"I don’t remember any of what you mentioned."
No. 2 set down his chopsticks, his tone icy. "You don’t have to help, but don’t interfere with what I’m doing either."
With that, he picked up his untouched tray and walked away.
"Look at all that meat left on his plate—he’s not eating it?" Ze stared at the food No. 2 had taken away, his face full of distress. "If my grandma saw someone wasting food like this, she’d lecture them for a whole day and night."
Mentioning his grandma made his mood sink. He missed his mother and her.
Xiaojuan glanced at his downcast expression and took a few big bites of rice. "If you survive this dungeon, you’ll get to go back someday."
Since the system created by the Main God wasn’t indestructible, it meant the Infinite Main God wasn’t invincible either.
No. 2 left the cafeteria. Having skipped breakfast, his stomach was empty, and the aroma of food drifting from the dining hall reminded him of his third dungeon run—when the meal on his tray had transformed into the bloody head of a teammate.
His teammate’s dull, lifeless eyes seemed to ask him: Why did you eat me? Why didn’t you save me?
Had he picked up his chopsticks under the boss’s gaze in the end?
He couldn’t remember.
All he recalled were those eyes, still wide with terror even in death.
"Ugh—" No. 2 clutched his stomach and hurriedly ducked into the nearby fire escape, hiding his disheveled state.
"Young man, ate something bad?"
The motion-sensor light flickered above, illuminating a cleaning lady in uniform standing beneath it.
No. 2 turned toward the voice—and saw the pitch-black void where her left eye should have been. There was nothing there.
He staggered back, collapsing onto the floor.
He remembered now. To survive, he had—
Seeing the young man frightened, the cleaning lady covered her empty left socket and retreated down the stairs, vanishing into the darkness.
Her prosthetic eye had fallen out earlier, and she’d forgotten to put it back in.
After reinserting it, she returned to comfort the shaken young man—but he was already gone.
If he could leave on his own, he probably wasn’t too scared, right?
No. 2 stumbled into the elevator in a daze. As the floor numbers climbed, he suddenly noticed—this elevator could reach the 52nd floor.
He hadn’t paid attention earlier and had stepped into the CEO’s private elevator.
52nd floor.
He stared at the number, hesitating before reaching out.
The elevator jolted to a stop. No. 2 snapped back to reality and glanced up at the surveillance camera mounted above.
"Which department are you from?" Secretary Liu frowned at the young man inside.
"My apologies, I took the wrong elevator." No. 2 bowed repeatedly, his shoulders trembling as he stepped out.
Taking in his timid, frightened demeanor, Secretary Liu said, "A trainee assistant from the Film Department?"
He’d reviewed all the interns’ files and vaguely recognized this one.
"Yes." No. 2 kept his head down, surprised he’d been identified.
"I’ve seen the records for your batch of trainees." Secretary Liu seemed to read his thoughts. Without exceptional skills, how else would he have earned his position as the Kunlun CEO’s secretary?
But memorizing every intern’s face just from a glance?
No. 2 felt a surge of relief. If he’d pressed the button for the 52nd floor, he’d have failed the dungeon already.
"Return to your department." Secretary Liu gave him a once-over, his tone pointed. "Unauthorized personnel entering restricted areas will be treated as corporate spies."
A chill ran down No. 2’s spine. He wanted to explain himself, but the suited man had already stepped into the elevator without a backward glance. He didn’t care what No. 2 had to say.
So this is one of the CEO’s elites. No wonder he’s so arrogant.
He glanced back at the floor he was on. Compared to the Film Department, the employees here dressed far more casually—most wore T-shirts and pants, regardless of gender.
A sign on the wall read: Game Development Division.
A few men and women passed by, their faces weary. None spared him a second glance.
"Boss, is Brother Chao coming down for lunch today?"
"I didn’t get any messages. He’s probably eating on the 52nd floor and won’t come down."
Brother Chao?
No. 2 instinctively felt they were talking about Chao Musheng.
"This morning, I ran into the 52nd-floor project team lead in the parking lot. He looked grim—wonder if something big happened."
"Ahem." The team lead glanced around. "Let’s not discuss the 52nd floor too much."
Something big happened on the 52nd floor?
No. 2 watched the game dev employees enter the elevator, then followed them in, pressing the button for the Film Department’s floor.
Unfortunately, after seeing his selection, the group fell silent. By the time he stepped out, he hadn’t heard anything else useful.
"What’s someone from the Film Department doing in our area?" Old Li asked his colleagues. "Do you know that guy?"
