An older beggar sat on the ground, a bruise from a steel pipe swelling on his forehead like half an egg.
He reached up to touch it, hissing through his teeth as he glared at the others. “Don’t be stupid. The Liming City police don’t give a damn about ‘self-defense’ when it comes to us.”
“They already think there are too many beggars ruining the city’s image. The cops would use this as an excuse to clear us all out. These days, it’s not easy to find a safe spot with a roof over your head. Do you really want to go back to sleeping in the danger zones?”
The room fell silent. No one wanted to leave Liming City.
The older beggar stood up and wiped the blood with his sleeve. “Bury these two. Dig deep. Don’t let the dogs dig them up.”
Looking at the pool of blood still spreading across the floor, he added, “Move fast. Get it done before dark.”
Just as they were about to start, the corpses of 【Tom】 and 【Jerry】 began to fade. They flickered a few times and then vanished completely.
The room went silent again. This silence was different from before. Previously, there were sounds of heavy breathing and racing hearts; now, it felt as if everyone’s breath had been snuffed out.
A young beggar stood with his mouth agape, his chin trembling. “What the hell... is this a haunting?”
Someone let out a shrill scream, and the crowd devolved into a panic.
At that moment, 【Tom】 and 【Jerry】 walked back in through the corridor entrance.
They were wearing the same clothes as before, but the weapons in their hands had changed.
In this damn game, when a player character dies, they drop their equipment and money!
Curse it all!
Now, their status bars were full, their HP bars were green, and their stamina was restored. There wasn't a single wound on their bodies.
After being beaten to death by the beggars, they had refreshed at a nearby respawn point and immediately sprinted back.
On the way, 【Tom】 couldn't help but joke, “Didn't expect to die that fast.”
【Jerry】 replied, “It doesn't matter. If we die, we just respawn.”
Players were different from NPCs. They didn't fear pain or death, so they had come back for more.
The beggars watched the two men reappear at the door, the expressions on their faces shifting through a kaleidoscope of shock.
Some people's legs began to shake; others let their shovels slip from their hands; some simply turned and bolted.
It wasn't just fear in their eyes; it was a total mental breakdown.
A person can handle being robbed, beaten, or humiliated, but it is much harder to accept someone you just killed with your own hands standing alive in front of you again.
“Ghosts!” one beggar shrieked, pointing a trembling finger at 【Tom】 and 【Jerry】.
The scream was shrill and long, echoing back and forth through the narrow corridor.
One beggar even fainted—it was unclear if he was truly scared to death or if he had succumbed to an earlier injury.
【Tom】 turned to 【Jerry】 and said, “These guys had the guts to kill us. Today, we’re wiping them all out.”
【Jerry】 nodded. They were likely already wanted by the Bureau anyway. In that case, they might as well go all the way down this dark path and become true villains!
...
“A boss scolding their employees usually deserves to be struck by lightning, but if the boss is you, even a slap would be sweet~”
A strange, beautiful young woman had suddenly appeared in the office of the Tulip Security Company.
Yue Shi felt like he was being flirted with. He looked her up and down. “Who are you?”
The young woman smiled slightly. “The Mayor of Liming City, Long Jianguo.”
Yue Shi’s brow twitched. As one of the few first-tier megacities in Jinlong Continent, the Mayor of Liming City was naturally no ordinary person.
To be able to hold a city of ten million people together in the cracks between the Bureau and various elite families and conglomerates, one had to be either a highly capable individual with an iron fist or a noble with deep connections.
The woman before him seemed to be both.
“Oh, so it’s the Mayor. To what do I owe the honor of your visit?” Yue Shi asked, his fingers slowly stroking the Snow Leopard’s back.
Long Jianguo scanned the office, her expression calm. “When an evil god is strutting openly through my city, of course I’d want to come over and have a chat.”
Yue Shi didn't deny it. Something churned within the shadows at his feet. “If the Mayor has something to say, feel free to speak plainly.”
Long Jianguo found a seat and sat down, her hands folded over her knees. “What is your purpose in coming to Liming City?”
“Just passing through,” Yue Shi answered quickly, almost without thinking.
“Is that so?” Long Jianguo’s tone didn't change as she pressed further. “Then why did you go through the trouble of opening a company to gather those otherworldly visitors together? What are you trying to do?”
Otherworldly visitors? Yue Shi blinked. That was an interesting way to put it.
The players thought they were in a virtual reality game; the locals of Jinlong Continent treated them as perverts or abnormal creatures; but in Long Jianguo’s mouth, they were ‘otherworldly visitors.’
This indicated that the Mayor possessed far more information than the average person. She didn't just know that the players weren't from this world; she knew they came from another world entirely.
As for whether she understood the concept of a ‘player,’ Yue Shi wasn't sure yet.
“What are otherworldly visitors? I just hired some employees to help me get things done,” Yue Shi said, feigning ignorance.
Long Jianguo chuckled. “Stop playing dumb. I don't want to waste time bickering with you. Please skip the meaningless garbage.”
Yue Shi shrugged. “Fine. Then let me ask you first, Mayor—how do you view these otherworldly visitors?”
“As the root of all evil disrupting the natural order,” Long Jianguo replied, her face showing unshielded irritation.
She wasn't exaggerating. As an administrator who had to deal with a mountain of messes every day, her bad mood was inevitable.
The players had only been here for a few days, yet the streets of Liming City were already filled with chaos. People stripping in public was considered minor at this point.
Yue Shi feigned confusion. “Then why don't you just get rid of them all?”
Long Jianguo looked at him, her gaze sharpening with scrutiny. “Don’t you know? These otherworldly visitors can’t be killed or captured. Even if they die, they just come back to life.”
Yue Shi grinned, his eyes narrowing. “Then what is the Mayor worried about? These otherworldly visitors are essentially the highest-quality cheap labor available.”
Long Jianguo didn't respond. She watched Yue Shi, waiting for him to continue.
But Yue Shi didn't. He looked down and rubbed the Snow Leopard’s ears, and the cat let out a low purr.
After a few seconds of silence, Long Jianguo spoke first. “You think I haven't considered using them as labor?”
“But they are completely disorganized and undisciplined. Their curiosity is far too intense. No matter what they do, they complicate things and cause a mountain of trouble.”
“When they move goods, they end up smashing the warehouse. When they wash dishes, they manage to set the restaurant on fire. When they hand out flyers, they get into brawls with passersby. Give them any task, and they will sprout countless new ideas that have absolutely nothing to do with the original mission. They branch off like a tree, over and over, until they forget what they were supposed to be doing in the first place.”
Yue Shi shook his head. “That’s because you haven't found the correct way to use them.”
Rate on N.U.
