By traditional logic, option one was immediately ruled out.
Option two's reward was insane! Direct promotion to Rank 9?! Holy shit! Alex's eyes went wide.
Then he froze again.
Wait... what's this urn?
It's for him, right?
Alright, scratch that option. He still wanted to live and flirt with girls.
That left option three, but how to broadcast this audio? Set a delayed timer on his phone? Then just bail?
Not ideal. First, his phone cost money. Second, if Rex and his crew spotted it, they'd smash it instantly—zero impact.
What to do? What to do?
Alex watched the elegant woman walk farther away, heart pounding.
That's a skill book! His slime could get new abilities! If he missed this chance, who knew when he'd unlock skills again!
He had to play this smart!
Think, Alex! What could work in this massive mall?
A megaphone? Too late—he didn't even know where to buy one!
Countless ideas flashed through his mind, each quickly tossed aside.
Rex kept laughing like a maniac, fantasizing about his glorious future.
Alex scanned the area and suddenly spotted a kid. The boy seemed to be looking for his mom, who was hiding behind a pillar.
Alex's eyes lit up.
Got it!
His steps went light. Grabbing the potion box, he dashed around the pillar, disappeared at the corner, and plunged into the bustling mall.
The mall was packed with people, a lively hub of activity.
Smells wafted from the nearby food court—smoky grilled meat, sweet bubble tea, hot oil frying chicken, all mixed together.
Alex's verdict? Not even close to Aunt Lilian's cooking.
Bright lights lit up every shop. Mannequins in clothing stores wore the latest coats, diamonds sparkled in jewelry displays.
Kids ran around holding balloons, couples snuggled together sipping bubble tea.
For a moment, Alex felt like he was back in his past life on Blue Star.
He rushed toward the service center, ignoring curious looks. He approached a sweet-looking girl at the workstation.
Seeing Alex, she smiled faintly, then looked him over with a brighter grin, playing with her hair. "Hello! How can I help you?"
Alex was out of breath. "I just saw a mom looking for her kid. Could you help me make an announcement in the mall?"
He opened his phone, recording ready.
"The boy's name is Rex. He's pretty mischievous and ran off on his own."
Her expression turned serious as she immediately led Alex to the broadcast booth.
"I have to ask—why isn't his mother here herself?"
Alex smiled. "She has mobility issues. Can't run after him, so..."
The young woman got it instantly, expression softening with sympathy.
Alex marveled at his own genius!
She activated the microphone.
"Attention please: Little Rex, your mother is looking for you! Please come immediately to the service center on the first floor!"
"Repeating: Little Rex..."
The gentle voice echoed through the mall, instantly grabbing everyone's attention—including some people outside.
The elegant woman and middle-aged man paused for a second but didn't care.
Rex raised an eyebrow. "Another brat with my name? What a pain!"
"Exactly! Only a genius deserves this name!"
"Young Master Rex is the best!"
In the broadcast booth, the girl turned around.
"What does he look like?"
Alex thought for a moment. "Blond hair, slouching, and not good-looking."
"Oh yeah! Heavy dark circles! That look of someone who's completely worn out!"
The girl froze. She understood everything before that—but what was up with the dark circles?
Still, she read it aloud.
"If you see a child matching the following description, please bring him immediately to the service center on the first floor!"
"Blond hair, average looks, acts very carefree, and... heavy dark circles!"
"Repeating..."
The voice echoed again.
The middle-aged man froze. That description... why did it sound familiar?
The elegant woman raised an eyebrow, glancing back at Rex and his group. They were all grinning, nodding and bowing.
"Interesting..."
Rex suddenly felt something was off.
Why was this kid also blonde? And had dark circles too? Coincidence?
He frowned, thinking, then suddenly relaxed.
"Impossible. I'm way too handsome, doesn't match up."
"Right! Young Master Rex is so handsome!"
"Even with dark circles, he's handsome!"
"The most handsome guy at Storm High!"
"The dream of millions of girls worldwide!"
In the broadcast room, the girl furrowed her brow slightly.
"Why's it taking so long? Nothing bad happened, right?"
Alex smiled faintly.
"This kid's rebellious—he definitely doesn't wanna go back. But no worries, I have a recording of his mother. It'll move him to tears."
The girl blinked. "I need to listen to it first, just to make sure the content's appropriate."
Alex suddenly got serious. What mattered more—the child or the rules? What if he vanished completely? Or got kidnapped and fed to a contract beast?
The girl opened her mouth but said nothing.
She handed the microphone to Alex.
"Just play it. Hurry up and find that kid!"
Alex gave a wicked grin and slammed the recording studio door shut.
The girl gasped, "Sir, what are you doing?!"
Alex gently covered her mouth.
"Shh. Watch my performance."
He played the recording as the girl stared at him in shock.
"Tsk tsk tsk, that fat ass, those huge tits... Lady Rose, huh... Just wait till I pin her down and make her my bitch!"
"What's with the act... Dressing all slutty like that, you're such a whore. Must be horny 24/7, touching yourself every day."
"Hahahaha! Young Master Rex sure knows how to talk!"
Rex and his lackeys' disgusting voices echoed throughout the entire mall, instantly grabbing everyone's attention.
The whole mall went silent for a second.
Then—
"Pfft—HAHAHAHA!"
"Sorry, couldn't hold it. What a 'good kid!'"
"Holy shit, such nasty lines, and he actually says them in public? I'm dead!"
"Rex? That Rex from the big family?"
"Yep! That's him! I've heard his voice before! Just as sleazy as this!"
Countless people pointed and stared, pulling out phones to record.
Several livestreamers nearly jumped for joy, chat flooding with comments:
[Holy shit! Unreal!]
[This is real-life social death!]
[Hahahaha, Young Master Rex, you're cooked!]
[Record it! This is hitting a million views easy!]
Outside the mall.
Rex's face froze instantly. He stood there like he'd been struck by lightning.
His crew froze too, the air so quiet you could hear them gulp.
"Y-Young Master... this can't be you, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah! It must be fake! Someone's framing you!"
But the elegant lady ahead had already stopped, narrowing her eyes as she coldly fixed on Rex.
"Heh," the lady chuckled, "Young Master Rex, what a delightful little hobby you have."
Rex's face went completely white, cold sweat trickling down his neck.