Li Mianmian? Hearing this name, Ike's face darkened. When the wedding invitations were being handed out, the three of them hadn't opened them carefully; each had just randomly picked one. They never expected to receive such a effeminate name!
Immediately following, the announcements of Hassan and Lina's arrival rang out: "Li Youqian from Li Family Village, congratulations on your new marriage!" "Li Mazi from Li Family Village, congratulations on your new marriage!"
[Hahahaha, I can't take it, I'm dying of laughter! What the heck is this muscular hunk Li Mianmian?]
[Family members, does anyone understand?! What does it feel like for a 2-meter-tall muscular man to be called Li Mianmian? Hahahaha]
[Stop laughing! I'm from America, let me laugh first, hahaha!]
[I hereby announce that from now on, Ike's Chinese name will be Li Mianmian, hahaha]
...
Ike, who was wearing a sour face at the moment, was completely that he had suddenly acquired a Chinese name. The three of them casually found a place to sit down, each with their own thoughts.
Ike, with a sour face: "We need to find a chance to kill that old man weirdly as soon as possible!"
A troubled Hassan: "With so many strange things, where will it be safest to hide if a fight breaks out?"
Anxious Lina: "It's almost 12 o'clock, I need to hurry and find a chance to sneak in and steal the key."
Manny, who had already hidden in a dilapidated house near Li Dezhu's home, thought: "They won't play with me, huh? So what! As long as I survive to the end, I'll be the winner!"
Seeing that all the strange figures from Li Family Village had taken their seats, Li Dezhu, leaning on his cane, walked out beaming: "Welcome, dear friends and relatives, to my son's wedding. The auspicious hour has arrived, please welcome the bride and groom—"
After Li Dezhu finished speaking, he saw Li Dali and Li Cuicui strangely follow two village women into the house.
The village woman walked strangely to the offering table and lifted the red cloth covering the two life-sized bundles, revealing two paper figures, a man and a woman! Both paper figures were dressed in wedding attire, no different from the paper figures Shi Xiao had seen in the real world, with two rosy cheeks painted on their pale faces. The only difference was that neither of the paper figures had eyes.
Li Shuilian led out a rooster and a hen from the inner room. Li Dezhu grabbed the chickens, swiftly drew their blood with a knife, filling a bowl with blood from each chicken. Using a brush dipped in the chicken blood, he prepared to dot the eyes of two paper figures.
Shi Xiao couldn't understand, so she quietly moved out of the room, stood next to Li Dali, and whispered, "Dali, isn't Brother Guangzong perfectly fine? Why doesn't he come out himself? Why do we have to use a paper figure to represent him in the wedding ceremony?"
Li Dali lowered his voice: "I heard my mother say that Brother Guangzong's three souls are incomplete, so the wedding ceremony he attended doesn't count. Using a paper effigy can temporarily gather his souls together."
So that's how it is. Li Guangzong has split into two people. We can't have both Li Guangzongs come to the wedding ceremony at the same time, can we? It seems that this is the method Zhou Nian mentioned for temporarily reuniting the souls of the two Li Guangzongs.
"And what about the bride? Is she also missing three souls?" Shi Xiao continued to inquire in a low voice.
Li Dali shook his head: "Hey, that's because Uncle Dezhu was afraid the person would escape, so he didn't dare to let them out."
At this moment, the eyes of the two paper figures were finished. The previously lifeless paper figures seemed to have been given life, their eyes moving strangely, making the already eerie and terrifying paper figures even more horrifying. For some reason, Shi Xiao felt that Zhou Nian's paper figure seemed to be staring intently at her.
Li Dali and Li Cuicui stepped forward, each supporting a paper figure until it stood firmly.
It was Odin's turn to appear as the master of ceremonies. Odin straightened his scholar's hat, adjusted the crimson coat he had snatched from Sun Chengye, and walked out of the room with a Bible in his hand, clearing his throat: "Ahem... well, today is a special day. Thank you to all the relatives and guests present to witness... the groom... um, Mr. Li Guangzong and the bride... um..."
"Zhou Nian, the bride Zhou Nian." Li Dali and Li Cuicui couldn't help but whisper a reminder, but unfortunately, Odin couldn't understand them!
"The happy moment of the bride...&%￥@&".
Shi Xiao sighed and rubbed her forehead. Was this priest even proper? She wondered where Odin had gotten the job of master of ceremonies from.
Odin felt wronged. He was a priest, and every couple in the surrounding villages would ask him to officiate their wedding. But he only officiated Western-style weddings! Chinese weddings... well, they were probably similar.
Then the strange people of Li Family Village saw their master of ceremonies, holding a Bible, walked up to the paper groom and solemnly said, "Groom Li Guangzong, do you take this lady beside you to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"
Paper groom: "..."
The villagers of Li Family Village: "..." What kind of new game is this? They'd heard that Li Guangzong's mentor came from the county town. Could it be that the supernatural rituals of worshiping heaven and earth are no longer popular, and this strange and unusual thing is all the rage now? Didn't you see how calm and collected the village chief was? He'd been to the county town and seen the world; he must have seen this kind of thing before, otherwise he wouldn't be surprised! Hmm, following the village chief's example is definitely the right thing to do!
Li Dezhu: "..." What kind of question is this? Why isn't it a wedding ceremony? Is this the modern wedding style that young people are into these days? Strange, why do the villagers all seem so unfazed? Oh no, am I being labeled an old-fashioned person? No, no, I need to stay calm, I need to act like I'm used to it and not bothered by honor or disgrace in order to keep things under control.
8bοOk.com
So no one in the village dared to speak of the strange occurrences, and they all stared at each other as Odin continued his performance. While the attention of all the strange beings was drawn to Odin, Lina secretly activated her invisibility ability and left her seat…
"Very well, groom, I have your answer." Odin then turned to the paper bride and continued, "Bride @￥#%% Ms., do you take this man beside you to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"
Paper Bride: "..."
The paper figures couldn't speak, and Odin didn't need them to reply. He nodded in a mocking manner, as if he had already heard the bride's answer, and continued on his own: "Very well, I heard your answer, it's so touching! Please give a round of applause to the newlyweds, wishing them a long and happy life together!"
What he received was a sparse ovation from the villagers present.
"Alright, groom, you may kiss your bride now." Before Odin had even finished speaking, all the strange creatures of Li Family Village widened their eyes in astonishment. Wow, this newfangled thing is really something! Have the strange creatures outside become this open-minded? This trip was definitely worthwhile!
The villagers, all craning their necks, eager to see the exciting spectacle, were astonished. Li Dezhu and Li Shuilian turned pale and hurriedly carried the two paper figures into the new house, urging Li Dali and Li Cuicui along.
Seeing that the excitement was over, the strange creatures sighed and pounded on the table, some even howling as if they wanted to climb onto the table and let out a roar. It wasn't until Li Dezhu brought out jars of good wine that they were finally calmed down.
[Odin is a real genius! He managed to turn a Chinese wedding banquet into a Western-style wedding, hahaha!]
[Hahaha, did you see that? Those weird, shocked looks are exactly like mine right now.]
[Strange: I don't understand, but I dare not say]
[Hahahaha, I'm dying of laughter during today's live stream!]
...
Shi Xiao casually ate a few bites of vegetarian food, glancing around. Li Dezhu and Li Shuilian were busy as bees, and the villagers were mostly drinking and eating, making a lively scene. She quietly got up and sneaked into Li Guangzong's room.
There were only two paper figures in the room, placed on the bed. When Shi Xiao entered, Zhou Nian, one of the paper figures, rolled her eyes, staring intently at her. there.
Without further hesitation, Shi Xiao shoved the wooden carving into the paper figure Li Guangzong's hand. The instant it touched him, the carving emitted a dark light that filled the entire room before spreading outwards…
Shi Xiao vaguely saw two figures of Li Guangzong in the dark light, one black and one white. The black figure was laughing, while the white figure was crying...
The villagers, who were drinking and eating meat in the courtyard and having a lively time, suddenly fell silent, and all of them saw Li Guangzong's memory.
They saw Li Guangzong carrying the bodies of everyone in the village, one by one, up the burial mound. He carried over a hundred bodies, more than a hundred times, until his shoes wore out, then he continued barefoot… They saw Li Guangzong slowly digging the pits, replacing the shovel with a hoe when it broke, then a sickle when the hoe broke, and continuing to dig with his hands when the sickle broke. He dug over a hundred pits, taking two whole years… They saw Li Guangzong writing the tombstones for them, tears streaming down his face, countless drops of blood and tears seeping into the black ink… They saw…
"Waaaaah—" Someone started it, and all the villagers in the courtyard outside couldn't help but burst into tears.
"It's too tragic, too tragic... Guangzong, my son..." Li Dezhu dropped the wine jar in his hand and sat on the ground, wailing loudly.
"Brother Guangzong, waaaaaah, you will always be our hero, waaaaah..." Maosheng'er and Li Dali hugged each other and cried bitterly.
Chaos erupted; the eerie atmosphere of the entire Li Family Village was now in complete disarray.
Inside the room, as the dark light dissipated, Shi Xiao saw the white figure within the light, tears streaming down its face, quietly dissipate. The instant the white figure vanished, the paper figure of Li Guangzong lying on the bed, its eyes filled with hatred, returned to their blank, lifeless state.
