Twelve people... Six men and six women.

The girls were squatting in the first row, the boys standing behind them. Gu Mian frowned, looking at the photo in his hand. If this photo showed something else, it probably wouldn't be of much use.

Just then, Guo Jimei, who was beside him, spoke up, "Hey, aren't there twelve of us playing 'Close Your Eyes'? And it's also six men and six women..."

True.

Gu Mian continued to examine the photo in his hand by the flashlight's beam. Although the photograph had been eroded by the damp air, causing many parts to become blurry, most of the faces were still recognizable.

He didn't recognize any of the faces in the photo.

The faces of the other eleven people, though blurry, still allowed their original features to be discerned.

However, the girl on the far right of the first row was unique. Her face looked as if it had been dissolved by water, leaving it completely blank.

"There's a date on the back," Chu Changge suddenly said.

Gu Mian flipped the photo over. Indeed, the printing date was on the back: June 12, 2013.

Chu Changge glanced at his luminous digital wristwatch, which displayed the current time in the instance. "The photo was taken six years ago."

A photo from six years ago, and now it's inexplicably appeared here.

As he thought, Gu Mian turned to Guo Jimei beside him. "Do you remember when the school's first basement level was sealed off?"

Guo Jimei thought for a moment. "Around 2013 or 2014, I think..."

The photo in my hand is from 2013. So, could this instance be connected to this photo? Twelve people, six men and six women—a perfect match for our current situation. And among these twelve, there's one girl with a melted face.

Musing, he rubbed his chin. "This faceless person is very likely the ghost in our current instance."

The actual ghost.

There were three ghosts among the twelve people. Gu Mian hadn't been sure before how many ghosts were players and how many were actual ghosts native to the instance. Judging from this photo, could it be that there's only one original ghost in this instance? This could be an important clue to finding the instance's ghost.

Gu Mian handed the photo back to Chu Changge. "But if this photo is really related to the ghost, why would it brazenly throw us into this place to find clues?"

Isn't it afraid of having its cover blown?

Chu Changge glanced at Gu Mian, his glasses glinting faintly in the flashlight's beam. "Perhaps the ghost also doesn't want us to enter this place."

If the ghost didn't throw us in here, could it be that the instance couldn't bear to watch and actively sent us in to find clues? Would an instance that's always scheming to kill us be so benevolent?

Gu Mian felt that all these instances seemed to wish for his death, but...

At this thought, Gu Mian suddenly recalled Chu Changge mentioning "two organizers." There was a conflict between the two organizers. One wanted to cultivate players through instances, while the other wanted to kill players and expand the instances. One wants to kill me, and the other doesn't want me to die. Perhaps the two organizers are fighting within this very instance, which is how we managed to enter this core area where we can access information about the ghost.

"Anyway, since we can access information about the ghost here, let's search quickly. Who knows when we'll be thrown out," Gu Mian said.

Chu Changge and Guo Jimei didn't object, so the three of them continued forward.

Just as Guo Jimei had said, the first basement levels under the academic buildings were all connected. After passing through one section, they would enter a long, narrow passage with no rooms on either side. These were likely the tunnels connecting the first basement levels of different academic buildings.

While the three of them were walking through the narrow, dark passage, Guo Jimei suddenly asked, "Meiren Chu, where did you find this photo?"

Chu Changge pushed up his glasses. "In one of the rooms in the corridor where we first met."

"Oh," Guo Jimei nodded slightly. "So you were standing outside the door earlier, also looking for clues inside, right?"

"Yes," Chu Changge replied.

Guo Jimei then asked, "Have you seen anyone else here then? Besides us."

Chu Changge said, "No."

Guo Jimei looked quite worried. "If it's just the three of us here, it feels a bit scary..."

People in perilous situations often like to drag others down with them, even if it offers no personal benefit. Still, being scared together in a crowd is always better than being scared alone.

Just as Guo Jimei was thinking they were too few in number, Gu Mian heard footsteps approaching from ahead. The footsteps, rapid and urgent, came from a distance. They sounded for a moment, then suddenly stopped, as if whoever it was had seen them.

Simultaneously, Gu Mian saw a flashlight beam appear ahead. That's...

Before Gu Mian could get a clear look at the person, the flashlight ahead abruptly went out, and its owner turned and fled.

Who was it?

Gu Mian certainly wasn't going to let that person just get away. He immediately gave chase. As he pursued, he heard Guo Jimei's voice from behind him, "Wait for me!"

The narrow passage was pitch-dark. After passing through it, they reached a platform with two diverging corridors ahead. Gu Mian shone his flashlight around. It seemed he had chased them into the first basement level of another building. The fleeing person had vanished; it was unclear which corridor they had taken.

Gu Mian studied the two corridors before him for a moment, then looked back. Guo Jimei had caught up, panting heavily, but Chu Changge was nowhere to be seen.

"He didn't follow?" Gu Mian asked.

Guo Jimei, still catching her breath, shook her head. "He was... I think he was behind me."

Chu Changge hadn't allocated Attribute Points to stamina, but he definitely shouldn't be outrun by a high school girl with no physical enhancements. He must have deliberately stayed behind.

Gu Mian shone his flashlight down the narrow passage behind them. There was no sign of Chu Changge, nor any sound of movement.

Guo Jimei asked, puzzled, "Did he really not follow us?"

He really hadn't followed. And it looked like he didn't intend to.

Gu Mian waited in place for over ten seconds, but there was still no sign of Chu Changge. He turned back. "That person went into one of these two corridors. Dare to split up with me?"

"You want to split up?" Guo Jimei's eyes widened slightly. "I wouldn't dare."

Gu Mian couldn't exactly kick Guo Jimei into one corridor while he took the other. He looked at the two corridors with a bit of a headache. "Then let's take the one on the right."

Guo Jimei hesitated. "Aren't we waiting for Meiren Chu?"

Gu Mian nodded and headed into the right-hand corridor.

In the darkness, Yue Nu was hiding in a room, leaning against the door and panting heavily. She gently pushed open a crack in the door to peek outside. Seeing no one had followed, she breathed a small sigh of relief. "Looks like they didn't catch up."