Chapter 37 Forum, Reality and New Tenants
As the only player who survived the [Yinhuai Village] dungeon but had no direct contact with the official, although Murphy was not clear about the specific situation on the official side, he added other players in the same dungeon as friends and was able to communicate in the forum.
Therefore, he knew that Liu Yanran, who had followed the tour guide Luo Qing and had not left the copy, was still alive.
But Murphy was not clear about this specific [rental].
His copy cooldown period had not yet expired, and the fortune dice for the last three days had rolled the number 3. In reality, he led an ordinary life. Apart from exercising every day, he also recorded information on the player forum.
Mo Fei's posts about the Yinhuai Village dungeon and Luo Qing were always floating on the forum homepage.
The newly appeared post undoubtedly followed up his previous post and once again attracted the attention of players.
Regarding posts related to the [Wonderful Museum] dungeon, players basically click in to take a look.
The special NPC [Luo Qing] in this strange copy has also been the focus of many people's attention recently.
This thread combines two themes. Wait until you click in and see the main thread. What? The poster actually wants to rent a room with an NPC and live in a weird dungeon?
The first reaction of the players who clicked in was that this person is crazy! Or is he here to attract attention?
[2nd floor]: Are you sure your psyche is alright? You actually believe what the dungeon NPCs say? Or is your psyche a little too beautiful, so crazy you're trying to escape the real world?
【3rd floor】: I just want to know the content of this issue of 【Wonderful Museum】, the host is a good person, waiting for the guide ing
【4th floor】: Floor, floor.
The forum owner, whose ID is Fang, was apparently a bit slow in replying. She first replied to the third post, "I write slowly, so I'll use voice to translate it into words."
After that, this post became a place where a large number of players would enter the post to reply first and reserve a spot to wait for updates.
For the whole night that followed, many players did not sleep, but kept refreshing the page, waiting for the poster to update the post again and again.
The players' bodies have been modified, so they are safe in reality and have no problem staying up late. Some players are approaching the copy cooling period, and they are afraid that they will enter this museum as soon as they refresh the copy, and they can't wait to finish catching up on the posts immediately.
The poster is Tian Fang. She is old and not very good at typing manually, and her handwriting is very slow, so she uses voice input on her mobile phone and has to constantly correct typos.
After coming out of the copy, Tian Fang was supposed to report to the authorities, but she was a little scared.
[Rugui] After becoming a player, she gradually became familiar with the operation of the forum. If she wants to survive, she should ask more questions, which is not shameful.
In the Wonderful Museum, from the very beginning, Tian Fang was skeptical about Luo Qing, but throughout the entire copy, as long as she followed her and did whatever she was told to do without doing anything unnecessary, she passed the copy smoothly and survived.
Tian Fang's copy rating was A, and she was a little confused when she saw it.
What does A mean? In the mouths of players on the forum, it is the big boss among players, the number one in the school, and only players who are outstanding in all aspects can get it.
But she, an old lady, got an A so easily?
Tian Fang received the biggest reward since entering the strange copy, including strange coins and props.
Her own stamp book was transformed into a personal prop, and each stamp on it could be used once, with each of the four stamps having a different function.
This is what happens when a poor person suddenly becomes rich. For a moment, they don't know what to do or what they can do. Of course, people of Tian Fang's age naturally know the principle of making a fortune quietly.
She is 53 years old this year, but she still has 7 years before she turns 60 and is kicked out of the weird copy.
Tian Fang never imagined that she could live to that time. She lived one day at a time, and every extra copy she could live was a profit.
After her own experience in this copy, Tian Fang has become a complete believer in the poster who posted the Yinhuai Village post.
As long as you follow the dungeon character [Luo Qing] firmly, you will survive.
She originally wanted to add the poster as a friend to discuss some details and ask about the business card, but the other party had set it so that strangers could not be added, and she had no one else to ask, so she could only post a message.
The poster had obviously also received the real estate business card from Luo Qing. Tian Fang felt that this thing must be useful for something.
