ACIFITFDB – Chapter 37

Chapter 37: It Seems a Group of Real Thugs Have Arrived!

The young man beckoned to them. Qin Xian walked over first, followed by the other police officers after exchanging glances.

This villa, already imposing from the outside, was even more spectacular within. It was like the dream house from many people’s childhoods.

The first floor housed an internet cafe and an arcade, with rows of high-spec desktop computers and various game consoles that they could only dream of touching during school. Nearby were several beverage cabinets filled with cola, beer, and other drinks. The words “Free and Unlimited” were prominently displayed on the cabinets.

The second floor was a supermarket, with shelves stocked with goods. Everything was there, from snacks to beauty and personal care items.

The third floor had many food stalls, the aroma of fried food wafting up from below.

The fourth and fifth floors had numerous rooms, their specific arrangements unclear.

Currently, on the first floor, several young men were sitting in front of computers, shouting curses at the game screens.

“It’s just like you see it here. You can do whatever you want, play whatever you want.”

Qin Xian asked, “Anything is allowed? Is reading allowed?”

The young man’s expression immediately changed. He said menacingly, “If you want to die, then go ahead and read.”

Qin Xian’s calm face seemed to hold a hint of innocence. “I meant online novels.”

The young man crossed his arms, displeased. “Are you playing me? I’m not wasting time on this with you. I’m going to play games.”

Xun Guangfan and the other officers looked at Qin Xian. They were unfamiliar with domains and dared not act rashly.

Xun Guangfan asked, “Mr. Qin, what should we do next?”

“Didn’t that young man just say it? Whatever you want. Just don’t be a good kid.”

Qin Xian took a bottle of cola from the nearby vending machine, opened it, and took a few sips, acting as casually as if he were at home.

Seeing him drink the beverage of unknown origin, Xun Guangfan became uneasy, his hands half-extended beside him.

“Mr. Qin, is this stuff really drinkable? It’s not poisoned, is it?”

Qin Xian smacked his lips, capped the cola, and said calmly, “It’s probably fine. This domain is temporarily making us indulge on the surface; its ultimate move hasn’t been unleashed yet. I need to take this opportunity to rest well. You guys are free to do as you please.”

With that, he walked directly to a sofa in the lounge area, lay down, and closed his eyes.

He was extremely mentally fatigued. He hadn’t rested properly in a long time, and the previous battles had drained too much energy.

Xun Guangfan and the others exchanged glances. Finally, they paired up and explored the villa inside and out, then inquired about the situation from the students there.

When Qin Xian woke from a light sleep and looked at the clock, he realized over three hours had passed. The feeling of fatigue had significantly reduced, and his mind was much clearer.

He leaped up from the sofa, feeling how light his eighteen-year-old body was.

Xun Guangfan, sitting on another sofa playing on his phone, immediately stood up when he saw Qin Xian awake, clearly ready to share information.

Honestly, not having to collect information himself was quite comfortable. In the Infinite Stream worlds, no one could be trusted. He had always relied on himself. But now, his companions were people’s police, which was truly reassuring.

Without Qin Xian needing to ask, Xun Guangfan proactively said, “Mr. Qin, we’ve finished touring the villa. The fourth and fifth floors are small apartments; everyone has a room, including us. Many students are staying in their rooms and not coming out, with only a small portion outside. According to the students here, there are sixteen of them, making a total of 22 people including us.”

Then he held up his phone. “Although there’s internet here, we can’t connect to the outside. Information can’t be sent, and phone calls can’t be made. I looked at the children’s computer games; they can connect to the internet and find opponents, but any chat messages sent are like stones sinking into the sea, with no response. We haven’t learned much else; basically, everything is consistent with what that young man said – anything goes here, but well-behaved students who study and follow rules are not welcome.”

Qin Xian nodded and asked, “Did you check every area?”

“Not yet, just a rough look around.”

“I understand. Before nightfall, you should rest and recover your energy. I’m going to use the restroom.”

With that, Qin Xian stood up and followed the signs to the restroom.

The restroom in this villa was slightly out of place, resembling a school restroom with several stalls. Perhaps it was because the villa itself was formed from the imagination of students.

However, this restroom also had a storage room? He wondered if Xun Guangfan and the others had been there.

He reached out to push the door, only to find it locked.

Qin Xian looked down. The lock tongue was a common single bevel type, and the beveled side faced outward. A small, stiff card was all that was needed to push the lock tongue open.

After using the restroom, Qin Xian immediately looked around outside and found scratch cards inside the snack packaging on the second-floor shelves.

He quickly ate the biscuits, kept the card, and returned to the first-floor restroom. He easily opened the door with the card.

As soon as the door opened, a chilling cold air rushed out, and a guess immediately sprang to mind.

