If Qi Xiaokui were still here at this moment, she would probably quickly notice that Xin Meng now was completely different from the way he was when he first entered the game.
Back then, Xin Meng was quiet, gentle, and adaptable.
He was also very soft-hearted.
Later, after experiencing many things, the unreliable teammates made his heart turn as cold as iron. His wrist gradually became tougher, and he grew increasingly indifferent towards others. Although he still wore a charming smile, it was evident that he had become more rational and maintained a certain distance from others. Except when facing You Yi, where one could still see traces of his former self, his attitude towards others had clearly grown colder.
On the surface, he still appeared gentle and considerate, but if one looked at the bigger picture, they would find that in the beginning, if a teammate encountered danger, the physically exhausted Xin Meng would often be the first to rush in to help. However, as time went on, even with new teammates and improved physical condition, such actions from Xin Meng had gradually diminished without him realizing it, while You Yi’s silent assistance had increased.
Most importantly, this change in character seemed not to stem from past experiences or increased maturity, but rather… an inexplicable reason.
More precisely, it was as if with the loss of his past memories, even his personality had undergone an unfathomable transformation.
Quieter, colder, more indifferent.
And tougher.
At least in the past, Xin Meng would never have stared at others with such sharp eyes. Even if someone seemed suspicious, he would only silently remember it and would not express it so overtly.
No one knew this; with Qi Xiaokui gone, the new teammates who joined later had never seen the old Xin Meng.
The only one who had been by his side all along, You Yi, merely watched silently, saying nothing in the face of Xin Meng’s changes.
As Dou Dou and Jie Zi were scrutinized by him, they gradually broke out in a cold sweat. Dou Dou, who was usually carefree, felt as if the other party had suddenly become the disciplinary director. Coupled with his thin skin and guilty conscience, he didn’t notice the problem. But Jie Zi was different; he usually had a thicker skin than Dou Dou, yet he too felt the pressure, which left him incredulous.
What on earth was this Xin Meng…
Now it was his turn to scrutinize Xin Meng, who merely glanced at him lightly before shifting his gaze away.
As the pressure dissipated, Dou Dou let out a sigh of relief, but Jie Zi felt even more puzzled.
“By the way, what’s going on?” Li Wenjun, seeing the atmosphere ease, brought the topic back, “Why can’t we find them anywhere?”
“If it’s not a game bug…” Xin Meng glanced at Dou Dou, who quickly forced a smile. Xin Meng ignored him, “Then there might be another reason why we can’t find anyone.”
“What reason?” Luo Yingying suddenly had a bad premonition.
“They have been watching us all along,” Xin Meng said, “following us from behind.”
Luo Yingying shivered all over, just about to say not to scare people, when she saw You Yi suddenly raise his head and look upstairs. Reflexively, she followed his gaze and was shocked to see the children they had just searched for inside the building now all pressed against the windows, looking down at them from above. Upon being discovered, they not only showed no panic but instead revealed a triumphant and sinister smile.
They were mocking them!
Luo Yingying, caught off guard, was so frightened that her soul almost left her body, and she quickly covered her mouth with her hand!
When they were searching just now, those children had really been following them! No wonder they couldn’t find anyone!
But it was already too late; the first light of dawn appeared on the horizon, and the sky was about to brighten!
“Get inside the building!” Without time to think, Xin Meng urged everyone to quickly enter the building and hide. Otherwise, once the sun rose, they would be standing here as live targets.
The six of them entered the building, still separating as before. Xin Meng instructed them, “Remember to go to the tool room when you have the chance and grab a stick. We still haven’t found that child who was killed. Having one more tool might save our lives at a critical moment.”
The other five nodded, indicating they understood, but none would go immediately to get it, because just a moment ago, there had also been a child pressed against the window of that room.
Xin Meng and You Yi casually chose a floor and turned right on the fifth floor.
There was also a half-glass door there, leading to the kindergarten kitchen.
The smell in the kitchen was extremely unpleasant, filled with the stench of rotten vegetables and meat. The cabinets were relatively tidy, but the vegetables on the cutting board had long rotted into a black mush, making it impossible to tell what they originally were. The trash can hadn’t been cleaned, and there were two rotten fish left with only bones on the floor.
Xin Meng pinched his nose and walked in, undeterred by the stench. The kitchen was a place with many drawers, so perhaps there would be some clues.
You Yi stood guard at the door while Xin Meng rummaged through the cabinets, but in the end, he found nothing.
It seemed that the hope of hitting upon a clue this time had fallen through.
Half-squatting on the ground, Xin Meng closed the last low cabinet door, sighed, and was about to stand up when his eye suddenly caught something familiar peeking out from under the cabinet.
He froze, staring at the half-exposed face.
