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

The questioning lasted for nearly two hours.

Although only Weng Yang and Liu Guilan, who is in relatively good spirits, are currently available for questioning, Chen Xi asks very detailed questions.

—From dungeon rules to monster characteristics, from character status to item rewards.

Both of them answered questions one by one, without hiding anything.

Weng Yang knew that he couldn't save people by relying on his own strength.

She knew that this was something she couldn't handle alone; only by cooperating with the authorities could she figure out what was going on and save the rest of the people.

When the questioning ended, Chen Xi stood up, extended her hand to Weng Yang, her expression gentle and reassuring:

"Thank you, Weng Yang. The information you provided is very important to us. Please go and rest now. We will contact you again if we have any further questions."

Weng Yang finally calmed down a bit. She subconsciously clenched her fists and asked nervously, "Officer Chen, will you... go in and rescue them?"

Chen Xi didn't make any empty promises, but said directly, "Protecting citizens is our responsibility, and we will definitely find a way."

Weng Yang breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, the questioning of Liu Guilan also came to an end.

The two women's testimonies basically match, and the details are consistent, which is enough to prove that what they said is true.

Weng Yang also added information about the punishment room, saying that Luo Yiming and Fang Wei were locked up for smashing things and would not be released for twelve hours.

Liu Guilan then added details about the water ghost through words and gestures, and also explained the profession she had awakened.

Although Tan Moli was not in good spirits, after being injected with a sedative, she forced herself to stay awake and added some of the things she knew:

"It was Zhao Weilai. She... she suddenly became incredibly powerful. She just jumped up, like a movie protagonist, and then... she knocked off the water ghost's body..."

"Check in. Checking in allows you to leave the instance, and you'll receive a reward when you leave."

"There was a classmate named Chow Sang-sang, and he left alone."

"Zhao Weilai and the others are still inside. We've missed the chance to see them at the artificial lake. Hurry and rescue them..."

"It's my fault, I'm the one who dragged them down. I can't run fast, and I even dropped the candle. I should have stayed in there."

As she spoke, her speech became somewhat slurred, her eyelids drooped weakly, and she drifted off to sleep with even breathing.

No one present criticized the innocent girl.

She is not a professional search and rescue worker, nor has she received any special training. Facing so many supernatural ghosts and monsters, she has already reached her limit by holding on until now.

……

……

In the conference room of the temporary command center of Jiangcheng University, everyone was gathered around the conference table, busy summarizing information.

The whiteboard was covered with writing:

[Instance Name: High School Ghost Stories]

[Number of players: 10]

[4 people have returned (Weng Yang, Tan Moli, Liu Guilan, Fu Qinqin)]

[Remaining: 6 people (Deng Ziwen, Zhao Weilai, Ding Feifan, Zhou Shengsheng, Luo Yiming, Fang Wei)]

【Check-in Point 1: Artificial Lake - Water Ghost】

Task: Hold a candle and walk around the lake once, without looking back, and without letting the candle go out.

Trap: The candle holder is safe; the water ghost's real target is the pavilion in the middle of the lake.

Monsters have been spotted: a giant watching a water ghost, a face floating in the lake, and an unknown ghost banging on the windows of the administration building.

Rewards: Items, Gold Ingots...

Currently known rules:

1. Students must abide by the student code of conduct; violations may result in being sent to a punishment room.

2. Complete any location from the ghost stories within 72 hours to pass the level.

3. Participants in a instance cannot leave the instance area.

4. Upon entering the instance, players will be divided into "players" and "instance participants." Players may have a class (this is uncertain).

[Known professions: Su Ya (architect), Chen Xi (constable), Liu Guilan (clay sculptor) – It is speculated that these professions may have hierarchical divisions… to be verified.]

……

Chen Xi stood in front of the whiteboard and tapped the line "6 people remaining" with her knuckles:

"The basic situation is now clear."

She spoke slowly, her tone calm:

"The dungeon is real. It has rules and monsters. Only those who complete the task can leave, and they may also obtain special items and abilities."

This means that the lives of the six innocent people inside are in imminent danger.

"So we have to go in."

The meeting room was silent for a few seconds.

It took a long time before someone spoke:

"Captain Chen, it's not that we don't want to get in, the problem is, how do we get in?"

We've tried many methods, but no one can get in. It seems only those it selects can be pulled in.

"There will always be a pattern. Just like Taiping Cemetery, the old man who took bus 404 but didn't get off didn't enter the instance, so there must be specific triggering conditions."

