Chapter 3: Sleep
Some people play games to pass the time, some play for the sense of accomplishment, and for Han Fei, playing games was a way to relieve stress. But now, he felt even more stressed.
Setting the broom aside, Han Fei scanned his surroundings. The dim light above flickered, and the cozy feeling that was once present had vanished.
Quietly, he moved to the side of the refrigerator. The old lady had only opened the top compartment earlier, and nobody knew what was in the lower compartment.
A complete human body wouldn't fit inside a refrigerator, so could it be...
Han Fei took a deep breath and slowly opened the lower compartment of the refrigerator. He pulled open each refrigerated drawer, revealing several bulging black plastic bags.
He had seen similar scenes in horror movies but experiencing it firsthand was a completely different feeling from watching it on TV.
His fingers reached into the refrigerated drawer, and he was worried about encountering a face or hair.
His heart raced as he used his nails to tear open one of the bags, revealing only frozen fish and chicken inside the black plastic bag.
As the imagined explicit scenes did not appear, Han Fei quickly closed the refrigerator while the old lady was still away.
"What are you doing?"
A hoarse and elderly voice sounded from behind Han Fei, sending a chill up his spine.
Why does this old lady walk silently?
Turning around, Han Fei casually picked up the broom from the floor. As a professional actor, he quickly regained control of his facial expression. "I wanted to help you clean the house. Earlier, there seemed to be a water leak under the refrigerator, and I suspect there might be an issue with the cooling system."
The old lady's expression remained unchanged throughout, always kind, and gentle. However, having seen that face multiple times, it gave off an eerie feeling, as if she only knew how to display such an expression.
"Auntie, I have been living alone in another city for a long time, and it was only today, in your home, that I felt a sense of warmth and family. I'm truly grateful to you." Han Fei began cleaning the house with a natural demeanour. "From now on, we're neighbours, so feel free to come to me if you need any help."
Regardless of whether there was a hidden body in the old lady's house, Han Fei at least acted like an innocent and naive person.
Considering the old lady's mobility issues, Han Fei earnestly cleaned the living room. "Take good rest. I won't disturb you anymore."
After finishing the room, the synthesized voice resurfaced in Han Fei's mind: "Player with code 0000, please take note! Your helpful behaviour has left a good impression on Meng Shi. Meng Shi's friendliness score has increased by five. A harmonious neighbourhood relationship is the first step in Perfect Life."
Simultaneously, while the synthesized voice sounded, the old lady appeared behind Han Fei out of nowhere. "I intended to tell you during dinner, but now I suppose you no longer have the mood to eat at my house. You're a good kid, and Auntie really wanted to be neighbours with you. But let me give you a word of advice—don't be greedy for small gains and move out as soon as possible. Something has happened in the house where you're living."
"Something happened?"
"Don't ask too many questions. Just remember, when you go back to sleep at night, make sure to lock the bathroom door."
The old lady seemed tired, and she didn't continue the conversation with Han Fei. She walked into the kitchen alone.
Strange noises emanated from the kitchen shortly after, followed by the aroma of cooked meat. Han Fei dared not linger any longer and quickly left the old lady's house.
Once he stepped out of the door, his tensed heart finally relaxed.
"This game seems a bit off."
Indeed, Han Fei didn't find a body in the old lady's refrigerator, but he recalled one detail.
Han Fei realized that when he first went to the old lady's house, the fuse had blown.
If the fuses were of good quality, a blown fuse usually indicated an overload.
However, when Han Fei was cleaning the house earlier, he inspected every corner of the kitchen and living room. The only electrical appliances in the old lady's house were the lights, TV, and a refrigerator. These few appliances shouldn't have caused the fuse to blow. Therefore, it was highly likely that there were other electrical appliances in the old lady's house.
"The child's bedroom is locked. Why would the old lady lock the child in the room? Could the child have seen something? Is there another refrigerator hidden in the child's room?"
With these thoughts, Han Fei's uneasy feeling intensified. He shivered inexplicably, looking at the eerie hallway.
Behind each door, it felt like someone was watching him.
"Why does this hallway feel so ominous?"
Han Fei quickly returned to his own apartment and struggled for a while before managing to unlock the security door with the bunch of keys.
Back in his own place, Han Fei looked at the rundown and desolate living room, breathing heavily. "Am I just being overly nervous? Have I turned a healing game into a Resident Evil experience?"
He poured a glass of water and paced around his apartment. The words the old lady said continued to echo in his mind like a curse.
"Something happened in this house. Lock the bathroom door when sleeping at night."
Han Fei began to survey his surroundings once again. The room was dilapidated, covered in dust. Apart from that, there was something peculiar. In every window except the bathroom, thick opaque curtains were hanging.
Approaching a window, he lifted a corner of the curtain.
Below the curtain was a window sealed shut with wooden boards. Through the gaps between the boards, he looked outside into a pitch-black city.
This game world, shrouded in darkness, was vast, with no visible boundaries.
"Weren't there supposed to be warm scenes and soothing music?"