"Nope." The team lead shook his head. The last time they’d interacted with the Film Department was when a celebrity’s fans bombarded their game’s official account with over 10,000 comments, furious that an outsider had been chosen as the game’s spokesperson instead of their idol.
Because of that, at last year’s annual party, the Film Department head had come to the Game Division to toast everyone.
What could they do? The Game Division brought in profits, while the Film Department was a money pit.
The software development team lead was genuinely depressed. Chao Musheng’s summer internship had only two days left.
Not even the lavish meal sent by the CEO’s office could ease his sorrow.
Chao Musheng shrank under the team lead’s intense stare, edging closer to Old Mo. "Boss, if you have something to say, just say it. Don’t look at me like that—it’s scary."
"Xiao Chao." The team lead set down his chopsticks. "Our Software Development Division has a consultant assistance program. Have you considered signing an agreement with the company? I can request a high salary for you from the CEO."
If the CEO refused, he’d camp outside his office until he gave in.
"Oh right, our team still has an unused consultant slot." Old Mo nodded. Due to the sensitive nature of their work, the division had always been cautious about filling it.
"Xiao Chao, come here—let me show you the benefits of the consultant program." The team lead pulled out the untouched consultant agreement and slid it toward Chao Musheng. "You have to consider this. Our CEO’s loaded—why turn down easy money?"
Chao Musheng skimmed the terms. The requirements for the technical consultant were lenient, but the benefits were generous—no wonder the division had hesitated to offer it.
"Think it over carefully." The team lead, worried he wasn’t tempted enough, shoved the contract into his hands. "This is free money, right?"
It wasn’t like he was paying—the CEO could foot the bill.
"But next month, the company’s assigning me to the CEO’s office for a month…" Chao Musheng avoided the team lead’s burning gaze, suddenly feeling like a heartless scoundrel.
"It's fine." The team leader gritted his teeth. "I can wait until next month for you to join our R&D team as a consultant."
No wonder the CEO's office had been sending lavish meals to their department lately—they had their eyes on Chao Musheng, trying to poach him.
Typical of the CEO's office—scheming minds denser than a honeycomb, barely a decent person among them.
Shameless. What business did management have snatching talent from the technical department?
Thankfully, the tech division had special hiring privileges for skilled personnel. Otherwise, they’d really lose the chance to work with Chao Musheng.
The team leader smirked in satisfaction. Let the CEO’s office flaunt themselves in front of the boss all they wanted—the boss still valued the R&D department most.
"I’ll think it over and give you an answer next week." Chao Musheng tucked the agreement away without refusing the offer.
Due to a high-level crackdown, the once-bustling entertainment division had grown eerily quiet. The occasional agent or celebrity passing through moved quickly, keeping a low profile—none of their usual extravagance remained.
Since Agent Wang had been fired and Lin Hui suspended from all work, No. 2 hadn’t been assigned a new client. Aside from clocking in on time, he spent his days idling in the assistant’s office, ignored by the other assistants.
The sight of that hollow eye socket from the fire escape haunted him, refusing to fade, leaving him restless.
He clutched his head, pacing the break room in circles, his expression twisting into something ugly.
If No. 1 hadn’t dredged up the past, he wouldn’t even remember those long-buried memories!
He flung open the break room door and strode out. People in the hallway froze at the sight of him, stepping aside as if afraid to be associated with him.
The industry was superstitious. Rumors spread that this intern assistant had a cursed aura—within a month of joining, he’d "jinxed" Lin Hui and Agent Wang into disgrace. Now, no artist in the department dared take him on.
No. 2 lifted his head, meeting their wary gazes with a mocking smile.
Agent Wang and Lin Hui had brought their ruin upon themselves. Yet here they were, afraid of him.
For a moment, he couldn’t tell if this was the game’s malice toward players or if human nature was just this ugly.
Irritated, he walked out of the company building, wandering aimlessly outside. No one was keeping tabs on him anyway.
"Excuse me, could you help us take a photo?"
A mother holding her child’s hand called out to him. They wore sun-protective jackets and carried backpacks—tourists, likely.
No. 2 numbly took the phone. As the mother wrapped an arm around her child’s shoulders, he crouched slightly and snapped the picture.
"Thank you, mister! You take such nice photos!" The child grabbed the phone, bouncing excitedly as she showed her mom. "Look, Mommy! The photo the mister took!"
"Thank you." The mother bent down, hugging her child as she smiled at No. 2. "Are you a professional photographer?"
No. 2 shook his head slowly before turning away. Behind him, the mother and child chattered on.
"Mommy, Kunlun is so big and pretty! I want to work here someday."
"Then you’ll have to work hard."
