MS Chapter 14

The players were currently in a relatively concealed position; after all, the mountaintop was quite large, and unless the other party conducted a thorough search, it would be difficult to discover them if they were intent on hiding.

Seeing these people ascend the mountain, and each of them looking far from friendly, the glasses-wearing man was not surprised at all by Lu Qingjia’s expression.

He asked, “Who are they?”

Lu Qingjia replied, “I sent a blackmail message to Mr. Li. If you were a wealthy man who had already stained your hands with blood, would you easily allow your life-threatening secrets to fall into someone else’s hands, living in fear of endless extortion?”

Of course not. Such a person would be capable of eliminating dozens of lives to eliminate potential threats; how could they harbor any illusions of being controlled by others?

The others were horrified and exclaimed, “Wait! When did you send Mr. Li the blackmail message?”

“We’ve been in the game for less than three hours, and the blizzard got worse, causing the entire hotel’s signal to go down, right? Including our smartphones, which were unusable until just now. When did you—”

“After I came out of Mrs. Li’s room,” Lu Qingjia said.

Oh right, this guy had mentioned that he discovered the truth of her death while helping Mrs. Li pack her luggage.

But no one expected that he had laid out such a long-term plan from the very beginning.

Everyone fell silent, not wanting to experience another blow to their intelligence.

The group of big men split into three teams and searched the surrounding area. Fortunately, the players were all agile, and the place was large enough that they did not reveal any flaws.

After a simple investigation, the big men made a phone call, seemingly reporting the situation to someone on the other end.

After receiving instructions, they found a hidden place to hide.

The players whispered, “That grandson of a Li is cunning; he had someone ambush here in advance. In this remote wilderness, even if someone manages to extort money, they can’t walk out alive.”

“Is he not afraid of angering others and having all his secrets exposed?”

“Better safe than sorry. He will definitely meet with the extortionist; at that time, he can find out how the other party knows the secrets and what leverage they have. As long as he controls the person, there are plenty of ways to pry open their mouth.”

“Let’s say, hypothetically, that there is more than one extortionist, and there are accomplices outside. Even if Mr. Li doesn’t act and obediently hands over the money today, he still has to find a way to secretly follow and root out all potential threats.”

After the glasses-wearing man finished speaking, he asked Lu Qingjia, “Brother Lu, should we take action?”

Lu Qingjia replied, “Not yet; let’s see if there’s a scheduled communication signal.”

Sure enough, every so often, the group would contact the outside world, but as time passed and the sky grew darker, the still-empty mountaintop made the group increasingly anxious.

They even rechecked the surroundings, and this time, a player contributed a hallucination talisman.

It could present the illusion that the user wanted others to see, though it didn’t last long and was somewhat overkill for this situation. However, after Lu Qingjia expressed interest in buying it, the other party readily agreed.

Still, the point was that Lu Qingjia feared nothing, only that the other party wouldn’t come.

He didn’t want Mr. Li to hold onto even a shred of security, allowing him to feel confident about his numbers and strength. If he ran away, it would waste all of Lu Qingjia’s efforts.

As the time for the appointment drew closer, a black luxury car finally appeared in their line of sight.

The car parked at the entrance of the hotel ruins, and a man and a woman got out one after the other. One was a man who had long since achieved success, and his basic information and appearance were not hard to find.

The other was a woman who resembled the one Lu Qingjia had seen in the hotel staff records before they were destroyed.

Over a decade had passed, and both were now in their forties, but they looked only in their early thirties, well-preserved.

The man was confident and refined, exuding the aura of a winner in life; the woman was elegant and noble, far from the youthful appearance she had back then.

The two had thrived on the blood and lives of dozens, achieving success and satisfaction.

However, the anxious expressions on their faces now shattered the calm they had cultivated over the years.

Wang Lingli said, “Why aren’t they here yet? There are only five minutes left until the agreed time.”

“How would I know?” Mr. Li couldn’t help but pull out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat, then thought of a very bad possibility—

“Could it be that guy doesn’t plan to come at all?”

Just like how a kidnapper demands ransom while considering their own safe escape, if getting them here was just the first step, then the subsequent situation would become complicated.

Fortunately, Mr. Li didn’t have to worry for long, because as the five minutes passed, a figure appeared behind them without them noticing.

“Truly a businessman, punctual enough.”

