now, Zhou Qian looked at Bai Zhou for a moment and then, with a sudden impulse, took a room card from Xiao Wang, looped his arm around He Xiaowei’s neck, and headed for the elevator. “I’ll room with Xiaowei.”

The other seven players had already chosen their rooms and taken another elevator. So, this elevator only carried Zhou Qian, He Xiaowei, Bai Zhou, and Hidden Blade.

Zhou Qian glanced at Bai Zhou and asked, “Which room are you and Hidden Blade in?”

Bai Zhou remained silent, and Hidden Blade cleared his throat, replying, “We’re in 1109. Where’s yours?”

Zhou Qian pressed the “11” button on the elevator panel. “Also on the 11th floor. Let’s go together.”

The layout of the 11th floor was very straightforward.

The elevator was located in the central position. Upon exiting the elevator to the left, there were a total of six rooms, with three rooms on each side of the corridor. Room No. 8 was opposite Room No. 9, and further to the left were Rooms No. 10 and 11 facing each other. At the very end of the left side were Rooms No. 12 and 13, opposite each other.

The right side, however, was a bit different. Rooms 1101 to 1106 had a layout similar to the left side, but uniquely at the end was Room 1107. Opposite this room, there wasn’t another room but rather a wall.

As such, the room Zhou Qian was in, Room No. 7, and the room Bai Zhou was in, Room No. 9, were numerically close in terms of room numbers, but they were quite far apart in distance, separated by an elevator and three rooms.

Minutes later, Bai Zhou and Hidden Blade headed left, while Zhou Qian and He Xiaowei turned right towards 1107.

Seeing that room 1107 faced a wall, He Xiaowei felt a pang of unease. Trying to suppress his fear, he followed Zhou Qian inside. Once in, He Xiaowei said, “You know, Qian’er, I’m glad I’m with you. My master is so aloof. Being with you is much more fun, and having company makes everything less scary!”

Unexpectedly, Zhou Qian responded, “Go to 1109 now and tell them you want to swap rooms with 137 to stay with your master. Then get 137 to come here.”

“?” He Xiaowei was confused. “You’re the one who brought me here. Don’t you want to room with me?”

Zhou Qian replied, “Just go. Why do you have so many questions?”

He Xiaowei persisted. “What are you up to?”

Zhou Qian approached He Xiaowei, staring into his eyes, and said seriously, “I just feel that it’s not safe for you to stay in this room. Haven’t you heard the saying? Never stay in a room at the end of a hotel corridor. It’s haunted!”

“So, Xiaowei Ge, I’m saying this for your own good.”

He Xiaowei: “…”

Zhou Qian continued, “The cases we’re investigating are all about murders. Many people must have died in this hotel. Who knows when a ghost might pop up—”

As Zhou Qian spoke, he raised his hands and approached He Xiaowei.

“Damn it, Qian’er! You’re always trying to scare me. Stop it. I’ll go change rooms right now!”

He Xiaowei, who was afraid of ghosts, dashed off. As he hurried alone towards room 1109, a realization hit him—Wait a minute? If Qian’er was genuinely concerned about me being afraid of ghosts, why didn’t he move to room 1109 with me?

What on earth is Zhou Qian thinking?

Does he not want to share a room with me?

But I didn’t offend him, did I?

Forget it. I can never understand Qian’er’s thoughts.

……

During He Xiaowei’s absence, Zhou Qian surveyed the room.

Undoubtedly, this poor and rundown hotel was one he would never choose to stay in the real world. The furnishings in the room were vintage, and the design was meticulous. The previous hotel owner must have been very particular about its design and decoration, and perhaps the hotel was once lavish, mainly for hosting dignitaries.

But that was decades ago.

After all this time, with no replacement of items or renovations, the room exuded an air of age and decay.

After a quick check of the bathroom, Zhou Qian returned to the main room, his attention drawn to the lamp by the bed.

