Chapter 263 Mask
As night falls, black-winged insects also appear along with the darkness.
These little insects are very good at hiding. You can't see a single one during the day, but at night, they suddenly appear out of nowhere and chase after players to suck their blood.
Moreover, due to its extremely abnormal reproductive ability, players suffer greatly and are in dire straits.
In the past, evenings were a rare time for rest and relaxation.
But now, almost all players are suffering from "nyctophobia"—or more accurately, blackwing insect phobia.
In the evenings, the chat area is almost entirely filled with discussions about black-winged beetles, with almost no other topics.
Some people are powerless against black-winged beetles and can only curse their ancestors in the chat area.
Given their terrifying reproductive capacity, they probably reproduced more than eighteen generations in just a few days.
Some people have sore and aching arms from swatting black-winged beetles and are looking to buy all kinds of ointments. And there are quite a few people like this, which has unexpectedly given rise to a new industry: selling dog skin plasters.
The seller was Hanmei, an old acquaintance of Meng Qingyin. It was clear that this person had studied many ways to make money and had developed them into very successful businesses.
Another player, nicknamed "Mask," claimed to be a drug developer, saying he was researching a super drug that could eradicate blackwing beetles, but currently lacked funds and needed everyone's temporary assistance.
Most players didn't believe "Mask's" nonsense and bluntly pointed out how clumsy his lies were.
Of course, most players were too busy dealing with the black-winged beetles to pay attention to the lively chat area.
Meng Qingyin naturally had no such concerns; she scrolled through the chat section, enjoying the entertainment.
Suddenly, a message came from the small group.
I am the lucky one (poor man's version): "@Mengmeng, most people are now using physical methods to deal with black-winged beetles. Aren't you planning to sell chickens? Go to Aunt Wang's chicken farm, buy a batch of chickens, resell them and make a profit. You should be able to make a fortune."
Drowning his sorrows in strong liquor: "I think Lu Cheng's idea is great!"
Mengmeng: "I've also considered it, but this industry is not easy to implement. There are two difficult problems to solve. First, live animals cannot be listed on the trading hall. How can I sell chickens to other players? I can't expect them to use transmission cards, can I? Not to mention the increased costs, once there are too many people, there will inevitably be some with bad intentions. Although I am not afraid of them, if there are too many such people, it will be very troublesome and time-consuming."
Mengmeng: "There's another reason. You guys went to the chicken farm last time and saw that there were too many people buying chickens. The NPCs were also affected by the black-winged beetles, so there probably aren't many chickens left at the chicken farm."
I am the lucky one (poor man's version): "Okay, I didn't think it through."
I'm an unlucky person: "However, it's really abnormal that these black-winged beetles are resistant to pesticides and that ordinary insecticides are ineffective against them."
The elderly man said, "I saw a player in the chat who said he was a drug researcher and was developing a drug. Could he really be a researcher?"
I am the Lucky One (Poor Version): "I also saw that person's message. Sir, don't fall for it. That person is definitely a scammer. Even if he is a drug researcher, where would he get all the experimental equipment to conduct his experiments? The key point is that he asked everyone to chip in for him. It's obviously a scam."
Meng Qingyin glanced at the chat area again. The player named "Mask" would send the same messages every now and then, saying that he was a drug researcher and wanted to raise money to develop drugs.
This person is far too patient.
Meng Qingyin was also skeptical of what this player had said.
She sent a message in the group asking, "Have you guys heard of this player before? Is he from server 30?"
I'm Unlucky: "That player called 'Mask'? He's not from the original server 30; he's from the last server merge. What, do you think he's telling the truth?"
Mengmeng: "No, I just think he's very patient. He kept sending that message over and over again, even though not many people would believe it."
Drowning his sorrows in strong liquor: "Maybe he thinks that with so many people in our district, there must be a few who will believe him and raise money for him."
I am the lucky one (poor man's version): "They're all scammers."
Meng Qingyin stopped looking at the chat area, chatted with everyone for a while, and then went to wash up.
Qingfeng hasn't returned yet, it seems the research isn't going well. Meng Qingyin didn't want to bother her, but then she thought about how long it's been dark and how Qingfeng would deal with the black-winged insects without the mother hen.
She messaged Qingfeng, asking, "Qingfeng, how's your research going? Should you come back first?"
After a while, Qingfeng replied, "Ah, I was so engrossed in my research that I didn't even notice it was getting dark. Master, wait for me a moment, I'll go back now."
After a while, Qingfeng came over carrying her various experimental instruments. She looked excited and said, "Master, I don't plan to sleep tonight. The sap of this mutated dragon's beard grass is very special."
Her face, neck, and arms were covered with bite marks from black-winged beetles. They were red and swollen, and you could even see small holes. It was a shocking sight.
Meng Qingyin felt sorry for you. "If I hadn't messaged you, would you have been eaten by black-winged beetles? Let me treat your wounds first."
Qingfeng: "It's alright, it doesn't hurt much, it's bearable." Her eyes lit up, "Master, if I figure out the special properties of this mutated dragon's beard grass sap, you can mass-produce it!"
Meng Qingyin ignored her topic and said, "Wait, let me treat your wound first."
Forget about mass production; all she knew was that Qingfeng was a complete idiot.
Meng Qingyin took out the ointment from her system inventory; it was the same jar she used to give to Qin Jiu.
This ointment is incredibly effective at healing wounds, but it's unclear whether it can cure Qingfeng's black-winged beetle bite.
She took a cotton swab and dipped it in the ointment.
Qingfeng had already set up the experimental equipment. Seeing Meng Qingyin solemnly holding the ointment, he said with a helpless expression, "Master, it's just some minor wounds..."
Without a word, Meng Qingyin pulled her arm over and said, "Apply the medicine."
She carefully applied it to the affected area.
Looking at her focused expression, Qingfeng suddenly choked up, "Master, you look just like my mother..."
In the past, when she was injured, her mother would gently apply medicine to her in the same way.
Meng Qingyin paused, momentarily unable to discern whether Qingfeng's words were a compliment or something else.
She was in the prime of her life when an older woman said she looked like her mother.
Should she cry or laugh?
In the end, Meng Qingyin quietly said, "A teacher for a day is a mother for life."
Qingfeng's earlier emotion vanished instantly. His lips moved for a moment, but in the end, he only uttered two words, "Hehe."
She must have been imagining things just now. How could she say that her master was like her mother?
Now it seems Master has taken it seriously.
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