At the same time, in the ancestral hall on the mountaintop, Li Guangzong, lying in the black coffin, suddenly opened his eyes and spat out a mouthful of black blood. The anger and hatred in his eyes were exactly the same as those of the paper figure just now: "Li Gou Dan... you deserve to die! You destroyed the clone that was formed from one of my souls, and those players, you all have to die!"
With a loud "bang," the black coffin shattered into pieces under the wrath of Li Guangzong's malevolent clone.
Upon realizing the commotion at the ancestral hall, Li Dezhu's sobs abruptly ceased. He no longer cared about his son; he quickly stood up, grabbed his cane, and rushed into Li Guangzong's room. Someone had destroyed Li Guangzong's paper figures! It must have been those despicable players!
However, only two blank paper figures remained in the room; there was no sign of the player.
"Ah—find them! Find them all!" Li Dezhu roared angrily, his eyes flashing with a blood-red murderous intent.
Chaos reigned in the courtyard as the villagers transformed into monsters, leaving the players caught in the chaos with nowhere to hide.
The muscular giant, Ike, overturned the round table in front of him. A flash of silver light appeared in his hand, and a dagger appeared: "You've come at the right time, you old devil. Let me show you what your grandfather's dagger tastes like."
⑻вοoк. Cοm
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Enraged, Li Dezhu's legs, which had previously trembled as he walked, suddenly became unusually nimble. He figured that the burly man before him must be the powerful player who had severely injured Li Daniu, forcing him to retreat to the graveyard to rebuild his ghostly form. The man and the ghostly figure clashed, their battle creating a dust storm, neither gaining the upper hand.
Lina, who had slipped away beforehand, had already found the tin box that Shi Xiao had told her about in Li Dezhu and Li Shuilian's room. She took out her cane, used the sharp end to puncture the tin box, got the key inside, and hurried to the cellar.
By the time chaos erupted in the courtyard, she had already carried the listless and lifeless Zhou Nian to the village entrance. She didn't know why, but when she found Zhou Nian, she was like a living dead; no matter what she said, Zhou Nian remained blankly unresponsive.
Lina went in and out of the village repeatedly, trying several times, but she didn't hear the success notification sound. It seemed she had to wake Zhou Nian up first.
Lina raised her hand and slapped Zhou Nian across the face three times, but Zhou Nian remained blank and unresponsive. Perhaps she hadn't used enough force? Lina raised her hand again, this time with more power.
However, before the slap could land, at the same time that Shi Xiao destroyed Li Guangzong's clone, Zhou Nian's soul returned. Her pupils suddenly focused, and as soon as she opened her eyes, she saw a large pen bag coming towards her. Zhou Nian shouted in surprise and dodged backward: "Damn it, what are you doing!"
The slap narrowly missed Zhou Nian's cheek. If she had been any later in waking up, the slap would have landed squarely on her face. But even though it didn't hit her, why did her face feel so hot? Zhou Nian covered her face, looking resentful: "Did you just hit me?"
Lina felt a little guilty: "No, I didn't hit you before you woke up."
"Then why does my face hurt so much?"
Lina's eyes darted around: "Maybe when I carried you out just now, I ran in time and accidentally tripped and fell..."
Seeing Lina's expression, Zhou Nian was somewhat suspicious, but at this moment, Li Family Village was already fraught with danger, so the two of them couldn't continue arguing and quickly left Li Family Village's territory.
The moment Lina stepped out of Li Family Village, she heard the game system notification: [Congratulations, you have completed the Silent Mountain Village instance.]
[Dungeon Completion Difficulty: 2 stars]
[Reward has been issued, please check your account.]
Lina disappeared from Li Family Village, while Zhou Nian sat down calmly at the village entrance. Lina's mission to rescue her was complete, but her own mission was not yet finished.
The once lively and festive courtyard was now littered with the bizarre and mutilated corpses of villagers. Li Dezhu, who was only a level 3 evil spirit, was already showing signs of being at a disadvantage. Seeing that he was no match for Ike, Li Dezhu roared to the sky, and his entire face suddenly split open, splitting into a terrifying, blood-red maw. He swallowed the scattered, bizarre corpses in one gulp, and as he swallowed them, the injuries on Li Dezhu's body began to heal themselves.
Oh no! I can't let him keep eating! If he continues to fuse with it, I'm afraid I won't be a match for this old geezer. With a heavy heart, Ike pulled out a black sphere from his bracelet. This was a one-time use item he had obtained in the previous dungeons, with an effect similar to a hand grenade in the real world.
"Old man, here's a big treasure for you, catch it!" Ike pressed the trigger switch, and the black sphere flashed red light rapidly before being thrown straight into Li Dezhu's gaping maw.
Completely bewildered, Li Dezhu caught the black sphere in his mouth. The sphere choked in his throat, followed by a deafening explosion—it sounded like it came from his own mouth! Ah… his head seemed to fly off…
Li Dezhu's head was blown off, and his body fell straight to the ground. Not feeling safe, Ike pulled out a dagger and went up to deliver a few more vicious blows until he heard the completion notification sound. Only then did Ike put the dagger away with peace of mind.
Congratulations! You have completed the Silent Mountain Village instance.
[Dungeon Completion Difficulty: 3 stars]
[Reward has been issued, please check your account.]
Manny, who was hiding nearby, had already been eerily discovered by the villagers. He frantically fled while repeatedly activating his innate skill, but despite flashes of white light, the skill failed to take effect. Damn it! His innate skill had never malfunctioned before. Could it be that all the remaining players had higher innate skill levels than him? No! That's impossible! He was the hope of India! He couldn't die!
However, despite his good intentions, the exhausted Manny was eventually caught up, and a horde of monsters swarmed around him, tearing him into pieces of flesh...
[Beep—Africa is out. Punishment for the scorching heatwave. Countdown begins in 1 hour...]
The cunning Hassan slipped out of the courtyard the moment the riot broke out. The entire Li Family Village was in chaos; now only one place remained truly safe. Hassan looked up at the ancestral hall atop the cemetery hill, hoping he could safely survive there until the dungeon ended.
As soon as Hassan entered the burial mound, he encountered the equally clever Odin. The two players glanced at each other, nodded to one another, and seemed to appreciate each other's talents. They then ran together toward the shrine.
When the two entered the ancestral hall, Li Guangzong's evil avatar had already left, and the coffin planks had fallen to the side. The two of them struggled to lift the coffin planks back up, and then they both crawled into the coffin and closed the coffin planks.
Although Li Guangzong's black coffin was large enough, two big men could only squeeze in, face to face, and couldn't even turn over.
Hassan: "I feel a bit cramped."
Odin: "If you think it's too crowded, get out."
8. Book. SOM
Hassan: "No, no, no, I think I can hold on a little longer."
Odin: "Um... my neck is a little itchy, could you scratch it for me?"
Hassan: "...This way? Or this way?"
Odin: "Ah, right, right, right here, right here, use a little force."
...
Zhou Nian, sitting at the village entrance, finally saw Shi Xiao rushing over with Black General. Shi Xiao's body was already mostly ethereal. She was panting heavily as she ran, shouting, "Quick! Catch me! I need to..." She couldn't hold on any longer.
However, before she could finish speaking, Shi Xiao's figure completely blurred, leaving the instance. She had already received the notification sound of success when Li Guangzong's pure good clone disintegrated. She had barely managed to hold on until now, but ultimately failed to personally deliver the Black General to Zhou Nian.
The black general wooden carving slipped from Shi Xiao's hand, fell to the ground, rolled a few times, and landed within the village's boundary wall. Zhou Nian wanted to go in to retrieve the carving, but a transparent barrier seemed to have appeared on the boundary of Li Family Village, blocking her way.
Zhou Nian's mission was complete; the moment she stepped out of Li Family Village, she could no longer re-enter. Standing at the village entrance, Zhou Nian stared anxiously at the wooden carving on the ground. It was over; she seemed to have botched things.
However, things took an unexpected turn. On the road leading to the village entrance, a tall, blond-haired boy suddenly appeared. He seemed to be injured and was not walking fast, but he was indeed getting closer and closer to Zhou Nian.
"Young man, could you help me pick up that wooden carving? I can't get in." Seeing hope again, Zhou Nian was so excited at the village entrance that he wanted to shout it out.
The boy was none other than Hughes, who had narrowly escaped death. He bent down and picked up the black wooden general carving from the ground, but did not immediately hand it to Zhou Nian. Hughes, who had been corrupted by the eerie energy, was extremely pale at this moment. Looking at Zhou Nian with a pitiful and tearful expression, he said, "Sister, can you save me?"
The audience on Earth went wild at the sight of this scene. Wow, who knew Hughes had this trick up his sleeve? The poor guy really got it right. His wet blue eyes were misty, and with his incredibly cutesy voice, who could resist?
Zhou Nian also couldn't resist. Her heart was completely softened by the pitiful little puppy in front of her. In a moment of impulse, she took out an item card from her bracelet. It was a [Level Clearance Card]!
[Wow, this is a level clear! She's a rich woman!]
[Is that the only clear card currently available on the entire planet?]
[Yes, it's said that the card is in the hands of Sigru in the United States.]
[Rich lady, I'm hungry, I need food!]
...
