Chapter 25
Romantic Hotel
Seventh day.
When the broadcast, which sounded like a death knell, rang out, the eight remaining people—Bai Xu, Hong Yuan, You Ying, two other members of the Seventh Sequence (codenamed Eagle Eye and Doctor), and three candidates whose spirits were almost broken—gathered like frightened birds in the hall filled with a heavy smell of blood and sweet decay.
Final task: [Go to the lobby manager's office, submit the "Seven-Day Work Performance Report," and collect the "Passenger Satisfaction Rating."]
"Passenger satisfaction..." Hong Yuan's voice was hoarse, "This is probably the real core of the rules. Have all our actions over the past seven days been within its framework? Have they satisfied its... manipulative and devouring of our 'needs'?"
"It's a monster that feeds on fear and rules." Shadow gripped his dagger tightly, his sharp eyes scanning the restless shadows around him. "This last stretch of the road is probably the final selection."
Bai Xu's gaze swept over the survivors, his tone calm: "Concentrate your last bit of energy. Remember the correct rules we deduced, remember the fatal misconceptions, remember the 'logic' of this godforsaken place. This is our last chance. Let's go!"
The corridor leading to the manager's office seemed to hold the weight of all the terror of the previous six days.
The figures in the oil paintings on the wall no longer merely roll their eyes; they twist and contort, as if trying to break free of the frame and let out a silent roar.
The carpet pattern wriggled wildly, trying to wrap around their ankles.
The mirror no longer reflects their images, but instead shows various twisted, rotting, and grinning monsters, constantly tempting them to turn their heads, approach, and even break the mirror.
"Don't look in the mirror," Bai Xu whispered, reminding a random participant who was almost completely captivated by the image of a "family member" in the mirror.
-
Ahead, a twisted staircase of flesh and blood loomed in the distance, exuding a deadly allure that led to the "fourth floor".
"Close your eyes! Count silently!" Bai Xu immediately ordered. Everyone closed their eyes tightly, forcibly resisting the pulling force that directly affected their minds, until the nauseating feeling of pressure and the stairs disappeared together.
-
The red door opened slightly as they passed by, revealing alluring whispers and promises of safety, testing their adherence to Rule Five.
Every step is fraught with danger, an ultimate test of will, memory, and judgment.
One random participant glanced back at the "treasure" that appeared in the mirror and was instantly pulled into it, leaving only a brief gasp. Another person hesitated for a moment because of the promise of a "safe house" coming from inside the red door, and was dragged in by countless pale arms reaching out from inside the door, where the sound of chewing began again.
When the heavy wooden door to the manager's office, carved with twisted patterns, came into view, only six survivors remained: Bai Xu, Hong Yuan, You Ying, Ying Yan, the doctor, and the only candidate with a resilient spirit who always stayed close to the team, Shi Tou.
Bai Xu took a deep breath and pushed open the office door.
The sight inside sent a chill down the spines of even the most knowledgeable members of the Seventh Sequence.
The lobby manager was still wearing that crisp black uniform, but he was no longer the "person" with the standard smile.
His body was made up of countless writhing, flickering rules and texts, which crawled and reassembled on his torso, which was composed of flesh and blood and distorted light and shadow, like living parasites.
His face was a constantly shifting play of light and shadow, sometimes revealing his standard smile, sometimes contorting into various extreme expressions of pain or greed.
He is one of the core figures embodying this strange tale of rules, the embodiment and enforcer of the rules.
"Welcome...my...employees..." A strange voice, a mixture of electronic noise, whispers, and the clanging of rules and regulations, emanated from his shifting, light-and-shadow-like "mouth." "You...have held on until...the end...now...for your final performance review..."
The office door closed silently behind them, shutting them out of the outside world.
The monster manager "sat" behind a "desk" made of solidified darkness, with "arms" made of rules and regulations supporting his ever-changing head.
"Your...satisfaction...will be...personally assessed by me..." Its mixed voice carried a suffocating sense of oppression. "Now...let's...review...these seven days..."
He briefly replicated the performances of the others, and they all barely passed.
Finally, he looked at Bai Xu.
"Now... let's talk about... your most 'brilliant' part..."