A million points per point, someone who dares to spend money like that must be a player from the Wasteland Corner.
The amount of money offered was so high that several players in the group were tempted. Especially since they weren't very confident about surviving to the next game, and wanted to leave enough money for their parents, wives, and children, this million became an irresistible temptation.
Ren Yifei believed that many people would want to play this way. Most of the skills and items brought in from the Wasteland Corner were unusable; players could only purchase items in this mini-game using points.
The money in this world is just a string of numbers. Exchanging a string of numbers for the chance to survive is a very worthwhile deal.
Even if Ren Yifei didn't need to maintain a public image, he would still do this.
There were only about twenty people in the group, while there were over eighty players in the Desolate Corner dungeon. This shows that the group only represents a fraction of the total number of players, and there are many more outside.
What preparations are those people making? And which one of them could be the ghost?
Ren Yifei shook his head. In this situation, catching the 'ghost' would be no easier than finding a needle in a haystack.
Since the boss's workload wasn't heavy, and most of the work only required his review and signature, Ren Yifei had time to go online.
He used some illegal means to obtain someone else's communication account, and then sent the same message to the original owner's father and several uncles: One million, and pretend I don't know anything about your affair with XXX.
This XXX is the name of the original owner's grandfather's caregiver.
Uncle San was the first to react: This is inexplicable.
Second Uncle was a step too late: He's mentally ill.
Although the original owner's father arrived late, he brought shocking news: What do you want to do?
"Alright, case solved," Ren Yifei said, a mocking smile playing on his lips as he looked at the words. No wonder the original owner felt his existence was meaningless; what kind of trash was on this list?
That nurse was even bigger than the original owner! She's really something, getting someone pregnant before marriage and then refusing to take responsibility. Since she can't control herself, she should just have it removed.
But did the nurse know any of this? What were his feelings and stance when he appeared at that villa? And what were his feelings towards his other child from the same father?
They clearly share the same father, but one can become the heir while the other can only work as a caregiver. Doesn't he feel resentful?
Could he be the one who betrayed the original owner?
Ren Yifei's fingers tapped slowly on the table. He hadn't paid close attention yesterday and didn't know the nurse's reaction. Judging from the situation this morning, the other person didn't seem to be acting strangely.
"He Jun, did you send me a message yesterday?"
"No," came the reply quickly.
"Heh." He turned off his phone, responding too quickly. Even if the phone were right next to him, he would still need to think for a moment before speaking, but clearly, there was no 'recalling' process on the other end; he simply and decisively said 'no.'
If something doesn't need to be recalled, it's either something that just happened, or it's a self-hypnotic lie.
Ren Yifei recalled the shop he had seen yesterday, which had a companion token that cost three points and could bring another player into his mini-game.
We can try it later. If we can bring it in, then it's basically safe. If we can't bring it in, then we're cleared of suspicion.
"Bang bang."
Ren Yifei straightened his expression and said, "Please come in."
Assistant Xiao Wei walked in, holding a booklet in his hand: "General Manager, this is what the old gentleman asked me to give you."
"The latest model?" Ren Yifei looked at it and saw that it was a jewelry manual.
The assistant coughed: "The old gentleman said that you would like to choose one as a gift for Miss An."
"..." I almost forgot, he has to go on a blind date tonight.
Ren Yifei has decent taste; he chose a small, fingernail-sized clavicle pendant inlaid with apple-green jadeite. The pendant isn't large, but its quality and texture are excellent. It's surrounded by a ring of 18k gold, making it suitable for young, fashion-conscious individuals.
After Ren Yifei had chosen a gift, his assistant, Xiao Wei, went over the schedule again. Since he'd heard that Miss An liked Western food, he'd made a reservation at a Western restaurant for 7 PM.
Ren Yifei responded with silence.
Neither he nor the original owner, who had her own ideas, could accept such a marriage. This time, it would most likely end badly.
Ren Yifei even prepared for the possibility of being splashed with wine, and asked his assistant to prepare an extra set of clothes for him.
"So you still value this date." Assistant Xiao Wei seemed to have misunderstood something, thinking that he was worried about getting his clothes dirty during work hours and not looking presentable, so he asked the assistant to prepare an extra set.
Ren Yifei bore this misunderstanding alone: he had agreed to go on a blind date, but in his heart he intended to reject her. No matter how you look at it, it was not sincere enough. He only hoped that the other party would be lenient with him because of the gift.
The day passed uneventfully without any surprises, and before he knew it, it was time to face the challenge. To subtly express his purpose, he even bought cornflowers at the florist: elegant and delicate, the beauty of being single.
However, when he arrived, he discovered that he might not be the only one who was uncooperative.
"Hello, Ms. An, I'm late." Looking at Ms. An in front of him, who was wearing a dark work uniform and had no makeup on, Ren Yifei politely pulled up the corners of his mouth and revealed a very subtle smile.
The young lady across from him saw the cornflowers in his hand, gave him a knowing smile, and extended her hand: "Hello, Mr. Zhong, I'm early."
To be honest, Ren Yifei did feel a sense of relief. He presented the bouquet and gift, saying, "It was a pleasure to meet you. I hope you like it."