The moment Hughes obtained the completion card, he was enveloped in white light, and at the same time, the game system notification sounded in his ears: "[Congratulations, you have completed the Silent Mountain Village dungeon]".
[Dungeon Completion Difficulty: 0 stars]
No rewards, no punishments
Before Hughes left the instance, he handed the wooden carving in his hand to Zhou Nian. This time, his smile was exceptionally sincere: "Sister, thank you. If we have the chance to meet again, I will repay you."
Li Guangzong was missing one of his three souls, and this copy was already damaged. The wooden carving easily passed through the boundary wall of Li Family Village and was handed over.
Zhou Nian put away the wooden carving, wanting to say something more, but the blond boy in front of her had completely disappeared. Zhou Nian regretted it so much that she almost slapped her thigh: "Oh dear, my brain, I forgot to add him as a friend on Kuaixin!"
The moment the black general wood carving left the territory of Li Family Village, the entire village trembled violently, followed by a cataclysmic collapse. Starting from the edge of the village, the ground, walls, buildings... and the remaining villagers were all eerily disintegrating, slowly turning into dust.
The collapse gradually spread from the village to the cemetery, then to the ancestral hall on the mountaintop, until finally only the solitary ancestral hall on the mountaintop remained, faintly standing. Seeing that the floor and walls of the ancestral hall were also beginning to crack, Li Guangzong, his eyes bloodshot and filled with uncontrollable rage, failed to catch Zhou Nian, who had stolen the Ghost Star, and finally appeared inside the ancestral hall.
Li Guangzong's body surged violently with eerie black energy. These damned players stole his Ghost Star! They destroyed the village he had painstakingly reconstructed! Everything was ruined! And two damned players even hid in his coffin. Since they're here, they're not leaving!
With a loud bang, a palm strike carrying an intensely eerie aura overturned the coffin lid, revealing Hassan and Odin huddled together, trembling.
Hassan pulled out all the Ghost Coins he had ever carried with lightning speed, and respectfully presented them to the enraged Li Guangzong with both hands. His talent allowed him to earn 100,000 Ghost Coins daily in the dungeon. After deducting the 100,000 he had used to bribe Li Dezhu and the rest he had spent on gathering information, he now had 258,600 Ghost Coins left, which he offered up entirely.
The fierce killing intent in Li Guangzong's eyes hesitated for a moment. There was an opportunity! This move could work! Seeing this, Odin did not hesitate either. He immediately raised the Bible, chanted incantations, and golden light enveloped Li Guangzong.
Li Guangzong, who was originally burning with rage, suddenly felt incredibly relaxed and comfortable. Hmm? He didn't seem so angry anymore? Hmm? Why did he even have a faint feeling that he was about to break through?
8bOoK. Cοm
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Seeing that Li Guangzong's cold and stern face softened, Hassan seized the opportunity to quickly stuff a thick wad of strange coins into his hand.
When Shi Xiao destroyed the pure good clone formed from one of Li Guangzong's souls, he thought he had no hope of breaking through to the level of the Ghost King. Unexpectedly, there is always a way out. Li Guangzong suddenly felt that keeping these two alive wasn't a bad idea. He moved his fingers, and two black lights turned into tiny specks of light, landing on the foreheads of the two men respectively.
Although Hassan and Odin didn't know what Li Guangzong had placed between their eyebrows, it seemed they were likely to survive, thankfully.
But their joy lasted only two seconds before they both looked at each other with expressions of utter disbelief: "Did you hear that?" "You heard it too?"
Although Li Guangzong had clearly disappeared, the two of them could clearly hear his voice, as if it were right next to their ears: "Hide in the coffin until sunrise and you will survive."
"My God..."
"Allah..." The two were so frightened they almost hugged each other.
"Your God and Allah cannot save you, but... in the future, you may call me Li Guangzong in the realm of the supernatural."
Li Guangzong's voice rang in their ears again, and the two of them finally stopped thinking about it. They finally understood what the two small black dots that had been injected between their eyebrows were for.
However, the ancestral hall was on the verge of complete collapse, and there was no time for them to sigh. The two hurriedly picked up the coffin planks and crawled back into the coffin to lie down.
The coffin was pitch black, and the two lay there for a long time, unaware of whether it was dawn outside.
Hassan nudged the sleeping Odin with his elbow: "Hey, wake up, look at the time!" Hassan was truly impressed that this guy could sleep in a coffin.
Odin mumbled in response, "Why don't you look for yourself?"
Hassan: "My hand is pinned under my butt! How am I supposed to see this?! Huh? How am I supposed to see this?!"
Odin laboriously pulled his hand away, tapped his bracelet—it was 5:45 AM—and couldn't help but yawn again: "Just a little longer, ha—it'll be dawn soon, ha—"
Congratulations! You have completed the Silent Mountain Village instance.
[Dungeon Completion Difficulty: 1 star]
[Reward has been issued, please check your account.]
Hearing the game system's notification sound, they knew that dawn had finally broken, and the coffin duo hugged each other with tears in their eyes.
The live stream ended, but the viewers on Earth in the live stream room were clearly not satisfied.
[Did this dungeon crash? Players have cleared it before without any issues.]
[I also think this instance seems to have crashed. Fortunately, our Odin from the Snow Kingdom is clever and hid in a coffin.]
[Aww, these two are so adorable!]
[You're going to ruin everything upstairs.]
[God bless, God bless, Hassan cleared the level, hahaha!]
Am I the only one who's really interested in what the rewards are?
[Have you guys seen the news? The Japanese mainland has completely sunk.]
...
Shi Xiao was in her small apartment at the moment, drinking an iced cola and watching the banter in the live stream with great interest, until she was automatically kicked out of the live stream.
As the live stream automatically shut down, the eerie voice of a horror game echoed from the sky: "[Silent Mountain Village instance complete, rewards being calculated...]"
[Beep—Lina of Yingning Kingdom has achieved a 2-star clear, rewarding Yingning Kingdom with 200 points of national fortune]
[Beep—Hua Guoshi Xiao has achieved a 5-star clear, rewarding him with 500 points of Hua Guoshi's national fortune]
[Beep—Beautiful Country Ike has achieved a 3-star clear, rewarding 300 points of Beautiful Country's national fortune]
[Ding—Odin of Snow Kingdom has completed a 1-star clear, rewarding 100 points of Snow Kingdom's national fortune.]
[Beep—Hassan of the Black Oil Nation has achieved a 1-star clear, rewarding the Black Oil Nation with 100 points of national fortune]
[Settlement complete, friends on Earth, see you next time~ hehe~]
National Fortune Points are automatically distributed to the official accounts of all countries on Earth, and can be allocated and used by the respective national governments to improve their technology, military strength, food production, and so on.
8BOOK.COM
Meanwhile, Zhang Jianguo was holding the phone that had been used to log into the official account of the Chinese horror game. Looking at the notification of points being credited to his account, he saw that a full 500 national fortune points could advance China's current level of technology by another 50 years!
Even Zhang Jianguo, who is usually stern and unsmiling, smiled knowingly: "This newcomer is not simple." Shi Xiao didn't get much screen time, and even the most professional analysis team in China couldn't figure out how she achieved a five-star clear, but she did it anyway.
Li Ping'an, who was standing to the side, nodded in agreement: "They are indeed quite capable, Commander. Should we arrange for staff to go there immediately?"
Zhang Jianguo took another sip of tea and nodded: "Yes, of course I'll go. I'll make the arrangements now."
"Yes, Commander."
Unaware of this, Shi Xiao had just finished dealing with the unread messages and missed calls on her phone from the past few days. Most of the unread messages were from concerned colleagues and students, as well as her best friend Su Tian. Except for Su Tian's messages, Shi Xiao replied to all the others.
Aside from some telemarketing calls, all the missed calls came from Wang Mama at the orphanage.
After calling Wang's mother to let her know she was safe, Shi Xiao ordered a whole bunch of takeout barbecue. She was really tired of eating vegetarian food in the dungeon these past few days, and she needed to replenish her energy.
After doing all this, Shi Xiao turned on her bracelet, only to find it flooded with unread messages. She opened it and, wow! 999 was furious. Although she didn't know why the eerie world of the horror game could still contact her after she returned to the real world, Shi Xiao still checked it out.
The 999th assistant to the Demon God [Bastard! Bastard! You worthless piece of trash! %￥#%#"|—! &]
The Demon God's Assistant No. 999: [Did you do this?! I'll f*** you!]
The Demon God's Assistant No. 999: [I trusted you so much! And you betrayed me!]
The Demon God's Assistant No. 999: [You heretical scum! Just you wait!!! If I don't kill you, I'm not called 999!]
The Demon God's 999th Assistant: [You just wait!]
Shi Xiao chose not to reply after reading the message and silently added 999 to her blacklist.
In a strange part of the world, inside a high-tech building, a round, spherical machine with eerie red eyes flashing and an antenna on its head crackling with electricity, flapped its small mechanical wings and flew out aggressively.
This is 999's true form. The Silent Mountain Village has just been transformed into a dungeon after being converted into a ghostly realm. This is the first dungeon assigned to 999 by its superiors after it was officially promoted. Originally, it wanted to take advantage of this dungeon to show its skills and make a good impression in front of the Ghost God.
