Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 49: 4S Store

Zombies lurking in the dark were stirred up by the explosion. They rushed onto the elevated bridge with unimaginable speed, only managing to catch a whiff of gunpowder smoke.

The howling of the zombies on the bridge only made the area below it seem eerily quiet.

The Beetle, having just experienced a brush with death, stood silently in the middle of the road, basking in the night breeze, pondering its existence.

“Ding—”

A crisp notification sounded thoughtfully.

The three bewildered companions in the backseat immediately lifted their arms to check.

[Cheat Sheet]: Purple Qi from the south, as if aided by the gods, the Ghost Door locks before the Gate of Hell, granting a safe path under the peace talisman.

“What does this mean?” Qian Ai recognized every word and found it smooth to read but couldn’t understand it at all.

“The lock before the Gate of Hell probably refers to the recent explosion. We were almost sent home but narrowly escaped death.” Xu Wang stared at the latter half of the cheat sheet, frowning. “But this peace talisman…”

“Maybe it’s a hidden Easter egg,” Wu Sheng guessed tentatively. “Perhaps we unknowingly completed some side quest, like giving the blanket to Shen Yi in the red-eye flight, earning us a chance to survive a critical moment. It will automatically be triggered.”

“The problem is, on this journey, apart from killing zombies, we’ve only been killing each other. We haven’t done anything good, right?” Xu Wang realistically summed up their achievements.

Kuang Jinxin: “Could it be because we sent Ding Xiaoche home?”

Ding Xiaoche, the Beetle driver, loved his name so much he repeatedly reminded them to remember it*.

*Clarity: Xiaoche (小车) means small car. 

After pondering for a moment, Xu Wang could only think of this possibility… Wait, who was talking just now?

Suddenly looking up, he saw a clean, round face with clear eyes like a clear autumn sky. Other than Classmate Kuang, who else could it be?

The teammate, who had woken up at some point, turned around and leaned on the passenger seat, seamlessly integrating into the “team discussion” without realizing how close he was to going home.

“You’re finally awake!” Qian Ai was immensely relieved, but soon became worried again, bombarding him with questions. “Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? Headache, fever? Numb limbs? Chest tightness, shortness of breath? Cold hands and feet?”

Xu Wang was speechless. “Are you caring or cursing?”

“I’m fine.” Kuang Jinxin scratched his head awkwardly, feeling a bit guilty for his teammates’ concern. “I feel like I just had a good sleep, so I’m not sleepy anymore. I’m quite refreshed and clear-headed.”

Qian Ai: “……”

Kuang Jinxin wasn’t pretending to be strong, as it was obvious he looked revitalized, with a healthy blush and bright eyes, indeed full of energy.

But because it was so apparent, it only made Qian Ai, who had been anxious throughout the journey, feel more complicated.

“It’s mainly because you protected well.” Xu Wang patted Classmate Qian on the shoulder, offering some comfort.

Qian Ai, resigned to his fate, flicked Kuang Jinxin’s head irritably. “Next time you meet someone who looks crazy, stay away.”

“Oh,” Kuang Jinxin responded, but his mind was still filled with flashbacks of Chi Yingxue. “Why did he insist on dying with me?”

Qian Ai was speechless. “If he could make you understand, he wouldn’t be called a psycho.”

Hearing that Kuang Jinxin was unharmed, Wu Sheng got out of the car to switch to the driver’s seat.

The Beetle hadn’t turned off after landing, but the gear was in park. It was unclear whether it was the last bit of conscience left by the fleeing Mr. Thirteen.

Wu Sheng fastened his seatbelt, shifted into drive, and gently pressed the gas pedal.

“Clank!”

It sounded as if an internal part of the car was misaligned.

The Beetle shook slightly and completely turned off.

Wu Sheng was puzzled. His operation was flawless; how come it survived the fall off the bridge, but now failed as soon as he took over?

As if hearing his inner doubts, a stereo sound echoed inside the Beetle—

[Astral Projection Mode, activated.]

Wu Sheng: “……”

“What was that sound?” Xu Wang was still talking with Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin and didn’t catch on immediately.

Wu Sheng turned around. “The car won’t start.”

Xu Wang: “Wasn’t it fine just now?”

“This is a Beetle with a soul.” Wu Sheng never thought one day he would say something so poetic. “And now, its soul has ascended.”

Xu Wang: “……”

“There seems to be a 4S shop* over there.” Kuang Jinxin looked out the car window, towards a towering car billboard in the distance. The building below was hard to make out, but the car logo on the façade shone silver in the moonlight.

*It’s basically a car store that encompasses a 4-in-one model (Sales, Sparepart, Service, and survey—thus the 4S in their name).

Qian Ai checked the time on his phone. “Even if we find a car, it’s too late now.”

Kuang Jinxin: “But we can’t just wait here.”

Qian Ai: “You’re fully revived now, aren’t you? Do you know how we three broke out of the amusement park… Wait, why are you staring at me with such big eyes?”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Qian Ai: “Fine, let’s go to the 4S shop to find a car!”

Sometimes, Qian Ai felt that Kuang Jinxin was the real invincible one. Wu Sheng might want to kill with a glance, but he’d need stationery. Classmate Kuan, on the other hand, came with the innate skill of “Righteous Death Stare”—indestructible and could directly interrogate your soul.

Regarding the visit to the 4S shop, Wu Sheng and Xu Wang were all for it.

Despite slim chances of success, they had been saved by the talisman and couldn’t waste this extra time they fought for. Exploring more wouldn’t hurt.

The distribution of zombies changed daily, but the city map did not.

Walking under the cover of night, the four avoided major roads and took back alleys to reach the front of the 4S shop.

The shop door was wide open, without lights or sound, and was eerily quiet inside. The floor-to-ceiling glass was smeared with stains, resembling blood, but it was too dark to tell.

“Everyone be careful.” Wu Sheng, carrying the rocket launcher, led the way into the shop almost noiselessly.

Xu Wang followed closely, holding the Lightning Gun.

Kuang Jinxin’s scythe, swapped with Wu Sheng, was lost on the Ferris wheel, so now he held Qian Ai’s screwdriver.

Qian Ai walked at the end, holding his chainsaw. He initially wanted to give the chainsaw to Kuang Jinxin, but the latter thought it was too cruel and couldn’t use it.

Qian Ai, heartbroken, wished time could reverse. At least then, his unconscious teammate seemed a bit cuter.

It was a mess inside the 4S shop. By the moonlight, they could see documents and car model brochures scattered on the ground. The sofas and coffee tables for customers were toppled over.

Almost all car display spots were empty, except for a lone white sedan in a corner.

The four tiptoed to the car. When Wu Sheng reached for the door, he gently tugged on it.

Locked.

Wu Sheng glanced at the empty display spots and whispered, “We’re not the first ones here looking for a car.”

Xu Wang understood his meaning. “If other cars were driven away, the keys for this one must also be here.”

“We don’t have much time,” Wu Sheng said. “Let’s split into pairs. If we encounter zombies, fight if you can, run if you can’t, and try to keep noise to a minimum to avoid attracting more.”

Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin nodded in agreement: “Understood.”

Xu Wang swallowed, raising his Lightning Gun. “Once I start fighting, I can’t be low-key.”

Wu Sheng gave him a resigned look. “Then just stand still and leave the zombies to me.”

Xu Wang glanced at his rocket launcher confusedly. “Are you sure your weapon is ‘gentle’?”

“Dealing with zombies doesn’t always require weapons.” Wu Sheng tapped his head with a finger. “We can also outsmart them.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Without any deliberate pairing, who teamed up with whom seemed naturally decided; they just needed to divide the areas.

Keys like these were unlikely to be left in the lobby, so the focus was on the office area. Xu Wang and Wu Sheng were responsible for the first-floor office area, while Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin took the second floor.

After watching their teammates go upstairs, Wu Sheng asked Xu Wang, “Where do you want to start?”

Xu Wang didn’t hesitate. “The bathroom.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Xu Wang looked at his advisor with an experienced eye. “Think about where we got our original weapons. Believe me, the ‘Owl’ have a mysterious affection for places of grain reincarnation.”

Wu Sheng: “So you think a salesperson deliberately hid the car keys in the toilet tank?”

Xu Wang: “Why are you so rigid? Couldn’t it be a salesperson with keys who got bitten in the bathroom and now wanders there forever, waiting for challengers to discover?”

“……” With clear arguments, Wu Sheng found it surprisingly reasonable.

Perhaps for convenience, the bathroom was located at the junction of the office area and the front hall, close to the stairs they were at, modestly luxurious in decor.

The two heightened their alertness and quietly approached.

The closer they got, the clearer the sounds inside became.

Drip.

Drip.

The bathroom was designed with men’s on the left and women’s on the right. The dripping sound was on the left, chilling in the night’s silence.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng exchanged a glance, with the latter silently turning on his phone’s flashlight.

Shoulder to shoulder, they entered the men’s room on the left.

Without the moonlight, the bathroom was pitch dark. Wu Sheng used his phone’s flash to scout ahead.

The sinks were empty, with one apparently clogged. The water was overflowing as the tap wasn’t tightly closed, which was the source of the dripping sound.

They passed the sinks and finally reached the inner part of the bathroom.

It was a narrow area, with urinals on one side and stalls on the other.

Wu Sheng stopped Xu Wang from going further, then raised his phone, illuminating the narrow bathroom’s end.

There, a person in a suit was squatting with his back to them, munching on something unknown.

Judging by the attire, it was likely a salesperson.

But given the situation, a peaceful negotiation seemed out of the question.

Wu Sheng nodded to Xu Wang.

Xu Wang got the hint. Using the light from the phone flashlight, he whispered a faint “Hi” to the other person.

The munching stopped.

The suited zombie maintained its squatting position, slowly turning its head.

Its face was ghastly green, its mouth smeared with filth, and its eyes devoid of pure black. They weren’t the deep red or blood red of the zombies in the south of the city, but a pale red membrane on a white base.

“Do you think if I ask him where the keys are, he’ll understand?”

Xu Wang’s voice was barely audible.

Yet it seemed to be caught. The suited zombie slowly stood up, turned around, and faced them head-on.

Xu Wang felt a chill run down his scalp.

Wu Sheng also felt a wave of nausea.

The zombie wasn’t holding anything in its hands; it was gnawing on its own arm.

Caught in shock, the suited zombie suddenly lunged at them without warning, incredibly fast, and knocked Wu Sheng down in an instant!

Wu Sheng hardly saw how it approached. His rocket launcher and phone clattered to the ground as he was tackled!

The zombie pinned Wu Sheng down and lunged to bite his face!

Wu Sheng could no longer worry about his weapon; he grasped the zombie’s neck with both hands, trying to push it away. Unexpectedly, the zombie was extraordinarily strong, and after a few seconds of struggle, Wu Sheng began to falter!

The rocket launcher had rolled to the wall, but the phone continued to cast light dutifully.

In the cold, white light, the zombie’s teeth were almost touching his face!

Suddenly, a mop handle descended from above, pressing against the arm Wu Sheng was using to hold the zombie, and then tightened around the zombie’s neck from behind!

Taking advantage of the situation, Wu Sheng released his grip, and Xu Wang, who succeeded in his surprise attack, used the mop handle to drag the zombie off him!

Quickly getting up, Wu Sheng ran to the nearest stall, flung open the door, and yelled, “Push it in here!”

Xu Wang, exerting all his strength in the struggle, was wondering how to end the fight. Hearing this, he immediately let go of the mop handle and shoved the zombie from behind!

The stall Wu Sheng had chosen was well positioned, and Xu Wang was able to push the zombie straight in.

The zombie, caught off guard, charged into the stall like a bullet, stumbling over the toilet.

Seizing the moment, Wu Sheng slammed the stall door shut, holding the handle tightly to prevent the zombie from breaking out, and quickly strategized to Xu Wang. “Climb up and drench it—”

Xu Wang immediately understood.

He climbed atop the stall in just a few quick moves, poised and agile. Aiming at the suited zombie, which was also struggling to open the door, he unleashed a direct stream of water.

When the dynamic song started, the suited zombie seemed unaffected, different from those from south of the city, as if the water stream did no harm. Even the stall door had been cracked open by the zombie.

However, underestimating the enemy always comes with a price.

Exposed and unprotected, the zombie’s eyeball was finally pierced by the water stream when the chorus began, hitting its brain.

The zombie collapsed to the ground, and Xu Wang released the trigger.

The clear, but not too loud song continued for about ten seconds before stopping.

Then, the bathroom returned to silence.

Xu Wang jumped down from the stall and joined Wu Sheng in holding their breath for a while, listening to confirm there were no other zombies approaching. Only then did they breathe a sigh of relief.

Back in the amusement park, Xu Wang discovered he could control the volume of the music from his Lightning Gun. The loudest was like when he summoned zombies on the Dumbo ride, and the softest was just now, about 80% of the volume of music played through a phone speaker.

In such a silent environment, it was still quite loud, but thankfully, the depth of the bathroom helped.

Picking up the phone from the ground and returning it to Wu Sheng, Xu Wang looked at the corpse in the stall, feeling a sense of empathy.

The zombies north of the city definitely made a qualitative leap in terms of speed, strength, and resistance to attacks.

“Um…” The second-to-last stall door suddenly opened, and a round head peeked out. “Is it dead for good?”

Xu Wang hadn’t expected anyone else to be in the bathroom and was nearly scared out of his wits.

Wu Sheng was slightly better, but it took him a while to locate the source of the voice. “It’s dead. Who are you?”

“A poor young man trapped in the bathroom by zombies.” The round head didn’t fully emerge, seemingly fond of the safety of the stall, and spoke to them with just his head showing. “You killed the zombie, so I want to repay you.”

The word “repay” brightened Xu Wang’s eyes, and he saw a halo of treasure chests behind the round head.

After calming his heartbeat a bit, he realized he was still clutching Wu Sheng’s clothes, showing how impactful the appearance of the round head was.

Casually withdrawing his hand, he cleared his throat and asked, on behalf of the still-pondering Wu Sheng, “Do you have a car?”

“No,” the round head answered crisply.

Xu Wang: “……”

Why would you make such a cool entrance if you’re an NPC that can’t even help in a pinch?!

“But I can save the game.” Round Head blinked. “Do you want to try?”

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 48: The Viaduct

Since Wu Sheng got this stationery, he had been pondering over the words “deep*”. Is it the effect of the stationery, or a condition for using it? Unsure of the answer, he hesitated to use it, fearing that once a connection with the stationery was established, the response would be to gaze deeply at the person you wanted to kill, a confidence he didn’t possess.

*Clarity: Deep here is referring to deep affection. So fully broken down, it would be like: A Deeply Affectionate Gaze of Death.

His caution persisted until he was struck by [Cupid’s Arrow].

The perfect alignment of time, location, and sentiment made it real.

“Does your whole body hurt, unable to move?” Wu Sheng gazed intently at Han Buting, soothingly saying, “Don’t worry, this is love.”

Han Buting’s face was pale, but his eyes couldn’t move away from the gaze. As if he was ensnared by Medusa, his body became petrified, unable to even lift a finger. Then came the pain, like thousands of insects gnawing at him.

“Get in the car quickly, both of you.” Wu Sheng, having the upper hand, remained cautious, but his voice was husky and full of deep affection due to the lingering effects of the stationery.

Xu Wang shuddered upon hearing this; his emotions were complex.

He thought that the “deeply affectionate Wu Sheng” was a rare occurrence in this lifetime and shouldn’t be given to outsiders, like precious water flowing into a stranger’s field.

Han Buting missed the envious gaze of the enemy team’s captain as Xu Wang entered the passenger seat. In front of him, entering the driver’s seat with grandeur, was Mr. Thirteen of the Middle Ring.

As Wu Sheng confirmed his teammate was in position, he finally focused on delivering Han Buting his last journey. “In twenty seconds, you’ll be free.”

Speaking was the only thing Han Buting could do now, but the pain had silenced him since the onset. So, in these final moments, Wu Sheng didn’t expect a response.

Yet, Han Buting replied, “No need for twenty seconds. Five will do.”

The bone-deep pain didn’t bring a grimace to his face; instead, he managed to give a faint smile after these words.

Wu Sheng sensed something amiss!

“Watch your back—”

Xu Wang suddenly shouted from inside the car, leaping towards him like a black tiger pouncing on food and shooting a sharp stream of water from the driver’s window!

Wu Sheng didn’t waste time looking back. Trusting Xu Wang’s cover, he dashed to the rear door in a single stride!

He opened the door, got in, and completed the action seamlessly.

The moment their eyes separated, Han Buting immediately tried to stop Wu Sheng. However, though the stationery’s effect had worn off, the pain didn’t ease that quickly. Barely moving, he gasped in pain and had to let Wu Sheng slam the car door.

“Sit tight—”

As Mr. Thirteen touched the steering wheel, the engine roared fiercely. Regardless of a car key or the model, they were irrelevant in the face of the king of cars.

With the press of the accelerator, the pink Beetle zoomed off like an arrow released from its bow!

Li Zijin, who was wounded on the wrist, ignored the pain, quickly pulling the still-standing team captain to safety to avoid being scraped.

