Chapter 80, Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Fantasy Mansion
The moment DD pulled out the power cord, Wen Ting grabbed the fruit knife and picked up her water glass, which was still more than half full.
Before the copper wire could even touch Gong Baidie's skin, DD's wrist was suddenly gripped.
A crisp sound of bones breaking rang out, followed by the young man's cry of pain.
The hope in Wen Ting's eyes dimmed.
She put down her water glass, closed the drawer where the fruit knife was hidden, and cried out in alarm, "No!"
A sharp copper wire hung in front of DD's face. Gong Baidie turned her head and glanced at Wen Ting, who was stopping him.
Wen Ting hurried over around the workstation, trying to pull DD away from Gong Baidie, but the black gloves around his neck did not loosen.
"Xiao Bai..." Wen Ting pleaded, "Let's find out why first? He doesn't have the ability to kill you back, please give him some time, okay?"
A commotion suddenly broke out outside the corridor.
Wen Ting realized that a monster had appeared.
Blocked by the blinds, she couldn't see anything.
Gong Baidie's gaze shifted from Wen Ting to the young man on the table. His face was flushed, he looked like he was about to suffocate, and his expression remained stubbornly unpleasant.
But Wen Ting was right; he didn't have the ability to kill her. He could keep him around for a while to satisfy her curiosity.
Gong Baidie let go, and DD, leaning on the table, coughed violently.
He stared darkly at Gong Baidie in front of him. Wen Ting tried to help him up, but DD waved her away.
"Stop messing around!" Wen Ting grabbed him tightly, pressing him with her eyes to make him back down. "We can talk about any misunderstandings later. The most important thing now is to pass the test."
"And then?" The young man broke free from Wen Ting's hand again, slowly stood up with his hands on the table, coughing until his cheeks were flushed and his eyes were misty.
He took a deep breath, his voice hoarse from being choked, and his eyes, brimming with tears, stared intently at Gong Baidie. "As long as the BOSS doesn't die, it can keep summoning minions, which is pointless."
“DD!” Wen Ting exclaimed in shock.
She anticipated that DD might doubt her character after the password incident, but she never expected that he would be able to deduce Gong Baidie's identity so directly.
"When did you...?" "I felt something was off from the moment you two got together." DD straightened up, holding the corroded half of the broken knife.
"A 23-year-old director, with such a genius persona, yet he ranked last in both of the OA rankings." His eyes were deep. "The strange thing started when you suddenly took office. In the early days, when everyone was most panicked and needed to stick together for warmth, you stayed alone in your office. You didn't have an employee badge, so you didn't have any skills, but you never felt anxious at all, and you didn't even have the mood to date."
Gong Baidie raised an eyebrow.
"There have always been many suspicious things about you, but I don't know you after all. Maybe you're just a weirdo by nature, and you've always seemed suspicious. What really makes me feel something's wrong is that the team leader is with you."
DD glanced at Wen Ting, "Even if you knew each other before, your initial reaction proves that you haven't been in contact for a long time. To you, he's just a student you taught, nothing more."
"The development of this relationship was too abrupt. The only reasonable explanation is that you two had a flirtatious relationship before and wanted to indulge yourselves before you died."
"But I don't think you, group leader, would develop any kind of love for a junior high school student."
"Besides, you have never shown any signs of despondency since you entered the world of ghost stories. You have been calmly searching for clues, socializing everywhere, and gathering information. You have also been concerned about my and Chaochao's physical and mental well-being. You have not given up on yourself to the point of indulging in lust."
"When I was thinking about why you suddenly became so attached to the director, I remembered that you once said to Chaochao, 'I come from the otome game industry.'"
Wen Ting narrowed her eyes.
DD's voice has recovered somewhat. "When I joined the company, I wanted to understand my superiors, so I searched for your portfolio."
"Windy, it seems you made a game before you joined Green Forest, called 'Desktop Lovers'."