Unexpectedly, a heretic has infiltrated! Li Gou Dan! Not only did he destroy the clone formed by the final boss's soul, but he also stole the Ghost Star! Its dungeon... Waaaaaah... The dungeon I just got my hands on, barely had time to warm it up, is gone just like that! Gone!
Li Gou Dan, I'll dig you out even if I have to dig three feet into the ground!
999 was very fast; it had already located Li Gou Dan's face from among the millions of strange creatures in the strange world. That damned guy was hiding in the City of Wrongful Souls!
The City of Wrongful Souls is the closest eerie city to Li Family Village. At this moment, Li Gou Dan, who is all black with dyed yellow hair, is sitting casually in a mahjong parlor in the city. He is smoking a "Red Blood Joy" cigarette while playing a card: "One Chicken".
"Hey, no chicken bump!"
With a loud "Bang!", the four eerie figures playing mahjong jumped in fright. The wall of the mahjong parlor collapsed, and a figure walked in through the dust. When Li Gou Dan saw the person's face clearly, he patted his chest in relief, "Hey, Brother Guangzong, what are you doing? Why did you come all this way without telling me beforehand? I could have arranged a welcome feast for you... Ah—"
Before Li Gou Dan could finish speaking, Li Guang Zong slapped him across the face with several large slaps, cursing as he did so: "You stole my Ghost Star, didn't you? You destroyed my clone, didn't you? You think you're so capable now?"
Li Gou Dan was dazed from the slaps and slurred, "Brother, my dear brother, what are you saying?"
Li Guangzong slapped him hard with pen holders several more times: "Still not admitting it? Today I'll teach you a lesson on behalf of your father!"
Amidst the resounding slaps, the other three eerie figures huddled together in a corner, trembling: "Big brother, if you beat him up, you can't beat us up..."
If it weren't for the fact that they grew up together in the same village, Li Guangzong really wouldn't have let him off so easily. After Li Guangzong left, Li Gou Dan, with a bruised and swollen face, finally got up from the ground, whimpering, "What did I do? Why didn't they let me finish speaking before beating me up? Ouch—it really hurts..."
Seeing his three card-playing friends still huddled in the corner, trembling even more violently, Li Gou Dan was furious: "What are you doing! Hiding in the corner and shivering like sieves?"
The three card players glanced behind Li Gou Dan, gesturing for him to look back. Look at what? Could it be that madman Li Guang Zong is back again?
Li Gou Dan covered his ugly face, which was so badly beaten that even his own mother wouldn't recognize him. He turned his head and saw a round, spherical machine that had somehow drifted into the mahjong parlor. It stared at him with a sinister aura, and the antenna above its head crackled with electricity.
999 stared at Li Gou Dan, whose face was bruised and swollen, for a long time before asking him, seemingly uncertain, "You? Li Gou Dan?"
"Who are you? What are you calling grandpa for?" Li Gou Dan was still annoyed after being beaten up. He couldn't beat Li Guang Zong, fine, but why was this little brat trying to cause him trouble?
Having confirmed his identity, 999's eyes flashed intensely red: "Li Gou Dan! You think I won't recognize you just because you dyed your hair yellow and got plastic surgery? Die!" Crackling sparks fell from the antenna above his head, giving him no chance to explain. Li Gou Dan went through all the despicable things he had done recently, but he couldn't figure out what he had done to offend this strange machine. In just a moment, he was struck by 999's electric light and started emitting black smoke. His already dark body was charred and dried by the electricity. A gentle breeze blew by and he scattered into black ashes all over the ground.
The 999 electronic eyes, flashing red light, didn't even glance at the remaining three strange creatures, and with its crackling antennas overhead, it swaggered away.
Three card players said strangely, "I feel that the City of Vengeful Spirits is not peaceful lately, and I need to go out and hide." "My second uncle lives in the neighboring Black Wind City. He lives alone and usually stays in the staff dormitory when he goes to work. Why don't we go to his place to hide?" "There's no time to lose, let's go quickly."
8BOok. сOm
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After blocking 999, Shi Xiao clicked "View Rewards," which was the personal task reward issued by the game system to players after completing the level. The reward panel popped up:
Five-star completion reward:
Fiendish Black Scythe*1 (Exclusive artifact obtained upon first clear, intermediate-level artifact, capable of damaging evil-level and lower-level monsters)
Black General Wooden Carving *1 (Can summon a max-level Evil Black General to assist in dungeons, usable 3 times/3 times)
Paper groom *1, paper bride *1 (A pet to raise; please discover it yourself)
50 points of eerie energy (can be used to level up)
All attributes increased by 5 points.
A malevolent black scythe? She nearly threw her Coke bottle in a fit of rage when she saw this reward. Wasn't that the magical weapon she'd shamelessly snatched from Odin? She herself! Snatched it! The game system actually counted this scythe as a reward—how shameless!
However, Shi Xiao never expected that this unassuming scythe could cause damage to a malevolent being of the Evil Ghost level.
Click "View Personal Attributes" to continue.
Personal Attributes:
Current level: Level 2 Evil Spirit (50 energy)
Stamina: 20+5 (extremely weak)
Strength: 10+5 (extremely weak)
Spirit: 28+5 (extremely weak)
Speed: 18+5 (incredibly weak)
Attribute points can be freely allocated: 20 points (10 attribute points can be added for each level gained)
Shi Xiao: "..." What kind of twisted humor is this in horror games?
Seeing the screen filled with incredibly weak characters, Shi Xiao thought for a moment and added all 20 of her available attribute points to speed. Her talent allowed her to transform into a monster and gain some of its original strength, so there was really no need to waste her monster energy points on stamina and strength. She could add some points to spirit later on.
Most importantly, her talent can be improved. When Shi Xiao cleared the dungeon and left, she had already completed the first upgrade of her talent.
Unlike her previous life, after leaving the instance, she didn't return directly to the real world. Instead, she appeared in a pure white space, where she heard again the voice from the horror game system that wasn't there when she drew talents: "Please select a talent upgrade direction."
[Option 1: You can freely choose to transform and de-transform; you can transform three times per dungeon]
[Option Two: After transformation, the strength of the acquired strange entity is increased from 10% to 30%, and upon completion, 1% of the strange entity's strange energy value will be permanently obtained.]
[Option 3: Before transformation, you can choose from three bizarre entities; you can choose once per dungeon]
Please select your talent upgrade path: 10, 9, 8, 7...
Without any hesitation, Shi Xiao chose option two. Only after making the choice did she completely escape the horror game and return to the real world.
A knock sounded at the door. Judging by the time, the takeout must have arrived. Shi Xiao quickly got up from the sofa and ran to open the door; she was starving.
However, what appeared outside the door was not the deliveryman she expected, but a man and a woman in their twenties, dressed in neat suits and looking very meticulous.
Ah, she remembered. These were staff members sent by the National Horror Game Strategic Command. They traveled from Beijing across half of China to Shanhaiguan City. They arrived quite quickly; typical of China's speed. She guessed that even while the broadcast was still going on, the authorities had already thoroughly investigated her personal information and address.
"Hello Ms. Shi Xiao, we are staff members of the Logistics Group of the Strategic Command Center for the Chinese Horror Game. My name is Chen Yiming." The man took out his work ID and handed it to Shi Xiao. Another woman also took out her work ID: "Hello Ms. Shi Xiao, I am Xu Ziyi from the Logistics Group. May we come in and have a seat?"
Shi Xiao stepped aside and invited the two into the house: "Of course, please come in."
The apartment wasn't big; the small living room on the first floor only had a two-seater sofa and a stool. Chen Yiming chose the stool, while Xu Ziyi sat on the sofa. Shi Xiao took a carton of orange juice from the refrigerator and placed three cups on the coffee table in front of them: "We don't have anything to drink at home, is orange juice okay?"
The two nodded. What they drank wasn't important; they weren't really there to be guests. After Shi Xiao sat down, they formally explained their purpose: just like in their previous life, the Horror Game Command hoped Shi Xiao could move to the command base.
(8) boOK. Сom
"Go to the base? Of course, but..." Shi Xiao took a sip of her cold orange juice, and some unpleasant memories came to mind again: "Can the base really guarantee my personal safety?"
"Of course, no problem. Our base is very safe. Although it is located in a relatively remote area near Beijing, the base is staffed by the military and has excellent living facilities. All personnel have been verified by the authorities multiple times. Furthermore, all your expenses inside will be covered by the government. I believe you will be satisfied." Chen Yiming took out a tablet computer and patiently demonstrated and explained it to Shi Xiao.
In her previous life, she hadn't chosen to go to the base and knew nothing about it. After listening to Chen Yiming's explanation, Shi Xiao realized that China's base was indeed well-constructed. It not only provided players with basic living necessities but also arranged regular health checks and customized special training programs to improve their overall abilities, increasing their chances of successfully completing the horror game.
"Can I bring my family to the base?" Thinking of Wang's mother, who cared about her, Shi Xiao decided to ask first, even though she might not be willing to go to the base in Beijing with her.
Chen Yiming: "Of course you can. Although it is currently limited to immediate family members only, considering your special family situation, you can give me the contact information of the people you want to bring. The subsequent relocation will be fully handled by the Logistics Department of the Command Center."
