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Bonus chapter! Thank you to Zzz for the donation! ^^
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Lin Zhiyan left without a shred of hesitation, his expression icy and detached. Yet, his steps weren’t hurried—if anything, they were deliberately slow.
Almost as if… he was waiting for Ruan Qing to beg him.
Nighttime was always the most dangerous period in the game. Without an invitation and now without a place to stay, Ruan Qing might as well have a death sentence stamped on him.
And since Lin Zhiyan was in charge of this cruise ship, whether Ruan Qing could stay or not ultimately came down to just one word from him.
But Ruan Qing pressed his lips tightly together, refusing to plead with Lin Zhiyan—not even attempting to stop him as the man walked past.
This man was undeniably dangerous, and allying with him would be no different from courting death.
There were still a few hours until nightfall. He still had time to find another place to stay.
Besides, his reaction wasn’t out of character. While the original owner knew how to flatter wealthy patrons, he never carelessly gave himself away.
Nor would he casually share a room with a man.
The original owner wasn’t attracted to men and had never planned to sacrifice his future for money, nor had he ever intended to live as a clinging vine forever.
Even with his previous benefactor, their relationship had never gone beyond sharing a room—there had never been any inappropriate behavior.
For some reason, the original owner had managed his relationships with his patrons quite well. On the surface, he seemed to be pandering to them at every turn, but in reality, aside from his submissive words and attitude, he had never truly given anything of himself.
His former patron had never demanded anything from him, either.
But Ruan Qing wasn’t like that. His uncanny ability to attract psychopaths made it impossible for him to coexist peacefully with them.
Lin Zhiyan glanced sideways at the silent boy still sitting on the sofa, his head lowered, and his gaze turned even colder. Without another word, he quickened his pace and left without looking back.
Only after Lin Zhiyan’s figure disappeared did Ruan Qing finally let out a quiet sigh of relief. Stealthily avoiding the crowd, he headed toward the direction of the earlier commotion.
***
The scene of the death wasn’t far from the residential area—just a short distance away in the lobby. By now, however, the space had fallen into an eerie quiet. The guests had been evacuated, and the area around the corpse had been cordoned off with caution tape.
Only a few staff members remained, investigating the scene, along with a small group of people lurking in a shadowed corner.
The figures stood in the dimness, nearly invisible unless one looked closely. They were murmuring amongst themselves in hushed voices.
A man in a black T-shirt lowered his voice and turned to the others. "Did anyone see how that person died just now?"
The man in the suit next to him shook his head slightly and said in a low voice, "No, the death was too sudden. I was investigating clues in the hall at the time and didn't notice anything unusual."
It wasn't until someone shouted about the death that he had noticed.
Nearby, a youth wearing a black cap had his hands in his pockets while chewing gum. "In such a public place, it's unlikely to be a ghost," he remarked.
The others agreed with this assessment. Ghosts typically preferred to strike when people were alone - attacking in such a crowded place seemed improbable.
Moreover, there were still several hours until nightfall, which didn't fit the usual timeframe for supernatural activity.
The man in the black T-shirt stared at the cordoned-off crime scene in the distance and murmured, "We need to find a way to get in there for a look."
The youth wearing a black cap glanced at the investigating staff nearby before lowering his voice, "We can go now."
The group instinctively turned their attention to the youth.
He pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to the man in the suit.
The youth's school uniform was slightly oversized, with sleeves long enough to completely conceal his hands.
But when he reached out, his slender, beautiful hands were revealed. His jade-white fingers held an ivory-colored card in a strikingly elegant manner.
The man in the suit froze momentarily before automatically accepting the card.
Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a business card.
The card was made of exceptionally high-quality material, exquisitely crafted with luxurious gold trim.
Yet it bore only a name and phone number:
[Lin Zhiyan 156****1111]
The man in the suit looked up at the youth in confusion.
Tilting his chin up slightly to reveal his flawless jade-like complexion, the youth explained, "It's the business card of this ship's director."
The man in the suit's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the card. "The director's business card?"
All the players present were shocked and now regarded the youth with newfound attention.
Dressed in a middle school uniform, the youth appeared to be only thirteen or fourteen. His face was completely hidden under the lowered brim of his cap.
(T/N: I feel like this description is wrong, but it's what was written so I just went along with it. (ᵕ—ᴗ—))
Yet judging just by his slender frame and those delicate, pale fingers, one couldn't help but imagine he must be quite beautiful.
In the Infinite Horror Game, beautiful people often received special treatment - but this privilege tended to earn them contempt from most players.
After all, those who rely on their looks typically lacked real ability. When danger came, they're practically useless except for becoming dead weight.
Yet no one in the room dared underestimate this youth.
Less than an hour into the mission, he'd already obtained the cruise director's business card - clearly no ordinary player.
That card marked its holder as having connections with the ship's administration. Used properly, it could yield unimaginable advantages.
Ignoring the others' gazes, the youth simply nodded at the man in the suit. "Mm."
The youth - Ruan Qing - had infiltrated the player group after separating from Lin Zhiyan.
With numerous players scattered across the ship due to the global lottery system, blending in proved easy. So far, none had doubted his player status.
As for the business card? Ruan Qing had lifted it when Lin Zhiyan walked past. Were he less conspicuous, he might have used it himself. But the man in the suit, appearing every inch the successful businessman, made the perfect proxy.
The other players raised no objections, following their well-dressed leader toward the crime scene.
