As Wen Shi bowed his head in mourning, the white jade coffin slowly sank into the ground.
The amber jade light on the coffin lid seemed to flow back into the night sky in reflection, the color of the blood moon gradually returned to normal, and the abundant yin energy in Fengguan Village no longer showed any signs of increasing.
Players are accustomed to strange scenes in the game and did not pay too much attention to this scene.
Only the host looked thoughtfully at the dusty coffin and the full moon in the sky, which indicated that the hole in the ghost world had been blocked.
"Aaron." He pondered the name for the second time.
The whole burial process was over very quickly. Wen Shi was the first one to turn around. When he saw A Sang and the mini scarecrow who was also wearing mourning clothes, he was stunned for a second.
I have to admit, the scarecrow's body is kind of cute.
Soon, the staff climbed up the mountain and informed the main station that the car was waiting outside the mountain pass.
Just like the way they came, the players walked along a long, winding path until they finally saw the bus. But this time there were two buses: one to take the staff back to the main station, and one to take the players back.
Wen Shi was the last one to get on the bus. After thinking for a moment, he turned around and said to the host, "I wish you a bright future."
After all, he was the one who exposed the dark side of the hospital, and he didn't want the other party to die early.
The host turned his face away somewhat awkwardly, but finally waved his hand.
"Dear audience friends..."
As soon as he got on the car and heard the sound, Wen Shi saw through the window that the host adjusted his burnt tie, stood in front of the camera crew as usual, and gave a speech in the direction where the camera was usually located.
"...Thank you for watching the 10th anniversary special of "Crazy Love Season". This is also the last episode. Goodbye."
Without the ubiquitous camera shots, Wen Shi was still a little uncomfortable when he got back on the bus. He looked around and took the initiative to sit next to Tian Wanling.
Seeing this, the big-eyed boy's eyes widened even more.
Wen Shi grabbed the scarecrow and brought it in front of Tian Wanling.
Tian Wanling seemed to understand something and stretched out her hand to check, but her finger was pierced by the upright straw and a bloody hole was left.
"Sorry." Wen Shi quickly apologized on behalf of Scarecrow, making up an excuse: "He has social anxiety and will behave aggressively when he sees strangers."
Glancing at the large eyeball with a warning look, Wen Shi cut to the point: "Can your skills make him a more suitable body?"
Tian Wanling shook her head. "It might be possible to develop [Fabric Art] to the highest level, but I'm still far from that level now. However..."
Having been pricked before, she didn't dare to reach out again: "I can help him sew up the cut on his face."
The cracks are caused by the straw demon coming out of the ghost gate. There is not so much negative energy in the outside world, and if it is not treated for a long time, it will easily cause the body to rot.
As You Wenshi watched, the scarecrow was relatively quiet as Tian Wanling sewed it.
Tian Wanling lowered her head as she threaded the needle and whispered, "This instance has resolved a knot in my heart." She paused and said, "The dead cannot be resurrected."
Just like her mother, Pei Wenwei's adoptive father, gone forever.
Wen Shi looked out the window. When he experienced birth, old age, sickness and death on the Ghost Highway, he understood this truth. He had to wait until he extinguished the candle to stop the painful cycle.
It's just that his father rarely gave him any profound lectures, and Wen Shi always felt that there was something deeper behind it.
Ah Sang, who had been sitting obediently in the front row, turned around and kept promoting the father-son zombie team: "Dad, if you don't die, you won't be resurrected."
He looked a little listless. Asang could feel a force repelling him and he would have to leave here soon.
Wen Shi moved to sit next to the child and reminded him in a low voice: "There will be a tea party."
Only then did A'sang regain some of his energy and spirit.
"That madman will be there too..."
A Sang was completely refreshed.
Tian Wanling felt that the scarecrow's body seemed to be tense. When she looked again, she saw that the scarecrow was clenching his fists. She didn't know what he was angry about.