The two turned around to see a tall and handsome young man, his demeanor calm and his aura extraordinary, far exceeding their expectations.

He was nothing like the thugs they had imagined who would extort money; if it weren’t for the wrong time and place, they might have thought he was one of those promising young heirs they encountered at high-society parties.

Lu Qingjia nodded at them, “Mr. Li, Ms. Wang, welcome!”

“Welcome?” Mr. Li said warily, “What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing much, just as the manager of this hotel, I welcome the two of you back here once again.”

This statement sounded unclear and somewhat ominous to the two, and before they could think further, Ms. Wang simply said, “We brought the money.”

As she spoke, she opened the trunk, revealing several large boxes. The weight of ten million yuan was one hundred and fifty kilograms, equivalent to two adults, and naturally not something that could be easily moved.

Since Lu Qingjia had instructed that only cash was needed, the two had no choice.

To show their sincerity, Ms. Wang even opened each box side by side, allowing Lu Qingjia to check the authenticity.

Lu Qingjia said, “No need; I believe you wouldn’t take ten million lightly. I’m very satisfied.”

Only then did Mr. Li say, “We’ve brought the money; this gentleman should also show his sincerity, right?”

“What do you know? Besides you, who else knows about this? What clues do you have? We spent ten million; at least we should buy some peace of mind, right?”

Lu Qingjia smiled, “Don’t you know how much I know? Just based on a couple of text messages, Mr. Li is willing to travel thousands of miles to be generous. I’m impressed by your generosity.”

Mr. Li’s smile turned somewhat ugly: “Now that the money and people are here, it’s pointless to say such things.”

“True,” Lu Qingjia nodded, suddenly feeling straightforward, “I wonder if you still remember Manager Hao from the hotel back then?”

“I’m a distant relative of his. Coincidentally, I also joined the hotel group he worked for last year.”

“Half a month before his accident, he took leave to go down the mountain for a marriage meeting, but because a large tourist group was checking in at that time, some remote work was unavoidable.”

“After he returned from leave, he left a storage card at home, which contained all the official business he had recently handled.”

As he spoke, Lu Qingjia looked at the two with meaningful eyes: “For example, the electronic employment records of a certain employee, the records of fixed product replacements, and the kickbacks discussed with suppliers.”

“That storage card was kept as a relic by his family until I joined the same company, and his parents handed it over to me to see if it could help with my work.”

Upon hearing this, both of their faces turned pale. They had suffered from the unpredictability of fate back then, and they never expected to face a similar situation over a decade later.

The key was that this coincidence was too absurd; after so many years, even if outsiders saw the information on it, who would connect it to the events of the past?

Then Lu Qingjia explained, “At first, I only skimmed through it for learning purposes.”

“I have a good memory, and because of the fire and casualties at this mountain villa, it caused significant damage to the company’s reputation and wealth. Therefore, this incident is analyzed and discussed as a warning case in every batch of onboarding training.”

“And during the memorial segment for the colleagues who died back then, I noticed that it seemed someone was missing. According to the records, there were no leave requests at that time.”

“Of course, it’s also possible that the person left within half a month and didn’t have their records transferred before leaving, but out of curiosity, I looked into this person and found that her current identity is quite remarkable.”

Mr. Li and Ms. Wang were both on the verge of vomiting blood. Was it fate that had them encounter such a meticulous person after all these coincidences?

The other party continued, “At first, I thought this lady was truly lucky; not only did she escape that accident, but she also married into a wealthy family, marrying the husband of a customer who died in the fire.”

“And that customer, due to the sensational nature of the case, was the only daughter of a wealthy family, and her husband’s grief during post-incident interviews made him one of the most talked-about victims.”

“Her simple resume, habits, and hobbies are not hard to find. This led me to discover another coincidence.”

“The brand of cleaning solution she commonly used happened to have a chemical reaction with the one Manager Hao temporarily switched to. Furthermore, the supplier’s surname is also Wang, and the address on the contract documents happens to be the same as Ms. Wang’s.”

Lu Qingjia clapped his hands: “One coincidence is just that, but so many coincidences linked together become inevitable.”

“So I’m certain that the fire back then was likely to cover up an even more unknown truth. Are you satisfied with this answer?”

After hearing this, the two only wanted to drag that Manager Hao out and beat him to death. This whole incident had started because of him, and they never expected that after so many years, he would still be haunting them.

But at this point, they could only find a way to make amends.

