Chapter 70: When the Story Reflects Reality

Wen Xiange and Xiaowu both showed terrified expressions on the screen.

Of course they understood.

On the night of the first day, when the meeting was held, it was actually still okay. But by the second day...

At the moment of zero zero zero, the degree intensified.

Wen Xiange was even more disgusted with his behavior yesterday. Xiaowu felt that his skin was very dirty. How could such a dirty self be worthy of communicating with others?

"Don't be afraid, since I told you, I have a way to solve it! Don't be afraid!"

Wen Xishu had actually struggled with whether to state his deduction.

Because if he didn't say it, several teammates who didn't know the reason might fall into even greater fear.

But if he said it, they would also fall into fear. Especially for those who had already fallen into fear, whether they could regain confidence and overcome the mental invasion brought by the strange, Wen Xishu had no bottom line.

Xiaowu held his head:

"What to do... what should I do... This is only the second day, there are six more days to go."

Wen Xishu ignored Xiaowu for the time being, because at this time, Wen Xiange said:

"A-Shu, you are truly very excellent. If I... if I die here, I hope you can lead everyone to leave here. I thought about it, according to what you said, what I correspond to is appetite?"

Wen Xishu nodded.

"Yes. Gluttony. Also, you won't die. Everyone, don't worry. Seven days is enough for us to find the secret here."

Wu Xiangjiao also recalled that Wen Xiange had said his neighbor was very fat and tall.

"Only a gluttonous person can have that body type. But after coming here, he began to hate food."

"The Elder's performance yesterday made me think it was somewhat like Xiaowu's. The Elder was denying his own food, denying his own cooking level."

"It also looks like inferiority, but in fact, it's not inferiority, but you have begun to hate food from the root. Then naturally, you won't think food is delicious."

Sloth, pride, envy, gluttony.

Wu Xiangjiao drew inferences:

"There are still lust, wrath, and greed left. Looking at it this way, is that university student next to me lust?"

"Damn, no wonder I felt a sense of annoyance in my heart during my morning exercise!"

"Hell!"

Hearing Wu Xiangjiao say this, Elder Wen was somewhat comforted.

Because Wu Xiangjiao used to be a habitual thief, and later, under his influence, he was reformed and stopped stealing.

But the problem of petty theft was gone, and other problems were exposed. He liked women.

Sometimes Wu Xiangjiao would tell dirty jokes in public, saying to women, "My banana is very big, do you want to taste it?" and the like.

This also caused him to become increasingly sleazy.

Now, Wu Xiangjiao was obviously no longer lustful.

Wen Xishu said:

"I speculate, just speculate, your hatred for the opposite sex will gradually deepen, deepening to an unimaginable degree."

If Anzhen is the Seoul of my previous life, then Anzhen can be said to be the city with the most outrageous gender opposition. If a boy invites a girl out and is rejected more than three times and still wants to invite her, the girl can sue for sexual harassment.

And Wen Xishu speculated that Wu Xiangjiao, who is currently influenced by inverse-lust, is afraid that his degree of hatred for the opposite sex will far exceed the degree of gender opposition.

"But Wu Xiangjiao, you didn't feel fear because of this, so everything is still in time. You might be the one among us who is least influenced..."

"Even I am more influenced than you, but I am just in a situation where I cannot sleep. We have to find a way to find a breakthrough."

Wu Xiangjiao nodded. He really wasn't very afraid. In the morning, looking at his standing little handle, although he felt a bit annoyed, he still sighed: "I am too healthy."

Relatively speaking, on this second day, because he was not influenced by fear at all, although he had a slight sense of hatred for that kind of thing, it was harmless.

At this time, Amiao suddenly spoke:

"Hahaha, everyone, don't be nervous. What's the big deal? Look at you one by one, smile, it's okay."

"My Lord Xishu will definitely be able to protect us through the difficulties."

Amiao was very optimistic and happy.

Wu Xiangjiao looked at Wen Xishu through the screen.