When he first entered the room, he noticed this lamp, particularly its shade, which was very beautiful and reminiscent of one in the C-1 exhibition hall. However, while the exhibition hall’s lamp featured a peacock tail, this shade depicted a butterfly.

The butterfly, with its bluish wings, seemed so lifelike that it might flutter out at any moment. The shade’s color was still very dark, casting an old, yellowish light.

Upon closer examination, Zhou Qian noticed a “卐” symbol at the base.

After some contemplation, he shifted his gaze to the pillow on the bed.

Despite the bedding’s wear and tear, the pillowcase was exquisite. Almost immediately, Zhou Qian noted its material resembled the lampshade, dark with a beautiful design. This design was of a pair of mandarin ducks and, beneath them, two lines of text.

The first line was a famous verse from the Book of Songs, “In life or death, we’ll never part.”

The second read, “Chen & Huang,” with a heart drawn next to it*.

*Clarity: In Chinese culture, the mandarin ducks are a symbol of eternal love, devotion, and fidelity, as it is believed mandarin ducks only mate with one partner for life.

Some young couples, lacking a sense of public decorum, like to carve their names into tourist attractions. They would usually accompany their names with a love poem or some romantic gesture. But Zhou Qian had never seen such a thing done on a hotel pillowcase. And what was more…

Upon flipping the pillowcase, Zhou Qian unsurprisingly found the familiar “卐”.

This symbol seemed to have strong religious implications.

What kind of couple would mix declarations of love with such a strange symbol?

No matter how you look at it, the romantic verse combined with the peculiar symbol felt out of place.

After inspecting the bedding, Zhou Qian checked the wardrobe and drawers. His attention finally settled on a painting opposite the beds. The painting, with the texture of an oil painting, depicted a smiling noblewoman.

She wore an elegant earring that, from a distance, looked like a bird.

From a distance, one wouldn’t think that the material of the earring is different from that of the lampshade or the pillowcase.

However, upon closer inspection, Zhou Qian could see that the paint used for the bird on the earring had started to crack. The color peeking through these cracks was dark and yellowish, very reminiscent of the base color of the lampshade and the pillowcase.

After surveying the entire room, which took about five minutes, Zhou Qian brushed down the room with a cleaning brush he had acquired before sitting on the sofa. He began to wonder why Bai Zhou hadn’t come yet.

While calculating the time on his system panel, a knock sounded. Opening the door, Zhou Qian was surprised to find not Bai Zhou but He Xiaowei.

“What’s going on?” Zhou Qian frowned immediately.

He Xiaowei: “Oh, my master says 137 doesn’t want to switch rooms. After my unsuccessful plea, I came back. If they’re staying together, why don’t we switch with them? If this room is potentially dangerous, shouldn’t two Rank God players like them stay here?”

“You stay here.” Zhou Qian opened the door wider, looking displeased as he walked out into the corridor.

He Xiaowei: “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to bring your master here. Or—” Zhou Qian gritted his teeth. “I’ll bring 137 here.”

He Xiaowei was becoming increasingly bewildered. “What on earth do you want to do? You want to stay in the same room with my master?”

Zhou Qian replied, “Right. I should have a good conversation with your master. We are teammates now, after all. We should understand each other well. Wait for me; I’ll chat with him.”

He Xiaowei paused, feeling somewhat uneasy, and quickly followed him.

Without looking back, Zhou Qian said, “Remember to bring the room card!”

With that, Zhou Qian, full of determination, led He Xiaowei towards room 1109. However, behind his determined demeanor, he felt a hint of excitement.

Although Zhou Qian’s mental state had slowly improved in certain ways after entering the instance, he often struggled to genuinely feel emotions. There was one exception—whenever something related to Bai Zhou came up, things were different.

At times, Zhou Qian relished feeling angry. Only when one lost all emotional perception would they realize that experiencing the full range of emotions was a vital part of life. Without these feelings, genuine happiness was elusive. So, even though Zhou Qian was a bit angry at that moment, there was a slight thrill in his nerves.

