Translator: AnubisTL
"True," Chen Mang murmured, silently withdrawing his gaze from the clerk. Since no one was buying the snacks, there was no need to restock. But a sudden realization struck him, and he turned back to the clerk. "It's been so long. Are these still edible?"
"They're all perfectly fine to eat, ha."
"Really?"
"Yes, ha."
"Why do you add 'ha' to every sentence?"
"It's the Boss's policy. Makes us sound friendlier, ha," the clerk replied with a smile from behind the counter, looking at Chen Mang and his group.
Biaozi instinctively shivered at the sight, wrapping his arms around himself and rubbing the goosebumps that had risen on his skin. To be honest, during the day, when the city was bustling with activity, these robots seemed kind of interesting—wearing bikinis and sporting lifelike synthetic flesh.
They even evoked a certain feeling in onlookers.
They really know how to stand out.
But at night, if you were alone in this city, it would turn into a horror movie. Why did every conversation with these things give off such a creepy vibe?
Wait a minute.
Biaozi suddenly remembered something. After a long hesitation, he approached the clerk and tentatively placed a hand on its shoulder.
In the casino, the women in red bikinis all acted like sluts, saying, "Sir, want to play? 100,000 points" at the slightest touch.
While it seemed reasonable enough in that environment, this shop assistant was dressed in a normal short-sleeved shirt and jeans, looking like the girl next door. Surely she wouldn't act like those casino sluts, right?
The next moment—
Feeling the physical contact, the shop assistant smiled at Biaozi.
"Sir, want to play? 30,000 points."
"Damn it, I knew it!" Biaozi cursed under his breath, quickly withdrawing his arm. He realized it wasn't just the casino environment; it was the whole city. In this place, anyone could do whatever they wanted, as long as they had the money.
Still...
30,000 points was two-thirds cheaper than the casino. Not a bad deal.
Though he still thought going to a Customs Shop would be better—weren't they cheaper?
Wait, he was getting sidetracked. Why even consider a Customs Shop? They were all just robots! What's the fun in that? Why play with robots when real women are right here?
Just then—
The wind chimes outside the store suddenly jingled as a burly man strode in, bellowing, "Where is everyone?"
Ignoring Chen Mang and his companions, he slammed his wrist device onto the counter scanner. As the system registered a 30,000-point transaction, the man barged behind the counter, pinned the clerk against the desk, and pressed her down.
"Wait, what?" Biaozi stared blankly at his reflection in the refrigerator door. "Lord Mang, we're not invisible, are we? How can he just ignore us like that?"
Chen Mang narrowed his eyes, studying the scene intently. The burly man was acting with exaggerated effort, while the clerk seemed oddly compliant. The once-serious atmosphere had instantly devolved into bizarre absurdity. This man was clearly a robot—a shill planted by the city's master.
Apart from their group, no one else was in the vicinity of the convenience store; no one else could currently access this zone.
This shill hadn't appeared here randomly to pin the clerk down. It was more likely a programmed scenario designed by the city's master to create a sense of absurd decadence, gradually corrupting customers into a state of moral decay.
"Let's get out of here," Chen Mang said.
Chen Mang set down the Red Heart Nut and led Biaozi and the others out of the convenience store. After lingering at the entrance for thirty seconds, he suddenly charged back inside.
"Hey, are you still at it?"
"Never mind, sorry to interrupt. Carry on."
He had initially assumed the two robots were merely putting on a show for them and would stop once they left. To his surprise, they were still going at it. It seemed their programming dictated that once started, they must finish.
But—
Chen Mang suddenly grinned. He had just figured out a faster way to earn points. These robots were all loaded with cash and incredibly generous. Perhaps he could try asking each one individually to see if he could trigger any money-making missions.
Like that one at the Casino.
He strode back into the convenience store and approached the burly man working behind the counter. With a serious expression, he said, "Hello, Brother."
"What can I help you with?"
"Plenty!"