Wen Ting frowned. "You're getting further and further off track."
DD continued, "Back then, a little-known studio took a quarter of the Chinese 2D gaming market in just two years, which caused a stir in the industry. I haven't played it, but I've heard of it and seen a few of the content creators I follow playing it."
"It happened a long time ago, so I didn't think of it at first. But last night, I searched your computer and found this game in your download history. You downloaded nine versions in total—2.8, 4.8, 5.3, 6.1 to 6.6."
"The earliest version 2.8 of the icon cover features a butterfly on its face."
He raised his eyes, his gaze sharp. "What butterfly, is that right?"
Wen Ting was stunned.
Gong Baidie, standing to the side, chuckled softly.
“Gong Baidie,” he kindly reminded him.
DD always felt that the butterfly totem in the director's office was eerie and made her very uncomfortable.
"Although they look different, they share the same surname and age. Team leader, your Photoshop account has several sketches of the director in your sync history. Each one has different clothes and poses, but without exception, they all have long hair. The director clearly has short hair, so why are you so insistent on drawing him with long hair? The latest two even feature butterfly elements—"
Countless tiny doubts, strung together like trickles of water converging into a river, point to one conclusion:
"You know, he's not human; he's a monster that came out of your game."
Wen Ting remained silent.
Gong Baidie praised, "Wen Ting, I understand why you've been so desperate to protect him. He is indeed somewhat useful."
Wen Ting clenched her fists, her heart filled with bewilderment and irritation. "Since you knew, why were you so impulsive? Why didn't you discuss it with me first?"
DD let out a mocking laugh tinged with utter disappointment: "What's the difference between you and him?"
Wen Ting was taken aback: "What…"
"How many resignation applications have you submitted!" he suddenly interrupted Wen Ting.
"Stop lying to me! The missing person's personal belongings are gone, but their employee ID card is still there. The signs of leaving the company are too obvious."
"You were the first to realize the vulnerability in the OA password. You even post the smallest details about the zombies in group messages, but you stopped us from disclosing something as important as the password."
“From the very beginning, you had the idea of using password vulnerabilities to eliminate others.”
DD's peripheral vision fell on the crushed Coke can in the trash can, and anger and pain filled his heart.
By sheer coincidence, he got a Coke.
The day before the ghost story began, to thank Wen Ting, he brought her a cup of his favorite Coke Americano and shared the shop with her.
"Team leader, you're only more dangerous than him."
Wen Ting closed her eyes and sighed softly, "Now that things have come to this point, have you thought about how to end this?"
DD's knife answered her.
He wasn't talking nonsense; he was catching his breath and conserving his energy.
Caught off guard, he launched a second attack, the broken blade aimed at Gong Baidie's heart, but Gong Baidie easily dodged it, catching the blade between two fingers.
DD gripped the knife handle with both hands, unable to budge it an inch.
"What fuels your recklessness?" Gong Baidie looked at him, her gaze sweeping over Wen Ting.
He suddenly smiled, a hint of understanding in his eyes.
His fingers tightened, and the remaining half of the broken knife broke off between his fingers.
DD raised his foot, his knee had just bent when Gong Baidie kicked it and broke it.
Without any external force, Gong Baidie, based solely on his original character design as a military general, is more than capable of defeating an ordinary person.
Wen Ting gritted her teeth, unsure of the meaning behind Gong Baidie's gaze.
In the worst-case scenario, he believed that DD was acting under her orders, and that it was a test of his strength.
DD also likely believes that Gong Baidie was orchestrated by her and summoned by her in a conspiracy.
With his patella shattered, DD collapsed to the ground, his cries of pain drowned out by the even greater commotion in the corridor.
Wen Ting's eyes trembled as she looked at DD on the ground.
Unlike when she simply clicked the mouse to resign, she was facing real people, colleagues she had spent over a year with.
Before Gong Baidie could crush DD's head with her foot, she grabbed his sleeve.
