Chapter 27 The Night Banquet ① - Scripted Murder Game She absolutely had to attend this night banquet...
After packing her luggage, she, Li Yang, and Xuan Bingbing went downstairs to check out, only to find several police officers in the hotel lobby.
Two police officers were talking to the receptionist when they saw Lan Shuyin and her two companions dragging their suitcases toward them. One of the older officers stepped forward to greet them.
"Routine check, please cooperate and show your identification documents."
Lan Shuyin obediently handed over her ID card. "What happened?"
After checking their identification, the police pulled up a photo on their phone and showed it to them. "We're looking for this person. Have you seen him before?"
The photo was a standard ID photo; the young man in it had an ordinary appearance, but his eyes were unusually deep and sharp.
Lan Shuyin's heart skipped a beat; she felt this person looked familiar, but couldn't quite place him.
Li Yang and Xuan Bingbing shook their heads, indicating that they had never seen it before.
The police didn't ask any further questions, and after noting down their basic information, they signaled that they could leave.
As Lan Shuyin turned around, she suddenly heard the young policeman next to her complaining on the phone, "When are the people from Qinyang finally arriving?"
Qinyang?
This place name is like a key, unlocking a corner of memory—
“We checked. It was a tenant living on the other side of the hallway. She's a cosplayer and had just been practicing imitating a character's movements and voice. She's fine now, and we've given her a verbal warning.”
A scene flashed through my mind.
She suddenly realized, that face in the photo! That deep, sharp gaze... wasn't it the same policeman who knocked on her door at the Qinyang Hotel that night to handle her emergency call?
Lan Shuyin subtly slowed her pace.
"Why can't we just issue an arrest warrant? How long would it take to find them like searching for a needle in a haystack?"
"We're just putting on a show, waiting for the special personnel from Qinyang to handle it. They're from a special bureau, we can't deal with them. The higher-ups sent us to patrol, because they're afraid he'll wander into our territory and do something dirty again."
"That's ruthless, three lives lost in one fell swoop... I heard two of them were his colleagues, he's a real scoundrel..."
The fragmented conversation drifted into her ears, and Lan Shuyin's heart sank slightly. She quickly pieced together a chilling truth: the "police officer" who had appeared outside her door had committed murder?
Moreover, they also came to Ganli from Qinyang.
Could it be a coincidence?
She instinctively gripped the handle of her suitcase.
"Yinyin?" At this moment, Li Yang gently patted her shoulder. "What's wrong? You look so pale. Are you feeling unwell?"
Lan Shuyin snapped back to reality and forced a smile. "Oh, it's nothing... I just feel a little uncomfortable thinking about having to sit in the car for another 10 or 15 hours."
Li Yang looked at her, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes, but ultimately didn't ask anything more.
...
After rushing back to Beijing from Ganli County, Lan Shuyin had no time to rest before hurrying to work at Ni Chang Ye.
The days of running around left her exhausted. Supervisor Li Li was extremely dissatisfied with her taking leave so soon after starting the job, and secretly complained to the manager while she was changing her uniform.
However, instead of agreeing, the manager gave him a meaningful look and whispered a warning, "Just do your own job and mind your own business. Some people are not for us to discuss."
It was 2 a.m., the time to leave work.
As Lan Shuyin rubbed her neck and walked out of the staff passage, a waiter was already waiting by her side, handing her a matte silver envelope.
"Boss Wei instructed me to pass this on."
The envelope felt quite heavy, with intricate dark gold patterns embossed along the edges and a unique emblem pressed into the seal, giving it an overall luxurious feel.
Lan Shuyin was surprised, but also felt guilty.
Boss Wei is indeed very resourceful; he already knew that she was working at Neon Night.
Back in her apartment, with a mix of curiosity and trepidation, Lan Shuyin opened the envelope.
Inside was an invitation letter made of the same high-quality paper, with four large, bold characters written in vigorous calligraphy:
Night Banquet Listening to Secrets
On the back, there was only one date: three days later.
It was actually a secret banquet at night?
Lan Shuyin felt a slight tremor in her heart. During the two years she had worked with Boss Wei, she had long heard of this private gathering that was only secretly circulated among the upper echelons and certain special fields—it was the highest-level information exchange venue of Neon Night.
Legend has it that the "Night Banquet," personally hosted by Boss Wei, is held irregularly in the most secluded and central area of Neon Night. Those invited are invariably powerful figures from all walks of life.
There, information itself is the most precious currency. Every whisper can be priceless, and behind every secret may lie enormous interests.
Thinking of this, Lan Shuyin felt a surge of excitement.
What does this mean? It means that she has a very high chance of accessing something completely inaccessible through ordinary channels at this banquet, thereby finding clues about the Feng Zhi family! This is like finding a needle in a haystack!
After my initial excitement subsided, a sense of doubt involuntarily surfaced in my mind.
Why would Boss Wei invite her? She's just a nobody; what makes her think she deserves to be in that kind of setting?
But this doubt lingered for only a moment before being suppressed by an even stronger desire. If you can't figure it out, then don't think about it for now. This opportunity is once in a lifetime, and the most important thing right now is to figure out how to seize it.