Wen Xishu said:

"Amiao, you correspond to wrath. Can you still get angry now?"

"The inverse of wrath is currently defined as joy in this game. You are the one influenced the deepest, but joy, in the short term, is actually a positive buff."

"Listen, everyone, I need you to do one thing today."

Amiao smiled:

"Joy is quite good. No wonder, I said how it healed me so much, hahahahaha..."

"When I was beautiful before, in order to get a quota for the Tower of Desire, I suffered all kinds of humiliation. Later, I got a terminal illness and joined the Xishu Divine Sect. Although I got a moment of peace, I have always lived very bitterly. Joy, this thing, is too rare for me."

Wu Xiangjiao was slightly surprised, and he sighed slightly.

Although he was not as good at analysis as Wen Xishu, at this time, he could also feel that the true emotions in Amiao's words were actually bitter.

But she, who had the deepest fear, was also invaded the deepest by the strange. Now, even when she talked about the bitterness of the past, she brought laughter.

This was already pathological.

Wen Xishu nodded and followed Amiao's words:

"Yes, joy is also quite good. You can feel happy, and we are also very happy."

"So Amiao, and Xiaowu, Elder, don't be too afraid. Since I am here, I can take you back alive."

"But you have to do one thing. Today, all of you choose to interact with your neighbors. Try to persuade these neighbors to leave this building."

"I originally intended to do this alone, and it would take a little more time. But you might not fall into danger."

"But I underestimated the influence of time. This is only the second day. It is hard for me to imagine to what extent some characteristics will be inversely magnified on the third or fourth day."

"So everyone, we have to find a way to act collectively today."

"Elder, you are the true leader of the team, no problem, right?"

Wen Xishu looked at Wen Xiange.

Wen Xiange was a bit grateful. He suddenly felt that this young man in front of him might really be sent by Xishu to save everyone.

In fact, until now, they hadn't had a chance to meet face-to-face, so Wen Xiange hadn't checked Wen Xishu's ID.

Plus, Wen Xishu hadn't actively initiated a meeting, because everyone currently defaulted to one point—Wen Xishu's personal ability was the strongest, his Action Points were the least to be wasted, and the most precious.

So until now, Wen Xiange hadn't seen Wen Xishu's ID.

Thinking, A-Shu might have added a symbol, or called himself Wen Xishu, or some homophone, or simply added a number or letter behind it, or specifically asked the guide to add a space in his ID name, like Wen Xishu.

In fact, many people who teamed up hadn't thought about checking each other's IDs. First, it required being close enough, and second, it wasn't necessary.

Third, there were too many people named Wen Xishu, so there was no need to check.

Fourth, the Three Towers game had no friend system. Whether you could meet again depended on fate.

However, this time, Wen Xiange suddenly became interested and wanted to see what the ID of this Wen Xishu, arranged by the True Lord Xishu, was called.

If there was a chance to meet later, he decided to check Wen Xishu's ID.

Wen Xiange said:

"Good, good, everyone cheer up! Think about how we met in the first place!"

"Think about our fate. We cannot die here! The birth of the Xishu Divine Sect is to help countless suffering people get rid of confusion!"

"We met in the sea of people and can explore this most dangerous place together! This is a test arranged for us by my Lord Wen Xishu. We are destined to pass the test! After this exploration, our friendship will be tempered!"

"Xiaowu, people will no longer mind your past. You are a great tower climber; you have conquered the Mysterious Tower!"

"Amiao, you will find the money for medical treatment! You will become beautiful again!"

"And Xiangjiao, in the future, there will be cute and beautiful girls who will sincerely love the courageous you!"

"Cannot be knocked down by this building! We must cheer up!"

It was strange to say, Wen Xishu emphasized so many times, "I can help you leave..." the effect was minimal, but after this big bald head finished speaking, everyone was excited.

Xiaowu, who was influenced by inferiority, also recalled the teachings of the Elder in the past at this moment.