Chi Yingxue didn’t go to the captain to show loyalty but gazed in the direction of the departing pink Beetle, curiously muttering, “That Beetle sounds like a Ferrari when driven…”

……

The Beetle, now seemingly possessed by a Ferrari’s soul, reached the vicinity of the jumping machine in no time under Mr. Thirteen’s skilled driving.

Qian Ai was still entangled with Li Xia—one wielding a chainsaw, the other a screwdriver with a broken tip. Both looked as if they had just emerged from a vat of blood, drenched in it, causing a pang of fear in onlookers.

Mr. Thirteen brought the car to a screeching halt at the edge of the battlefield. Wu Sheng, armed with the rocket launcher, aimed at Li Xia. “Lao Qian, get Xiao Kuang in the car!”

Li Xia, holding the screwdriver, paused mid-air, then slowly retracted it. Wu Sheng couldn’t see his face hidden in the shadows but felt his reluctance and discontent.

Qian Ai re-shouldered the chainsaw, scooped up Kuang Jinxin from the bench, hurried to the car, and with Xu Wang’s help, secured him in the co-pilot seat and fastened the seatbelt. Then both Qian Ai and Xu Wang settled in the back seat.

Wu Sheng retracted his weapon and got into the car.

As the accelerator roared to life, Li Xia quickly became a tiny speck in the colorful lights. The pink Beetle raced towards the amusement park’s north gate, speeding away.

Xu Wang was initially worried that Han Buting and his team had set up traps at the gate, but three minutes later, as the Beetle sped out of the north gate, crashing through zombies with rocket fire, he finally relaxed.

With his nerves eased, he remembered the dire state of his teammates and quickly turned to ask, “Lao Qian, how are you?”

Qian Ai tossed another blood-soaked alcohol swab, revealing a face finally discernible, and sighed wearily. “Captain Wangwang, if I were seriously injured, you’d only remember to ask when it’s time to burn paper offerings in my memory.”

“Where exactly are you hurt?” It sounded like a minor injury, but the sight was terrifying, as if two buckets of blood had been spilled.

Qian Ai pointed to a cut above his eyebrow. “Isn’t it obvious?”

Xu Wang replied, “I saw that, but what about the rest?”

Qian Ai was speechless. “Isn’t this enough? This cut alone will ruin several days of my live streaming!”

Xu Wang was even more speechless. “Just for this cut, you’re covered in blood? What about the other guy…”

“The other guy’s just as tough. The blood is from the zombies. We had just cleared the zombies when you guys drove up, and then we started to battle again.” Qian Ai was grinding his teeth, upset about not having the chance to beat up that bastard properly.

Xu Wang glanced at Kuang Jinxin, the “passive spectator”, who was clean and white-faced, obviously well-protected. The zombies hadn’t touched him at all, and even the splattered blood from the fight hadn’t stained him. It was only when he was picked up and put in the car that his clothes got some of Qian Ai’s blood on them.

“Why hasn’t he woken up yet?” Seeing Xu Wang leaning over from the back of the chair to look at Kuang Jinxin, Qian Ai asked worriedly.

Xu Wang checked and said, “His breathing is normal, heartbeat is normal, and his forehead temperature is okay, too. He should be fine.”

“If he was seriously injured, he would have been forced back to reality,” Wu Sheng said.

“I’m worried he might have gotten a concussion when he fell.” Qian Ai recalled the moment with a shadow of worry in his eyes and a cold tone. “Next time I see that guy who pushed him, he’d better not let me catch him.”

The double assurance from the captain and the advisor somewhat reassured Qian Ai.

Only then did he remember that his wound was only half-treated.

He looked down, took a piece of gauze with tweezers from the half-open first-aid kit on his leg, soaked it in iodine, placed it on the already alcohol-wiped eyebrow, then covered it with a second layer of dry gauze and secured it with four pieces of tape in a “well” pattern.

His method was rough, but the professional first-aid supplies made it look decent.

“Your equipment is too comprehensive,” Qian Ai commented, securing the first-aid kit and handing it back to Wu Sheng sitting by the window. “Isn’t it heavy to carry?”

This wasn’t a simple first-aid box but a metal case almost as big as a backpack, barely fitting inside. It was filled with saline solution, alcohol, gauze, bandages, triangular cloths, safety pins, cotton swabs, round-headed scissors, pliers, and the like.

“It’s manageable,” Wu Sheng said, reopening the first-aid kit instead of putting it back in the backpack.

“That’s not right.” Xu Wang looked at the rejuvenated first-aid kit with confusion. “Last time you treated me, it was just a plastic box, wasn’t it?”

“I had a premonition that an idiot would frequently get injured, and the entry-level kit wouldn’t suffice,” Wu Sheng said without looking up, carefully dipping a cotton swab in iodine.

Xu Wang, not understanding his intention but catching the implication, rolled his eyes. “So you upgraded to a standard version?”

Wu Sheng finally looked at him. “Mini luxury version.”

Xu Wang: “……”

“Class Monitor,” Qian Ai protested. “I took down so many zombies and only got this scratch from a branch. You don’t have to praise my bravery, but you can’t call me an idiot…”

Wu Sheng: “……”

“He’s talking about me.” Xu Wang massaged his forehead, realizing that in this world, there are those who solicit work and money, while his team members would solicit complaints.

After correcting his team member’s misunderstanding, Xu Wang felt embarrassed and glared at Wu Sheng. “If you’re so capable, try not getting injured.”

Wu Sheng sighed regretfully. “Indeed, I wasn’t injured.”

“You’re just lucky. There’s a long road ahead.”

“Luck favors the capable.”

“……”

He couldn’t go on talking with Wu Sheng, or he’d end up injured on the inside!

“Here.” Wu Sheng handed over the carefully prepared, iodine-soaked cotton swab.

Xu Wang was still not over the conversation. He was stunned for a moment and didn’t answer. “What?”

Wu Sheng said, “Disinfect.”

Xu Wang was even more confused. “I’m not injured.”

“Is that streak on your arm a crayon drawing?” Wu Sheng raised an eyebrow.

Xu Wang looked down at his arm and finally remembered.

There was a bloodstain under the owl tattoo, previously wounded by Chi Yingxue’s crossbow arrow.

“It’s nothing. Just a scratch.” He felt Wu Sheng was overreacting. Compared to Qian Ai’s cut, his was barely a scrape.

Wu Sheng glanced at him and, without further words, reached over and began disinfecting the wound himself with the cotton swab. Even if the wound wasn’t deep, the rough and ready method wasn’t pleasant, and each dab was decidedly forceful.

“Ow, ow, ow—” Xu Wang snatched the cotton swab to do it himself. In terms of gentleness, he was light years ahead of Wu Sheng, who might as well be in a dry well in the basin.

“Since you know that it hurts, stay back next time.” Wu Sheng eyed the wound, still finding it distressing.

Xu Wang disagreed. “I’m the captain.”

Wu Sheng was too agreeable. “Great, captains belong in the central command tent.”

Xu Wang: “……”

He realized that when Wu Sheng was arguing with him, his speech was crystal clear, full of metaphors, witty remarks, and references. If only he would use his eloquence for proper matters, there wouldn’t always be a need for a translation!

Qian Ai silently looked out the window.

It was just a simple wound disinfection. Did it need such a deep conversation? Were they going to delve into poetry and philosophy next?

“We’re down to just three bomb balls?” Xu Wang had just finished disinfecting his wound when he received this bad news.

“There’s even less time left.” Wu Sheng reloaded the rocket launcher.

Beijing time 4:13, with only 47 minutes left until the end of the night.

“We’ve used up almost all our stationery.” Qian Ai sounded pessimistic. “Can we still make it?”

“Let’s take it as it comes.” Xu Wang had accepted the situation. “Even if we fail, it’s good to know the way.”

Outside the car window, the night was vast and obscure.

Occasionally, they would see “colleagues” fighting zombies by the roadside, but the car was moving too fast, and the scenes flashed by, leaving the outcome unknown.

“We’re approaching the overpass.” Mr. Thirteen confirmed the route again. “We’re taking the viaduct, right?”

Wu Sheng: “Yes.”

According to the map, crossing the viaduct over the river was the necessary route to reach the hospital.

Receiving a firm order, Mr. Thirteen no longer hesitated, accelerated decisively, and rushed onto the overpass. Due to the uphill climb, he pressed the accelerator even harder, exuding a momentum of “thousands of troops and horses cannot stop my furious speed”.

Xu Wang was optimistically thinking that if they maintained this speed, they could possibly finish their task before 5 a.m. Suddenly, Mr. Thirteen muttered, “Something’s not right…”

“What’s not right?” Xu Wang and Wu Sheng asked almost simultaneously, alert.

In the rearview mirror, Mr. Thirteen’s brow furrowed with confusion, even distorting the little owl on his forehead. “Seems like… we have company.”

……

Amusement park, by the pirate ship.

Chi Yingxue sat alone in the pirate ship, swaying back and forth with the mechanical arm’s movement, solitary yet seemingly enjoying himself.

“Since we can’t complete the task anyway, come up and play,” he called out for the 101^st time to his three teammates standing below, trying to be a “team player with positive energy”.

Unfortunately, his teammates weren’t in the mood.

Han Buting sat on a bench, deep in thought, with an expressionless face.

Li Zijin and Li Xia leaned against the railing at the entrance of the pirate ship, chatting sporadically—mainly Li Zijin complaining while Li Xia’s attention was uncertain.

“We were careless, definitely careless.” No matter how many times Li Zijin recalled, he couldn’t believe the outcome of their battle. “How could we let them get away?”

“Remember, they didn’t ‘get away’. They broke through.” Chi Yingxue, enjoying the pirate ship’s ride, interjected, “They made their way through—”

Li Zijin glared at him, unable to refute.

“I’m afraid, though they might have escaped, they’ll fail to submit their papers.” Li Xia, who had been silently listening, suddenly looked up, glancing towards the north of the city.

Li Zijin was taken aback.

Chi Yingxue raised his eyebrows in surprise, a bit excited. “Did you tamper with their car?”

“It wasn’t me,” Li Xia said. “It was the captain.”

“It’s all the same.” Chi Yingxue, satisfied with the answer, leaned back, swaying with the pirate ship, gazing at the starry sky as if it were the cleanest and most beautiful place. “You villains are always so cunning.”

Li Xia: “……”

Li Zijin: “……”

……

On the viaduct.

Xu Wang asked, “What do you mean by ‘company’?”

Mr. Thirteen: “Stationery.”

Xu Wang: “There’s stationery on the car?”

Mr. Thirteen: “It seems we’ve been hit by a delayed-action stationery—an explosive type. I can sense it.”

Qian Ai: “Why didn’t you sense it earlier?!”

Mr. Thirteen: “I’m a defense type. It’s an offense. Same school, different paths.”

Qian Ai: “…Then stop the car!”

Mr. Thirteen: “We’re going too fast. It’s too late. I’ll take my leave first. See you later!”

With a “whoosh”, Mr. Thirteen disappeared into a streak of light, under the watchful eyes of the others.

Xu Wang: “……”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Qian Ai: “Does he not have any professional ethics at all—”

“Boom—”

Just as Shilang disappeared, a violent explosion occurred under the pink Beetle!

Almost simultaneously, the three heard a mocking voice in their ears.

[Owl: Dear~ I’m giving you an early holiday. Sending…]

The message cut off after “sending.”

They thought the deafening explosion had drowned out the rest of the message, but they soon realized something was off.

The Beetle was indeed thrown off the viaduct by the explosion, but it didn’t plummet dozens of meters to the ground. Instead, it floated down like a feather, gently and slowly, landing smoothly under the bridge.

Aside from their ears ringing from the explosion, the passengers seemed largely unharmed.

They didn’t feel the impact or heat wave they expected from the explosion; instead, they landed safely along with the Beetle.

……

Inside the Temple of Three Religions.

A peace talisman in mid-air spontaneously ignited, burning to ashes.

The long-haired young man watched the falling ashes, lamenting, “It’s not an auspicious time to borrow a car if you encounter demons…”

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 47: Fierce Battle

The original plan for “The Great Beetle Retrieval Operation” was for Xu Wang and Wu Sheng to lure their opponents on Dumbo while attracting zombies from the south and north of the city. Qian Ai was on standby at the switch, ready to cut the power when the situation was right, helping the captain and advisor ambush near the Candy House in the dark. They were waiting for the zombies to arrive so that Han Buting and the others, caught in the chaotic sea of zombies, could be ambushed. Wu Sheng and Xu Wang would then jump out from the shadows to retrieve the Beetle. The final step involved going to the switch and the Ferris wheel to connect with Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin.

From start to finish, Kuang Jinxin’s role was to hide at the base of the Ferris wheel. As the user of [Candy House], he couldn’t afford any mistakes. Han Buting would surely leave someone to guard the car. If the zombies hadn’t arrived yet and the Candy House disappeared, the guard could drive away and pick up the team, rendering Xu Wang’s plans and efforts futile.

However, as the old saying goes, plans are meant to be improvised.

Qian Ai was the first to spot Kuang Jinxin and Chi Yingxue riding the Ferris wheel together, prompting him to abandon his post and rush towards the Ferris wheel with the chainsaw in hand, almost instinctively.

After disembarking from Dumbo, Xu Wang and Wu Sheng discreetly made their way towards the Candy House, not even considering looking back at the Ferris wheel.

But some things are inevitable, whether you believe in them or not.

Just as Kuang Jinxin’s gondola reached the highest point of the Ferris wheel, Xu Wang had a sudden premonition and instinctively looked up to see two people plummeting from the wheel.

Below the Ferris wheel was a rest area with a clear, hard surface surrounded by long benches.

The two fell rapidly. Kuang Jinxin was tightly embraced by Chi Yingxue, making it hard to distinguish who was who. Knowing that their teammate was hiding near the Ferris wheel, Xu Wang couldn’t afford to take any chances.

[(Defense) I Urge You to Have One More Drink].

Xu Wang used the last piece of defense stationery from his [Stationery Box], intently watching the two people falling. The urgency of the moment didn’t even allow him time to “communicate” with the item; he could only strongly project his one-sided intention—to save them. He must save them!

In an instant, a gigantic, tri-legged wine jar appeared on the empty, hard ground. Adorned with animal-shaped handles and entirely gilded, it resembled an ancient, golden pool of wine, catching the two people as they fell.

With a “thud,” the froth of the wine splashed up, its fragrance intoxicating.

In this thrilling moment of life and death, which lasted only a few seconds, Wu Sheng, who had been stealthily advancing, only turned back bewilderedly at the sound of the splash. The sight of the huge, out-of-place wine jar under the Ferris wheel left him even more baffled.

“People have fallen from the Ferris wheel. It might be Xiao Kuang,” Xu Wang said urgently, without time for a detailed explanation. “I must go check. You go ambush near the Candy House alone!”

“[I Urge You to Have One More Drink]?” Initially stunned by the shock, Wu Sheng looked again and, adding Xu Wang’s words, quickly understood.

“Right.” Xu Wang, already mentally at the Ferris wheel, responded casually and was about to leave.

Wu Sheng immediately grabbed his wrist. “Deactivate it.”

Xu Wang was taken aback. “Huh?”

Wu Sheng, exasperated, said, “First, deactivate the stationery. Otherwise, by the time you get there, they would have either drowned or died from intoxication.”

The smell of the wine was so strong that he felt dizzy even from a distance.

Xu Wang suddenly understood, and his thoughts became clear in an instant. He focused on the tri-legged wine jar, controlling it while softly saying, “Hurry to the Candy House.”

Wu Sheng understood; if the person who fell was indeed Kuang Jinxin, the effect of the Candy House might not last long.

Letting go of Xu Wang’s wrist, he shouldered his rocket launcher, crouched down, and slipped back into the bushes.

“Remember, just as you’re afraid of the car breaking down, so is Han Buting.”

This was the last piece of advice from Xu Wang.

Wu Sheng didn’t understand, but he kept every word in mind.

……

Qian Ai, hurrying as fast as he could, was still a step too late. He watched helplessly as Chi Yingxue fell out of the Ferris wheel while holding his teammate. At that moment, his mind went blank. He crazily ran towards the base of the Ferris wheel, preparing to catch them with his bare hands.

And then—

A wine jar emerged from the ground, catching the two falling people in its fine brew, stirring up waves of intoxicating aroma that spread far and wide.

Of course, this is a somewhat poetic description. In Qian Ai’s mind, it translated to just one thought: Damn, can the captain’s defense stationery be any more extravagant? =_=

Thinking of defense stationery related to wine, he could only think of his own captain’s. Relieved but not slowing down, he rushed to the wine jar and started to climb up one of its legs!

Falling into water wouldn’t kill them, but drowning in wine would!

He had to rescue them as quickly as possible!

With this belief, he managed to climb to the top of the leg in one go. Just as he was about to grab the jar’s handle to climb further, it twisted strangely, like a distorted TV signal.

This was a sign that the stationery’s effect was about to be deactivated.

Qian Ai held tight to the jar’s leg, resignedly accepting his fate—Captain, you’re playing me to death. TAT

A few seconds later.

