ATFBETIBM Chapter 443

[You don’t need to be so agitated, okay? When God Xin enters a copy is his choice. Some players haven’t entered copies for years, and nothing happened. Didn’t God Xin not appear for just half a month?]

[Shentian Guild singled him out by name. Shouldn’t he show up then?]

[If a dog barks at you, do you have to turn around and bark back at the dog? Why should God Xin come out just because Shentian Guild mentioned him? Our God Xin needs respect?]

[You can’t say it like that. If Bai Lixin hadn’t provoked Shentian Guild, so many people wouldn’t have died.]

[Sigh, my temper really flared up all of a sudden. A psychopathic killer murdered people, and instead of blaming the killer or seeking revenge, the victims are barking at fellow victims. What twisted logic is this? Is it because our God Xin is too kind? Why don’t you go curse the people from Shentian Guild? What? Afraid of retaliation? Cowards, weaklings.]

The post spread quickly.

After Bai Lixin read for a while, he closed the forum, leaned back on the sofa, and relaxed.

In his mind, the escape system softly said, [Master Bai Lixin, do you remember the task you assigned me to investigate in the recycle bin?]

Bai Lixin responded with an “mmm” and looked at the garden outside that was bathed in the enchanting moonlight. [I do. I asked you to find information about a person named ‘Lin Xiao.’ Did you find anything?]

The escape system: [I searched through all the recycle bin information and only found one clue about Lin Xiao.]

[He appeared in an extremely cold copy.]

[Male, around thirty years old.]

[Unknown identity, unknown attributes, unknown origin.]

Bai Lixin paused. [What do you mean by unknown identity, unknown attributes, unknown origin?]

The escape system: [It means I don’t know where he came from, I don’t know if he’s a player, and I don’t know details like his profession or anything else.]

A slender index finger unconsciously tapped the armrest. Bai Lixin’s gaze drifted outside the window, and the look in his eyes gradually became deep and contemplative. [Alright, thank you, System Sister. You’ve worked hard.]

The escape system apologized, [Sorry, I didn’t help much.]

Tap!

Tap!

Tap!

Rhythmic tapping sounds echoed in the hall. Bai Lixin slowly said, [What kind of copy was that extremely cold copy?]

[It was a team copy that combines archaeology and exploration. The copy is very ancient and has been sealed for a long time.]

The rhythmic tapping paused. [Why was it sealed?]

[A monster appeared in that copy. Unlike a fully automated brain system like ours, every copy had task guides. Legend has it that the task guide, who was supposed to be safe, was almost wiped out in that copy, and only a few players managed to escape. The main brain classified this copy as uncontrollable and sealed it.]

Bai Lixin: [What about those survivors? Where are they now?]

[They left a long time ago. Although players can maintain eternal youth in the game lobby, time flows inside little by little. If we calculate according to your 24-hour days, that event happened over a hundred years ago.]

[The so-called task guides were specially selected outstanding players. After this incident, the main brain realized the vulnerability of players. Once a guide is destroyed, it would affect the progress of the game. That’s when they created systems like us that won’t disappear.]

Bai Lixin: […]

When Sister System was talking, he remembered a photo he once saw in the history of the development of the horror at the library. It showed a group of people in thick down jackets standing in front of a house on a snowy mountain.

He wondered if there was any connection between these two.

Lin Xiao claimed to be an “Orderly,” but people in this game seemed unaware of the existence of “Orderlies.”

What was an Orderly?

Thinking about the cryptic conversation with Lin Xiao when he left, they should meet again in the future, right?

On the third day, in the morning.

Bai Lixin organized his belongings and glanced at the clock on the wall. When the hour hand struck “9,” and the minute hand reached “12,” he decisively applied to enter a copy.

The moment the familiar system prompt sounded, a long-lost black vortex appeared in front of him.

The process of entering copies was always uncomfortable, and Bai Lixin had no intention of getting used to it. After a brief discomfort in his stomach and head, the endless black in front of him gradually turned into a narrow room.

The pitch-black room had a mixture of rust and the scent of blood in the air. His body felt damp and sticky, and the wet clothes clung uncomfortably to him.

