Infinite: Dawn Game

Chen Yi knew that Xiao Li was blaming herself.

She blamed herself for hindering the escape of the other unfortunate people in order to make Lin Shuli's escape smoother.

Therefore, her injuries were to be expected.

It's only right that she suffers more injuries.

In the thick, murky darkness before them, the cries for help amidst the stench of blood and the sounds of human trampling were completely drowned out by the footsteps.

Chen Yi was starting to lose interest in listening.

He couldn't see the specific horrific scene on the first floor of the hotel, but the various sounds in the surrounding darkness were becoming clearer and clearer.

The extreme darkness made it easier for him to imagine bloody and terrifying scenes.

Fortunately, this "memory illusion" has come to an end.

As the murky darkness began to twist and dissipate, Chen Yi saw a tear fall from the corner of Xiao Liyan's eye, who was pushing the door open.

boom!

The gate was closed.

The agonizing screams echoed in the darkness like the most vicious curse, slowly etching themselves into Xiao Li's brain and body.

Chen Yi heard her choked up and mutter to herself.

"I...I'm sorry...I knew it...Someone like me will never...will never live to be old..."

But I really... really have no other choice.

------

"Her name is Lin Shuli."

Chen Yi repeated the sentence.

The illusion that appeared in the elevator just now had a profound impact on him.

Even now, Chen Yi still vaguely feels his heart beating very fast and heavily under his chest.

"The manager's name is also included."

Chen Yi added, "Before she helped the manager leave, she gave him her name."

Therefore, the current Lin Shuli can only be Xiao Li, while the boy who becomes the manager is the real Lin Shuli at this moment.

"...You can even give away names?"

Yu Shijiu's focus was noticeably a little strange. He curled the corners of his mouth and said with a smile:

So they share the same name.

"Ah."

Chen Yi nodded, frowned, and gestured for Yu Shijiu to step back. He then followed her into the room and closed the door.

"That strange guy who came to see you just now, why does his profile look a little familiar?"

As Chen Yi spoke, he walked to the bed in the inner room, picked up the vase, and said, "I'll put this out—"

"It's your body, Brother Chen."

Yu Shijiu was a little confused. "Didn't that monster transform into your appearance, Brother Chen, to come looking for me?"

Chen Yi was taken aback, then chuckled and said, "...No wonder it looked so familiar."

As he spoke, he carried the vase to the door, opened it, bent down, and gently placed the vase on the ground.

Behind them, Feifei and Yu Shijiu exchanged a glance.

Yu Shijiu asked in confusion, "Feifei, wasn't the vase in my room broken?"

Fatty arched its back warily, meowing loudly!

Yes, wasn't the vase "accidentally" broken by Fatty?

Yu Shijiu still remembers seeing shards of a vase scattered on the ground when she left.

...Since the vase is broken, what's the story behind the other vase that Chen Yi is carrying outside?

Does the vase have a built-in repair function?

still is……

Yu Shijiu glanced down at the time on her watch, her smile deepening. "...Has the pursuit been brought forward?"

Therefore, broken vases need to be repaired because the number of vases served in each room is fixed.

The time on the watch is... 10:30, which is almost two hours earlier than the start time of the chase the previous two nights.

According to "Chen Yi" who was standing at the door just now—or rather, the cleaning lady, or by another name, Xiao Li—it should be said that...

They needed to hold out until 6 a.m. during the chase.

Nearly eight hours.

When Chen Yi closed the door again, he saw Yu Shijiu already holding Feifei and leaning back on the sofa, gently scratching Feifei's head.

Fatty looked quite comfortable with his eyes squinted, and gurgling sounds kept coming from his throat.

Upon seeing Chen Yi arrive, Yu Shijiu stopped what he was doing. "Brother Chen."

He smiled and said, "Has the chase been brought forward?"

Chen Yi was surprised, "How did you know?"

After saying that, he chuckled, took out a protective gear from his pocket, and threw it at the door. "Don't worry, let's splurge for now and rest a bit before going out."

Yu Shijiu watched as he casually tossed out an item worth several thousand points without batting an eye, and for the first time, she felt a sense of envy.

Everyone would be envious... He hasn't saved up enough points to live in town next month yet.

Looks like I'll have to grind more game dungeons from now on.

I'm still too poor.

Yu Shijiu sighed about how difficult life was, and then told Chen Yi everything that Xiao Li had just said to him.

Chen Yi was fine at first, but his expression changed immediately upon hearing this.

You're saying the cleaning lady is a small gift?

"But didn't Xiaohan and the others already kidnap Xiaoli?"

Chen Yi frowned: "They shouldn't have made such a basic mistake as kidnapping the wrong person."

"It shouldn't have been tied incorrectly."

Yu Shijiu had another idea. He carefully considered his words and said:

"Brother Chen, don't you find it strange? Why have cleaning staff been seen at every place where we found clues?"

“Whether it’s the storage room or the corridor floor…” Yu Shijiu said, “these are all places where the cleaners have been.”

Admittedly, they could say it's perfectly normal for cleaners to be in these places... but judging from the conversations the cleaner had over the walkie-talkie, she was quite familiar with Lin Shuli, who had become the manager.

Under what circumstances would Lin Shuli become familiar with the cleaner?

Before the Fuling Hotel was transformed, did he consult and exchange information with countless staff members in order to obtain evidence that could crush the Fuling Hotel?

In a hotel where people are treated as "goods" for trade, would the cleaner really be an old woman who looks frail and can't do any work?

...Is it possible that, from the very beginning, the cleaner was another form of Xiao Li in Lin Shuli's fantasy?

What is he fantasizing about?

Why did he imagine the young and beautiful Xiaoli as a wrinkled and frail old woman?

"Brother Chen, tell me," Yu Shijiu said, somewhat puzzled, "what exactly is Lin Shuli fantasizing about?"

What did Chen Yi connect to Yu Shijiu's words?

He thought of Xiao Li, who was pushing the door in the dark with tears streaming down her face, and of Xiao Li, who was smiling and telling the boy that she was giving him her name... He also thought of Xiao Li, who was pushing the door and whispering sarcastically that she might not live to old age.

Didn't Xiao Li say such a thing to Lin Shuli?

She must have said it.

That's why Lin Shuli remembered... and that's why he imagined Xiaoli's old age in his own world.

Chen Yi then shared his guess.

"So," Yu Shijiu suddenly realized after listening, "the cleaner can be said to be a small gift that appears briefly, but doesn't actually exist, right?"

"...That's probably one way to put it."