Shi Xiao thought for a moment and immediately called Wang's mother. As she expected, Wang's mother refused. Although Wang's mother was single, there were still more than a dozen children in the orphanage who needed her care, and she was really worried about them. So Shi Xiao didn't press the matter further.
Regarding the work at the school, Chen Yiming also told Shi Xiao that on the first day she entered the horror game, the command headquarters had already sent staff to the school where she worked to make contact.
Chen Yiming: "So, Ms. Shi, you are currently on unpaid leave at the school. The school fully supports you, and if the horror game ends in the future, or if you choose to quit the game, the school's doors will still be open to you."
Chen Yiming paused for a moment, then added, "Of course, if that day really comes, the Chinese government will certainly not treat its heroes unfairly, so whether or not you want to return to school is up to you, Miss Shi."
Shi Xiao nodded: "Thank you."
The three chatted for a while about when to go to the base, exchanged contact information, and then the apartment door was knocked on again.
Shi Xiao opened the door, and this time it really was the delivery guy in the yellow uniform. The delivery guy's eyes lit up when he saw Shi Xiao, his voice brimming with excitement: "Holy crap, you're Shi Xiao! The one who streams horror games!" As he spoke, he pulled out his phone and turned on the camera: "Family, guess who I ran into today? Shi Xiao! The real Shi Xiao! I'm right at her doorstep! Look, everyone look... Hey, hey, who are you? Why are you pushing me?"
The deliveryman, who was recording halfway through, was interrupted by Chen Yiming: "Excuse me, I am a staff member of the Strategic Command Center of the Chinese Horror Game. For the safety of our players, please do not disclose Ms. Shi's address. Also, you can support and like her, but please do not disturb her life."
Seeing that Chen Yiming was trying to stop him, but his attitude was acceptable and what he said made sense, the delivery guy didn't continue to pester him. He delivered the food and left happily. Anyway, he had already taken a picture of Chen Yiming's smiling face. Once he posted it on Douyin, he would become famous!
Shi Xiao, carrying a large bag of barbecue, thanked the two of them, saying, "Thank you! How about... we eat some together?"
The two men politely declined and stood up to leave: "No, no, no, Miss Shi, please enjoy your meal. We need to go back and report to our work. Just contact us anytime if you need anything. As we agreed before, we will apply to the commander, and the base will arrange for someone to pick you up tomorrow. You can take any luggage you need with you."
Shi Xiao nodded and saw the two staff members off before happily going home to enjoy some barbecue skewers.
During this time, Su Tian called twice more. Shi Xiao put her phone on silent, tossed it aside, finished eating, tidied up briefly, took a shower, and went to bed.
What Shi Xiao didn't know was that the delivery guy had already posted the video on Douyin, and within just ten minutes the video had over 100,000 views and likes.
[I checked the delivery guy's IP address on Wowo. Shi Xiao is in Shanhai City!]
[This background looks familiar! Doesn't Shi Xiao live in Jingyuan Residential Area in Shanhai City?]
[I think it looks more like Spring Garden in Shanhai City!]
[This is definitely Linjiang Prefecture! My aunt lives in that neighborhood!]
[Am I the only one curious about which barbecue restaurant this is? Shi Xiao ordered such a huge bag of food as soon as she came out (slurp...) It must be delicious.]
[The packaging looks a bit like the "Shangchuan Barbecue" stall downstairs from my house.]
[Bullshit! The joke is about my family's barbecue! It's Brother Niu's barbecue! Located on xxxx Road, welcome everyone to come and try it!]
Seeing all the notifications of 999+, the delivery guy's face was beaming with joy. He's gone viral! My Douyin account, Hu Xiaoming's account, is finally famous!
Shi Xiao, who hadn't slept a full night in the dungeon, slept exceptionally soundly on her first night back. She slept until she naturally woke up, which was already noon the next day. She ordered takeout on her phone and then got up to wash up.
However, before she could even rinse the toothpaste foam from her mouth, there was a knock on the door. Strange, was the takeout so fast today? She had only ordered it ten minutes ago. Shi Xiao wiped the water droplets from her face and went to open the door, where she saw Su Tian looking aggrieved.
Su Tian used to visit Shi Xiao's house often. Without Shi Xiao's invitation, she would skillfully change into slippers, carrying a cake box into the living room: "Xiao Xiao, why didn't you answer my calls yesterday? You didn't reply to my messages either. I was thinking that since you finally made it back from the ordeal, we should go out for dinner to celebrate..."
Shi Xiao glanced at the cake Su Tian had brought—a classic Black Forest cake. Su Tian liked this flavor and often bought it, but Shi Xiao didn't. She suppressed her hatred. According to her memories from her previous life, Su Tian should already be hooking up with Lin Yi by now. The fact that she'd come to her house now meant she was probably about to bring up that scumbag Lin Yi.
As expected, Su Tian didn't get angry when she didn't get a reply from Shi Xiao. Instead, she opened the cake box, cut a piece, and handed it to Shi Xiao: "Xiao Xiao, I know you suffered in the horror game. Are you too tired to talk? It's okay, just listen to me. I know you like this cake, so I went there specially to buy it today. Try it! I have some good news to tell you after you finish eating."
(8) BOOK.com
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Xiaoxiao, you know about Ghost Hunter, right?" Su Tian cut herself a piece of cake and sat down next to Shi Xiao, looking mysterious. "For you, I used all my social connections and finally managed to get in touch with a Ghost Hunter for you—the great Lin Yi."
Su Tian was talking excitedly to herself, completely unaware that Shi Xiao's face was getting increasingly ugly: "Lin Yi, the great god! We even watched his live stream together last time, he's so handsome! You know what? I went through all sorts of connections to get in touch with him. Lin Yi didn't want to talk to me at first, but as soon as he heard your name and knew that I was contacting him to help you, he immediately agreed!"
Seeing that Xiaoxiao was still eating her cake with a listless expression, Su Tian asked in confusion, "Xiaoxiao, aren't you happy to hear this news?"
"Should I be happy?" Shi Xiao put down the half-eaten cake in her hand, looked up, and stared at Su Tian: "We grew up together, how come I didn't know you had this kind of relationship?"
Su Tian's heart skipped a beat, but she remained calm and pretended to be intimate as she took Shi Xiao's arm: "How dare you say that? You've become less and less concerned about me since we started working. How would you know these things? I'm just worried about you. Horror games are so dangerous. What if... I mean, what if something unexpected happens? Wouldn't it be better to have a master help you?"
"Sweetie, how did you find Lin Yi?" Shi Xiao still had a last shred of struggle in her heart. Perhaps Su Tian didn't know anything in her previous life, perhaps Lin Yi took the initiative to find her, or perhaps she was also deceived by Lin Yi?
"My boyfriend, the one I introduced you to last time, remember? That guy kept bragging to me that Lin Yi used to be his neighbor. I always thought he was just bragging, but I never expected he actually managed to contact Lin Yi!" Su Tian looked at Shi Xiao with sparkling eyes: "Let me tell you, Lin Yi is even more handsome in person than on the live stream, and his voice is super nice! Super gentle! How about I help you arrange a meeting with him? I'll feel more at ease having a Ghost Hunter helping you!"
"No need," Shi Xiao refused. She had thought it through. Whether Su Tian knew or not, a barrier had already formed between them, and they could no longer be as close and talkative as before. Moreover, judging from Su Tian's reaction, she wasn't innocent.
After seeing off a disappointed Su Tian, the takeout finally arrived.
Deliveryman Hu Xiaoming spent the whole morning staking out near Shi Xiao's apartment complex, and finally managed to snag this order! Hahaha, even God is on Hu Xiaoming's side, no wonder he's so popular!
As soon as Shi Xiao opened the door, a phone camera was shoved in front of her, accompanied by the loud voice of the delivery guy, Hu Xiaoming: "Family, look! I've received another delivery order from Shi Xiao. We must have a special connection!"
Shi Xiao didn't dodge; in fact, she even smiled and waved to the camera before accepting the takeout. Since she was moving to the base today, she didn't care if her address was leaked.
Seeing that the now-famous horror game player in China was cooperating so well, Hu Xiaoming's eyes narrowed into slits with a smile. After thanking him repeatedly, he happily left with his phone. Hmm! He definitely had to keep staking out this afternoon! He couldn't let the other delivery guys know that Shi Xiao was living here. As long as he filmed two videos every day, becoming an internet celebrity was just around the corner!
After packing the necessary luggage, it was already 3 pm Shi Xiao received a call from Xu Ziyi, who told her that everything was arranged and that she should wait for her at the entrance of the residential area at 4 pm
When Shi Xiao, wearing a mask and completely covered up, appeared at the entrance of the residential area dragging two large suitcases, a low-key Hongqi sedan was already waiting there. Xu Ziyi helped Shi Xiao carry the suitcases into the trunk, and the two got into the car one after the other. The car drove away from the city, but instead of taking the highway, it headed towards the suburbs.
Xu Ziyi explained to Shi Xiao that Shanhai City is far from Beijing City. Considering Shi Xiao's safety, the base specially arranged a helicopter for her. They need to take a car to the suburbs first, and then transfer to a helicopter to reach the command base. Xu Ziyi will accompany her all the way to the base.