This business card can be taken out when returning to reality, but the address on it is obviously from the copy.
Can players live in the dungeon world permanently? Tian Fang believes that this is possible.
Tian Fang has no friends in real life and no one to contact.
She originally had a family, a husband, and a son.
In order to save up a down payment for a house for their son, she and her ex-husband went out to work in big cities, trying to find jobs that provided food and accommodation.
After Tian Fang became a player, she could no longer work a normal job. When she resigned with her player ID, the university property where she worked as a cleaner gave her a "career guarantee fund", which was an extra six months' salary.
Career security is a product of today's new era. People who are forced to resign because of becoming a "player" will receive compensation from their work unit.
Of course, some people also say that this is a decent way to part ways amicably and to express funeral expenses in a decent manner.
Not everyone treats players well. There are always people who think that players who enter strange copies are unlucky and will affect others. The closer they are, the easier it is to be pulled into it.
When he was young, he finished junior high school but dropped out to farm because he failed to get into high school. Later, he got married and had children through an introduction. He kept working outside, and this was the first time that Tian Fang had some free time.
With nowhere else to go, she went to the city where her son worked to help with cooking. However, the rented apartment was too small, forcing Tian Fang to sleep on a small sofa. Her son showed concern for her every day, but he always mentioned the recent housing prices. After completing the first two instances, her hearing became more and more sensitive. Even through the door in the living room, she could hear her son and daughter-in-law whispering in the bedroom.
"When are you going to let your mother go? We're expecting a baby now. It would be so unlucky for her if something happened in the dungeon."
"Just wait a little longer. My mom should have quite a few things. She's saved money for so many years. I asked someone about the money in the dungeon. There are many rich people who would accept it. Maybe I can buy a large flat with a river view."
"Really?"
"Really? My dad said Aunt Qin came to help, and she told me that it's definitely that much."
"Your mother doesn't know about Aunt Qin and your father, right?"
That day, Tian Fang sat on the sofa with the TV on and listened to the conversation in the house. After making dinner, she told her son and daughter-in-law that she wanted to go out for a walk. Her son and daughter-in-law didn't care. Usually, the old lady would go out first and come back to eat the leftovers.
Before leaving, Tian Fang packed a small shoulder bag, carried a bag in her hand, filled it with a few clothes, documents, and money, and left.
She changed her cell phone card and came to a big city she had never been to before, just like when she was young and working. She rented a house, cooked every day, read forums to study and exercise, took notes, and repeated her life during the cool-down period of the copy.
Someone from the official still contacted her, saying that her son and daughter-in-law had reported her missing or dead, and wanted to apply to quickly inherit the player's real-life estate. Big data facial recognition screened out Tian Fang, and the nearest grid worker from the local Special Affairs Bureau contacted Tian Fang at home to confirm her life status.
Tian Fang briefly recounted her personal experience. The grid worker had seen many similar situations and confirmed that she wanted to cut off ties with her family, so the investigation ended there.
In the city where she lives now, only the grid worker of the Special Affairs Bureau who is officially in charge of the area will contact her from time to time, sometimes for training courses, sometimes to take care of her life and confirm the player's status.
Tian Fang has no attachment to the real world. When she was young, weddings in the countryside were all done with banquets. She was confused and still hasn't got a marriage certificate at this age. She is 53 and alone.
So, when she received the business card handed to her by Luo Qing, she sincerely felt that maybe it would be nice to live in another world.
No matter where she is, she has to start from scratch alone.
By the time Tian Fang finished editing and posting the entire experience of the "Wonderful Museum" in the post, it was already three o'clock in the morning.
Many forum players raised complex questions.
So, of the eight of you who went in, four survived, and one died somewhere during the lunch break? But judging by the original poster's account, your Wonderful Museum run wasn't particularly dangerous. You can clear the dungeon by getting the stamp.
From what Sister Fang has said about the entire dungeon, I can tell you that the first exhibition hall actually had the highest casualty rate. Three players died, primarily because they didn't listen to the guide, Luo Qing, and somehow ended up not coming out.
