Chapter 50: The Prolock (1) “Welcome back, Fei.”…
A typhoon is coming.
On the third day after seeing off the museum ghost story, it was still an ordinary afternoon. Today was Friday, a prelude to the start of the day off. Bai Bei said hello to his colleagues and walked out of the studio. The screen of his mobile phone lit up, and the message from Shi Yu lay quietly in the list.
[Brother, I will be back a little later, don’t wait for me]
Bobei typing: [It may rain heavily during a typhoon, don't forget to bring an umbrella, be careful]
In half an hour, a high-risk ghost story will occur. On the road that Bai Bei must take to go home, a luxury cruise ship named Prolock will slowly arrive at the ferry near the river.
A true ghost ship.
It is the most dangerous type in the ghost story game, and it should be an S-level high-risk ghost story in reality.
Although we haven't yet reached the point where a large number of high-risk ghost stories are descending simultaneously, it is true, as the overall system said, that the intervals between ghost story invasions have shortened, and the frequency and risk factor of their arrival are constantly changing.
The dazzling barrage of comments flashed across his vision again. Bo Bei withdrew his gaze. He was so familiar with the commuting route that he didn't need a navigation system to plan a route. He stepped on the accelerator to start the car. About twenty minutes later, he stopped the car near the ferry.
There were a lot of people on the river bank, and Bai Bei used props quite skillfully to block the surveillance and stun everyone to prevent anyone from actually boarding the cruise ship.
He didn't wait long. The clear sky soon turned dark, and dense black clouds gathered in the sky, as if some unspeakable creature was hiding behind them.
It was getting dark too quickly, and the heavy shadows blocked the view, making it suffocating and heavy. Thick fog spread from unknown corners, as if coming from the deep blue ocean in front of us.
The fog obscured the outlines of everything, including the buildings that were once visible across the river. The thick fog drifted above the water, like a ghost with a damp and cold breath. The rivers that spanned different urban areas expanded into the vastness of the sea, with no end in sight at a glance.
Gray fog enveloped the huge cruise ship docked at the ferry. It was so gorgeous that it was completely different from the gloomy scene. The buildings above it alone were more than twenty stories high. The gangway landed steadily at the dock, and Bai Bei, as the only passenger, boarded this ghost ship.
The hazy mist effectively concealed the silent changes in his body. The young man with dark blue pupils took out a gold-plated card from his coat pocket. It was a thin card with an exquisite and low-key design, like an invitation to a banquet.
The receptionist symbolically accepted the confirmation, pinching the corner of the card with his slender fingers. He looked at the newly boarded passengers with a smile on his face, "Welcome aboard the Prolock, Mr. Fei."
Fei, who had once had the good fortune to draw this ghost story copy, naturally remembered the origin of the name of the Prok.
It comes from an ancient Greek myth, the Bed of Procrustes.
Procrustes was a bandit skilled in deception and brutality. He claimed to offer hospitality to travelers, but in the end he tricked them into lying on the iron bed, which he used as a torture instrument. He forcibly cut off the legs of tall travelers, or stretched the bodies of shorter travelers until they were perfectly level with the bed.
...A fable filled with violence and terror, which fits perfectly with this cage-like ghost ship.
"Your room is on the eighteenth floor." The receptionist made a gesture to invite him into the inner lobby. He politely asked, "Do you need me to take you there?"
Fei did not refuse: "Okay."
He remembered that the eighteenth floor was the most luxurious yacht club suite area. When he was in the dungeon, players usually stayed in the interior cabins on the sixth to tenth floors, which were the cheapest room types on the cruise ship. He thought there would be no changes this time.
The receptionist led him into the exclusive elevator, accessible only to the privileged class, and Fei swiped his card. On the Prolock, money was a devalued currency no longer in circulation, but this card was practically omnipotent, having previously even sparked countless players' bloodbaths.
The Prok treats players with endless malice, but no matter how badly those powerful people at the top do, they will ultimately receive maximum protection.
The players simply cannot get the card. Under various targeting and restrictions, they can only drag their exhausted bodies, abandon their dignity, and lower their heads to please those people, just for a bite of food or a drop of water.
Fei never thought that he would get this card one day.
"The restaurant on the 18th floor mainly serves Chinese cuisine. If you prefer Western food, you can go to the restaurant upstairs. The nearest lounge is downstairs. Both are open all day."
Although he knew Fei should know all this, the receptionist still dutifully explained it. He didn't want the passengers under his charge to have a bad experience. Before the door was completely closed, he slowly added, "I wish you a pleasant stay."
The receptionist's eyes came into view through the gap that was not completely closed. The smile of interest on her face seemed strange and fake. "Welcome back, Fei."
The door closed.
Fei didn't take the receptionist's words to heart. He looked around the room. It was a duplex suite with a comfortable layout. The lower floor was a living room with a private bathroom and a spacious balcony outside. The upper floor was the master bedroom.
It was dinner time, and Fei went to the exclusive restaurant after a short while. Compared to the crowded and noisy atmosphere a few floors downstairs in his memory, it was much quieter here.
Fei stepped into the restaurant which was only open to privileged people. Within seconds of his appearance, the lively laughter and the clinking of cutlery came to an abrupt end.