Gong Baidie turned around, and her indifferent temperature made Wen Ting shiver.
She forced herself to calm down, forced herself to breathe steadily, "Is it possible to erase his memory?"
"You want to protect him?" Gong Baidie pointed her chin at DD on the ground, her eyes brimming with laughter. "Ah, he knows you'll plead for him."
"Wen Ting, is this his source of confidence?"
He smiled strangely and said in a soft voice, "Xiao Bai, I don't want to dream about his tragic death every night from now on."
Gong Baidie said softly, "I can blindfold you."
“Then I’ll keep imagining what it would be like for him to die.” Wen Ting grabbed his sleeve. “Please, okay? Or you can state your demands and we can negotiate to find a solution that satisfies both of us.”
“…Hmm?” Gong Baidie’s tone suddenly rose, as if she had discovered something new and interesting.
He gave a dismissive smirk. "Perhaps you should take a look at the notebook over there before making a decision."
DD on the ground suddenly froze, even the convulsions caused by pain stopped for a moment.
Wen Ting turned her head and saw DD's laptop on the workstation next to her.
The laptop was half-open at a 40-degree angle, and the screen was dark, as if it wasn't turned on.
A terrible premonition suddenly rose within her, and Gong Baidie's questioning voice echoed in her ears—
What fueled DD's recklessness?
He was incredibly perceptive, deducing everything from a series of minor inconsistencies. He should have known that even with thorough preparation, it would be difficult for him to eliminate Gong Baidie on his own.
But he did it anyway. Why?
Wen Ting walked to the laptop, and DD suddenly turned over and tried to snatch the computer, but Gong Baidie stepped on his back and threw him back to the ground.
His eyes were bloodshot, his anxiety palpable; he was more agitated than when he had been defeated twice by Gong Baidie. Wen Ting strode forward and quickly pushed open the half-closed laptop.
The screen was dark, and it didn't light up even after I pressed a few keys.
Only the camera's indicator light was glowing a faint scarlet light.
Wen Ting held her breath.
She picked up her phone; everything seemed normal. There was still a message for help from a minute ago in the OA group chat.
No, that's not right!
She pounded on the keyboard and control panel almost violently; the screen remained black, but the keyboard backlight came on.
The computer is on.
Wen Ting suddenly turned around and searched DD's body, taking his phone.
From the moment his phone was taken away, DD stopped struggling and lay silently on the ground.
Wen Ting pulled out his thumb to unlock the OA system, but found that the automatic login had been logged out, and she needed to enter a password to log in again.
She tried entering DD's birthday, his start date, his computer lock screen password... all of which returned errors.
“Heh…” Wen Ting sneered instantly.
She took two steps back, her eyes and nose stinging from the red "incorrect password" message. "Well... this time, you've managed to stop me."
She turned around and looked at the illuminated camera indicator light. "Is that Chaochao?"
DD twitched slightly but didn't say anything.
"I thought you sent her away to protect her." She let go, and DD's phone fell from her hand and hit the ground.
"So you're the frontline reporter and she's the back-end information provider." Wen Ting glanced sideways at the still-lit camera. "Chao Chao, come here, let's talk."
“She’s not coming,” DD gasped. “The whole conversation has been broadcast.”
"And then what? Are you all going to swarm in?"
This wasn't DD's Plan A; he simply wanted to tell everyone the truth in the most direct way.
His challenge to Gong Baidie was not out of recklessness, but rather to use himself as a reference point so that others could have a rough estimate of Gong Baidie's strength.
He miscalculated; not only did he expose the camera, but Gong Baidie was also far more powerful than he had anticipated.
But his actions still have meaning.
With little time left, DD seized the opportunity to transmit intelligence information to the outside world.
“I’ve been thinking about what the meaning of ghost stories is.” His chin hit the ground, and he spoke with difficulty to the person opposite the camera, “He has the ability to kill us easily, and he also has the malice to kill, so why leave most of us alive?”