However, Zhou Qian didn’t make it to 1109. As he reached the elevator, its doors opened.

A handsome man stepped out of the elevator.

He wore leather boots and shiny jeans, had many earrings in both ears, and sported a colorful shirt with most of its buttons undone, revealing a large portion of his chest and neck.

The skin there was also colored, and without closer inspection, one might mistake it for clothing. Only when Zhou Qian got close did he realize they were tattoos.

“Hey! Are you guys heading out? Are you here to greet me? How did you know I’d appear at this time? Hahaha.” The man gave Zhou Qian a once-over, his gaze laden with ambiguity. “This little brother is so handsome!”

Zhou Qian asked, “Who are you?”

“Hey, I’m your tour guide, Hua Hui. Welcome to Blue Harbor City,” the man replied with a grin, pulling out a horn and shouting down the hallway. “Tourists, let’s go! We’re heading to the first stop!”

As the guide’s voice faded, the other players began to emerge from their rooms. That was when Zhou Qian noticed that everyone was staying on the 11^th floor.

The bald man Batu Fei, the leader of the Invincible Legion, shared room 1105 with “Ke Si” Liu Wansan, which was right next to Zhou Qian’s room.

“Ke Shi” Jian Erdan and Chen Dami, who had previously been with Batu Fei, were in 1106. Zhou Qian mentally labeled them the “Egg Fried Rice Duo*”.

*Clarity: The Dan (蛋) in Erdan means egg, and the Dami (大米) means rice. 

The newcomers from Hall D were split, with one in 1102 and the other two in 1101.

While waiting for the rest of the players to gather in the hallway, Zhou Qian turned to the flamboyant guide and asked an essential question, “Where’s the first stop?”

He had a bad feeling, especially after noticing the tattoos.

“The first stop is the city’s most famous tattoo parlor, ‘Fluttering Dream’. Many come to Blue Harbor City specifically to get tattoos there!” The guide winked at Zhou Qian, showing off his shoulder tattoo, as if trying to entice him.

Indeed, Zhou Qian approached him. Not enticed, but to look at the tattoo—a detailed, adorable little fox. After studying it, he heard He Xiaowei behind him call out, “Master.”

Knowing that Bai Zhou and Hidden Blade were coming, Zhou Qian wasn’t in the mood to be angry at this moment.

In his mind, various images flashed: the designs of peacock feathers, butterflies, mandarin ducks, and flying birds on lampshades, pillows, and other places… leading to the little fox before his eyes.

These similarly styled intricate designs overlapped one after another and were all erased by Zhou Qian, leaving only one dark, yellowish-textured substance in his mind—

All these beautiful patterns were drawn on this very substance.

What exactly was this thing?

Upon seeing the tattoo on the tour guide’s skin, Zhou Qian had the answer in his heart.

The lampshades, pillows, and paintings were likely made of human skin.

The intertwined design of the mandarin ducks, the love poems from the Book of Songs, and the engraved names of the couple weren’t actually embroidered on the pillow.

The likely scenario was that one person in the couple had these designs tattooed on their back, arm, or perhaps thigh. Later, that person was killed, and the part of the skin bearing the tattoo was peeled off and turned into a pillowcase.

“Do we have to get tattoos if we visit the shop?” Zhou Qian asked the guide.

“Of course not!” the guide replied. “It’s expensive. You’d need a lot of money! No—”

“Money alone won’t do. The tattoo master chooses based on fate. He won’t tattoo those he feels no connection with.”

At this point, the tour guide chuckled and glanced at everyone, realizing that everyone was present. He continued, “Those who stay at the Saiya Hotel are usually the poor. It’s the only cheap hotel in Blue Harbor City. So, it’s always bustling here!”

“Rich people…haha…they come only to experience life. I can see you’re all not well-off. You probably can’t afford the tattoo shop prices, so why not just go for the entertainment?”

Zhou Qian quickly picked up on something and asked, “Experience life? Why would the rich come to experience a life of poverty?”

