The group quickly walked to the entrance of the supermarket.
The supermarket entrance was deserted. The city's native residents, affected by the Infected attacks and traffic paralysis, naturally dared not come out to the supermarket at this time. The Challenger team may have been assigned to other districts, and there were only the three teams in the supermarket at the moment.
Uncle Bearded said, "The epidemic is spreading very quickly in the city center. It's not safe to stay here. Once all the humans in the vicinity become Infected, we could be surrounded by tens of thousands of Zerg!"
The female captain of Luoying Pavilion nodded and said, "There are only fifty or so Infected in the supermarket today, which can be eliminated by fire. If the city center is full of Infected, setting fire to kill the bugs will not save us either."
Bearded Uncle turned around and asked, "What are everyone's plans for the future?"
The female captain said, "We plan to go to the suburbs, where there should be fewer Infected. As long as we stockpile enough supplies, it will be easier to survive in more remote areas."
Bearded Uncle agreed, saying, "We also want to escape to the suburbs. Shall we go together?"
The female captain decisively said, "No need, we still need to go back to the supermarket to get some supplies. See you all again sometime."
Upon hearing their captain's instruction, the girls from Luoying Pavilion quickly turned and returned to the supermarket. Bearded Uncle watched their retreating figures, slightly embarrassed, and touched his nose. Only after the Luoying Pavilion members disappeared did he turn to Xiao Lou and say, "Hello, we are the Eternal Kingdom team. We wonder if any of you are interested in cooperating to complete the game?"
Eternal Kingdom?
Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang exchanged a glance, both feeling puzzled.
I remember Lao Mo saying before that there are three largest Challenger organizations in the world. One is the " Distant Place Association " managed by Mr. Gui Yuanzhang. Challengers who join the association all aim to return to reality as their ultimate goal.
The second is the all-female organization " Luoying Pavilion," whose leader is Chu Huaying.
The third largest guild is " Eternal Kingdom ".
It is said that the Challengers of this guild do not have an urgent desire to "return to reality". They prefer to stay in Card World, buy cars and villas in this world, and even marry and have children with the natives of the main city. They only need to complete the Weekly Routine missions, so they are not very interested in challenging the secret rooms on the card wall.
Why would they come to Spade 8, an A-level difficulty escape room?
This is a difficult question to ask directly. Currently, Xiao Lou knows absolutely nothing about the people in the " Eternal Kingdom " guild, and Brother Jiu has no relevant information either. It's best not to make any contact rashly.
Meeting Beard Uncle's friendly smile, Xiao Lou smiled politely in return and said, "Thank you for your kindness, but we don't know each other after all. If one of us gets infected, it could very well implicate the other team. Rather than being suspicious of each other, I think it's more convenient for us to act on our own."
After thinking it over carefully, Bearded Uncle nodded in understanding and said, "That makes sense. Since we're not familiar with each other, let's go our separate ways. We'll be leaving now. Take care, everyone."
Xiao Lou said, "Take care."
After they left, Xiao Lou suggested, "Why don't we go back to the supermarket to get some insecticide and a lighter before going to Lao Mo's?"
Yu Hanjiang said, "Yes, take more, it'll be easier to deal with Infected in the future."
Although the source of the fire is Bai Juyi's " The Old Charcoal Seller," The Old Charcoal Seller's skill has a 24-hour cooldown and can only be activated once a day. Infected, on the other hand, won't only appear once a day, and the charcoal is difficult to take with you during mobile battles. For example, if the charcoal is left in the supermarket today, it will be difficult to deal with Infected if they encounter them outside later.
Since the supermarket was empty, everyone could go back and see what supplies they needed to replenish. The group followed Yu Hanjiang back to the supermarket, took a large box of lighters from the shelf, and each person took a bottle of insecticide.
Just as I was about to leave, I bumped into the girls from Luoying Pavilion.
To Xiao Lou's surprise, at this moment, one of the girls from Luoying Pavilion was surrounded by the other nine people. The girl's eyes were bloodshot, and she was frantically attacking her teammates. Her teammates couldn't bear to hurt her, so the 9v1 situation seemed to be very passive.
Ye Qi's expression changed, and he whispered, "She's infected..."
Sure enough, a girl's heart-wrenching cry came from the crowd: "Lin Ran, wake up!"
One of the girls said, "Was she scratched by the cashier when she passed the checkout counter? We didn't even notice!"
Someone chimed in, "Definitely, everything was fine before! She passed the cashier ahead of me and it looked like she handed a gold coin to the cashier."
