There's definitely something wrong with this murder mystery game

Perhaps there really was no danger.

He hadn't expected that guy to actually keep his promise—just get the job done, and he would indeed bring the person involved in the deal in front of him.

The male waiter muttered to himself as he fumbled along the corner of the wall, his fingertips gently twisting the brick that blended into the wall, and then the floor beneath the table opened silently.

There really was a secret room!

The waiter's heart thumped wildly in anticipation and nervousness as he was about to complete his task.

He then carefully peeked inside.

The cellar was dark and quiet, emitting an aura of dust and decay, like an abyssal void of death.

Why is it silent?

The waiter listened intently, but could not even hear a breath; the inside seemed empty. He then hesitated at the top of the stairs.

After a long mutual silence, someone from inside couldn't hold back anymore, "Are you coming in or not?"

The sudden voice made the waiter jump.

He quickly realized—it wasn't that there was no one inside, but rather he couldn't detect them at all.

The waiter chuckled awkwardly and carefully made his way downstairs.

The cellar was deep, and only after descending the narrow, steep staircase did he find that this place was almost the same size as the room above.

There was no light inside, only a vague shadow could be seen in the pitch darkness.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Manager Zhang, standing in a corner, watched the figure appear, using the faint glow from the stairway to barely make out the military uniform on the person, which made him frown subconsciously.

The waiter stood at the foot of the stairs without approaching and tentatively asked, "Are you Manager Zhang?"

"Yes, are you the person he mentioned for the deal?" Your next chapter awaits on empire

"Have you seen him?" the waiter asked with a slight start.

"No," Manager Zhang shook his head.

After he woke up, he noticed his situation was somewhat strange. He remembered being attacked by someone before losing consciousness, but it seemed they hadn't harmed him further.

They didn't treat his injuries, either.

At the time, the cellar had a candle lit. Using the light, he saw the blood writing left on the floor.

Manager Zhang didn't take the claim that "the person for the deal would come looking for him" too seriously. After realizing this place was quite hidden and that the person hadn't done anything to him, he decided to stay put for the time being and recover from his injuries.

Now, the military from District Thirteen was everywhere outside. Having been severely wounded by the Capital Commandant, going out like this, he would likely fall into an encirclement again.

So, he simply stayed put, waiting to see what the purpose of the person who saved him really was.

And after waiting for such a long time, did a person for the deal really come?

Manager Zhang narrowed his eyes slightly, sizing up the person opposite him by the wavering light, somewhat recognizing the features of the face.

It didn't seem to be someone from the military area, but the waiter from the Five-star Hotel?

At this moment, the waiter spoke cautiously, "You first, what is it that you want to trade?"

Manager Zhang let out a cold laugh, "Why don't you say it first?"

The waiter fell silent for a while, then suddenly remembering something, he hesitated and said, "Wine and French steak."

"Got it, meet by the hotel's backyard pool at ten tonight," Manager Zhang said with his arms crossed.

Hearing this, the waiter finally breathed a sigh of relief, then pulled a fist-sized package from his bosom.

He moved cautiously, stopping a meter away before stretching out his hand to give it to the other party.

Manager Zhang reached out and took it.

"..."

"..."

"Let go of me," Manager Zhang said, his face lined with exasperation.

"Oh..."

The male waiter slowly released his grip, and the next moment, a system prompt indicating task completion echoed in his mind. Consequently, he sharply retreated, warily backing up to the stairwell entrance.

Manager Zhang was at a loss for words, watching his actions. It was he who was seriously injured and should be the one on alert.

After obtaining the object, Manager Zhang still needed to inspect it to ensure it was the intended item for his mission.

The package was wrapped in layers of entangled tape, which, once removed, revealed a soft, foam-like small box that felt ice-cold to the touch.

Inside was a fist-sized sphere of iron-gray, which appeared to be made of a hard material.

"What is that?" the male waiter couldn't resist asking out of curiosity.

He had carried it all this time without opening it, worried that the contents might evaporate/deteriorate/damage upon exposure. So, other than knowing it was a drug, he had no idea what it actually was.

Manager Zhang held the small sphere in his hand, giving him a meaningful look, "Something that can send people to paradise in an instant."

Male Waiter: "..."

After securing the item, Manager Zhang stretched his limbs, feeling his arm and body wounds almost fully recovered, then started walking out.

He was also eager to complete his mission as soon as possible—only one last step to go!

As Manager Zhang approached, the male waiter tensed up defensively.

But when the other man neared the stairway entrance, it was only by the faint light coming from upstairs that he noticed the man was covered in blood, with tattered clothes, looking quite dire.

Manager Zhang was about to ascend when he saw that the waiter was still standing there, even shuffling further inside to distance himself, prompting him to ask, "Aren't you leaving?"

"Um... I plan to hide here for a while," the male waiter said, his gaze evasive.

"What's the situation like outside now?" Manager Zhang asked, seizing the opportunity.

The other was his contact, and in a sense, they should be on the same side. Besides, the young man didn't seem particularly strong.

The male waiter quickly shook his head, "I'm not too sure. The blockade at the Five-star Hotel has been lifted, and the military seems preoccupied with other matters."

Although he knew the Radiant Corps and District 13 had formed an alliance and were preparing to strike at some forces, would he spill the beans?

He had unwittingly joined the ranks of the Radiant Corps!

And Manager Zhang's allegiance was unclear.

From beginning to end, the male waiter only knew that his role was to hand over the item for the exchange, oblivious to any other information, not even knowing who had given him the item to pass on.

It seemed like those bit parts in TV dramas, where after delivering the message, they get killed to silence them...

So the male waiter didn't entertain any ideas about forming an alliance with him!

Now, he just had to wait for the Radiant Corps' main force to enter District 13, then join forces with them to complete the final task.

Upon hearing this, Manager Zhang sized him up and down, and seeing the man continuously acting timid, he figured he wouldn't learn much of value. He turned and left.

The thought of silencing the man had crossed his mind as well.

But a fight could lead to other disturbances, so it was best not to complicate things further.

...

The house remained eerily still, with light from other areas casting faint outlines of the furniture.

Manager Zhang observed from under a table for a moment until he was sure it was safe, then crawled out of the basement. He then peeked out the window from the wall beneath it to inspect outside.

But the next moment, he turned sharply towards the table, noticing the male waiter had crawled out as well.

With the outside being too risky for speaking out loud, Manager Zhang shot him an inquiring look.

The male waiter looked distressed and awkwardly said, "That guy... didn't tell me how to close the basement door."

Manager Zhang: "..."

He suddenly had a very bad feeling!