There was a noticeable weight on his wrists and ankles. Bai Lixin glanced over from the corner of his eye and found himself in an unfavorable position.

Metal chains, crafted into bracelets and anklets, bound his wrists and ankles. He sat numbly on a cold, black metal chair. Many torture devices hung on the walls, and his clothes had changed from clean white to tattered blue-gray prison garb.

In the damp and cramped room, there were two other people besides him.

In front of him stood a man in what looked like a sharp Western police uniform, with a dark emblem hanging on the pitch-black brim of his hat.

He held a black leather whip about five centimeters in diameter, looking down at him condescendingly.

Behind this man, near the door, was a dark rectangular interrogation table. Behind the table was another man dressed in a similar uniform, also staring expressionlessly in their direction.

From the current scene, this seemed to be an interrogation room, and he was the prisoner being interrogated.

‘Damn it.’

Bai Lixin couldn’t help but curse in his mind.

[Ding!] The system’s programmed cold electrical sound rang out in his mind. [Welcome, player, to the [Stolen Treasures] copy. This is an advanced copy, and the number of players is ten.]

[This is a country with a rich cultural heritage. Mr. X, a tourist, that is you the player, explored the country’s national museum located in the capital with great interest. You have a profound interest in every relic, and the one that captivated you the most was a gemstone crown named the “Kiss of the Sun.” Queen Elizabeth wore in the 16th century, symbolizing royal authority and revered as a national treasure of this country.]

[However, this extraordinary ‘Kiss of the Sun’ gemstone crown has been stolen.]

[The time it went missing was pinpointed to a certain ten-minute period. During these ten minutes, twenty people were near ‘Kiss of the Sun’, including visitors and staff. You were one of them.]

[To prove your innocence, find the true thief who stole the ‘Kiss of the Sun’.]

[The time limit for this copy is five days. If you fail to find the real thief within five days, you will face the punishment of this copy.]

[Friendly reminder: In consideration of players’ humanity, player-to-player attacks are prohibited in the copy. Violators will face system punishment. Punishment method: decapitation.]

[Additionally, this copy allows mining. Players will randomly trigger tasks while searching for the culprit. Once a task is triggered, players must accept and complete it, or they will face system punishment. Friendly reminder: the more incorrect investigation directions, the more additional tasks you will receive. Excessive dispersion of energy and attention will affect the progress of solving the case. Players, please be cautious during the search.]

[The background explanation of the copy is complete. After the countdown ends, the game will commence. Wishing players a pleasant game.]

[The countdown begins.]

[3, 2, 1, 0. The game officially starts.]

With the system’s “start”, the previously stiff screen instantly moved.

A crisp sound echoed in the room, and Bai Lixin felt a fiery burning pain on his shoulder.

The man pulled the whip back emotionlessly, and interrogated, “Tell me, where did you hide the crown?”

Bai Lixin glanced at the man, earning himself another lash of the whip. “Damn thief, how dare you stare at me like that? You haven’t tasted enough of the whip yet?”

The clock on the wall ticked away, and Bai Lixin lowered his eyelids, covering his eyes. His gaze focused on the interrogator’s shoes, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

To find the real thief, he first had to get out of here.

Bai Lixin squinted his eyes, recalling the few sentences the interrogator said a moment ago.

The first sentence was, “Where did you hide the crown?” not “Are you the thief?”

Wasn’t this statement too certain? It was as if they had already decided he was the thief.

This didn’t align with the information the system gave him. The system said there were twenty suspects.

“Why are you so sure I’m the thief?” Bai Lixin’s voice was slightly panting. When he spoke, he realized his voice was hoarse, “I’m just a tourist who loves history and cultural relics. Is this how your country treats guests?”

The interrogator sneered. His intense black eyes looked down at the disheveled young man disdainfully, as if observing a filthy bug. “Eight people have identified you as suspicious. With so many eyewitnesses, do you still want to argue? Just confess honestly; you don’t have to suffer so much.”

Bai Lixin’s jaw tightened.

Eight people identified him?

Where did those eight people come from?

This copy is for ten people. Those are nine players besides him.