Previously, Zhou Qian couldn’t resonate with this sentiment. Growing up in affluent conditions, he sometimes became picky and demanding.

He would never approach such places, let alone come to experience life. Especially when his parents weren’t kind to him, he felt that if he didn’t spend all their wealth, he was letting himself down.

In response to Zhou Qian’s question, Tour Guide Hua winked mysteriously and said, “Because too many people have died here. It’s haunted! Some wealthy individuals come here specifically to witness paranormal activities. I think they’re just too idle.”

Hearing this, He Xiaowei couldn’t help but interject, “Then, why is there just a wall across from room 1107? There should be a room there, right? Does it have something to do with ghosts?”

Tour Guide Hua looked at He Xiaowei and replied, “Exactly. A family of three was killed in that room! Afterwards, every guest that stayed there committed suicide. Some jumped off the building, some shot themselves, and some slit their throats… There were various methods—”

Seeing He Xiaowei trembling, Tour Guide Hua patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t be scared. Later, the boss hired a Taoist priest to exorcize the place, filled the room with cement, and sealed the door. No incidents have occurred since.”

He Xiaowei looked perplexed and unconsciously moved closer to Zhou Qian. Zhou Qian then asked Tour Guide Hua, “You said nothing happened in that room anymore, but what about the other rooms? According to you, the whole hotel is still haunted. Why would you bring us to such a place?”

“It’s cheap. With the price you paid, you can only stay here.” Tour Guide Hua smiled at Zhou Qian. “Brother, don’t be mad!”

Zhou Qian asked him, “Aren’t you scared?”

“I’m not.” Tour Guide Hua rolled up his right sleeve, revealing a “卐” tattoo.

Tour Guide Hua smiled. “This is an amulet. With this, spirits and ghosts stay away! The master tattoo artist at the shop gave me this tattoo. He did this one for free, depending on his mood. Maybe if he’s in a good mood, he could tattoo you as well, and then you wouldn’t need to fear ghosts!”

“Alright, alright—” Tour Guide Hua looked at the time. “It’s time! Everyone, follow me!”

At this point, a crew-cut man addressed Tour Guide Hua, “You go ahead. I need to use the restroom. We’ll be down in a few minutes. Can you wait for us in the lobby?” This man was one of the players who had visited Hall D earlier.

Hearing his request, Tour Guide Hua didn’t hesitate and quickly turned to leave. Before departing, he left a remark, “Alright, make it quick. No more than a few minutes.”

After Tour Guide Hua left, the crew-cut man turned to the group. “What do you think about going to the tattoo shop?”

Noticing everyone’s silence, he approached Zhou Qian and inquired, “You asked a lot of questions earlier, so it seems you have some thoughts. Why not share them? In such a sinister place, I think it’s better if we collaborate.”

Zhou Qian pondered briefly and said, “I just have some speculations.”

“Like what?” the man asked.

Zhou Qian said, “We thought there were no bodies in the six exhibition halls. But it seems there are, or at least parts of them. Those intricate artworks are made of human skin. The patterns on them are tattoos.”

Hearing this, the crew-cut man and the other players went pale.

Zhou Qian continued, “I speculate that a serial killer might target those with beautiful tattoos. That’s why I asked if we could avoid getting tattooed. You heard the tour guide’s answer, right?”

“We did.”

After saying this, the crew-cut man said, “Considering the circumstances, I won’t be going to the tattoo shop. If we’re forced to get tattoos, it might make us vulnerable to the killer. Do you know the pattern I’m referring to?”

After speaking, he didn’t wait for a reply and headed towards his room. “Anyway, I’ve made up my mind. I’m not going. I barely survived the last game. The key principle behind this instance is—if the killer doesn’t see you, how can they target you?”

A moment later, not only did the crew-cut man return to room 1102, but another player, the plump one, also decided not to go to the tattoo shop and returned to room 1101. The skinny one, however, looked uncertainly at Zhou Qian and the others. “So, what are you all thinking?”