The car drove for about two hours before finally stopping. As soon as they got out, they saw a helicopter parked in an open area. The co-pilot got out and verified Xu Ziyi's identity before letting them board. Once aboard, Shi Xiao couldn't help but look around. Good heavens, this was a military helicopter! If it weren't for the horror game, she probably would never have been able to ride one of these things in eight lifetimes.
The two were seated and fastened their seatbelts when the helicopter roared into the air and slowly ascended, heading towards Beijing.
The driver was a veteran in his thirties who didn't talk much the whole way, but the passenger in the front seat chatted with the two young women every now and then. The passenger introduced himself as Yu Wei, in his fifties, who had been transferred by Zhang Jianguo to the Horror Game Strategic Command Base after his discharge, mainly responsible for the base's security. Yu Wei had a daughter who had become a big fan of Shi Xiao after watching her live stream and had been pestering Yu Wei to meet her.
Shi Xiao was both amused and exasperated that he had already gained fans after only completing the first dungeon, but he was still happy to agree to meet Yu Wei's daughter.
The group chatted and before they knew it, they had arrived at the base. After landing, the staff who came to greet them took Shi Xiao to the medical examination center. After a thorough examination, it was confirmed that Shi Xiao was in good health. They also conducted a series of psychological examinations on her, and all the results were satisfactory.
8. BOOk. Sοm
After the inspection, Xu Ziyi took Shi Xiao to the residential area: "The residential area ofthe base consists entirely of detached villas, which are basically fully furnished with furniture and appliances. Of course, if you want to add anything, you can tell me later."
The two arrived at villa number 06. Xu Ziyi performed a series of operations at the villa's gate to register Shi Xiao's fingerprint before they continued walking inside.
"The base arranges villas according to the order of occupancy. You are the sixth one. The first five villas have already been occupied by players, so try not to disturb them, especially villa number 01. The senior living there is said to have a very eccentric temper." Xu Ziyi then registered Shi Xiao's fingerprint on the villa door and led her inside.
All the villas on the site have the same structure, with two floors. The first floor has a spacious living room and dining room, as well as a kitchen, bathroom, and a large balcony. The second floor has a master bedroom, a second bedroom, a study, and a terrace. The total area is about 200 square meters, which is like heaven and earth compared to Shi Xiao's previous cramped apartment. Shi Xiao is very satisfied.
After putting away their luggage, Xu Ziyi led Shi Xiao on a tour of the entire base. The base was very large, and probably because it was built in the suburbs, it was not only quiet, but also had excellent landscaping.
"The tallest building in the middle of the base is the office building of the strategic command headquarters. Floors 1-9 are the offices of various groups, floor 10 is the live broadcast hall, and floor 11 is the office of Commander-in-Chief Zhang. It's getting late today, so we may not see the Commander-in-Chief until tomorrow. Now, let me show you around the base and we can have dinner together." Xu Ziyi explained in great detail.
The command center is located in the center of the base. To the north is the residential area, which is further divided into villas for players and staff dormitories. To the south is the training ground, which occupies a considerable area and is said to be able to accommodate the training needs of thousands of people simultaneously. To the east is the commercial area, with restaurants, convenience stores, hardware stores, clothing stores... everything you could need. Shi Xiao even spotted a bar! To the west is the medical area, where Shi Xiao had his medical check-up earlier.
Xu Ziyi led Shi Xiao from the residential area in the north, all the way to the medical area in the west, then to the training ground in the south, and finally to the commercial area in the east, where they had lunch.
There were quite a few restaurants in the base. Looking down the street, you could find all kinds of cuisines: Western, Japanese, Korean, Sichuan, Cantonese, Shandong, and Northeastern Chinese. There were also plenty of barbecue, hot pot, snacks, and milk tea options. After discussing for a while, the two went into a hot pot restaurant. After ordering, Shi Xiao saw Xu Ziyi swipe her employee ID card at the waiter to complete the payment.
Xu Ziyi held up the employee ID and explained, "This is the base's all-in-one card. You need it for all your purchases in the base. Your card is currently being made, and I will give it to you when it's finished. There is no limit to the amount you players can use with your card. The only requirement is not to waste it."
Shi Xiao looked at the employee badge: "What about your staff's badges? Are they also subject to unlimited use?"
Xu Ziyi smiled and said, "Of course not. Our staff members have a fixed quota each month. The quota varies depending on the level. For example, my level only has a quota of 2,000 yuan per month. We need to recharge and buy the rest ourselves."
Shi Xiao felt a little guilty looking at the huge amount of food she had ordered. This hot pot meal had used up almost 500 yuan of Xu Ziyi's credit limit. She hadn't expected it. Wasn't everything at the base supposed to be free? She thought it was free for everyone!
"I'm sorry, I didn't know..." Shi Xiao wanted to apologize.
But Xu Ziyi waved her hand with a smile: "It's okay, I don't spend much time at the base, and I won't be able to use up the 2,000 quota. Besides, thanks to you, starting next month, my position will officially change to your personal butler, and my quota will increase to 5,000. Consider this a promotion banquet on my behalf."
It has to be said that Shi Xiao quite liked Xu Ziyi. She had a clear mind and was quick and efficient in her speech and actions. Plus, they were close in age and got along well. Hearing this, Shi Xiao stopped being coy and said, "Okay, after I get the card, I'll treat you to the most expensive food at the base!"
"Alright! Thank you in advance, Miss Shi." Xu Ziyi didn't stand on ceremony, and the two chatted and ate, getting along better and better.
Around her, she could see staff members leaving work, gathering in twos and threes to eat and chat, just like in the commercial area outside. The only difference was that when they saw Shi Xiao, they would greet her warmly and politely: "Oh, Miss Shi is here." "Miss Shi, we all watched your live stream." "Miss Shi, you're so amazing, my sister and I really like you." "Miss Shi..." "Miss Shi..."
Shi Xiao politely responded to each of them.
Meanwhile, in Shanhai City, Hu Xiaoming wrapped his thin deliveryman's jacket tighter around himself and blew his runny nose in the biting wind: "It's already 10 pm, why hasn't Miss Shi ordered dinner yet... Ah... Achoo."
(8)OOK.com
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After finishing their meal, it was already 10:30 pm Shi Xiao declined Xu Ziyi's offer to take her home and strolled alone towards the villa area.
Passing by Villa No. 01, the lights were off, and the owner was probably already asleep. Shi Xiao thought of what Xu Ziyi had told her: if the villas were arranged according to the order of occupancy, then the person living in this villa should be Wei Ziqi, the number one hunter in China's Ghost Realm who cleared 10 dungeons.
Why do I say he has a strange temper? Shi Xiao watched Wei Ziqi's live stream. Although his performance in the dungeon was not as outstanding as some of the later hunters, he was definitely an upright, responsible, and exemplary young man.
Speaking of which, Lin Yi was one of the hunters trained by Wei Ziqi. However, it's strange that Wei Ziqi hasn't been seen in the live streams for the past six months. Could it be that he has chosen to quit the horror game?
Setting aside what she couldn't figure out, Shi Xiao walked back to Villa No. 06. Just as she was about to push open the door, she bumped into Wang Ziran, who was returning home. Wang Ziran was clearly in a good mood, blasting a DJ version of the Great Compassion Mantra at full volume on his phone. Under his control, his electric wheelchair sped past Shi Xiao with the agility of a ghost fire.
Shi Xiao: "..." This person is exactly the same as in the live stream, always full of energy.
Wang Ziran had obviously noticed the new neighbor as well. He brought his electric wheelchair to a sudden stop, then slowly reversed back. He greeted Shi Xiao with great enthusiasm: "Hey, the new neighbor's here! I almost didn't notice. Want to come over for a bit? I just brought back a case of raw Coke yesterday. You can't buy it at the base. It's the really strong kind!"
Shi Xiao politely declined, but Wang Ziran didn't mind being rejected. After all, they were neighbors, and there would be plenty of opportunities for them to interact in the future. The new neighbors would eventually realize how delicious raw Coke was! Wang Ziran drove his electric wheelchair back to his home.
Shi Xiao, who had just finished sleeping, was woken up by Xu Ziyi's phone call. At 8 am, Xu Ziyi had already arrived at Shi Xiao's villa, bringing her breakfast and Shi Xiao's student ID card as well.
Shi Xiao went downstairs in a daze and opened the door: "Don't you also have access control? You can just come in next time."
Xu Ziyi placed the breakfast items on the table one by one: "Okay, I'll come in by myself next time. I didn't know what you liked to eat, so I brought you some soy milk, steamed buns, crepes, and dumplings. Here's your student ID card, keep it safe with you."
Shi Xiao was fully awakened by the aroma of breakfast. She quickly washed up, sat down at the table, grabbed a steamed bun and took a big bite, her eyes welling up with tears of gratitude: "Mmm, delicious! Xu Ziyi, how could you be so kind! This is the first time someone has bought me breakfast. I'm not a picky eater, I can eat anything. Have you eaten yet? Why don't you sit down and eat some together? I can't finish all of this by myself."
Xu Ziyi had already read Shi Xiao's personal information and knew that Shi Xiao had grown up in an orphanage. Was it because she had suffered a lot as a child that she was not picky about food now? She felt a little sorry for this girl who was about the same age as herself. Other girls in their twenties were going on dates and shopping, dressed up beautifully, but Shi Xiao was already carrying the hopes of the entire country and had to face the life-and-death challenges in a horror game. her even better.