Han Fei lowered the curtain. He realized that the online reviews of this game were somewhat one-sided. Although it was marketed as a game of healing and relaxation, it seemed to contain many elements of the supernatural.
"Am I playing it wrong?"
When it came to audio quality, visual effects, and natural interactions, this game far surpassed any game Han Fei had played before. But how should he put it? Han Fei now felt that this game was a bit too realistic.
Sitting on the couch, Han Fei closed his eyes, and in his mind, an attribute panel and a quest panel appeared.
After he helped the old lady with the fuse, the quest system had been activated. The voice in his head had said that completing the beginner quests would help him quickly understand everything in this world.
With that in mind, Han Fei opened the quest panel and looked at the three beginner quests, his expression turning somewhat strange.
Beginner Quest 1: Take a shower.
Beginner Quest 2: Watch TV.
Beginner Quest 3: Sleep.
The beginner quests in this game were "simple" to an absurd degree, with no additional explanations, just everyday activities.
"Maybe I should start with sleeping? I'm pretty good at sleeping."
Han Fei didn't choose randomly either. He connected it to the old lady's reminder to lock the bathroom door when sleeping at night, which might become the key to completing the quest.
Compared to randomly picking a quest, Han Fei thought sleeping would be more reliable.
"I choose Beginner Quest 3: Sleep." The moment this thought crossed Han Fei's mind, the quest was selected, and that cold mechanical voice appeared again.
"Player with ID 0000 accepts G-grade beginner quest: Sleep!"
"Quest description: After a busy day, you drag your tired body onto the bed in your bedroom."
"Quest requirements: Turn off all lights in the room, lie on the bedroom bed within five minutes, and regardless of what happens, do not leave the bed for three hours."
"Is it really that simple?" Han Fei made sure he didn't miss any quest information, then got up and entered the bedroom.
On the dusty double bed, there was a haphazardly thrown set of red bedding, including pillows, blankets, and sheets.
"It's in bright red. Looks really festive."
Han Fei frowned as he made the bed. When he reached the bathroom door, ready to follow the old lady's advice and lock it, he noticed a problem.
The bathroom door could only be locked from the inside; there was no lock on the outside.
After a moment of thought, Han Fei wedged the mop against the door handle, blocking the bathroom door, and then moved a shoe cabinet in front of the bathroom.
"That should do it, I guess?"
"Just to be cautious, he entered the kitchen and picked up the kitchen knife from the cutting board. He felt it would provide some sense of security during his sleep, considering the unsettling atmosphere of the game."
As the five minutes of preparation time were about to pass, he turned off all the lights in the room and lay on the bedroom bed with the kitchen knife in hand.
Setting the broom aside, Han Fei scanned his surroundings. The dim light above flickered, and the cozy feeling that was once present had vanished.
Quietly, he moved to the side of the refrigerator. The old lady had only opened the top compartment earlier, and nobody knew what was in the lower compartment.
A complete human body wouldn't fit inside a refrigerator, so could it be...
Han Fei took a deep breath and slowly opened the lower compartment of the refrigerator. He pulled open each refrigerated drawer, revealing several bulging black plastic bags.
He had seen similar scenes in horror movies but experiencing it firsthand was a completely different feeling from watching it on TV.
His fingers reached into the refrigerated drawer, and he was worried about encountering a face or hair.
His heart raced as he used his nails to tear open one of the bags, revealing only frozen fish and chicken inside the black plastic bag.
As the imagined explicit scenes did not appear, Han Fei quickly closed the refrigerator while the old lady was still away.
"What are you doing?"
A hoarse and elderly voice sounded from behind Han Fei, sending a chill up his spine.
Why does this old lady walk silently?
Turning around, Han Fei casually picked up the broom from the floor. As a professional actor, he quickly regained control of his facial expression. "I wanted to help you clean the house. Earlier, there seemed to be a water leak under the refrigerator, and I suspect there might be an issue with the cooling system."
The old lady's expression remained unchanged throughout, always kind, and gentle. However, having seen that face multiple times, it gave off an eerie feeling, as if she only knew how to display such an expression.
"Auntie, I have been living alone in another city for a long time, and it was only today, in your home, that I felt a sense of warmth and family. I'm truly grateful to you." Han Fei began cleaning the house with a natural demeanour. "From now on, we're neighbours, so feel free to come to me if you need any help."
Regardless of whether there was a hidden body in the old lady's house, Han Fei at least acted like an innocent and naive person.
Considering the old lady's mobility issues, Han Fei earnestly cleaned the living room. "Take good rest. I won't disturb you anymore."
After finishing the room, the synthesized voice resurfaced in Han Fei's mind: "Player with code 0000, please take note! Your helpful behaviour has left a good impression on Meng Shi. Meng Shi's friendliness score has increased by five. A harmonious neighbourhood relationship is the first step in Perfect Life."
Simultaneously, while the synthesized voice sounded, the old lady appeared behind Han Fei out of nowhere. "I intended to tell you during dinner, but now I suppose you no longer have the mood to eat at my house. You're a good kid, and Auntie really wanted to be neighbours with you. But let me give you a word of advice—don't be greedy for small gains and move out as soon as possible. Something has happened in the house where you're living."