He had originally thought that after getting out of prison, if he really couldn't make it, he would go back to his old trade...

But he was strictly stopped by Wen Xiange.

There was light in his eyes again:

"Don't worry... Elder, I will! A-Shu, I will find a way to persuade that lawyer to leave."

Wen Xishu suddenly thought, this Xishu Divine Sect, don't let it really be a... normal, purely good-teaching church? Is this big bald head really a good person?

Wu Xiangjiao said:

"By the way, what about greed? What about greed? How to explain the last greed in the Seven Sins?"

Wen Xishu said:

"Greed corresponds to generosity. Everyone can live here, don't you think it's a kind of generosity itself? Have you ever seen a capitalist who builds such a good building but only charges such low rent?"

"The twisted things in Anzhen are no less than the Mysterious Tower."

In the previous life, people always liked to say that Korean movies were getting bolder and deeper.

They satirized chaebols, criticized chaebols, and told various social symptoms.

But these movies were all funded by chaebols. From another perspective, chaebols were high above, and the ridicule of the bottom masses had already reached a negligible degree to them, and could even be used for self-entertainment.

Because they knew very well that no matter how much they criticized or ridiculed, it was of no use.

Wu Xiangjiao nodded:

"I have one last question. Our mission is actually to survive here... The extra mission is to make the seven households no longer broken."

"Does this mean they can leave, but we can't?"

"If we can't leave... then after they leave, will the strange turn to influence us?"

Wen Xishu was slightly surprised. After Xiangjiao entered the state, he thought more comprehensively:

"Yes, actually yesterday I was thinking, if the extra reward is to let the mission targets survive, then perhaps we can choose to let the other party leave directly."

"But in this place, many people have finally moved in, and the reason for leaving must be very sufficient. Fortunately, it took us a day to find this reason."

"Their symptoms are obviously deeper than ours... so I hope everyone can try to persuade them to leave."

"As for ourselves, I'm afraid we can't leave... I think everyone has also discovered that once Action Points are insufficient, if you get close to the door, you can't do anything and will be forcibly returned to sit on the sofa."

"So, for us, the survival journey is our main mission, and there are extra puzzles to solve."

"But it doesn't matter, let's do the side missions that can improve the rating first."

Wu Xiangjiao, Elder Wen, and others nodded in agreement.

Wen Xishu exhorted:

"Amiao... you will eventually have to go back. Don't be influenced by this place. Don't think that death is something not worth caring about. Everyone cares about you very much."

"So, don't forget your mission for coming here because of joy."

Amiao nodded. She still had a smile on her face. She felt that her emotions were wrong. She liked this optimism, but Elder Wen's words also made her recall the few kindnesses she received when she was at the bottom of her life.

She said: "I will do my best. I am very happy, but I haven't been carried away by happiness."

Wu Xiangjiao said again:

"Then what about envy and greed... what do you plan to do?"

Wen Xishu did not keep it:

"I have already found a way to solve envy, but greed is afraid it will have to wait. Perhaps after removing these seven households, we can also get redemption."

"But let's take it one household at a time."

In the last time of the meeting, Wen Xishu exhorted some precautions about the elevator. Everyone kept every word of his in their minds, and then the meeting ended.

……

……

In the building full of fog, under Wen Xishu's arrangement, everyone finally had a clue.

Wen Xishu had already consumed 50 Action Points, so he only had 50 Action Points left today. If he didn't make progress in interacting with his neighbor next, he wouldn't be able to do anything today.

However, Wen Xishu decisively chose to interact with his neighbor.

His body was controlled to knock on his neighbor's door. Yin Junchi opened the door for the first time, eyes wide open:

"Friend, what are you doing? Do you know that I am overflowing with inspiration right now!"

It was significantly different from yesterday.

Yesterday, Yin Junchi was still very hospitable. Upon learning that Wen Xishu could read feng shui, he immediately invited Wen Xishu in and patiently explained a lot.

But today, Yin Junchi was very irritable.