He continued inward, passing a pile of cleaning tools, and finally found something covered with a cloth behind a metal cabinet.

Judging by its size and the uneven surface, it was clearly a human-shaped object underneath.

Qin Xian’s expression remained unchanged as he squatted down and gently lifted a corner of the cloth.

…

Ten minutes later, Xun Guangfan and the others received the message and rushed over. Upon seeing the scene before them, they were instantly shocked. A female corpse lay on the ground, her face pale, with a terrifying bruise around her neck that, by its shape, looked like finger marks.

A police officer squatted down to examine it and confirmed, “She was strangled. The time of death was likely yesterday…”

Xun Guangfan frowned. “Mr. Qin, in this kind of illusion, if a child dies, will they… in reality?”

He looked at Qin Xian, his eyes seeming to hold a sliver of hope.

But Qin Xian extinguished that hope directly. “They might die in reality, but it’s also possible their body survives but they don’t wake up.”

The police officers’ spirits sank a little.

Qin Xian sighed and added, “But it also depends on the nature of the domain and the cause of death. If the body isn’t completely dead, some items can save them.”

However, the probability of saving them was infinitesimally close to zero. But it was best not to say that now, to avoid crushing their morale.

“Really?”

Xun Guangfan became slightly happier. “But the hope is still quite small, right? In any case, we must do our best to prevent any more children from dying! We need to figure out what exactly happened. I need to go ask them…”

Watching Xun Guangfan and his teammates leave, Qin Xian silently followed behind them, feeling the vibrant aura emanating from them. It was nice, that they were so actively trying to save people. He, on the other hand, felt no emotional fluctuation upon seeing the corpse. It was like a player seeing a dead NPC, only thinking about how to proceed with the mission.

As soon as Xun Guangfan stepped out, he encountered the young man who had greeted them at the entrance. He approached him friendly and asked, “Hello classmate, what’s your name?”

The young man, with a cigarette in his mouth, replied politely, “Guo Jiarong.”

Xun Guangfan’s youthful face broke into a friendly smile, making him look like the easygoing type who got along with everyone in class.

But as soon as he smiled, Guo Jiarong’s expression soured. “Are you some kind of goody-two-shoes? Why are you smiling so disgustingly? Don’t talk to me.”

With that, he immediately turned and walked away.

Xun Guangfan looked bewildered and glanced at two girls doing their nails on a nearby sofa. As soon as their eyes met, the two girls immediately gave him the middle finger and rolled their eyes.

“I… Do I look like a good person?! Why can’t you talk to someone who looks good?” Xun Guangfan was utterly confused.

The other police officers also looked at each other. Regardless of gender, they were all wearing identical black t-shirts, had short black hair, and due to their younger appearance, they all looked fair-skinned and clean-cut.

Qin Xian commented, “You all do indeed look like good students. Never mind, I’ll go ask him.”

He walked directly towards Guo Jiarong and grabbed him by the collar. His imposing presence made Guo Jiarong lean back, and Qin Xian looked down at him. “How dare you speak to my subordinate like that? Do you think you’re someone important?”

Guo Jiarong stared blankly at the person before him. Despite his delicate and refined features and fair, seemingly frail appearance, his angry eyes were truly chilling. This look wasn’t like a student’s; it was even fiercer than the gangster he’d encountered when he was involved in society… and that gangster had served time for murder.

He cowered and tried to retort, “Who are you? Which class are you in?! Newcomers don’t know the rules. Damn it, you’re actually going to hit me?! Big brother, big brother, help! Someone’s hitting me!”

Several young men playing games at the moment all stood up with a whoosh. One of them, taller than the rest, grabbed a baseball bat from the floor and charged forward.

“Damn it! How dare you hit my brother! Go, beat him to death!”

A group of teenagers, brandishing bats and chairs, rushed forward. Just as Qin Xian was about to let go of Guo Jiarong to retaliate, several police officers behind him rushed out and, in a few moves, subdued the children on the ground.

Xun Guangfan rolled up his sleeves and pointed at the boy he was stepping on. “Idiot, do you really think you’re someone? Our boss is way more formidable than you guys!”

Qin Xian: “…”

He was stunned for a moment, but then he remembered that police officers were the ones who most frequently interacted with thugs. Coupled with their frequent plainclothes investigations, playing the part of a thug was incredibly easy.

The boys who had been beaten down struggled to lift their heads and saw Qin Xian, who looked like a girl with his long hair, standing with his arms crossed. Behind him stood several males and females with menacing expressions. One muscular individual even took off his shirt with one hand, revealing his well-built upper body.

No, this was bad. It seemed a group of people who had actually been involved in society had arrived? These people looked so well-behaved just now.