"Something happened?"
"Don't ask too many questions. Just remember, when you go back to sleep at night, make sure to lock the bathroom door."
The old lady seemed tired, and she didn't continue the conversation with Han Fei. She walked into the kitchen alone.
Strange noises emanated from the kitchen shortly after, followed by the aroma of cooked meat. Han Fei dared not linger any longer and quickly left the old lady's house.
Once he stepped out of the door, his tensed heart finally relaxed.
"This game seems a bit off."
Indeed, Han Fei didn't find a body in the old lady's refrigerator, but he recalled one detail.
Han Fei realized that when he first went to the old lady's house, the fuse had blown.
If the fuses were of good quality, a blown fuse usually indicated an overload.
However, when Han Fei was cleaning the house earlier, he inspected every corner of the kitchen and living room. The only electrical appliances in the old lady's house were the lights, TV, and a refrigerator. These few appliances shouldn't have caused the fuse to blow. Therefore, it was highly likely that there were other electrical appliances in the old lady's house.
"The child's bedroom is locked. Why would the old lady lock the child in the room? Could the child have seen something? Is there another refrigerator hidden in the child's room?"
With these thoughts, Han Fei's uneasy feeling intensified. He shivered inexplicably, looking at the eerie hallway.
Behind each door, it felt like someone was watching him.
"Why does this hallway feel so ominous?"
Han Fei quickly returned to his own apartment and struggled for a while before managing to unlock the security door with the bunch of keys.
Back in his own place, Han Fei looked at the rundown and desolate living room, breathing heavily. "Am I just being overly nervous? Have I turned a healing game into a Resident Evil experience?"
He poured a glass of water and paced around his apartment. The words the old lady said continued to echo in his mind like a curse.
"Something happened in this house. Lock the bathroom door when sleeping at night."
Han Fei began to survey his surroundings once again. The room was dilapidated, covered in dust. Apart from that, there was something peculiar. In every window except the bathroom, thick opaque curtains were hanging.
Approaching a window, he lifted a corner of the curtain.
Below the curtain was a window sealed shut with wooden boards. Through the gaps between the boards, he looked outside into a pitch-black city.
This game world, shrouded in darkness, was vast, with no visible boundaries.
"Weren't there supposed to be warm scenes and soothing music?"
Han Fei lowered the curtain. He realized that the online reviews of this game were somewhat one-sided. Although it was marketed as a game of healing and relaxation, it seemed to contain many elements of the supernatural.
"Am I playing it wrong?"
When it came to audio quality, visual effects, and natural interactions, this game far surpassed any game Han Fei had played before. But how should he put it? Han Fei now felt that this game was a bit too realistic.
Sitting on the couch, Han Fei closed his eyes, and in his mind, an attribute panel and a quest panel appeared.
After he helped the old lady with the fuse, the quest system had been activated. The voice in his head had said that completing the beginner quests would help him quickly understand everything in this world.
With that in mind, Han Fei opened the quest panel and looked at the three beginner quests, his expression turning somewhat strange.
Beginner Quest 1: Take a shower.
Beginner Quest 2: Watch TV.
Beginner Quest 3: Sleep.
The beginner quests in this game were "simple" to an absurd degree, with no additional explanations, just everyday activities.
"Maybe I should start with sleeping? I'm pretty good at sleeping."
Han Fei didn't choose randomly either. He connected it to the old lady's reminder to lock the bathroom door when sleeping at night, which might become the key to completing the quest.
Compared to randomly picking a quest, Han Fei thought sleeping would be more reliable.
"I choose Beginner Quest 3: Sleep." The moment this thought crossed Han Fei's mind, the quest was selected, and that cold mechanical voice appeared again.
"Player with ID 0000 accepts G-grade beginner quest: Sleep!"
"Quest description: After a busy day, you drag your tired body onto the bed in your bedroom."
"Quest requirements: Turn off all lights in the room, lie on the bedroom bed within five minutes, and regardless of what happens, do not leave the bed for three hours."
"Is it really that simple?" Han Fei made sure he didn't miss any quest information, then got up and entered the bedroom.
On the dusty double bed, there was a haphazardly thrown set of red bedding, including pillows, blankets, and sheets.
"It's in bright red. Looks really festive."
Han Fei frowned as he made the bed. When he reached the bathroom door, ready to follow the old lady's advice and lock it, he noticed a problem.
The bathroom door could only be locked from the inside; there was no lock on the outside.
After a moment of thought, Han Fei wedged the mop against the door handle, blocking the bathroom door, and then moved a shoe cabinet in front of the bathroom.
"That should do it, I guess?"
"Just to be cautious, he entered the kitchen and picked up the kitchen knife from the cutting board. He felt it would provide some sense of security during his sleep, considering the unsettling atmosphere of the game."
As the five minutes of preparation time were about to pass, he turned off all the lights in the room and lay on the bedroom bed with the kitchen knife in hand.
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