Then, Xu Ziyi watched as Shi Xiao, who claimed she couldn't finish the food by herself, cleaned up the breakfast for three people completely. Shi Xiao let out a burp: "Burp, I didn't expect the breakfast at the base to be so much better than the breakfast shop downstairs from my old house."
"Of course, those who can open shops in the base are not ordinary merchants." Xu Ziyi said with pride, "For example, the largest restaurant in the base, the Beijing Restaurant, has a head chef who has served at state banquets."
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Xu Ziyi led Shi Xiao to the command headquarters building.
Xu Ziyi's employee ID only allowed her to access the elevator up to the 10th floor. The two of them first went to the live broadcast hall on the 10th floor, and then walked up to the 11th floor via the stairs inside the live broadcast hall.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, Shi Xiao saw the spacious live broadcast hall, bustling with busy staff, huge electronic screens, and sophisticated technological instruments. For the first time, she had a direct and intuitive understanding of the country's strength.
A live stream of the Silent Mountain Village instance was playing on the giant electronic screen, while a dozen smaller screens nearby displayed the images of each player. On Shi Xiao's small screen, a dark, burning ghost was hovering, sneaking towards the Japanese player by the well. This was the recording of her scaring Narita Tsunayoshi to death. Shi Xiao watched it carefully. Hmm, so this is what Li Gou Dan's face looks like. Really ugly.
The two walked to the 11th floor, where there was only one office. Xu Ziyi knocked on the door, and it opened quickly. A man in his 30s wearing a suit opened the door and smiled politely at Shi Xiao: "Ms. Shi, please."
Upon entering the office, Shi Xiao saw Zhang Jianguo, dressed in a Zhongshan suit and looking energetic, sitting behind a huge desk. Zhang Jianguo didn't have the airs of an old leader he'd imagined; instead, he shook hands with Shi Xiao very warmly: "Comrade Shi Xiao, I am Zhang Jianguo, the Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Command of the China Horror Game. Please sit down."
Shi Xiao had long heard of Zhang Jianguo's reputation. It was said that he was a veteran who had participated in the defense of Annam and had accumulated many military achievements. He was already a colonel and could have retired peacefully, but after the appearance of the horror game, he requested to be transferred to the Strategic Command, hoping to continue to contribute to China in the remaining years of his life.
Shi Xiao naturally showed great respect to such a senior figure: "Hello, Commander Zhang, I have long admired your name. Just call me Xiao Shi."
Zhang Jianguo glanced at Li Ping'an, who immediately understood that the commander-in-chief wanted to discuss some confidential matters. He quickly led Xu Ziyi out.
8ьOoК·Соm
Zhang Jianguo poured Shi Xiao a cup of tea: "Come on, Comrade Shi Xiao, try my newly acquired Yunwu tea. I don't know if you young people can get used to it."
She smiled and thanked him, then picked up the teacup and took a small sip. The tea was fragrant and slightly bitter. She really couldn't appreciate this refined tea, and giving it to her was a waste. But she kept praising it: "Commander Zhang's tea is really good!"
"Oh? What's so good about it?" Zhang Jianguo smiled. How could such a shrewd person not see it?
"Fortunately... although it's slightly bitter at first, it has a sweet aftertaste and a refreshing fragrance." Shi Xiao is, after all, a primary school teacher. Even if she doesn't know much about tea, she can still offer some casual remarks.
"Hahaha, Comrade Xiaoshi is really quite amusing! You're the only player who's willing to give an old man face like this." Zhang Jianguo rarely laughed so happily, even though he knew the young girl in front of him was just saying nice things to make him happy.
After laughing, Zhang Jianguo put away his casual expression and said seriously, "Comrade Xiaoshi, I suppose you saw the live broadcast hall downstairs when you came up. There are 218 staff members in the live broadcast hall."
Shi Xiao also put away his smile and listened seriously as Zhang Jianguo continued, "And you, right under the noses of 218 people, obtained a five-star pass. Yet no one saw it. How did you do it? Can you tell the old man? Of course, what you say will be classified as top secret by the Strategic Command. Apart from me as the commander-in-chief and the chairman of China, no one else has the right to see it."
Shi Xiao thought for a moment and truthfully told Zhang Jianguo about the talent she had drawn and her experience in the first dungeon, but she concealed the fact that the talent could be upgraded and the strange group chat. Viewers might not notice anything in one dungeon, but with repeated participation, someone would eventually spot some clues. Besides, Silent Village was a multiplayer dungeon; all players were in the same live stream room, and the camera would randomly focus on each player, so viewers might not pay much attention to her.
But what if it's a solo instance? If she remembers correctly, the next instance is a solo instance, with one player per livestream room, and the camera following her the entire time. Her talent and abilities will definitely be seen by all viewers on Earth. Rather than hiding it, it's better to tell Zhang Jianguo openly now.
"Can transform into a monster? That ability is somewhat similar to that young man Lin Yi's..." After listening to Shi Xiao's explanation, Zhang Jianguo pondered, "But it also seems a bit different. The monster's ability is indeed powerful, and it can be borrowed, but..."
Zhang Jianguo hesitated, but Shi Xiao knew about Lin Yi's abilities. It was an S-rank [Deceptive Transformation], which allowed him to transform parts of his body into something strange, temporarily granting him the ability to use strange powers. However, the more strange powers he borrowed, the more strange energy his body would have to endure.
However, she still vividly remembered what Lin Yi said before he died in his previous life. Lin Yi's true talent was not [Twisting], but [Plunder]. This talent of Twisting was probably stolen from some unknown player.
Shi Xiao interrupted Zhang Jianguo's sigh: "Commander Zhang, I've watched Lin Yi's live stream. My talent is different from him."
"Oh? How is it different?" Zhang Jianguo asked.
"My talent has no side effects." Shi Xiao said this with confidence and arrogance: "Therefore, I will definitely go further than him."
Zhang Jianguo understood and asked some more questions about Zhou Nian, which Shi Xiao answered without hiding anything.
"Interesting, very interesting. This is the first time a non-player human has appeared in a horror game. This is a direction worth studying. Perhaps there are other planets with human civilizations like Earth that have also been affected by horror games." Zhang Jianguo's cloudy eyes lit up: "This information may be related to all of humanity on Earth. I can… no, Comrade Xiaoshi, would you mind sharing this information with the Chinese government's official astronomical research department?"
Seeing the longing in the old man's eyes, Shi Xiao couldn't bear to refuse. Besides, this had a huge guiding role for China and even the entire human civilization of the planet Earth. How could Shi Xiao, who grew up under the red flag, really refuse?
"Of course, I am a citizen of China, I received my education in China, and now I enjoy the benefits of the base. You can decide whether or not to disclose everything I say, according to your wishes."
"Excellent, excellent, Comrade Xiaoshi, your ideological awareness is truly unparalleled among players." Zhang Jianguo couldn't help but clap his hands in praise. Even Wei Ziqi, who was a model citizen back then, had never uttered such selfless words.
After finishing their business, Zhang Jianguo inquired about Shi Xiao's satisfaction with the base, how her accommodations and meals were, before reluctantly seeing her off.
After Shi Xiao left, Zhang Jianguo dialed the landline on his desk: "This is Zhang Jianguo. Yes, give Shi Xiao's medical examination report to Li Ping'an. Yes, and the psychological evaluation report as well. Okay."
Then he dialed another number: "Hey, Lao Li, it's me, Zhang Jianguo. Long time no see! How did you know Comrade Xiaoshi brought me such great news? Hahahaha, let me tell you..."
8воок． Cом
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After leaving the office building of the strategic command headquarters, it was already noon. Shi Xiao, who had eaten breakfast for three people in the morning, was hungry again. She dragged Xu Ziyi and insisted on going to the Beijing Hotel to broaden her horizons. Xu Ziyi could not refuse her and had to go with her.
The Beijing Hotel is the most expensive hotel in the base. Aside from a few players, no staff usually come here, and this was Xu Ziyi's first time visiting. As soon as they entered the hotel, a beautiful waitress in a cheongsam greeted them: "Miss Shi, welcome to the Beijing Hotel."
It's not surprising that she laughed when she was recognized. All the staff she met along the way at the base greeted her warmly. At first, she was a little shy and unaccustomed to it, but now she's basically immune to it.
The Beijing Hotel has no main hall, only private rooms. Since the population of the base is not large, the hotel only has eight private rooms. The beautiful waitress led the two to room number 01, the most luxurious room in the Beijing Hotel. It was decorated in a pure Chinese style with mahogany, carved beams and painted rafters—exquisitely beautiful, unlike any other hotel room.
Following the recommendations of the beautiful waitress, the two ordered several signature dishes. They paid the bill using Shi Xiao's prepaid card. Xu Ziyi didn't insist on treating them, since the prices at the Beijing Hotel were beyond her current budget.
Before long, the dishes were served: Squirrel Mandarin Fish, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Peking Duck, Boiled Cabbage in Clear Broth… each dish was beautifully presented and tasted absolutely delicious! No wonder it's the most expensive restaurant in the base. She was truly ungrateful in her past life to have rejected such a wonderful base! It's all Xu Ziyi and Chen Yiming's fault; they came to her and talked to her so much, but they didn't mention the base's biggest advantage.
