"Mr. Su, welcome to my humble abode."
Old Master Chen hurried out with a smile so obsequious that even the players who had spent the day suffering under the rigid rules of the garden estate were stunned.
So the old feudalist had two faces, huh?
From morning till now, guests visiting the Chen Garden had been received solely by the butler, with Old Master Chen nowhere to be seen. This was the first time they witnessed him treating a guest with such reverence.
"Old Master Chen." Su Chenzhu gave a slight nod. "My apologies for the intrusion."
"Your presence here is an honor for this household." The sixty-something Old Master Chen, dressed in traditional Tang attire, seemed to shrink slightly in Su Chenzhu's presence—a stark contrast to the air of mystery he held in the eyes of the players. "I heard there was a minor incident aboard the Moonview cruise. I hope it didn’t dampen your enjoyment, Mr. Su."
"And this must be Mr. Chao." Old Master Chen extended his hand. "My son couldn’t stop praising your excellence after returning yesterday. Seeing you today, I must say you truly live up to the reputation—a remarkable individual, radiant with talent."
"You flatter me, Old Master Chen." Chao Musheng shook his hand, noting the loose, aged skin of the elder’s grip.
Yet Old Master Chen’s face was well-maintained; despite being in his sixties or seventies, he looked no older than fifty.
"Mr. Chao, there’s no need for modesty."
Chao Musheng glanced at the attendants dressed in pseudo-antique uniforms. So this was an old-fashioned traditionalist—not only did he speak in a half-archaic manner, but even his staff had to play along with the act.
He released Old Master Chen’s hand with a polite smile.
"Mr. Su, Mr. Chao, you’ve just returned from the sea yesterday and must still be fatigued." Noticing Su Chenzhu’s silent gaze toward the interior, Old Master Chen quickly added, "I’ve prepared accommodations for you both. Please follow me to rest for a while."
Old Master Chen personally led the way, dismissing all the attendants. Brother Hu couldn’t help but feel disappointed—Brother Chao hadn’t even noticed him yet! He wanted to latch onto that golden opportunity too!
The garden was vast. Seated on a small electric cart, Chao Musheng admired the scenery.
While not quite "a painting every three steps, a vista every five," it was undeniably a stunning estate—no wonder the Chen family had the confidence to invite someone like Su Chenzhu as a guest.
Old Master Chen meticulously explained the garden’s features until the cart stopped before a moon gate. Inside lay a picturesque courtyard complete with rockeries, lotus ponds, winding corridors, and even artificial rain tapping against banana leaves to set the mood.
"Mr. Su, Mr. Chao, I hope you find this place to your liking?" Old Master Chen watched as Su Chenzhu’s bodyguards entered first, his smile growing even more cautious.
For someone of Su Chenzhu’s stature to step foot in the Chen Garden as a guest was already an immense honor for the Chen family.
"Acceptable." Su Chenzhu turned to Chao Musheng. "Chao Chao?"
Old Master Chen’s eyes flickered, his gaze shifting to Chao Musheng.
"A beautiful courtyard," Chao Musheng smiled. "Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Old Master Chen."
"Not at all, not at all. I’m simply relieved you’re satisfied." Old Master Chen exhaled in relief.
The main building in the courtyard had two floors. Chao Musheng’s room was next to Su Chenzhu’s. After seeing off the overly attentive Old Master Chen, Chao Musheng collapsed onto the bed.
Perhaps it was the days spent aboard the ship, but he had slept poorly the previous night, trapped in a dream where he endlessly unpacked blind boxes.
Inside each were tiny models—castles, cottages, department stores, toy trains…
After dozens of them, a pitch-black, round, tentacled creature suddenly lunged at him, chasing him relentlessly until he could run no more and had to wrestle with it.
The thing looked like some kind of virus. Their battle lasted until he woke up, ending with a score of three to seven—it stomped on his foot three times, while he tore off seven of its tentacles.
When he awoke, his left foot still ached. He suspected he’d kicked something in his sleep during the frantic dream-fight.
The room was naturally cool, even without air conditioning. Within three minutes of lying down, Chao Musheng was fast asleep.
This time, no dreams disturbed him. By the time he woke, the sun had already begun its descent.
After changing clothes, he stepped out just as Secretary Liu passed by. "Brother Liu?"
"Finally awake?" Secretary Liu checked the time. "I’ve arranged for the Chen Garden staff to bring you a meal. The police will be here in twenty minutes to discuss the Moonview incident."
