Mist of Time: Trapped in an Endless Loop

“Damn it, I actually fell asleep!”
Shen Xin hurriedly wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth and glanced at the phone mounted on the electric scooter’s dashboard.
Time: Midnight, 12 o’clock.
Location: Academic Avenue, University City.
A faint chime sounded—a new order had arrived. Shen Xin snatched it up without hesitation, acting on instinct.

At 12:20 a.m., Shen Xin, the food delivery worker, was riding his scooter along a mountain road at the outskirts of Ox City, rushing to deliver the order.
He bitterly regretted his choice; he’d only accepted the job because of the high delivery fee, not realizing how remote the destination would be. If he’d known, he wouldn’t have taken it. But now, he was stuck—if he didn’t deliver, his whole day’s work would be wasted.

From time to time, piercing cries echoed through the darkness, sounding eerily like a baby’s wail. Shen Xin felt a chill running down his spine.
Luckily, after about ten minutes, he finally reached his destination.

Before him stood a large, seemingly abandoned courtyard in the mountains. The rusted iron gate was ajar, and several cars were parked inside; one still had its headlights on, illuminating the three figures visible from outside.
Nervously, Shen Xin picked up the large bag of food containers and entered the courtyard.
“Hello, are you the customer with the number ending in 7788?” he asked.
“Yes, that’s me!” replied a young man in black clothing, his hair cropped short.
Shen Xin handed the food to the young man and wished him an