“Unless,” DD stared coldly at Gong Baidie, uttering the words haltingly, “we are the fuel that provides energy…burning one by one.”
DD certainly knew that rushing in was not a foolproof strategy;
But if humans are the fuel, then this is a supernatural tale with a "world-level" scale, where the more time passes and the more people die, the stronger Miyabi Shirocho will become.
Death will recharge Gong Baidie; patience and forbearance will not buy them time to develop. Only Gong Baidie will develop.
You have to act quickly; the faster you act, the greater your chances of winning.
DD's Plan A has been exposed. Plan B, though imperfect, is not without the possibility of success.
It's impossible for Gong Baidie to kill everyone, otherwise this monster with murderous intent towards humans would have done so long ago.
DD speculated that either Gong Baidie didn't have the power to kill that many people, or he couldn't kill them all at once, otherwise he would run out of fuel and die from exhaustion.
Yanzi exclaimed in surprise from behind Gong Baidie: "[This kid is quite clever.]"
Although death is not what provides energy to lords, it is very close; nothing creates more negative emotions than death.
He single-handedly deduced almost everything and cracked the core truth.
Seeing Gong Baidie's expression, Wen Ting's heart skipped a beat.
DD's prediction was correct.
"Beautiful." Gong Baidie curved her lips into a smile, then pressed down with her foot. DD immediately let out a muffled groan as his entire face was pressed to the ground, rendering him unable to speak.
“Delaying will indeed be detrimental to you, but you shouldn’t have any hope for united humanity.” He raised an eyebrow. “It’s just fuel—no matter how much fuel is bundled together, one fire will burn it all up.”
A loud bang suddenly came from outside the door, accompanied by a roar: "Open the door!"
DD's face was crushed on the ground, but Wen Ting seemed to see him laughing.
That kind of stubborn and determined smile from a young person.
Damn brat!
Foolish, foolish, so incredibly foolish!
He sacrificed himself for the greater good, but drove her to the brink of despair!
Wen Ting took a half step back, but the banging on the door grew louder. "Wen Ting! Don't be foolish!" "Open the door, Wen Ting! Open the door now!"
Amidst the boiling and angry shouts, a frantic, high-pitched female voice cried out: "Sister Windy, let DD go! Don't hurt him!"
The warmth was so intense it felt cold from head to toe.
She could understand everyone's anger, but she thought that she had put her heart into Chaochao DD.
She didn't even believe in Gong Baidie, a character she created herself, and placed her hopes on the two of them.
Even though she knew DD was suspicious of her, she believed he was a rational person who would ask her questions, find out the truth, and then make a decision. Therefore, she did not eliminate him completely, but let him go time and time again.
madness……
She's the fool!
Wen Ting lowered her head, her gaze falling on the Coke can in the trash can.
An overwhelming sense of emptiness enveloped her.
She stared blankly at the can of cola, and for a moment she began to doubt what she was doing and why she had given herself away so easily.
"I'll handle it." Gong Baidie walked past her and headed towards the door.
Wen Ting was taken aback. "What are you going to do?"
Gong Baidie returned the look with an air of self-righteousness: he was going to deal with the perpetrators and quell the noise outside.
"No..." Wen Ting subconsciously reached out to stop her, and Gong Baidie obediently stayed where she was. "Then what do you want to do? I'll do whatever you say, okay?"
"Wen Ting! I'll count to three, don't force us to take action!"
Suppressed shouts of anger came from outside the door; they tried to be patient, but their voices couldn't contain their resentment.
"We believe you have your reasons. Wen Ting, come out and give everyone an explanation. We won't hurt you!"
joke.
Wen Ting looked down at DD on the ground, and he looked back at her coldly.
"Open the door, sister, let's talk! I believe you're not that kind of person. You were forced into this, weren't you!"
What does this little girl who's only known her for three months know about her?
