Class 2, Grade 11? This class was indeed one of the groups that the story assigned to the character "Teacher Chen," and Duan Xue, standing nearby, was also a student in the same class. "How about this: I'll go find some students and see if I can figure out what's going on." "Alright, then I'll leave it to you, Teacher Chen," the other teacher said, opening the folder they carried and pulling out a stack of papers. "These are the class notes from the past few days—I've organized them. If you find that student, please pass them along. The college entrance exam is coming up, and they can't afford to fall behind." Though strict, this teacher was clearly responsible for their students. Watching them leave the office, Chen Mo and Duan Xue exchanged a glance, both feeling a hint of confusion. "Teacher Chen, do you think this Zhou Xiaomi, who hasn't been to class for days, might be the clue the story gave us?" Duan Xue's question mirrored Chen Mo's suspicion, but they couldn't be certain yet. Duan Xue quickly pulled out her phone and posted this lead to the WeChat group the participants had set up to share information, receiving replies from the others almost immediately. The consensus was clear: the lead about Zhou Xiaomi was worth pursuing! To be cautious, they decided to start by gathering information from Zhou Xiaomi's classmates, probing for details about this person. And most importantly... whether they had exhibited any unusual behavior recently. As if the story had orchestrated it, the next morning, Zhou Xiaomi still hadn't shown up. However, Duan Xue, leveraging her good social connections, managed to gather intel from the classmates. One girl, Li Xiaoxiao, provided a particularly crucial clue: Zhou Xiaomi seemed to have become obsessed with a mobile game recently, staying home all the time and even skipping the midterm exams. "And this Zhou Xiaomi didn't seem to like games before, but after receiving a text message, he... it was like he was bewitched. At first, he only played after class, then during class, and eventually, he stopped coming to school altogether. This has been going on for four or five days now." "Do you know what game he's playing?" At Chen Mo's question, Duan Xue shook her head. "But there is one detail... when Li Xiaoxiao answered my questions, she seemed a bit unsettled. I felt like she was nervous." "Nervous?" Chen Mo frowned. Any hint of unnaturalness in the story could hide clues. In that instant, an idea flashed through his mind. "What's the relationship between Li Xiaoxiao and Zhou Xiaomi?" "She didn't admit it outright, but... they seem pretty close. Apparently, they've been dating for about a month." "So it's puppy love," Dai Minghan scoffed dismissively, but then he seemed to recall something. "Could it be that Li Xiaoxiao is playing this game too?" Everyone was startled by Dai Minghan's speculation. "If it's really one of those 'cursed games,' wouldn't it spread to those around them? If Zhou Xiaomi is the first victim in this story, wouldn't Li Xiaoxiao, who's close to him, also be in danger?" Though just a hypothesis, Dai Minghan's reasoning sent a chill through everyone, including Chen Mo. Regardless, both individuals warranted a focused investigation. The priority, of course, was the "missing" Zhou Xiaomi! After some discussion, the participants reached a decision. They split into two groups: one would keep an eye on Li Xiaoxiao, trying to find out if she'd been exposed to the "mysterious game," while the other would conduct a "home visit" after school, heading directly to Zhou Xiaomi's residence to investigate! This day marked the fourth day since the participants had entered the story world! Though the one-month deadline was still far off, considering the potential dangers of uncovering clues, the team assigned to the "home visit" consisted of experienced members holding the "Old Man" item: Chen Mo, Dai Minghan, and Lin Tianheng. After checking their communication tools and items, the three followed the address Duan Xue had provided, taking a bus to the location: Crystal Blue Apartments, No. 138 Dahuai Road, in the Jinkai District! Contrary to their expectations, the apartment was in a bustling area and was a luxury complex with tight security. However, this posed no challenge for the participants. After presenting their "fake but real ID," the security guard, as if spellbound, smiled and opened the gate. "Who knew Zhou Xiaomi's family was this loaded," Lin Tianheng remarked, glancing around the apartment's decor with envy. Dai Minghan, however, just shrugged dismissively. "What good is money if you're tangled up with 'that kind of thing'?" As they spoke, the elevator chimed, and the red light above blinked, showing the number thirteen. That was Zhou Xiaomi's floor. According to the info Duan Xue had gathered, Zhou Xiaomi's parents were divorced and often abroad. To provide their son, who lived alone in the country, with a good study environment, his mother had bought this apartment two or three years ago. He'd been living there ever since. But due to Zhou Xiaomi's somewhat odd personality, even Li Xiaoxiao, his classmate and girlfriend of a month, had never visited his home. She only knew he lived on the thirteenth floor, not the exact apartment number. The wide, empty hallway showed no sign of anyone, yet a faint, elusive presence lingered. To ordinary people, this presence might go unnoticed, but for participants immersed in horror stories and frequently exposed to ghostly entities, it triggered a subtle awareness! Sensing this faint trace, the three participants' eyes sharpened. Dai Minghan pulled a box of matches from his pocket. With a scratch, a red flame flared up, flickered in the air, and then turned a sickly green with a pop. The eerie flame drifted in a certain direction!
-- PS, third update