If it was Zhao Sanliang who was communicating with Suer, he would have remained silent after receiving the text message and told him not to commit suicide.
But Ji Heng and Su Er are similar in nature. They will never take the host lightly, but they also refuse to mix in too much fear... So Ji Heng did not try to persuade him anymore.
[If you don't change your mind before the end of the month, go find Yao Zhi and I'll give him the team-building props.]
After receiving a satisfactory reply, Su Er quickly sent a text message: [OK.]
I slept less than four hours that night and felt a little tired when I went to school the next day.
The news of Zhu Yun running away from home could not be concealed for long and soon spread throughout the class. The head teacher took a few minutes out of class to hint to the students that grades were not the most important thing and that they should never think too much.
"You said Zhu Yun has such good grades, why is she so depressed?" the boy in the front row asked in a low voice.
Just then the class bell rang.
Su Er changed the subject: "Teacher Yao came in."
The student in the front seat immediately turned around and sat down.
Yao Zhi stood on the podium and saw Suer's dark circles and his eyes moved slightly. How come this kid looked more tired than himself who had just come out of the game?
It was inconvenient to talk to him during the day, so I called him to the office during evening study.
"You're not in a good mental state."
"I had a nightmare last night," Soul admitted.
Yao Zhi didn't ask any further questions. Nightmares are common among gamers. "Ji Heng said you wanted to enter the game at the beginning of next month?"
Soul nodded.
Yao Zhi: "The reason."
Except for a few crazy ones, most people are afraid to go into dungeons.
Soul: "I want to make a living."
Being a novice has its advantages. Your thinking is not bound by the rules and regulations of the game. Besides, you are still young and don't want to be tortured by this inexplicable game when you are in your forties or fifties.
Yao Zhi knew that he was a man of his own ideas, so he didn't impose any restrictions. He said in a deep voice, "Adults should be responsible for the decisions they make."
Su Er was silent for a moment: "I know."
At the end of the month, less than a week after the conversation, Suer came to see Yao Zhi on time after school.
Neither of them was the type to like talking nonsense, so Yao Zhi handed him a green fruit and said, "Eat it."
"...Can I call Ji Heng to confirm?"
It's not that Sur is being suspicious, how can there be any team props that need to be swallowed?
Yao Zhi was not angry at all, but nodded: "You did the right thing."
Suer made a video call with Ji Heng directly, and after confirming that it was the team prop, he did not hesitate and took a bite.
acid.
It's like swallowing ten lemons in one bite.
The extreme sourness was like losing his sense of taste, his vision gradually becoming blurry. After taking the last bite, everything before him turned upside down. When he came to his senses, he was in an ancient castle, in front of him was a long table filled with delicious food, the aroma of food almost filling the entire hall.
Suer's mouth felt astringent and he wanted to drink something to relieve it, but he forced himself to hold it back.
To divert his attention, he began to look around. Besides himself and Yao Zhi, there were six other players, four men and two women. However, the most attractive thing at this moment was not the players, but the environment.
Everything you see is extremely luxurious; even the chair you sit on is made of gold.
"Welcome everyone to the world of seven days and seven nights." The familiar opening remarks appeared, and all the players subconsciously sat up straight.
The man who spoke was extremely handsome, wearing a small hat, and every button on his clothes was inlaid with gems: "I am the host of this show, the Smiling Face Merchant."
As his name suggests, he maintained a faint smile even during pauses: "This is a welfare event. You will all enjoy the greatest benefit in your life."
Su Er glanced at Yao Zhi, who shook his head, indicating that he hadn't heard of the welfare field. The other players looked at each other, seemingly unaware of it.
"Now, let's give a warm round of applause to the best middleman, Mr. Gou Baopu!"
The players clapped in unison.
A chubby man suddenly appeared in the main seat. At first glance, he looked quite festive, white and plump, like a Maitreya Buddha. However, a nine-tiered crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, and when the light shone on Gou Baopu, there was no shadow.
"Ghost King." An experienced player said subconsciously.
The smiling businessman admired the fear that was unconsciously revealed in the crowd: "The game you need to complete is called "If you borrow, you must lend."
Yao Zhi: "What are the conditions for clearance?"
"Don't be nervous. They say it's a free gift," the smiling businessman rubbed his hands shyly. "There's going to be an auction of props here in three days."
Everyone, including Sur, was a little shocked. The temptation of the props almost overcame their fear.
"Before the auction, please work hard to create wealth and maintain your daily life. If there is any surplus, you can save it to buy props."
"What does it mean to maintain daily life?" someone asked.
Smiling businessman: "Just like the food in front of you, each one has a clear price tag."
Sur looked down and saw that there was indeed a row of black numbers on the outside of the plate, and even the base of the water cup was no exception.
"Oh, right," the smiling businessman clapped his hands suddenly, as if suddenly remembering something, "there's a fee for accommodation, too."
Ghost King Gou Baopu smiled and raised his glass. "This place is not cheap to build. If you can afford it, it's better to pay for the room. The corridors may not be safe at night."