The man grunted with exertion as he cursed, "I'm furious right now! The Venomous Serpent Gang from the next street over just stole my entire shipment that arrived this morning. If you can help me get it back, I'll reward you handsomely!"
"Huh?"
Standing behind Chen Mang, Biaozi stared at the scene before him, his eyes wide with disbelief. His voice involuntarily rose in pitch: "Holy shit, this actually works?!"
"We're professionals when it comes to fighting," Chen Mang chuckled, his laughter ringing with genuine amusement. It seemed this city had indeed programmed triggerable Story Missions for some of its robots, enhancing the immersive experience for visitors.
This allowed even those with limited resources to participate in the city's narrative, adding layers of replayability.
The "Convenience Store" likely served as a Story Mission trigger point.
When a customer entered the store and lingered for a certain duration, the burly man would barge in, his face flushed with anger, and pin the clerk—who moments ago had seemed like an ordinary girl next door—beneath the counter.
If the customer left at this point, the story would end there.
But if they asked a question, the hidden Story Mission would activate.
"So..."
"When do we set out? How long will you need to finish here?"
"At least half an hour."
Outside the Convenience Store, Chen Mang leaned against his off-road motorcycle, lighting a cigarette and waiting patiently. Half an hour was fine; he'd wait even an hour if necessary. Robots exhibiting unusual behavior often harbored hidden Story Missions.
"Lord Mang."
Biaozi squatted stiffly by the roadside, his face as sour as if he'd eaten shit. "You're telling me a fucking robot can shoot? Shoot code or something?"
"Be patient."
Chen Mang casually remarked, "Haste makes waste."
"I'm not impatient, just curious." Biaozi abruptly stood up and strode toward the shop. "Wait for me, Lord Mang. I'm going to see if they really have that thing."
Just then—
Inside the shop, the burly man emerged, cursing as he fastened his belt.
"That was great!"
"But I'm still burning with anger."
"Hey, you guys said you'd help me get my stuff back, right? Come with me. The Venomous Serpent Gang next door is tough. I wonder if you can handle them."
With that, he turned and headed into a nearby alley.
"Hey, is this guy always so cocky?"
Biaozi chuckled in exasperation before turning back to peer into the shop. He eyed the clerk behind the counter, who was pulling up her jeans.
"Welcome!"
"You must be tired," Biaozi retorted sarcastically, rolling his eyes before hurrying after Lord Mang into the alley.
Behind them, the clerk's crisp voice rang out.
"Come back again!"
"I definitely will when I have the money!"
Soon—
Led by the burly man, the group twisted and turned through the alleyways until they reached the underground parking garage beneath an office building.
Chen Mang surveyed the subterranean space.
There wasn't a single load-bearing pillar in sight.
The view was remarkably open, and each parking space was enormous, resembling berths for trains.
It almost looked like a train station.
However, no trains were present. Instead, about twenty or thirty men in gaudy floral shirts, their bodies covered in tattoos, cigarettes dangling from their lips, and liquor bottles in their hands, were gathered in a group, laughing loudly and conversing boisterously.
"Damn, this haul means we don't have to work for months!"
"Hahaha! After all, we're the Venomous Serpent Gang!"
"..."
Biaozi gazed at the scene, his expression impassive, and murmured, "Such a stereotypical and one-dimensional portrayal of villains."
It seemed the two civilizations shared some similarities, at least in their stereotypes about gang members.
The next moment—
Crash!
The burly man who had led them here angrily pulled a liquor bottle from his coat and smashed it violently against the ground. The shattering glass echoed through the underground space as he grinned menacingly and pointed at the group.
"You dare steal my goods? I've brought backup! Let's see if you can handle them!"
"Attack!"
"Where did you pull that bottle from, old man?"
"Huh?" The burly man at the front turned to Biaozi, puzzled. "I bought it at the convenience store earlier. Is there a problem?"
"No, no. Carry on, old man. Have you finished your lines?"
"Finished? I said everything I needed to."