The two, having just finished their meal, had barely stepped out of the Beijing Hotel when they heard a grumbling voice: "What? No food today? What's going on at the Beijing Hotel? We usually have more food than we can use every day! Are you targeting me today?!"
Wang Ziran, sitting in his electric wheelchair, emerged from the restaurant with a long face, muttering curses all the way. A pretty waitress followed behind, constantly apologizing and explaining, "I'm so sorry, Mr. Wang, it's our fault. We really didn't prepare enough food today. We've already sent someone out to buy more. Come back tonight, and we'll definitely have some left."
"You better not! Otherwise... otherwise... I'll file a complaint against you!" After thinking for a long time but not being able to come up with any effective way to threaten him, Wang Ziran was indignant. He shook his electric wheelchair and was so angry that he drove it at a speed of 40 miles per hour.
Watching Wang Ziran leave in his wheelchair, Shi Xiao seemed lost in thought. She looked at Xu Ziyi beside her and said, "Ziyi, could you... get me an electric wheelchair too?"
Xu Ziyi was completely confused: "Are you feeling unwell? Why do you need a wheelchair?"
Shi Xiao replied calmly, "No, don't you think Wang Ziran's wheelchair looks very convenient?"
Xu Ziyi: "..." Fine, I'll do it for you, whatever makes you happy.
That evening, Shi Xiao chose the Beijing Hotel again, and brought Xu Ziyi along as well. The two ordered a large table of dishes as usual. As the dishes were served, the two were happily enjoying their meal when they heard Wang Ziran's angry voice and the waiter's tearful apology from outside.
"What? There's no food again! You, you promised me at noon that there would definitely be some for dinner! Where did it go? Huh? Are you targeting me?! I, Wang Ziran, am injured, not dead!"
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Wang, sob sob sob. It's all our restaurant's fault. We underestimated the needs of the base. We will definitely correct this. Please come tomorrow, and we will definitely prepare enough ingredients..."
Shi Xiao and Xu Ziyi, sitting in the private room, didn't dare to make a sound. They silently picked at the food in their bowls. Surely they hadn't ordered all the food, right?
For the next few days, Shi Xiao spent her time either eating or on her way to eat, until Xu Ziyi forced her to go to the training ground. Only then did Shi Xiao realize that not everything in the base was wonderful, such as the training ground.
The person in charge of Shi Xiao's physical training was a retired female soldier named Zhou Min, who was in her early thirties. She wasn't particularly pretty, and every day she had a serious, long face: "Get moving! Get moving! Don't stop, there are still 5 laps to go!"
According to the physical training plan Zhou Min devised for Shi Xiao, she now has to run 10 laps a day on the large training field, each lap being 1000 meters. This large training field is not the kind of ordinary school field that Shi Xiao has seen before; instead, it is filled with various obstacles, requiring her not only to run but also to climb, crawl, and so on.
After the first day of training, Shi Xiao collapsed to the ground, refusing to go again the next day. Finally, Zhang Jianguo personally called her, not forcing her to train, but instead telling her the story of the defense of Annam for the entire afternoon, which made Shi Xiao burst into tears. The next day, without waiting for Xu Ziyi to urge her, she got up early and obediently went to the training ground.
"Two more laps, two more laps. Watch your breathing and control your pace." Zhou Min was somewhat surprised; this new female player had been exceptionally self-disciplined these past few days.
"Okay, Instructor Ma." Shi Xiao ran past Zhou Min, panting.
"My surname is Zhou!" Zhou Min was furious, and her long face stretched even longer.
"Understood, Instructor Ma." Shi Xiao sped up, not for any particular reason, but because Zhou Min looked too serious, she just wanted to be a little mischievous.
On the fifth day after arriving at the base, Shi Xiao was pleasantly surprised to find that her personal attributes had increased.
The bracelet displays the following personal attributes:
Current level: Level 2 Evil Spirit (50 energy)
Stamina: 25+1 (extremely weak)
Strength: 15+1 (extremely weak)
Spirit: 33+1 (extremely weak)
Speed: 43+1 (incredibly weak)
Physical strength, power, mental strength, and speed all increased by 1 point each. Although it wasn't much, Shi Xiao was very satisfied with the results achieved in just a few days of physical training. It seemed that the training was effective.
⒏bOoК. сOм
Following the pattern of horror games, the second horror game of the month will begin at noon today. Shi Xiao got up early. She didn't have to go to the training grounds today, so she chose to have a good meal at the Beijing Hotel. After this meal, she would go to the dungeon to suffer. Sigh.
After a satisfying meal, Shi Xiao had just returned to Villa No. 06 when he heard the voice of the horror game system in the sky: [The second game of the month, the Evil Bus dungeon, is about to open. Randomly matching lucky players... Matching successful... This game involves 20 countries: China, the United States, Russia, the Snow Country, England, and the United Kingdom. The game will start in ten minutes. We wish all players a happy time in the dungeon! Hehe~]
[The Evil Bus game instance is now in operation... Players, please prepare yourselves. One minute countdown: 59, 58, 57...]
[5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Welcome to the horror game...hehe]
After a blinding flash of white light, Shi Xiao appeared in a dilapidated office. A row of backpacks hung on the wall, each with a number from 01 to 30, totaling thirty backpacks. The office was on the first floor, and outside the window was a run-down parking lot, old but large, with thirty or forty old-fashioned buses parked inside.
Her innate skill was triggered the moment she landed.
[Talent skill [Thousand Transformations] triggered. Current environment data read. Transforming... *beep* Transformation successful!]
[Current transformation status: Liu Ming (male, night shift driver for Black Wind Bus Company)]
Weirdness Level: Level 5 Evil Spirit (Original form was a max-level evil spirit)
Mysterious Unique Skill: Drifting (Under my control, everything can drift)
This is Blackwind City, a harmonious, friendly, and civilized city. But the arrival of some people three years ago has gradually made Blackwind City feel unfamiliar...
Welcome to Blackwind City! You are a temporary worker at Blackwind Bus Company, responsible for selling tickets. Please find your assigned bus and begin your journey.
First, first, first!
[This is a solo dungeon, and there are several players I want to watch. I'm so torn, which streamer should I go to?]
Have you seen my son? My son is missing. He always likes to be number one in online games. Has any of you seen him?
[Our great Japanese empire is officially reporting Chinese players for cheating! @HorrorGames]
[Are you upstairs spewing nonsense again? What makes you think you can accuse Chinese players of cheating?!]
[Damn it! In the last dungeon, Chinese players cleared it with five stars without doing anything! What is this if not cheating?!]
[There must be a reason why horror games are rated five stars. How dare you slander the great @HorrorGames! These arrogant idiots must be severely punished!]
[You Chinese players are cheating! Horror games are maliciously covering it up!]
Many Japanese viewers, filled with righteous indignation, were furiously typing away on their keyboards when they suddenly found themselves muted from the live stream. Immediately afterwards, the entire population of Earth clearly heard the sounds of a horror game emanating from the sky, more chilling and terrifying than ever before.
My authority is beyond question. Since you have chosen your own path to death, then Japan may vanish from this blue planet.
As soon as he finished speaking, two enormous black pillars of light descended from the sky, one landed on the Japanese mainland and the other somewhere in Latin America.
Nearby residents cautiously went to investigate, only to find the pillar of light filled with eerie energy, and ferocious monsters occasionally appearing and crashing against it. This…this was a ghostly realm! Previously, when players from the United States, India, Australia, and North Korea failed to complete the game, each had a ghostly realm descend upon them, but those four realms only occupied the area of a small city. This one, however, stretched as far as the eye could see, its eerie energy reaching the heavens, far surpassing all the previous ghostly realms!
Upon receiving the message, Li Ping'an, with a strange expression, quickly entered Zhang Jianguo's office: "Commander-in-Chief, I've received two messages, one good and one bad."
Zhang Jianguo blew on the tea in his thermos, his expression unreadable: "Let's just say it directly. This old man is too old to play these tricks of you young people."
Li Ping'an handed the tablet to Zhang Jianguo: "Japan's mainland has been completely invaded by the bizarre world and has lost contact with the outside world. In addition, a week ago, the Japanese royal family, high-ranking officials, and some conglomerates moved to the overseas territories of Latin America. The overseas territories... have also been completely invaded. These are images transmitted back by satellite. Commander, please take a look."
Zhang Jianguo put down his thermos, his brow furrowed, and stared at his tablet for a long time before speaking: "Well, so what's the other bad news?"
Li Ping'an: "..." He should have known it would turn out like this; he shouldn't have mentioned any good or bad news in the first place.
Li Ping'an: "Um... Commander-in-Chief, this is bad news. The good news is that the anti-terrorism game alliance led by the United States just announced its dissolution, and the Iron Tower Country, England, Italy, and Maple Leaf Country, all members of the alliance, have sent requests to our country to form an alliance."
Upon hearing this news, Zhang Jianguo's expression did not improve; his already furrowed brows deepened. "Hey, Xiao Li, next time, don't tell me this kind of good news. I don't want to hear it."
Japan lost two territories, and humanity suffered another defeat in the face of the bizarre. At this critical juncture, these countries were still fighting amongst themselves over the global order of the planet. Zhang Jianguo was furious at their lack of ambition.
8ьook.com
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