[You really should thank those three players who died first. They really saved a life.]
The Wonderful Museum is quite interesting. I hope other players who have completed the game will come and add to it. Let's see how each person interacts with different perspectives and exhibits. I feel like we can dig deeper.
At 4:30 in the morning, two other female players in the same dungeon responded to the post published by Tian Fang.
The perspectives of the three players gave other players a deeper understanding of the dungeon, and some were waiting for the fourth player to come out and share, but the only male player never showed up.
Tian Fang, on the other hand, started communicating with her companions Zhao Jiayi and Cai Xia in the dungeon after adding them as friends on the forum.
Cai Xia: Sister Fang, you haven't contacted the bureau yet, right? Xiao Zhao and I have both been there, and things are a bit complicated. We're still at the bureau, and someone asked us to tell you that renting an apartment at Ping An Real Estate is possible. If you want to know more, I'm afraid you'll have to contact your local Special Affairs Bureau, as confidentiality is strictly enforced. Oh, and by the way, you can also join this forum ID: XXXXXXX
Tian Fang was stunned when she saw the message. Is it really possible to rent a house in the dungeon?
She thought about it and wrote back "OK".
Tian Fang doesn't like dealing with officials. It's a habit ingrained in her bones and difficult to change, even though the grid worker she contacted is really nice.
In her hometown, if someone in the village walks out of the public security bureau, all kinds of rumors will spread everywhere.
Ordinary people have always been reluctant to have anything to do with people in uniform; being involved is never a good thing.
A day and a half later,
Tian Fang was taken from her city to the capital. After undergoing numerous inspections, she met Liu Yanran in a conference room.
The moment she saw the person, she was stunned.
This, this, isn’t this the tour guide assistant who follows Luo Qing in the [Wonderful Museum]!
She's actually an official? But she never revealed that she's a player!
"Sister Tian, don't be afraid, I'm not weird." Seeing her expression, Liu Yanran knew what Tian Fang was thinking and immediately began to explain.
"I, ah, no, that, you..."
For a moment, Tian Fang's mind was confused and she had no idea what to say.
"Please sit down first and calm down." Liu Yanran stretched out her hand.
Tian Fang held the paper cup in her hand, drank it all in one breath, and burped.
"I know you have a lot of questions in your mind right now. Don't worry, I'll explain slowly. The main reason I invited you to Beijing this time is because of your post. From what you said, you seem to be interested in renting a house in the Weird World."
Tian Fang nodded blankly, "Comrade, are you already living in that instance?"
She remembered that Comrade Liu did not do any of the stamping required by the players in the [Wonderful Museum] and always followed Luo Qing.
"I guess so." Liu Yanran nodded.
"Then, even if you live in the dungeon, you can come out and return to reality at any time." Tian Fang looked at Liu Yanran with extremely eager eyes.
"Yes, you can only stay in reality for a maximum of seven days. You must return to Ghost City within seven days. The prerequisite is that you must have the status of a temporary resident of Ghost City."
"And this identity was obtained by renting a house from Ping An Real Estate and applying for a residence permit." Liu Yanran explained slowly.
"Then wouldn't it be possible for many people, including official personnel, to enter the strange world, the haunted city you mentioned?"
Liu Yanran shook her head, "It's not that simple."
"Sister Tian, you have to think about this: if players leave the dungeon and automatically return to reality, how can we rent a room at the location listed on the business card in the dungeon?"
"You might be wondering how I did it. After the Yinhuai Village dungeon ended, I asked to rent a room. I was in a car with other players leaving the dungeon. Following my dungeon guide at the time, Luo Qing, I entered a truly bizarre world."
What Liu Yanran said is the current problem facing the government.
The strange copy has restrictions for players. When other players experience the copy, without a native like Luo Qing to lead the way, they cannot break through their current authority map and enter the real strange city.
