Seeing the boy staring blankly with red eyes and moist rims, Xiao Lou gently placed her hand on his shoulder and said softly, "Don't worry, we're here for you this time. You'll definitely be able to pass the test smoothly."
The boy, lost in his memories, paused, looked up, and met a pair of clear, gentle eyes.
Xiao Lou smiled and said, "You're all alone and weak. If you encounter danger, you can only run away, and you might not even be able to escape. Why don't you join us and clear Spade 3 Secret Room together? There's strength in numbers, and besides, your card is very useful to us."
"You mean... the Teleport and Eavesdrop cards?"
Xiao Lou nodded: "If you're willing to trust us, could you lend these two cards to Captain Yu for now?"
Yu Hanjiang quickly understood and said, "That's right. With the teleportation card, I can catch the mole in the Challenger as soon as possible and find the supplies he stole."
The boy frowned, looking somewhat conflicted, when Shao Qingge said, "I'll borrow your card. The rental fee is calculated daily, 50,000 per day. We'll settle the bill when we leave the escape room. If you're worried about your safety, you can come with us."
If these three attacked him, he would have no chance to resist.
However, the three men did not directly rob him of his card, but instead "borrowed" it, saying they would pay him rent.
The boy stared blankly at the three of them, somewhat incredulous.
He suddenly remembered Xiao Lou's words—"The world has gone mad, but we haven't gone mad yet."
These three individuals all have their own bottom lines and principles; they are still normal people, having not lost their reason or humanity. In Card World, the card is every Challenger's most important weapon.
Stealing someone else's card is no different from robbery.
So they don't rob, they just borrow.
Xiao Lou's gaze was very gentle.
Having wandered alone for so long and experienced so much, this was the first time the boy had felt his heart enveloped in warmth. He nodded vigorously and said, " I can lend you my card, no rental fee required. Just take me with you and let me pass through the checkpoints."
Xiao Lou smiled and nodded: "No problem, stick close to me from now on."
Yu Hanjiang said, "Okay, tomorrow after dawn, CEO Shao and I will go to the city, and Professor Xiao and... by the way, what's your name?" He turned to look at the boy, his sharpness softening considerably.
The boy said earnestly, "My name is Ye Qi."
Yu Hanjiang nodded: " Professor Xiao and Ye Qi will stay at the Construction Site. If things get bad, Professor Xiao should take him to Peach Blossom Spring to hide for a while and give me a call. We'll be right back."
Xiao Lou said, "No problem, I can set up Ring traps in advance. If someone comes to steal it, I can hold them off for a while."
Yu Hanjiang said, " Peach Blossom Spring only lasts for 30 minutes. With the teleportation card, I'm sure I can get back within 30 minutes. Call me immediately if there's any danger."
Xiao Lou said, "Okay."
Shao Qingge said, "Tomorrow I need to go to the city to find a place to go online and check the stock market. I'll go with Captain Yu."
The three discussed their strategy for tomorrow, and the boy listened attentively, unable to get a word in edgewise.
Shao Qingge suddenly turned around and said, " Ye Qi."
The boy who was called immediately perked up his ears: "Yes."
Shao Qingge said with a smile, "Could you please wash your face and change your clothes?" His gaze swept over the other person's entire body. "After all, it's not pleasant for our noses to see your dirty face and smell your strange odor."
Ye Qi's ears suddenly turned red: "I, I'll go wash right away."
He opened a bottle of Mineral Water, went to the next room to wash his face, and then took out clean clothes from his backpack to change into.
After he came back, it was as if he had become a different person.
The young boy was handsome with delicate features, especially his eyes, which were dark, bright, and full of spirit.
Compared to her previous appearance, covered in grime and pretending to be a garbage collector, Ye Qi looks much better now that she's washed her face...
Recalling the scene of him singing, Xiao Lou couldn't help but ask, "Are you from the Music Conservatory?"
Ye Qi nodded: "Yes, I've loved singing since I was little. I'm a freshman at the Music Conservatory. I came into this world because of an accident."
Xiao Lou asked, "Where's your guitar?"
Ye Qi said, "That's another card I drew." He took out a card and said, "A-grade tool card, guitar. It can play music. If you activate the skill, it will put enemies within range to sleep for 3 seconds."
Xiao Lou: "..."
This guy has a lot of weird and wonderful cards.
Surviving even the Nightmare Secret Room is like being an unkillable cockroach.
Yu Hanjiang glanced at the time and said, "It's already 4:30. Hurry up and bring the supplies downstairs."
Ye Qi said, "I'll go help too. The Teleportation Card allows me to teleport 50 meters horizontally. I can teleport with the box, which will save me a lot of effort."
Yu Hanjiang: "..."
This is a good idea.
Shao Qingge stayed behind, while the other three quickly went downstairs to move things.
With the help of the teleportation card, Ye Qi moved a truckload of supplies directly to the stairwell. Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang only needed to carry the items to the third floor, and he could then teleport the supplies into the house.
Watching the boy teleport with the box in a bizarre manner, Xiao Lou couldn't help but exclaim, "This guy is really agile."
Yu Hanjiang leaned closer and whispered, "What, you want to recruit him as a teammate?"
Xiao Lou laughed and said, " He's actually very strong to have survived the Nightmare Secret Room. Ye Qi's greatest strength isn't his combat ability, but his extreme agility and ability to adapt to harsh environments. I think we should consider having him join us. After all, CEO Shao is also alone now, and neither of them wants to be dragged down by a bad teammate, so they don't want to be paired with a teammate. Maybe they can go to other secret rooms together?"
Yu Hanjiang thought about it carefully and said, "Good idea. Shao Qingge is not good at Heart Room. If Ye Qi brings the eavesdropping device to help, they can easily pass Bloody Maple Leaf and draw some good cards."
Xiao Lou said, "Let's ask them for their opinions later."
Actually, the most crucial reason why Xiao Lou was willing to recruit Ye Qi as a teammate was—
Ye Qi knows a lot, and has even experienced the Nightmare Secret Room, which most Challengers wouldn't even dare to dream of. However, he still retains a kind heart. He places eavesdropping devices for all the Challengers and knows where everyone's supplies are stored, but he didn't even steal a bottle of milk. Instead, he carefully avoids danger and finds his own way to pass the level.
Even when he was starving to death in the Nightmare Secret Room, he did not steal or rob.
It is truly remarkable to maintain one's original aspirations under such difficult conditions.
He's experienced betrayal before and knows how painful it is to be betrayed. Therefore, he won't treat others the same way. If he were to join the team, Xiao Lou believes he wouldn't betray them.
Back on the third floor, Xiao Lou shared her idea with Ye Qi and Shao Qingge: "Why don't you two go to the heart room together?"
Ye Qi looked at Shao Qingge nervously and said, " Professor Xiao is right. I don't have any teammates. If I get randomly matched in the Red Heart 3 escape room, I might get eliminated if I encounter bad teammates."
Shao Qingge looked at him with a smile: "You want to team up with me?"
Team?"
Ye Qi nodded vigorously: "Is that okay?"
Shao Qingge shrugged: "If you hold me back, I'll throw you out without hesitation."
Ye Qi immediately assured him, "No, I got an S grade in Red Heart 2 Secret Room. I've played some escape room games in the real world, though not many, but I roughly know how to collect clues. I definitely won't cause any trouble."
Shao Qingge, whose rating was C, smiled and said, "Alright, then I'll reluctantly take you along."
Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang: "......"
CEO Shao, you heartless scumbag, you have the nerve to say you're mentoring him? It's him mentoring you, isn't it?!