ICSST Ch3: Identity

After getting out of the car, the players found themselves in front of a manor built against a hill. The dark Gothic architecture exuded a sense of desolation as dusk approached.

The gate of the manor was open, and a lake was faintly visible inside.

An unknown, strange bird swooped low, and as water splashed, it easily caught a fish from the lake.

Having successfully captured its prey, the bird flew out of the manor, and as it passed overhead, fishy-smelling droplets fell from the sky, causing everyone to hastily dodge. However, the bird continued to circle above, allowing everyone to finally see that it resembled a crow, but its beak was longer than its body.

“Why is it always circling around me? Go away!” The middle-aged man, already superstitious, found the bird ominous and tried to drive it away with a stone.

The strange bird, attacked, dropped the fish.

The dead fish fell heavily to the ground, and from its mouth, a blood-stained severed finger spilled out.

The middle-aged man took a closer look and shuddered: “Damn! It’s a severed finger.”

As he backed away, he bumped into Zhou Qi’an.

Previously too scared to make a sound, the middle-aged man felt a bit safer with the human touch and repeated, “There, there is…”

But Zhou Qi’an was looking ahead with a slightly relaxed expression: “Mountains and water.”

It had been three years since he last took a vacation. This scenery could easily be a resort outside.

“The green coverage must be at least seventy percent. But the trees on the south side are too tall, affecting the lighting.”

Thinking of the old, shabby apartment he had bought outside the Third Ring Road with its high mortgage, Zhou Qi’an felt a pang of bitterness.

The middle-aged man suddenly found the young man in front of him scarier than the severed finger, as if he were on a different wavelength.

The female player took out a handkerchief, wrapped the severed finger, and examined it carefully.

Zhou Qi’an continued to enjoy the view.

The leaves on both sides were mostly red, and in the middle stood a crooked wooden sign made of withered wood. The weathered board bore the manor’s name in thick red paint: Liangye Manor.

The last to get off the car was Mr. Si, who loved exaggerated expressions and gestures. Spreading his arms, he said, “The world should be a sea of joy, and we are committed to bringing a smile to everyone’s face. Today, we will plant another seed of happiness.”

Zhou Qi’an whispered to the middle-aged man, “He’s simply insane.”

The middle-aged man gave him a complex look.

You’re not afraid of dying, are you?

If the staff could control life and death, the old players would have already tried to bribe them. Zhou Qi’an believed that these terrifying creatures didn’t have much authority in the game, at least not enough to know the players’ real-life situations.

Otherwise, Mr. Si wouldn’t have looked surprised when Zhou Qi’an answered “killed my wife.”

He’s not the boss, not a client.

Why respect him?

Mr. Si’s long ears twitched, and his rabbit-like eyes turned redder. He continued, “This manor was built by a local wealthy man named Xun. Everyone called him Xun the Wealthy.

Xun the Wealthy was once very rich, but because of his bad temper and greed, his family fell apart in middle age.”

“Luckily, in his old age, his mind isn’t so good. He’s often delusional and recognizes thieves as his own sons.”

The players exchanged glances, wondering what was “lucky” about his situation.

“Your task is simple: pretend to be Xun the Wealthy’s relatives and take care of this lonely old man so he can enjoy his twilight years.”

Every project needed a goal. One of the old players asked, “To what extent do we need to take care of him?”

Mr. Si smiled mysteriously, licked his lips with a crimson tongue, and his eyes glinted with greed: “Take care of him until he’s willing to hand over his inheritance to you.”

Then he added, as if kindly reminding them, “Don’t let him find out you’re impostors. Like all rich men, Xun the Wealthy hates being deceived. The consequences of being discovered would be dire.”

He blinked, and his overly long eyelashes, also red, fluttered as he said “dire,” while his smile grew even brighter.

The old players had heard such threats many times before but couldn’t help frowning.

The players’ panels suddenly updated with task prompts:

【Instance: The Best Heir
Instance Difficulty: Three and a Half Stars

Main Task: Mountains of gold and silver are your treasures. Strive to become the best heir!

Instance Time: Maybe night, maybe daybreak.

Number of Players: 6 (Lucky Six, Great Fortune)】

The panel content became instantly richer, and a store option appeared, though it currently showed “Not open, will be available after players pass the newbie field.”

Zhou Qi’an was puzzled: “If there are panel prompts, what’s the need for staff?”

Old players: Good question.

But they chose not to ask.

Mr. Si coldly replied, “Many aspects can be handled more flexibly by the staff.”

Zhou Qi’an thought about it and understood. It’s like every organization has some idle positions.

He searched the panel but found no suggestion box to propose that the game should consider its costs. Instead of spending money on staff, they should convert it all into rewards for grassroots players.