The strange copies are random, and there are props that can be selected and locked into a certain copy, but the number is extremely limited, and it is impossible to achieve large-scale delivery, not to mention that no one knows which copy Luo Qing will appear in next time.
Unless Liu Yanran finds out how to pass messages back and forth between the two worlds! Or, issue a notice, informing every player who encounters Luo Qing in the dungeon that they can ask her to rent a room, and then, without leaving the dungeon, they can enter the real strange world.
But for now, it is impossible to make this announcement, as there are too many unknowns.
"Then, comrade, what you mean is that I can only wait until I meet Luo Qing again in the copy before I have the opportunity to rent a house from her Ping An Real Estate, right?" Tian Fang asked again.
"Not necessarily." Liu Yanran shook her head.
It was only when she came back this time that she found out that her superiors had decided to conduct an experiment, and that the official players who participated in this experiment were all determined to die.
There are a total of five official players who enter the dungeon with the [Ping An Real Estate] business card after the dungeon cooling period ends.
First, see if carrying the business card can establish a connection with Luo Qing and meet this special native in the copy.
Second, if you encounter Luo Qing, follow her to her rental house after completing the dungeon and reunite with Liu Yanran. If you don't encounter her, after completing the dungeon, the player holding the business card will do their best to contact other native residents in the dungeon and try to go to the Ping'an Real Estate and Ping'an Home addresses on the business card to reunite with Liu Yanran.
Third, if a team member fails to return to the real world within 72 hours, his status will be changed to glorious sacrifice.
Whether it is possible to enter the ghost city through other means in the copy is a route that the official must explore.
Tian Fang and Liu Yanran chatted for a long time, and later, together with two other female players, a more complete copy of the [Wonderful Museum] was pieced together.
It was also at this time that the three female players learned that there were hidden rules in the museum. They thought that Ning Ruyi, who survived, had not completed the copy.
"So that's how it is. We feel so lucky." Zhao Jiayi murmured.
"Because we all believed what the commentator said, it would be great if we could meet Luo Qing again in the next dungeon." Cai Xia said.
Afterwards, the three of them, along with Liu Yanran, became the four people who knew about the copy, and started an online video analysis with the experts to analyze the detailed background and supplementary settings of the four exhibition halls.
"Regarding the zombie exhibit in the first exhibition hall, do you have any more detailed information, such as whether it is male or female, what is its identity and clothing characteristics?"
“Please try to recall any exhibits from the first three halls. Even if it’s just a little bit, it will be of great help to us.”
"In the third exhibition hall, [Interlaced], besides the one led by Luo Qing, what can you tell about the paintings on the other porcelain pieces?"
Liu Yanran was already used to the constant barrage of questions, while the other three were racking their brains and trying hard to recall the past, just like when they were in school and being called upon by the teacher to answer questions.
After they completed the comprehensive investigation of the copy, Liu Yanran and Tian Fang, who were at the scene, collapsed on the sofa chairs.
Tian Fang now lives in Tianjin, not far from Beijing. After completing this cooperation work, she returned to Tianjin, declined the invitation of the local Special Affairs Bureau, and returned to her rental house to wait for the copy to cool down. At the same time, she was also waiting for news on whether the official "pioneer" had returned smoothly.
If they come back, Tian Fang can try to rent a house after completing the next copy.
In reality, another day passed, and Tian Fang did not wait for the official news. Instead, she saw new posts released by official personnel in both forums.
Official Release: Analysis Report on the Possible Directions of the [Wonderful Museum] Instance (77th Edition)
Tian Fang originally thought that the official had compiled their experiences and posted them as a template, but when she clicked on the post, she found that it was wrong.
"Based on information provided by several players who have completed the [Wonderful Museum], we have conducted a comprehensive analysis of the dungeon directions in these four exhibition halls. The following is a detailed report."
"The museum halls players visited this time are [Rest], [Interlace], [Mirror], and [Cage]. These are serial halls with a female-themed theme. They are very likely to evolve into story-based dungeons in future instances. Although the core themes were not touched upon this time... players who have not yet entered the relevant dungeons, please be careful."
