There's definitely something wrong with this murder mystery game

There are now more than twenty children in the orphanage.

The youngest is five, and the oldest is ten; as for the older kids, perhaps they don't qualify to be sent to Qiming Orphanage.

Xu Shuo put the cooled tea on the table and was flipping through the files of the children on the bookshelf when suddenly, there was a gentle knock on the door from outside.

It was rhythmic and soft, from which one could tell that the knocker must be a well-mannered and polite child.

Xu Shuo turned his head to glance at the office door, his eyes as dark as if spreading black mist, with vortices swirling in their depths.

"Come in."

He withdrew his gaze and spoke indifferently.

As his voice faded, the door, which wasn't locked, was gently pushed open with a "click."

Standing at the door was a ten-year-old boy with hazel eyes and dark chestnut-colored hair.

He wore a formal suspender suit and held a red lacquered Bible in his arms, standing upright with the grace and composure of an Angel, yet his expression carried an extreme coldness that seemed to seep from his very bones.

"Yueshu, do you need me for something?" Xu Shuo did not avoid him and continued to browse through the children's files while standing in front of the bookshelf.

"Director, more outsiders have entered the orphanage," the boy said expressionlessly.

"Is that so?"

"Why do you allow them in? They will take the children away."

"First of all, I won't let the children leave the orphanage," Xu Shuo said, finishing looking at his file, turning around with a gentle smile, his dark eyes fixed on the boy. "Also, you should know that it's not me who let them in, Yueshu."

Upon hearing this, Yueshu's hazel eyes seemed to flicker momentarily, becoming as sharp as a wild beast's, their overly bright colors so piercing as to be unsettling.

It was as if he had received some signal, his entire demeanor becoming eerily peculiar.

"I understand."

Yueshu turned and left the office.

Xu Shuo's smile slightly faded as he watched his retreating figure with an enigmatic look, patted the file labeled "SOA-09" in his hand, and then slipped it back onto the bookshelf.

"Come back here, close the door," Xu Shuo said.

"..." Yueshu.

The boy, who had coolly made it into the hallway, stopped short, his face stiffening as he turned around, reached for the doorknob, and closed the European-carved brown lacquered door.

After closing the door, Yueshu stood at the door, his gaze flickering thoughtfully as he stared at the office door panel.

This man was indeed somewhat different from what Emily had said.

He had remained rational for such a long time.

...

...

At the staircase entrance of the orphanage's building, there was another locked iron gate. Find your next read at My Virtual Library Empire

From the construction of the gate, it seemed to have been welded on later, making it stand out against the rest of the building.

After all, an open stairwell shouldn't have iron railings.

The officer took down a key from the hook on his belt, found the one engraved with the number "09," unlocked the heavy padlock, unwound the iron chains wrapped around the railing, and finally flung open the gate with a clatter.

"Come in, stay close to me and don't wander off."

After opening the gate, the officer turned around and looked at them ominously.

He stood half in the pitch-dark corridor, half illuminated by the desolate moonlight from the sky, looking particularly eerie.

The remaining four people: "..."

Could this officer really survive till the grand finale?

Before entering the orphanage, he was a perfectly sunny and upbeat middle-aged man, but after merely opening a mere two doors, he had already started becoming creepy.

Besides, they couldn't possibly just do nothing and simply follow him to the archive room; moreover, weren't there rules against entering the archive room?

The female reporter could not help but flip open the manual to check the additional rules.

"Qiming Charity Hall Visit Manual"

8. Unless necessary, do not enter the buildings of Qiming Orphanage.

9. The ground floor of Qiming Building is the dining hall. The dining hall, where the children eat, is available for photography and rest, but do not consume any food here, no matter how clean or appetizing it looks.

9. The paintings left by the children on the stairwell walls may be photographed, but do not touch or damage them.

10. The paintings only feature doves, with no other patterns. Doves are a common bird species with white plumage. Any other shape or color is not a dove. If the painting you see is not a dove, do not take pictures, do not touch, and immediately leave the stairwell.

11. The second floor of Qiming Building is a schoolroom. The schoolroom, where the children study, may be photographed, but do not linger inside the classroom, do not speak loudly, and do not sit in the students' seats.

12. If you violate any of the above three rules, please immediately go to any classroom, write your name on the blackboard using the chalk on the teacher's desk, and you will receive a new assignment here.

13. In the corner of the stairs leading to the third floor of Qiming Building, there is a Black and White Dice. Do not photograph, touch, approach, or stare at it. Maintain a distance of three meters to avoid it.

14. The third floor of Qiming Building is a dormitory. The dormitory, where the caretakers and children reside, may be photographed, but do not enter any room.

15. Do not use open flames or any tools that may exceed 400 degrees Celsius on the third floor of Qiming Building.

16. The archive room, which stores the records of Qiming Orphanage, is on the third floor of Qiming Building. Unless necessary, do not enter the archive room.

...

Overall, Qiming Orphanage is quite safe.

As long as you obediently refrain from doing what is prohibited in the manual, you can safely leave through the back door of the orphanage after your visit.