Chapter 191
Chapter 191
Cheng Miao kept running back and forth between offices over one minor issue after another. She only breathed a sigh of relief when Lin Zhu returned intact.
Once she knew he was safe, Cheng Miao happily headed back. Passing the Sales Section, she laughed when she saw Qin Musong talking expansively on the phone as though directing the affairs of the world.
“Miss… Miss Cheng.”
A weak male voice came from behind her. Cheng Miao turned and saw the player Song Lei, a teammate of Liu Chi, who had suffered the accident in Research and Development the previous day.
Unlike his refined appearance at the start of the instance, Song Lei now looked as though he had not rested in a very long time. His eyes had sunk deeply into their sockets, empty except for a trace of despair.
Cheng Miao’s heart ached at the sight. This instance threatened death while also tormenting both mind and body.
“You’re Song Lei, right? What do you need?”
Cheng Miao knew coworkers were permitted to speak, and she had completed plenty of work on time that day, so she did not fear triggering a rule.
“Miss Cheng, do we… still have any hope?” Song Lei appeared devastated by work and his teammate’s death, but he retained enough reason not to mention forbidden words such as the instance.
“Try to relax. We’ll find a way.” Cheng Miao comforted him. She knew Qin Musong obtaining the key employee opening was undoubtedly terrible news for Song Lei. He would have to endure another month here.
But Song Lei could not continue navigating the instance as if walking on thin ice while forcing himself to work with energy.
“All I want is… freedom. Why is it so difficult?”
Song Lei covered his face with both hands, took several deep breaths, nodded to Cheng Miao, and returned to the office.
He knew Cheng Miao could not ask Qin Musong to give him the opening. He only needed someone to talk to before he went insane.
Cheng Miao watched him leave and silently repeated his words.
Freedom…
Why did that word feel so familiar?
Cheng Miao thought as she walked back.
Suddenly, her eyes brightened. As though remembering something, she quickened her steps and rushed into the office.
She opened her message boards, blogs, ONS, and every other social app and checked them one by one.
That was it!
The original Cheng Miao used the same username on every social platform: Cat Who Longs for Freedom.
Using a nickname on social media was perfectly normal, so Cheng Miao had not noticed anything unusual at first.
Now, however, the original Cheng Miao’s fixation on that name was clear.
Could it be…?
Was this the password?
Excitement quickened Cheng Miao’s heartbeat. When entering the initials of the username successfully opened the folder, she gave a small cheer inside.
Her joy at opening the folder gradually disappeared as she read its contents.
Cheng Miao’s guess had been correct. Her assigned identity truly believed the company’s system was wrong. After exchanging vast amounts of information with the outside world, she had not dismissed it as a false illusion meant to lure employees out, as most people in the company did. She found the truth through countless tiny clues.
The next question was how to escape the company.
The original Cheng Miao had not simply planned to leave alone.
The more she learned, the more deeply the company’s actions enraged her.
Her own escape was not enough. She wanted to take everyone out of this den of monsters and make certain this harmful place ceased to exist.
The folder contained countless files Cheng Miao had collected about the company.
Company regulations, recordings of meetings, lists of vanished employees, everything she had witnessed, and everything she could find was stored there.
Many files dated back as far as three years. For a moment, Cheng Miao admired the original owner of her identity.
In this place that devoured people without leaving their bones, she had worked in constant fear while collecting evidence, all for freedom and justice.
Cheng Miao blinked and forced the moisture from her eyes.
She closed the folder and narrowed her eyes at the computer screen.
The post the original Cheng Miao made had probably been only a test. She wanted to know whether communicating with the outside world was truly possible.
Until she confirmed that, she could not reveal the fruit of years of work all at once.
The reason was obvious. They could contact the outside world, but the moment they attempted to leak anything related to the company, the internal network raised an alarm and severed the connection.
Cheng Miao felt sorrow. A powerful premonition urged her to confirm one thing.
At dinner, she sought out Qin Wen, and the two huddled together whispering for a long time.
“What is Sister Miaomiao talking to Qin Wen about?” Lin Zhu asked around a mouthful of food, looking like a hamster.
“Cheng Miao doesn’t need your concern. Worry about yourself.” Qi Jiajia glanced at Qin Wen, assessed him as no threat, then returned to arguing with Lin Zhu.
Lin Zhu grinned. “I got a key employee opening.”
The mention made Qi Jiajia’s face darken. She had schemed against those two women, and the only price she paid was something knocking on the restroom door while she was inside.
The moment she released [Shen Xin’s Long Hair], the thing fled without a trace.
It had not been interesting at all.
In truth, this reflected a misconception held by most players.
Many players hoped to obtain damage-immunity Items from instances and the General Store, and the things they exchanged for were also meant to preserve their lives.
What they failed to understand was that damage-immunity Items were far less useful than offensive Items.
Avoiding death once did not mean something could protect them every time.
Qi Jiajia’s hair clip was a top-tier protective Item, but it could still be used only once per instance.
Yet even after clearing so many instances, many players still lacked the courage to face a ghost directly.
Qiudong sat eating without a word and appeared completely unaffected.
In reality, Qin Musong across the table had noticed long ago that Qiudong’s gaze never left Cheng Miao.
Cheng Miao returned with the answer she wanted, her face grave.
“What’s wrong, Miaomiao?” Seeing her low spirits, Qin Musong felt puzzled.
Everyone knew Cheng Miao had cracked the folder password and obtained a great deal of useful evidence.
If she did not want to wait another month for key employee openings, reporting the company would fit her assigned personality.
She merely needed a complete plan.
So why did Cheng Miao not look happy?
Cheng Miao sighed. Before she could speak, Qiudong said, “Eat first. It’ll get cold.”
Cheng Miao froze, accepted the chopsticks Qiudong offered, and quickly finished her meal. At the same time, her previously chaotic emotions settled.
“I had a vague suspicion before. I just checked it with Qin Wen in Logistics, and I’m almost certain.”
Cheng Miao put down her chopsticks and stared blankly for a moment at the sparkling water in her glass. “All twenty of us were already dead when we entered the Confinement Room.”