I, the screenwriter, have experienced a resurgence of inspiration.

The office worker turned pale and nodded repeatedly, "I know, I know! I'll listen to you! You can't just leave me out!"

She still has a husband and children outside; she can't die.

The student nodded quickly, his voice soft: "I...I'll do my best..."

He hasn't even taken the college entrance exam yet, and he's even been in a relationship. Why would he want to die in this godforsaken place?

Big Water Brother nodded in satisfaction and pointed to the stairwell with his chin:

"Alright, let's start searching the building. Search each floor upwards, see if there's any food, supplies, or props. We can't miss a single one; we have to find everything."

"Why do we have to go upstairs..." the office worker asked softly. "Can't we just hide and wait for someone to rescue us?"

"Stupid!"

Big Water Bro cursed, "There are tall monsters guarding the outside of the building. Going out is like committing suicide. Going up is safer the higher you go. Find a room, lock the door, and hide. It's better than wandering around in the hallway."

He had already thought it through.

This building looks pretty tall. When the time comes, I can loot some supplies and find a sturdy room to hide in. That would be better than wandering around outside and constantly running into ghosts.

……

"Go slowly and quietly."

Big Water Bro stood up, raised his gun, and forced the two men to walk ahead.

His rubber shoes made no sound when he stepped on the ground.

White-collar workers and students looked back every few steps, but dared not run away, so they could only grit their teeth and keep walking forward.

The hallway was eerily quiet, with only the sound of two people's footsteps.

Faintly, I could hear footsteps thumping in the hallway, like someone was chasing someone.

The three hid and listened for a while longer, when they heard what sounded like a young man's scream coming from above.

Big Water Bro glared at the two of them: "What are you looking at? Keep walking."

The two had no choice but to walk forward, trembling and supporting themselves against the wall.

The stairwell was narrow, and the walls were covered with dark brown stains, some of which looked like blood or mold, in patches that resembled human-shaped marks.

The handrail was so rusty that it crumbled, and touching it left your hands covered in reddish-brown rust dust.

Broken glass, rotten newspapers, and peeling paint were scattered everywhere on the ground.

There were a few dead cockroaches in the corner, their bellies bulging, indicating they had been dead for a long time.

As you walk up, the rooms on the first and second floors all have large iron doors that are locked and cannot be shaken.

"They're all locked up," the office worker whispered. "Should we just forget about it?"

"Keep going." Big Water Bro's expression wasn't very good.

He thought he could easily kick open a few rooms to loot supplies, but he didn't expect that the lower floors were all iron gates.

The three of them went up to the seventeenth floor before the iron gate was gone and replaced with an ordinary wooden door.

The wooden doors stood side by side, most of them locked, and the doorknobs were rusted beyond recognition.

Only the innermost room—number 1702—had its door ajar, revealing only a crack. A faint aroma of rice wafted out, mixed with the salty scent of cured meat.

In the musty stairwell, the aroma stood out, almost making one's stomach rumble.

There is something to eat!

Big Water Bro's eyes lit up, and he licked his lips.

He raised his hand to signal the two to stop, then slowly moved closer to the wall, aiming his gun at the crack in the door.

"Go open the door."

He pointed the gun at the student.

The student froze, stammering, "Me? Me?"

"If it's not you, then it's me!" Big Water glared. "Hurry up! If you keep dawdling, believe me, I'll shoot you in the foot!"

The student bit his lip, a hint of hatred flashing in his eyes, but dared not resist.

He walked over slowly and gave it a gentle push.

"Squeak—"

The old wooden door made a long thud.

The aroma in the room grew stronger, with the scent of cured meat mixed with the fragrance of rice wafting through the air.

……

……

The three of them froze for a moment the moment the door opened.

Unlike the dilapidated and gloomy environment outside, this room was decorated in a very cozy style.

The room was small, only four or five square meters, a typical subdivided flat layout. Against the wall was a double-decker iron bed, with a floral quilt piled on the upper bunk and an old Kumamon plush toy on the lower bunk.

A plastic folding table was placed by the window, with a checkered tablecloth covering the tabletop.

In the very center of the table, there was a white porcelain plate with four or five stacked rice cakes on it.

Square and neat, beige in color, with bits of cured meat mixed in, and shiny with oil.

A family photo of the three of them hangs on the wall.

The man wore an old suit, the woman wore a floral cheongsam, and a little boy in the middle rode on the man's shoulders, holding a lollipop in his hand.

The photo is yellowed; it looks like it's been hanging there for many years.

The room was spotless, and everything was arranged neatly.

It was as if the owner had only gone out to buy something temporarily and would be back at any time.

How could there be such a neat and tidy room in such a godforsaken place?

There's also a plate of steaming rice cakes on the table?

It just feels weird no matter how you look at it.

The office worker stood at the door, hesitant to go in: "Ah, Brother Shui, it seems like someone lives here..."

"So what if there are people around?"

Big Water gave the student a push, "Go in and check! See if anyone's there, search for them!"

