Chapter 6 Night of Sacrifice (2)
Lao Gao finished washing his face, dried it, and left.
Zhu Ming cupped some water in her hand, sniffing it. It had a strange, indefinable odor. At first glance, it looked like ordinary tap water, but closer inspection revealed faint impurities floating within.
She flicked the water away and began examining the kitchen, opening cupboards and drawers. At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Passing through the living room, her gaze lingered on the trash can. A section of the reddish-brown carpet beneath the sofa and coffee table was slightly darker than the rest.
She dabbed it with a tissue, which came away damp and light brown, slightly sticky.
“There’s a basement under the right staircase. It’s locked,” Yun Zouchuan reported, having explored other areas.
Unlike modern, luxurious vacation villas, this one felt cramped and somewhat dated.
The second floor had seven rooms and a large terrace. A wall had been built to block off part of the terrace, concealing room 2007 along with it. The villa’s layout was symmetrical, with the two rooms on the left and room 2007 and the terrace on the right curving towards the back, rather than being arranged in a straight line.
On the first floor, the four locked rooms were the housekeeper’s room, the storage room, and two guest rooms. There was also a kitchen, living room, common bathroom, game room, and small dining area.
The dining area, kitchen, and game room were open and empty. The two guest rooms were on the right side of the first floor, while the housekeeper’s room and storage room were on the left, flanking the staircases.
There were nine guest rooms in total, matching the number of players. Except for the basement, all the locked rooms had four-digit numbers on their doors, from 1001 to 1004 on the first floor and 2001 to 2007 on the second floor. Outside, there was a large swimming pool, a row of outdoor tables, and a barbecue grill.
Curious about the housekeeper’s room and storage room, Zhu Ming tried to peek inside from the windows, but they were windowless, like coffins. One of the guest rooms had its curtains drawn, while the other was identical to the rest. It seemed the instance treated everyone equally.
The last place she checked was the common bathroom. The floor was clean, the air slightly damp. The faucet, old and rusty, dripped steadily.
Drip, drip, drip… The sound sent a chill up her spine.
The bathroom was small, with three stalls, a sink, a mop sink, and a large mirror embedded in the wall. The stall doors were open, revealing clean interiors. The area under the sink was empty.
Perhaps it was the dim lighting, but she felt a sense of unease, as if something lurked in the shadows.
A thin layer of dirty water stood in the mop sink.
Xiao Xue, using chopsticks she had taken from the kitchen, dislodged the drain stopper. As she pulled it out, the stagnant water gurgled down the drain, releasing a foul odor. Tangled around the stopper was a clump of long, black hair.
She laid the hair on the floor, spreading it out. “It looks like a woman’s hair.”
Zhu Ming stared at it for a moment, then frowned. “Oh no, A-Zou, we have a problem.”
Yun Zouchuan: “Really? I don’t believe you.”
Zhu Ming: “There’s not even a mop. How am I supposed to clean this up? Such a hassle.”
Yun Zouchuan rolled her eyes, throwing a few air punches at Zhu Ming’s retreating back. The evil capitalist never missed an opportunity to exploit her hardworking employee. This was the true nature of bosses.
“I’ll hang you from a lamppost one day…”
Having surveyed the first floor without finding anything else of note, Zhu Ming was about to investigate the electrical system when she heard loud arguing from the backyard.
Beyond the glass doors was a wooden deck with tables, a barbecue grill, and a large rectangular swimming pool.
The argument was between the seemingly good-natured Lao Gao and a muscular man, Teng Ge. Lao Gao, soaked from head to toe, had apparently just climbed out of the pool.
Xiao Song was adding fuel to the fire. “Stop arguing. That key is obviously important. Retrieving it would benefit everyone. Why won’t you contribute to the group? I can’t swim, otherwise I’d go down there myself.”
Teng Ge glared. “Anyone who wants to can go. I’m not going. Why don’t you send your girlfriend down there?”
It turned out Xiao Song had spotted an old-fashioned key at the bottom of the pool, matching the lock on the basement door. They had tried to retrieve it with tools, but the key was small and slippery, difficult to grasp in the water. Someone would have to go in.
But frankly, no one wanted to enter that pool.
The water was relatively clear, but the surface was covered in trash: beer bottles, soda cans, snack wrappers, disposable chopsticks… a disgusting mess. There were even a few articles of clothing tangled amongst the debris, casting large, murky shadows.
Knowing this world was haunted made the murky depths of the pool even more unsettling.
Fortunately, the key was near the edge, in a relatively clear area, seemingly easy to reach.
No one wanted to be the one to force a girl to do such a dirty job, especially with the enigmatic Zhu Ming present. But there were plenty of men, and each wanted someone else to do it.
Old Xu and Xiao Cheng were inspecting the garden, looking for clues. One was old, the other young, and both were experienced instance runners. Teng Ge didn’t dare provoke them, so he targeted Xiao Song and Lao Gao.
Xiao Song claimed he couldn’t swim, leaving only Lao Gao and himself. Acting quickly, before Xiao Song could suggest they both go in, Teng Ge kicked Lao Gao into the pool.