The wine jar vanished, and the wine within cascaded down like a mighty waterfall!

Qian Ai held his breath and got thoroughly drenched in the wave of wine. Fortunately, the ground around was flat, and the wine quickly dispersed. The moment he could breathe again, he got up and started searching frantically. The first person he saw was Chi Yingxue, lying half-dead in the center of the plaza, and then Kuang Jinxin, his teammate, who had been washed to the edge of the small plaza.

He rushed over and helped them up, only to find his soaking wet teammate unconscious, eyes tightly closed.

Serious injury or death would mean an immediate return home. If they hadn’t returned, it meant the injuries were still within a manageable range.

But that was just a possibility.

Facing such a state of Kuang Jinxin, Qian Ai couldn’t stay calm to deduce the “Owl’s” logic. He anxiously held the person, saying, “Xiao Kuang, don’t scare me…”

Just as he was at a loss, unsure whether to pinch the philtrum or slap the cheeks, Qian Ai suddenly heard footsteps approaching from afar.

Li Zijin and Li Xia were rushing over.

Chi Yingxue had already sat up but didn’t go to meet his teammates. Instead, he looked at the area where Qian Ai was, and their eyes met across the distance.

Chi Yingxue slightly raised his eyebrows and sighed silently, seemingly regretting not being able to bring the person back home.

Qian Ai looked at him deeply, as if trying to memorize his face down to the ashes, then picked up Kuang Jinxin and left silently and swiftly.

“I’ll go after them. You check on Chi Yingxue,” Li Xia said, then quickly crossed the plaza, following Qian Ai’s trail.

Li Zijin was eager to pursue the enemy but was held back by his new, sickly teammate, who sat there without moving.

“What’s the matter with you?” After a long look, Li Zijin couldn’t figure out where the other was injured.

Chi Yingxue sighed faintly. “What a pity.”

Li Zijin was confused. “A pity for what?”

“A pity for a good lesson missed.” Chi Yingxue looked at the departing backs of the two, disappearing amidst the colorful lights of the amusement park.

Such teachable kids are hard to come by.

Tsk.

Li Zijin couldn’t understand his cryptic words and went back to his own concerns. “The captain sent you to bring someone back, and you tried to kill yourself along with him. Are you crazy?”

“Suicide?” Chi Yingxue withdrew his gaze, looking innocently at his teammate. “Who?”

“Who else but you, the psycho?” Li Zijin said exasperatedly. “I saw you jump down with him!”

“Oh.” Chi Yingxue finally seemed to understand, clarifying seriously, “I slipped.”

“……”

That agile movement, that swift speed, that firm direction, almost as if he was about to fly—that’s called slipping?!

Li Zijin had a bellyful of solid evidence ready to spill, but looking into Chi Yingxue’s eyes, he swallowed it back down.

Those eyes appeared innocent at first glance, but upon closer inspection, one could see the darkness within, like an endless swamp that could devour a person whole, including their soul.

This man is actually crazy.

From the moment he saw him kill the first zombie, Li Zijin had thought so. Hence, with a psycho, one must never argue about right and wrong. If he says the sky is purple and the water is red, then it is.

“If you’re okay then…” Li Zijin was about to suggest getting up, but before he could finish, Chi Yingxue suddenly pounced towards him!

Li Zijin, terrified, instinctively dodged to the side!

Chi Yingxue brushed past his shoulder and tackled a zombie preparing to ambush from behind. He grabbed its neck with one hand, pressing it to the ground, while with the other, he pulled out a dagger from behind his waist and plunged it straight into the zombie’s eye socket!

The blade sank in completely.

The zombie, which had been struggling violently, suddenly stopped moving, going limp as if dead.

Chi Yingxue pulled out the dagger and, without hesitation, struck again.

A second time.

A third time.

A fourth time.

A fifth time…

Dark red blood beads splashed onto his cheeks with each thrust of the knife, creating a strangely enchanting scene under the candy-colored lights of the amusement park.

Li Zijin couldn’t appreciate such beauty.

He only felt chills running down his spine.

“That’s enough.” He tried to keep his voice steady. “They must have gone to steal the car. We need to meet up with the captain quickly…”

Chi Yingxue finally stopped. He casually wiped his face and looked at the “blood and wine mix” on his hands, still feeling irritated. “The lingering aroma of good wine, all ruined by it.”

Li Zijin was on the verge of a breakdown. Did this guy actually enjoy the opponent’s stationery?!

“Jimmy~~ Aaja~~”

The already peaceful amusement park was suddenly filled with musical notes again.

“Jimmy~~ Aaja~~”

“Aaja, re mere saath~~ Ye jaagi jaagi raat~~ pukare tujhe sun~~~~ suna de wahi dhun~~~*”

*These are the lyrics to “Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy, Aaja (Come On)” by Indian female singer Annette. The lyrics are in pinyin that sounds out the Indian lyrics (so I put the Indian equivalent). It roughly translates to: Come with me, this waking night. Listen to me when I call you, let me listen to the same tune.

This time, it’s fucking Indian style!

“These people are sick—” Li Zijin couldn’t take it anymore. Why was his drone gun destroyed so early!

“Don’t expect to meet up with Han Buting.” Chi Yingxue stood up. His watermelon-pink shirt clung to his body due to being soaked, so he pinched the corner of his shirt and shook it rhythmically to the music. “Let’s just try to survive here for now.”

Underneath the Indian music were the chaotic footsteps of a large group of approaching zombies.

……

Next to the Ferris wheel, near the drop tower.

Qian Ai, running frantically with Kuang Jinxin in his arms, bumped into the team captain, who was on his way to the Ferris wheel. This moment of distraction allowed Li Xia to catch up.

“You go help Wu Sheng. I’ve got this!” Qian Ai immediately sent the captain away and then stood guard with his buzzing chainsaw, defending against Li Xia by the benches.

Kuang Jinxin, still unconscious, was on the bench, so Qian Ai only defended, not leaving his side.

Xu Wang wanted to stay and help, but firstly, using his Lightning Gun would continuously attract zombies, making it harder to escape with the unconscious Kuang Jinxin, especially since Li Xia could run away. Secondly, they had almost exhausted their stationery in this struggle, all for the Beetle or, more accurately, to compete with Han Buting’s team. Even if there was no time for the hospital afterward, they couldn’t lose this battle.

This was their team spirit!

“Captain.” Qian Ai suddenly lowered his voice, glancing quickly towards the Candy House. “I still have Mr. Thirteen.”

“Okay.” Xu Wang nodded, saying seriously, “Wait for us to come get you.”

Seeing Xu Wang leave, Li Xia couldn’t hold back and tried to follow.

Qian Ai immediately stepped sideways, blocking his view from a few meters away. “Come over if you’re not afraid of becoming tomato sauce and minced meat!”

Li Xia: “……”

Qian Ai: “Glaring at me won’t help!”

Li Xia: “Can you change the way you make threats?”

Qian Ai: “Sweet and sour pork?”

Li Xia: “Great, you’ve just ruined two of my favorite dishes.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Xia slid to Qian Ai’s side with incredible speed, as if he had ice blades under his feet!

Qian Ai could talk tough, but actually using a chainsaw to cut someone? That would drive him crazy!

Li Xia seemed to sense his fear. He suddenly attacked face-to-face, thrusting his murderous weapon forward!

Qian Ai dodged backward just in time, narrowly avoiding it, and then saw that Li Xia was holding a screwdriver.

The same screwdriver that was a deadly weapon in someone else’s hands was useless in his for even fixing a toilet door!

Where’s the fucking justice in that?!

Missing the first strike, Li Xia suddenly retreated, sliding back swiftly!

Qian Ai, though slow to realize, understood that his opponent had used a defense stationery!

Distracted for a moment, Li Xia advanced again—not towards him but towards the bench where Kuang Jinxin lay!

In a blink, Li Xia was at the bench, his screwdriver unhesitatingly aiming downward!

The chainsaw suddenly extended from behind the bench, its teeth cutting horizontally across the screwdriver!

The intense cutting caused a strong vibration, numbing Li Xia’s palm and sending the screwdriver flying!

Li Xia quickly retreated, looking up to see Qian Ai standing behind the bench.

The man who had just been hesitant and bluffing was now resolute, with no sign of wavering.

“If you touch him again, my chainsaw will go back to its old ways and crave flesh. Let’s see if you dare.”

……

At the pink Beetle.

Wu Sheng and Han Buting had been in a standoff for thirteen minutes.

One in front of the car, the other on top, silently “staring” across the height and distance, neither daring to make a move.

Thirteen minutes earlier, shortly after Kuang Jinxin fell into the water, the Candy House disappeared.

Han Buting, who had been guarding the Candy House roof, suddenly found himself on top of the car. He quickly realized it was related to the noise from the Ferris wheel and happily accepted this gift, ready to drive away.

It was then that Wu Sheng arrived, firing a shot near the car.

The explosion’s heat wave dizzied Han Buting, and it took him a while to identify the “culprit”.

“You wouldn’t really dare to blow me up because if you did, the car would be ruined too.” That was Han Buting’s first statement upon seeing Wu Sheng. He stood on the car roof in the night breeze, confidently in control.

Wu Sheng had no advantage in a war of words.

But he had the captain’s advice.

[Remember, just as you’re afraid of the car breaking down, so is Han Buting.]

At this moment, he understood Xu Wang’s meaning.

Centuries ahead, foreseeing that the Candy House might not hold, his captain had already written the script for the ensuing battle, smooth and precise, simple and easy to execute.

“I dare not touch the car, but that’s based on the possibility that I can get it back. If you insist on driving away, then I have no choice but to fight to the death.”

Shouldering the rocket launcher, Wu Sheng shrugged and spread his hands.

Every emotion and action were calculated to make the opponent worry he might lose control.

So, the standoff continued.

Wu Sheng didn’t advance because he wasn’t confident he could defeat Han Buting without destroying the car.

Han Buting didn’t come down because once he left the car, Wu Sheng wouldn’t hesitate to fire, and that would be enough for him.

This delicate balance could only be broken by an external force.

Both were waiting for their teammates.

In the end, Wu Sheng won.

A squirt gun hit Han Buting on the back of the head, signaling Captain Xu’s arrival.

The pain made Han Buting shake and instinctively turn around.

Wu Sheng seized this moment, rushing forward and grabbing Han Buting’s ankle, pulling hard!

Han Buting lost his balance and was yanked down from the car roof by Wu Sheng!

Close combat meant no rules; Wu Sheng pressed down on Han Buting, searching his pockets for the keys, urging Xu Wang, “Hurry, get in the car—”

Despite being ambushed, Han Buting was calm, smiling under Wu Sheng. “Don’t bother. The keys aren’t on me.”

Wu Sheng paused, staring into his eyes, trying to discern truth from lie.

Meanwhile, Xu Wang, who had arrived, tried the car door. It was locked.

“How could I possibly leave the keys with the car?” Han Buting sighed as if certain they wouldn’t “kill” him. “Only you would be so naive.”

Wu Sheng glanced back at Xu Wang.

Xu Wang, as if making a final decision, took a deep breath and called loudly into the woods. “[Mr. Thirteen of the Middle Ring]—”

Wu Sheng wasn’t sure if their last card would work, but at least for now, he couldn’t let Han Buting gloat.

“Who said you need keys to start a car?”

His question was soft but full of scorn.

Han Buting’s expression changed slightly.

From the depths of the woods, a man in a racing suit, his head adorned with two leaves, ran out, heading straight for the Beetle as if it was the only thing in his eyes.

Xu Wang stepped aside to give him room to work.

Mr. Thirteen immediately tried the car door.

Once.

Twice.

Then turned to tell Xu Wang, “It’s locked.”

Xu Wang was speechless. “I know it’s locked. Didn’t you say you could open it?!”

Mr. Thirteen looked at him innocently. “I said I could try.”

Xu Wang was on the brink of praying. “Then please, try quickly, Ancestor.”

……

This person wasn’t a “colleague” or an “NPC”, but Qian Ai’s [(Defense) Mr. Thirteen of the Middle Ring].

Right after Kuang Jinxin used [Candy House] to trap Han Buting’s team, they decided to meet up, not to steal back the Beetle, as it was too difficult, but instead use this defense stationery.

They had imagined that a flashy sports car would descend from the sky, and if they were lucky, it would come with a driver. They would then zoom around the Central Ring in just thirteen minutes, reaching the hospital in style.

This beautiful fantasy made them hesitant to use the stationery, saving it for a more critical moment.

At that time, they felt it was the right moment.

Unexpectedly, after using the stationery, no car arrived—only a driver with a small owl mark on his forehead that glowed faintly, matching the symbols on their arms.

“Can you start a car without the keys?”

“Of course, who am I? Mr. Thirteen of the Middle Ring!”

“Can you open the car door without a key?”

“……”

“You’re silent.”

“I’m the king of cars, not the king of locks!”

“The car door lock is an inseparable part of the car!”

“I… can try.”

“Hide well. Wait for our call.”

……

Seeing the mark on the newcomer’s forehead, Han Buting understood.

He had used similar stationery that could summon “special characters” before, with perfect user experience.

Losing his last bit of composure, Han Buting’s expression darkened.

Wu Sheng kept a vigilant eye on him, smiling slightly. “Your teammates probably won’t make it. The Ferris wheel is in a straight line from both the north and south gates. They’re probably dancing an Indian dance with the zombies by now.”

Han Buting looked at him quietly. “Do you know why I’m the team captain?”

Wu Sheng, feeling wary, didn’t respond.

Han Buting smiled back. “Because even if they all attacked together, they couldn’t beat me.”

[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) Cupid’s Arrow] on you~~]

The playful notification sound made Wu Sheng’s breath hitch.

He didn’t even know when or how Han Buting activated the [Stationery Box] on his arm.

Xu Wang, also hearing the notification, saw a burst of holy golden light in the sky.

A chubby little boy angel with wings, holding a bow and arrow, flew in the light.

Wu Sheng and Xu Wang looked up, and without giving them time to react, the angel shot an arrow, hitting Xu Wang in the chest, right at the heart, then turned and shot Wu Sheng in the back, also corresponding to his heart.

The golden arrow turned into tiny golden particles upon entering their bodies, leaving no trace and not even a hint of pain.

Xu Wang held his chest, confused about what was happening.

Meanwhile, Wu Sheng was flipped over by Han Buting. Although he quickly got up, he showed no intention of stopping Han Buting!

Seeing Han Buting approaching, Xu Wang aimed his squirt gun at him and pulled the trigger!

Huh?

Xu Wang was stunned; his fingers wouldn’t move. No, it wasn’t that his fingers wouldn’t move, but his heart wouldn’t allow it.

He couldn’t bring himself to shoot Han Buting, even feeling as if his heart fluttered a bit as the other man approached. Was this Cupid’s Arrow?

[(Illusory) Cupid’s Arrow].

He had just been shot by… the arrow of the god of love?

What kind of stationery is this without any morals?!

“Sorry, I didn’t want to use this.” Han Buting gently pushed Xu Wang aside. “But you left me no choice.”

Next to the Beetle, only Mr. Thirteen was left, busily working.

“Click—”

The car door unlocked.

He, oblivious to the surroundings, looked up happily. “It’s open!”

Then he realized that the person in front of him had changed.

Han Buting raised his hand.

Mr. Thirteen quickly dodged aside, giving up the car door faster than a rabbit. It wasn’t that he gave up resistance; he had no intention of resisting.

Xu Wang widened his eyes. “Can defense stationery also be affected by illusory stationery?”

Mr. Thirteen looked up blankly. “No.”

Xu Wang: “Then why didn’t you resist?”

Mr. Thirteen: “I have no combat value, and we racers always advocate Love & Peace.”

Xu Wang: “…Why are you so racing if you’re so Zen?!”

Han Buting was amused by their conversation, leisurely listening for a while before bending down to enter the car.

Suddenly, an arm stretched across the car door, blocking his way.

Han Buting frowned and looked up at the blocker, who had appeared at some point. “You can’t lay a hand on me.”

Wu Sheng said, “I know.”

Han Buting tilted his head. “So?”

Wu Sheng leaned in, looking deeply into his eyes. “Thank you for giving me Cupid’s arrow. Now I can brew emotions.”

Han Buting felt a chill.

In the gaze full of emotion from his opponent, he heard the farewell song of going home.

[Owl: Someone used [(Offense) Deep Gaze of Death] on you~~]

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 46: Ferris Wheel

Han Buting knew that if they left, they wouldn’t be able to come back in again. But it didn’t matter; they couldn’t drive out from inside anyway.

The opponents had plotted against them, and they too wanted to send the opponents back home by disabling the stationery.

It was a mutual understanding, fitting perfectly.

“Hey brat who flew the drone, are you scared without your machine gun, hiding inside eating candy—”

The shouting outside was persistent. Having only seen Li Zijin and Chi Yingxue, the shouter cleverly chose the most easily provoked target.

Han Buting smirked slightly, gripping the doorknob. This time, he pulled it open directly.