Anyone who hasn't slept for a few days will be very irritable.

Wen Xishu said:

"How long have you not slept?"

Yin Junchi shook his head:

"That's not important. I am about to write a great work. I am about to complete a self-transcendence!"

Wen Xishu suddenly really wanted to use violence to knock Yin Junchi unconscious. Such an extremely tired person, in fact, as long as he is physically stunned, he can fall into a coma.

But the biggest problem is—

Wen Xishu couldn't take him away from here. He had no extra Action Points to leave the building.

So Wen Xishu said:

"I can provide you with better inspiration."

Yin Junchi looked at Wen Xishu suspiciously:

"You?"

Wen Xishu said:

"If my idea is not good enough, you might as well chase me away. But now you should invite me in."

Yin Junchi nodded:

"Then come in. I don't care about feng shui anymore. I just want to work crazily now and complete my greatest work."

Wen Xishu entered the room and asked Yin Junchi this question:

"Before I tell you this story, I need to ask you a question: are you still afraid of death?"

If this person was no longer afraid of death, Wen Xishu would really have to spend some effort.

Fortunately, Yin Junchi said:

"Nonsense, the meaning of work is, of course, to be more comfortable when resting. I write books for a better life, how could I not be afraid of death."

Not bad, worthy of the pen name "Three Days Two Living Banana Pei Jia." Even if he has been invaded by the strange to this extent, he still doesn't forget the original intention of lying flat.

Wen Xishu said:

"Okay, then I will start telling my story."

Yin Junchi opened his mouth wide again, stared, made a ferocious expression at Wen Xishu, and shouted the sound "ah."

After Wen Xishu waited for this long yawn to finish, he said slowly:

"Have you noticed that the chaebols in Anzhen are a bit strange? They seem to have started doing good deeds?"

"At the same time, have you noticed that the popularity of horror novels has risen to an unprecedented level."

Yin Junchi nodded:

"Will this story of yours interact with me?"

Wen Xishu smiled:

"No, just warming up. You have discovered many strange places. You have discovered that the Anzhen government has started to generously promise people things they simply cannot do."

"You have also discovered that a small number of rich people have started to become nervous, started to fade out of view, and a small number of people have started to indulge, as if life only has the last period of time left."

Yin Junchi nodded:

"Indeed."

Wen Xishu said:

"Okay, then my story begins. It has to start with a novelist. There is a family that wants to find some material. About horror novels."

"Speaking of which, this is actually a very niche subject, but recently it's very strange. He has heard more and more similar discussions."

"Some people seem to have mutated and done some incredible things."

"This novelist is actually very lazy, but he still habitually clicks on the app of mainstream websites to check the bestseller ranking of categorized novels."

"What shocked him greatly was that traditional urban, superpower, ancient martial arts, cultivation... these big hits were actually suppressed by horror novels one by one."

"The suspense and supernatural category he is in has risen. Finally, he learned an absurd reason: horror seems to have really come."

Yin Junchi said:

"This is not fresh. The subject of horror descending into reality has already been written to rot."

Wen Xishu said:

"Yes, he also thinks this is mostly a gimmick. However, novelists naturally want to chase hot topics. Some authors, in order to chase hot topics, deliberately do not keep manuscripts."

"He knows that this time he might be able to write such a story. After all, he is doing this himself."

"Let's briefly switch perspectives."

"The boss of the Three Balls Group, the largest chaebol in Anzhen, also realized that the world would undergo major changes. As one of the richest people in the world, he of course knows more secrets than ordinary people."

"I don't know why, but the boss of the Three Balls Group actually gave the financial power to someone named Anzhen Qi. That should be the An family descendant he was least optimistic about. By the way, Anzhen Qi's original name was not Anzhen Qi. It was changed temporarily before the Miracle Building project started."

Suddenly hearing the name of a person in reality made Yin Junchi suddenly energetic, although he was already very excited.