The grassroots are the foundation of the game!

Zhou Qi’an muttered to himself, which the others overheard, making the old players look at him more favorably.

The female player said, “You deserve to be honored in the Temple of Ancestors.”

Zhou Qi’an’s eyes lit up.

She added, “But you should know that the Temple of Ancestors is the highest honor after death.”

Hadn’t he noticed Mr. Si’s rabbit eyes turning red with anger?

Zhou Qi’an glanced over and saw it was true.

“Something’s wrong.”

He was referring to himself.

Since entering the instance, Zhou Qi’an has felt his temper becoming much more irritable than usual. This irritability wasn’t due to fear of the unknown; it felt like some violent factor in his blood had been activated.

“Maybe it’s the air,” Zhou Qi’an immediately blamed the environment. Every breath here carried a faint, bloody smell that made people feel hot and restless.

Mr. Si checked the time and continued in his exaggerated tone, “Heirs spreading love and care, you need to successfully enter the villa before eight o’clock.”

Not delaying any longer, everyone quickly headed towards the manor.

Zhou Qi’an reached into his pocket, only to find his phone missing. The others were in the same situation, but fortunately, the old players had tools specifically for checking the time.

There were only ten minutes left until eight.

The half-open iron gate was pushed open, and its damaged body made a creaking sound like a strange laugh.

The greenery inside the manor was even more abundant than Zhou Qi’an had estimated, with eerie trees everywhere. The most disgusting part was the lake. Mr. Si specifically led them around it, and the lake’s surface was covered with a greasy, oily substance.

The exterior scene was so grotesque that when Mr. Si knocked on the door and the villa’s lights poured out, it felt warm.

“Who are you?” The man who opened the door wore rimless glasses and had a scholarly, handsome face with a noticeable scar at the corner of his eye.

He was dressed simply in a shirt and jeans, speaking with a lack of confidence, giving the overall impression of being attractive but weak.

Mr. Si smiled and said, “May I ask if Mr. Xun is at home?”

The man nodded, then timidly repeated, “Who are you?”

Zhou Qi’an quickly answered again, “I am Mr. Xun’s son.”

Mr. Si had only mentioned that his mind was not well and that his wife and children had left, indicating that the number of close relatives was limited, so it was necessary to seize the opportunity now.

Everyone was shocked by his boldness.

At the very least, they should assess the situation before speaking up.

The female player was the first to recover, seeing that Zhou Qi’an was fine, and she looked at the man with glasses who had opened the door with an expression of disdain, as if saying, “You don’t even know who I am?” She coldly snorted, “Who am I? Of course, I’m the heartless wife.”

The man first looked at Zhou Qi’an, then at her, and was stunned: “Aunt Su? How is that possible…”

Unfortunately, it sounded like the identities they were impersonating were known to the man.

Zhou Qi’an’s expression didn’t change: “Men change a lot in eighteen years.”

The female player calmly said: “I had plastic surgery.”

The man looked wary: “Do you have any evidence?”

Zhou Qi’an looked at the female player: “I can prove this is my mom.” He cleared his throat, “Mom.”

The female player’s eyelid twitched.

Then she said: “This brat is indeed my son.”

It could be said that their acting was unconvincing.

The old player at the back glanced at the clock, seeing there were only three minutes left.

His hand, playing with a small knife behind his back, confirmed that the man at the door wasn’t Xun the Wealthy. If he continued to obstruct, they might have to force their way in.

Not to mention, the shoddy lies left the middle-aged man and the soon-to-be college student speechless.

Zhou Qi’an, however, remained calm, having seen only an abandoned hospital on his way in, making a paternity test impossible.

Everyone had the same goal, and they needed to get inside quickly.

“Tell Mr. Xun that his brother-in-law is here.” Two old players skillfully played the role of family members.

Mr. Si suddenly pushed the soon-to-be college student.

The latter snapped out of his shock and quickly nudged the female player’s arm: “If Uncle is still as grumpy as before, we’ll all help you.”

This action caught the old player’s attention, not understanding why Mr. Si would favor a newcomer.

The middle-aged man also patted the soon-to-be college student’s head: “That’s right, my son is considerate, always thinking of family.”

After they spoke, they all pushed their way in together.

The doorman, shoved and stumbling, was speechless.

He looked at Mr. Si, who was still standing at the door, and wasn’t scared by his rabbit face: “And you are…”

“I’m here to apply for a job.” Mr. Si gracefully bowed.

The doorman waved his hand repeatedly: “We don’t need any more servants here.”

“No, please don’t misunderstand; I’m applying to be the stone sculpture at the gate. I can guard the house and keep the wealth.”

After speaking, Mr. Si stood motionless at the door. Under the deepening night, his outline darkened, making him look like a real stone sculpture.

