There's definitely something wrong with this murder mystery game

But her vision had become much dimmer, and it seemed as if a faint layer of black fog was floating around her.

And it was a bit chilly.

She shivered outright.

She even felt the chill creeping into her thoughts, burrowing into her mind, making her entire soul unbearably cold.

This was definitely not right!

The female reporter clutched the hem of her coat nervously, surveying her surroundings with unease, feeling as if something sinister was lurking nearby.

"Would you like to...?"

At that moment, Xu Shuo shook a finger at her, gesturing to the paper in her hand, "Why not turn it over and take another look?"

The reporter, startled, quickly turned the piece of paper over.

"Qiming Orphanage Employee Handbook."

[Red text] (0, first of all, congratulations on becoming one of the staff here! Confetti! Confetti!)
Enjoy new adventures from My Virtual Library Empire

1. As a caretaker at Qiming Orphanage, you need to pay attention to maintaining cleanliness and safety within the facility, carry out regular cleaning and inspections, and ensure that there are no Flesh and Blood stains in the orphanage. If any are found, deal with them immediately. [Red text] (Just a quiet hint: even if you want to slack off, you still have to make a round, right? Teehee)

2. There are two trash bins in the backyard of the Qiming Orphanage: regular trash should be thrown into the blue bin, and Flesh and Blood trash must go in the red bin. Be careful not to mix them up! [Red text] (If you do, just eat it yourself!)

3. If Flesh and Blood trash ends up in the wrong bin, immediately set the blue bin on fire and stay away from the backyard until the noise from the backyard ceases, after which you may return. [Red text] (Actually, the scent isn't too bad)

4. If you fail to deal with Flesh and Blood trash in time, retreat to the caretaker's room immediately, and only come out once the noises outside the room have all disappeared.

5. As a caretaker at Qiming Orphanage, you need to take good care of the children here with all your heart and responsibility. Without leaving the orphanage as a premise, fulfill all their wishes and do not reject any of their requests. [Red text] (No need, if the children are disobedient, just smack them)

6. If you receive a request you cannot fulfill, you may try to return to the caretaker's room to rest.

7. If you are unable to return to your room, immediately remove your caretaker's uniform and use all means to escape the orphanage!

[Red text] (8, Wrong! What follows is the chance to give those bratty kids a good thrashing! I'll teach you, there's a nice axe in the storeroom on the first floor. Pick it up, and chop any who are disobedient!)

[Red text] (Don't throw away the chopped-up kids, feed them to that damn cat, then you have another reason to give the cat a good beating too!)

[Red text] (Don't be afraid, if you can't win, just come find me! I'll help you fight!)

[Red text] (@#￥%...&*...)

...

The back of the paper listed another set of rules, but in addition to the neatly printed black text from the printer, there were messy red characters annotated with a handwriting pen.

The writing was like Ghost Glyphs, but with careful discernment, one could still make out what was written.

However, at the end of the paper, there was a sequence of Ghost Glyphs at the edge, whose messy lines were truly indecipherable. They were even more difficult to solve than the legendary doctor's handwriting.

In any case, the red text did not seem like something a normal person with normal thoughts would write!

Upon finishing reading the rules, the female reporter was dumbfounded: "..."

Damn it! The tone of these rules is totally off!

This is a freaking death trap, isn't it?!

She wanted to say something sarcastic, but really didn't know what else to say.

Suddenly, the reporter remembered something, and with a shock still on her face, she looked up at the female social worker across from her.

But the other party was not paying her any attention, she was currently languidly leaning against the sofa, idly playing with her dark green Bamboo Joint Cane weapon.

This cane could extend and retract freely, at its shortest it was only a ten-centimeter curved handle, which upon being flung, would become a meter-long staff.

And the girl kept repeating the action of retracting and swinging it out, retracting and swinging it out, which indeed looked like she was bored to the extreme.

Noticing the reporter's gaze, Xu Shuo looked up, "Finished reading?"

The reporter: "..." She still couldn't find the words to speak.

