Chapter 22 Secondhand: Don't Argue with People
You asked Xiaoming about the Carnival Market before, and she wasn't quite sure what to do at the time, but you both agreed that it must be one of the most thrilling scenes in the entire De Kingdom instance.
The market is inherently a complex place with a huge flow of people, which completely violates the generally accepted safety rule for outsiders to walk in less crowded areas.
The food safety issues at the various food stalls inside are also worrying. Many people on Xiaolvshu (a Chinese online learning platform) have shared stories of contracting bacteria that caused gastroenteritis at certain markets.
What would be germs in reality is unknown here.
And if you search online for the so-called market here, you'll find many temporary tourist attractions, which are practically a small amusement park.
Ever since you searched for these things, every time you open your phone, you'll receive news reports about accidents caused by malfunctions of amusement equipment at the market.
Either the roller coaster track breaks or the giant pendulum falls over, making your eyelids twitch.
Even without any supernatural or bizarre events, it's actually quite dangerous when you think about it. These rides, which pose a certain risk even in normal amusement parks, are being disassembled and reassembled on the spot at the market.
This is practically an inspiration for the "Death Is Gone" movie series.
After seeing similar news repeatedly, you decide to choose the closest city to the city that is holding a carnival market that month. For example, there is a car-themed market in St. Louis this month, with nothing but snacks and various car models.
There probably won't be any major changes; it's impossible for visitors to transform into Decepticons while the car models on site become Autobots dueling.
Xiaoming suggests you go to the Halloween market, but you don't understand why.
"Here's the thing, I just received an email asking me to set up a stall at this market to sell fried noodles. The email was just a notification, but it mentioned that the market is closed, and employee handbooks and visitor rules will be distributed upon entry." Xiaoming explained the situation to you helplessly, "It seems that I'm really short of money with this identity, because I always get some part-time job notices on weekends."
So there were rules.
In a place where rules govern everything, having rules in black and white is always better than not having them stated at all.
Thinking about it this way, this market that sounds like it's full of demons and monsters might actually be a bit safer than the kind of open market that you can just walk into anytime you pass by.
“Okay, then I’ll buy your fried noodles later.” You sent the message with a smile.
"Haha, okay." Xiaoming sent a laughing emoji, and then analyzed with you what might happen.
First of all, you'd better go and buy some costumes.
According to the event's webpage, visitors can wear whatever they want to participate, but you might feel that if you dress too plainly, you might stand out from the crowd, which wouldn't be ideal.
"I think it's best not to buy those serious ghost costumes. You could buy superheroine costumes instead; maybe they'll give you an extra boost," Xiaoming suggested.
"Smart," you send a thumbs up. "But isn't Halloween all about dressing up as ghosts and scaring people?"
"Nowadays, very few people dress up like this. Teenagers and adults basically treat this holiday as a role-playing carnival. They care about whether they look good or not, not whether they are scary or not," Xiaoming explained. "Moreover, dressing up as ghosts is actually a trend that came from the United States. Here, Halloween is actually called 'All Saints' Day,' which is supposed to be a more serious religious event where believers go to pay respects to their relatives."
"So that's how it is." You understood.
The preview market is next Sunday, so you have plenty of time to prepare before then.
You revised the lab report again and again before finally submitting it, and that was the end of the big task.
After the old professor was killed in the bombing, you wonder who will be grading your reports. Staring blankly at the screen for a while, you open Amazon.
Regarding the costumes, you wanted to buy them online, but Amazon doesn't work, and DaliExpress from South Korea takes too long to deliver, so you had to go to a store to browse.
Perhaps due to the upcoming Halloween market in the city, colorful pumpkin lanterns, masks, and skull patterns have already been hung on the streets to create a festive atmosphere.
The air in winter is more stagnant than in summer, and the warm aroma of freshly baked bread always makes you feel comfortable.
Even in such cold weather, many people still sit outside the small shop, wearing woolen hats and gloves, enjoying their snacks and coffee.
Stepping into Mueller, a popular German retail chain, you head straight for a small special sale area dedicated to Halloween.
A witch's pointed hat, a vampire's cloak, a zombie's tattered clothes, and a huge pumpkin decoration were displayed. Several black cat dolls were placed nearby, somewhat messy from being rummaged through by mischievous children.
Although your goal is to wear superheroine outfits, you're still a little disappointed that you can't try on these quirky and scary clothes and masks. You're afraid that wearing them will give you some negative bonuses.
As you slowly stroll past the display shelves, your gaze wanders over each costume. A dazzling array of superheroine outfits awaits you, and you finally stop in front of Wonder Woman's costume.
This outfit is different from what you remember from the movie. It also features a red breastplate, but the belt is decorated with gold stars. However, the bottom is paired with blue stretch pants that allow for easy movement, making it look much more comfortable.
You picked up the clothes, carefully felt their material—light yet sturdy—and were quite satisfied. You turned around and went into the changing room to try them on.
The fitting room lighting was somewhat dim, contrasting with the brightly colored dress. The dress wasn't too tight or too loose; it wasn't particularly beautiful, but it fit well and wouldn't restrict your movements.
That's it.
You return to the jewelry section and begin selecting accessories. You choose a pair of gold wristbands and add a headpiece.
I also grabbed a cross pendant and picked out a silver knife from the cutlery section. You can't go wrong carrying around all sorts of exorcism-related items.
You walk to the cashier with satisfaction, and the clerk glances at the clothes you've chosen, but then suggests that you could choose some "special" costumes.
Your babbling has improved rapidly; simple daily conversations and situational dialogues are no problem for you now. However, you're just pretending not to understand and giving the cashier a silly grin.