Two eyes sewn with black buttons, one of which had a loose thread, causing the button to hang down like a peeled eyeball, quietly staring at him.
A chilling tremor coursed through him, and he fell back onto the ground!
It was that doll! How had it appeared again!
The doll seemed alive, its expression twisted in a way that was neither a smile nor a frown under the dim light, its limbs stretched out as if saying: I see you.
Xin Meng’s face was filled with unbelievable terror as he quickly scooted back, wanting to distance himself from the doll.
His movement caught You Yi’s attention, who quickly came over and also saw the doll’s half-exposed face.
You Yi paused for a moment, walked over, and pulled the doll out.
The inside was stuffed with cotton, and it felt quite elastic when squeezed, looking like the most ordinary doll.
But its presence here was already extraordinary.
“Did someone put it here?” Xin Meng felt increasingly uneasy, “Could it be that someone has been following us and placed this doll in front of us? Why? To intimidate us?”
You Yi, however, felt that things were not that simple. He thought for a moment, placed the doll on the ground, took out a dagger, and attempted to cut open the doll’s body to see what was inside.
The sharp blade easily pierced the doll’s belly, but a sudden, intense wail erupted, startling Xin Meng so much that he almost jumped up!
The sound was coming from the doll!
You Yi frowned but did not stop his actions; instead, he applied more force and soon opened the doll’s belly, revealing a large mass of black-gray cotton.
The doll’s cries grew even more mournful!
You Yi withdrew the dagger and severed the doll’s head, and the wailing immediately ceased.
“This doll is alive?!” Xin Meng reacted, a chill running down his spine.
It wasn’t that someone had been following them and placed the doll in front of them; rather, the one following them was the doll itself!
“This should be their eyes,” You Yi said.
Upon hearing this, Xin Meng suddenly understood, “When we were looking for people just now, no one noticed the doll on the ground, but those ghost children could see us through the doll. No wonder they could accurately evade our searches!”
Then he suddenly remembered, “So the appearance of this doll here means they also know our location?”
“Probably,” You Yi stood up and pulled him up as well, “We need to leave now, quickly!”
The two rushed out the door and ran outside, making their way up to the seventh floor before turning into another corridor.
Little did they know, shortly after they left, a little girl in a red dress was walking step by step to the kitchen door, accurately stopping, silently pushing the door open, and walking in.
Soon, an angry roar came from inside.
As Xin Meng and You Yi turned into the corridor on the seventh floor, Xin Meng remembered the little trick You Yi had told him and wanted to continue looking for a door with glass to enter. Indeed, there was such a door, but just as he was about to push it open, You Yi stopped him. He was taken aback and followed You Yi’s gaze, looking through the glass to see that there was already a child inside!
The child was bent over, rummaging through cabinets and drawers, and since they were currently facing away from Xin Meng and the others, they did not notice anyone at the door.
Seeing the child about to raise their head, Xin Meng quickly took two steps back and moved to the side of the door, out of the range of the glass.
You Yi glanced around and chose the door on the right side, closer to the stairs, leading Xin Meng into hiding.
Inside was a small hot water room, and the space was quite cramped. The two pressed against the door, quieting their breathing, listening carefully to the sounds from the next room and outside.
“Creek… bang. Clatter clatter…”
The door opened and then closed.
The child walked out.
Xin Meng’s heart raced, and he held his breath!
You Yi, however, squeezed his hand, signaling him not to be too afraid.
Indeed, You Yi’s choice of direction was correct; the child seemed to be checking from the stairwell inward. This hot water room was close to the stairs, so it should have already been checked, allowing the child to move deeper into the other room without approaching here.
Xin Meng let out a sigh of relief.
He first looked around the room and, not seeing any dolls or similar items on the floor, felt reassured enough to walk inside and check the situation.
They had been here at night before, but at that time, they hadn’t found any clues. It was unclear whether it was because it was night or if there truly was nothing useful.
In the narrow hot water room, there were two water boilers, about ten faucets, a few thermos bottles on the floor, and a red plastic bucket with a handle that had fallen over, its rim broken in two small pieces, as if it had fallen from a height.
Xin Meng walked around these familiar items and searched the entire room again, finding no other clues.
“It seems there’s nothing in this room. Should we go out and look for another one?” Xin Meng finally walked back to the door and asked You Yi.
You Yi shook his head, leaning against the door, and whispered, “Someone is outside.”
Xin Meng leaned over to listen, and sure enough, the sound of small footsteps was wandering in the corridor, occasionally passing in front of their door.
It seemed they couldn’t leave for the time being.
The waiting time was very long. While Xin Meng strained to listen to the sounds outside, his eyes were also busy scanning the room. Suddenly, he noticed a problem—the number of thermos bottles was exactly six!
