Chapter 15: "You Could Call It a Mutual Journey."
The middle-aged policeman casually flicked his cigarette butt onto the ground and spat a thick glob of phlegm before continuing, “There are plenty of jobs in this city, but some people, due to certain special reasons, go bankrupt and end up penniless—unable even to afford the cheapest inn.”
“At times like that, the only option is to try your luck in the ‘Ownerless Rooms.’”
“Whether it’s a safe house or an ownerless room, there’s not much difference based on the floor level. So hiding a hundred meters deep in an underground air-raid shelter doesn’t really help. In fact, because it’s so remote, there might not even be anyone to collect the bodies.”
“Oh, and—”
“Try to throw your cigarette butts on the ground as much as possible. This city operates on its own set of rules. When the ‘Mystery Tour’ system detects that a city is particularly dirty and chaotic, it increases the number of ‘Cleaners.’”
“Seventy percent of the jobs in Qingyuan City involve writing ghost stories daily in office buildings. Many elderly people can’t write stories and don’t meet the age requirements for Yin-Yang Shop recruits, so these cleaner positions are extremely important to them.”
“If the city’s surface is kept impeccably clean, the number of cleaner jobs decreases, and those elderly folks are left to wait for death.”
“And also...”
The man paused, then hoarsely added, “I’ve noticed a new profession has been unlocked—it’s called the ‘Fear Torture Apostle.’ Its characteristic is that when the fear level reaches 100%, it unleashes astonishing destructive and lethal power.”
“Your starting fear level is 52%, which is considered Grade E potential.”
“This profession was probably unlocked by you. The bureau hasn’t yet guessed that you unlocked this profession—I haven’t said anything—but I suppose it's just a matter of time.”
“My fear level has never reached 100%; the highest was 92%.”
“That feeling is like falling alone into an endless deep sea—dark as eternal night—an unbearable suffocating cold that envelops every inch of your body. At that moment, my only thought was to end my life quickly. I would rather die on the spot than endure that suffocating agony.”
“Even though I’m actually quite afraid of death.”
“So, I can roughly understand what a 100% fear level feels like. This world might be extremely painful for you, but since you’ve survived this long without suicide, your mental resilience must far surpass mine.”
“Almost no one’s fear level ever reaches 100%. Most people faint long before hitting that number, and those who don’t are close to death.”
“In a way, you’re actually very well-suited to this world.”
“Perhaps this world will cause you great suffering, but you might also bring great suffering to this world.”
...
Chen Kun couldn’t help but laugh, flicking his cigarette butt to the ground as well. He glanced toward a cleaner nearby, who was diligently at work without a hint of laziness, and chuckled softly, “Is this what you call mutual torment?”
“More like a mutual struggle.”
The middle-aged policeman chuckled hoarsely and clapped Black Hao on the shoulder. “That guy’s shaved head really stands out, and those muscles look solid. What did you do back in your world? Second-hand car dealer?”
“What kind of look is that?”
Black Hao rolled his eyes at the policeman, pushing him away. “I was a lawyer—an honest one, thank you very much.”
“Really?”
The policeman was slightly taken aback and instinctively looked at Chen Kun, seeking the truth in his eyes.
“Yeah,” Chen Kun nodded quietly. “Sort of.”
...
“Wow.”
The middle-aged policeman’s eyes flashed with surprise. “First time I’ve seen a bald lawyer. Your defense strategy can’t be convincing the plaintiff before the trial, right?”
“None of your business.”
Black Hao’s eyes flickered with a hint of guilt. “So far, every client of mine has been satisfied. My win rate is 98%.”
“The other 2% didn’t buy it?”
“...”
Black Hao stared at the policeman expressionlessly and said word by word, “Are you done? Here to check the census?”
“Oh, right—”
Chen Kun interrupted their conversation, furrowing his brow in puzzlement. “I couldn’t find information about any cities other than Qingyuan City on the forum.”
The smile in the policeman’s eyes faded. After a pause, he spoke in a low voice.
“Twenty-seven years ago, when the strange phenomena first appeared, the world didn’t immediately become what it is now. It evolved gradually, like a game patch update. Three years after the onset of the mysteries, Qingyuan City completely lost contact with other cities. All information about other cities on the forum was erased.”
“Qingyuan City is currently in absolute isolation.”
“No one can get in, no one can get out.”
“Many people privately say Qingyuan might be the last surviving city. But that’s unlikely. Qingyuan used to be a fourth-tier city. If Qingyuan still exists, other cities should too.”
“It’s just... recently, the frequency of daylight anomalies has increased significantly. More buildings are forming replicas at night, and the number of nocturnal specters is rising. If this continues...”
“I personally hold a pessimistic view about Qingyuan.”
“Just like in the beginning, many people called for having more children to preserve humanity. Now no one says that anymore.”
“Setting aside whether you can afford to raise them or whether it would burden you, simply giving birth to children in such a world is a sin. Think about it—after being an animal for nine lifetimes and finally being reborn as a human, coming to a world like this is pretty hopeless.”
“It is, a bit.”
Chen Kun said quietly, thinking about how hopeless it felt to him.
“What about the other new players who came from our world?”
“They’ve all integrated into this world.”
The policeman pointed to the ground. “Those with high adaptability have found their place in Qingyuan and are surviving by the book. Those who couldn’t adapt have become one with the soil.”
“That’s one way to integrate well,” Black Hao’s lips twitched.
At that moment—
The middle-aged policeman finally got to the point of his visit. “Your successful acquisition of all the property rights to ‘Enlightenment Coffee’ is already known by many. To help you lay low temporarily, the director arranged a nearly risk-free replica for you—inside an abandoned dormitory building at Qingyuan University.”
“It’s a seven-person replica.”
“The other five are people arranged by the bureau. Among them, one is an ‘immigrant player’—someone who traveled here from your world.”
“It’s a general term. Many call those born and raised in this world ‘native players,’ and people like you ‘immigrant players.’”
“Although this replica has almost no death rate, it’s a bit scary. Prepare yourself mentally.”
“Of course, you can refuse.”
“But I sincerely recommend you go in to lay low for a while.”
The man paused, then continued, “Within 24 hours of obtaining full property rights to a ‘Yin-Yang Shop,’ if anyone kills you, they will seize your property rights immediately. That’s when you’re most vulnerable. Once you come out of the replica, no one can take them from you.”
“By then, whether you keep them or sell them, at least you’ll have bargaining power.”
...
Chen Kun stopped where he was and after a long silence whispered, “So you’ve been waiting for me downstairs at the inn since noon?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you come find me?”
“I have bad memories of this inn.”
“What do you mean?”
“Thirty-seven days ago, every guest staying here died that night—each one hanged in their own room. Their faces were twisted in extreme terror. No one knows what they saw in their last moments. I’m afraid.”
...
Chen Kun felt a sudden toothache. “The review site says the last guest death here was thirty-seven days ago, but it doesn’t say how many.”
“That’s not wrong, just incomplete.”
“The annual death rate is close to 3%.”
“That night, nearly 3% died—meeting the yearly KPI all at once.”
“There’s one more thing.”
Chen Kun took a deep breath, deciding he would set out for the replica tonight. The inn’s 60 points might as well be thrown into the water; he’d switch inns right after leaving the replica. “Who usually stays at an inn? Mostly couples and tourists, right?”
“There definitely aren’t any tourists left in Qingyuan, and couples are... rather free-spirited.”
“Good question.”
The policeman’s expression grew complex as he spoke softly, “That’s a long story.”