A bizarre and terrifying experience; I messed up the dungeon world.

"So you're one of the ghosts now?" Han Yingying asked.

"I guess so," Zhao Qiang scratched his head. "But I can freely enter and exit the game; I'm not trapped inside."

As the three were chatting, the restaurant door was suddenly pushed open.

A man in a black trench coat walked in, his gaze sweeping around the restaurant before finally settling on Zhou Lang.

The man walked over and stopped at their table.

"So you're just a free spirit?"

Zhou Lang looked up at him: "Who are you?"

"My name is Zhang Yang," the man said. "I work for the Horror Game Administration."

"Management Bureau?" Zhao Qiang was taken aback. "What Management Bureau?"

"An official organization that specializes in handling matters related to horror games," Zhang Yang said. "We detected that you completed the hidden quest in the Horror Manor yesterday, so we came to find you specifically."

Zhou Lang frowned: "What do you want with us?"

"Recruitment," Zhang Yang said. "The Administration desperately needs experts like you."

"I'm not going," Zhou Lang refused outright.

Zhang Yang was taken aback: "Why? The Management Bureau offers very good benefits and provides access to more resources."

"I don't like being tied down," Zhou Lang said. "Besides, I have my own things to do."

Zhang Yang was silent for a moment, then said, "What if I told you that the Management Bureau has news about your sister?"

Zhou Lang's hand clenched tightly.

"What did you say?"

"Your sister, Zhou Yu," Zhang Yang said, "disappeared a month ago after entering the game, and we've been searching for her ever since."

"Where is she?" Zhou Lang stood up, his voice low.

"I don't know," Zhang Yang shook his head. "But we have clues. If you join the Bureau, I can share these clues with you."

Zhou Lang stared at him, his eyes icy cold.

Are you threatening me?

"It's not a threat, it's a deal," Zhang Yang said. "You do things for us, and we help you find people. It's a very fair deal."

Zhou Lang remained silent for a long time.

Give me time to think about it.

"Sure." Zhang Yang took out a business card. "This is my contact information. Call me when you've decided."

After saying that, he turned and left the restaurant.

Zhao Qiang looked at Zhou Lang: "Are you really going to join the Management Bureau?"

"I don't know," Zhou Lang said, "but if they really have news of my sister, I have to go."

Han Yingying bit her lip: "What about us?"

"You two?" Zhou Lang looked at the two of them.

"We want to help you too," Han Yingying said. "You saved us, now it's our turn to help you."

"That's right," Zhao Qiang said. "We're brothers, we share both good times and bad."

Looking at the two of them, Zhou Lang felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

Thanks.

The three continued eating, but the atmosphere had become somewhat heavy.

After finishing his meal, Zhou Lang returned to his rented room and took out the business card that Zhang Yang had left behind.

There was only a phone number on it, no other information.

He hesitated for a moment, but finally dialed the number.

"Feed?" Zhang Yang's voice came through.

"I agree," Zhou Lang said, "but on conditions."

"explain."

"First, I want all information about my sister. Second, I will not accept any restrictions that limit my freedom. Third, my friends must join me."

Zhang Yang paused for a few seconds: "Okay. Report to the Administration Headquarters at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. I'll send you the address."

"it is good."

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Lang looked out the window.

It was already dark when the streetlights came on, illuminating the city.

But beneath the light, how much darkness still lurks?

Zhou Lang didn't know.

All he knew was that he had to become stronger.

He's strong enough to protect those he wants to protect, strong enough to find his sister.

My phone vibrated; it was an address sent by Zhang Yang.

Zhou Lang glanced at it and made a mental note of it.

Tomorrow, a new journey will begin.

At nine o'clock the next morning, Zhou Lang arrived at the Administration Bureau headquarters on time.

This is an ordinary-looking office building with a sign outside that reads "Urban Planning and Management Center," but Zhou Lang knows that it's just a facade.

He walked into the lobby, and a female receptionist in uniform immediately came to greet him.

"May I ask who you are?"

"Wandering aimlessly, looking for Zhang Yang."

The receptionist paused for a moment, then gave a professional smile: "Please follow me."

She led Zhou Lang into the elevator and pressed the button for the third basement level.

As the elevator descended, Zhou Lang could feel the surrounding air pressure changing.

With a ding, the elevator doors opened.

Before me was a huge underground space, filled with uniformed staff, and various monitoring screens on the walls displaying different game instances.

"This is the core area of ​​the Administration Bureau," the receptionist said. "Captain Zhang is waiting for you in the conference room."

Zhou Lang followed her down the long corridor to the door of a conference room.

Pushing open the door, Zhang Yang sat inside, with two other people beside him.

One was a middle-aged man in a suit, with a serious expression. The other was a young woman, who looked to be in her early twenties, playing on her phone.

"They're here." Zhang Yang stood up. "Let me introduce you. This is our bureau chief, Li Ming. This is my partner, Xiao Xue."

Li Ming nodded: "I've long admired your name, Langlige Lang."

Zhou Lang didn't mince words: "What about my sister?"

"Straightforward," Li Ming smiled. "I like it."

He opened the folder on the table and took out a few photos.

"This is the last time we monitored your sister's location," Li Ming said. "Three weeks ago, she entered a instance called 'Eternal Night Hospital' and then lost contact."

Zhou Lang took the photo. It showed a dilapidated hospital building with all the windows boarded up and a "No Entry" sign hanging at the entrance.

"Eternal Night Hospital?"

"That's right," Li Ming said. "This is an S-rank dungeon with a success rate of less than 5%. Most people who go in never come out."

Zhou Lang gripped the photo tightly.

"I want to go in."

"I know," Li Ming said, "but not now. Yongye Hospital opens on the 15th of every month, and it's only the 5th now. You have ten days to prepare."

"Ten days..." Zhou Lang frowned.

"During these ten days, you can take on missions at the Administration Bureau to improve your skills," Li Ming said. "And we will provide resource support to help you become stronger faster."

Zhou Lang was silent for a moment: "Where are my friends?"

"They can join too," Li Ming said, "but they need to pass an assessment."

"What kind of assessment?"

"Practical experience," Zhang Yang said. "We'll arrange a C-level dungeon for them to attempt. Once they clear it, they can officially join."

Zhou Lang nodded: "Okay."

"Then it's settled." Li Ming stood up. "Zhang Yang, take him to the equipment room and equip him with all the gear."

"Yes."

Zhang Yang led Zhou Lang out of the conference room and into another room.

This place is filled with all kinds of weapons and equipment, from cold weapons to firearms, you name it.

"These are all ghost artifacts from the game," Zhang Yang said. "You can pick a few that you like."