His words were dry and his expression was rather indifferent, making him quite unlikable. However, Miss An visibly relaxed and even reached out to take the bouquet: "I like it very much; it matches my mood right now."
An elegant single person.
As soon as he sat down, a perceptive waiter came over with the menu. Ren Yifei glanced at it, then turned the menu and placed it in front of the lady opposite him.
The other person didn't refuse out of politeness, but instead ordered her favorite steak and other side dishes. Then she turned the menu back to Ren Yifei.
The restaurant's one-menu menu was supposed to be a romantic touch for couples, but the couple's antics ruined the romance and created a lot of inconvenience.
Once they had ordered, the cutlery was brought out. Ms. An's lemonade and Ren Yifei's cooled boiled water were served, creating a stark contrast with the red wine on the surrounding tables. They weren't there for a blind date; it seemed they were just having a meal to appease their families.
It was a lady's birthday party next to me. Her boyfriend had invited a violin teacher to play a love song for her. There were also candles, gifts, and a heartfelt confession.
Many women in the room looked on with longing, but Ms. An, who was closest, seemed not to hear them, her head down cutting her steak. As for Ren Yifei, he was eating a raw beef sushi roll—Wagyu raw beef that melted in his mouth, with a rich, milky flavor.
When the whole place was filled with a pink bubble, these two were definitely the odd ones who ruined the atmosphere, but they themselves were completely oblivious.
Upon seeing this, the person who had been lurking in the crowd sent a message to the employer: No chance. The two of them didn't exchange a single glance the whole time, and they didn't seem uncomfortable at all in front of a strange and outstanding woman. Business partners get along much better with them.
The employer who received the message was naturally very disappointed: what wonderful children they were, how come he just wasn't interested?
Unfortunately, no matter how disappointed they were, it was no use. This wasn't a feudal society, and Ms. An and Zhong Lan weren't puppets in their hands, to be made to do whatever they wanted.
So after the meal, the two of them stood up in perfect unison, and without even exchanging numbers, prepared to head home.
Because the two were focused on eating and didn't talk to each other, less than half an hour had passed.
"Shall I take you home?" Even if he didn't intend to continue the relationship, Ren Yifei wouldn't let Ms. An go home alone. Unless she had a car.
"I will take my sister back, no need for Mr. Zhong to trouble you." A heavy motorcycle screeched to a halt in front of them, and the rider in a black leather jacket took off his hat, revealing a young and unruly face.
He tossed another pink helmet to Miss An, then gave Ren Yifei a provocative look: "I'm her brother."
"Alright, stop being rude to Mr. Zhong." Miss An put on her pink helmet and stepped onto the motorcycle.
This heavy motorcycle can carry one person without violating traffic rules, so Ren Yifei did not stop him: "Goodbye, Miss An."
"Goodbye." Miss An held cornflowers in one hand and her younger brother in the other, waving the bouquet in her hands.
With a roar, the motorcycle quickly disappeared from his sight.
"7:30." They agreed to meet at 7:00, and the date was over by 7:30—no blind date could be more efficient than theirs. Ren Yifei didn't plan to go back to the company; instead, he went straight home.
His grandfather was taking a stroll in the yard after finishing dinner when he saw Ren Yifei return, his side empty. His expression was one of utter disappointment, as if he were looking at a failed pig that had failed to get any cabbage.
"...Ahem, I'll go back to my room first."
Ren Yifei and nurse He Jun passed each other without looking at each other. It wasn't until Ren Yifei had gone upstairs that He Jun turned to look at him.
It's as if Ren Yifei had eyes in the back of his head, but by sheer coincidence, he turned around at that moment, and their eyes met across the entire hall.
Ren Yifei smiled slightly, but He Jun seemed to be frightened and lowered his head.
He returned to his room, where there was a computer. He used the computer to search for the addresses of the players in the player group. It turned out that these addresses came from all over the country and were not from the same province or city.
"If only we could find the real Infinite Game by following those so-called 'mini-game ads'." Ren Yifei tried again for a while, still not giving up. He searched those pirate websites and did find some ads for casual mini-games, but none of them were the real thing.
When it was nine o'clock, a late-night snack was delivered downstairs. After eating the snack, he stood on the balcony for a while to get some fresh air before going back inside.
Then he changed into a set of comfortable sportswear and put on sneakers. At 9:30, he appeared in the carriage.
The carriage was packed with people; from his angle, it was densely packed with people.
Counting the seats row by row, there were fourteen people in total, including men, women, young and old. They didn't talk to each other, and their eyes held a hint of hostility as they sized each other up.
Ren Yifei scanned the room but didn't see any players he'd met in the previous game, nor did he recognize the person. He then opened his phone, purchased a companion token, and confirmed the person's identity and name.
A flash of light appeared in the carriage, and a thin man appeared there with a surprised look on his face. The first thing he saw was Ren Yifei, and the self-igniting travel talisman in Ren Yifei's hand.
"You." His face turned deathly pale.
Author's Note: Afei: I'm an easygoing person; I never hold grudges from today until tomorrow.