He had been worried that with only an hour left, the opponents might despair, refusing to turn in their papers and using the stationery to trap them instead. Now it seemed that the overconfident were always amusing.

Chi Yingxue followed at the end of the line, and at the last moment before stepping out, he couldn’t resist scooping a bit of “wax” from the wall candle flame and sneakily tasting it.

Sweet.

Chi Yingxue’s lips curled for a moment; he knew it was syrup.

But, it was overly sweet.

First taste to judge the nature, the second to judge the quality. Not all syrups are created equal.

Taking advantage of the sound of the candy house door closing behind him, Chi Yingxue spat out the tasted substance without hesitation.

When he turned back, he was stunned.

In the bright light, the exterior of the candy house dazzled him.

Completely different from the interior’s simplicity, the gingerbread house from the outside was vivid, lively, deliciously whimsical, and romantically enchanting, fitting harmoniously in the illuminated amusement park, like a native.

The variety of candies was also rich: the roof was chocolate with cream frosting, windows made of brittle sugar, fairy lights like gummy candies, walls of crystal hard candy, countless wreaths hanging outside made of donuts, the door of coffee nougat, and a row of trees outside made of colorful lollipops.

The frustration from a second ago vanished.

Pulling off half a gummy candy lantern, Chi Yingxue eagerly tasted it.

The first bite nearly broke his teeth. It was as hard as tires, almost flavorless, even more counterfeit than the syrup.

Feeling betrayed, Chi Yingxue no longer believed in this “sugary world”. He secretly discarded the lantern, moved forward two steps to blend in with his three teammates, finally returning to the group and getting a clear view of the heckler.

Dumbo.

Just beyond the carousel in front of them, on Dumbo’s raised trunk, two people stood shoulder to shoulder. The one holding a strange gun, responsible for the shouting, was the one who had used the illusory stationery on him, standing silently by, though the scythe he had previously been carrying had somehow turned into a rocket launcher.

Where had the guy who originally carried the rocket launcher gone?

This fleeting doubt was like a breeze over water, disappearing quickly as Chi Yingxue focused, not on the heckler but on the silent adversary, his gaze growing colder.

Whether they turned in their papers or not, he didn’t care.

He only held grudges.

“Aren’t you the ones who insisted on calling us out?” Han Buting, after waiting for a while without pleasantries, had to take the initiative. “Now we’re out. Why the sudden lack of enthusiasm?”

“I have a feeling it will end in disagreement.” Captain Xu on Dumbo scratched his head with the gun muzzle and seemed troubled. “So I’m hesitating whether to bother with the idle talk.”

[Han Buting is on the pirate ship. Li Zijin and Li Xia are under the Ferris wheel.]

That was the information Chi Yingxue provided under the influence of [Don’t Lie To Me].

But Xu Wang couldn’t match any of the names to the corporate elite-looking captain in front of him.

“Good, I dislike pleasantries too.” Han Buting smiled faintly at the floating captain. “Shall we start the fight?”

Xu Wang was about to give the order to start the fight but was stopped by Wu Sheng. “Wait.”

After observing his captain’s arm wound for a while, the advisor, who had been quietly supporting his captain from the start, suddenly called out to the culprit in front of the candy house. “Chi Yingxue—”

This call surprised Han Buting, Li Zijin, Li Xia, and they all turned to look at the newest member of their team tonight.

Chi Yingxue was perplexed and frowned at Wu Sheng, sensing ill intent.

Wu Sheng didn’t believe in pleasantries; he preferred getting straight to the point. “What do you think of your new team—”

Chi Yingxue narrowed his eyes; his first instinct was “there’s a plot”, followed by “be cautious”. Yet, despite this double warning, words strangely escaped his lips—

“Their ability is fine, but from the captain to the team members, everyone’s too serious, as if it’s a matter of life and death, which is very dull. It’s just a game. Having fun is the most important thing, right? Besides, no one can guarantee that finishing 23 levels is the end. What if, after all the struggle, it turns out to be different from what you expected? How pitiful that would be…”

Halfway through listening, Li Zijin wanted to smack him and was held back by Li Xia from behind. Still, he managed to kick Chi Yingxue. Li Xia, hidden in the shadow of his hoodie, couldn’t be seen clearly, just trying his best to restrain his teammate as usual.

Han Buting’s face still held a smile, but the laughter in his eyes was gone.

Chi Yingxue didn’t have time to worry about these things.

The moment his eyes met Wu Sheng’s, he sensed something was amiss. Despite his efforts, he couldn’t break free from the bewitchment of that gaze.

It wasn’t until he took out a dagger and cut his own palm that clarity returned amidst the searing pain.

But the words he’d said, like water spilled, couldn’t be taken back. Chi Yingxue couldn’t be bothered to look at his teammates’ reactions. He simply looked up lightly at Wu Sheng. “[Don’t Lie To Me].”

He repeated the name of the stationery lightly, his eyebrows carrying a trace of amusement, but his eyes frosted over.

Wu Sheng returned the smile, but it was warm. “Such cute, illusory stationery. What a pity to use it only once.

Murder, heart-wrenching. Xu Wang had never thought Wu Sheng’s brain full of codes could be so ruthless.

Chi Yingxue and this team, by the count of time, were only harmonizing for the first time tonight.

The person who freely criticized his teammates in the Endless Sea, even facing drowning with equanimity, was considerably restrained this time. The only reason could be one—he wanted to stay in this team, and beneath those complaints and disdain, there was an unperceived appreciation and emphasis on his new partners.

[Don’t Lie To Me] might force him to speak his true feelings, but it couldn’t dig out those subconscious thoughts he hadn’t even clarified himself.

Xu Wang saw through it. Without the contrast of “Chi Yingxue in the Endless Sea”, Han Buting and others found it hard to comprehend.

No longer giving the opponents time to “resolve internal conflicts”, Xu Wang raised his Lightning Gun and loudly declared, “You like thrills, right? Let’s all have fun together—”

The already dispirited Han Buting, Li Xia, and Li Zijin, at this inexplicably declared start, instinctively looked up.

They saw the opponent in a very cool posture, pulling the trigger skyward. Instantly, a column of water shot up!

Li Zijin momentarily forgot the grudge he had just harbored against Chi Yingxue and stared at the water gun on Dumbo, baffled. “Fun…?”

His “fun” drifted in the night breeze. The water gun that had been squirting suddenly sparkled with colorful lights.

At the same time, the entire amusement park—no, the entire ten-mile radius—heard deafening dance music. The volume was like a hundred square dance speakers blaring in unison!

“Quack quack quack quack, I’m gonna get eight-pack abs~~~~”

“Quack quack quack quack, I’m gonna get eight-pack abs*~~~~”

*Lyrics to the song “Eight Pack Abs” by Sun Jiafan.

Li Zijin stepped back in horror, stepping on Li Xia’s foot. Li Xia remained oblivious, only wishing for silence.

Curious, Chi Yingxue pulled out his phone, opened the music recognition app. After a long while, he remembered there was no network, feeling quite disappointed.

Han Buting, seemingly unaffected by the disturbance, calmly assessed. “They’re trying to attract zombies with the noise and chaos to steal the car.”

Li Zijin and Li Xia became serious.

“Then let’s send them back home before the zombies come.” Han Buting directed his gaze at the two people on Dumbo, raising his voice to ensure his teammates heard. “I’ll guard the candy house to prevent them from stealing the car. Li Zijin, Li Xia, you two go to Dumbo.”

“Chi Yingxue.” Han Buting looked at the new teammate. “You’re responsible for finding the other two. No need for idle talk, just send them back.”

“The main force is on Dumbo.” Chi Yingxue, not wanting to search for anyone other than Wu Sheng, countered, “I should go there.”

“You’re more capable than Li Zijin and Li Xia when serious.” Han Buting paused for two seconds, gently shaking his head. “But I don’t trust you right now.”

……

“Quack quack quack quack, my glutes and pecs~~”

The invasive music made Li Zijin, crawling through the bushes, feel dizzy. From a distance, it was already maddening; up close, it was sheer hell.

“Remember, once, we, get, up, there, first, stomp, the, gun, into, pieces.” Li Zijin voiced his ambitious goal through gritted teeth.

“Okay,” Li Xia rarely agreed with his juvenile teammate.

As they were about to act, the lights in the amusement park suddenly went out again. All the rides stopped, and the park plunged back into darkness. The gun on Dumbo with its flashing lights was gone too.

But the music continued.

The two struggled to adjust to the sudden darkness, blinking hard but still unable to see anything. The music seemed to be moving away, but it was so loud that even a slight decrease wasn’t noticeable.

As they hesitated, the music abruptly stopped.

The lights in the amusement park flared on again!

But the people on Dumbo were gone.

Li Xia and Li Zijin realized then that the opponents had someone controlling the main switch from afar!

Near the eastern wall of the amusement park.

Qian Ai, who had just flipped the main switch back on, picked up his chainsaw again, looking up at the sky with a sense of grandeur.

The wind howled and the river was cold; the brave man who pulled the switch controlled the entire situation.

According to the plan, the captain and the advisor would take advantage of the darkness to slip away, while Kuang Jinxin would hide near the Ferris wheel, waiting for the captain or advisor who managed to steal the car to pick him up.

With no one on Dumbo, Qian Ai glanced towards the Ferris wheel, knowing he wouldn’t see his teammate hidden below but somehow feeling reassured by the look.

But that look revealed Kuang Jinxin wasn’t hiding under the Ferris wheel as planned; he was actually sitting on the Ferris wheel. And he was with the opponent.

Qian Ai’s face darkened as he swore. “Is this a fucking date?!”

After scolding, without even thinking, he hoisted his chainsaw and headed towards the Ferris wheel.

……

The Ferris wheel.

The open “hanging baskets” shaped like bathtubs, slowly ascended as they rotated. Kuang Jinxin and Chi Yingxue sat opposite each other in the same winged little bathtub, barely a meter apart.

Kuang Jinxin gripped the scythe he had exchanged from Wu Sheng. Although seated, he was on high alert, sweat forming in his palms.

“What are you nervous about?” Chi Yingxue flicked his empty hands. “I threw away the crossbow and arrows. Isn’t that sincerity enough?”

“You should be talking to your own teammates.” Kuang Jinxin remained unfazed. “I have nothing to say to you.”

“Then why did you push me off with the handle of your scythe when I was about to climb up just now?” Chi Yingxue tilted his head to look at him, his eyes clear, appearing very sincere.

Kuang Jinxin met his gaze without any evasion. “I won’t kill someone just because ‘they won’t die’.”

Chi Yingxue laughed. “You guys have only been here a few days, right?”

Kuang Jinxin pursed his lips and kept silent.

Chi Yingxue seemed to have a trace of faint envy in his eyes. “The longer you stay here, the colder your heart gets. Cherish it now.”

Kuang Jinxin’s defenses wavered slightly, and somehow, looking at Chi Yingxue, he was reminded of Mao Qiping.

“When did you come in?” He couldn’t help but ask.

“Five months ago,” Chi Yingxue answered.

Kuang Jinxin was stunned. “Then how come you’re only at the third level?”

“My personality isn’t good, so no team wanted me. It was hard to form one, and even then, it didn’t last long.” Chi Yingxue smiled lightly, with a hint of bitterness. “I thought I finally didn’t have to float around anymore when I joined this team.”

Kuang Jinxin remembered his attitude towards his teammates in the Endless Sea and compared it to today; the difference was indeed stark. “Do you like them?”

The nuanced question caught Chi Yingxue off guard, and then it amused him. “Not that deep.” He slightly turned his head, looking into the vast night sky with a gentle gaze, as if lost in not-too-bad memories. “When I joined, Han Buting said they didn’t mind my difficulty, as long as the ability was enough…”

“So, it’s rare to find a reliable team. I also want to continue with them.” Chi Yingxue looked back at Kuang Jinxin, tugging at the corner of his mouth. “All ruined by you guys.”

Kuang Jinxin was confused. “What do you mean?”

Chi Yingxue watched for a long time, finally confirming that the other side really didn’t understand, and sighed. “Don’t lie to me. If it wasn’t for your teammate using that damned stationery on me, I wouldn’t have offended everyone.”

“Are they angry?” Kuang Jinxin finally caught up, but then thought. “Didn’t they say they didn’t mind your difficulty? So why would they be angry if you spoke the truth?”

“……” Chi Yingxue found himself speechless in the face of such logic.

“And even if Wu Sheng used the illusory on you, if you didn’t have so many grievances inside, it wouldn’t have turned out like this.” Kuang Jinxin reasoned with him. “They said they could accept your bad temper, but they didn’t manage to do it; that’s their fault. You have grievances against them but don’t communicate honestly, keeping more and more resentment inside; that’s your fault.”

“Is Wu Sheng completely blameless?” Chi Yingxue, remembering the name, asked bitterly.

“You shot our captain, and he used the illusory on you.”

“A scratch also counts as a shot?” Chi Yingxue extended his hand. “Look clearly. This is what counts as a wound.”

There was a deep cut across his palm. The old blood had clotted, but fresh blood still oozed out.

“When did you do this?” Kuang Jinxin winced, but he distinctly remembered that Chi Yingxue was uninjured when they first encountered him, and afterward, it had all been them attacking and their team fleeing; there had been no further real contact.

“I did it myself.” He spoke frankly.

Kuang Jinxin was bewildered. “Why?”

“I have to thank your so-called good teammate. The moment we locked eyes, I had to spill the truth about everything.” Chi Yingxue retracted his arm, shaking off the blood. “If I didn’t do this, I wouldn’t know how much more truth I would have to say.”

The emphasis on “truth” was deliberate, filled with mockery.

Kuang Jinxin’s eyes again showed strong disagreement. Chi Yingxue glanced and felt a headache coming, so he took the initiative. “Kid…”

The other side suddenly spoke earnestly, and Kuang Jinxin instinctively listened.

Chi Yingxue leaned forward a bit, getting closer. “Everyone has a dark side, but reason can control it, so we have white lies. If everyone spoke the truth, the world would no longer have unity and friendship, no deep bonds.”

Kuang Jinxin disagreed with his statement, but the current Chi Yingxue, serious, sincere, and calm, was a stark contrast from the one who attacked them on the carousel.

This made Kuang Jinxin willing to communicate with him, despite their different perspectives. “I don’t know what kind of teammates you’ve encountered before, but in our team, we speak openly and deal with each other honestly. As a result, we made it from the first level to here in just seven days, even visiting the Endless Sea in between.”

“Which Endless Sea?” Chi Yingxue asked.

“Shaanxi’s.” Kuang Jinxin gave him a straight answer. “We’ve met there before on the sea. You just forgot.”

“I remember.” Chi Yingxue’s eyebrows lifted with a teasing smile, as if he had succeeded in his ploy. “Before I fell into the sea, I even greeted you.”

Kuang Jinxin was taken aback.

“Actually, I wanted to find Wu Sheng.” Chi Yingxue suddenly switched to a seemingly unrelated topic, “But the captain wouldn’t let me, so I had to come to you.”

“What do you want with me?” Kuang Jinxin asked without much thought, just following the conversation.

“Quick battle, quick decision, send you back home,” Chi Yingxue said. “But after chatting with you, I changed my mind. That’s why we’ve been able to talk so pleasantly until now.”

Kuang Jinxin tentatively asked, “You want to negotiate peace?”

Chi Yingxue couldn’t help but laugh at this train of thought. “No, no, no.” He waved his hand, his tone as casual as if discussing the weather. “I want to make you understand this cruel world.”

Their little bathtub-shaped seat had reached its highest point. Kuang Jinxin hadn’t even realized what was happening before Chi Yingxue hugged him and took him out of the bathtub.

In the moment of falling, Kuang Jinxin’s confusion surprisingly outweighed his fear.

There were a thousand ways for this man to send him back home. Why choose mutual destruction?

In the rapid descent, everything around them blurred, except for the darkness in Chi Yingxue’s eyes, which Kuang Jinxin saw clearly.

It bizarrely harmonized with the brilliant smile still on his face.

Suddenly, Kuang Jinxin had a strong notion.

This man wanted to kill him.

And also wanted to kill himself.

“Xiao Kuang, hold your breath—”

In the sharp wind whipping past his ears, he faintly heard his captain’s voice. Before Kuang Jinxin could react, he and Chi Yingxue plunged into the water together.

The massive shock to the body from falling from a great height into water was unimaginable. Chi Yingxue’s arms loosened instantly. Kuang Jinxin felt a dull pain strike his body the moment he hit the water, like being hit with a blunt object, and then, he lost consciousness.

He didn’t get the chance to hear the delayed alert in his ears—

[Owl: Someone used [(Defense) I Urge You to Have One More Drink] on you~~]

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 45: Strong Enemies

“Can’t wait any longer?” Chi Yingxue’s eyes flashed with displeasure at his battle being interrupted, but his tone wasn’t harsh and was obviously restrained.

Xu Wang’s eyes flickered with surprise. During their encounter at the Endless Sea, this person wasn’t so considerate when interacting with his teammates.

“Li Xia said you would definitely be talking a lot again, so he sent me to make it quick.” The youth, who was supposed to be waiting at the Ferris wheel, Li Zijin, succinctly explained his purpose.

