Game of Deception Chapter 17: The Neighbor's Kid

If one opened the main door without investing chips, it would not lead to any ga arena.

Ming Po pocketed the disconnected phone from his bedside table, opened the front door, and stepped back into this gray, silent reality.

He was in an excellent mood right now, even humming the tune to "Singin' in the Rain."

Outside his apartnt was the familiar old-fashioned elevator, which seed a bit too antiquated for this day and age. Ming Po tried pressing the button, but as expected, he could not interact with it.

Yet, for so unknown reason, he could not simply phase through the wall and jump straight down the elevator shaft either.

Just as Ming Po was wondering whether he should head down to the second floor and jump out the window to test if his once-dead self could still die from a fall, the door across the hall suddenly opened.

A girl wearing a long black trench coat and carrying an instrunt case on her back walked out, holding her phone.

She was also rendered in grayscale and possessed an astonishing height—she was less than half a head shorter than Ming Po, who stood at 186 centiters, aning she had to be approaching 1.8 ters tall. Even for a northern man, this height was nothing to scoff at. As a southern girl, one could easily imagine the amount of stares she would draw walking down the street.

Completely oblivious to Ming Po's presence, she stepped directly in front of the elevator. Her body practically overlapped with his.

"..."

Ming Po made no move, simply watching as she walked right into him.

Seeming to feel a sudden chill, the girl reached up and buttoned the collar of her trench coat.

He stared at her blankly as sealed mories gradually began to resurface.

Ming Po knew her. It would not be an exaggeration to say he had watched her grow up.

Her na, or at least her nickna, was Yueyue, or sothing that sounded similar. He did not know her surna, only that her father was a very tall man from Inner Mongolia, though he had never bothered to ask about his specific line of work. Ming Po only knew that her mother was incredibly accomplished, a university professor who taught the viola and had reportedly won awards in her youth.

Sotis the graduate students she ntored would visit their ho to help out, and she would also tutor from her apartnt.

Yueyue was born when Ming Po was in the third or fourth grade. Back then, her nightly wailing was unbearably loud. But because Ming Po was rather introverted and shy at the ti, he was too embarrassed to knock on the neighbors' door and ask them to keep it down, nor could he bring himself to complain to the nanny. As a result, he could only toss and turn in bed, forcing himself to sleep.

As he grew a little older, the couple across the hall beca increasingly busy, and the two households gradually grew familiar with one another. Sotis, when Yueyue's mother traveled for competitions, she would entrust the girl to the care of Ming Po's nanny.

It was the classic case of "herding one sheep is the sa as herding two." The employers had no objections, the nanny had no objections, and Ming Po had no objections. Back then, Ming Po was not quite as taciturn as he later beca, so they actually got along quite well.

During those days, Ming Po would watch ani at ho, and she would watch along with him; when he played video gas, she would sit beside him and observe.

It was just that Ming Po preferred playing gas like "Dad 'n ," "Grand Theft Auto," and "Silent Hill," which were strictly single-player experiences. The only ga he could play with soone else was the newly released "Samurai Warriors," but the little girl was too young to understand how to play it.

Later, when he moved away, she was still in kindergarten. By the ti he moved back, he had never seen her again.

Given her current age, she should have just started college.

Why was she walking out of her apartnt?

And this instrunt case on her back... Was she in a band?

Did playing in a band really demand the sacrifice of one's academic degrees as a toll?

Mildly curious, Ming Po stood motionless, peeking at the ssages on her phone screen.

Yueyue was completely unaware that a ghost was currently overlapping with her very being, her fingers simply flying across the screen to send ssages.

Sure enough, it was a band about to perform.

Ming Po shook his head, too lazy to ddle in other people's affairs, and followed her into the elevator.

He stood idly inside the elevator, watching it descend.

The girl seed rather perceptive, looking left and right with obvious unease. She appeared to sense sothing amiss but could not quite pinpoint the source of the problem.

Just then, a notification popped up on her phone screen, catching Ming Po's attention:

[Cucumber War God Ah!: Did you hear? Lawyer Chen was shot and killed yesterday!]

...Lawyer Chen?

Ming Po raised his eyebrows, a sudden realization dawning on him.

Could it be Fox?

"Eh?"

Yueyue let out a gasp of surprise, froze for a mont, and then quickly began typing.

The ssage she sent appeared on the right side of the screen:

[You can still get shot dostically nowadays?]

[Cucumber War God Ah!: It wasn't dostic. I heard he was shot in France.]

[Great British Detective Orange Shirley: Could it have been a robbery? It's not the UK if they don't steal, and it's not France if they don't rob, right?]

[Cucumber War God Ah!: I don't know, but Music Note says it was an assassination! Word is he offended so big shot.]

"Shot..."

Ming Po chewed on the word.

No clear motive, no suspect caught, only the fact that he was shot... No matter how you looked at it, it was highly suspicious.

Fox seed to be an information broker. Did he actually cross the wrong person?

Yueyue clicked her tongue and replied:

[You actually believe stuff on the internet? And which Lawyer Chen are you talking about?]

[Cucumber War God Ah!: The one who streams, obviously.]

[Great British Detective Orange Shirley: Does it feel like things are getting a bit chaotic lately? Over a dozen celebrities and influencers have died this month alone! Should we cut back on our gigs? What if we get famous?]