Lao Gao scrambled out, panicked, forgetting all about the key. While he hadn’t encountered any danger, the experience had enraged him.
The two began to argue.
“No way! Why should I be the only one to risk my life?!” Lao Gao yelled. “Are you even a man? If we’re going in, we’re going in together!”
Teng Ge, confident in his size and strength, sneered at the chubby, middle-aged man. “Do whatever you want. The mission is everyone’s responsibility.”
He headed back towards the villa, glancing at Zhu Ming as he passed. The strange woman was leaning against the doorframe, watching the spectacle with amusement, as if she were enjoying a show.
She was so weird. Not only was she dressed all in black in the sweltering heat, but it was long sleeves and pants. The temperature here was bizarre. Standing in the sun for a few minutes was enough to break a sweat. He couldn’t understand how she tolerated it.
By the pool, Lao Gao complained to Xiao Song, “These street thugs have no manners!”
Xiao Song drawled, “Yeah, I don’t think he’s very easy to get along with. Oh well, better to avoid trouble. Look, you went in earlier and nothing happened. Your clothes are already wet. Why not go in again? You’re a grown man. You can’t expect a girl to do it, can you?”
Lao Gao looked down at his wet clothes, hesitant. “But what if something happens?”
Xiao Song goaded him, “What danger could there be in a stupid pool? It’s broad daylight. We haven’t seen any ghosts yet, which means they don’t come out during the day. Why are you so scared? We can tie a rope around you and pull you out if anything happens.”
Lao Gao felt ashamed. “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one going in.”
But after a bit more persuasion, he agreed to try again. After all, nothing had happened earlier. Perhaps the pool wasn’t as dangerous as he imagined.
He had one condition: they had to tie a rope around him, just in case.
They searched the villa, but tools were scarce. Old Xu and Xiao Cheng were using long metal skewers from the barbecue grill to probe the ground in the garden. Xiao Song and the others went to find them, planning to tie their belts together to make a rope.
Having had her fill of entertainment, Zhu Ming strolled out from under the shade of the awning. She circled the tables and grill, counting slowly, and picked up a metal skewer.
She then walked over to the grill by the back door and exchanged her skewer for a newer, sharper one.
Crouching at the edge of the wooden deck, one step away from the tiled ground, she poked at the weeds growing between the tiles with the skewer, completely absorbed in her task.
The afternoon air grew heavier, the sunlight less intense than at midday but still bright, casting a small shadow behind Zhu Ming.
“What are you doing?” Xiao Xue asked curiously, standing behind her.
Zhu Ming ignored her.
Yun Zouchuan approached, whispering, “Boss!”
“Holy crap!” Zhu Ming jumped, instinctively jabbing her elbow backward. Yun Zouchuan dodged expertly. “What?! You scared me half to death!”
Yun Zouchuan shrugged, explaining to Xiao Xue, “She’s hard of hearing. You have to speak up for her to hear you. Try yelling next time.”
Xiao Xue: “…” Hard of hearing at such a young age? She felt a strange mix of pity and amusement.
Zhu Ming glared. “Insulting your boss to her face? Your punishment is doubled! No bonus this month!”
Yun Zouchuan sighed. “Can’t you come up with a different threat?” Of course not.
The commotion attracted the attention of the others. Xiao Song and Miss Zhao were busy tying their makeshift rope around Lao Gao’s waist, testing its strength. Zhu Ming glanced up, noticing Xiao Song looking at them curiously, wondering what she was doing.
Yun Zouchuan and Xiao Xue were also curious. Zhu Ming had nothing to hide. She held up the skewer, the metal glinting in the sunlight, highlighting a dark stain near the tip and a struggling ant.
“Look, so many ants!” she said cheerfully, trying to skewer a line of them.
Xiao Xue was taken aback by her childishness, unsure what to make of her.
“It looks like they’re about to go in,” Zhu Ming said. “Let’s go watch… I mean, let’s go help.”
Given the limited equipment—a single, poorly constructed rope tied around Lao Gao’s waist—there wasn’t much they could do to help.
As they approached, Xiao Song and Miss Zhao looked apprehensive. “What are you doing?” Xiao Song eyed the sharp skewer in Zhu Ming’s hand, wondering if she still held a grudge from their earlier accusations.
Zhu Ming squatted by the edge of the pool. “This is women’s business. Little men shouldn’t interfere.”
Xiao Song sputtered, “You—!”
Zhu Ming gave him a cool look.
Despite the heat of the sun, Xiao Song shivered.
Zhu Ming had already lost interest in him, her gaze fixed on the water.
Having more important matters to attend to, Xiao Song swallowed his anger and urged Lao Gao, “Hurry up. Let’s get this over with while it’s still light.”
Lao Gao’s commotion had drawn everyone except Teng Ge. He didn’t expect them to join him in the pool, but he hoped they would pull him out if anything happened.
And something did happen.
Lao Gao cautiously entered the water, retrieved the key, and started swimming back. Just as he was about to reach the edge, he felt something cold and slimy brush against his neck.
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