Picking up the book from the top of the freezer, Han Fei tried to store it in the item bar, but it was unsuccessful, and the system didn't provide any hints either.
"I always feel that there are secrets hidden inside these books left by Meng Chang'an. Maybe through these books, we can figure out what kind of person he really was."
Han Fei tried to flip through the books in the freezer, but all the books were severely damaged and utterly unreadable. He had to rely on his exceptional memory developed from memorizing lines, and he remembered the names of the books, planning to look them up after leaving the game.
Meng Shi revealed the secrets buried in her heart, all her hidden guilt and unease fully exposed, as she still knelt beside the freezer.
"Granny, keep your spirits up, you still need to take care of Chenchen. No matter what, he hasn't made any mistakes, you can't let a child bear the burden of an adult's pain."
Although Chenchen was a troublesome child, he had never really seen the real world before being murdered along with the elderly. If anyone deserved pity, it was him, the most innocent and miserable.
Helping the elderly woman to her feet, Han Fei then picked up Chenchen and placed him on the bed in the bedroom, "Granny, I will come to help you often in the future. If you need anything, you can also go upstairs to see me, and we can discuss it together."
Han Fei considered Meng Shi's place as a safe house. After logging into the game, he would first stay here for three hours, and then he could log out at any time as long as he completed a task. It was perfect.
Meng Shi, still in immense pain, didn't know about this. She just felt surprised, "You know all this and still want to help me?"
Meng Shi had already paid the price of her life for her mistakes, but Han Fei didn't intend to mention that. He just wanted to survive in this Underworld game for now.
"Take good care of Chenchen, don't let him run around. Even for his sake, you have to hold on." After saying this, Han Fei found some paper and a pen in the room, ready to get down to business.
He had been desperately trying to increase the old woman's friendliness to gain her trust, precisely for this moment.
Han Fei didn't understand this world and needed someone to provide him with information. Old lady Meng Shi had lived here for a long time and was the most suitable candidate.
"Granny, the building chief hasn't shown up for a long time, he might be in trouble. I want to go to the tenth floor to check."
"The upper floors are very dangerous. It would be better if you don't go up there." Meng Shi directly advised Han Fei to give up.
"If we avoid doing something just because it is dangerous, the danger will eventually spread to our surroundings, and it will be too late to escape by then." Han Fei picked up a pen, "Granny, you've lived here a long time. Could you tell me about any taboos in this building?"
Seeing Han Fei had made up his mind, Meng Shi no longer stopped him. After thinking for a while, she said, "The Haunted House you live in, 1044, is itself a taboo, and so is 1034 on the third floor. Almost no neighbors go to these two rooms, and most people quicken their pace when they pass by."
"Are there any places in the building more dangerous than these two rooms?"
"Yes." The old lady nodded, "Something happened on the ninth floor, and except for the building chief, everyone who went up has never come down. There's also something wrong with the stair steps between the seventh and eighth floors. After midnight, going there might take you to another place and let you see some special things."
"Have you seen them?"
"If I had seen them, I probably wouldn't be alive now. I've only heard about them." The elderly woman was not very brave, "Eerie events also occurred in room 1084 on the eighth floor. Someone encountered a girl there. When the building chief was still around, he often warned me never to go to the eighth floor alone. It seems no one lives on the seventh floor, and the original neighbors on the sixth floor moved out. Newcomers from outside the community moved in, and I rarely interact with them, avoiding them as soon as I hear their voices."
"Several people live on the sixth floor? And they're from outside the community?" Han Fei remembered the neighbor who came to his house, who initially appeared on the sixth floor.
"Yes, besides these, there are many other things to be careful about. For instance, if someone calls your name from behind while you're walking in the corridor at night, never turn back. If someone knocks at your door in the middle of the night, don't just open it, because most neighbors here won't visit at night. Another reminder, if you're in the corridor and the sound-controlled lights suddenly go out, be very careful, because something might be coming..."
The old lady told Han Fei many points to be cautious about, and he recorded them all.
"Granny, you've lived here a long time too. Are there any neighbors who you think are decent enough people to be friends with?" Han Fei wanted to unite more people, as he was very aware that the power of one person is limited.
After thinking for a long time, Granny shook her head, "There's no one especially suitable to be friends with. If you really want to choose one, I think the tenant in 1052 on the fifth floor could be okay."
"The tenant in 1052?"
"Her name is Xu Qin. She's a Madman." It seemed Granny was afraid Han Fei wouldn't understand, so she added, "Although she looks crazy, she hasn't harmed anyone. Once, when Chenchen accidentally ran upstairs, it was she who brought him back."
"Alright, I'll slowly try to make contact with her and strive to become friends." Han Fei wasn't scared just because she was a madman. Compared to his roommate in the Haunted House, a madman who didn't hurt others was practically an angel.
"She's a pitiful person. It would be good to help her if possible."
"Yeah, I'll figure out a way to help her resolve her issues." There were only two neighbor choices for a harmonious relationship in the entire building, and Han Fei was actually quite devastated, but he didn't show it.
After a three-hour talk, Han Fei had drawn a map. He marked all the known taboo locations within the building on it.
"My ultimate goal is to enter room 1101 where the building chief resided, find out why he chose me to play this game, and get all the things the building chief left behind."
"Before that, I first need to befriend the tenant in 1052 and unite as many residents of the building as possible."
More haste, less speed. Han Fei decided to explore the game step by step while ensuring his own survival.
It was almost four in the morning when Han Fei finally left the old woman's place, sneaking into the corridor without disturbing anyone.
"There are some more blood-red stains in the corridor now. The railings and walls also have many children's handprints. It seems that Cry really did wreak havoc in this apartment building looking for me, probably suffering a lot in the process."
Han Fei returned to the Haunted House 1044. The room was a mess, as if a battle had taken place: "Did Cry come here last night? Ah, why can't everyone just get along?"