Because this "employee handbook" was essentially dire straits; not to mention the need to clean the orphanage, just those rules about not being allowed to refuse the children's requests were practically a death sentence.

One couldn't refuse; one could only resist or evade.

If you couldn't evade and refused and fought back, perhaps you would fall into those demon children's rule and then be miserably killed.

If you chose to take off your employee uniform, due to the prior rule that angered the cat, not only would the bratty kids chase after you, but the cat would pursue you too.

Too terrifying!

The female social worker seemed to perceive her thoughts, and began to comfort her, "Relax, when you're out in the world, you always face risks like this. Who knows, maybe you could beat those bratty kids. If really you can't win, then just do as the rules say, go grab an axe and start swinging."

The reporter: "..." She was speechless once again.

But thank you, it was somewhat comforting.

Unable to win, she'd drag the entire orphanage down with her.

The female reporter forced a strained smile at the corner of her mouth.

Xu Shuo observed her facial expression carefully, noticing that this woman didn't seem to delve into the rules above any further; she merely grasped their surface information.

Moreover, her focus was easily swayed by external factors, yet somehow, by some means, she always retained a certain level of sanity.

Caught between a susceptibility to influence and resilience against breakdown.

In any case, the kid might already be done for.

After all, if she remained in this state and couldn't adapt, she would eventually be played to death in some future script.

Xu Shuo hadn't used the "Documentary Notes," precisely for this reason; it felt like something to be used only in emergencies—too many side effects with regular use.

After all, getting the right answers without the need for personal deduction and reasoning was indeed addictive.

Xu Shuo put away the cane and continued, "Now that you've obtained a new identity, let's continue back to..."

He stopped mid-sentence, tilting his head to look behind the female reporter.

The sight made the reporter's scalp tingle!

No other reason—it was almost PTSD at this point with her reaction to the action of the social worker!

Don't just look on your own!

Please, I'm begging you, just say it outright, is it too much to ask?!

The reporter's discomfort twisted her features into a tight knot as she furrowed her brows and squinted, turning to look. She saw a slow-moving black cat with red eyes coming out of the bedroom doorway.

Upon spotting the female reporter in the blue uniform, the Black Cat paused for a moment and then trotted over.

"Meow~~"

Listening to that twisty, winding meow, the reporter got goosebumps all over, and a chill ran from her coccyx to the apex of her head.

But she didn't dare move or look at the cat.

She remained stiff, catching a glimpse from the corner of her eye of the cat running to her feet and tilting its head to rub against her ankle.

A soft, cold, sticky sensation glided over the exposed skin on her collarbone.

The reporter shivered, looking at the social worker with a tremor.

Xu Shuo watched with interest for a while, then stepped forward, crouched down, and curved his finger to scratch the Black Cat's chin.

Feeling content from the scratching, the Black Cat immediately abandoned the reporter, ran to his feet, extended its claws, and perched itself up against his pant leg, narrowing its eyes and stretching its neck out enjoyably for more scratches.

The reporter let out a breath of relief and looked at the girl still patting the cat, a strange look on her face, "You really aren't afraid of this thing... this cat, are you?"

"The rules restrain not only those who trespass but also those entities restricted by the rules themselves," Xu Shuo said lightly, laughing. "Those rules are their hunting nets as well as their cages."

"emmm..."

The reporter pondered earnestly for a moment, "So you mean, we just need to avoid breaking the rules, right?"

Xu Shuo: "..."

This child, no need to point it out.

But what she said, admittedly, wasn't wrong on the surface.

After all, the rules discovered by SOA investigators are not for challengers to enter and defeat; they are there to guide those inside to dodge, escape, and survive!

Not to fight monsters.

That task is left for the Investigators.

Wearing a faint smile, Xu Shuo played with the cat for a while and then gently asked, "Kitty, who sent you here?"

The Black Cat nudged against him comfortably.

"Meow~"

At that moment, the nearby reporter perked up, as if enlightened!

She, she, she—the damn cat—she actually understood the language of cats!

Yueshu! Who's Yueshu?!

...