What a joke! It's not even a lie, it's a pure joke!
"Wen Ting! Answer me now!" The voice outside the door turned cold. "If you don't speak, you'll suffer the consequences!"
Bang!
The fire hammer struck the glass door, shaking the entire office.
Long, slender fingers were spread out in front of Wen Ting.
Without gloves, her skin was as white as ice under the light, with faint bluish veins visible.
Gong Baidie reached out her hand, "If you haven't thought it through, I can take you away temporarily. You'll have to come back by the next assessment day at the latest."
Wen Ting understood.
She had known this for a long time: no one can be relied on, let alone a colleague in a competitive relationship.
No one caused this situation; it was her own soft heart, naivety, and indecisiveness that led to it!
"No need for all that trouble." She took Gong Baidie's outstretched hand and gave a pale smile. "I don't need them anymore."
They won't let her go.
The lives of several missing persons lie in the middle; this is not a problem that can be solved by talking.
Even if she uses her silver tongue to exonerate herself and tries every means to cooperate with them again, it will only remain a supernatural tale.
What will they do with her once she leaves the ghost stories?
They will not only make it impossible for her to stay in this industry, but they will also find a way to send her to prison.
After so many years and so much effort, she finally established herself in this bustling capital city. She can't be fired! She can't go to jail! She can't let these people ruin her life!
She had long been aware of DD's problem, but she let it go unchecked.
When you place your hopes on others, your subconscious mind begins to breed laziness and wishful thinking.
She hid behind others, waiting for victory. In a life-or-death situation, such laziness could not possibly lead to a good ending.
From the very beginning, she could only rely on herself.
Wen Ting reached out and touched the hand in front of her. Her fingers met, and she was pulled forward.
Bang!
With another hammer blow, the glass shattered with a hum.
The delicate fragrance of snow orchids enveloped Wen Ting, and a gentle voice whispered in her ear: "Wen Ting, I will not let you down."
Shunze's black hair grew from Gong Baidie's head and hung down to the hem of her clothes.
His words of comfort contained no sympathy, pity, or solemn promises; on the contrary, they carried an eerie chill.
She chose him.
He was so happy and delighted.
Bang!
The glass shattered, and Wen Ting trembled. The arms that were holding her tightened immediately, so tightly that she could hardly breathe.
Gong Baidie rested his chin on her head, he held her, and looked at the crowd bursting through the door, a wide smile spreading across his face.
Within her sight, Gong Baidie's long hair, hanging down her back, danced wildly like an ink snake. Wen Ting initially thought it was the wind, but she soon realized that it was wisps of gray smoke passing through her hair.
Through DD's shocked and horrified eyes, she heard a terrified gasp.
Someone outside was shouting, "What is that?!" "A monster! He really is a monster!" "Help! Help..."
Wen Ting turned around, her eyes covered by a cold hand.
A sticky kiss landed on her lips.
In the distance came screams and panic, while in the air came the sounds of splashing water and excited panting.
The rich fragrance of snow orchids seemed to penetrate right into her seven orifices.
After a long while, she could no longer hear cries for help; all that remained in the world was the dampness of her breathing.
He covered her eyes, sucked on the back of her tongue, licked and kissed her cheeks, and chuckled as he poked his tongue into her ear canal: "It's alright, Wen Ting, it's alright."
A cool, black mist replaced Gong Baidie's hand, covering Wen Ting's eyes.
“You won’t have nightmares,” he knelt down on one knee and kissed her lower abdomen with tenderness. “I will cover up this memory with pleasure.”
Her imagination contained no fear of death, only blissful memories of him.
On the 12th floor of the Green Forest Building, gray smoke spread out like a spider web, and there was no trace of human life.
Sixty-one enormous human cocoons fell silent.
-----------------------
Author's note: Wen Ting: You're all dead, now I'm the only one left.
In reality: Everyone else had finished playing and gone home, leaving only the female lead.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