Investigators were photographing the area and examining the body with apparent professionalism. Yet closer observation revealed their perfunctory approach - the death was quickly ruled as cardiac arrest from excessive excitement.
Barred by security tape, the group paused until the man in the suit calmly negotiated with staff. Their eyes widened at the business card, and after an appraising look, they permitted entry.
Players swarmed the scene, meticulously inspecting the corpse.
The male victim showed no wounds or trauma, his expression even peaceful in death. Despite thorough examination, nothing seemed amiss - the official explanation appeared plausible. Yet every player's instincts screamed otherwise.
Ruan Qing spent little time on the body. After a brief search, he crouched by shattered glass fragments instead.
The victim had apparently been drinking red wine when he died. His falling glass had spilled crimson across the floor...
Ruan Qing's actions caught the attention of the other players. A man in a black T-shirt lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of respect. "Did you find something?"
Ruan Qing tilted his chin slightly, gesturing toward the spilled red wine on the floor. "This wine... something's off."
Red wine should flow as freely as water, barely viscous at all. Yet the spilled liquid on the floor had an odd stickiness to it.
The man in a black T-shirt immediately understood. He crouched down and prodded the wine with a nearby straw. The contact made the viscous substance even more apparent - clearly, something had been mixed into the wine.
The victim had likely been poisoned.
Was there a murderer aboard this cruise ship?
The players exchanged glances, none rushing to conclusions.
Ruan Qing stood up, hands in his pockets, and remarked casually, "Staying alone at night isn't safe."
The other players nodded in agreement. Whether it was a serial killer or something else, solitary lodging would undoubtedly be dangerous.
Eventually, the assembled players decided to pair up for the night, ensuring mutual protection.
Thanks to the business card Ruan Qing had produced and his discovery, the players were beginning to look to him for leadership. Several extended invitations to partner with him.
But Ruan Qing declined them all, instead approaching the overlooked young boy with an offer.
The boy couldn't have been more than thirteen or fourteen. Throughout the investigation, he'd been subtly excluded by the other players.
Those who survived longer in the Infinite Horror Game understood the importance of strength. A weak player like this boy would inevitably be eliminated by the game's merciless mechanics, making him an undesirable partner.
The boy seemed surprised by Ruan Qing's invitation. After a moment's hesitation where he seemed to want to say something, he finally gave a small nod.
Ruan Qing's reasoning was simple: the boy appeared sufficiently weak to pose no threat.
With no further clues at the crime scene, the players split into pairs to search the ship for more evidence.
But the cruise ship was enormous. Just examining one level would take considerable time. After two hours of searching, they'd turned up nothing useful.
As daylight faded, the temperature aboard dropped noticeably within half an hour of sunset, bringing an unseasonable chill.
One player wearing just a dress shirt rubbed his arms and muttered, "They've set the air conditioning way too low."
Ruan Qing looked up at the air conditioner nearby. "It's not the AC."
He'd noticed the temperature dropping earlier—right when the sun went down.
But the cruise ship's air conditioning had remained steady at 25 degrees Celsius.
The man in the suit spoke up, "We're out at sea. Big temperature swings between day and night are normal. Nothing strange about it."
Ruan Qing shook his head. "The specific heat capacity of water is 4,200 joules per kilogram per degree Celsius."
The other players stared blankly at him, not understanding what he meant.
Ruan Qing lowered his voice to explain, "Being at sea is exactly why the temperature shouldn't fluctuate so much."
Due to water's high heat capacity, ocean temperatures change very slowly. Heat dissipates gradually—there was no way the temperature should have dropped this sharply.
The players had long forgotten their high school physics, but they grasped his point.
This chill wasn't natural.
The man in a black T-shirt suggested, "Should we check the deck?"
"Can't." The man in the suit immediately vetoed the idea. "Floors three to six are the designated areas for lottery winners like us. None of these levels have exterior access."
"Unless we break through the hull."
But no one knew what would happen if they damaged the ship. That option was clearly off the table.
Ruan Qing stayed silent about the second floor's deck access.
His current identity was as a player—and players were strictly forbidden from entering staff areas like the second floor.
The man in a black T-shirt's suggestion was quietly dropped.
After sharing the clues they'd gathered, the group dispersed—some returning to their rooms, others continuing their investigations.
Rather than searching for more clues, Ruan Qing followed the young boy back to his room.
The boy paused at the door. Ruan Qing expected him to produce an invitation card to unlock it, but instead, the door opened from inside.
A teenager taller than Ruan Qing stood there. Quiet and reserved, the teen looked at the boy and murmured, "Sis."
The moment Ruan Qing heard that address, he froze. His gaze snapped toward the boy beside him.
"Um... sister?"
The 'little boy' seemed embarrassed as she spoke softly, "I... I'm actually a girl."
Ruan Qing: "?"
It wasn't surprising that Ruan Qing had mistaken her gender. With her cropped short hair, androgynous features, and neutral clothing, she looked exactly like a young boy.
Just as Ruan Qing was about to respond, the ship's intercom suddenly crackled to life, capturing everyone's attention.
"We apologize for the interruption, dear guests. Mr. Lin has discovered stowaways aboard the ship. To ensure everyone's safety and facilitate identification of unauthorized passengers, from this moment onward, guests are prohibited from hosting others in their cabins."
"At 10:00 PM sharp, we will conduct a cabin-by-cabin inspection. We appreciate your cooperation."
What a sonofabich is that Mr. Lin
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