Li Yuheng glanced at Li Qiyang indifferently, but his light gaze sent chills down Li Qiyang's spine.
“Little Li,” Li Yuheng slowly wiped his mouth, “are your eyes twitching? Why are you always glancing this way?”
"No! I am..."
"What is it?" Li Yuheng tilted his head. "Want to join our sweet interactions?"
The last syllable of the sentence rose slightly, carrying a hint of mockery, yet it sent a chill down Li Qiyang's spine.
He had no doubt that if he dared to utter the word "want," Li Yuheng would definitely kill him on the spot.
Just then, the restaurant floor suddenly began to shake violently, and the surrounding walls twisted and deformed as if they were melting wax.
The players screamed in panic, some trying to escape, only to find that all the doors and windows had vanished.
Li Yuheng swiftly scooped up Shu Bai and held him firmly in his arms: "Looks like the second instance is about to begin."
Shu Bai struggled in his arms for a moment, a hint of anger flashing in her dark eyes: "Put me down!"
"I won't let go." Li Yuheng smiled and tightened his arms. "What if we get separated?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire restaurant vanished instantly, as if erased by an eraser.
Li Yuheng felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was standing at the entrance of a dilapidated town.
The afterglow of the setting sun cast a blood-red hue over the dilapidated houses, and a stench of decay permeated the surroundings.
A virtual panel appeared in the air:
[Current number of surviving players: 42]
[Instance Name: Silent Town]
[Completion Requirements: Complete the mission and uncover the "truth" about the town within 3 days]
[Instance Type: Survival]
[Friendly Reminder: Please remember your identity]
Li Yuheng looked around and found that all the other players were gone, leaving him standing alone.
“Little system,” he called out to 0090 in his mind, “what’s going on?”
0090: [Your Highness, the second instance is a single-player mode. All players will be randomly assigned to different locations in the town.]
Li Yuheng raised an eyebrow: "What about my wife?"
[Shu Bai was probably also randomly teleported.]
We still got separated.
It seems holding on won't help.
Li Yuheng clicked his tongue, looked down at his attire, and found that he had changed into a worn-out work uniform at some point, with a crumpled piece of paper in his pocket.
He unfolded the note, on which was scrawled:
[Identity: A reporter from out of town]
[Mission: Investigate the disappearances of residents in the town]
Li Yuheng casually crumpled the note into a ball and stuffed it back into his pocket, a playful smile playing on his lips: "A reporter? That's quite suitable for a high-IQ person like me."
0090: [...]
It selectively ignored its host's narcissistic remarks and dutifully reminded him: "Your Highness, this instance is very dangerous. Please be extremely careful."
"Dangerous?" Li Yuheng casually kicked a pebble at his feet. "How dangerous could it be?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a creaking sound came from the shadows at the end of the street.
Li Yuheng looked up and saw a hunched figure slowly emerging from the darkness.
It was an old woman with a face full of wrinkles, her gray hair sparsely plastered to her scalp, and her cloudy eyes staring straight at Li Yuheng.
“Outsider…” her hoarse voice sounded like sandpaper rubbing, “You shouldn’t have come here.”
Instead of backing down, Li Yuheng strode forward and said, "Hello, Grandma. I'm a reporter from the Universal Daily. I'd like to ask you a few questions."
The old woman was clearly taken aback, seemingly not expecting his reaction.
"First," Li Yuheng pulled out a small notebook from somewhere and asked seriously, "Do you think I'm handsome?"
The old woman: "..."
“Second,” Li Yuheng continued, “how do you think I compare to the average appearance of people in this town?”
The old woman's face twitched, and a strange red light flashed in her cloudy eyes.
“Third,” Li Yuheng completely ignored her increasingly ferocious expression, “do you know where I can buy milk tea around here? I’m a little thirsty.”
"You're asking for death!" The old woman finally lost her temper. Her withered fingers suddenly grew longer, and her sharp nails pierced straight into Li Yuheng's throat!
Li Yuheng easily dodged to the side and even helped her up, saying, "Grandma, be careful. You're getting old, so don't do such strenuous exercise. It can easily lead to osteoporosis."
The old woman: "..."
She flew into a rage, her hunched body suddenly swelled up, and wriggling tumors bulged under her skin, transforming her into a three-meter-tall monster in the blink of an eye.
"Wow," Li Yuheng whistled, "Your transformation is pretty good! What brand of skincare products did you use?"
The monster let out a deafening roar, and its huge claws slammed down on Li Yuheng's head.
Li Yuheng calmly raised his hand, and a ghostly blue flame flickered at his fingertips.
"Smack!"
He snapped his fingers, and the monster's movements suddenly froze. Then, with a "thud," it collapsed to the ground and transformed back into the appearance of an ordinary old woman.
"Have a good night's sleep, Mother-in-law." Li Yuheng smiled and walked past her, continuing on her way.
0090: [Your Highness, you've violated the rules again by using ghostly power...]
Its mechanical voice carried a deep weariness. [This is the umpteenth time I've violated the rules; my warning log is almost overflowing.]
"Little system, what are you saying? Is it against the rules for a handsome guy like me to use a little ability? It's called making reasonable use of one's own advantages."
Li Yuheng paused, a smug smile playing on his lips. "I'll say it again: if you don't think it's a good fit, we can terminate the contract anytime."
0090: [...]
Li Yuheng walked along the dilapidated street. Peeping eyes occasionally flashed from behind the windows of the houses on both sides, but no monsters dared to come out and block his way.
Soon, he arrived at the town square and found a dozen or so townspeople gathered there, looking terrified.
They formed a circle, with a young man bound by rope kneeling in the middle. In front of the man stood a priest in a black robe, who was loudly proclaiming something.
"In the name of holiness, we sacrifice this heresy and beg for God's forgiveness!"
Li Yuheng narrowed his eyes, and the man who was tied up was none other than Li Qiyang.
Li Qiyang's face was deathly pale, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat. When he saw Li Yuheng, his eyes lit up, and he opened his mouth to call for help.
Li Yuheng put her index finger to her lips and winked at him.
Li Qiyang immediately understood and shut his mouth tightly.
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