He turned his head and clapped his hands. Two ghost dolls crawled out from the shadows and tiptoed to stick a piece of paper on the wall.
"The tasks above will be updated every day, and the bounty is marked at the end." Ghost King Gou Baopu smiled kindly: "Everyone, please complete it according to your ability."
"It's getting late now." Others were looking at quests, but Zhu Yanyan, one of the few female players, looked at Gou Baopu and said, "It's not very practical to do quests."
Gou Baopu drooped his eyelids, shook his wine glass, and stopped talking.
The smiling merchant spoke at the right moment: "One more thing, if you have any rare items, you can always come to him to exchange them." He suddenly stopped, leaned over to Su Er and sniffed: "I smell... You have a valuable treasure hidden on you."
Suer lowered his eyes. This was obviously going to make him the target of public criticism.
Gou Baopu asked one last time if anyone wanted to eat the food on the table. When no one responded, he asked the ghost doll to take it away. He then took a piece of bread and put it in his mouth, then disappeared from the hall in an instant.
The oldest player among them was named Lü Huan, who was already fifty years old. However, his fighting power was still quite high, and no one dared to underestimate him.
"It would be better if we all get together tonight," Lu Huan suggested.
No one refused. The danger was greater at night, and since they couldn't afford the rent for the time being, staying together would increase their chances of survival.
As they were talking, the crystal chandelier went out, leaving only the dim lights installed every few meters in the corridor. The hall was chilly, and everyone temporarily rested in the corridor. At least there was a thick carpet here, which blocked out the cold air rising from the ground.
The advantage of having badges in the dungeon was fully demonstrated. With just a glance, they knew each other's names. Therefore, they didn't talk much, each finding a comfortable position to sit down and close their eyes to rest.
The night was particularly difficult. After an unknown amount of time, someone finally couldn't stand it anymore and asked, "What time is it?"
Since she couldn't wear a watch into the game and there was no clock nearby, Zhu Yanyan answered him, "About four hours have passed."
Seeing everyone staring at her, Zhu Yanyan said coldly: "I have been counting."
"Four hours..." Yao Zhi stood up and walked to a window in front of him to look out. The sky showed no sign of getting brighter.
Zhu Yanyan: "Some copies may last for twenty hours during the day or night."
Hou Kewei, who was sitting next to her, pursed his lips and said, "Isn't it possible to be so unlucky?"
Zhu Yanyan turned her head away. She never pinned her hopes on the kindness of the copy.
"Something is approaching." Suer said suddenly.
The corridor was quiet, at least for now. However, Lu Huan and Zhu Yanyan immediately stood up and prepared to change seats.
Although I didn't feel anything unusual, it's always good to be more careful.
Sur wasn't actually quite sure, he just felt a little cold. Based on his experience in the previous two copies, whenever he had this feeling, he was close to encountering a ghost.
Like animals migrating, one person stands up and everyone follows.
Yao Zhi, who was originally walking at the back, suddenly shouted "Run," and pulled Su Er forward at the speed of a 100-meter sprint.
Lu Huan looked back and cursed. The ghost doll was only a dozen meters away from them. Its mouth was wide open, but in the blink of an eye, it seemed as if a hole had been opened on it, and there were black holes below its nose.
However, it didn't chase after them. Instead, it climbed onto the shoulder of a chef who had just passed by. The chef, holding a kitchen knife in hand, took a few steps that covered several meters. With a face full of resentment, he stared at the player and asked, "Why?"
The chef was very unhappy: "Why don't you eat the food I cooked?"
"Don't get separated." Zhu Yanyan whispered a reminder at the fork in the road.
At this time, being alone basically means being finished.
The players' fighting strength values are all pretty good, and none of them have bad endurance and running speed. Sul's advantage is his youth, and even though his fighting strength value is not as good as others, he is not left behind with Yao Zhi pulling him up.
After running for about ten minutes, someone looked back and said, "It seems we are safe now."
Everyone stopped and leaned against the wall, gasping for air.
Su Er thanked Yao Zhidao, who then said with a serious expression, "We have no money for food, and the hours are abnormal. If we keep going like this, we will run out of energy sooner or later."
The girl next to Zhu Yanyan whispered, "While we still have the energy, why don't we complete the task first?"
"Give up on that idea," Lu Huan said. "I've seen that the easiest thing to do is to help Uncle Zhao in the garden dig a hole. The reward isn't even enough to buy a full meal."
Zhu Yanyan said seriously, "I can endure without food, but not being able to drink water is even more troublesome."
Sur didn't say anything. There was another sound not far away. It was expected that they would have to run for their lives soon.
Hou Kewei suddenly looked towards the corner and asked, "Any time is fine for me to make a deal with Gou Baopu?"
Smiley businessman smiles and nods.
"If you encounter a ghost on the road..."
Smiling Merchant: "I'll take you there. Gou Baopu is a great middleman. He also provides free refreshments to trading partners, but if you can't come up with anything that satisfies him..."
The rest is self-explanatory.
Hou Kewei called someone he knew and said, "Let's do a deal."