Could it be players from the Shentian Guild and its affiliates who identified him?

But didn’t everyone start the game at the same time?

Was there with the identity he portrayed?

Or did members of the Shentian Guild use a special method to arrive at the copy before him?

Bai Lixin: “Did you find the crown on me?”

The interrogator forcefully pulled the chain, lifting the disheveled young man to force him to meet his gaze. “We’re asking precisely because we didn’t find it. Sly thief, tell us where you’ve hidden the crown.”

The cold metal chain cut into Bai Lixin’s flesh through the clothes, making him uncomfortable. He took two deep breaths, raised his eyelids, and stared directly into the sharp gaze, “Where did you catch me?”

The Interrogator’s eyebrows suddenly furrowed, his features contracting in anger. “Now I’m the one asking you questions, not the other way around. Understand your position, Mr. Thief.”

Bai Lixin chuckled. “If you focus on me, the real thief will escape. You claim eight people simultaneously identified me, isn’t that strange?”

“If everyone was genuinely curious and interested in the cultural relics, their attention should be on the relics in front of them. Who would notice me?”

“But eight people did notice, not just one but eight.”

“During the ten minutes when surveillance disappeared, how long did I stay in front of that relic? Did those who identified me appear simultaneously, or did they come one by one? If they appeared one by one, had I already left when they showed up? If I left, how did they notice my unusual behavior?”

“I don’t think I made any strange noises in the museum, so how did these people notice me?”

“They seem to be specifically monitoring me, or rather, picking me out as a scapegoat among the twenty.”

“My life is worthless, but isn’t your goal to find the thief? Your ultimate aim is to find that crown, right?”

“I’m not the real thief, I’m just framed. Even if you kill me, I can’t produce the crown.”

“You won’t get anything from interrogating me, but questioning those eight people might yield more results. Perhaps this is a coordinated operation, and those eight people are the ones who stole the crown.”

“You’re just being evasive!” The interrogator angrily grabbed Bai Lixin’s thin collar. “If I don’t extract clues from your mouth, I should seal it shut with a branding iron.”

The interrogator’s pitch-black eyes stared at Bai Lixin. Suddenly, as if discovering something, his originally cold gaze turned playful. He scanned Bai Lixin’s features, his voice becoming sly, “I’ve just realized you’re not bad-looking. You know, there are many brutal and terrifying criminals in this prison. They are wicked individuals. If we throw you into these cells, who knows what might happen.”

“Perhaps your dirty body is looking forward to such an encounter?”

Bai Lixin’s gaze turned cold. As he looked back at the interrogator, an icy chill seemed to rise from the ground beneath the interrogator’s feet. H instinctively let go of Bai Lixin and took two steps back.

“That’s enough, Henry.” There was a sound of paper flipping, and the other police officer spoke, “He’s right. The testimonies of the other eight are questionable. Take him to the cell; today’s interrogation is temporarily concluded.”

The officer called Henry was still flustered. He glanced around the room in a panic before regaining composure, and looked at Bai Lixin warily. “Alright, he’s lucky today.”

The iron chains that had bound Bai Lixin to a wooden frame were loosened, and the heavy metal chains made clanging sounds as they fell to the ground. Henry and another police officer escorted Bai Lixin, passing through dark corridors and layers of metal gates and finally bringing him into a rudimentary and cold cell.

The cell was a double room with a muddy floor covered in various weeds.

Against the walls on both sides were two beds. One bed already had a person lying on it, facing the wall and seemingly either asleep or unwilling to acknowledge the outside world. When the cell door opened, the person on the bed showed no reaction.

Dried weeds covered the bed, and on top of the weeds was a rag so worn-out and discolored from countless uses that its original color was indiscernible.

After hesitating for two seconds, Bai Lixin lifted the rag and sat directly on the hard bed board.

When he sat down, the bed emitted a creaky, fragile sound, as if it might break into several pieces the next second.

The first thing he saw when he entered the copy was an interrogation room. The first second of the copy opening involved receiving a whipping. And on the first night, he had to sleep in a cell.

How wonderful.

Whether it was due to the inherently low temperature or because his clothes were soaked with water, even someone like him, who had a strong resistance to cold, felt a chilling coldness penetrating to his core in this place.