Mr. Li’s expression darkened: “I admire this gentleman’s cleverness and attention to detail. It’s only right that you profit from this. I have nothing to say.”

“But I want to know, besides you, is there anyone else who knows about this? Where is that storage card now? We’re all straightforward people; I want to buy it outright.”

Lu Qingjia smiled: “Such a generous offer? My asking price isn’t low.”

Mr. Li had an expression that suggested he was ready to make an offer, and Lu Qingjia shrugged: “Alright, you can rest assured, this matter is known only to me, and I have the storage card with me.”

“However, besides me, you might not be completely at ease, right?” Lu Qingjia hinted: “For example, that supplier from back then?”

“Although he might not know the full picture and only did a losing deal on the request of a relative, if he were to investigate, he could still trace the clues.”

“You don’t need to worry about that.” Mr. Li’s expression was resolute.

Lu Qingjia raised an eyebrow: “What? That person also died under your arrangement?”

Seeing their expressions, it was clear they had no intention of denying it.

Mr. and Mrs. Li thought the other party was preparing to make an offer and were waiting for them to produce the storage card, ready to eliminate any future threats once they confirmed it was genuine.

But instead, they saw the other party leisurely pull out a phone from his pocket, which displayed that he was on a call.

The two widened their eyes, their scalps tingling as they watched Lu Qingjia put the phone to his ear: “Did you hear that clearly? Officer.”

“Although all internal evidence from the hotel was destroyed back then, there should be clues from that supplier. After all, such an excellent murder environment cannot be replicated outside.”

“Oh, by the way, you could also visit the family members of the employees who went up the mountain during that time, as well as the suppliers of the hotel’s various materials. Although it’s been a while, there might still be someone who remembers Ms. Wang.”

“Mm-hmm! No need to thank me; it’s every citizen’s duty.” He said this without waiting for the other side to ask for his name and hung up the phone.

When he looked up, he saw the two with pale faces. Clearly, despite their efforts to cover their tracks, they had already obtained testimonies that could restore the entire incident, and finding evidence wouldn’t be difficult.

Mr. Li’s eyes were bloodshot: “You actually called the police?”

Ms. Wang broke down in tears: “It’s over, it’s all over. Didn’t you want money? Here’s the money; why are you calling the police? What good does that do you?”

Lu Qingjia shrugged: “Look at what Ms. Wang is saying, as if I wouldn’t want money just because I called the police.”

The air fell silent, and Mr. Li revealed a sinister expression: “Kid, why seek death at such a young age? Don’t you know who you should provoke and who you shouldn’t?”

“Do you really think that after all these years, the scattered evidence the police find can do anything to me? Do you really think you can walk out of here alive?”

Lu Qingjia laughed: “Are you talking about that group of people who came to the mountain early?”

As soon as he finished speaking, there were sounds of heavy objects falling to the ground. Turning around, he saw the group of people he had hired, all subdued one by one.

They were tied up like piglets, lined up and thrown in front of him.

Standing there were five men and women of similar stature, who clearly wouldn’t be a match for his people. Yet, it was these people who had unknowingly subdued a group of burly men.

Mr. Li was drenched in cold sweat, and then he heard Lu Qingjia say, “Moreover, it seems Mr. Li has misunderstood something?”

“The reason I called the police was merely to give a name to the souls that perished, to let the outside world know that they did not die by accident, but were victims of a shameful murder, and the hotel group should not bear so many years of blame.”

“Do you remember what I said at the beginning? I said welcome back to the two of you; everyone is waiting for you.”

“Since you’re back, don’t think about leaving.”

As soon as his voice fell, the ruins of the hotel suddenly seemed to rewind time, restoring to its former appearance.

The polished floor, bright crystal chandeliers, plush new sofas, and the popular music of the time faintly echoed.

Lu Qingjia made a welcoming gesture: “Welcome, esteemed guests.”

But the two esteemed guests were already dumbfounded: “Who are you? What is this? What have you done?”

“Is this some kind of hallucinogenic drug? What trick are you playing?”

If the change of scene could still be explained as an illusion, then the people gradually appearing in the hall made the two shut their lips tightly, not daring to breathe loudly.

At the front desk, two young women in uniforms had appeared out of nowhere, and the sound of a bus pulling up could be heard outside.

One front desk staff member ran over, ignoring Mr. Li beside her, and pulled Ms. Wang, saying, “The guests are about to arrive; what are you standing here for?”