The student was pushed and stumbled, falling into the room.

Once he stood still and looked around, he felt that all three people in the family photo were staring at him.

"What are you standing there for!" Seeing him standing still, Big Water Brother raised his hand and fired a shot:

"Bang!"

The gunshot wasn't loud; the bullet made a dull thud as it hit flesh. The student screamed, clutched his arm, and crouched down.

"ah--!"

Blood seeped from between his fingers, staining the white sleeves of his school uniform red.

The bullet, made of blood, stung like a burning nail when it hit flesh.

"What are you yelling about!"

Big Water Bro, his face grim, brandished the gun in his hand: "I told you to check if the rice cake is edible, didn't you hear me? Are you deaf??"

"If you dawdle any longer, I'll shoot you in the head!"

The white-collar worker on the side shrank back in fright and dared not speak.

The hatred in the student's eyes was almost overflowing.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.

just wait.

He will make this person pay the price when he gets the chance.

"Hurry up!" Big Water urged again.

The student had no choice but to endure the pain and slowly move to the table.

He stared at the plate of rice cakes for a few seconds, then reached out and carefully picked up a piece.

The moment my fingertips touched the rice cake, an unfamiliar text prompt popped up in front of my eyes:

【Item: Preserved Meat Rice Cake (A masterpiece by the roast meat boss)】

[Quality: Average]

[Effect: One piece can keep you full for 12 hours and provide a small amount of energy.]

[Warning: Not suitable for excessive consumption.]

Yes, it's edible.

The students breathed a sigh of relief.

He glanced at Brother Shui and, seeing that the other was staring at him, he had no choice but to tentatively take a bite.

The rice cake is very glutinous, with the salty aroma of preserved meat mixed with the rice flavor. It tastes alright at first bite, but after chewing a couple of times, it has a faint musty taste and a bitter taste, like it was made from stale rice that has been stored for a long time.

It was hard to eat, but at least it filled my stomach.

The group of people had been there for over a day without eating anything and were starving.

"How is it? Can you eat it?" Big Water asked at the door.

"...Yes, it's possible," A-Jie said softly, "but it smells a bit musty."

The white-collar workers' eyes lit up when they heard that it was edible.

Before Brother Shui could give any instructions, she quickly walked in, grabbed a piece, and wolfed it down.

"Mmm... delicious..." she mumbled incoherently, refusing to spit it out even as she stretched her neck out to choke.

When you're starving, you don't care about the musty smell.

They'll eat anything, even insects, as long as it fills their stomachs.

Seeing that the two had eaten without any problems, Brother Shui was overjoyed: "Damn! There's really something to eat!"

He strode in, put away his gun, grabbed the plate, pulled it in front of him, picked up a piece, and began to chew it greedily, rice crumbs falling all over his chest.

"Hmm, the taste is alright."

He muttered to himself as he chewed, and after eating three pieces, he stopped, wiped his mouth, and scanned the room with his eyes.

"Is there anything else? Look around and see if there's any other food or water. People will die of thirst if they don't drink water, you idiot."

As he spoke, he pulled over the checkered tablecloth on the table, poured the remaining rice cakes onto the cloth with a whoosh, tied a knot, and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Take it all with you, eat it on the road."

The two watched as he took all the rice cakes away, not daring to say anything.

Just then, an even stronger aroma wafted from the direction of the kitchen.

That taste is hard to describe.

It smells like the aroma of cured meat stewed with new rice, mixed with the umami flavor of bones, and also has a hint of indescribable sweetness.

The delicate aroma wafted into one's nose, making one's throat itch and mouth water.

Big Water Brother's nose twitched, and his eyes widened immediately: "What smells so good?"

He followed the scent and found a small kitchen separated by a curtain at the very back of the room.

The fragrance wafted from behind the curtain.

"Is anyone inside?" Big Water Brother pointed his gun at the curtain, raising it warily.

Behind the curtain was a tiny kitchen.

The stove was made of bricks, and a black earthenware pot sat on top of it.

White steam was billowing from the mouth of the can, making a "bubbling" sound, while a greenish flame burned in the stove, illuminating the entire kitchen wall with a green glow.

The fire wasn't big, but it made the soup in the earthenware pot boil continuously.

nobody.

The area in front of the stove was empty; there wasn't a single person there.

The fire burned itself, and the soup simmered itself.

It's like someone just started cooking soup and then suddenly went out.

"What the hell..." Big Water muttered, taking two steps forward.

The closer you get, the stronger the aroma becomes.

The sweet, salty, and savory aromas of the stewed bones clamored into his nose, tempting him so much that he wished he could grow hands in his throat and immediately drink the entire pot of soup down.

Big Water Brother swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

He was craving it.

I've never smelled such a fragrant soup in my entire life.

"It's just a pot of soup, don't make a fuss."

He mustered his courage, slowly moved closer, and reached out to place his hand on the lid of the jar.