"Then should we attack, Lord Mang?"
Chen Mang glanced at Zhang Yi. "Go easy on him. Don't kill him—just cripple him."
Normally, violence was forbidden in this city. Earlier, a train conductor had tried to rob the Mechanical Train Parts Store and was immediately kicked out of the fortuitous encounter map.
But this situation was different. Chen Mang had been invited by a local gang to join their conflict. They couldn't just kick him out now—this should count as one of the fortuitous encounters mentioned in the map's information.
Still, it was best to play it safe and avoid killing anyone.
"Understood."
Zhang Yi nodded solemnly, then tossed the refrigerator to Zhang Er. He pulled a briefcase from his pocket and hurled it into the air. The pitch-black briefcase rapidly disassembled mid-air, transforming in the blink of an eye into an incredibly imposing mecha.
Blue Mecha, Thunder!
In the next moment—
Zhang Yi immediately piloted the mecha forward. Seeing this, the Venomous Serpent Gang members pulled out steel pipes and machetes from their bags, charging forward with furious roars!
"Steel pipes?!" Biaozi shouted in disbelief. "You motherfuckers don't even have guns?"
"Fighting a mecha with steel pipes?"
Three minutes later, the battle was over.
The Venomous Serpent Gang members lay groaning on the ground, bruised and battered but without any bloodshed. Mechanical parts scattered around them, having been knocked loose during the fight.
The prolonged battle was mainly due to the requirement of not killing anyone, which proved surprisingly difficult to adhere to in the heat of combat.
"Hahahaha!"
"This is what happens when you mess with the Battle-Scarred Gang!"
The burly man who had initiated the fight earlier strode over, his face flushed with excitement. He grabbed a briefcase and hurled it at Chen Mang. "Brother, thanks! This is the stolen cargo—all yours as payment!"
"All of it?!" Biaozi couldn't help but raise his voice in disbelief.
What's the difference between this and Lord Mang robbing you?
You might as well have just let the Venomous Serpent Gang take it all.
"Hahahaha!"
The burly man strode away, laughing heartily and looking quite dashing. The battered members of the Venomous Serpent Gang muttered curses under their breath as they prepared to leave.
"I understand you," Li Shiji said, patting Biaozi on the shoulder with a sigh. "As a game designer, I have to say, this storyline has some serious plot holes. It's clear the original master of this city wasn't very skilled in this area. If I were designing it, I could make it much more interesting."
Just then—
"Wait!"
Chen Mang called out, stopping the battered members of the Venomous Serpent Gang. His expression turned serious as he raised his voice: "Brothers, is there anything we can help you with?"
The group froze in their tracks. A man stepped forward, his face contorted with anger as he shouted, "I'm furious right now! The Battle-Scarred Gang from the next street over just robbed my shipment that arrived this morning. If you can help me get it back, I'll reward you handsomely!"
"Huh?" Biaozi's jaw dropped, and he couldn't help but blurt out, "He hasn't changed his lines at all? Are they all reading from the same script?"
The next moment, the burly man who had just been laughing heartily and swaggering away was yanked back by Zhang Yi, dangling in his grip like a helpless chick.
"We've accepted the Venomous Serpent Gang's commission. Hand over the stolen goods."
Chen Mang gazed intently at the man dangling in mid-air.
Burly Man: "Didn't we already give you the shipment?"
"Then how about we give it back to you?"
Chen Mang tentatively handed the package to the burly man.
"Then... I'll hand it over."
The man dazedly passed the package back to Chen Mang, who then handed it to the Venomous Serpent Gang leader.
The gang leader, his face flushed with excitement, threw his head back and roared with laughter before tossing the package back at Chen Mang's feet.
"Brother, thanks! This is the stolen shipment. Consider it your reward!"
"Hmm."
Chen Mang tilted his head to look at the burly man Zhang Yi was holding by the collar. "Do you have anything to say? Any new commissions?"
(End of the Chapter)
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