The doorman, looking timid, seemed very easy to persuade: “…Well, that could work, but we won’t pay a high salary.”

“Ahem.” An elderly cough came from upstairs, breaking this absurd scene: “Xun Er, who’s here?”

The old man coming down the stairs was unsteady. He paused when he saw the middle-aged man. After a few seconds, he excitedly threw away his cane, nearly falling down the stairs: “Son, is that you—”

Not long ago, he had dreamed of his wife and son returning. He hadn’t expected the dream to come true so soon. Although the old man no longer remembered what his son looked like, an inner voice told him: His son should be this age.

The middle-aged man was stunned a second time.

Zhou Qi’an stepped in front of him: “Dad.”

The old man was stunned a third time.

Zhou Qi’an: “Your son is here.”

Mr. Si had said the old man often mistook strangers for family, and Zhou Qi’an trusted his judgment.

The old man didn’t disappoint him. Although the ages didn’t match, he quickly rationalized: “You… you had plastic surgery?”

Zhou Qi’an nodded emphatically: “I did it with Mom; buy one, get one half off.”

The old man then looked at the only female player present.

The female player’s acting surged, as she both affectionately scolded him for not looking for her all these years and assessed the situation internally.

The lucky charm wasn’t used in vain. She was the only female player in this instance, giving her more opportunities to interact with key NPCs. Though it was more dangerous, it was also the easiest way to complete the task.

“My sister got plastic surgery just to see you better,” one player interjected, in a deep voice: “If you dare treat her badly, we won’t forgive you.”

Everyone chimed in, causing the already frail old man to feel dizzy. After a while, amid the chaotic reunion, he managed to say: “Let’s eat first.”

He looked at the man who had opened the door: “Xun Er, go prepare some food.”

Xun the Wealthy explained to Zhou Qi’an and the female player, “Xun Er is the child I adopted after you left. I often showed him your past photos and talked about the good times.”

To celebrate the belated family reunion, Xun the Wealthy appeared very happy: “I’ll go to the cellar to get a few bottles of wine.”

Saying this, he refused Zhou Qi’an’s support and went out alone.

For a moment, only the players were left in the hall.

“Let’s all introduce ourselves since we’ll be spending some time together,” the female player said with a smile, “My name is Han Li.”

The soon-to-be college student followed: “Just call me College Student. I don’t know if I’ll make it to college alive, but at least hearing that makes me happy.”

When it was the middle-aged man’s turn, he spoke with some pride: “You may have heard of the Feili Group; I’m one of the shareholders, Wang Mu. I’m new to the game, but I can help a lot in real life. Call me Boss Wang or just by my name.”

Zhou Qi’an moved his thin lips: “Qi’an, which means to seek peace.”

The man next to him found the name ironic, seeking peace only to end up in the game. He said, “My name is Han Tiansheng.”

Zhou Qi’an subconsciously looked at the female player.

Not only did they share the same surname, but the two seemed close throughout the journey. He remembered that the female player seemed to have called the man “brother.”

“Siblings?”

Han Tiansheng appeared to be older.

Han Tiansheng did not deny it.

Finally, it was the turn of the taciturn man, who said coldly: “Chen Jian.”

Very fitting to his character, like being tight-lipped.

The players briefly exchanged information until Xun Er brought out the dishes, stopping the conversation.

Zhou Qi’an voluntarily went to help serve the dishes.

“Father often talked to me about you and Aunt Su,” Xun Er smiled warmly at him.

This adopted son of Xun the Wealthy looked to be in his twenties. He managed the large villa daily, including cleaning and cooking.

Xun Er was still wearing a white apron with some red bloodstains on it: “It’s a bit late now, cooking would take too long, so I made sashimi for you.”

He turned and went back to the kitchen to bring the remaining dishes.

At this moment, Xun the Wealthy also came in with bottles of wine: “Everyone, sit down. Why are you all standing?”

Zhou Qi’an and Han Li naturally sat closest to Xun the Wealthy.

Xun Er, like a servant, diligently served everyone, setting the table before sitting down himself.

The light shone on a table full of fish and shrimp, reminding the players of the fish that spat out a severed finger in the lake, making them look uneasy.

“Taste it, all freshly caught this morning,” Xun the Wealthy said thoughtfully, first giving a piece to his ‘wife’ and then eagerly swallowing a slice of sashimi himself, savoring the taste with a lick of his lips.

The sound of him swallowing sent a shiver down their spines.

Han Li prepared to divert the trouble.

Zhou Qi’an noticed her small movements and decisively picked a piece and put it in front of her: “Mom, you eat more.”

Han Li, who was about to pass the fish slice to her ‘son,’ glared at him.