The tall captain calmly said, "She's not the Lin Ran we know anymore. Her mind is now parasitized by the Zerg, and she'll attack us. She has no self-awareness at all..." At this point, the captain's face suddenly turned pale, and he said, "Don't hesitate, control her now!"
A short-haired girl next to her immediately threw out a card—a talisman-like card—which stuck to Lin Ran. After Lin Ran was immobilized, she couldn't move at all.
Her eyes were bloodshot, but her expression was innocent. She smiled and said, " Sister Xue Lin, are you really going to kill me?"
That strange smile was exactly the same as the smiles of the cashiers at the supermarket earlier, sending chills down my spine.
Xue Lin's face was extremely pale, and his teammates around him looked at each other in bewilderment.
—Killing him is too painful to bear. But not killing him will lead to endless trouble!
Xue Lin was silent for a moment before saying, "You've been with everyone for a long time, and I really can't bring myself to kill you, but you're already infected. If we don't get rid of you, we might all be wiped out." Her voice trembled slightly. "I'm sorry, Lin Ran, I failed to protect you. The sooner you leave, the less you'll have to suffer..."
Her face was full of guilt. As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly sprayed insecticide at the girl and lit a lighter, throwing it at her.
"Aaaaaahh...
A piercing scream echoed through the supermarket, making people's eardrums ache.
Xiao Lou's palms broke out in a cold sweat when he saw this.
While Luoying Pavilion's handling of the situation lacked some human touch, it was also very rational and decisive. Currently, it's indeed difficult to keep infected teammates with them. Watching their former comrades burned to ashes, several girls turned their heads away, some secretly wiping away tears; the atmosphere was extremely oppressive.
Captain Xue Lin, his face contorted with rage, roared, "These disgusting insects, I wish I could burn them all to ashes!"
Noticing Xiao Lou and the others behind him, Xue Lin quickly took a deep breath to compose himself and said without turning around, "Let's go!"
The team of 10 has now dwindled to 9, and everyone left with grim expressions.
Xiao Lou can understand how they feel.
He couldn't even imagine how he would handle it if someone on his team got infected.
Just then, Shao Qingge suddenly pinched his nose and sneezed several times.
His teammates all turned to look at him. Ye Qi's face was pale, and he asked in a trembling voice, " CEO Shao, you seem to have coughed several times. A cold is a sign of being parasitized. Are you alright?"
Shao Qingge explained, "People who are parasitized may indeed have early signs of a cold, but that doesn't mean that people who have a cold are necessarily parasitized. I just got stuck in traffic and drove all the way here, exposed to the cold wind the whole way, so it's normal for me to catch a cold."
Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang saw Shao Qingge running towards them in the square, covered in sweat. Therefore, Xiao Lou was willing to believe CEO Shao's explanation. Moreover, if Shao Qingge was Infected, he had countless opportunities to attack them in the supermarket, especially when everyone was focused on dealing with the Zerg. If Shao Qingge had suddenly attacked from behind, everyone would have been caught off guard.
However, Shao Qingge did not do that. Instead, she followed instructions and even helped spray insecticide on the supermarket employees.
Moreover, back at Lao Mo's renovation company, Shao Qingge even brought out an ATM for everyone to withdraw money...
The bug probably wouldn't know he has an "ATM" type of S card, right?
Thinking of this, Xiao Lou said gently, "Don't be suspicious. The battle just now has proven that the Zerg are afraid of fire. When those Zerg were being burned and squeaking, CEO Shao was still helping to spray insecticide. It's impossible for him to be parasitized by the Zerg."
Yu Hanjiang calmly added, "That's right. CEO Shao used an ATM to withdraw money before. If the Zerg are that smart, they can not only disguise themselves but also use our cards. Then we won't be able to pass this room."
After hearing this, everyone felt it made sense, and their expressions softened considerably.
Shao Qingge breathed a sigh of relief at Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang's trust, but Ye Qi's suspicion displeased him. Shao Qingge looked at Ye Qi and asked with a half-smile, "If I really get infected, will Xiao Ye burn me to death like the people at Luoying Pavilion did?"
Although he was smiling, his gaze was incredibly sharp at that moment, almost as if he were staring a hole through Ye Qi's face.
Ye Qi was stunned for a moment, then said without hesitation, "How could that be? Even if you get infected, I won't burn you to death!"
Shao Qingge raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Why?"
Ye Qi said seriously, "We've known each other since Spade 3, and we've been teammates for so long. If something really happened to you, I would definitely try to save you. Although the parasite is currently incurable, maybe a treatment can be developed? How could I just kill you! Not just you, but I don't want to lift a finger if any of my teammates are in trouble..."
