Chapter 37.5 ?

Xu Ming wanted to ask but didn’t. Instead, the blubberman in her mind thoughtfully spoke:

“Probably the same as Gu Yunshu and you. Essentially relying on and establishing a binding relationship with the root of the anomaly to enhance one’s existence. This can indeed help the dead maintain their sanity, but it also makes it impossible to leave easily…”

Xu Ming paused for a moment, her lips barely moving, but she didn’t ask further and continued her work.

Behind her, Gu Yunshu, who was massaging her shoulders, seemed lost in thought and glanced in the direction the guests were leaving.

The guests were being led deeper into the first-floor corridor. She watched the back of the last person, pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, “Are they going to Room 8107?”

“Yes.” The front desk employee nodded, still not looking up, “It hates the number 7.”

So, the corresponding rooms 8107, 8207, and 8307 are relatively safe.

Xu Ming suddenly understood, nodded, and looked at the bizarre text she had just received, casually changing the “13” in it to “7.”

On the other side, as the group of staff transporting the guests left, the hall became much emptier.

Only the clocks they brought continued to tick faster and faster, some of them even spinning like electric fans.

Just as the hands of the clocks were about to point to twelve, Mint, who had been sitting in the room, finally came out.

—The hair wrapped around her eyes and ears was gone. She still looked very confused, occasionally glancing around as if looking for something.

“Um, my friend said I should wait and follow you guys…” She hesitated for a moment, turned to Xu Ming, looking helpless and uneasy.

“Oh, that’s totally fine!” Before she could finish, Qiu Yufei had already greeted her familiarly, pulling her towards another table, “Come, sit here first. We’ll complete the checkout procedures, and then you can leave when the door opens… Oh right, keep this paper safe. Put it somewhere visible… Do you have your work badge? Not yet? Okay, I’ll get one for you. Just tuck this paper inside the badge cover…”

Qiu Yufei said this, turned around, and ran back to the front desk, leaving Mint alone, staring blankly at the piece of paper in her hand.

On it were only a few simple handwritten lines:

? Congratulations on being selected to participate in the special feedback event of [Magic Cube Mansion].

? To ensure your activity rights, please wait outside the hotel after getting off the bus. Do not enter the hotel, thank you! ?

The signature was “Urban Legend Demolition Office.”

Mint: “…?” What does it mean?

She couldn’t understand it, but a faint chuckle sounded in her ear. Her friend’s calm voice came from behind: “These guys are quite good, aren’t they?”

Mint: “…??”

Even more confused.

At this moment, Qiu Yufei had already returned with the work badge, teaching her hand by hand how to stuff the paper into the badge, ensuring that Mint would see it as soon as she opened her eyes, and then lightly exhaled.

Mint, however, tilted her head slightly at this moment, paused for two seconds, and whispered, “That, my friend asked me to ask you, have you seen someone wearing red…”

She stopped herself again. Qiu Yufei looked over in confusion, only to see Mint frown, nod, and then shake her head.

“Never mind.” Mint said, “My friend said it’s almost over, no need to inquire anymore.”

Qiu Yufei was even more puzzled. At this moment, suddenly all the clocks chimed, and two staff members quickly stepped forward, heading straight to the door—

Twelve o’clock, arrived.

Or rather, the twelve o’clock recognized by the Magic Cube Mansion rules, arrived.

The staff guarding nearby immediately spoke out, reminding all the guests present to quickly check out and prepare to leave. Xu Ming also quickly packed up and walked briskly to the front desk. After finishing the checkout procedure and running to the door, she was again dumbfounded.

“This door… seems a bit off, right?”

She scrutinized the door that was less than a third open, and turned to the hotel staff next to her for confirmation. The latter had a blank face, no expression, only a slight worry in the eyes.

“No choice.” She said to Xu Ming, “It can only open this much.”

… Meaning, this rule, the only way humans can leave the hotel, was still affected by the butterfly?

Xu Ming couldn’t help but frown, while Qiu Yufei was very optimistic, skillfully soothing the emotions of other guests and urging them to leave.

But this kind of “open, but not fully open” door was really inconvenient. The hotel’s door was a sensorless sliding glass door, and now it was only half-open in the middle. Worried that the door might suddenly close again, two hotel staff members voluntarily stepped forward to hold the sides of the sliding door, leaving a gap in the middle, barely enough for one person to pass through at a time.

But now, there’s no choice.

Xu Ming and the two from Anxin Gardening exchanged a look and sensibly stood back. Gu Yunshu tested it by going out first and, confirming no problems, Mint was the second to be pushed out the door. Next was the driver with yellow hair and the innocent bystander who came in with Fang Xueqing and the others.

Qiu Yufei was the fourth to leave. Following her were Fang Xueqing and Xu Ming, with Ling Guang choosing to bring up the rear.

However, just as Fang Xueqing was about to step forward, Xu Ming’s mind was once again filled with the voice of the blubberman.

“Something bad—” Xu Ming heard its voice cut off abruptly, and almost simultaneously, her neck suddenly tightened, a familiar intense sense of oppression heavily assaulted her again—

“Wait!” Her heart inexplicably skipped a beat, and by the time Xu Ming reacted, her hand had already grabbed Fang Xueqing’s collar.

In response to her was Fang Xueqing’s bewildered and surprised gaze. Almost at the same time, there was a loud “bang”—

The big door slammed shut heavily in front of them.