Crunch.
His foot landed on a discarded mineral water bottle, Kunlun’s logo printed on the side.
No. 2 stopped, staring at it for a long moment before picking it up and tossing it into a nearby trash bin.
"Young man, where are you heading in this heat?" An elderly woman with a red armband emerged from the flowerbed, holding a few trimmed blooms. "The river’s up ahead—it’s scorching at noon. Don’t go there."
No. 2 ignored her, continuing forward. What did some random NPC matter to him?
"Hey, young man." The woman pulled off her sun hat, stepping in front of him. Spotting his company badge, her tone warmed with admiration. "Oh! A Kunlun employee? Impressive!"
No. 2 halted, eyeing her. "Can I help you?"
"Help me? Oh, no, nothing like that." She shoved the flowers toward him. "Good jobs like yours don’t come easy these days. Hurry back to work—don’t wander around."
Suppressing his annoyance, No. 2 took the flowers.
[Ding! Congratulations, Player! You’ve received the Environmental Guardian’s Gift—+1 Luck for 24 hours.]
He looked up at the woman, throat bobbing. "...Thanks."
Turning back toward the company, he walked as she trailed behind, rambling about how wonderful youth was, how prestigious a job at Kunlun must be, how her own children weren’t as capable as him, and so on.
Only when he stepped through the company doors did her chatter finally cease. When he glanced back, she’d already donned her hat and vanished into the flowerbed.
Through Kunlun’s glass doors, he caught a glimpse of her red armband.
He stared at the flowers in his hand, baffled. Why had that NPC followed him?
Two uniformed bubble tea staff carried a massive delivery bag into the lobby. "Hello, this is the order for Kunlun’s 52nd floor. Could you notify them?"
"Of course, one moment." The receptionist dialed an internal line upon hearing it was for the 52nd floor.
"Here’s some water while you wait. Someone will be right down," another receptionist offered.
"Thanks." The staff, seemingly familiar with the receptionists, sipped their water and sighed. "God, it’s boiling today."
Boiling.
The word jolted No. 2. He looked down sharply at the flowers.
Wilted from the sun, their petals drooped slightly.
They hadn’t been trimmed with care—just spared on a whim because they’d bloomed well.
Had the old woman stopped him from the river because she thought… he might do something reckless?
That endless chatter, those shallow praises—had they not been an NPC’s scripted act, but an elderly woman’s clumsy attempt to comfort him?
So this was the Environmental Guardian’s gift.
Dazed, No. 2 hurried back to the entrance, but the woman was long gone.
"Thanks for the delivery. Much appreciated."
At the familiar voice, No. 2 turned. Carefully tucking the flowers into his pocket, he strode over. "Brother Chao, that’s a lot of drinks. Need help?"
"You’re Xiaojuan’s friend, right?" Chao Musheng recognized him. After signing the receipt, he smiled. "No need—my colleagues will be down shortly."
No. 2 withdrew his hand.
Chao Musheng’s smile remained warm. "What should I call you?"
No. 2 froze. A smile so untainted—he hadn’t seen one in ages.
In the infinite space, players were shackled by the System, their grins twisted. NPCs in dungeons smiled like monsters, devoid of any human warmth.
"My name is... Xiao Er." No. 2 snapped out of his daze. "Brother Chao, you can just call me Xiao Er."
"What a coincidence. I have a friend named Zhang San." Chao Musheng didn’t mention Chen Er, that wretched bully. "You both use numbers in your names."
Zhang San?
No. 2’s pupils trembled. Zhang San?!
"I also know a friend named Zhang San. He has a baby face and two little dimples when he smiles." No. 2 tried hard to conceal his unease. Was the Zhang San Chao Musheng mentioned the same one he knew?
"Huh?" Chao Musheng sounded surprised. "The Zhang San I know also has a baby face. Maybe we’re talking about the same person."
No. 2’s teeth chattered. "Where did Zhang San go afterward?"
He remembered clearly—Zhang San was dead. Zhao Shang, who had accompanied him into the dungeon, was also dead.
Now, this NPC in the dungeon claimed to know Zhang San. What did that mean?
It meant Chao Musheng had been in the same dungeon where Zhang San lost his life.
But how could an NPC from a dungeon still remember a player who had failed and been erased by the system?
"I sent him back to his hometown," Chao Musheng said. "Are you looking for him?"
"No, I... was just asking casually." No. 2 felt ice-cold all over, as if he had plunged into an abyss.
So, Zhang San had fallen into Chao Musheng’s hands.
"Xiao Chao." Old Mo hurried out of the CEO’s office elevator, lifting a corner of the bag. "Let’s go."