The case was complex, involving numerous individuals, and since Chao Musheng had personally subdued the captain, the police were bound to question him.
Secretary Liu had spent the entire morning at the station dealing with the fallout.
"Thanks, Brother Liu. You’re the best!" Chao Musheng rubbed his stomach—he really was hungry.
Just then, the neighboring door opened, and Su Chenzhu stepped out.
Secretary Liu immediately clarified, "It was the boss who arranged it! He was worried you hadn’t rested well and didn’t want you to go hungry!"
Don’t praise me—I dare not claim credit!
"Thank you, Mr. Su." Chao Musheng turned to Su Chenzhu with a bright smile. "Have you eaten lunch yet?"
"Not much at noon." Su Chenzhu walked over. "Let’s have something together later."
"Sure." Chao Musheng nodded. "Food tastes better with company."
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Xiaojuan had just finished helping when the butler strode in, scanning the attendants before pointing at her and a few others. "You five, and you five—come with me to serve the honored guests."
Five men and five women, all strikingly attractive. Brother Hu, unfortunately, didn’t make the cut due to his lack of conventional good looks.
"Uncle Butler, who’s so important that they skip the noon banquet and eat now instead?" The question came from the butler’s niece, the only one bold enough to ask.
"Mr. Su of Kunlun Enterprises." The butler shot her a warning glare. "Every one of you had better be on your best behavior. Do not embarrass the Chen Garden in front of Mr. Su and his assistant."
"He is Old Master’s most esteemed guest, a figure so far above you that you’d never even glimpse the soles of his shoes under normal circumstances. If not for your luck in working here, you’d never meet someone like him in your lifetime."
Xiaojuan: "..."
Little did he know, Mr. Su’s "assistant" was her Brother Chao. That’d shock him speechless!
"And don’t even think about currying favor. Stick to your duties, or if any trouble arises, no one can save you."
Xiaojuan lowered her head, suppressing a smirk. The butler dared to say such things, but even the police wouldn’t entertain such arrogance.
The Chen Garden was just a faux-antique estate, not some lawless enclave.
Sigh. Her real dilemma was figuring out how to explain to Brother Chao why she was working here as a servant.
Seriously, what were the odds? Every time she entered a new instance, it somehow overlapped with Brother Chao’s world—and he always made an appearance.
When she first arrived at the Chen Garden and mapped out the instance’s character relationships, she’d been certain there was zero chance of running into him.
Yet here he was, waltzing in as the VIP guest.
For a moment, it was unclear whether the Main God was relentlessly targeting Chao Ge or if Chao Ge was the one wreaking havoc on the dungeons.
Despite never succeeding even once, the Main God seemed to grow more determined, stubbornly fixated on this world of Chao Ge’s.
Indeed, whether human or divine, no one could escape the clichéd curse of "what you can’t have is the best."
When the butler arrived outside the building with the servants, Xiaojuan noticed his once-straight posture slump slightly the moment he saw her.
"Mr. Su, Mr. Chao, pardon the intrusion." The butler stepped inside, observing Mr. Su seated in a carved wooden chair reading a book while Mr. Chao lounged on a daybed scrolling through his phone. He gestured for the servants to quickly set the meal on the table.
"Thank you, we appreciate it." Chao Musheng sat up, his gaze sweeping over Xiaojuan.
Xiaojuan silently lowered her head further.
"It’s our duty." The butler was pleasantly surprised by how approachable Mr. Chao seemed.
"After the meal, I’d like to take a stroll around the area. Would it be possible to have someone stay behind to guide me?"
"Of course." The butler glanced back at the ten servants. "Mr. Chao, which one would you prefer?"
"That one." Chao Musheng pointed to a girl with short curly hair. "She reminds me of a good friend of mine. I feel an instant connection."
The other servants shot Xiaojuan sidelong glances.
This girl’s luck was truly something else.
"Understood, Mr. Chao." The butler smiled warmly at Xiaojuan before leading the other servants away.
If Mr. Chao wanted a Chen Garden servant to accompany him, it meant he was interested in the scenery. Once he reported this to Old Master Chen, the master would surely be delighted.
"Chao Ge." The moment the butler left, Xiaojuan flashed Chao Musheng a guilty smile.
Su Chenzhu settled beside Chao Musheng and ladled him a bowl of soup. "Drink some soup first—it’s good for your stomach."
Chao Musheng gave Xiaojuan a knowing smirk before lowering his head to sip the soup.