Chi Yingxue looked at him for a while, scoffed lightly, then turned and jumped back onto the carousel, as if handing over the baton.

“Good luck.”

The last phrase of encouragement he left was less sincere than a promotional bonus.

Li Zijin didn’t bother with him and instead looked down at his controller screen, quickly starting to operate.

His expression remained unchanged, and his posture was almost static; only his hands holding the game controller moved with practiced ease, as if he was truly engrossed in a game!

The four, now accustomed to the moonlight, suddenly sensed a shadow overhead.

Looking up, a small quadcopter drone was silently circling above them. The drone was white, and the mounted machine gun was dark and gleaming.

What Li Zijin was holding wasn’t a game controller.

He was playing with the drone, preparing to strafe.

“Run—”

Xu Wang’s shout was nearly a shriek.

At the same time, bullets started rattling out of the chamber!

The four scattered instantly, instinctively running madly. Their minds were blank, and only one thought prevailed: Run! If you’re too slow, you’ll die!

Death had never felt as close and real as at that moment.

From start to finish, Li Zijin never once looked up at his opponents. The drone had an infrared camera, and he only needed to focus on the live feed on the controller screen.

This “god’s view” allowed him to follow Wu Sheng without hesitation as soon as the opponents scattered in different directions.

“Li Xia sent me to have a look” was just an excuse Li Zijin had made up on the spot. In reality, he had come with Chi Yingxue and had seen everything from the usage of the “quicksand river” to the four jumping out of the car. He also clearly identified who the driver was.

He came because he was somewhat concerned about this new teammate.

In the end, this new teammate didn’t impress him at all. From start to finish, it was all idle talk, utterly nonsensical.

To him, the matter was as simple as drinking water.

The car key would surely be on the driver, so sending the driver back home, anything belonging to “Owl” would fall to the ground. They would just have to bend down to pick it up—the same principle as defeating monsters to collect coins.

Still, there was all this back-and-forth and choice-making nonsense.

“Boom—”

A sudden explosion distracted Li Zijin, causing him to pause.

When he looked at the screen again, it was pitch black.

Lifting his head, the drone not far away was disintegrating amidst a colorful cloud of smoke.

“Fuck.” He cursed softly, annoyed at his own carelessness.

He was so focused on pursuing the driver with the scythe and overconfident in the gun’s suppressive power that he neglected the others outside the camera’s view. If he remembered correctly, one of the kids had a long-range heavy weapon.

The last piece of drone wreckage landed amidst the smoke of the rocket blast, making a faint “plop”.

As if marking a hasty end to the sudden fierce battle.

The fire disappeared, the noise vanished, and the amusement park under the dark night returned to deathly silence.

A tall and upright figure slowly approached the edge of the pit, not looking at Chi Yingxue beside him but only at Li Zijin sitting on the car roof, as if he’d known all along that he would interfere. “Didn’t get it?”

“I’m sorry.” Li Zijin hung his head dejectedly, not daring to meet Han Buting’s gaze.

Gone was the previously feigned seriousness and depth; now, he was like a child who had made a mistake and was worried about being scolded.

Coincidentally, Chi Yingxue hated bratty kids, especially the impolite ones. “If he hadn’t interfered, I would have gotten it by now.”

“How would you get it? By riding the carousel for a couple of rounds until the opponents surrender?” A lean figure walked out from the darkness, wearing a black hoodie with hands in pockets. His face was hidden in the hoodie’s obscure shadows, with long bangs covering his eyes, making him appear entirely gloomy.

“One against two, you have the advantage. I concede.” Chi Yingxue raised one hand, a gesture others use to swear, but here, it signified surrender.

Han Buting ignored the minor squabble behind him, reached out and touched Li Zijin’s head, and asked in a deep voice, “Did you see who the driver was?”

Ideally, that question should have been directed at Chi Yingxue, as he had used the [Quicksand River] to stop the four and should know more about the situation.

But Han Buting chose to ask Li Zijin.

Chi Yingxue mockingly curled his lips and looked up, leisurely admiring the carousel ceiling.

In the dim light, the ceiling’s elaborate design lost its color and shine, resembling a low-quality product.

“I saw clearly,” Li Zijin hastily answered, eager to make up for his mistake. “Gray clothes, carrying a scythe!”

He didn’t know Wu Sheng’s name but remembered him distinctly.

Han Buting didn’t ask further; he simply lifted his hand and tapped his [Stationery Box].

……

Ten meters away from the explosion site, behind some bushes.

Kuang Jinxin crouched down and approached his advisor, asking softly, “Are you alright?”

Experiencing a gunfight for the first time would stun anyone, and Wu Sheng was no exception; his heart was still racing.

But facing his teammates, who risked themselves to save him, he had to reassure them. “I’m fine, thanks to your accurate shot, or I’d be a sieve by now.”

Kuang Jinxin scratched his head a bit embarrassedly. “At first, I was running with the captain, scared out of my mind. Then the captain noticed the drone was following you and told me to use the rocket launcher…” As he spoke, he seemed to recall something terrifying and became serious, his voice becoming heavier. “Sheng Ge, they’re different from Yue Shuai. They really dare to kill.”

Wu Sheng knew.

Never mind the concept of being “sent back home”, whether by stationery or by killing an opponent with weapons; it’s a completely different concept and a different experience.

Just like they instinctively fear bullets, even though they know they won’t die.

[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) Snatch*] on you~~]

*(探囊取物) Idiom derive from historical stories, where its original meaning is ‘exploring the bag to get something”. Now it’s used metaphorically to describe obtaining something effortless or with ease (AKA like taking candy from a baby, as easy as pickpocketing one’s own pocket).

The alert sounded unexpectedly.

Startled, Wu Sheng reflexively checked his pockets, only to find the car keys gone.

He quickly parted the bushes, looking through the gap towards the quicksand pit a dozen meters away.

Where only moonlight had revealed four vague shadows, it now illuminated brightly.

The Beetle’s headlights.

They couldn’t possibly see him hiding here, yet they easily located and acquired the keys from his pocket.

Such a powerful illusory stationery, and they hadn’t used it initially, probably because they were reluctant to waste it on them.

Reluctant to waste it on people like them.

Kuang Jinxin, unaware of the situation, only saw Wu Sheng suddenly patting his pocket and then the four people removing the quicksand pit and getting into the Beetle, now exposed to daylight. More importantly, they started the car!

“Sheng Ge?” Kuang Jinxin panicked. “They…”

“Took my keys,” Wu Sheng said calmly, but his grip on the scythe’s handle whitened.

“It’s okay.” Kuang Jinxin stared ahead with determination. “They won’t get away.”

……

Chi Yingxue was the last to get into the Beetle, casually closing the door.

Li Xia glanced at him from the rearview mirror, stepped on the gas, and drove off.

Despite a few minor hiccups, the overall plan was still effortlessly executed, evidenced by the fact that from beginning to end, their opponents had only fled, unable to fight back.

Han Buting was mostly satisfied with the outcome.

However, Li Zijin was still brooding. “They were even weaker than the previous team with the truck. At least those guys put up a fight for a few rounds. This team is so weak, wasting two of our stationery on them.”

Li Xia, always the quiet one, focused on driving.

Chi Yingxue yawned, showing little interest in continuing the conversation.

Han Buting, in a fairly good mood, checked his watch to confirm the remaining time, then prepared to respond to his teammates.

Suddenly, Li Xia hit the brakes.

The Beetle screeched to a halt, shaking everyone inside.

Even with his seatbelt fastened, Han Buting was jostled quite a bit.

Chi Yingxue and Li Zijin, who didn’t have the awareness to wear seatbelts, were tossed about.

Li Zijin struggled to get up. His first instinct was to scold the driver, but as he was about to speak, he was stunned by the “scenery” outside the window. His intended “Can’t you drive?” turned into “What the fuck…”

The moonlight, plants, and rides all disappeared.

Outside the window was a wall, candlelight, fireplace, and a sofa, as if the Beetle had driven into someone’s living room.

“Do you smell something?” Li Zijin sniffed hard, catching a rich, sweet fragrance.

“Chocolate.” Chi Yingxue lowered the window to get a clearer whiff, then frowned in disappointment. “Shame it’s not pure. Too much artificial fragrance.”

“Close the window,” Li Xia said sternly.

Chi Yingxue casually nodded. “Okay, you close it then.”

The driver’s seat could control all windows.

But Li Xia repeated emphatically, “Close the window.”

A flash of irritation crossed Chi Yingxue’s eyes, too quick for anyone to notice.

“Okay, the driver’s the boss.” Shrugging, he obediently closed the window.

Li Xia turned back and reminded Li Zijin, “Fasten your seatbelt.”

“Oh.” Recalling the previous mishap, Li Zijin quickly complied.

Chi Yingxue, not receiving a friendly reminder, didn’t lift a finger, instead taking an interested look at the candle flames on the walls outside, increasingly finding them akin to candy.

Li Xia restarted the car and floored the accelerator.

The Beetle started moving again, but before reaching top speed, it collided with the wall!

Instead of the expected harsh collision, the car’s front end seemed to hit a piece of rubber candy. No matter how much you pressed forward, it firmly held you back, gradually grinding down your speed.

The Beetle stopped once more, still inside the house.

Li Xia looked at the captain, succinctly deducing, “Defense stationery.”

Han Buting nodded. “Everyone, get out.”

Li Xia was dubious but still obeyed, opening the door to exit.

Chi Yingxue wanted to see his expression, but looking over, all he saw was a shadow, utterly uninteresting.

Li Zijin was the third to exit.

Chi Yingxue was once again the slowest.

Han Buting didn’t mind, waiting for everyone to gather before confidently approaching the door, grasping the wafer-cookie-like doorknob, and gently turning.

The door lock clicked, and a crack opened, letting in the faint stench of blood from the amusement park with the night breeze.

Li Xia frowned.

Li Zijin’s eyes widened in surprise.

Han Buting closed the door again and explained, “No alert means the stationery isn’t used on us but on the car. We can’t drive out, but we can leave as we please.”

“Why can’t they just stop both the car and us?” Li Zijin grew even more disdainful of the opposing team. “What a crappy stationery.”

“It’s not that they can’t. They don’t want to.” Chi Yingxue raised an eyebrow and gently blew towards him. “The crappy team you look down upon still hopes to steal back the car. If they stopped us along with the car, where would the chance be?”

Suddenly, lights flared outside, brightening the sugary glass.

The four inside were momentarily stunned.

Someone had turned the circuit breaker they had broken back up.

……

Light returned to the Happiness Amusement Park.

Twinkling lights, rotating carousels, swinging pirate ships, and spinning dessert cups—all of its colorful, joyous charms.

The four inside couldn’t clearly see this beautiful sight but soon heard a certain captain’s call.

“Don’t hide. Come out. The candy house looks tastier from outside—”

---

The author has something to say:

When meeting friends, you have wine; when meeting enemies, you get your shotgun (╰_╯)

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 44: An Old Friend

At the moment the four companions jumped from the car, the front of the vehicle had already reached the edge of the quicksand pit!

They leaped out forcefully, landing heavily and rolling several times due to inertia. Wu Sheng, who had braked a split second longer to decelerate for his teammates, jumped last, landing with half his body already sinking into the pit!

Had it not been for his desperate grasp at the edge of the quicksand pit at the last moment, the sand, which had already buried him up to his waist, would have completely swallowed him!

Qian Ai was the first to get up. He didn’t bother to pick up the chainsaw and scythe that were kicked out during the jump, rushing over to pull Wu Sheng up first. Then Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin also hurried over, and together, the three of them managed to pull their teammate back to solid ground!

The Beetle wasn’t so lucky; after falling into the quicksand, it continued to sink until Wu Sheng was pulled out, and the quicksand suddenly stilled. The sinking of the Beetle stopped, and in the end, only about one-fifth of the car roof remained visible above the sand.

“If you’re going to swallow something, do it completely,” Qian Ai said, exasperated. “Leaving just the roof visible but impossible to drive out is just torture…”

“The only explanation…” Xu Wang walked over to pick up the scythe and chainsaw and then came back to hand them to his teammates. “Is that the pit was meant to swallow us, not the car.”

Thus, as they jumped out and the only one in danger, Wu Sheng, was saved, the quicksand stopped.

“Haa…”

Suddenly, a light sigh came from the darkness.

The four companions immediately huddled close, back-to-back, on alert, but without the car lights, everything was engulfed in darkness.

A cluster of lights lit up on a carousel at the roadside.

A man holding a cell phone flashlight, sitting on the carousel, was gently waving his phone towards them with a lazy, indifferent air.

“You’ve already wasted one of my [Quicksand River]. Couldn’t you just obediently follow the sand back home?” The man tilted his head, his body casually leaning against the slender neck of a carousel horse, genuinely puzzled. “Why jump out of the car?”

From a distance of six or seven meters, the light was limited, but in the presence of high attractiveness, these things are negligible. Not to mention he was illuminating himself with his phone; even without it, Xu Wang would recognize this friend in just the moonlight.

Fair-skinned, beautiful, with a mole at the corner of his eye. He was effortlessly cool, shooting arrows in the endless sea, and now, sitting on the carousel with a slight tilt of his head and frown, he was another kind of beautiful.

Chi Yingxue.

Xu Wang silently repeated this name in his mind, but he didn’t speak out. He wasn’t sure if the other party recognized them, but “witnessing their own miserable, unknown opponent” was not a more advantageous position than “an unexpected encounter with a stranger”.

“Are you mute?” After waiting for a response and receiving none, Chi Yingxue frowned more deeply, clearly displeased.

Xu Wang took out his cell phone and also turned on the flashlight, shining it towards his own team, creating a sense of equal footing as if to say, “Don’t think you’re the only center of attention here.”

Then, he said calmly, “So if you use a [Quicksand River], we have to obediently comply and go home? Do you own this place?”

His tone was slightly mocking, almost teasing.

He thought to himself that anyone can show off—he’d seen Wu Sheng do it countless times. Chi Yingxue probably didn’t know his place while Wu Sheng was learning Ampere’s law.

“Ah, finally a breath of air.” Chi Yingxue’s brow relaxed, nodding in satisfaction. “I’ll give you two choices. One, leave the car keys and go. Two, leave the car keys, and I’ll send you on your way.”

Xu Wang gritted his teeth, but before he could respond, three more bursts of light suddenly shone from behind him, blending with his phone’s flashlight into a broad, bright area.

Turning around, he saw his three teammates, each holding a cell phone flashlight.

One against four.

Captain Xu’s spirit suddenly rose.

“Let’s choose option three; we’ll send you home first, then drive away…” Xu Wang started to say, but then abruptly stopped.

The lights from his companions also somewhat illuminated the other side, revealing more of the previously only partially visible opponent.

Chi Yingxue had chosen the tallest, most imposing horse in the entire carousel to sit on but didn’t sit upright. Instead, he lounged casually, beautiful eyes half-glancing, exuding disdain and indifference towards his opponents from head to toe.

Such an irritating person, Xu Wang dealt with every day, so he wasn’t internally moved.

What really made him pause mid-sentence was Chi Yingxue’s attire.

Last time in the Endless Sea, although this man was far on the mast, the stylish jacket he wore left a deep impression on Xu Wang.

This time, his style was completely different.

A light watermelon pink short-sleeved shirt paired with pale lake green shorts. The low saturation of colors made the combination fresh and bright. The shirt’s loose fit added a lazy, casual feel, and even more casual were the flip-flops, looking ready to hit the beach waves at any moment.

Dongying is a coastal city.

Dressing in beach holiday attire, stepping on the sand, and chasing waves in between checkpoint runs seemed cool.

But there was one problem.

It was November in Shandong, and in a week, night temperatures were approaching zero degrees.

Captain Xu was at a loss for words, but Kuang Jinxin asked directly, “Aren’t you cold?”

Chi Yingxue looked around before finding the speaker and countered with a question. “Do you think it looks good?”

Kuang Jinxin honestly nodded. “It looks good, yes…”

“That means I’m not cold,” Chi Yingxue said with a gentle, charming smile.

Kuang Jinxin swallowed hard, not knowing what to say next.

“Alright, enough with the pleasantries.”

Chi Yingxue turned off the flashlight and put the phone back in his shorts pocket. His hand didn’t come out again but stayed in a casual pose. Meanwhile, the other hand that had been hanging behind the horse’s body, without any warning, suddenly lifted, holding a crossbow, and shot an arrow straight at Xu Wang!

The arrow grazed Xu Wang’s left arm, which he had rolled up to make reading documents easier. The arrow, not losing speed, zoomed through the gap between the four and finally thudded into the tree trunk behind them!

His action was so natural and his expression so calm that the four of them couldn’t react in time.

Only when the arrow was embedded in the tree trunk did Xu Wang come back to his senses and lift his arm.

Below the owl icon was a finger-long gash, which was broken and bleeding slightly with a bit of stinging pain.

There were many vital points a single arrow could send someone back home, but Chi Yingxue intentionally missed, only grazing Xu Wang’s arm.