Chao Musheng nodded at No. 2, who forced a smile in response.
Only after the two figures disappeared into the elevator did No. 2 snap out of his daze and step into the staff elevator.
Leaning against the cold metal wall, he began to doubt his earlier assumption.
Perhaps Chao Musheng wasn’t the key to helping players clear the dungeon, but rather an accelerator pushing them toward death.
Back in the empty break room, No. 2 couldn’t wait to activate his "Clairaudience" item. Earlier, while pretending to help Chao Musheng carry the bag, he had secretly slipped the item inside.
"How many cups of bubble tea did the team leader buy?" Old Mo set down the bag, waiting for security to inspect it with a metal detector.
"Next time, let them come down and get it. We’ll just wait in the office." Old Mo watched as security took out each cup of tea and placed them in a dedicated food cart. "Or we could just drink it after work."
"What’s this?" After removing all the cups, security found a piece of paper at the bottom of the bag. On it was a crudely drawn ear, with the words "Clairaudience" scribbled beside it.
"Ugly drawing." Old Mo glanced at the paper before handing it to Chao Musheng, who crumpled it up and tossed it into the nearby trash bin.
In the break room, No. 2 groaned as bright red blood trickled from his left ear.
The Clairaudience item had been destroyed.
Pale-faced, he sat up from the couch and wiped the blood from his cheek.
[Ding. Player attacked by an unknown force. HP -10.]
Had Chao Musheng discovered the item?
As the sky darkened outside, No. 2 quietly hid in a corner of the restroom, draping himself in an invisibility cloak as he waited for nightfall.
"If supernatural abilities existed, would you choose invisibility or flight?"
With the software launch imminent, no one in the R&D department was leaving early. But even as Old Mo hammered away at his keyboard, he couldn’t stop talking.
Coworker A: "Flight sounds fun, but I wouldn’t dare use it. With satellite surveillance everywhere, you’d be caught the moment you left the ground."
Coworker B: "Invisibility is way more practical. You could do anything without being noticed."
"But if something went wrong while you were invisible, no one would find you. You’d just be left waiting to die." Chao Musheng’s words were slightly muffled by the lollipop in his mouth. "These powers aren’t perfect."
"Right now, I just wish my computer could grow up and write all the code for me." The team leader lifted his head. "Or make all of you shut up so we can finish tonight’s work as fast as possible."
The moment he finished speaking, an alarm blared from the computers.
"Someone’s attacking our system!"
"Activate the honeypot."
"Traced the source—all attacks are coming from overseas."
Chao Musheng stared at the attack patterns on his screen, swiftly opening the defense system to track the information.
"Damn, good thing Xiao Chao reinforced our network defenses beforehand. A large-scale DDoS attack like this could’ve really screwed us." Old Mo sighed in relief. "I hate these brute-force attacks. They’re like digital thugs."
"With the public release coming up, competitors are bound to get desperate." Chao Musheng crunched down on his candy. "How’s the cybersecurity team holding up?"
"Don’t worry, they’re on 24/7 standby. They deal with more cyberattacks daily than we have meals." The team leader yawned. "I’m going out for a smoke to wake myself up."
He pulled a cigarette from his drawer and stepped into the hallway, only to see the elevator doors slide open—revealing no one inside.
His hand trembled slightly as he held the cigarette, his mind involuntarily recalling all the ghost stories Old Mo had told.
"Team leader, what are you looking at?" A hand landed on his shoulder, startling him so badly he dropped his cigarette.
"Xiao Chao." He turned and swallowed hard. "Do you see anyone in that elevator?"
"No one’s there. Why?" Chao Musheng glanced at the empty elevator, noticing the team leader’s unease, and quickly sent Secretary Liu a message.
"Then why did it come up here?"
Was it haunted?
Just as Chao Musheng leaned in for a closer look, the team leader grabbed his arm. "Don’t go near it." He waved at security, signaling them to be on high alert.
No. 2 crouched behind a potted plant, watching as security drew closer. He held his breath.
"Nothing here." A guard stopped right in front of him, speaking into his radio. "Urgent call—suspicious activity on the 52nd floor. Requesting thermal imaging."
"Initiate emergency protocol. Lock down the R&D department."
"Thermal imaging?" Chao Musheng pulled the team leader aside. "You really think someone’s sneaking in invisible?"
Times had changed, and technology had advanced. Even if invisibility existed, it wouldn’t matter—as long as the intruder was alive, they’d give off body heat.
From the emergency stairwell came the sound of hurried footsteps, someone rushing upstairs.
