Chapter 7

In the process of supporting the body, it was inevitable that blood would get on his hands. The dark red of the blood contrasting with the pallor of the skin exuded a sense of eerie and panic, hinting at something out of the ordinary.

Yu Xing bent over to arrange the body in a more decent posture, wiping his bloodied fingertips on his pants, and turned around at the sound of Fang Rui's surprised voice.

He smiled, "Shh... Aren't you calm now?"

Fang Rui was doubtful, wanting to stay far from the body but afraid of something happening if he stayed too far from Yu Xing. After all, in horror movies, people leaning against walls are often dragged away by hands extending from the walls.

He didn't know what to do now. This broken factory, with no way out, and the battery, which he couldn't take or leave, was just asking for trouble?

"Shall we... chat for a while?" He scratched his head, trying to avoid thinking about the desperate situation by starting a conversation with Yu Xing.

Yu Xing readily agreed, "Sure, what do you want to talk about?"

"Hmm... I heard you just graduated from university. Where did you study?" Although they didn't know each other before today, he had a slight understanding of the competitors' backgrounds.

Clearly, Yu Xing's information had been leaked at some point, and Fang Rui had heard about it.

"Just at Rui Bo University in this city." Yu Xing stood up and walked aimlessly toward the lockers in the changing room.

The opened locker was in a mess, and without needing to use his knowledge of trace evidence, it was clear that the person who searched it was in a hurry and didn't care about the items inside.

Dusty shoes, a left-behind work cap, and a mask were thrown on the ground, leaving clean patches on the locker shelves.

Yu Xing thought to himself: Zhang Shuya had searched desperately for the battery here but didn't find it. In such a large place, it was impossible for there to be no battery. Was it taken by someone beforehand, or is it in a locked locker?

"Rui Bo?" Fang Rui asked in surprise, "I'm from Rui Bo too, but I'm a year ahead of you, so I'm your senior!"

Yu Xing was about to open a locked locker when he heard this and paused, his expression changing slightly.

Next, Fang Rui asked uncertainly, "Why didn't I see you at school? With your looks, you should have been the talk of the girls in any department. I didn't see your name in any of the campus heartthrob polls."

"Well..." Yu Xing turned away from Fang Rui, his eyes narrowing under his bangs, "I was in poor health and applied to study at home. I only came to school for mid-term and final exams. So, it's not surprising that many people haven't seen me."

"Ah? I didn't notice you were in poor health." Fang Rui leaned in, examining Yu Xing closely with the camera, "Oh, your complexion is a bit off, too pale. Even with night vision, I can see that your skin lacks color. May I ask... what's your illness?"

Generally, the answer to such a question would either be honest or a polite refusal to say.

But Yu Xing glanced at Fang Rui, who was hindering his attempt to unlock the locker, and said casually, "If you know it's impolite, you shouldn't ask, right?"

Yu Xing's straightforwardness made Fang Rui a bit awkward. He laughed dryly and watched Yu Xing skillfully unlock the locker with a wire, then found another topic: "I'm from the journalism department. What about you?"

As he spoke, the locked locker clicked open.

Yu Xing decisively opened it and saw two cold batteries lying inside.

Sure enough, they were here.

"Oh, if I had known, Zhao Yijiu wouldn't have had to leave. Unfortunately, I should have tried the locked lockers earlier," Yu Xing sighed regretfully, ignoring Fang Rui's question.

"Right, at least here, he could save time on the way. But if a ghost comes, we'll be in trouble too." Fang Rui tugged at Yu Xing, "Let's touch the batteries when our cameras are about to run out of power. Once we take them, the ghost will come!"

Thinking of the batteries as a representation of the ghost, Fang Rui got goosebumps all over: "Let's just close it. I'm starting to have a psychological shadow when I see batteries."

He reached out to push the locker door, but Yu Xing grabbed it, stopping his action, and his fingers rested on Fang Rui's hand.

"Since you're from the journalism department, I know. I was thinking about it earlier when I supported you," in the darkness, a hint of excitement appeared in Yu Xing's eyes, faintly glowing, and he whispered, "Are you cold? Your skin is so icy. It feels like... a corpse."

...

Zhao Yijiu ran, holding the camera in one hand and pulling a sharp knife from his pocket with the other.

The knife had a bizarre design, with a double-edged blade and a wooden handle embedded with a heart-shaped, dull stone, with blood-red veins spreading out like a spider web.

He felt a warm sensation in his palm, moved quickly, and with agile movements, he was confident he would make it in time.

However, as he entered the narrow corridor on the right, a figure suddenly appeared, blocking most of his path.

A short-haired girl was crouching in the corridor, her head buried in her arms, and faint sobs could be heard. It was Tang Yuan.

Hearing Zhao Yijiu's footsteps, Tang Yuan shuddered in fear, then looked up, her despair turning to surprise. She whispered, "Why are you here..."