She stopped trying to persuade you, and just smiled and said "Happy Halloween" before packing up your purchases and handing them to you.
Carrying the bag, I walked out of the shop. The winter days here are so short. It feels like I just got up and went out, and the sun is already gradually setting and the streetlights are starting to come on.
You quickly walked home and happily made yourself stewed potatoes.
The broth was leftover vegetable soup from a meal I had with Xiaoming a couple of days ago. Oh well, it's edible since it hasn't gone moldy.
The dishes here are already on the salty side, and cooking them again makes the potatoes very flavorful, with just the right taste.
You are enjoying your dinner when your new roommate walks into the kitchen.
Your new roommate and you have always kept to your own distance. Generally, if you both see each other in the kitchen, you'll wait before going in.
She hands you her phone, and you see the message: "Are you going to the Halloween market this weekend?"
You nodded.
She hesitated for a moment, then asked you again, "I'm planning to go too, let's go together."
Having a companion is a good thing, but it also has its hidden dangers. You frowned and thought about it for a moment, but still nodded and agreed to her request.
She breathed a sigh of relief, smiled at you, and handed you her QR code. You added each other, and she left without bothering you during your meal.
You only realized she was in the big group after you added her.
The group has been discussing which carnival market to go to these days.
Xiaoming wasn't the only outsider working and setting up a stall at the market; everyone was discussing the pros and cons of different markets. Generally speaking, their opinions were similar to yours and Xiaoming's: Halloween markets might look scary, but they could be quite normal; those markets that seemed harmless might be full of traps.
Many group members who were initially hesitant gradually changed their minds and started making plans to visit the market together.
In this country, especially in this small town you're in, the shops have very few kinds of goods. There are people like you who are content with just finding something decent, but there are also some people who seem to have no sense of crisis and are actually looking forward to what fun activities will be available.
The group started by sharing nice outfits they bought, then recommending places to rent cheap costumes, and gradually some people even started making their own props and selling them to others in need.
You think it's pretty funny, that people are still busy making money in places like this. They really are clever people from the Flower Kingdom.
You don't buy it, but you still enjoy watching. Several familiar names in the group are discussing homemade props—someone has made "weapons" out of plastic sheets, similar to swords and shields, and their initial intention is the same as your choice of a silver dinner knife.
The price wasn't too expensive, around 10 gulls. But suddenly, an uneasy atmosphere filled the group.
A new message popped up: "That prop is way too expensive! It's just made of plastic sheets. 10 Gull is such a rip-off!"
This statement was like a spark falling into dry hay, instantly triggering a series of replies.
"Yeah, can't you buy secondhand items for more than 5 gu? Aren't you breaking the rules by doing this?"
"What rules do you have? This is homemade, not a second-hand item, so why are you restricting the price?"
"But aren't these still being sold to group members? That's so unfair of you, trying to make money during the holiday?"
"Who here studies abroad? Does money grow on trees? Rich ladies and gentlemen, I suggest going to the UK or the US."
Is it really necessary? It's only 10 seagulls.
Ah, I see. Someone has fallen for this trick.
General rule: Second-hand items cannot exceed 5 euros.
This is clearly another word game. What does "second-hand" mean? Discarding old items is second-hand, but in essence, it refers to goods that have been transferred from one person's hands to another.
More and more people joined the debate, and one of the people being attacked couldn't hold back his emotions and sent a voice message cursing for more than 30 seconds.
It uses the language of flowers.
The group fell silent instantly.
In the blink of an eye, the entire chat history in the group seemed to have been deleted, leaving only the replies from these few people selling homemade products.
"Help me."
"Everyone, someone please save me!"
"I got caught up in my thoughts. I don't know why I just felt dizzy. What should I do now? Is there anyone who can say something? I've missed my chance!"
You don't know this guy, but he really speaks in the group chat a lot, so he looks kind of familiar.
After sending a few more messages, he stopped replying.
Ten seconds later, a message popped up in the group chat that his account had been kicked out of the group chat.
A note from the author:
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Good afternoon! The next chapter will be available for purchase. Thank you so much for your support, moms! Love!
*The following is from my next book, "The Pseudo-Man Elimination Plan"
A fake human is a monster whose goal is to imitate and eventually replace a real person.
Studies have shown that they do not exhibit murderous intent towards non-targets, and their behavior is almost indistinguishable from that of a real person. However, once someone sees through their disguise, the aggression buried in their genes is triggered.
Extremely dangerous!
**
Zhou Miao, nicknamed Zhou Sanshui, has a younger sister named Zhou Sen, nicknamed Zhou Sanmu.
Besides being unable to sing, this Shui Mu Nian Hua duo also acted in strange ways.
As the captain of a special task force under the Fruit Market Pseudo-Personnel Management Bureau, Zhou Miao had a secret he couldn't tell anyone.
She has face blindness.
Not only are they face-blind, but they are also mind-blind.
The most important thing in judging a fake person is to meticulously analyze the changes in the real person before and after being replaced, but in Zhou Miao's eyes, there is no difference between a real person and a fake person.
This is Zhou Miao's biggest secret. And the reason she was able to become the squad leader is thanks to Zhou Sen's eyes, which are as sharp as a microscope.
**
When Zhou Miao was 12 years old, a fire destroyed her home. Her parents also perished in the flames.
She turned around and found Zhou Sen, who was still a baby.
"Then you can be my little sister from now on." Zhou Miao wiped his dirty hands after escaping the fire and pinched his sister's cheek. "Your name will be Zhou Sen, hehe."
**
A story featuring a group of characters with a touch of horror, a bit silly, and a hint of suspense. The main characters are all female, and the story revolves around sisterhood and family.
Tiger has a new idea in store! Moms, come and check it out! Please add it to your favorites!
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