"Chao Ge." Xiaojuan eagerly added two servings of dishes to Chao Musheng’s plate. "I wasn’t planning to work at Chen Garden—I’m just helping out a friend."
From Kunlun employee to cruise ship attendant to private servant, in Chao Ge’s eyes, she was probably on a downward spiral.
Chao Musheng set down his spoon. "If I’d known you were coming to Chen Garden, I would’ve taken you with me yesterday."
Yesterday?
After returning to the Infinite Space with Brother Hu and Brother Wu, she had spent five days there before entering the next dungeon. Yet in Chao Ge’s world, only a single day had passed.
Between the company dungeon and the cruise ship dungeon, the time gap had been about ten days. But now, between this dungeon and the last, only a day had elapsed.
Wait—she and Brother Hu had entered the dungeon at noon yesterday. If the cruise ship hadn’t arrived at port early, it would’ve been a seamless transition from the cruise dungeon to the Chen Garden dungeon.
It was practically back-to-back.
The Main God seemed desperate to complete this world’s exploration dungeon. But no matter how impatient it was, it never opened more than two dungeons at once.
From its frantic behavior, it was possible that it wasn’t unwilling to open multiple dungeons in this world—it simply couldn’t.
Perhaps even this exploration dungeon had been opened by exploiting some loophole.
"Have you eaten yet?" Chao Musheng glanced at Xiaojuan’s hands. "Stop picking at your skirt—you’re going to tear a hole in it."
Xiaojuan curled her restless fingers into her palms. "Chao Ge, I’ve already had the staff meal."
Su Chenzhu placed a deboned piece of fish into Chao Musheng’s dish, his chopsticks accidentally bumping the food Xiaojuan had picked out. The morsel tumbled off the edge of the plate onto the table.
Already struggling to meet anyone’s gaze, Xiaojuan felt her entire existence teeter on the edge of awkwardness at this sight.
"My apologies." Su Chenzhu wiped the table clean with a napkin before replenishing Chao Musheng’s plate. "It was an accident."
Xiaojuan: "..."
Right. An intentional accident.
Wait, why did "intentional" come to mind?
"It’s fine." With Su Chenzhu present, Chao Musheng resisted asking, Do you have a grudge against Kunlun?
He couldn’t understand—with Xiaojuan’s abilities, she had plenty of room to grow at Kunlun. Was staying at Chen Garden as a servant really just for the free tour of a classical garden?
"Secretary Liu said the police would arrive soon. Why aren’t they here yet?" Still preoccupied with the Moonchaser incident, Chao Musheng reciprocated by adding food to Su Chenzhu’s plate.
"They should be here any moment." Su Chenzhu ate the offered dish, his gaze softening into something tender enough to melt.
The police had indeed arrived at Chen Garden—they were just waiting for the guards to notify the household.
Police Officer Cheng and two colleagues stood outside the garden gates, rendered speechless by the estate’s sheer opulence.
"Cheng, this is bigger than the public gardens I’ve paid to visit—and it’s privately owned?" One officer glanced back at their battered patrol car. What kind of fairy-tale life do the rich lead?
"Officers, we’ve confirmed with Secretary Liu. Please follow me." A young man in servant’s attire stepped forward, bowing slightly before guiding the three into Chen Garden.
Inside, the garden was lush with greenery. The moment they passed the gates, a refreshing coolness enveloped them.
Cicadas chirped incessantly as a towering gardener snipped away at the flowerbeds, leaving a trail of severed stems in his wake.
Police Officer Cheng studied the man’s movements. This gardener seemed… decidedly unprofessional.
For a garden this grand, they’d hire such an amateur? Guess even the wealthy pinch pennies where they can.
"That’s a new hire," their guide explained, diverting Officer Cheng’s attention. "The butler assigned him to assist the gardener because of his strength."
"Ah, I see." Officer Cheng smiled.
He got it—newbies were cheaper.
"The master has a kind heart. He can’t bear to see young people struggle for work." The young man led them onward, his pace unhurried as he pointed out the garden’s highlights. Mentions of the household or guests were brief and sparing.
After nearly half an hour, they stopped before an elegant courtyard. "Please wait here."
Officer Cheng surveyed the surroundings. This was a self-contained residence, flanked by two guards in white suits—a stark contrast to the Chen Garden staff’s uniforms.
After a brief exchange, a man in a navy-blue suit emerged.
With refined features and a polite smile, he seemed far more approachable than the gatekeepers. "Officer Cheng, my apologies. I should have greeted you personally, but urgent matters delayed me. Please, come in."