“Captain!” Kuang Jinxin, seeing this, immediately hoisted a rocket launcher, but Wu Sheng covered the muzzle with his hand.

Before Kuang Jinxin could question it, Chi Yingxue spoke up from atop the carousel. “I’ll give you one last chance. Choose one or two?”

Wu Sheng stepped forward, shielding Xu Wang behind him, tapping the ground lightly with the wooden handle of his scythe, looking over. “Our captain said option three. Didn’t you hear?”

Chi Yingxue narrowed his eyes slightly, not at him but at his scythe. “Hey, that’s a cool weapon.” He earnestly asked, lifting his crossbow, “How about I trade this for it?”

Wu Sheng smiled, his voice softening. “Want to trade? Then come over here.”

Chi Yingxue jumped down from the carousel and walked towards Wu Sheng as naturally as if he was approaching a teammate rather than an opponent.

Wu Sheng stood still, just waiting quietly.

Until Chi Yingxue was within two meters.

Wu Sheng swung his scythe in a cutting breeze!

So fast and unprecedented, Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai didn’t even see when he moved!

But Chi Yingxue, as if anticipating, leapt back with a sudden stop, dodging cleanly but narrowly, the blade almost grazing his neck!

Wu Sheng wasn’t annoyed despite the strike missing. He retracted the scythe and returned to a “let’s talk” posture.

From start to finish, he never showed a hint of killing intent.

Chi Yingxue steadied himself, touched his neck as if scared, but then smiled, just like when he disparaged his teammate on the Endless Sea—a light, disdainful smile. “Were you trying to chop off my head?”

Wu Sheng didn’t confirm or deny.

Chi Yingxue sighed, almost thoughtfully. “What would it achieve even if you did? I won’t die. I’ll just be sent back home early. Besides…” He shrugged, looking at Wu Sheng with a hint of pity. “You couldn’t hit me anyway.”

Wu Sheng finally spoke, not to retort but to ask a new question. “What is your team’s plan?”

Chi Yingxue was taken aback. No matter how quick-witted he was, he couldn’t grasp the purpose of such a question. “What makes you think I’d answer? Our plan was to lure you into a trap under the Ferris wheel and then hijack the car. The [Quicksand River] wasn’t even part of the original plan. If you hadn’t unnecessarily turned the car around—”

Realizing what he had just revealed, Chi Yingxue abruptly stopped, disbelief dawning in his eyes.

But Wu Sheng didn’t give him time to recover, pressing on. “Where are your teammates hiding?”

Despite Wu Sheng’s direct gaze, Chi Yingxue didn’t dodge, but his mind quickly tightened up, no longer daring to be careless.

Yet, his mouth seemed to have a mind of its own, rebelling amidst the tight guard, revealing, “Han Buting is on the pirate ship. Li Zijin and Li Xia are under the Ferris wheel…”

As the questioner received a satisfactory answer, the unintended confessor also heard a belated alert.

[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) Don’t lie To Me] on you~~]

The night breeze whispered through the trees, sounding like murmuring ghosts.

“You used an illusory stationery on me.” Chi Yingxue’s voice, and the light in his eyes, sank.

Wu Sheng glanced at the bloodstain on Xu Wang’s arm before looking back at the initiator and said in a very soft tone, “Next time you attack someone, be smarter.”

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai were stunned, not expecting their advisor to avenge their captain. They instinctively looked towards their own captain.

Xu Wang, with all the dignity he could muster in his lifetime, barely resisted the urge to clutch his heart, or more precisely, the wildly thumping heart inside.

Isn’t that line too fucking cool?!

Always being so impressive, like Long Aotian*. How could he ever climb out of the quagmire of unrequited love!

*It’s basically the Chinese equivalent of a male Mary Sue (Gary Stu). 

“Are you here to deal with them, or are you here to sell information to them?” A seventeen- or eighteen-year-old boy, unknowingly perched on the only visible part of the Beetle’s roof, sat cross-legged in a posture that made one feel he should have a game console screen in front of him.

He sported a messy short haircut, as casual as if he’d cut it himself, and had bright, lively eyes, but his voice, whether deliberately suppressed or not, carried a pretense of cold depth, starkly contrasting with his youthful demeanor.

The only consolation was that he wore a fleece hoodie suitable for late autumn. At least in terms of temperature sensitivity, he wasn’t as crazy about fashion over comfort as his teammate, surnamed Chi, who prioritizes looking good over staying alive.

---

The author has something to say:

Classmate Chi Yingxue expressed that without little lights or spinning circles, what’s the use of such a carousel (╰_╯)

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 43: Amusement Park

By the river, north of the city, Sunshine Cinema, 4DX Hall.

In the dimly lit theater, a zombie film was playing, with blurred images of flesh and blood illuminating the faces of four audience members in the middle row.

In the vast 4DX hall, only these four were present, wearing 3D glasses and sitting in seats that shook and trembled with the plot. Occasionally wind would blow, or they would get sprayed with water, or were forced to endure the pungent smell of blood—this was a full 360° immersive viewing experience.

Another zombie’s head got drilled.

In the movie, plasma flowed freely; in the seats, so did the fishy-smelling water.

Yue Shuai wiped his face for the 101^st time just as the film cut to a very bright shot, clearly reflecting his lifeless, numb eyes.

“Captain.” Tao Anana, who was sitting next to him, asked amidst the shaking of the seats, “Why did we come to this theater…”

Before he finished, the door of the hall was suddenly barged open by a zombie in work clothes!

The four instantly slid under their seats, ducked their heads, curled up their legs, and held their breath. These series of actions were both quick and skilled, clearly something they had done countless times before.

The zombie in work clothes solemnly surveyed the room, saw nothing unusual, and left.

The four, nearly at their limit, finally exhaled a big breath and sat back in their seats to “continue watching the movie”.

Why did they enter this cinema?

Actually, all four knew the answer.

North of the city was not like the south; it was rare to see a living person, let alone borrow (steal) a car. The last time at this checkpoint, they almost failed because they were “looking for a car in the north”. So, this time they were smarter, directly finding a truck in the south and speeding all the way to the docks.

They originally planned to board the ship with the truck and continue driving after crossing the river, but then they encountered Xu Wang and others, and the truck became a bicycle. Once off the ship, they were back in the same situation as the last checkpoint.

However, there are no two identical leaves in the world.

Last time, they gritted their teeth and made it to the hospital.

This time, they had barely taken a few steps, not even leaving the riverbank, when they encountered a large group of square-dancing zombie aunties. The aunties’ combat power was like nuclear weapons. After several rounds of fighting and seeing an imminent wipeout, the four had no choice but to flee, finding a small path and blindly rushing into this riverside theater.

The theater was quite considerate, directly isolating the aunties outside.

But as soon as the door shut, their [Cheat Sheet] dinged. [Welcome to Sunshine Cinema. Please proceed to the 4DX hall and enjoy the movie. After viewing, fill out the answer sheet. A full score is 100 points; passing is 60 points. P.S. Please hide well, as there will be staff inspections. Since you haven’t bought a ticket, if found, bear the consequences.]

For a long time, the four companions stared at the [Cheat Sheet] still unable to calm the turmoil in their hearts.

Then, a collective tearful accusation almost overturned the theater’s roof.

“Why is there a game within a game?! Ahhhh——”

All this was fifty minutes ago.

Now, the four companions finally waited for the big “The End” on the screen.

Just as the seats steadied, the lights in the hall suddenly turned on, instantly brightening the room.

An exam paper floated down from the ceiling into Yue Shuai’s hand, along with an answer sheet and a 2B pencil.

Captain Yue remembered the fear of being dominated by senior year in high school.

“What’s the surname of the male protagonist’s sister’s spare guy? Who can remember such a long name—”

“Who was the first zombie the female lead killed, and whose songs did she like to listen to before death? Is this a question humans can answer?!”

“Captain, don’t be agitated. It’s all in the movie, just not easy to notice. Let me do it… In the bar the mother of the male lead likes to go to, there’s a cowboy who always sits at the bar. How many times did he blink while whistling… Who the fuck made these questions! I’m going to beat them—”

The Yue Team finally stumbled through the entire exam.

As the last question was marked, the exam paper, answer sheet, and pencil disappeared together.

The [Cheat Sheet] indicated that grading was underway and for them to please wait patiently.

Finally relaxing, the Yue Team suddenly worried about their recent opponents.

Tao Anan: “I wonder how they are doing.”

Wei Tianhang: “Probably went home early.”

Tao Anan: “We should have reminded them.”

Wei Tianhang: “It was so intense when boarding the ship. Who would have thought to say that.”

Yue Shuai: “It might not be so coincidental to meet them. Maybe before they crossed the bridge, the amusement park people had already gotten a car from another team.”

Su Mingzhan: “Today all the teams entering this checkpoint are veterans, mostly starting in the north. Teams needing to cross the bridge from the south might just be us two.”

Wei Tianhang: “Then it’s over—meeting those crazies, they’re doomed for sure.”

Yue Shuai: “Not necessarily. Didn’t we escape?”

Wei Tianhang: “They’re a team of rookies. Can they compare to us?”

Yue Shuai: “I think they’re quite capable.”

Su Mingzhan: “Captain, you now have a tendency to be a fanboy. It’s dangerous.”

Yue Shuai: “……”

Wei Tianhang: “Haa, I thought that psycho Chi Yingxue would never meet a compatible team. Now it seems anyone can find a place.”

Su Mingzhan: “It’s easy to fall in love, but difficult to get along with each other. Whether it can last, we’ll have to wait and see.”

Yue Shuai: “You can ponder all you want, but why are you looking at me…”

Ding—

[Cheat Sheet]: Grading complete. 59 points.

……

Beijing time. The pink Beetle successfully got onto the “Bridge of Happiness” and encountered an amusement park.

Specifically, the island in the middle of the river was where this “Happiness Amusement Park” was located, splitting the bridge into two sections, making what should have been a simple river crossing into a complicated three-part journey: “South Bridge—Amusement Park—North Bridge”.

More importantly—

“There’s no mention of this place on the map.” Wu Sheng unfolded the map, and all his friends could clearly see that the river was only marked with a bridge, with no mention of an amusement park, let alone an island in the middle of the river.

“A hidden location?” Qian Ai, now fully aware of the deceptive nature of their journey, wasn’t surprised at all.

“Are you sure this is an amusement park?” Kuang Jinxin swallowed. “It looks more like a haunted house to me.”

No lights were on, and the vast amusement park was unlit from the inside out.

Nearby, high walls stretched out on both sides, almost endless to the eye. The walls were covered with colorful abstract paintings, each looking like a dark Picasso. The gloomy night made the only potentially bright colors lose their vibrancy, leaving only twisted human and animal figures and other bizarre shapes in the darkness.

Farther away, the rides in the park cast long, lifeless shadows on the high walls. Their shapes were indistinct, and only their deep contours were visible. The park’s greenery was the same, with flowers, grasses, and trees mixing together, swaying in the night breeze like shadowy figures.

The only recognizable structure was the Ferris wheel.

A towering Ferris wheel, as if reaching for the moon, stood in the center of the park. Each cabin was shaped like a small bathtub with wings hanging from the arms like a raised shower head, creating the illusion of cute bathtubs flying in the sky.

This was the only installation that broke the deadly stillness of the park, yet it too stood quietly, bathed in moonlight.

“Are the doors and windows all locked?” Xu Wang asked his companions, who confirmed they were. He then seriously added, “In any case, we need to be cautious at all times.” With that, he turned to Wu Sheng. “Drive.”

Wu Sheng nodded slightly.

The pink Beetle, with its headlights on, cautiously started moving again, slowly entering the amusement park gate.

They knew that having the headlights on could expose them, but without the lights, who knows what dangers lurked in the darkness ahead? A collision would be even more dangerous.

Inside the park, it was eerily silent.

Outside, at least there were insects chirping and distant zombie howls, but once inside, all sounds ceased. The deeper they drove, the quieter it got, almost until it reached dead silence.

No one knew the layout of this uncharted amusement park; Wu Sheng could only follow the general visitor’s path, heading north.

The road was smooth, but it was clear that teams had fought zombies here before. Large patches of blackened blood stained the road beyond recognition, and zombie corpses were everywhere. Some were even piled up obstructing the way. Wu Sheng had to avoid them, continuing north through the side roads.

He turned on the high beams, hoping to maximize visibility. The light helped his companions see the carousel and pirate ship they passed.

“Clack—”

Suddenly, with everyone on high alert, the vehicle jolted as if it had run over something.

Wu Sheng hit the brakes, and the Beetle, not going fast to begin with, immediately stopped.

“What was that?” Xu Wang quickly turned to him, asking in a tense, hushed voice.

Wu Sheng didn’t respond, his expression growing grim.

Xu Wang gripped his weapon tighter.

Wu Sheng didn’t shake his head, indicating he had an idea of what it might be but still needed to confirm it. And Xu Wang was sure whatever it was, it wasn’t going to be pleasant.

Putting the car in reverse, Wu Sheng gently pressed the gas, backing up without warning.

The front wheel rolled over “that thing” again, and as it retreated under the headlights, it revealed its true form.

A leg.

A rotten, amputated zombie leg.

The leg was initially on the left side of the road in the bushes, perhaps with just half a foot protruding onto the road, unnoticed by Wu Sheng until it was run over. Now, after being repeatedly rolled over, it had popped out of the bushes and fully entered the range of the headlights.

“All the avoiding, and we still couldn’t escape it.” Qian Ai looked away, having seen many limbs before, but still feeling nauseous after staring too long.

“Something’s not right…” Wu Sheng narrowed his eyes.

After a moment’s thought, he suddenly turned the steering wheel while reversing, angling the car’s headlights 45° to the left.

The high beams shifted from the road ahead to the left-side bushes.

“Fuck…” Qian Ai’s words trailed off as he was thoroughly disgusted, afraid he’d vomit if he opened his mouth again.

Corpses littered the area.

Various types of dead zombies lay in the bushes, like cans thrown into a scrapyard.

They had been focused on the road and hadn’t checked the bushes on either side.

While Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin were still shocked, Wu Sheng suddenly turned around and drove back much faster than before!

“What’s going on?” Qian Ai felt a sudden surge of unease, aware that something was amiss but clueless as to what.

Xu Wang, however, understood.

Despite the signs of battle everywhere, they had avoided all obstacles, creating a “smooth path” inadvertently. Had it not been for that accidental “amputated leg,” they would have continued on the unobstructed path.

“Someone deliberately cleared a path, leading us to a specific location in the park!” Xu Wang said quickly, scanning between the windshield and the passenger window, vigilant of their surroundings.

He didn’t know what awaited them at that specific location, but it was sure to be nothing good.

On one of the glances towards the window, Xu Wang heard Wu Sheng curse. “What the hell…”

Xu Wang reflexively looked back towards the front, his eyes widening to their limits at the sight.

In front of them, on the road they had just traveled, appeared a massive quicksand pit!

What the hell kind of side plot is this?!

“Brake, brake, brake—” Classmate Qian from the backseat shouted in panic, knowing they couldn’t jump the width of the pit even if they tried.

He didn’t hear the suffocating screech of the tires already scraping against the ground.

But Wu Sheng knew the moment he pressed the brake that the distance wasn’t enough to stop. “Jump out of the car—”

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 42: The Temple of Three Religions

In the pitch-black confines of the closed ship’s cabin, a phone, flipped over on the ground and set to flashlight mode, illuminated the faces of four friends.

They sat around the phone in a circle, gently swaying with the cabin. Some were panting, some disheveled, all utterly exhausted.

“Finally, some peace…” Yue Shuai let out a long sigh, sitting upright and motionless, maintaining a position with each palm pressed against his temples, as if he was extracting a devilish tune from his brain with the inner power of his palms.

“I can now fucking sing,” Wei Tianhang, who felt the same way, pulled off the rubber band on his braided hair and started shaking out the strands while also subconsciously bouncing his crossed legs to the rhythm. “Here, the sharks don’t breathe~~ Here, the…”

Captain Yue threw a sharp glance at him.

Suddenly realizing he was humming the tune, Wei Tianhang stopped abruptly; his face was full of astonishment.

Daman, that weapon is poisonous. TAT

“We should have just taken the water route from the beginning,” Su Mingzhan said lightly. “Instead of trying to be clever and taking the bridge, only to end up coming back here.”

Tao Anan reminded weakly, “A’Su*, it was you who suggested we take the bridge this time…”

*When using (阿) as a form of address, it signifies closeness, friendliness, or affection. 

“Right.” Su Mingzhan tilted his head and looked at him. “Which is why I was just criticizing myself.”

Tao Anan: “…Okay.”

Despite his baby face and schoolboy haircut, which made him seem petulant even when angry, his teammates had long learned to see beyond appearances.

Su Mingzhan’s combat prowess could be summed up like so: unexpected and deadly.

“It’s not all bad.” Yue Shuai offered a different view on the night’s route. “Although we used an extra stationery than planned, had we not detoured, we wouldn’t have encountered Wangwang and the others, nor would we have realized that there are still honorable men in this wretched place—not just deceit and treachery…”

“Wait.” Wei Tianhang had made a ‘stop’ gesture. “Did you get his permission to give him a nickname?”