Lan Shuyin carefully put away the invitation, her eyes hardening.
She absolutely had to attend this banquet!
...
The next day happened to be the weekend. The fatigue from the days of running around and mental stress made Lan Shuyin sleep soundly until her phone's persistent and continuous vibration woke her up.
She groggily reached for her phone, and the name "Xuan Bingbing" appeared on the screen.
"Yinyin! It's an emergency! Help!" Xuan Bingbing's frantic voice rang out as soon as the call was answered, "Come downstairs quickly, I'm downstairs at your place!"
"What's wrong..." Lan Shuyin lazily turned over, without even opening her eyes.
"My colleagues organized a murder mystery game this morning, and everyone was supposed to be there, but someone had to cancel at the last minute! We're one short! Can you come and fill in?"
Lan Shuyin buried her head in the pillow, her voice muffled, "No, I'm so sleepy, I have to work the night shift tonight."
"No!" Xuan Bingbing immediately wailed, her voice filled with pleading. "The thing is... my crush is here too! It's such a rare chance to hang out with him, you can't just leave me hanging! It's just an afternoon session, it'll be over soon, I'll treat you to a big meal another day!"
Lan Shuyin had a vague impression of Xuan Bingbing's "Crush." Apparently, he was a new intern at their company, a recent graduate, and three years younger than Xuan Bingbing. He'd been interning for a month, and Xuan Bingbing had been constantly referring to him as "little brother" in front of Lan Shuyin and Li Yang.
However, Lan Shuyin hadn't taken it too seriously. After all, given Xuan Bingbing's "one crush a month" frequency, it was questionable how long her enthusiasm could last. But judging from her tone, she was quite infatuated this time.
Unable to resist Xuan Bingbing's persistent pleading on the phone, and also because she had indeed slept for a long time, Lan Shuyin finally got up, washed up quickly, and went downstairs.
That murder mystery game shop is hidden in a creative park converted from an old factory. The storefront is small, and the deliberately aged brick walls and dark-colored signs give it a mysterious feel.
Pushing open the shop door, a warm, dim light greets you. A faint scent of incense wafts in the air, and the background music is a low, almost imperceptible chant, creating a perfectly fitting atmosphere.
The game they're playing today is called "Wedding Invitation," a somewhat well-known immersive horror game that requires players to move around and solve puzzles, completing five rituals in several different themed rooms.
Before the official start, they needed to change into costumes that matched the atmosphere of the script. Xuan Bingbing and Lan Shuyin arrived late, and the other colleagues had already changed and were led by the DM to the rest area to familiarize themselves with the script. Only Xuan Bingbing and Lan Shuyin remained in the changing area.
Lan Shuyin moved swiftly and quickly changed into a simple, elegant outfit reminiscent of a female student from the Republican era. After fastening the buttons, she told Xuan Bingbing, who was still choosing hair accessories, "I'll wait for you outside," and then went out.
The corridor was quiet, with only faint background sound effects coming from afar.
Lan Shuyin was idly looking at the posters on the wall when she suddenly caught a glimpse of a man in dark blue overalls who quickly disappeared into the women's changing room she had just come out of!
Xuan Bingbing is still inside!
Lan Shuyin's heart tightened. Without thinking, she immediately turned around and rushed back.
"What are you doing..." Her scolding stopped abruptly.
Inside the dressing room, Xuan Bingbing was the only one. She was fixing her hair in front of the mirror when she was startled by the sudden intrusion and the shout, and the comb in her hand fell to the ground with a "clatter".
"Yinyin?" Xuan Bingbing, still shaken, clutched her chest and asked, "What are you doing?"
Lan Shuyin stood frozen at the doorway, her gaze sweeping across the not-so-spacious space—besides the frightened Xuan Bingbing and a few rows of hanging clothes, where was there another person?
"Did someone come in just now?" she asked, trying to sound calm.
"Anyone else?" Xuan Bingbing shook her head blankly. "No, it's just me. What's wrong?"
She opened her mouth, and a thought suddenly flashed through her mind: Was she seeing things? Or... was that not a living person at all?
"It's nothing." Lan Shuyin suppressed her shock, forced a stiff smile, bent down to pick up the comb, and handed it over. "I think I saw a big cockroach run in just now, but I was mistaken."
Xuan Bingbing took the comb with some skepticism, then glared at her reproachfully, "What's the big deal? You scared me half to death!"
Lan Shuyin awkwardly left the dressing room, leaning against the cold wall, her heart still beating a little fast.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to dispel the inexplicable chill in her heart.
This can't go on any longer—she thought to herself.
From the moment I received the first black envelope addressed to "Feng Zhi Zhao Yin," the events in Qi Gu Village, the sights and sounds at Xiang Weng Temple, and those fleeting, eerie figures... a series of things that defy common sense. If I were to deceive myself with mere coincidence or my eyes playing tricks on me, it wouldn't be a sign of magnanimity, but rather of foolishness.
She had to face the fact that the world she knew in the past was just the tip of the iceberg. And now, the real world was seeping in from the edge of the iceberg, slowly revealing a more profound and terrifying face.