Shao Qingge squinted at the boy in front of him. He was really optimistic. His teammate was infected with parasites and he still wanted to save him? However, his words warmed Shao Qingge's heart. After being partners for so long, it would be heartbreaking to abandon each other at such a critical moment.
The scene of the Luoying Pavilion team setting their teammates on fire just now sent chills down everyone's spines. Thinking that we might one day face the same fate, we might really lose trust in our teammates.
Shao Qingge chuckled and gently rubbed Ye Qi's head, his voice softening slightly: "Still want to save me? If I get infected, I'll definitely bite you the moment I see you and make you infected too."
Ye Qi's eyes widened: "Don't joke like that!"
Shao Qingge put away his joke and said seriously, "Don't worry, I'm fine. I really just have a cold."
Ye Qi and Shao Qingge's conversation left their teammates with mixed feelings. In this life-or-death situation, no one could guarantee they wouldn't get infected. At this moment, their teammates' attitudes were crucial. If they were infected and their teammates didn't hesitate to kill them, anyone would feel disheartened. Everyone hoped that they wouldn't be abandoned by their teammates in their most difficult time...
Although the girl who was burned to death was parasitized by the Zerg, what if her original body still had a little bit of consciousness?
How heartbroken she must be!
Yu Hanjiang calmly said, "Xiao Ye is right. We've been through thick and thin together, and I won't abandon any of my teammates. So, if you get scratched or bitten by an Infected, report it to me immediately while you're still sane. I'll try my best to help you get through this!"
Captain Yu's words immediately put everyone's minds at ease.
Inside the stomach.
Abandoning teammates? That's not Yu Hanjiang's style.
Everyone signed up with Xiao Lou The partners on the contract book all have reasons to return to the real world and have been working towards a common goal. He doesn't want to give up on any of them.
After the Infected scratch and bite a human's skin, it takes time for the Zerg to take over the human's body. Therefore, while you still have your sanity, tell your teammates the truth; there might still be a chance to save them. The worst thing is to be afraid of being killed by your teammates after being infected, refusing to speak out, until your sanity is completely consumed, and you become a puppet of the Zerg…
Yu Hanjiang whispered, "Don't forget, the data in the A-grade secret room will be reset. As long as you leave the secret room, even if you get injured in the process, your status will be cleared immediately. So, if anyone gets infected, be sure to tell me immediately. We'll take precautions in advance, get you through the level, and return to the main city."
Based on the clues provided by Brother Jiu, injuries sustained in the S-level secret chamber don't reset. Tang Ci's legs were injured in Plum Blossom J, leaving him crippled, and he carried these injuries back to the main city. However, the A-grade secret room isn't that insanely difficult. Even if teammates get infected in this room, as long as they are controlled, protected, and brought out of the room, their status will reset, and they'll return to normal, right?
Captain Yu's words made everyone's eyes light up.
If you get into trouble, tell your teammates and have them carry you through the level; this will perfectly solve the Spade 8 Secret Chamber. The Challenger parasitic problem!
Ye Qi exclaimed excitedly, " Captain Yu is right! Even if one of us gets infected, as long as the other seven don't abandon him and help him through the mission, he'll be back to normal once we return to the main city! The data from the A-grade secret room will be cleared!"
Liu Qiao, Qu Wanyue, and others nodded in agreement.
The girls at Luoying Pavilion were probably thrown off balance by the sudden attack and forgot this crucial point.
This is also Lin Ran's fault for being infected. She was probably afraid that her teammates would abandon her, so for so long she refused to talk about being scratched until she suddenly mutated and attacked her teammates, catching everyone off guard.
If she had told her teammates sooner, and they had calmed down and thought things through carefully, the tragedy wouldn't have happened.
Captain Yu's considerations were more comprehensive.
This man may seem cold, but he harbors a tender heart.
His words eased the atmosphere in the team considerably—to be honest, seeing the girls from Luoying Pavilion decisively set their teammates on fire just now sent chills down everyone's spines, fearing that one day they too would be burned by Yu Hanjiang's fire.
But now, hearing Yu Hanjiang's words, everyone finally felt relieved.
Even if something happens to you, you still have a team to rely on.
This undoubtedly gave everyone a sense of confidence and made them more willing to follow Captain Yu wholeheartedly.
In the cruel world of Card World, how rare it is to have such a team.
Xiao Lou once said that since everyone had formed a team to face life-or-death challenges together, they should treat each other as trustworthy family members.
What's the use of saying the best things?
In critical moments, those who stay by your side and never abandon you are the true family.
******