A Sang and Big Eyes had a rare tacit understanding: beat the psychopath in pajamas to death.
With a ding sound, all players finally received the system settlement notification sound. Wen Shi was also notified, but the content was a little more than others -
"Congratulations to the player for completing the special mission: Sealing the Coffin."
"The rewards for the special mission and the side mission [Return to the Village] have been sent to your backpack, please check it."
"Congratulations to the player for clearing the A+ rank dungeon 'Crazy Love Season'."
"The copy settlement is about to begin."
"The player has achieved 100% role-playing in this game, earning a 1.5-point bonus, for a total of 5,250 points." "Based on the player's performance in the dungeon, the codename [Heir] has been added to your account."
"Added a new function [Mailbox]."
"Mailbox: True heir who is now living abroad. You can use this mailbox to keep in touch with the rebels. Current recipients are [Count] and [Host]."
The rebels?
It should refer to the rebellion against Frank Hospital&#Then why give the heir a code name?
Wen Shi couldn't tell for a moment whether Yugi wanted him to take back Frank Hospital or overthrow it.
In this matter, the game's attitude is the most bizarre.
A pair of small hands suddenly clenched Wen Shi's palm, and the system prompt sound that had just ended came online again, reminding him that his new companion skill had been issued.
Wen Shi was very curious about what kind of power A Sang could lend him, so he didn't wait to be transferred to the virtual world and directly opened the attribute panel to check.
[Companion Skill: Walking Dead
Points required for single use: 200
After activation, you can freely choose any of the following effects
Run: Limited-use skill, can only be used once in a single instance, can run five miles in two minutes
Shell Breaking: Randomly smash the head of a high-level monster. Used 02 times per instance.
Bacteria: Infected organisms will experience symptoms such as fever, night sweats, and vomiting; the duration and symptoms vary depending on the severity of the infection; non-lethal virus]
It is affordable and useful, especially the sprinting skill, which is faster than a car. Although it can only be used once in each copy, it can save lives at critical moments.
Wen Shi picked up A Sang and said, "You are really Daddy's great son."
Ah Sang looked at him steadily, focusing on the key point: "Is there Er'er?"
Wen Shi thought for a moment and said, "It should be gone."
Because of A's special circumstances, ordinary children definitely do not have the ability to survive in the dungeon, so the game will not push it.
Before he could say more, Wen Shi's arms, which were holding A'sang, suddenly began to lose strength. At the same time, the player's body became illusory. The moment before his body completely turned into particles and disappeared, Wen Shi took the sewn scarecrow from Tian Wanling.
Far away from the remote countryside, the bus finally got on the highway. The driver accelerated, but inside the car, the passengers disappeared one by one.
…
Virtual world.
Finally, there weren't so many people guarding the exit, watching the fun. Wen Shi still felt a little uncomfortable after coming out.
He looked at his empty palms. The scarecrow was gone. The game did not allow special life forms to enter the virtual world.
The square looked deserted today. Entering the second half of the year, many players would wait until the next dungeon in ten days, not entering early, instead focusing on real-life matters. A shifty-looking man watched from the edge for a long time before finally approaching. Upon seeing Ji Yuanzhi, he gave a sheepish smile, quickly slipped a business card into Wen Shi's hand, and said as he ran off, "Contact me if you need anything."
Even in the virtual world, Wen Shi was very careful. When a business card was stuffed into his hand, he immediately blocked it with his sleeve to prevent someone from poisoning it.
He looked at the three words written in capital letters on the business card, "Jie Yin She?"
"It's a small guild that studies cause and effect, dedicated to researching the game's player selection criteria." Liu Yunhe explained, "They contact almost every new player privately."
Wen Shi was amused: "To win over?"
Liu Yun: "No, doing business."
When Wen Shi asked further, it was Ji Yuanzhi who answered him: "This guild claims to be able to use some special means to pull people in real life into the game."
His breathing only paused for a second, and Wen Shi's expression remained unchanged. He smiled and asked, "Can they really do it?"
