The servant was taken away by the boss to be comforted. As for whether this place was haunted, the Goethe boss did not give a definitive answer—though he surely knew the truth. Of course, no one had ever died at this hotel: if someone had, it wouldn't still be in operation.
The incident concluded, and Dan Heng, feeling frustrated, looked at the three in front of him.
Pei Guang said, "There's a ghost! It's The Shining."
Stelle added, "Not only a ghost, but also a demon."
March 7th chimed in, "Yes, yes! It was so scary. The two little girls were holding hands, and then the blood just gushed out of the hallway…"
Seeing these three, who could probably tear down a planet if they put their effort in, terrified of ghosts made Dan Heng's head ache. What was even more frustrating was that they were seriously, and in great detail, describing the existence of these 'ghosts'.
Dan Heng adopted a thoughtful expression and began explaining, "Based on your descriptions, I know what happened: there is boundary erosion near this hotel, which might have manifested some people's thoughts. Don't worry though, these 'ghosts' won't harm us. Just sleep soundly. It could also be the work of the Garden of Recollection, but if that's the case, any worry or precautions would be useless."
"Garden of Recollection?" Pei Guang asked.
Dan Heng nodded. "It's possible, but very unlikely. They wouldn't pay attention to this place; there's nothing here worth their notice."
However, Dan Heng wondered who had such a vivid imagination to envision two little girls and a sea of blood. Just hearing Pei Guang and Stelle describe the scene gave him chills, though he definitely wouldn't be as scared as Pei Guang and Stelle.
Dan Heng returned to continue resting, leaving Pei Guang, Stelle and March 7th in the hallway.
March 7th, hugging herself, asked, "Should we… go back and rest?"
Stelle blinked. "Or… maybe we should stay together? It feels creepy being alone…"
Pei Guang said, "I'm a grown man; I don't need to join. I'm going out for a walk."
Stelle was initially going to sleep, but when she heard "go for a walk," she remembered the eighty trash bins and ten dumpsters that Pei Guang had collected. According to him, this was like drawing ten times in a gacha with an increased probability—what if Pei Guang went to open loot boxes without her? Her fun would be ruined!
With a resolute expression, Stelle declared, "I'm going with you for a walk. My trash cans…"
Seeing Pei Guang and Stelle decide to go for a walk, March 7th smiled. She didn't follow them directly but chose to secretly trail them. She was curious—Stelle had hinted multiple times about them being together, so what exactly were they up to?
A confession? Impossible. Stelle's expression wasn't one of romantic anticipation but rather the kind of excitement one feels for a gift. Could it be that Pei Guang was preparing a gift for her? Or maybe he wanted to prepare a gift for her but was too shy to ask? It seemed possible. So, after Pei Guang and Stelle went out, her curiosity got the better of her, and she quietly followed.
As for being scared? She wasn't afraid of ghosts: she had only been led by Pei Guang and Stelle's antics to act out those earlier behaviors. Who knew these two could be so infectious that she instinctively joined in their nonsense?
But now, for Pei Guang and Stelle, the fun was just about to begin!
Meanwhile, Dan Heng had returned to his room to lie down. He trusted that Pei Guang, Stelle, and March 7th wouldn't get into too much trouble—what else could he do but trust them at this point?
With all their antics, the sky had gradually darkened. Though night had fallen and the number of pedestrians on the streets decreased, the number of Silvermane guards on the streets had increased.
Those on break were called back to duty, and some were even stationed in various corners.
"What's going on?"
Pei Guang noticed that there were a lot more guards around compared to when they strolled through the area earlier. Back then, they were mostly stationed at key traffic points.
Stelle shook her head, equally puzzled by what might have happened to warrant such an increase in security.
Pei Guang sighed, "With so many people around, it's going to be hard to open the boxes! Let's find a place with fewer people, or at least somewhere without these Silvermane guards. If we open something we're not supposed to have, we'll get caught on the spot."
Stelle nodded, "I think that's a good idea."
After a brief discussion, they decided to find a more secluded spot to open their gacha.
As they walked, they found a small alley. It was a narrow space, partially enclosed by an iron fence at the far end. It seemed like the perfect spot for some uninterrupted box-opening.
They lined up the ten filled trash bins in a row, and Pei Guang and Stelle stood in front of them, rubbing their hands together in anticipation.
Stelle said, "Pei Guang, you go first. I had bad luck earlier: I only got a gear, which is completely useless."
Pei Guang replied, "Alright, let me take the first ten-pull!"
Rubbing his hands,he eagerly eyed the ten neatly arranged bins. These bins, some weathered, some brand new and others showing signs of rough handling with dents and damage, seemed to beckon to him, full of seductive potential.
To him, the inner contents mattered just as much as the exterior. No matter how beautiful a treasure chest is, if it contains trash, he'll be disappointed. Conversely, even the ugliest trash bin is valuable if it yields something exceptional.
Faced with their enticing allure, Pei Guang, as an experienced player, wasn't swayed in the least. He smiled, "Luck won't change your fate, and spending money won't save you from bad luck. Whatever comes out, I'm not afraid."
Knowing his own tendency to lose whenever he gambles, Pei Guang put his faith in guaranteed rewards. As long as he got useful materials or items, he'd be satisfied. But despite his words about luck and fate, he still took out a blank sheet of paper and drew a funny face on it.
"My little joker! Please bless me with something good on my first ten-pull. Too bad I don't have any colored pencils, or else I'd make this the most perfect joker in the world."
Like some games that require you to draw patterns before pulling cards, Pei Guang felt that performing some sort of ritual might help his luck. He tossed the drawing of the joker into the air and then offered a sincere prayer to the Jade Emperor, the Queen Mother, Jesus and Zeus before taking action.
His speed was astonishing.
In the blink of an eye, he had flipped the lids of nine out of the ten bins, revealing eight blue lights and one purple. As he opened the final bin with an unbeatable flourish, the stars in the sky seemed to twinkle in celebration, acknowledging the golden light that burst forth.
This golden light felt like a reward, a sign of recognition, or perhaps the universe's excitement and curiosity about his sudden appearance in this world. No one knew the exact meaning of this golden light, but as a player, Pei Guang understood what it signified: a golden draw in a ten-pull, proof that he was no longer cursed with bad luck!
Pei Guang was thrilled with his result. He looked up at the starry sky, where countless stars twinkled like mischievous companions celebrating his success. Pei Guang couldn't believe it—this gacha game even had such special effects. What a great game! What a great game indeed!