Global Collapse

Chapter 118 Pudong Development Bank Mall
Just for a moment.

Gu Mian noticed that the clock in the living room returned to normal for a moment, but then it reversed and started running backward again.

The change takes only two seconds, and it's so subtle that it's almost imperceptible to anyone who isn't looking closely.

Gu Mian paused for a moment, then looked back and saw that the fat man was still staring at the phone that was constantly making noise with a very curious expression.

But Xiao Zhang has already disappeared.

A person has gone missing here.

Two seconds after time returned to normal, a person disappeared from the scene.

Perhaps because it was too dark around, the fat man didn't notice at first. By the time he realized what was happening under Gu Mian's strange gaze, it was too late.

"Huh?" The fat man stared at the spot where Xiao Zhang should have been standing. "Where did he go? Such a big guy..."

Disappearing into thin air is too bizarre.

“The ghosts here should have the ability to pull players directly out of the mirror world,” Gu Mian said. “That’s why the first few people disappeared into thin air.”

"However, I think this ghost's abilities are limited. Although it can pull people out of the mirror world, it can't just choose who gets pulled out."

As Gu Mian spoke, she looked at the clock that seemed to be running backwards in front of her: "For a few seconds just now, the clock returned to normal. I guess for those few seconds we were all pulled out of the mirror world."

"I suspect that if this ghost wants to pull people out of the mirror world, it has to pull everyone in the building out first, and then kick those who weren't chosen back into the mirror."

"Also, have you noticed that the power goes out every time someone goes missing?" Gu Mian said, looking up at the light.

The building's lights are also very old and look like they could break down at any moment.

The fat man thought for a moment, then suddenly realized: "Could it be that the power outage was to block our view, so that we wouldn't notice that for a moment the surrounding scenery had turned upside down?"

Gu Mian nodded: "That's pretty much the effect."

The entire building suddenly lost power, and in the instant after the power outage, all players were pulled out of the mirror world.

After the power outage, everything was pitch black, and the players were naturally panicked. They probably didn't notice that for a moment, the scenery around them turned upside down.

If a player rushes out of the gate at that moment, the mission should be considered complete.

Only then could one truly escape the terrifying manor.

In the darkness, the fat man moved closer to Gu Mian: "So, doctor... Xiao Zhang was just dragged out by a ghost, right?"

Gu Mian nodded: "It's clear that this ghost is trying to distract us."

Having lived for so many years, he had certainly seen quite a few horror movies. In horror movies, ghosts are mostly one-on-one fighters, and they usually prey on people who are alone. In short, Gu Mian had never seen a ghost attack the middle-aged women who were still dancing in the square late at night.

So now this ghost must be dragging Xiao Zhang out for a one-on-one fight.

"What we players can do in this instance is to uncover the truth of the matter, while the ghosts here are there to be killed by the players, and then take away the relevant clues."

"It's clear this ghost is extremely reluctant for us to find the truth. I suspect Zhao Lei's repeated amnesia is also related to this ghost."

"I estimate that the closer we get to the truth, the crazier the ghost in this house will become."

Upon hearing Gu Mian's words, the fat man took a few more steps closer, as if afraid that he might be dragged away by a ghost if he wasn't careful.

He asked hesitantly, "Doctor, how far are we from the truth?"

Gu Mian glanced at him sideways: "It's just a few steps away."

"Wouldn't that be very dangerous?" The fat man shuddered violently.

At this moment, the phone in Gu Mian's hand was still making noise, and he kept listening to it.

"Brother Li, you really have to help me find a job! My son is about to start junior high school, and I don't have much money left from my father. I need to pay his tuition."

“I can find you a job, but the pay probably won’t be high. You know your own reputation; you don’t know anything, and you’re getting on in years and still can’t find a wife. Your dad had to find one for you, and then your wife…”

Seemingly realizing he had said too much, Brother Li then corrected himself:

"You've wasted your forties. Honestly, if you were a boss, would you want to hire an employee who hasn't done any work in their first half of life, has a bad reputation, and often sits drunk and causing trouble in front of the supermarket? This place is small; you can find out about your situation just by asking around."

"Old Zhao, to be honest with you, don't complain about the low pay of the jobs I found for you. If I hadn't asked around for you, they wouldn't have wanted you."

Zhao Guanhai was silent for two seconds: "Then, Brother Li, do you know where there are jobs that pay well?"

Brother Li chuckled: "Makes a lot of money? Just look through the criminal law; all the most lucrative jobs are listed there."

He paused for a moment and then continued, "I just don't understand. The jobs I found for you may not pay much, but you should be able to save up enough for tuition, right? Why do you insist on jobs that pay more? How much can you and your son possibly spend?"

“I have to save up for junior high, high school, and college tuition. My son will also need a dowry when he gets married, so I have to save as much as I can so that he won’t be as ashamed as I am.”

Brother Li was silent for a while, then said, "Alright, I'll try my best to find something for you, but if you really want the money, I can tell you a way first."

"I hope they don't know any ways to get themselves arrested."

"What are you thinking? There's a labor market next to the Pudong Development Mall. Everyone there is a laborer. If you're confident in yourself, go check it out. But let me warn you beforehand, the work there is absolutely inhuman."

Thank you to the readers for their generous donations: 倾城只为柠檬酸, 方天画戟ted, 鱼饼_, and 0540. (づ￣3￣)づ╭～
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(End of this chapter)