Ji Yuanzhi smiled but said nothing.
Zhou Lulu then said, "This guild has contacted me before. They'll sign a prior agreement and return 90% of the points if the project is unsuccessful."
Wen Shi asked without thinking: "So they make that 10% of the money?"
Zhou Lulu looked at him deeply and said, "You are an expert."
Many newcomers become inflated after achieving a bit of success, and the Jie Yin Society exploits this to lure players in, claiming they can help them bring their designated targets into the game. Many players fall for this deception, some to lure their enemies, others to lure their friends and family who are already desperate.
Wen Shi wondered, "No one reported it and took revenge?"
Zhou Lulu looked up at the sky, Liu Yun and others coughed lightly, their expressions a little unnatural.
Ji Yuanzhi: "Because they have backers."
"yes..."
Before he could even ask who it was, Wen Shi looked at Ji Yuanzhi and suddenly understood something.
What a profiteer!
Ji Yuanzhi took a calm step forward. "There are rumors that Jie Yin Society is protected by the Second Commandment Guild, and the players believe it, so no one is interfering."
The person involved wasn't embarrassed, but others were. Zhou Lulu said, "I suddenly remembered that I have something to deal with."
"Me too." Liu Yun said, "I want to see how Xiaoyuan is doing."
Except for Liu Yun, the rest of the players are really preparing to return to the real world.
In the blink of an eye, only Wen Shi and Ji Yuanzhi were left walking side by side.
Wen Shi didn't throw the business card away. Instead, he asked, "Do you need me to call in person?"
Ji Yuanzhi stopped.
Wen Shi: "As the second largest guild, they wouldn't be so embezzling such a small amount of money. If I'm not mistaken, Jie Yin Society really has the means to do this. Those failed cases are just a cover."
A tall tree attracts the wind, and some things will definitely cause an uproar once they are made public.
Dealing with smart people is easy, but sometimes it can also be a headache.
Ji Yuanzhi didn't deny it, his eyes behind the glasses were unreadable: "The president asked him to contact you."
"I know."
If Ji Yuanzhi wanted to get himself involved with the Jieyin Society, he could just say so directly.
Wen Shi: "Your president also..."
As if he knew what he was going to ask, Ji Yuanzhi adjusted his glasses and said, "Before I entered the dungeon, he didn't know about your experience."
Wen Shi smiled and said, "But now you know, right?"
Ji Yuanzhi nodded.
It must be that the change in his attitude towards Pei Wenwei aroused his curiosity, so he took advantage of the time when they were in the dungeon to conduct a private investigation.
Wen Shi was not surprised that the president of the Second Commandment could do this.
The big guys in the game can basically call the shots in real life. This person can surpass Ji Yuanzhi to become the president, so his abilities and background must be extraordinary.
"Can we meet in person?" Wen Shi asked.
Ji Yuanzhi's eyelids twitched because of his wording. He opened the communicator and sent a message. After a moment, he said, "Go back to the hotel first. Someone will pick you up later."
…
After Wen Shi returned to the hotel, he took a shower and changed his clothes, and all his fatigue disappeared.
The front desk didn't call, which proved that he had to continue waiting. With nothing to do, Wen Shi began to check the rewards for special tasks and side quests.
[Shroud: Approximately four meters long. Defense +10 after wrapping.]
"…" Wen Shi shook his head and continued to check the belated side quest rewards.
[Chip: Communicator can read.]
He once asked the game to replace the reward for the return to the village mission with a video recording of his experience in time travel. Did the game compromise?
Wen Shi studied it and found that there was a small card slot on the diagonal side of the communicator. After inserting the chip, the phone screen went black.
After about two or three seconds, the communicator came back on, and the picture flickered, the clarity quite poor. With a sizzling sound, the video finally became smoother, and a man in a white coat could be vaguely seen standing under the streetlight.
