At the moment, they had no clues at all. They still needed to first understand this instance's world setting.
Tang Xin pointed to where she had just come from. "That place should be something like a homeowners' committee. Look over there."
In the past, tube-shaped apartment buildings were mostly staff dormitories and rarely had something like a homeowners' committee. Tang Xin, being a player from a higher-level dimension, might not know this, but if she said so, then so be it.
The community homeowners' committee was located under a very old, large tree. It was three stories high, slightly cleaner than the tube apartments, but still shabby and dilapidated.
A stand was set up at the entrance, with a notice written in black characters on red paper.
It generally stated that recently, many ghosts and monsters had been appearing in the community, and a safety meeting would be held in the courtyard in front of the tube apartment building. All homeowners and tenants were encouraged to attend.
The two exchanged a look — this was exactly what they needed most.
All the players in this community would likely come to listen. It was a good opportunity to find the other players.
The community safety meeting was scheduled for 8 PM, still three hours away. They agreed to attend together and first returned to their respective rooms to check things out.
Ning Su bought three boxed meals from a small, half-closed restaurant near the community. Following the floor and room number on his key card, he found his room in the middle of the gloomy fifth floor and swiped the card to open the dark reddish-brown door.
The dark, cramped room had no living room. Opposite the door were two beds, plus a small bathroom — no other space.
The room was filled with a damp, moldy smell, along with another indescribable, strange odor.
Ning Su brought the two children out. Manman, seeing such a mini house for the first time, looked around curiously while Gui Sheng trotted happily behind her.
When the sound of the door opening rang out, Ning Su had just moved a small table beside the bed and was setting out boxed meals. Two children were washing their hands in the bathroom.
Hearing the noise, Ning Su looked up. Seeing the person who entered, he froze for a moment, then immediately stood up.
The 19-year-old Ling Xiao was like a sharp sword—a blend of youthful sharpness and rebellious intensity honed at the blade’s edge, while his eyes held a depth and darkness uncommon for someone his age.
That aura, steeped in darkness, felt familiar to Ning Su. Yet, there was also a rebelliousness and frivolity he had never sensed in Ling Xiao before. Perhaps this was the terror and sinister nature of the future dark Ling Xiao.
This was Ling Xiao from who-knows-how-many years ago—with both body and memories intact.
Ning Su stared at him with wide, clear peach-blossom eyes, full of curiosity. Perhaps by observing him, he could get a rough idea of what the two halves of Ling Xiao would look like when merged in the future.
“Stunned by what you see?”
The room’s door was small and not very tall. Ling Xiao stood beneath the faded doorframe, his head just barely clearing the lintel. Holding his key card, he fixed his dark eyes on Ning Su, though his tone was anything but serious.
Ning Su: “…”
Seeing Ning Su’s slightly dazed expression, Ling Xiao chuckled softly, closed the door, and said, “Hello, I’m Ling Xiao.”
Ning Su: “Ning Su. New player.”
Ling Xiao: “I can tell. You look like an easy target.”
Ning Su: “?”
As he spoke, Ling Xiao opened the door to the small bathroom on the right side of the entrance and met the eyes of two children inside the dim, cramped space.
“…”
Silence fell over the dorm room.
Ling Xiao: “Aren’t these my son and daughter?”
Gui Sheng: “Mhm! That’s right!”
Ning Su: “…”
Right your head, you little dummy.
Ling Xiao turned to look at the even more stunned Ning Su. “Then you must be… the mother of my children?”
Ning Su: “…”
Gui Sheng: “Mhm! That’s right!”
Ning Su: "…………"
Ning Su buried his head in his meal.
Two children, holding long chopsticks, were stuffing rice into their mouths while glancing at Ling Xiao beside them.
Ling Xiao stood by the window, looking outside, occasionally casting a glance in their direction.
Manman asked: "Dad, are you going to come eat with us? I don’t eat much, I can share with you."
Ning Su couldn’t believe these were the words of clever Manman.
Then he saw Gui Sheng pull out a chicken leg he had hidden under the small table and offer it to Ling Xiao.
Ning Su: "..."
Ling Xiao looked at the two non-human children, then at Ning Su. "A new player, never been in a dungeon, no skills or items from instances."
Ning Su: "Mm."
He didn’t know what Ling Xiao was getting at.
Ling Xiao: "So your original superpower is giving birth to children?"
Ning Su: "...?"
Ling Xiao: "With the world’s population plummeting, an ability like that should earn you a national award."
Ning Su: "..."
Ning Su snatched the chicken leg from Gui Sheng’s hand and started gnawing on it himself.
Ning Su finished eating before the two children. After he went to the bathroom to wash up, Gui Sheng was still slowly eating.
"I’m going downstairs for the safety meeting. You two stay home and do your homework."
Gui Sheng: "Mm!"
Manman: "Go ahead, Mom. I’ll check Gui Sheng’s math homework later."
Ning Su stood for a moment, glanced at Ling Xiao, and said, "Let’s go."
Ling Xiao, who hadn’t actually said he was going: "..."
By 7:30 PM, eight players had gathered downstairs in the apartment building.
As Ning Su and Ling Xiao stepped out of the building entrance, a young man called from a distance: "Ling Xiao! Over here! Huh?"
Hearing that voice, Ning Su felt a sense of foreboding.
As soon as he looked up, the boy pointed at him and exclaimed, “You’re the one who said in the game lobby that Ling Xiao likes men!”
Ning Su: “…”
Under the thoughtful gazes of the six players, Ning Su walked expressionlessly to a corner.
Before entering this world, Ning Su had considered using his knowledge of the future to build a perfect and powerful image in Ling Xiao’s mind.
Layer upon layer, what a “perfect” impression this turned out to be.
In front of the tube-shaped apartment building was a large dirt courtyard, enclosed by an iron fence that connected to the building. A few potted plants sat in one corner, along with a simple, neglected flower bed where the plants had wilted from lack of care.
It seemed to be early autumn in this world, and the night carried a slight chill.
Not long after Ning Su settled in the corner, a tall, slender figure approached, crossing his arms over his chest and blocking the dim yellow light from the courtyard.
One by one, tense players emerged from the building. They all looked extremely nervous, and no one paid any attention to the conversation happening in the corner.
Only Tang Xin kept “casually” glancing their way.
Ling Xiao remarked, “First you spread rumors that I like men, then you had two kids stage a scene in front of everyone to extort me. Are you some kind of obsessed fan?”
“What obsessed fan?” Ning Su replied with a blank expression. “How could I possibly be something like that?”
Ling Xiao turned to look at him.
Ning Su said earnestly, “I’m not an obsessed fan—I’m your devout believer.”
Ling Xiao: “…”
Ling Xiao turned away in silence.
Ning Su tugged at his sleeve. “You don’t believe me?”
Ling Xiao said, “I believe you’re both obsessed and delusional. ‘Devout believer’? How can you say something like that? Isn’t that the kind of thing cult leaders and fake deities use to deceive people?”
Ning Su replied, “But you are one. You’re my Flower God.”