Chen Xi walked to the whiteboard on the other side.

The poster shows photos of ten missing persons, with descriptions of their behavior before they disappeared.

"Look,"

Chen Xi pointed to the photo, "Chow Sang Sang, he was playing games and shouting insults, banging on the table, making a lot of noise;

Deng Ziwen and Zhao Weilai had a heated argument by the lake.

Because Liu Guilan has hearing loss in one ear, she always speaks very loudly.

Before Weng Yang and Tan Moli disappeared, the display board they were moving rolled down, making a noise.

According to their roommates, Luo Yiming and Fang Wei both made noises—one broke a cup, and the other used the toilet.

Fu Qinqin was startled by a cockroach in the library while getting water and screamed.

Based on this pattern, it's possible that Ding Feifan, who was working overtime in the archives, was also making noise.

"So all ten of them made a lot of noise before they went missing."

She looked around at everyone and shared her opinion:

"Therefore, I speculate that the trigger condition for entering the 'High School Ghost Stories' instance is to make a sound exceeding a certain decibel level after the lights are turned off at Jiangcheng University at night. The louder the sound, the easier it is to be selected."

The meeting room erupted in uproar.

"Noise? Is it that simple?"

"It sounds a bit far-fetched, but it's too much of a coincidence that all ten people fit the description."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's report this and rescue them!"

"The missing people's families have practically turned the school upside down, and the unscrupulous media, like hyenas, are fixated on saying we're 'not proactive enough in the search and rescue.' Screw them..."

"No, that's too dangerous."

Of course, some people objected, saying, "None of us know what a dungeon is, so it's too risky to get involved... I still insist on submitting a report first."

"Every minute we delay going in increases the danger for the people inside."

Chen Xi tugged at her collar: "According to them, finding a substitute for the water ghost in the artificial lake is just the first checkpoint; the difficulty of the subsequent games will only increase."

I will consult with my superiors and submit a report now.

She kept her word and immediately took out her phone to call her superior.

The pressure from the authorities is naturally immense.

So even though the rescue location was in a strange instance unknown to everyone, the approval from above was issued quickly:

[The action plan is approved. Nine members of the special forces will be selected to form a search and rescue team to assist Chen Xi in entering the instance.]

Every effort must be made to rescue those trapped; the safety of citizens is the top priority in all actions.

……

……

Time passed slowly, and everyone waited anxiously.

The lights-out bell rang, and the entire Jiangcheng University was plunged into darkness once again.

All irrelevant personnel have been cleared from the school; those walking on campus are all military and police personnel.

Although it was summer, everyone's shoes had foam padding on the soles.

Even the police dog was wearing a muzzle and was lying pitifully in its handler's arms.

Everyone followed orders meticulously and never uttered a single unnecessary sound.

12:50 a.m.

At the location where the missing person disappeared, ten members of the search and rescue team were already prepared.

In order to recreate the situation of that day as much as possible, everyone "played" the role of the missing person, imitating their behavior before they disappeared one-to-one.

From the empty men's dormitory building came angry shouts.

On the long slope of the school, two people pushed a large iron barrel down and smashed it down with a loud thud.

Library, administration building, canteen, restrooms...

The search and rescue team made as much noise as possible according to the triggering conditions.

Inside the campus, the soldiers on patrol became increasingly silent.

But nothing happened.

A minute passed.

Two minutes passed.

……

Ten minutes passed.

The wind on campus was normal, and there was no white fog.

"Team Leader Chen, no response." Someone contacted us via walkie-talkie. "Is our method wrong?"

Chen Xi's face was filled with deep confusion.

Did she guess wrong?

As they were pondering, familiar ink-wash characters suddenly appeared in front of the ten people.

[The Chen Xi team, prospective players, has been detected and is requesting entry into the dungeon "High School Ghost Stories".]

[Current number of players in the instance: 4/6.]

Please wait patiently in line until a seat becomes available. You will be automatically moved to a seat once one becomes available.

[Queueing order: 1]

Chen Xi's expression changed drastically.

It wasn't because of the sudden appearance of the copy, but because of that number.

4/6?

Are there only four surviving players left in the dungeon?

Who died?

Chen Xi's heart sank.

……

……

Meanwhile, inside the instance, Zhao Weilai was sitting with his head down in the corner of the administration building office, with the sound of "bang bang bang" hitting the glass in his ears.