“We must go,” Zhou Qian said. “Getting through the game by mere luck has never been my style. Since the killer targets those with beautiful tattoos, he might appear near a tattoo shop. How can we identify the suspect and confront him if we don’t visit a tattoo shop?”

After speaking, Zhou Qian pressed the elevator’s down button. When the elevator doors opened, he walked in.

Bai Zhou, Hidden Blade, and He Xiaowei quickly followed him.

Among them, He Xiaowei might have preferred to stay safe, but he obviously didn’t want to stay alone in a hotel room that might be haunted.

Apart from the four of them, no one else entered the elevator for the moment.

Zhou Qian waited for a while and impatiently pressed the close door button.

But just as the elevator doors were about to close, they were quickly pushed open again.

Immediately after, the four members of the Invincible Legion and the skinny guy from Hall D squeezed in.

Zhou Qian glanced at them nonchalantly and looked away.

While the elevator descended, his mind paused from pondering the complex game details. He turned his head slightly, meeting Bai Zhou’s gaze directed at him.

Zhou Qian blinked and sent a private message asking, “Why didn’t you switch rooms with He Xiaowei earlier?”

Bai Zhou looked a bit surprised.

Zhou Qian quickly realized something—right, Bai Zhou didn’t know he had asked He Xiaowei to switch.

Still, Zhou Qian felt he needed clarification, so he asked directly, “Do you not want to see me?”

Bai Zhou shook his head, his voice soft but certain. “Of course not.”

Zhou Qian: “Then why?”

After a pause, Bai Zhou replied, “I thought you were mad at me.”

Zhou Qian: “?”

Bai Zhou: “It seemed to start in the rest area.”

Zhou Qian: “?? Wait, be more specific.”

Bai Zhou: “Well, you asked He Xiaowei for something instead of me and then shared a room with him. I thought you might be avoiding me, maybe mad at me. So—”

“I planned to talk to you in the morning after letting you cool down for a night.”

Zhou Qian: “……….”

A few seconds later, the elevator “dinged,” reaching the first floor.

Upon exiting, Zhou Qian walked ahead in silence. Bai Zhou followed with a slightly furrowed brow, “Zhou Qian?”

“Yes, I’m here.”

“So you…”

Zhou Qian laughed, though there was a hint of exasperation.

Turning to Bai Zhou, his initial stern gaze gradually softened under Bai Zhou’s intense stare.

Zhou Qian then said reflectively, “We haven’t seen each other in seven years. It seems like we still need to adjust.”

Hearing this, Bai Zhou’s expression turned especially serious.

He seemed to gaze past Zhou Qian towards the streets outside the hotel lobby, or perhaps somewhere far away.

After a moment, he said, “Zhou Qian, over these years, I haven’t been in touch with… normal real life. I don’t understand society anymore and rarely interact with others. Sometimes… I even forget how to socialize.”

“If I ever said something wrong or upset you, or if—”

Before Bai Zhou could finish, he was startled to find Zhou Qian holding his hand.

“Zhou Qian…?”

Zhou Qian smiled, pulling Bai Zhou forward as they walked. “Yes, I overlooked it. You’ve been isolated for seven years…”

“Fortunately, I live the most worldly life. I like wealth and splendor, love schemes, and playing with people’s feelings. I understand this world and society very well.”

“Now, get to know me again.”

“After we leave this game, I’ll reintroduce you to the real world.”

……

Behind the two, He Xiaowei witnessed Zhou Qian’s actions.

He shivered slightly, turning to Hidden Blade and remarked, “Sometimes Qian’er can be so cheesy. But, it’s hard to tell whether he’s being sincere or just pretending.”

Hidden Blade: “…Don’t you see?”

He Xiaowei: “See what?”

Hidden Blade: “Never mind. Just be careful when we go to the tattoo shop.”

He Xiaowei: “Got it, Master!”

At the hotel lobby, Tour Guide Hua raised a small flag cheerfully and waved it at the players. “Let’s head to the tattoo shop!”

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