[Cucumber War God Ah!: ?]

[A Pack of Cats Singing May You Be Prosperous: ?]

[?]

[If you're really afraid of dying, stop riding that second-hand motorcycle of yours.]

[Cucumber War God Ah!: True.]

[Great British Detective Orange Shirley: The only thing that doesn't surprise is hearing about a motorcycle strear getting into an accident.]

[Great British Detective Orange Shirley: Last week, Molijiang tried to 1v1 a heavy truck and got turned into literal jam. I actually really liked her.]

[Her boyfriend was in the accident with her. Are you sure you really liked her?]

[Great British Detective Orange Shirley: Forget it. No need to aggressively charge a dump truck anyway.]

...That sounds like Raccoon.

Ming Po suddenly realized sothing.

Over a dozen celebrities and influencers...

Could it be that the Ga of Deception abducted people based on so specific pattern or common trait?

But "Rabbit," who died several months ago, had also been dragged into this. So what was the point of this sudden batch of deaths?

Or perhaps... soone was trying to use sheer numbers to increase the odds, aiming to send a specific person or group of people into the ga?

Then how was I dragged into this?

I'm not an influencer... I haven't even registered a public social dia account.

[Nyarlathotep: I actually have so classified intel.]

[Nyarlathotep: Rumor has it that this batch of influencers isn't completely dead. They're in so mysterious place right now, elbowing Kobe for a chance at the resurrection match.]

[Great British Detective Orange Shirley: ...Not gonna lie, that dark joke is a bit ssed up.]

[Nyarlathotep: How do I explain this to you guys...]

[Nyarlathotep: Never mind, pretend I didn't say anything.]

Imdiately after, both ssages were retracted. Then, all of his previous ssages were retracted as well.

"...Hm?"

Ming Po let out a sound of surprise.

To think there was an unexpected harvest!

Did this riddler... actually know sothing?

Was the Ga of Deception not like those infinite-flow novels where secrecy from outsiders was mandatory? How could soone in a random street band possess such intel?

Or perhaps, the real issue lay with this person. Had he co into contact with a Deceiver of the World... or was there an organization of Deceivers of the World operating in the real world?

But by the ti he finished reading the chat, they had already exited the residential complex.

Watching Yueyue walk off in the opposite direction, Ming Po shrugged and did not follow her.

It wasn't like she could run away anyway. If he really needed to ask sothing, it would be better to investigate her once she returned later.

It's not like she'd vanish off the face of the earth just by going out to perform, right?

Compared to that, he needed to visit his company first.

Faceless God Studio wasn't particularly large, so they didn't have a standalone corporate building.

The company operated out of the thirteenth floor of a relatively remote office building.

Ming Po still didn't manifest himself. Instead, he hitched a ride in an elevator—he stepped in first, nodded in satisfaction when he saw soone press the button for the thirteenth floor, and simply stayed inside.

If the elevator had been empty, Ming Po would have planned to step out and wait for the next cycle, or take the ergency stairs from the twelfth or fourteenth floor.

Climbing fourteen flights of stairs... unless there was so tangible benefit, he absolutely refused to do sothing so idiotic.

However...

Ming Po glanced at the young man beside him who had pressed the button for the thirteenth floor.

He looked awfully unfamiliar.

Speaking of which, are you really from our company?

Why do you look so remarkably average?

Ming Po knew for a fact that their company boss cared a bit too much about appearances. Regardless of gender, employees at least couldn't be ugly. Moreover, most of the staff possessed considerable talent along with various eccentricities. Even soone with as bizarre a personality as Ming Po didn't particularly stand out among them.

But when the elevator arrived at the thirteenth floor and Ming Po eagerly followed the young man out, he discovered that the surrounding layout was completely alien.

Looking around, Ming Po's mories began to reassemble.

In his vague recollection, the company's entrance should have featured a signpost flanked by a massive amount of rchandise and posters.

There were supposed to be two life-sized standees of "Aiwass" and "Isabel" right here—these were two crucial, fan-favorite characters from the ga he managed. You could even say they were the most popular characters in the main cast.

Next to that should have been a rchandise wall, packed with all sorts of official ga rch—figures, cotton dolls, badges, acrylic stands, art books, trading cards, and a bunch of gorgeous, unlisted promotional statues.

Yet, there was nothing here.

Only twenty-odd cases of cola stacked together. The plastic wrapping on the top layer had been torn open, and half the cans were missing.

—Did the company launch a collaboration with a cola brand? Why is there suddenly so much free cola?

Ming Po was a little curious.

Although the company offered various beverages, they were usually kept in vending machines, requiring a scan of a QR code or an employee badge to purchase. Of course, their boss was incredibly generous, providing everyone with a daily allowance for free drinks and snacks.

He leaned in slightly, then imdiately frowned in disgust.

...Why is it cherry-flavored?

Is this ant for human consumption?

Just as Ming Po was about to head to the restroom to manifest himself, he suddenly caught sight of the company na displayed on the wall.

—[Pikopiko Cat Studio].

A studio Ming Po had never heard of in his life.

"...?"

Ming Po froze for a mont.

He wondered, 'Did the company change its na, or did it move?'

He imdiately rushed to the restroom and pulled out a Ti Chip.

"Manifestation [One Hour]."

He commanded in a low voice, biting down on the copper-colored chip.