As she spoke, she was about to drag her away.

Ms. Wang hurriedly clung to Mr. Li, crying out in terror, “Where are you taking me? No, I won’t go, help me, husband.”

However, her husband was also preoccupied, because the hotel door opened, and a group of guests walked in, one of whom was his late wife, whom he had personally designed to kill.

The other party’s demeanor was just as flamboyant and arrogant as he remembered, and upon seeing him, she scolded him without hesitation: “Where the hell have you been? You turn around and disappear!”

Mr. Li looked at her face, frozen in terror, forcing out an ugly smile: “I, I went out to get the luggage.”

As he spoke, he tried to walk outside, and Ms. Wang realized her husband’s intention, wanting to take the opportunity to escape this eerie place.

However, before they could take two steps, they were both caught.

Mrs. Li grabbed Mr. Li, and Zhu Xiaomei grabbed Ms. Wang.

The expressions on their faces, which had originally seemed normal, turned extremely strange, exuding a chilling and faintly mocking smile.

They both said simultaneously, “Where do you think you’re going? We’ve finally waited for you to come back!”

The two looked down and were horrified to find that the hands grabbing them had turned into charred, pitch-black claws, hideous and terrifying.

They could no longer hold back their screams: “Let go of me, I don’t want to go, I don’t want to!”

Their struggles were particularly tragic, their nails breaking as they clawed at the carpet, but they were still dragged into the darkness.

In a moment, the screams of the two echoed from somewhere in the hotel.

Several players listened, feeling relieved: “Serves them right! After killing so many people and living freely for over a decade, they’ve paid their dues.”

At the same time, they heard the message in their minds announcing the successful completion of the level, and everyone felt a sense of relief, immediately choosing to exit the game.

However, the message Lu Qingjia received was different: [Player Lu Qingjia triggered an independent side quest—Manager Hao’s Revenge, and must complete it alone. Good luck.]

Lu Qingjia was sure the game was skirting the rules, but he wasn’t afraid.

From a room on the first floor came the sound of clanging. Lu Qingjia took out the Soul Binding Rope and strolled over.

That was the room where Manager Hao had been detained, and it was one of the few rooms in the hotel without windows, typically used as a staff break room.

One could imagine that during the fire, Manager Hao was locked inside alone, helpless, dying in fear and despair.

Yet all the hotel staff were innocent; he alone deserved this fate.

Because if he hadn’t been greedy and disregarded human life, exposing Mr. Li and Ms. Wang from the very beginning, all the innocent people in the hotel would not have died.

Lu Qingjia approached that room, opened the door, and found it empty.

Looking at the nylon ties by the bed, it was clear they had been cut, suggesting that someone had entered the room before Manager Hao died to give him some tools.

Of course, this was merely a false comfort, a pretense of rescue; Manager Hao would have kept quiet until they set the fire.

“Creek—” An uncomfortable sound came from the room.

A high-priced custom-made wooden wardrobe from the hotel opened a crack.

A vengeful eye appeared in the gap of the wardrobe door, filled with hatred as it stared at Lu Qingjia.

Lu Qingjia thought that this place was Manager Hao’s place of death, which must give him an advantage. If he wasn’t careful, he might not be able to bring in help.

So he decisively left the room, intending to lure the other party to a more favorable environment.

However, as soon as he exited the room, he saw a familiar figure at the end of the corridor.

With slightly long black hair, a tall and strong posture, wearing a fitted black turtleneck and combat pants, he looked like he had just come off the battlefield, his muscular contours breathtaking.

At first, the other party looked somewhat dazed, but upon seeing Lu Qingjia, his entire expression changed.

Lu Qingjia was running toward him, but upon seeing this, the other party pivoted 180 degrees like a compass, turning around without a second thought and running back to the room he had deemed somewhat dangerous.

Seeing him return, Manager Hao’s ghost revealed a sinister smile: “Hehe!”

His charred, twisted body gradually emerged, seemingly aiming to create the maximum horror effect.

However, just as he was halfway out, he was suddenly yanked back by a hand.

“What are you dawdling for? With your lazy and foolish demeanor, you think you can eat people? Get lost!”

After saying this, the person dove into the wardrobe and slammed the door shut.

The author has something to say:

Here you go, the attack you wanted!

Attack: Am I still nameless?