Wen Shi sat up straight unconsciously. He originally thought that the video recorded what happened in the self-built house before the fire, but unexpectedly it was a picture of his father.
"How about a bet?" the man in the white coat muttered to himself.
"Let him see himself in a parallel world, facing the choice between life and death in the mirage..."
"Of course, this child is different from me. I'm going to die anyway, so I can't ask him to sacrifice himself for a stranger. You have to let him enjoy the free help of others first and develop some feelings for them."
Mirage is born towards death. If you choose death, you will live; if you choose life, you will die.
A peace locket suddenly appeared under the street light, indicating that the invisible existence agreed to the bet. The man picked up the peace locket and walked towards the dark alley opposite.
The picture stopped abruptly, and the chip shattered in the card slot.
"So that's how it is..." Wen Shi habitually touched his chest and remembered that the peace locket was gone.
It turns out that the peace locket that can increase luck was obtained by Dad and Youxi through a bet.
His father is indeed a genius. On the surface, he is catering to the game to test human nature, but in fact, he has won him help from his own parallel world.
"But being a son isn't bad, is it?" Wen Shi smiled at the black screen of the communicator. "I didn't take the path of survival you gave me, nor did I take the dead end of the game. I overturned the chessboard for him."
Before he could clean the debris in the card slot, the phone on the cabinet rang.
"Hello, is this Mr. Pei? Someone is looking for you. Please come to the hotel lobby as soon as possible."
"good."
Wen Shi didn't act boring. He took the elevator down as fast as he could and ran to the door.
"I am coming!"
The bodyguards waiting in the hall didn't expect that this legendary strongest newcomer would be so... lively.
He was a burly man in a suit and sunglasses, dressed like a standard bodyguard. Wen Shi couldn't help but say, "The virtual world is indeed full of dangers. Even big bosses need bodyguards."
He asked a lot of questions along the way, but the bodyguard remained silent the entire time. He led him to the entrance of a club in silence and said, "The president is waiting for you inside."
The club is also a business under the Second Commandment. It is more like a den of money. The special glass does not allow much light to enter even during the day.
Men and women, players of all professions flirt here without any scruples. The first floor is just the most ordinary place, and there is also a card room on the second floor. The atmosphere is full of decadence and extravagance.
"Tsk tsk, is this the legendary place of entertainment?" Wen Shi was amazed.
Someone else came over and led him down the elevator to the basement floor.
"Just keep going straight ahead."
The foreman did not continue to lead the way, so Wen Shi walked alone along the empty corridor. When he was almost at the end, there was only light coming from one room.
This was a basement billiard room, emptied of guests today. Only a man wearing a funny smiley mask stood in front of the pool table, polishing his pool cue. Hearing footsteps, he said without looking up, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Aaron."
His voice is mellow and gives people a very down-to-earth feeling, which is incompatible with the mask.
Although Wen Shi was used to being called Pei Wenwei, it was the first time he heard players call him by his character name in the game.
He also picked up a pool cue. He hadn't played for a long time, so he was eager to try it out in front of the table.
"Hello." Wen Shi replied absentmindedly, lowering his body to find the angle.
"Aaron, there's a name for him in the Bible, meaning one who brings light."
The masked man paused his movements and said slowly, "What a coincidence! The ten major guilds are named after the Ten Commandments, which also comes from the Bible."
clang.
The man was startled for a second by the noise.
All the balls on the table were scattered. Wen Shi squinted his eyes and stared at the numbers on the balls. His waist-to-hip ratio was perfect, even more intriguing than art paintings. Under the light, Wen Shi kept adjusting the angle and cleared the table with one shot.
In stark contrast to his handsome figure, his gaze was icy cold. "I'm not interested in theology or religious studies. Right now, I'm only interested in one thing: can Jie Yin Society really help me get people into the game?"
First, strike Pei Hongxin's industry in reality, and then let the devil enter the game to see the real devil. Wen Shi seemed to have thought of some interesting pictures, and laughed silently, and his smooth and tight muscle lines trembled slightly.