The entire post was first published in an abbreviated version, and then a detailed analysis report was gradually released. Tian Fang read it very carefully.
She was stunned by these expert analyses. In the Interlaced Hall, the double-sided porcelain pieces represented the different life paths of ancient men and women, intersecting from birth and intertwining ever since. The Woman in the Vase, the Figure in the Mirror, and the Prisoner in the Cage all shared the same direction. The first Hall of Rest, the final resting place, was actually the remains of the many Vase Women in the second hall.
In particular, the wedding dress girl she met in the Wangong sedan chair in the first exhibition hall, her vase head appeared in the second exhibition hall, and the double-sided porcelain in the second exhibition hall that was explained by Luo Qing, her story was printed on those porcelain pictures, which fully proved the connection between the exhibition halls.
After reading the official analysis report, Tian Fang felt like her brain was swollen from the sheer amount of information she was taking in. It stated that while players completing the level this time had completed the stamping mission, players who would later encounter these four exhibition halls were urged to remember the context of the halls, treat the exhibits with respect, and refrain from aggressive behavior. When encountering a story-based dungeon, please maintain a people-oriented, empathetic exploration of the storyline.
The replies were full of gratitude to the country, to the official experts, and to the players who were willing to share their personal experiences for the benefit of other informants.
Tian Fang was lost in thought. In the past, she had always read posts and learned from other people's experiences.
She used to think she was just an old gamer, barely making it through dungeons again and again. What good was her experience? She was only afraid of hurting others.
Now, her own and other people's experiences are not just shared by her through a post. Official professionals can extract more information from it, and other information that they have ignored only for the sake of current tasks, is planting seeds for a large number of players at this moment. Although it has not yet taken root and sprouted, and it is not known whether these analyses are correct, they are always useful.
She exited the post, and the forum homepage refreshed. Several new posts were pushed to the top, sharing the latest players' sharing of the copies [Polar Oceanarium] and [Happy Amusement Park].
In this world, there are always people working hard to keep more people alive.
Even if we have never met before and have no blood relationship, we are closer than blood relatives.
...
Ghost City, Ping An Real Estate.
Luo Qing looked at the man and woman who appeared in front of her with business cards in their hands. When she heard them say that they were introduced by Liu Yanran and wanted to rent a house, she could no longer suppress the smile on her face.
Xiao Liu, Xiao Liu, this hot pot was really worth eating! I don't know where he went today, probably looking for a job. He didn't reply to the message I sent.
"Come on, come on, please take a seat and talk. Are you two looking for a room alone or together? Are you looking for a one-bedroom or a two-bedroom? What are your specific requirements?"
Sui Yan and Ji Feishuang exchanged a glance. As the official "pioneers" of this time, they had coincidentally entered the same dungeon. They were day visitors to Happy Amusement Park. After the dungeon ended, they didn't leave immediately. Instead, they took their business cards to the NPC to ask for directions. The NPC, seeing the address on the card, unexpectedly led them to the subway and kindly told them, "Take this line directly to Ping'anli. Once you exit the station, you'll be at Ping'an Real Estate."
This was also their first time taking the subway in the strange world. It took them an hour to exit Ping'anli Station and they successfully found their destination.
On the subway, the two of them saw the largest number of natives of the strange world ever.
The passengers in the subway had different postures and appearances. Some were reading, some were making phone calls, some were drinking milk tea, some were gossiping, and some were being affectionate with each other. Sui Yan and Ji Feishuang were nervous and on guard the whole time, not knowing whether these strange people would provoke or attack them.
In fact, the two of them sat safely for an hour without even a single native person talking to them, and when they walked out of the subway they saw a building that looked similar to the real thing.
The two players were in a daze, it turned out that this was really another world.
To be more precise, the strange copy is located between these worlds.
The business card from Luo Qing is the key for players to break through the barrier between the dungeon and this world.
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