Wen Xishu actually did some work. When he spent 25 Action Points to search the room not long ago, he learned about it.

"Anzhen Qi is a prodigal son of the An family, extravagant and greedy. But the boss of the Three Balls Group, that top chaebol who is more terrifying than the president, still gave Anzhen Qi a large sum of money to start the Miracle Building project."

"With terrifying financial support, the Miracle Building was built in a short time at an unimaginable speed, and the marketing was overwhelming. Three Balls Group's mobile phones are very popular, and many people in Anzhen are using them. Plus, the Three Balls Group's industries are everywhere in Anzhen and even the whole country..."

"So everything went very smoothly. Soon, countless people knew about Anzhen Qi's project. Anzhen Qi was also the first to move in. He lived in Miracle Building 42-7."

"His identity is different from all the residents of the Miracle Building, so the 42nd floor is the most special. This floor requires a door card to enter."

"I think, after the writer moved in, he also thought about going to the 42nd floor to see, right?"

Wen Xishu's eyes stared at Yin Junchi. Yin Junchi had already realized that this story was taken from reality.

This setting is not rare, but if all the characters and place names are real, then the sense of substitution comes immediately.

That writer... could it be me?

He couldn't help but think so.

Wen Xishu's story continued:

"Soon, everyone discovered that Anzhen Qi, who moved into this building, changed his temperament from the past. In the past, Anzhen Qi was also extravagant, but the more he squandered, the more he demanded."

"But now, Anzhen Qi has started to do charity. The difference between squandering and charity is that one is for himself, and the other is for others. This building is nominally his, but he only charges extremely low rent to screen a group of people."

"A large number of residents soon moved in, but the big chaebol behind Anzhen Qi discovered that these people were not the ones he was looking for. These people were too unremarkable. They were like the most ordinary NPCs."

"He was still missing seven key people, seven people with distinct characteristics. Anzhen Qi himself was one of them. So, what exactly does that big chaebol behind the scenes want these seven people to do?"

"Let me sell a pass first, because next, our writer is going to appear again."

"The writer posted a post asking if there is a 'small dark room' that can stimulate inspiration. As a result, the writer was flattered to receive an invitation from the Three Balls Group official."

"Yes, he is a bestselling author, but he knows one thing very well: although novels are the source of stories, in the entire entertainment industry, novels can only be considered scraps of entertainment."

"Those stars filming a TV series, a movie, can earn money he can't earn in a lifetime. But these stars are just the toilets and toys of those high-level people in the Three Balls Group."

"So he was flattered and came to the Miracle Building. At the beginning, he saw seven rows of sofas."

"He pondered that these sofas had quite a meaning of the Seven Sins."

"The first row of sofas had the Anzhen female star He Lina printed on it, with blurred eyes, lying down drinking coffee. Symbolizing lust."

"The second row had dishes on the dining table of a Michelin restaurant in Anzhen printed on it. Symbolizing gluttony."

"The third row had the portrait of the owner of this building, Anzhen Qi, who is also one of the most famous chaebols in Anzhen. Symbolizing greed."

"The fourth row had a corner of the largest amusement park in Anzhen printed on it. The amusement park's logo is a fat smiling face. This is a place for people to rest. Symbolizing sloth."

"The fifth row had a photo of the Anzhen president in high spirits when he was elected. Symbolizing pride."

"The sixth row had the map of the neighboring big country Longxia printed on it. This country has many things that people in Anzhen desire but don't have. This is envy."

"The seventh row is a photo of Anzhen football star Sun Xingming shooting and scoring during the World Cup group stage. He had always been questioned that he could only score in the club but not in the national team, so he scored in anger. Symbolizing wrath."

Yin Junchi actually didn't notice these...

But now he found that it actually made some sense. He was a little scared.

He had written stories about novels reflecting reality, but he had never experienced it.

Wen Xishu smiled:

"Let me spoil the ending first. Seven people die in this story..."

"Guess, will that novelist survive?"

Yin Junchi froze.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 71 =====