"Get out of the way, move!" Zhao Yijiu coldly interrupted her, not slowing down.

"Don't, there's a ghost inside! I just got separated from my brother, and I saw a female ghost drag him away! Don't go in—" As Zhao Yijiu ran past her, Tang Yuan reached out and pulled him.

Zhao Yijiu didn't think much of it until he lost his balance and his face changed, a cold look appearing in his eyes.

Why was Tang Yuan so strong?

Right, the ghost, which both he and Yu Xing had seen.

Among the applicants, only two were women, one of whom was dead. So, the remaining one...

But if she had any sense, she wouldn't remind him of this now. Did the ghost not know about the clues left by Assistant Hao in the camera?

Zhao Yijiu's thoughts raced. This would implicate Tang Li—these two are siblings, one a ghost, the other possibly human?

Yu Xing was initially pulled by a ghost's hand at the rat hole, which was a man's hand.

So, there are two ghosts, Tang Li and Tang Yuan!?

He regained his balance, calculating the time, and frowned.

He couldn't linger here. Tang Yuan wasn't attacking him because he hadn't triggered the death condition.

A brief struggle was fine, but after five minutes, Tang Yuan would likely climb onto him—poke his eyes, rip off his head?

"Get out of the way."

Zhao Yijiu was as straightforward as Yu Xing.

"I'm telling the truth, you'll die if you go in..." Tang Yuan lifted her hair, leaning against the wall, her eyes red from crying, a beauty in distress.

"Even if I die, it's none of your business. Don't waste my time." Zhao Yijiu broke free from Tang Yuan's grip, giving her a warning look, and sped toward Office 02.

There were two batteries in Office 02, in a standing cabinet, easy to get.

Just as he was about to push the door, his sleeve was grabbed again.

"It's inside!" Tang Yuan silently approached from behind, whispering, "Don't go in, my brother is already gone, I don't want anyone else to get hurt. This job application is problematic..."

"You're so kind." Zhao Yijiu sneered, annoyed. He hated such nagging people, and even if she wasn't a ghost, he wouldn't listen to someone who imposed their thoughts on others.

Some people in his life might say he was inhuman.

Inhuman? Maybe, he had never been close, and his way of thinking was like this—take it or leave it.

"No!" Seeing Zhao Yijiu still trying to enter, Tang Yuan tried to grab his arm. The next moment, the sharp blade flashed in the darkness, cutting her sleeve.

"Don't touch me." Zhao Yijiu was angry, rushing for time, and a ghost was pretending to care.

"It's too late." Tang Yuan smiled victoriously, her interference successfully costing Zhao Yijiu precious time.

The surroundings suddenly became silent and cold.

Zhao Yijiu's pupils contracted, and he lunged forward. The next moment, the door to Office 02 was broken open, and a pale arm reached out, missing its target.

"Brother~" Tang Yuan giggled, "You didn't catch that woman in the toilet, and I took advantage of it. Why can't you catch him now? Hehehe..."

As she spoke, her body swelled and wrinkled, gradually losing its human form.

A white face appeared behind the door.

The glasses on the white face fell to the ground, confirming for Zhao Yijiu, who was getting up, that this ghost with a tongue hanging to its chest was the seemingly refined and gentle Tang Li!

In a critical moment, Zhao Yijiu remained calm, noticing the positioning of the two ghosts.

They were blocking the door, still not letting him into the office... Could it be that after five minutes, even if the death condition was triggered, changing the batteries would still be safe?

There was hope!

Recalling his speed and the speed of the female ghost, Zhao Yijiu thought he could still save the situation.

He gripped the knife and ran, planning to circle the ghosts.

Because someone had told him that in the simulation, ghosts were invincible, and only the correct method could make them disappear. Resistance could only temporarily delay death, not fundamentally solve the problem.

This new employee test... or this job application test, followed the same rule.

At that moment, one person and two ghosts quickly chased after Zhao Yijiu along the path he had taken.

...

On the other side, the word "cold" seemed to trigger something.

Seeing Fang Rui's suddenly dark expression, Yu Xing laughed pleasantly, "Indeed, this test isn't difficult at all."

He released his hand and picked up the two batteries, "Temperature is the most direct reminder. When Assistant Hao handed out the cameras, he gave each living person a chance to touch his hand and left a video in the camera proving he was a ghost, telling the living—ghosts have a different body temperature from humans.

"The only difficulty is that among the six applicants, only three are alive. You, Tang Li, and Tang Yuan are all ghosts."

Fang Rui, seeing Yu Xing's confident demeanor, his eyes suddenly bled, his body turning pale with a purple tinge. He let out a strange laugh, and his swollen hand grabbed Yu Xing, choking his neck.

Yu Xing felt pressure in his throat, his breathing obstructed.

He raised the batteries, his tone dismissive, "Hey, once you have the batteries, ghosts can attack, right? Come on, look, I have both of them~ Come and attack me, at least use some strength~"