No matter how disturbing the truth may be, panic will not solve anything. She forced herself to analyze the situation calmly. Whatever she might see in the future, she had to stay composed.
Making a rash announcement would only make her seem like a madwoman or invite unnecessary trouble. She needed to face the supernatural presence calmly, like Wei Li. Yes, observe first, then judge, and then act. She absolutely could not lose her composure again, reacting with such alarm.
As her mind gradually calmed down, Lan Shuyin slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, and when she opened her eyes again, her eyes were clear.
Once everyone was ready, DM led them into the first scene—the "Old Side Room".
The "old side room" is quite large and has been carefully decorated in the style of a Chinese wedding room.
Dark red curtains hung low, and the wooden furniture was a deep, somber color. A pair of white candles sat on the dressing table, and a brightly colored, blood-red old-fashioned wedding dress hung on the wall.
The only light source in the entire space comes from the warm yellow spotlights overhead, casting dim light and dark shadows on the uneven walls.
In short, every detail in sight deliberately exudes a terrifying, old, and ominous atmosphere.
When distributing the script, DM deliberately kept his voice very low to create a tense atmosphere, "Dear players, the script we're presenting today, 'Wedding Invitation,' is... somewhat famous in the industry."
His gaze slowly swept over the crowd, carrying a mysterious air of unspoken words. "Veteran players say in private that the rituals in the doujinshi sometimes attract unclean things."
Upon hearing this, Xuan Bingbing immediately let out an exaggerated "ooh" and shrank closer to a boy next to her. The other colleagues exchanged excited yet apprehensive glances.
DM observed the players' gradually changing expressions, paused deliberately, and then added in a relaxed tone, "Of course, in most cases, it's just people scaring themselves. The atmosphere is right! Everyone should mainly enjoy the story and not take it too seriously. Our store has been open for so long, so safety is absolutely guaranteed."
As he spoke, Lan Shuyin subtly glanced at the others present.
Xuan Bingbing works at a small internet company, where most of her colleagues are young people. The six people who came this time—four men and two women—were all well-dressed and stylish, looking like trendy urban men and women.
Her gaze finally settled on the boy Xuan Bingbing had unconsciously moved closer to—this was the "younger brother" who had captivated Xuan Bingbing; what was his name, Guan Han? He was wearing a simple white hoodie and jeans, his hair neatly styled, his features clean and handsome, definitely carrying the youthful air of someone fresh out of school. At this moment, he was smiling somewhat shyly at Xuan Bingbing, revealing a hint of bashfulness.
She looks quite pleasing to the eye, and has a clean and refined demeanor.
Lan Shuyin silently formed a preliminary impression in her mind. Seeing Xuan Bingbing talking softly to her younger brother, her eyes glued to him, completely forgetting her presence, she couldn't help but chuckle and curse inwardly: "Forgetting friends for the sake of beauty."
At this point, DM said, "Please turn to the first scene of the script and do not peek at the page beforehand."
Lan Shuyin withdrew her gaze and lowered her head to open the rough-textured script in her hand.
"Now we begin the first ritual segment—'Asking the Name.' Please proceed in order to the dressing table in the southeast corner of the room, face the mirror, light a white candle, and then state the name of your character from the script."
The first person to walk over was a girl with exquisite makeup and wearing a satin embroidered cheongsam, who gracefully completed the ceremony.
Next was Guan Han. He walked to the mirror with swift movements, his voice slightly high-pitched but very steady.
Then came Xuan Bingbing. She wore a light pink cheongsam dress, deliberately slowed her pace, and even glanced at Guan Han as she passed by before nervously completing the steps.
Soon it was Lan Shuyin's turn.
She walked to the scratched, lacquered dressing table. The mirrors on the table had been specially treated; the surface was blurry, reflecting only the general outline of a person's image.
She picked up the slender white candle on the table and struck an old-fashioned match.
"Sizzle—" A flame shot up, dispelling a small patch of darkness in front of us.
Following instructions, Lan Shuyin spoke into the mirror, "Chen Jingyue."
She was completely unmoved; it was just a murder mystery game, and all the scary parts were pre-designed performances, with the rituals being deliberately mystified.
However, the moment she uttered her name, a sudden chill, without any apparent cause, shot up from her tailbone and instantly spread across her entire back, raising goosebumps on her skin.
Something's not right!
Lan Shuyin's heart sank. If the psychological tension was caused by the atmosphere, it should have accumulated gradually, not be the physical chill she felt now.
She was all too familiar with this reaction; in Siam, in the village of Seven Sisters, at Wat Xiang Weng… she had experienced similar warnings from her body before her consciousness even began.
What chilled her to the bone was that the previously blurry mirror in front of her suddenly became clear! In the flickering candlelight, her reflection was pale, with a deathly pallor.
Lan Shuyin's eyelids twitched, and she secretly pinched her thigh to maintain her composure through the pain, then blew out the candle. Fortunately, as the flame died down, the chilling aura emanating from her gradually subsided. The mirror also became blurry again.
She calmly retreated to her original position, her heart already churning with turmoil—
This murder mystery game is probably not very clean.
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