"Secretary Liu, good afternoon." Officer Cheng had dealt with him that morning—the man was sharp and impeccably diplomatic. "Are President Su and Mr. Chao inside?"
"Yes, the boss and Xiao Chao are having a meal inside." Secretary Liu led the three through the winding corridor, across a stone bridge, and along a bluestone path into the main house.
A young man in servant's uniform silently followed the four, mentally calculating how many bodyguards were stationed in the courtyard.
In ancient-style garden settings like this, supernatural incidents were most likely to occur.
But this was the first time he'd seen police officers appear in this type of scenario.
It was bizarre—like a dog suddenly smoking a cigarette and even asking him for a lighter.
"Sir." Just as they reached the entrance of the main building, the young man was stopped by a bodyguard. "No additional service is required here. Please return."
"Understood."
The young man quickly glanced inside. Only two men were seated at the dining table—an older man at the head and a younger one beside him, revealing only half his profile. Yet even that partial glimpse was enough to confirm he was strikingly handsome.
What caught his attention was a female maid from Chen Manor standing by the table. Her head was bowed, so he couldn’t see her face or determine if she was a player or an NPC.
Not wanting to arouse suspicion, he didn’t linger and turned to leave.
Passing the flowerbed, he saw a burly man still trimming branches. Bending down, he picked up a withered crape myrtle blossom and said, "Stop cutting."
"Huh?" Brother Hu put down the shears, wiping sweat from his forehead as he pointed at himself. "You talking to me?"
"Is there anyone else here?" The young man noticed the phone in Brother Hu’s pocket ringing. "What’s playing on your phone?"
"Oh, this?" Brother Hu handed it over. A middle-aged man in the video was demonstrating how to prune rose branches.
"First, snip here!"
"Then here too."
A few cuts later, the rose in the video was reduced to a bare stem.
"That’s winter pruning for roses." The young man paused for two seconds. "It’s summer now. You’re cutting crape myrtle and trumpet vines."
"Ah?" Brother Hu’s honest face twisted in shock. He shoved the phone into the young man’s hands, then frantically hid the scattered branches under the flowerbed in a poor attempt to cover his tracks.
The young man: "..."
Never mind. He didn’t work with idiots.
Once Brother Hu finished stuffing all the branches away, the young man returned the phone and turned to leave.
"Hey, bro, don’t go!" Brother Hu yanked him back effortlessly with one hand. "You seem smart. Mind helping me out?"
The young man remained expressionless. "What’s your rank?"
Brother Hu grinned. "Around two thousand."
"I’m ranked 49." With a flick of his finger against Brother Hu’s wrist, the grip loosened involuntarily.
The young man’s silent stare said everything—and none of it was polite.
After he disappeared, Brother Hu frowned. If a top-50 player like him had entered this scenario, it must be extremely dangerous.
He needed to warn Xiaojuan and cling tighter to Chao Musheng’s coattails.
That rank-49 player… was it You Jiu?
Rumor had it he excelled at disguise and had zero tolerance for stupidity.
"Mr. Su, Mr. Chao." Police Officer Cheng shook hands with Chao Musheng. "Thank you both for cooperating with our investigation. Apologies for interrupting your meal."
"My fault for waking up late and missing normal dining hours." Chao Musheng invited them to sit for tea. "Hope you don’t mind if I eat while answering questions?"
"Not at all." Officer Cheng focused on Chao Musheng, adjusting his bodycam. "Rest assured, this is just routine cooperation. We won’t activate recording without your consent."
Though the case involved many parties, Chao Musheng was merely a good Samaritan who’d intervened. Legally and ethically, only a brief statement was needed.
"Assisting the police is our civic duty." Chao Musheng sped through his meal, wiping his mouth with a tissue Su Chenzhu handed him. "How’s the captain?"
Officer Cheng hesitated. "He’s… unstable. Still hospitalized."
"Unstable?" Chao Musheng adjusted as Su Chenzhu draped a jacket over his shoulders, scooting his chair closer to avoid the AC draft. "Did the Moonlight not sinking traumatize him that badly?"
Officer Cheng: "Since his arrest, he’s been repeating one phrase."
"Which is?"
"Ghosts."
"Yikes." Chao Musheng shivered, only to realize the AC vent was blasting his back.
Officer Cheng observed their dynamic, calloused thumb rubbing his notepad.
Su Chenzhu’s attentiveness clearly surpassed normal employer-employee boundaries.
Xiaojuan, noting how their chairs and shoulders nearly touched, averted her gaze.