The eyes of those who were betting were filled with shock and fear, as if he had committed some unforgivable crime, and it was not them who repeatedly made things difficult for the foreign players. No bloody incidents occurred, and no countless lives were lost.
Fei could understand why they were so afraid of him. Back then, when his skills and props were severely limited, he was able to blow up the Plock twice. Not to mention now, probably all the passengers on the ship and the monsters in the sea were not enough for him to blow up.
The terrorist in the eyes of the privileged NPCs did not have any extra feelings. Just as he was about to walk towards a relatively quiet table not far away, someone suddenly put his arm around his shoulder. Not only did the person not try to hide away like other NPCs, but he also came close to him.
"I thought you were an AI that didn't need to eat. It's so rare to meet you in a restaurant." A familiar voice sounded, teasing and joking. Fei knew who it was without even turning his head. "Let's go together. I can recommend some dishes for you."
"That's right. It's so boring to be alone. Brother Fei, please keep us company to cheer us up." Several other friends who came with him also gathered around, laughing and jokingly. They looked to be in their early twenties and basically knew Fei.
Fei shook off the hand that was on his shoulder from the person next to him. He actually didn't care at all and simply let the other person pull him away.
The powerful class on the Plock is also a mixed bag. Some of them don't like outsiders and make things difficult for the players, some watch from the sidelines, and some people help the players on a whim and play the role of a kind savior. No matter which one, it's just for fun.
These young people belong to the third type.
They found a long table that could accommodate many people, which happened to be next to the window. The gray sea view outside the window was extremely attractive, with a slightly unsettling dark tone, resembling the cloudy pupils of a monster.
Before the main course was served, some prepared side dishes were brought out first. Fei didn't bother to pay attention to them and picked up some food with his chopsticks. Before he could taste the food, the young man who had insisted on bringing him here said in a cheeky way, "You're such a robot when it comes to eating."
Fei, who often reads comments about himself being a robot: "...Shut up Xu Du, believe it or not I will throw you off the boat."
Xu Du: "I'm so scared."
"Why are you still wearing this watch? I saw you wearing it in the game a few years ago. Does it have any special meaning or is it just for nostalgia?" Xu Du looked at the jade ring on Fei's finger and raised an eyebrow. "This jade ring is quite nice, and the jade is of decent quality."
Fei casually replied, "I only use the watch to tell time. I'm not like you guys who change it every day as a accessory. It's a gift from a friend, but it's not very good to resell, so I just wear it all the time."
Because Xu Du mentioned the ring, Fei paused for a few seconds after speaking, and then chatted a little: "The jade was a birthday gift my adoptive mother gave me before she passed away. Of course she had good taste."
Xu Du suddenly fell silent, as if he felt a little regretful for talking about a topic that he shouldn't have touched upon. For a moment, he even forgot about Fei's unusual behavior of not eating or drinking for several days in the dungeon but still being full of energy. It was hard to say whether this guy had normal emotions or not.
The young men nearby looked at each other, and after glancing at each other for a few times, they naturally shifted the conversation to a new topic.
After finishing dinner, Fei felt that it was almost time to go back to his room, but Xu Du obviously did not intend to let him go. After a lot of effort, he met an acquaintance who came to the Prolock. Several young men cooperated tacitly and finally succeeded in tricking the person into the duty-free shop in the mall below.
Fei couldn't handle the enthusiasm of this group of people. Seeing this, the system laughed wildly like a villain: [I told you that you are our playthings!]
Fiji:"……"
Fei: "Which side are you from?"
Xu Du also said that he would buy him a new watch, because he looked so shabby wearing this one all day long. Fei cooperated with him and tried it for a long time. When he came to his senses, the watch had been assembled and the staff would deliver it to his room later.
Fei knew that these guys loved to have fun, but he never thought that one day he would become a part of it. Xu Du seemed quite interested in finding suitable clothes and accessories for him, and took people into the shop next door.
Xu Du held the silver earrings to his ears and gestured. Fei watched his movements without any expression, with a strange calmness. "Are you having a seizure today?"
"Anyway, you will definitely be in that horror show at the carnival. That guy said that you are now a well-deserved popular actor, and he will definitely send you on stage." Xu Du said nonchalantly. He felt that the earring was a bit ugly, so he changed it for another one.
This time he was finally satisfied. The outer part of the hoop earrings was made of silver, with black agate inlaid in the middle. The two complemented each other and contrasted with the cold metallic feel.
Xu Du believed in his own judgment to the point of blind selection: "I guess it's a card magic show. You have to dress well for it, and this one should be able to match most things. Prolock's things are updated according to the outside world. You don't want it for free?"
Fei: "...It's up to you."
At worst, he can sell it when the time comes. This brand of jewelry will probably be worth a lot of money if resold.
While Xu Du was swiping his card, Fei went out of the store to get some fresh air. He stood next to the panoramic glass curtain wall in the hall, casually turned his head, and when he looked outside, a familiar figure in the square caught his attention.
...It’s Shi Yu, and a few people from the Operations Department.
Much earlier than he expected, they were already on board.
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