The masked man's communicator rang at this moment. It was a message from Ji Yuanzhi: [Let's chat for a while.]
He felt something was amiss and called back. There was some noise on the other end, and he heard someone complaining about how hard it was to pop the balloon. Someone asked, "What are you doing?"
"Pei Wenwei's birthday is in two days, and I'm planning to celebrate it with a few other players in advance."
When Ji Yuanzhi was investigating the information, he naturally did not miss the date of birth recorded in the information.
Ji Yuanzhi rarely interfered in other people's affairs, and on rare occasions he reminded him, "Don't overdo it, he's quite pitiful."
He didn't have a good childhood, and his only relative died in the game.
Pitiful?
The masked man looked over subconsciously.
At the pool table, Wen Shi had laughed enough and straightened up again, rubbing the end of the cue with his fingers. The ruthlessness in his eyes made him look both beautiful and perverted.
Where's the pity?
Are they blind or do they have no eyes?
Faced with the nonsense, the masked man simply ended the communication.
Returning to the original topic, he said, "Not all props can't be brought back into reality. For example, players need to carry a pass when entering and exiting the virtual world. According to our research, if someone in real life uses some special items and finds them useful, they are likely to be drawn into the game."
Wen Shi's expression remained unchanged, but he was shocked inside.
Their conclusion was correct, and he himself was the best example. The peace locket brought him luck and successfully sent him into the game.
Wen Shi held his breath and asked, "Do you have any special items like this?"
"Of course." The man answered without hesitation.
Wen Shi realized that he had underestimated the strength of the large guild before. He asked bluntly, "Conditions?"
Masked man: "I'll contact you again."
After the meeting, he had a preliminary understanding of Pei Wenwei and was sure that the other party would not pay too much for it. If he was patient enough, he could even go find this special item himself.
So the price is not easy to set. If it is too high, people will refuse it. If it is too low, it will be insignificant to the guild. It is better to change it to other things.
"At your service any time."
Wen Shi had a good impression of the president. He was experienced and didn't fuss over details.
The man first explained how to lure people into the game, at least on the surface showing some sincerity. Of course, Wen Shi believed that if he leaked this information, he would be hunted endlessly, and even Ji Yuanzhi would not be able to protect him.
"Want a game?" asked the masked man.
Wen Shi nodded.
This time it was the man who kicked off the match. He left some room and did not let the ball go directly into the pocket when he kicked off.
Both sides were holding back during the fight, and the masked man lost interest after a while. He happened to be going to the hotel and took Wen Shi with him.
"Someone upstairs is preparing a birthday surprise." As soon as they arrived at the hotel, the masked man ruthlessly "betrayed" Ji Yuanzhi.
Wen Shi lost his previous shrewdness and scratched his hair unnaturally after hearing this. His head instantly became a little messy. "I'm so embarrassed."
When he looked at the masked man, he suddenly took the initiative to invite him: "Then you come too."
There was a hint of conspiracy in Wen Shi's smile, which aroused the curiosity of the masked man, who wanted to see what other tricks he could come up with in the virtual world.
The two went upstairs together.
When Wen Shi used the room card to open the door of the suite, there was chaos inside: Zhou Xiaochun blew up a balloon out of surprise, Liu Yuan and Liu Yun were competing with latte art, and Zhang Suihe and others had also arrived and were arranging the food.
The sound of popping flowers filled his ears, and in an instant, Wen Shi's hair was covered with colorful ribbons. Behind the door, Ji Yuanzhi calmly turned the fireworks tube manually and said, "Happy birthday."
People come back early, so things can't be wasted.
Wen Shi pulled off the ribbon blocking his way with one hand and thanked everyone sincerely.
Liu Yuan roughly finished the arrangements, clapped his hands and said, "What a coincidence! Apart from the year, the date in Fengguan Village is the same as that in the outside world."