The prison cell was filled with the musty and decaying odor, and patrolling officers would occasionally pass by. The walls offered little protection from the cold, and around them, the sounds of prisoners’ lamentations often echoed.

Behind Bai Lixin was a wall, but it seemed useless. The chilly wind breezed through, penetrating his pores.

Due to the constant police patrols, Bai Lixin refrained from taking out warmer clothes directly from his backpack. Instead, he just adjusted his neck and straightened his back to avoid contact with the cold wall behind him.

Bai Lixin’s gaze surveyed the man on the adjacent bed.

From the time he entered, this person maintained the same position without any movement. He wore the same blue-gray striped prison uniform as him, but the thin garment offered no warmth. Yet, he seemed completely oblivious to the cold, lying there silently.

Too quiet.

Suddenly, Bai Lixin stood up from the bed, walked a few steps, and reached the man’s side. He grabbed the man’s arm and flipped him over.

The man’s body remained rigid, frozen in the same posture. His face had turned pale. His eyes stared ahead, and his body curled into a fetal position, hands still tucked into his sleeves for warmth.

He was completely stiff, indicating he had been dead for a while.

“Someone!” Bai Lixin stood at the door and shouted to the patrolling police outside, “Someone froze to death in my cell.”

The patrol officer raised his eyelids lazily, glanced at the bed inside, and said casually, “Ah, what a pity. He was due for release tomorrow, he just had to endure one more day.”

With that, he opened the cell door, skillfully hoisted the body onto his shoulder, and walked away. When passing by Bai Lixin, the patrol officer grinned, revealing a circle of gleaming white teeth. “Don’t worry, you won’t be lonely. We’ll soon get you a new roommate.”

Bai Lixin: “…”

Half an hour later, the faint sound of footsteps approached Bai Lixin’s cell. Before long, the unlocking of the cell door echoed, and a figure walked in.

The familiar voice of the patrol officer sounded, “Get in, kid. You’re sleeping here tonight.”

With that, the person was nudged and he took two steps into the cell. The metal door closed once again.

Sitting on the bed in the dim surroundings, Bai Lixin looked up at the entrance, where a straight-backed figure stood. The person looked back with the same gaze.

After a moment, Bai Lixin blinked. “Lin Xiao?”

The iconic suit had been replaced by a dirty and disheveled prison uniform, and the meticulously arranged hair now appeared somewhat messy. Despite this, the man remained as cold and indifferent as ever, like an emotionless robotic figure.

Not long ago, Bai Lixin had discussed Lin Xiao with the Escape System. Unexpectedly, their reunion occurred in such circumstances.

One embarrassment after another.

Lin Xiao’s expression remained unchanged. He nodded slightly toward Bai Lixin, and greeted politely, “We meet again, Bai Lixin.”

Bai Lixin looked at Lin Xiao. From this angle, the slightly oversized prison uniform couldn’t entirely cover him, exposing his shoulders and collarbone to the air.

Some dark marks appeared above his shoulder and disappeared near the collarbone. It was a concealed pattern, and Bai Lixin could vaguely make out several sharp beast claws.

However, he knew those weren’t normal beast claws but rather those of dragons carved into the skin.

On Lin Xiao’s back, there was a full-back tattoo of nine dragons carrying a coffin.

Lin Xiao was the “player” he met in the Deep-Sea Laboratory copy. The reason for adding quotes to “player” was because Lin Xiao’s identity remained to be verified.

During that copy, a total of ten people participated including Lin Xiao. However, upon leaving the copy, everyone except him forgot about Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao called himself the “Orderly.” In the copy with ten people, everyone only remembered nine players. Even Dijia had no memory of Lin Xiao.

He had always felt that Lin Xiao was shrouded in mystery. His skin was ice-cold, and the frenzied sewer monsters who enjoyed chasing living things never appeared behind him.

The escape system had left his brain for a while, and the purpose was to investigate Lin Xiao’s identity in the recycling bin.

In the end, there was very little gain.

He always believed Lin Xiao would reappear, but he didn’t expect it to happen so soon.