After listening to my full account of the incident, Yashu frowned slightly, resting her chin on her hand as if deep in thought. I continued to present the theories swarming in my head:
-"Perhaps that organization is an alliance of 'high-level' individuals where they exchange information about players. And it's very likely... that Ming and the person stalking us are both members of this strange organization."
-"This world has too many secrets; it feels like things are getting more and more complicated," Yashu replied with a sigh.
-"You feel that way too?" I flashed a self-deprecating smile.
Yashu looked up at me, her eyes unable to hide her anxiety:
-"So, you were spotted by those two yesterday? Is Ming certain that it was you?"
-"Yeah... almost certainly. Because besides the two of us, there's no one else in this shop who is a 'player'."
The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy. In the silence, only the sound of our heavy sighs remained.
Qing Yashu took a deep breath, her voice dropping as if trying to suppress her skepticism:
-"How are we supposed to face Manager Ming later?"
My fingers tightened slightly. That was the very question that had kept me tossing and turning all last night. But when I forced myself to think rationally, I noticed something strange: those two hadn't pursued me, nor had they issued any immediate threats. Perhaps the information I overheard wasn't vital enough for them to "protect at all costs." If that was the case, he would act as if nothing happened when he saw me again.
Despite reassuring myself with logic, my chest still tightened with anxiety. The guilt and fear of someone who had just eavesdropped on a dark conspiracy weren't easily brushed away.
I looked over at Yashu, keeping my tone as calm as possible:
-"I think it'll be fine. If they wanted to silence me, last night would have been the perfect time. There's no reason to wait until the two of us are together just to add more trouble."
But time waits for no one. After a quick exchange of final details, we split up and headed back to our rooms to change into our uniforms for the shift.
Normally, Manager Ming wouldn't show up early in the morning unless we were lagging behind. He usually only appeared in the late afternoon to check on progress, then vanished as abruptly as if he had never existed. A silent and eerie presence, no different from a ghost.
Never before had I worked in such a spine-chilling state; even my first day stepping into this shop wasn't this terrifying. It felt as if Manager Ming was standing somewhere in a dark corner, quietly observing me with a piercing, calculating gaze.
Gradually, I realized a bizarre commonality among everything in this Eerie World: they love to observe.
Even the Sun and the Moon weren't ordinary celestial bodies, but giant eyes with pitch-black pupils, as deep as an abyss. From the strange painting in my room to the inverted eye hanging from the ceiling in the second Demon Gate mission, and even the currency in this world... everything was an eye.
They just stared down, silent and cold. In the end, was their presence a warning, or a mockery directed at those struggling within this game?
Lines of thought tangled in my head while my limbs moved by pure instinct. Customers came and went like ghosts; crimson, cold demon bills were continuously stacked into the tray on the counter.
I suddenly realized that time was passing abnormally today. Perhaps on other days, the monotonous repetition made it feel endless, but today, because I was so preoccupied with unravelling the knots in my heart, the surrounding space seemed to fast-forward.
Before long, the sweltering midday heat vanished, giving way to the creeping shadows of twilight...
Finally, that moment arrived. Yashu and I silently cleared the tables as the afternoon light faded completely. Qing Yashu glanced at me, her eyes pensive as if reading the tension in her teammate's heart. She spoke, her voice low like a reassurance:
-"Don't worry too much. I don't think Manager Ming will do anything too terrible to you. After all... like you said, their leader seems to have an eye on you..."
Suddenly, Yashu froze. Realizing she had let something slip, she quickly tried to fix it, her voice stammering slightly:
-"No! I mean... everything will surely be fine."
I stared at her, stunned. This was the first time I had seen the composed Yashu become so panicked. Perhaps she was in shock because, after all, Yashu had always insisted to me that Manager Ming was a good person.
I understood what Yashu meant. She only wanted to say that since Yue Lord was keeping an eye on me, Manager Ming probably wouldn't dare step out of line. But she also realized that being "noticed" by the head of a mysterious organization was hardly a good omen, which was why she had hurried to retract her words.
While the atmosphere was frozen in awkwardness, a figure suddenly appeared at the entrance of the staff hallway, making me freeze.
It was Manager Ming.
It wasn't clear how long he had been standing there, only that a strangely kind smile was plastered on his face. But in this context, that smile only made my skin crawl and my hair stand on end.
I shivered slightly, forcing myself to regain composure. Although I had mentally prepared for this situation all day, facing that gaze - which felt like it was drilling into my very soul - I couldn't help but feel like shrinking back. I absolutely could not guess what he was plotting behind that benevolent expression.
-"How was work for you two today?" Manager Ming's low voice rang out. It was the usual inquiry, yet it sounded so heavy.
-"It was great..." Yashu answered quickly, trying to keep her tone as natural as possible. "There were more customers than usual today; it was a very productive day!"
He nodded slightly, appearing satisfied.
Though he was responding to Yashu, Manager Ming's eyes were locked onto me, unmoving. When I met that gaze, I instinctively looked away, utterly lacking the courage to face him directly. It felt as if he was reading every erratic heartbeat in my chest.
Fortunately, Manager Ming left immediately after, fast as a gust of wind. By the time I managed to look up, his figure had completely vanished as if he had never been there.
Only when he was out of sight did I dare take a deep breath, but my chest remained tight, unable to relax.
Manager Ming had just stood there, looking at me without any other move. It was this silence that was the sharpest weapon, far more unpredictable than the ferocious demons in previous missions. It pressed an invisible, suffocating pressure onto my mind.
Perhaps because I had stayed awake for two consecutive nights, my mental state was beginning to crack. Too many events crashing in at once, plus the haunting nightmare about my mother... it all felt like it was squeezing the last drop of strength out of me.
Qing Yashu quietly watched Manager Ming until he disappeared down the hallway before letting out a soft sigh of relief. Turning to look at me, she suddenly noticed how terrible I looked. Yashu stepped closer and placed a hand on my shoulder - a gentle touch, yet heavy with the weight of comfort.
-"Are you okay? You look very pale. Do you need to rest for a bit?" she asked, her voice dropping, unable to hide her worry. "How about you head back to your room first? I'll cook something and bring it over later."
The unexpected offer left me slightly flustered. In this world full of observation and danger, a simple offer of care made me feel unusually warm.
-"That... would be too much trouble for you," I replied shyly, my eyes darting away.
-"It's fine, it's a small thing," she answered softly, pulling her hand back, though her gaze lingered on my face for a moment longer.
With that, I heavily dragged my feet toward the staff quarters, with Yashu silently walking behind me like a quiet escort. Stopping in front of the wooden door with the old number 109, I pushed it open and stepped inside.
Before the door closed, I glanced through the small gap. Under the dim lights of the hallway, Yashu's blue hair swayed slightly with her steps. She stopped and gave me a gentle smile - a rare smile that made her usually cold face soften.
Involuntarily, the corners of my lips twitched upward. I smiled back at her - a natural response that perhaps even I didn't expect.