From a distance, Gu Mian saw the crowded insurance company. He was asking Coach Che to identify anyone he might know in the crowd when he heard the harsh sound of tires screeching against the road.

Instinctively, he thought a car was losing control and heading straight towards him. He immediately pulled Coach Che, and they both jumped back a large step.

He stood frozen for a couple of seconds, but seeing no oncoming vehicle, he looked up in the direction of the sound.

He saw a bus, exhaust fumes spewing from its rear, hastily departing and disappearing in an instant.

Keke, too, was watching the bus leave. I've never seen a bus look so frantic before, she thought.

Wind Blows Butt Cool, who was about to reveal himself to save Gu Mian, was startled by the bus's sudden turn. He froze for a moment. Just as he recovered and was about to warn Gu Mian, someone from the insurance building suddenly shrieked, "The one surnamed Gu is here! Everybody run!"

It turned out the loud screech from the bus's abrupt stop had drawn the attention of people inside the hall.

They looked out, and to their shock, saw the ferocious-looking, menacing man in a white lab coat carrying a guitar case. He was already nearby, apparently guided by two insiders.

The person who spotted Gu Mian conscientiously shouted a warning to the others, then turned to flee.

But the menacing Gu Mian was right outside the door now. The man didn't dare run towards the entrance and frantically searched for any nook or cranny with a window he could jump through.

At this point, the hall erupted into a frenzy, with everyone pushing and jostling to escape.

Amidst the chaos, someone yelled, "There's a back door on the right side of the hall!"

Everyone then swarmed and pushed towards the right.

Poor Zhao Tiankuo had just squeezed his way to the counter. He was about to finalize his insurance when he heard someone shout that Gu Mian had arrived.

His first instinct was to flee with the crowd. But on second thought, my insurance is almost complete. If Gu Mian threatens me with a saw, my insurance will kick in and boot Gu Mian out of the instance!

With this thought, he regained his courage, sat back down, and looked at the counter staff. "Could you please hurry up and get me…"

His words died in his throat. The counter behind him was empty; the employees had vanished at some point.

Now Zhao Tiankuo couldn't sit still. Cursing the unreliable employees of the insurance company, he leaped up and pushed his way towards the back door with the crowd.

Seeing he'd been spotted and the people inside were scrambling to escape, Gu Mian didn't bother asking Coach Che for identifications anymore. He strode directly into the insurance company's entrance and reached out to grab those lagging at the back.

He snagged two people at once: one was a balding, middle-aged man, and the other was a woman wearing glasses who looked like a secretary.

Even though they were caught, the two didn't give up and continued to struggle.

At this moment, Keke also ran in. She dutifully unzipped the guitar case on Gu Mian's back, revealing a gleaming saw.

Perhaps startled by the shine, the two individuals recoiled and stopped struggling.

Coach Che, whom Gu Mian had left behind, initially wanted to take the opportunity to escape. But after glancing at the gleaming saw in Gu Mian's bag and then at the sly-looking Four-Eyed Boy watching him nearby, he abandoned the idea.

In that short time, most people in the hall had managed to escape. Of course, not all of them used the back door. Some, in their panic, jumped out of windows. Even if they twisted an ankle upon landing, they didn't cry out in pain but sprinted with wills of steel, covering a hundred meters in an impressive ten seconds, before vanishing completely.

The hall became eerily empty. The two NPCs in Gu Mian's grasp hung their heads, their faces etched with despair, as if they had lost all hope in life.

Outside, Wind Blows Butt Cool and Moonfall Crow Cries were also stunned by the scene.

"What just happened? The people inside, why did they… why did they…"

"It's like they saw a ghost."

Wind Blows Butt Cool couldn't understand. "They seemed to scatter because they saw the doctor. I heard them shout something like, 'The one surnamed Guo is here!' before they fled."

"Was it 'Guo'? That doesn't sound right. What's so scary about someone named Guo?" Moonfall Crow Cries hadn't clearly heard the earlier shouts either. Anyway, they only started fleeing in panic after seeing the doctor's group, but that group doesn't look intimidating at all, she thought. They were perplexed as to why the people in the insurance company had reacted that way.

Could there be something terrifying among the five newcomers?

"Should we still try to find that doctor?" Moonfall Crow Cries asked, seeking Wind Blows Butt Cool's opinion. "I observed earlier; the man with glasses and the young girl at the back are both players. The three of them must be together."

Wind Blows Butt Cool pondered for a few seconds. "Let's observe a bit longer. These players seem very strange. By the way, did you see Zhao Tiankuo come out?"

Moonfall Crow Cries shook her head. "I didn't see him come out. There were probably too many people, so I didn't notice."

Just then, her cell phone BEEPED. It took Moonfall Crow Cries half a second to realize Feng Cheng had sent her a message.

She immediately opened her phone to look.

*Feng Cheng: I'm feeling a bit unwell. I've left school and am heading home. I'm already on Sunshine Road.*

Reading the message, Moonfall Crow Cries was a little puzzled.

Feng Cheng had previously been so dismissive, disappearing after just a few words. Why is he suddenly messaging me now, saying he's not feeling well and even telling me his location? His sudden disclosure of his whereabouts feels really off.

He said he was on Sunshine Road.

Sunshine Road…

Moonfall Crow Cries' eyes widened in realization. The road beneath their feet was Sunshine Road!

They had checked the street sign when they arrived; the insurance company was on Sunshine Road, and they were right next to it.

Her phone BEEPED again. Moonfall Crow Cries looked down.

*Feng Cheng: I'm almost at Sunshine Insurance Company.*

Reading this, Moonfall Crow Cries instantly tensed up. "Quick, let's go! Get out of here!"

She grabbed Wind Blows Butt Cool beside her and started pulling him away.

"What's wrong?" Wind Blows Butt Cool whispered. "Aren't we going to observe those three players anymore?"

Moonfall Crow Cries, cautiously scanning their surroundings, pulled him away even faster. "My love interest says he's almost at the Sunshine Insurance Company. I'm afraid we'll run into him if we stay here."

Encountering her love interest now was not a good thing; it would most likely lead to danger.

"Then let's get out of here quickly," Wind Blows Butt Cool agreed, quickening his pace. Those three players in the insurance company are too strange. I don't dare approach them rashly. Better to leave first.

The pair slipped away stealthily.

Through the glass door, Keke spotted two shadowy figures darting past the landscaping outside. Probably fleeing NPCs, she thought.

She shifted her gaze back to Gu Mian, who was now interrogating the two NPCs he held.

"Do you work here?"

"No, no! I just came here to buy insurance! I work at the Ghost Museum, several kilometers away. I'm an honest, law-abiding citizen. I've never joined any Anti-Gu Mian Association, never bought any Gu Mian and Coach Che merchandise from the supermarket, and I certainly haven't purchased the latest Gu Mian Detector…" 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Just as the balding man was desperately trying to convey his honesty and innocence, a circle of semi-transparent red floating text suddenly unfurled around Gu Mian.

"Warning! Warning!"

"Harmful substance detected! Please escape immediately!"

"Please tie your shoelaces securely when fleeing!"

"Toy Goose Brand Escape Trainers—Anti-Gu Mian shoes are the best! Wear them and enjoy the thrill of leaving Gu Mian in the dust! Call 123-xxxxxxxx to order now~"

This thing even has an advertisement? Gu Mian thought.