"I only subdued him—didn’t hit his head." Chao Musheng clarified. "Right, Mr. Su?"
"Correct." Su Chenzhu confirmed. "I witnessed it."
"We trust you, Mr. Chao." Officer Cheng nodded. "The cruise line provided all public-area footage. Your innocence is unquestionable."
As for Chao Musheng’s scuffle with Song Cheng? A civil matter. With the Song family not pressing charges, neither would the police.
After learning the truth, they had even less desire to pursue it.
Song Cheng’s actions had been downright monstrous.
"Your intervention saved hostages. We’ll nominate you for a bravery award." Officer Cheng smiled. "Today, we just need to clarify some details."
Chao Musheng demurred. "Wasn’t just me."
Oh no. Xiaojuan braced herself.
"A crew member helped too. If he hadn’t noticed the captain’s odd behavior, those hostages might’ve died."
Officer Cheng blinked. A crew member?
Right—the footage showed someone else present.
Yet until Chao Musheng mentioned it, none of them had recalled that detail.
How could they overlook something so critical?
Cold sweat prickled Officer Cheng’s skin. Exchanging glances with his colleagues, he saw identical shock mirrored in their eyes.
How could they have overlooked such a crucial detail when the surveillance footage clearly showed the captain chasing the waiter with a knife?
It couldn’t actually be ghosts, could it?
No, no—they were firm believers in atheism.
A captain determined to drag the passengers down with him, Song Cheng who illegally confined and assaulted innocent people, wealthy passengers who bullied the staff, corporate spies sneaking onto the cruise, and stateless individuals with dubious backgrounds.
The Moonchaser had practically descended into chaos.
Police Officer Cheng tried to steady himself. Maybe the case was just too convoluted, involving too many people, which was why they’d missed it?
With so many wealthy passengers aboard, if the ship really sank, it would make headlines worldwide.
It could even trigger economic turmoil back home, leaving countless ordinary people unemployed…
A conspiracy—this had to be a sinister plot targeting the nation’s economy.
"The captain is currently incoherent. We found some prohibited substances in his cabin. He was extremely cautious—there’s no purchase history on his phone, so he must have acquired them through other channels." Police Officer Cheng asked, "We suspect the captain had accomplices on board, but for some reason, they ultimately didn’t carry out their revenge."
The records in the Moonchaser case files detailing how the wealthy passengers abused the staff were downright horrifying.
"Sorry, I don’t know anything about that," Chao Musheng shook his head. "All the staff I encountered on board were very kind."
"The staff we interviewed also said you were a very good man, Mr. Chao." Police Officer Cheng asked a few more detailed questions before closing his notebook. "Mr. Chao, Mr. Su, thank you both for cooperating with our investigation. We have other matters to attend to, so we’ll take our leave now."
"Let me walk you out," Chao Musheng stood up. "I just finished dinner and could use a stroll to help digest."
Police Officer Cheng glanced at Su Chenzhu, who had barely spoken the entire time. "Much obliged, Mr. Chao."
Xiaojuan quickly trailed behind Chao Musheng—she had no shame, but she didn’t dare stay alone with Mr. Su.
"Wait." Su Chenzhu called out to Chao Musheng, his gaze briefly flickering toward Xiaojuan. "Chao, I’ll go with you."
Police Officer Cheng studied Su Chenzhu for a moment. This enigmatic Mr. Su was far younger than he’d imagined, but for some reason, the dynamic between him and Mr. Chao struck him as odd.
As a police officer, he was sensitive to the nuances of human interaction.
Passing the flowerbed again, the burly man who had been trimming the branches earlier was now clearing the fallen twigs.
At first, it hadn’t seemed noteworthy, but now the more he looked, the more familiar the man appeared.
"Boss Cheng, doesn’t he look like the waiter the captain was chasing in the footage?"
A sudden clarity struck Police Officer Cheng.
Right—that was the waiter from the ship!
When they’d first entered Chen Manor, he’d specifically observed this man. How had he forgotten?
This was downright eerie.
Had he really found a new job just one day after the incident?
Brother Hu met the three officers’ intense stares with a puzzled, "Huh?"
"Xiao Hu?" Chao Musheng glanced at Brother Hu, then back at Xiaojuan, smiling. "What a coincidence. Is he also here helping a friend?"
No wonder he’d found a certain figure at the Chen Manor gate familiar that morning—it was Xiao Hu.
Xiaojuan forced a nod.
Helping her—well, that counted as helping a friend, didn’t it?