The man was stunned: "But I have nothing to exchange for it."
"I have one," Hou Kewei said, "I can lend you one."
The two seemed to have a good relationship. The man excitedly put his arm around Hou Kewei's neck and said, "Brother, you are so nice!"
After they left, silence fell again among the players. Soul noticed someone was observing him and smiled slightly. Their eyes met, and despite the other person's evasive gaze, he kept staring until the man became uncomfortable and asked, "Why are you looking at me?"
Su Er knew that this person was targeting him, so he didn't respond, silently wrote down his name, and looked away.
The sound in the distance was getting closer and closer. Just as everyone was hesitating whether to escape again, they saw a familiar figure walking towards them.
"Hou Kewei?" Zhu Yanyan took a step back and kept a safe distance.
There was blood on Hou Kewei's sleeves, and he held a door card in his left hand.
"Where is your friend?" Zhu Yanyan asked.
Hou Kewei didn't answer. The host chuckled and said, "He killed him."
Hou Kewei cast an angry glare at the host, but quickly lost his nerve at the smiley businessman's gaze. He gritted his teeth and said, "Will the details of the transaction be leaked?"
"Of course, the dungeon is being improved." The host nodded as a matter of course: "After all, it's a welfare event, so we need to give everyone a reference."
He turned sideways to face the crowd: "This smart player chose to kill his companion. You know, selling teammates is also a kind of transaction."
Sur: "Players are prohibited from killing each other."
The smiling businessman leaned in closer and sniffed again: "It still smells valuable. It seems you haven't been robbed."
Soul glanced at the smiling businessman: "TOEFL."
At the same time, the smiling merchant's voice suddenly turned stern: "Let me emphasize one last time, Gou Baopu is a great middleman! As long as what you're trading is valuable, he'll take it."
Yao Zhi whispered to Su Er, "I'm afraid the welfare field is not subject to certain conditions."
"That's right!" The smiling businessman heard the light voice clearly. "Mr. Hou overdrew a table knife and stabbed his companion. You are welcome to follow his example. But I must say in advance that only when trading with Gou Baopu can you be exempted from some of the rules."
The host smiled and led Hou Kewei to the room he could stay in, bowing: "I wish you a pleasant evening."
Seeing this, Su Er's eyes flickered: "Can the copy be entered repeatedly?"
Yao Zhi shook his head. "Someone once counted the methods for clearing levels and the contents of dungeons, but it turned out to be a waste of effort."
Zhu Yanyan also said: "It's impossible for the game to have such a bug that allows different players to repeatedly grind experience."
Su Er raised his eyebrows: "Hou Kewei doesn't look like this is his first time in this dungeon."
The one who answered him was a smiling businessman. His tone was doting, but his eyes were full of malice: "The welfare field is different. If you're lucky enough, you might run into it more than once."
After saying that, he let out an exaggerated "Yo!" and said, "Look, it seems you guys are in new trouble again."
From the cracks in the ceiling, transparent skin like a jellyfish oozed out, and the sound of dripping water could be heard. The accumulated water that seeped down had a fishy smell, and the carpet became sticky and smelly.
The smiling businessman retreated to the corner to watch the show again.
Su Er suddenly said, "I want to make a deal."
Yao Zhi held him back: "Don't be impulsive."
Su Er said softly, "I know what's going on."
The smiling merchant did not give him a chance to regret and took Suer directly to Gou Baopu.
With him around, the journey was indeed safe. Even when they met a chef holding a knife at the corner, they ignored him.
As soon as the door opened, Gou Baopu stood up and smiled warmly, "Welcome my distinguished guest, please take a seat."
Soul sat down opposite him.
Gou Baopu personally poured a cup of hot tea. Suer blew on it, took a sip, and then peeled a piece of candy and put it in his mouth.
The host won't lie about the rules. If he says the food here is edible, then it must be edible.
Gou Baopu acquiesced to his actions and asked kindly, "What are you planning to trade?"
Su Er asked in return: "As long as it is of value, anything is fine?"
Gou Baopu nodded: "But once you are judged to be worthless, you will have to pay with your life."
Soul took out a piece of paper and placed it on the table.
Gou Baopu: "What is this?"
Suhr: "Marriage contract."
The previous copy was originally going to be burned together with the Geng Tie, but the Ghost King arrived earlier than expected, so he put the thing away in a brochure.
With the sugar supplement, Su Er felt much better and continued, "My late husband was the Ghost King, so he was very valuable."
Gou Baopu turned the beads on his wrist: "...He is him, and you are you."
Su Er: "The couple's property is shared. I'll make the decision. I'll give you half of it." He didn't forget to take down the Ghost King's birth date and time. "It was his mother who decided the ghost marriage. The old lady has probably been murdered in revenge. As the betrothed, I have the right to handle the Ghost King's affairs after his mother-in-law passes away."
Gou Baopu's eyelids twitched when he heard the righteous tone.
"Let's be frank," Su Er said seriously, "I can't even afford to eat right now. I want to sell my deceased husband and his wife to supplement the family income. What do you think?"
"…"