novelden Chapter 38 Crying for Father and Mother
Chapter 38 Crying for Father and Mother
Running all the way back to 1101, Yan Xun had just entered when he saw Shen Rui looking like he had something to tell him, practically begging to kneel down on the spot—
"Boss, it's my fault for being useless!"
"I couldn't hold the old man back."
As Shen Rui spoke, he wished he could hug Yan Xun's leg, but Li Wu couldn't stand it and held him down.
Shen Rui was grabbed by the collar. Seeing that he couldn't pounce on him, he stopped struggling and obediently recounted the events to Li Wu.
He said that he had only taken the old man to the 5th floor when the old man said that rats had gotten into the management office and he wanted to go back.
Yan Xun casually closed the door. "I know."
He wasn't surprised that Shen Rui and Gui Yuchong couldn't stop him; he hadn't expected them to hold the old man off for long anyway.
After observing yesterday that there were no surveillance cameras on the first floor, he felt something was strange, especially after confirming with the system that there were indeed no cameras on the first floor.
Either you're too carefree, or you're too confident.
Considering the background of fake people appearing in the Meimei Building, Yan Xun felt that it was most likely the latter.
He guessed that the old man must have some means to know everything that happened at the management office.
Knowing full well it was probably a trap, Yan Xun had no choice but to fall for it in order to find some information.
He didn't say it outright, but he knew that Li Wu and Su Yumin probably knew his thoughts. The reason they didn't tell Shen Rui and the other man was simply because they were only responsible for distracting the old man, there was no danger, and there was no need for them to know.
Perhaps feeling that Yan Xun had ignored him, Gui Yuchong also moved closer to Yan Xun, saying, "I originally wanted to stop him too."
"But he's too fast."
"Hehe, I don't believe it," Yan Xun thought.
He didn't believe that if Gui Yuchong really wanted to stop him, the old man could run away.
But just like with Shen Rui, Yan Xun would never voice these thoughts aloud, so he simply reached out and patted Gui Yuchong's shoulder, saying, "I know."
As for what he knew, only Yan Xun himself probably knew the truth.
Watching their interaction, Li Wu couldn't understand how they had become a family of three, while he had become the uncle next door—the kind who advises Yan Xun not to hit naughty children—he coughed to try and make his presence known.
Then he took the phone that Yan Xun had given him before he entered the management office out of his pocket.
"There are some issues with the video."
Yan Xun saw Li Wu turn on the video and hand it to him.
Shen Rui and the others also gathered around.
The first half of the video is normal, showing Yan Xun's actions after entering the management office, and capturing everything in the room in great detail.
They could see the front half of the management office at a glance, as well as the small door that was hidden behind a screen.
"This is the old man's room," Yan Xun explained to the people who had never been to the management office before, while watching the video.
Immediately afterwards, Yan Xun in the scene showed one hand and opened the small door.
The interior cubicles were clearly more lived-in, with a single bed that could only fit one person, newspapers placed in the corner waiting to be sold to a recycling station, a television, and a roster on the table.
Yan Xun opened the roster.
"Sizzle sizzle...rustle rustle..."
The video becomes blurry here, as if something unseen is preventing them from continuing to record.
Then he heard a muffled sound, as if it were coming from a throat, like a distorted sound that had been slowed down.
The screen flashed again; the video captured the television, but couldn't capture anything inside.
Then, the video finished playing.
Yan Xun hadn't expected this dungeon to be so troublesome.
“That’s a register,” Yan Xun briefly described what he had seen.
“Everyone who is alive has a photograph.” He pointed to himself, like us…
"The people who posted 504 haven't torn up the photo yet, but they've already written 'None' on it."
The security cameras on the floor weren't broken, so the old man could find out that room 504 was gone just by watching the monitors.
Upon hearing this, Shen Rui pondered for a while and asked, "Aren't we considered dead?"
After all, their current identities are considered pseudo-humans recognized by the instance.
“As long as Meimei Building doesn’t identify us as imposters… we should all be safe,” Yan Xun guessed. “As long as we don’t die, and aren’t taken away by security guards who identify us as imposters, we are all considered residents of Meimei Building.”
"What's on TV?" Li Wu asked.
Yan Xun was silent for a few seconds after hearing this, then said, "I saw myself."
"you?"
"Yes, another me, someone who looks just like me."
Gui Yuchong was taken aback upon hearing this, "How could there be another you?"
“Who knows?” Yan Xun said. “Wasn’t that person in 504 the same way?”
Pei Xingyan hadn't spoken until now, as he didn't quite trust Yan Xun yet, so he just observed silently.
He gleaned a slight answer to Task 1 from Shen Rui's question, "Aren't we dead?"—but he wasn't particularly happy, because he knew he was already behind schedule.
They will most likely fail this guild assessment.
Pei Xingyan thought.
A little while later, Su Yumin also entered 1101.
Shen Rui brought up the video, and Su Yumin laughed upon hearing it. He glanced at the people in room 1101 and nodded, "I know."
"fine."
"I know."
His seemingly magnanimous words, however, made Yan Xun feel a slight sense of danger.
"Looks like I still can't rely on you guys." Su Yumin said with a smile. He glanced at the shopping bag in his hand and threw it on the table in room 1101. "I'll go back first."
"I was a little tired yesterday, so I need to get some rest."
Shen Rui wanted to say that the door to room 908 hadn't been repaired yet, but for some reason, he didn't dare to say it. He just watched as Su Yumin politely greeted them and left.
"I'm so tired too," Gui Yuchong said suddenly.
"I also want to go back and rest."
He grabbed Yan Xun's wrist. "I'm a little scared. Shall we go back together?"
In the past, Yan Xun would probably have let Gui Yuchong go back on his own, as he still needed to find information.
But then he had a new plan in mind, so he nodded and said, "Okay, let's go back first."
He knew he didn't have much time left. Su Yumin had already found the game of pretend to be bored; he was tired of the puzzle game and just wanted to go on a killing spree.
……
The door to room 404 was still ajar.
Yan Xun pushed the door with his finger, and it creaked and swayed, sounding like it would definitely not survive the night.
Gui Yuchong seemed completely unaware of Yan Xun's thoughts, and immediately breathed a sigh of relief after they returned home.
It was as if they hadn't returned to a haunted house, but rather arrived at some kind of holiday villa.
—That's true. For someone like Gui Yuchong, who is not human, isn't this just a vacation villa?
Yan Xun thought to himself, "I'm cursing this in my heart."
"I'm going to go check on the neighbors next door."
Yan Xun said directly, "You wait here and don't move. I'll be right back."
If the timing hadn't been wrong, and if Gui Yuchong hadn't probably had no idea what the "buying oranges" joke meant, he really would have been prepared to take advantage of the situation verbally.
Of course, at this time, Yan Xun did not know that he would have many more opportunities to be called "Dad" in the future.
There's a greater chance that someone will call you "Mom".