Wen Shi smiled but didn't say anything. It was not a coincidence but a human factor. This was a copy specially arranged by his father for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
"Now that we're back, let's get started." Zhou Xiaochun pursed his lips. With the Second Commandment leader around, they couldn't help but feel restrained.
The cake on the table was ready. After Wen Shi sat down, Liu Yuan divided the cake and poured champagne. Then everyone took out their gifts.
Zhou Xiaochun and the others had just learned about Wen Shi's birthday, and it was Ji Yuanzhi who asked someone to bring the message.
Survival as a lone wolf in the game is difficult, so the necessary exchanges of favors benefit Zhou Xiaochun and the others, and are even more helpful to Wen Shi. Players are brought together by interests, but there's also a lot of genuine affection in their interactions. For example, right now, because several people owed Wen Shi a favor during a dungeon, although the time was short, Zhou Xiaochun and the others prepared gifts without hesitation.
"Let's not go into those empty things, just focus on practicality."
They crowdfunded and bought a prop that looked like a playing card box.
The moment Wen Shi's finger touched it, the system identification flashed:
[King Card Box: A one-time item that can refresh side quests after shuffling the cards.
Note that special side quests cannot be refreshed. ]
"How amazing." It was the first time that Wen Shi knew that side quests could be refreshed.
That is to say, once he encounters a side quest that he has no idea about, he can replace it by shuffling the cards.
Ji Yuanzhi knew that he was rich, so he naturally didn't need to share the bill with others. He took out a very cute doll from under the table.
The short and fat curly bear has a pair of buttons representing its eyes that shine with the dazzling colors of gems.
Wen Shi had never played with these things since he was a child, and he felt a little at a loss when he picked up the teddy bear.
"Come on, smile." Liu Yuan took a photo for him.
Wen Shi's happy expression was not captured, but the moment of surprise was captured.
Wen Shi's surprise came from the game's appraisal results.
The Hug Bear is also a prop, and it can even be considered a relatively rare prop.
[Huggable Bear: A loyal friend who guards your sleep. If it sees something dirty while on night watch, it will wake you up.
Note that some things are invisible. ]
Although it is not 100% reliable, with it, the safety factor in the dungeon at night will be greatly improved.
Wen Shi rubbed his head against the teddy bear's chubby face: "From now on, I'll rely on you."
Without any dirt, the prop has no reaction, just like an ordinary bear.
Liu Yuan pressed the camera button for the second time and took a picture of Wen Shi's childish behavior. She felt an inappropriate motherly mood and understood why some parents like to buy gifts for their children continuously.
After putting the things into his backpack, Wen Shi stood up and raised his glass: "Cheers, my friends, cheers to our sponsor."
Everyone raised their glasses one after another, and then, including Wen Shi, suddenly looked at the masked man who was eating cake.
"…"
The spoon was nearly broken.
The president finally understood why he was invited to the birthday party. It turned out that he came to ask for gifts.
The air was unexpectedly quiet. He frowned beneath the mask, but was too lazy to bother with this little thought and prepared to transfer a hundred points and leave.
However, at this moment, Wen Shi couldn't help laughing out loud, and there was a rare childish innocence in his dimples, which was completely different from his state in the billiard room.
"Just kidding. I've been staying in the hotel for free, so it's only natural that I should treat you to a piece of cake."
It was mainly a small prank to retaliate for the leak, otherwise his birthday could have been more of a surprise.
After clinking the cups against each other, Wen Shi said seriously, "I hope everyone is safe."
The players had different expressions, their smiles tinged with helplessness and confusion. Finally, Ji Yuanzhi said, "Safety is too difficult, so let's just celebrate today."
"cheers!"
The sound of cheers was crisp, and the spacious floor-to-ceiling windows reflected the scene of Wen Shi bending down to blow out the candles. Unlike the candle that represented the last hope of life in Ghost Highway, this time, his eyes were full of smiles.