“We’ve fought side by side. Formalities make it awkward. If ‘Wangwang’ sounds bad…how about ‘Senbei‘, ‘Snow Cakes’, or ‘Xiao Xiao Su’*?”

*Clarity: He’s using Xu Wang’s nickname Wangwang (旺旺)—not the actual Wang in his name. This also happens to be a brand of snacks in China, so the following nicknames he’s giving him are all different products of that brand.

Tao Anan swallowed hard. “Captain, you’re making me hungry.”

“Who’s fought alongside you?” Wei Tianhang retorted as he tidied and rebraided his hair. “For all we know, they’re cursing us right now.”

“Impossible,” Captain Yue asserted confidently. “Wu Sheng’s last bomb would have blown me and A’Su back to reality, but he threw it into the water instead. That was their ‘peach offering¹’. A’Su had his choice of several vicious weapons, but in the end, he still went with [Happy Trampoline], which is our ‘plum in return¹’. Once the effect of the trampoline wears off, they can continue on their way. Surely they’ll understand our intentions!”

¹This is referencing the idiom: Give a peach and get a plum in return (投桃报李). It comes from the Book of Song. It’s a metaphor for being kind to each other and treating each other with courtesy (return a favor/gift with a favor/gift).

Wei Tianhang: “……”

Wait for the effect to wear off? By then, those who had returned to earth would likely want to take them all down with them!

“Achoo—” Captain Yue sneezed without warning.

Wei Tianhang gave him a sarcastic look. “See, they’re cursing you.”

“Bullshit!” Yue Shuai raised his head. “Surely some girl is thinking of me!”

Wei Tianhang shot back. “Wake up! There are no girls in this godforsaken place!”

Yue Shuai: “What are you talking about? There are plenty of pretty NPC girls!”

Wei Tianhang: “Someone, knock some sense into this pervert.”

Su Mingzhan: “Captain, if you really can’t stand it, you might consider one of us…”

Yue Shuai: “No thanks, bye. I’m tired, so I’m going to sleep. I’ll see you guys later—”

Wei Tianhang: “……”

Tao Anan: “……”

Su Mingzhan shrugged and leaned back into a corner, vanishing into the darkness of the cabin. His departure seemed to signify a retreat into obscurity—his actions and merits hidden away.

Forty minutes later.

Beijing time, 2:30; Owl time, 20:30

People and zombies alike, exhausted from bouncing, had finally managed to stand still after another despairing touch-down, not bouncing back up again. It might have been luck, or perhaps it was prearranged, but all the “bouncing friends” landed on the shore.

Huh? Just bouncing and not going home? What an unexpected delight!

Ugh, maybe just going home would be better.

Fuck, Yue Shuai!

How much longer must we bounce?!

Whatever, my spirit is broken.

Happy trampoline, why are you called that? Come, let’s jump together…

—The above was the mental journey of the four teammates.

After landing, they froze for two seconds before exchanging glances with the zombies, regaining their composure, and continuing the fight.

This time, Team Wang showed no mercy.

A fierce beating ensued, and the last few zombies were wiped out. Their deaths were unjust, because even if Team Yue returned, they likely wouldn’t have been a match in terms of reputation and wealth. After all, a forty-minute happy (suppression) trampoline session had honed their fiery “war god” spirit.

“There’s two and a half hours left.” Xu Wang checked his phone for time. “What do we do now?”

“The original plan,” Wu Sheng pulled out a map and traced a line along the river. “If the dock is no good, we’ll follow the river embankment east and turn towards ‘Happiness Bridge’.”

The word “Happiness” on the map seemed ironic to the three companions, and they wondered who had given the bridge such an unlucky name.

“The entire embankment road goes through the forest,” Xu Wang sighed. “We originally planned to drive, but now without a car, are we just going to walk through the woods?”

It wasn’t only dangerous but also far; reaching the bridge by five was questionable, let alone getting to the hospital.

“Captain.” Kuang Jinxin spoke up quietly. “Look to the left. That pink object seems familiar.”

Prompted, all teammates turned to look. In the moonlight, a battered pink Beetle slowly approached, its damaged shell still defiantly shiny.

The car stopped beside them, and the driver stuck his head out the window and asked, “Where to, handsome guys? If it’s on the way, I can drop you off.”

Xu Wang grinned. “North of the city, Central Hospital.”

The Beetle driver nodded. “That’s out of my way. Goodbye.”

Xu Wang laughed. “Why did you wait until now to leave?”

The driver curled his lips and retorted, “In case you couldn’t beat them and needed a getaway. If I left and you all died, I’d be an indirect murderer.”

Xu Wang: “…There’s no need to imagine such a tragic ending in that much detail!”

Before they could argue further, the driver got out of the car. “You’re determined to go to the Central Hospital, so there must be a reason. I can’t go with you, but the car is yours.”

Xu Wang was stunned. “What about you?”

“I live nearby,” the driver explained. “I can run back home, and once I’m through the gates, I’ll be in the safe zone.”

“What if you encounter zombies on the way?”

“I’ll take my chances.”

“…How close is your home?”

“Ten minutes.”

Considering they’d already spent forty minutes on the trampoline, another ten minutes to ensure their benefactor’s safety was reasonable. After all, without the Beetle, they’d be much worse off.

Three minutes later.

Wu Sheng: “Wasn’t it ten minutes?”

Beetle Driver: “It’s ten minutes by foot, but you’re driving, so of course it’s faster!”

The group: “……”

The driver quickly entered the securely guarded community, turned around, and the ornate iron gate slowly closed, leaving only a decorative gap.

“Thanks for the ride.” He waved to his pink Beetle through the gate.

“Go up quickly—” The four in the car shooed him off.

However, the driver cleverly sensed the reluctance of his brief companions. In fact, he was reluctant to part with them too. TAT

In the car, the four felt a sudden chill under the driver’s “gaze”. It felt like they had inadvertently stolen the heart of a young girl.

Wu Sheng restarted the car and had driven only a few meters when the driver approached the decorative gap and shouted a final piece of advice to his departing “companions”. “There’s a Temple of Three Religions in the riverside woods. If you have time while driving through, go there to pay your respects and get its blessing to keep you safe—”

Beijing time, 2:45; Owl time, 20:45.

The Beetle progressed down the shady riverside path, going about a speed of 70. They were unable to go faster due to some damaged part that made the car rattle and bump like it had square wheels.

“I knew I’d heard it before,” Wu Sheng finally remembered, and he repeated the information from his mental files. “Su Mingzhan, Tao Anan, Wei Tianhang, Yue Shuai, 3/23 Paper Submission.”

Qian Ai, who had joined the team later, was clueless. Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin, however, understood immediately and scrolled up their [Report Card].

Indeed.

That was the first notification they received on their second day in the “Owl”.

[Su Mingzhan, Tao Anan, Wei Tianhang, Yue Shuai, 3/23 Paper Submission.]

Leaning close, Qian Ai looked at Kuang Jinxin’s arm to get a clear view and raised an eyebrow in surprise. “They’ve already passed that stage so early?”

Information about others’ submissions is only available during the first stage, possibly as a benefit for newcomers. After 2/23, everyone could only receive information about their own team’s submissions.

By that time, Qian Ai was already past 2/23 and thus couldn’t receive that message, but a glance was enough to understand what was happening.

“It must be that they failed the submission and had to return.” Xu Wang exited the [Report Card].

Qian Ai frowned. “Although their team leader is a bit foolish, from coordination to skills, they aren’t ordinary fighters. If they can’t make it…”

How difficult would the stages be after 3/23? 

He didn’t finish his sentence, which sounded too disheartening, but everyone understood.

Therefore, there was a moment of slightly oppressive silence within the Beetle.

Unintentionally, Qian Ai raised his eyes and saw Advisor Wu’s face in the rearview mirror. The advisor was driving with full concentration, with his lips slightly upturned and his eyes smiling as if looking forward to the increasingly difficult stages ahead.

Damn, he almost forgot. This old classmate would get upset when the test questions were too easy!

Qian Ai withdrew his gaze, but on the way, he caught sight of Xu Wang in the passenger seat.

The former sports rep, now Captain Xu, was slightly tilting his head, pretending to look at the river on the left, but actually gazing at the advisor’s profile.

His look was gentle yet satisfied, yet within that satisfaction was disdain, then annoyance, and within that annoyance was sweetness, which quickly turned into a melancholic sentiment, and then back to tenderness again.

‘No wonder he’s the team leader,’ Qian Ai thought. This “all-encompassing heart” wasn’t something ordinary people possessed.

“Captain.” Kuang Jinxin, who had been observing the surroundings, finally had a pleasant discovery. “Is that the Temple of Three Religions he mentioned?”

Wu Sheng slowed down the car.

Xu Wang rolled down the window and looked in the direction Kuang Jinxin pointed, only to see a red temple-like structure faintly visible among the trees, almost 90% obscured by the foliage. If they hadn’t known about the building in advance, they would have surely missed it.

“Shall we go?” Qian Ai felt a bit daunted looking at the dense woods.

Xu Wang: “Let’s go. These kinds of side stories…”

Wu Sheng: “Often come with unexpected surprises.”

Xu Wang’s heart skipped a beat. Wu Sheng had exactly voiced his thoughts, word for word!

Qian Ai was also surprised at this seamless cooperation. “You two are getting more in sync…”

Wu Sheng, while driving, even managed to gesture with one hand. “Mainly, I accommodate him.”

Captain Xu’s heart rate returned to normal. “Don’t you feel guilty saying that?”

Wu Sheng righteously replied, “My conscience is clear.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Their brief moment of friendship (?), collapsed.

Wu Sheng drove the Beetle into the dense woods and, after winding left and right, finally stopped in front of the Temple of Three Religions. The Temple of Three Religions was essentially a temple with some Taoist elements in its design, but due to long-term disrepair and neglect, it was hard to study in detail.

The words “Temple of Three Religions” were clear above the main door, and on the pillars to both sides were inscribed, “Each teaching in the world has its wonder”, and “Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism converge into one.”

The doors were wide open with one completely fallen off, lying on the ground, and the rest hanging crookedly as if they could be blown away by the wind at any moment.

Wu Sheng turned off the Beetle.

In the quiet woods, only the sound of the wind could be heard.

The four tiptoed out of the car, sneaking into the Temple of Three Religions like thieves.

There were candles burning inside the hall, though not very brightly, but the dim lighting added a solemn feel. As soon as they crossed the threshold, they felt a change in the atmosphere.

Outside the hall, they were constantly worried about zombies popping out from dark corners. But just a door apart, they suddenly felt reassured, as if a gentle force had swept away their fears. Despite the door still wide open behind them, they felt calm and peaceful.

In the center of the front, three deities were enshrined, each with an incense burner in front and unlit incense sticks on a side table.

Having seen the words “Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism” outside, they knew it was a temple dedicated to all three, but they couldn’t recognize the specific deities of each.

But knowing they were deities was enough.

The laboring people of our country never find it too much to worship gods; ideally, they would worship all possible deities. Thus, the four friends, without discrimination, sincerely offered incense to all three, hoping for a safe journey ahead.

After offering incense, the four stood in the center of the hall, waiting with bated breath.

According to the narrative’s convention, this would be the time for the deities to speak or for a mysterious gift to descend from the heavens.

Five minutes later, nothing happened.

Qian Ai: “Were we too naive?”

Kuang Jinxin: “Maybe what he meant by ensuring safety was just a good wish…”

Xu Wang sighed. “Forget it. Let’s not wait anymore…”

Clatter—

Qian Ai: “A secret chamber in the deity statue?!”

Kuang Jinxin: “Good thing we didn’t give up!”

Xu Wang: “I knew it!”

Wu Sheng sighed, poking his head out from behind the wall. “Instead of feeling sentimental, why not come and help me push—”

Xu, Qian, Kuang: “When did you get over there?”

Wu Sheng: “…What else? You think this temple will climb the wall by itself?!”

Together, the four pushed the wall 180 degrees. There was no secret chamber; the space behind the wall was simply to facilitate its rotation.

Now, the three deity statues were at the back, and what was originally the back of the wall became the front, revealing a new deity statue dedicated exclusively to worshiping incense.

Unlike the other statues’ solemnity, this new deity was carved to appear very young, with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes and a face like a jade dragon. His expression was casual, not solemn, and his posture was relaxed and comfortable, as if he wasn’t sitting there waiting for offerings but casually sitting outside the Southern Heavenly Gate, resting and enjoying the breeze.

The deity had changed. But the four friends’ routine remained the same: they offered incense, clasped their hands together, and made sincere wishes.

The light incense smoke twirled upwards.

Suddenly, the wind in the hall stopped, the candlelight ceased flickering, and the light in the hall took on a firmness.

After completing their prayers, the four slowly opened their eyes. On the incense table were two brocade boxes, one large and one small.

They looked at each other, speechless.

When deities aren’t responsive, one might half-jokingly complain, like saying, “Hey God, are you blind?” But when a deity actually responds, it feels inappropriate to joke around.

Finally, Captain Xu stepped forward and opened the “gifts”.

One was a “rocket launcher” needing ammunition, to be shouldered and fired with a somewhat controllable landing, clearly tailor-made for the half bag of explosive balls left for Kuang Jinxin. The other was a chainsaw, the kind used in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Lightning Xu, Scythe Wu, and Rocket Launcher Kuang took a step back with their respective weapons in tacit agreement.

The “passively chosen” Qian Ai, almost in tears, looked back. “This really doesn’t suit me…”

Five minutes later, the resupplied Team Wang reentered the car and drove towards the bridgehead.

In the night breeze, you could still hear Qian Ai lamenting, “Oh God, please open your eyes and see. A gentle man like me doesn’t suit such a brutal weapon—”

Inside the Temple of Three Religions, all the candles suddenly extinguished. A faint silver shadow floated out from the top of the young deity’s statue, landing at the doorway, and in an instant, transformed into a long-haired young man, leaning against the broken door frame, watching the departing pink silhouette.

His eyebrows were sharp, his eyes starry, and his face like a jade dragon, but his look differed from the deity on the incense table. The statue’s gaze was clear and spirited. He, however, was half-squinting with a slight frown, clearly showing “this God is unhappy”.

Pulling out a cell phone from his flowing robes, the long-haired young man dialed the only number in his contact list.

The call connected.

Immediately, the long-haired young man complained grievously, “Why did you lend my car to someone else again…”

A reply came from the other end.

The long-haired young man sighed, softening his voice, deep and gentle. “I know you don’t like macaron pink. I’ve thought it over. Next time, it’ll be lavender… Hello? Hello? Hey—”

---

The author has something to say:

The call ended, lasting 22 seconds. Let’s take a second to express our sympathies for the God ╮(╯_╰)╭

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 41: Melee

Wu Sheng started the car, put it in reverse, and floored the accelerator for a rapid retreat!

“Bang, bang, bang—”

The rear of the car successively knocked back the zombies that were chasing after them!

But when it hit the fourth one, the car stopped.

Because what was pressing against the rear of the car wasn’t just one zombie, but a wave of them!

Together, they forcefully pushed against the rear of the car, successfully halting it!

As the car stopped, more zombies immediately came running over, tightly surrounding it. They were either howling or smashing the windows, and even worse, one of the zombies was trying to pull open the locked car door, which emitted a rapid clicking sound under its frequent tugging!

Zombies know how to open car doors?!

A chill went down Wu Sheng’s spine. He floored the accelerator, but it was no use against the “sea of zombies”.

The Beetle, unable to accelerate, could only roar futilely in place!

In the midst of anxiety, Wu Sheng suddenly noticed that the pupils of the zombies surrounding the car were bright red, whereas those they had encountered outside the mall were a slightly darker shade of red.

According to what the Beetle driver had said, all zombies have red pupils, and the lower the level, the darker the color, the higher the level, the lighter.

Clearly, the wave of zombies by the river, perhaps due to being closer to the north of the city, was of a higher level or more ferocious nature than those outside the mall.

No wonder they could directly ram through the crowd of zombies at the mall, but here, with the same number, they couldn’t break through at all!

As Wu Sheng was analyzing the situation, he suddenly felt something wrong with the sound of the tires rubbing against the ground.

“Wu Sheng!” Xu Wang was the first to alertly shout. “They’re flipping the car!”

All windows were densely surrounded by zombies, leaving no reference point visible, but the sense of “balance and tilting” is extremely acute in humans. Hearing Xu Wang’s shout, all the companions felt the car tilting to the left, meaning the zombies on the right were flipping the car!

“We can’t break through.” Wu Sheng immediately deemed the escape impossible. “Their strength is too great.”

Xu Wang also saw the situation and made a decisive command. “Prepare the bombs. Everyone, abandon the car!”

They could have taken the opportunity to drive out when the zombie crowd was temporarily dispersed by the bombs, but if one wave of zombies could stop them, a second and third wave would follow. If at any point the car was stopped and then actually flipped over, they would be sitting ducks* with no way out!

*Turtle in a jar/rat in a hole (瓮中之鳖) Idiom referring to something that is under control and can’t escape.