The lid was a little hot, so he took a deep breath and suddenly lifted it off.

"call--"

A wisp of white steam wafted over, carrying an exquisite aroma that instantly filled the entire small kitchen.

The milky white soup simmered in the earthenware pot, with rice grains, diced preserved meat, beans, and bones floating and sinking, its aroma so rich it was almost tangible.

It really was just a pot of soup; there weren't many human heads or any strange meat in it.

Big Water Brother casually tucked the gun into his waistband, picked up the large soup ladle next to the stove, and scooped out a spoonful.

The broth is thick and has a wonderful aroma.

He put it in his mouth without even blowing on it.

"hiss……"

The scalding soup made his tongue go numb, but the umami flavor exploded on his tongue, making every pore on his body open up.

It tastes so good.

It tasted better than any soup he had ever drunk.

It's like magic; once you take a sip, you want a second, and you just can't stop.

"Delicious! Really delicious!"

Big Water Bro's eyes lit up as he spooned spoonful after spoonful into his mouth—

The scalding soup burned his lips until they turned red, but he seemed oblivious to the pain, drinking faster and faster.

"Well...it tastes good...Zhong Yao..."

His eyes slowly became vacant, as if he were possessed, and he swung the soup spoon faster and faster in his hand.

His mouth was scalded and bleeding, the blood mixed with soup dripping down, but he didn't care.

His tongue was burned and his speech was slurred, but he still didn't stop.

The office worker stood at the kitchen doorway, feeling a little uneasy.

"Brother Ah Shui...it's not good to drink so much...it's so hot..."

Big Water Bro acted as if he hadn't heard anything, not even raising his head, and kept drinking spoonful after spoonful, getting soup all over his face.

The students, sensing the danger, slipped away.

A pot of soup was found unattended in a strange haunted building. No normal person would drink it directly, right?!

Unless the thing itself is strange.

Soon, scooping it up spoonful by spoonful was clearly no longer enough for Big Water Bro.

He seemed to think it was too slow.

He grabbed the handles on both sides of the earthenware pot with both hands and lifted it up suddenly!

"Glug... Glug..."

The scalding soup flowed down my throat, and wherever it flowed, my skin immediately turned red, blistered, and ulcerated.

The scalding soup splashed onto my face with a "sizzle" sound—the skin was cooked, covered in a dense layer of white blisters that fell off easily, revealing the pink flesh inside.

The aroma of meat mingled with the fragrance of soup wafted out.

The white-collar worker finally couldn't hold it in and vomited.

In the family photo hanging on the wall, the eyes of the three family members, which had been still, slowly moved.

Men, women, and children.

The black pupils of the three people turned towards the three living people at the same time.

Then, the corners of her mouth slowly curved upwards.

……

……

A familiar feeling of dizziness washed over me, and the world spun around me.

Chen Xi reached out and helped Kang Xiaojia, who was beside her.

In just two or three seconds, the feeling of weightlessness suddenly disappeared, and the dizziness slowly subsided.

Chen Xi was the first to open her eyes and quickly scanned her surroundings.

They were standing in front of an old building.

It's over thirty stories high, with dark cement walls covered in water stains and mold, looking like a bloated human face.

The building was covered with a tangled mess of electrical wires, all twisted together.

Several old GG signs hung on the wall, their metal frames rusted beyond recognition.

The four large characters "Shengjing Building" are neatly engraved on the building sign.

However, the words are reversed, the facilities are reversed, the electrical wires are reversed, and even the layout of the staircase is completely opposite to reality.

It's upside down, like it was cut out of a mirror.

"Captain Chen..." Jiang Chen was the first to point out, "We're still working on an unfinished building, but the signs are reversed."

Chen Xi nodded.

The pile of junk, broken bicycles, cardboard boxes, clothes on the clothesline in front of the building... everything was upside down.

"The entire space is a mirror image." She crouched down and touched the pebbles on the ground. "It's flipped left and right, symmetrical to reality."

The next second, the familiar ink-wash characters reappeared in front of them:

Welcome to the instance "Ghost in the Harbor"

[Current total number of players in the instance: 50/50.]

[Instance Type: Puzzle Survival]

[Main Mission: Survive for one month and register the information of all residents in the unfinished building.]

Current role: New security guard

[Note: There are many taboos in this building.]

[Note: Even security guards must pay rent daily; failure to do so will result in consequences.]

[Note: Please do not go out at night.]

[Taboo 1: Never let the indigenous people discover that you are "different".]

……

The moment the words disappeared, a recliner appeared in the corner, and an old man in his sixties was lying on it.

His head was long and flat. He wore a faded tank top and flip-flops, and was "stuck" to the recliner like a piece of paper.

Some teammates have already noticed that something is wrong.

"New here?"

The old man, as flat as paper, exhaled a smoke ring, the green smoke ring drifting slowly:

"Renting a house? Rent is due every three days, and it's a gold ingot! You guys are really lucky; a new house just happened to become available."

Chen Xi pursed her lips.