Under Xun the Wealthy’s intense gaze, Han Li had no choice but to take a small bite. As expected, it tasted foul and fishy.

Xun the Wealthy’s eyes instantly became more affectionate.

Han Li wiped her mouth and received a prompt that Xun the Wealthy’s favorability towards her had increased.

For now, it seemed this Xun the Wealthy was not an easy character, not just a lonely old man regretting his past—there was something fishy going on.

Xun the Wealthy personally poured a glass of wine for Zhou Qi’an.

This unusual behavior made Zhou Qi’an wary; what father would get up to pour wine for his son?

“I’ve wronged you. You’ve suffered all these years. Take this glass as an apology from your father.”

Buzz.

A mosquito flew in the air, and no one moved to chase it away. It landed on the bottle’s mouth, staying there for a while before either getting drunk on the alcohol or dying from it.

Xun the Wealthy ignored it and continued urging Zhou Qi’an to drink.

This scene made the other players shake their heads, thinking Zhou Qi’an was probably greedy and chose first or second-level organ evolution. Otherwise, why was his starting difficulty so high?

Zhou Qi’an picked up the glass, his thick bangs covering his expression.

An old player once said the game was fair, but his obvious advantage had clearly disrupted that fairness. To be safe, he had chosen to evolve a toe rather than the whole foot.

As expected, the worst-case scenario happened. Compared to the others, he was more easily targeted.

Relying on his initial skills, Zhou Qi’an boldly took a sip. The taste was much stronger than any wine on the market.

Then he quietly checked his panel:

【Poison Resistance +1.】

【As long as you don’t die from drinking, drink as much as you can. They can’t poison you to death.】

“…”

It was clear the wine was poisoned, but the toxicity wasn’t high.

Xun the Wealthy, seeing Zhou Qi’an unaffected, poured him another glass, while he himself used the excuse of not feeling well to drink tea instead of wine.

Their glasses clinked lightly in the air.

The amount wasn’t much, and Zhou Qi’an drank it all in one go.

【Poison Resistance +1.】

“Father, pour more.”

Zhou Qi’an’s tone was more like telling his father to pour. The glass was by his hand, and with the long table, Xun the Wealthy had to stand up and bend over each time to pour the wine.

【Poison Resistance +1.】

“Pour.”

【Poison Resistance +1.】

“Pour again.”

【Poison Resistance +1.】

Red wine being ineffective, Xun the Wealthy went out again, trembling on his thin legs, and returned with a good bottle of high-proof liquor.

The alcohol content was high, enough to make most people drunk beyond recognition.

Getting drunk in this instance was definitely not a good idea.

However, after three rounds of drinks, Zhou Qi’an’s face didn’t turn red, nor did his heart race. Only his eyes turned slightly red: “There’s no one like Dad in the world.”

Xun the Wealthy finally couldn’t help but ask, “Son, how come you can drink so well?”

Zhou Qi’an: “Because I’ve worked.”

Old Biden, do you know what drinking culture is?

【Xun the Wealthy’s favorability towards you reluctantly increased by 5.】

Zhou Qi’an raised an eyebrow, amused by the reluctance.

Xun the Wealthy, panting heavily, decided to change tactics: “Stop drinking, eat something.”

Zhou Qi’an hesitated and took the initiative: “I want to eat shrimp, but I’m not good at peeling them. It’s also troublesome to remove the veins.”

Xun the Wealthy rolled up his sleeves, acting like a loving father, “No problem; Dad will peel them for you.”

Zhou Qi’an said nothing.

Living here, they’d have to eat. Shrimp seemed more acceptable than fish, at least the shrimp’s belly wouldn’t contain a severed finger.

Xun the Wealthy took out his reading glasses from his chest pocket, slowly removing the shrimp veins. He seemed to have a slight tremor, with his wrist shaking the whole time.

It took twenty seconds to peel a shrimp, but only two seconds to eat it. Zhou Qi’an ate and then sat obediently, big eyes watching Xun the Wealthy expectantly.

Xun the Wealthy wiped the sweat off his forehead and, under the eager gaze, continued peeling shrimp. After a while, he felt sore and aching, his old legs trembling under the table.

Outside, the wind howled. This time, favorability didn’t increase again. The cold wind slipped through his collar, and Zhou Qi’an’s gaze shifted from Xun the Wealthy to the window, wanting to close it.

The next second, he shuddered slightly.

Was he seeing things?

Zhou Qi’an couldn’t help rubbing his eyes, thinking he saw a very familiar figure flash by.

When he looked again in horror, there was nothing there.

It must be the alcohol.

Zhou Qi’an reassured himself.

“I’m full,” he suddenly said.

Xun the Wealthy, as if receiving a pardon, sat down.