Moreover, Wu Sheng had said that the metal plank would lower again.

After abandoning the car, they and the four on the other side would be on the same starting line. When the metal plank lowered again, it was uncertain who would take the lead.

They came here to get on the ship, to hand in their papers and pass this level. Now was the time to fight!

“Xiao Kuang, three bomb balls per person!” Xu Wang quickly issued the tactics. “Throw one from each window to blast the zombies away, then everyone will have two left for self-defense after abandoning the car!”

Kuang Jinxin, following the order, distributed the bomb balls at top speed.

Ten seconds later.

The Beetle, being jostled around, suddenly lowered the windows three inches on both sides, and four colorful balls, like Easter eggs, were thrown out from the slits!

As the balls hit the ground and rolled a bit, they all exploded!

The blasts were thunderous, and the spectacle was dazzling!

The zombies surrounding the vehicle were blasted away in all directions!

And because they served as a sort of “shield,” the Beetle, though severely shaken, didn’t fly up but only had its windows cracked.

“You hide under the seat! We’ll draw the zombies’ attention. They won’t bother with an ’empty car’ anymore! When you find the chance, drive away—”

After instructing the Beetle driver, Xu Wang shouted to his teammates, “Now’s the time. Get out of the car!”

The prepared companions pushed their doors open fiercely, darting out like lightning, breaking through the smoke, and running desperately towards the ferry!

The four bomb balls had already dealt with most of the female zombies; only seven or eight were still able to move. Seeing people rushing out from the car, they immediately got up and chased!

Some of them had their arms torn off, others had their chests blown open, but even so, they continued to chase, letting the blood gush out as they ran!

Yue Shuai and his group were in the midst of battling zombies when they suddenly saw the people from the Beetle rushing out, heading their way, followed by seven or eight zombies. They tensed up, uncertain whether this was aid or an added burden!

Xu Wang and his team were only able to see the weapons of the four fellow survivors as they approached.

The buzz-cut guy was wielding a mace, which they had seen before, the fisherman’s hat guy was holding a fishing rod—definitely an apt choice—the handsome braid had a curling iron, and the student wielded a miniature handheld fan.

Xu Wang felt a pang of sadness, realizing that Qian Ai’s screwdriver and his own shaver were actually considered fortunate compared to these.

Originally heading towards the “fellow survivors”, the thirty or so zombies were now reduced to just eleven or twelve by their efforts. Perhaps it was the remnants of zombies everywhere that instilled fear in the remaining “higher-level” ones. They stood a few meters away from the four. Some were snarling ferociously, while others were growling with insatiable hunger, yet none dared to rashly approach further.

While Xu Wang was assessing the opponents, he also had to keep an eye on his own safety and suddenly realized that he and Wu Sheng had pulled ahead, leaving Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin a distance behind. And now, the trailing Kuang Jinxin was about to be caught up by the zombies!

Throwing another bomb ball at this point would surely blast their teammate away too.

With no other choice, Xu Wang gritted his teeth and shot his water gun straight at the zombies chasing after Kuang Jinxin!

The jet of water skimmed past the ears of Wu Sheng, Qian Ai, and Kuang Jinxin, who were running in a straight line behind him, and hit the zombie right between the eyes!

The force of the water column made the zombie stagger momentarily, but that was all!

Turning back with the stream of water, Wu Sheng immediately advised, “Shoot its eyes. That’s the weakest spot; directly into the brain—”

Mao Qiping had said that the head, or rather, the brain, was the only fatal point for a zombie.

Trusting Wu Sheng seemed to be instinctual for Xu Wang. Without hesitation, he released the trigger and then pressed it down again, this time aiming the water stream directly into the zombie’s eye sockets!

Meanwhile, the effect of the previous shot sounded after a momentary delay—

“Here, the sharks don’t eat fish~~ Here, the sharks don’t breathe~~ Here, the sharks laugh and grin~~ Dala didi dada didi dada didi dada didi~~*”

*These are lyrics to Shark Shark by Wang Rong. (You should watch the MV… It’s quite… interesting).

In the soulful light and dynamic BGM, the zombie’s eyes were completely penetrated by the high-pressure water jet. Its eyeballs burst and the sharp stream pierced through the brain!

The zombie fell to the ground with a thud.

The zombies following closely behind suddenly stopped in their tracks, seemingly like those on the other side in a standoff, instinctively sensing danger unlike typical prey. Like wild animals, they paused to observe, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Finally, the music stopped.

Su Mingzhan, who had just started getting into the rhythm, quietly lowered his head, looking lost and disappointed.

Under the bright moon, by the riverbank, stood two groups of survivors and two groups of zombies.

The same standoff created a brief, eerie silence amidst the tension.

“Fair competition!” Xu Wang suddenly called out to the buzz-cut leader of the other group. His voice was firm. “You fight yours; we fight ours. Whoever gets on the ship first wins based on their abilities—”

Yue Shuai turned his head, locking eyes with Xu Wang, exchanging glances, but before they could exchange words, Wei Tianhang interjected, “What if all the zombies are defeated and the plank hasn’t been lowered yet? Just to remind you, if more than one group tries to get on the ship, it won’t leave.”

Xu Wang raised his ornate crystal gun, blew on the nozzle, and looked up slightly. “Then we wait until the plank is lowered. First come, first served. Let’s see who’s faster.”

Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin exchanged glances with mixed feelings.

Blowing on the gun nozzle is usually done when it’s hot from the bullet firing, so the idea of cooling it down makes sense, but what’s the point of blowing on a nozzle that was still dripping with water?

“Fair, just, and open.” Yue Shuai sighed leisurely, looking up at the moon wistfully. “This is the battle among men…”

These very personal, almost whispered sentiments weren’t passed on to the “fellow survivors”, but inadvertently shared with his “teammates”.

Wei Tianhang, Tao Anan, and Su Mingzhan didn’t want to speak. If this were in a WeChat group, they’d probably throw a doge emoji at their captain.

“That’s settled then, each relying on their own abilities.” Captain Yue handsomely turned his head, giving Captain Xu a formal response. By the riverside, where the aquatic grass sways, his spirit was as impressive as a rainbow.

Xu Wang: “……”

That’s settled then, but why was there such a fervent passion in his voice and twinkling stars in his eyes?!

……

Under the moonlight by the river of apocalypse, a grand battle between humans and zombies was being fervently staged amidst the soul-stirring background music.

There were eight human warriors who exchanged their names.

There were nineteen zombies—an average of less than two and half per person.

The weapons required a detailed description.

Xu Wang was holding the [Lightning Gun with Unerring Accuracy]. As long as he targeted a zombie, there was no eye socket he couldn’t penetrate. The only drawback was the time needed; it didn’t kill in one second.

Wu Sheng was swinging Death’s scythe, ideally decapitating with one swing, but in the throes of battle, accuracy to the neck wasn’t always guaranteed, often requiring a struggle.

Qian Ai wielded a screwdriver, stayed close to the captain, poking any approaching zombie. Killing wasn’t the goal, but rather self-preservation.

Kuang Jinxin couldn’t use his bomb balls in the crowd, so he led the zombies chasing him to a more secluded area.

Yue Shuai wielded a mace, which was somewhat similar to Wu Sheng’s scythe in usefulness, leading to occasional competitive glances between the two during breaks in battle.

Tao Anan held a fishing rod. As long as he flicked it, he would hook a zombie and throw it into the river.

Wei Tianhang had a small but powerful curling iron, searing faces and clothes. Wherever it went, a burnt smell followed—two zombies already had half their faces charred!

Su Mingzhan held a mini electric fan, sticking close to Captain Yue within the safe radius of the mace… enjoying the breeze.

If the battlefield were to freeze, that would be how clear the picture would be.

But the actual scene was chaotic—intermingled with a cacophony of distressing sounds and utter disarray.

Yue Shuai: “Xu Wang, right? Can you turn off that damn music? My mace keeps wanting to swing with the rhythm!”

Xu Wang: “Can’t. It comes with—”

Yue Shuai: “Then change the song! Now all I can think about is shark, shark, shark!”

Xu Wang: “Changing songs depends on the mood of the gun—”

Yue Shuai: “Then at least turn off that tacky light show!”

Xu Wang: “Really I can’t. These are all built-in, non-removable default programs—”

Yue Shuai: “In such a cool apocalyptic battle, can’t you wield something more serious?!”

Su Mingzhan: “Captain, stop yelling. Watch out for zombies.”

Yue Shuai: “Can’t you do it yourself?”

Su Mingzhan: “I’m holding a fan.”

Yue Shuai: “Throw it away and pick up a real weapon!”

Su Mingzhan: “Then no one will fan you.”

Yue Shuai: “…”

This isn’t the style of the hot-blooded youth comics he loves so much! TAT

The sound of a hinge sliding broke the intense equilibrium of the battle.

Su Mingzhan, Mr. Electric Fan, was the first to hear it—mainly because he was exceedingly idle and easily distracted.

Unlike his leisurely cooling off, at the slight “click” of the hinge, he sprung like a leopard, sprinting towards the slightly ajar metal plate!

Yue Shuai reacted a few steps later, swinging his mace to clear the path, and hastened to follow!

Xu Wang and the others, along with Wei Tianhang and Tao Anan, were in the same group to realize it later. By then, they couldn’t catch up to the first two!

Without half a second’s hesitation, Wu Sheng pulled out a bomb ball and hurled it with force toward the slowly descending metal plate!

Su Mingzhan, watching the bomb ball land on the metal plate just a few steps away, immediately turned and tackled Yue Shuai, who was right behind him!

The bomb ball’s landing spot was the metal plate, but due to Wu Sheng’s force, the ball bounced up quite high after landing and, on its way down, veered off the metal plate, landing directly into the river!

With the gunpowder dampened, it turned into a dud.

At this moment, Su Mingzhan realized Wu Sheng did it on purpose. He didn’t intend to bomb them; he just wanted to buy time!

However, it was too late.

A tackle, a fall, a dud bomb—all in a brief instant, but enough to turn the tides!

Qian Ai, who was running the fastest, had already reached Su Mingzhan and Yue Shuai’s side. More importantly, he was still on the move while the other two were sprawled on the ground!

“Sorry about this,” Qian Ai said with a suave smile, then executed a triple jump, soaring over Su Mingzhan and Yue Shuai, and landing firmly in the middle of the metal plate!

With his weight, the metal plate should have clanged.

But it didn’t.

Not only that, the metal plate seemed to… soften?

Just as Qian Ai realized something was wrong, a force suddenly pushed him upwards, sending him flying five meters into the air!

While still confused, he rapidly descended, his feet landing back on the metal plate before being launched again!

What the fuck is this?!

Qian Ai, unable to stop bouncing, despairingly noted that neither the zombies nor his teammates were spared from this ordeal.

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, and Kuang Jinxin, both male and female zombies and gender-indeterminate zombies, had all unknowingly joined this bizarre domain.

Everyone bounced together like countless joyful birds.

On the ground, Su Mingzhan pulled out his [Stationery Box], appearing somewhat annoyed at this unexpected expenditure.

The four, unable to cease their bouncing, could only watch as their opponents entered the cabin and the metal plate slowly retracted. Only then did they hear the delayed reminder—

[Owl: Someone used [(Offense) Happy Trampoline] on you~~]

---

The author has something to say:

Captain Xu states that regarding today’s battle, they refuse to accept any interviews (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 40: Competition

Night had completely fallen, and amidst the lively beat, faint zombie howls were carried by the wind to the riverside under the night sky.

Xu Wang was suddenly startled and immediately released the trigger.

The lightning gun stopped emitting water, but the psychedelic flashing plastic colors on the gun body and the disco-like music wafting from the amplifier-like muzzle continued to burn everyone’s soul present.

Perhaps because of the delayed onset of the lightning effect—after pulling the trigger, it took a while for the colors and music to start—so when he released the trigger, the cessation of colors and music similarly had a delay.

About ten seconds later, the colorful lights and music finally disappeared together, and the lightning gun returned to its pure and noble bling bling state.

Suddenly, the ship moored on the shore emitted a sound like sliding hinges.

The companions inside the floating Beetle and the four friends inside the truck on the ground looked towards the ferry, only to see the side of the boat slowly lowering a long rectangular metal plank.

Like a castle on the edge of a cliff lowering its drawbridge for outsiders to enter, one end of the iron plank connected to the open ship cabin, while the other end reached the shore, creating a metal runway between the shore and the ship cabin. It was like an unspoken invitation for those wanting to board.

Xu Wang and his companions were momentarily taken aback, having never considered such a maneuver. If the metal plank had been lowered a bit earlier, they could have just floored it directly into the ship cabin. Why bother slowing down for a watchful stop by the shore, only to end up floating in midair by the [Drifting Hearse].

The four in the truck were prepared for this moment, or rather, they were waiting for this very moment.

“The plank is down. Hold tight. I’ll take you on a speed thrill!” Yue Shua, the buzzcut captain and driver, said as he gripped the steering wheel. He was no longer looking at the flashy Beetle and fixed his gaze on the interior of the ship at the end of the metal plank. “Anan, forget about them!”

As if granted amnesty, Fisherman Hat instantly focused and mentally prepared.

In the blink of an eye, the Beetle floating in the air gently landed back on the ground. Despite this, the five people inside the vehicle were jostled about as the vehicle touched down. The two front wheels of the car perfectly caught on the edge of the embankment. A bit more to the side, and the whole car would have tumbled into the river!

The moment the Beetle touched the ground, Yue Shuai, gripping the steering wheel inside the truck, immediately floored the clutch and called out to his teammate, who had just ended the [Drifting Hearse]. “Shift gears! Anan, shift!”

Tao Anan, fully back in action and without needing the captain’s call, shifted gears the moment he saw the clutch being pressed down. His movements were precise and practiced, clearly having coordinated with his captain many times before!

The truck started moving, and as it picked up speed, Yue Shuai pressed the clutch again, while Tao Anan continued to shift up.

In a fluid series of actions, with the captain handling the truck’s steering wheel, clutch, accelerator, and brakes and the teammate responsible for the manual gear shift, the truck was put into the highest gear and accelerated to top speed, heading straight for the metal plank laid out on the shore!

After shifting gears, Tao Anan completed his task. Still, the seamless cooperation couldn’t erase the absurdity in his mind, which he always thought was quite ridiculous. “Captain, can’t you shift gears yourself…”

“No,” Yue Shuai declared righteously. “Manual gear shifting must be closely coordinated between hands and feet.”

The honest Tao Anan was defeated.

With three people crammed into the front seat, Handsome Braid—or rather, Wei Tianhang—couldn’t take it anymore. “Brother, people coordinate their own hands and feet. No one uses their feet to match someone else’s hands!”

“I can’t do it. I can’t multitask,” Yue Shuai proclaimed. His aura was so imposing and straightforward that it was as if he was Pangu creating heaven and earth.

Wei Tianhang despaired. “Both Anan and I can drive shift even though we couldn’t pass our Subject 2* test. How the hell did you get your license?!”

*Driving test in China. There are four subjects a person must pass in order to obtain their license. Subject 2 is one of them. You can go to the link to find out what it entails to pass it.

Captain Yue, tired of his teammates’ nagging, responded, “A C2 license* doesn’t even have a clutch, okay! Who knew I’d one day have to drive a manual truck!!!”

*This is a license for operating an automatic transmission light motor vehicle.

Wei Tianhang, who had yet to pass the C1 license* due to “parallel parking”: “……”

*This is a license for operating all light motor vehicles (including those of C2, C3, and C4).

Tao Anan, who had yet to pass the C1 license due to “reverse parking”: “……”

The refined student, Su Mingzhan, pulled out the captain’s license from the communal backpack, and indeed, it was marked C2.

When choosing a driver, they hadn’t looked carefully, blindly trusting the only team member who had a license on the team. So much for only believing in academic qualifications…

Wait? Just as Su Mingzhan was silently sighing, he was stunned. Where did the wind in the sealed truck cabin come from?

Time rewound to half a minute earlier.

That was when Captain Yue and teammate Tao had just coordinated the truck to maximum speed.

The teammates inside the Beetle, finally recovering from the landing shock, saw the truck charging toward the metal plank bridge leading to the boat.

“They’re boarding the boat!” Qian Ai exclaimed anxiously.

Xu Wang certainly knew, but there was no way to stop the truck that was madly rushing towards the ferry, some ten meters away, with just their bombs, sickle, and water gun. Even if they were to drive their Beetle across and crash into it now, it would be like throwing an egg against a rock—they would be tossed aside in a minute!

“Captain, they could have thrown us into the river and wiped us out, but they let us go without doing so. Should we still try to stop them?” Kuang Jinxin suddenly asked.

“Of course,” Xu Wang replied. He might not be good with numbers, but he clearly understood the complexity of grudges and grievances. “They started with using the [Drifting Hearse] on us, so us stopping them now is a justified counterattack. As for the fact they could have killed us but didn’t, that’s a different account. In the future, if we have the opportunity to utterly defeat them, we’ll also let them go and call it even.”

Having relieved his teammate of his mental burden, Xu Wang immediately wanted to ask, “Do you have a plan?” Because he knew that, with Kuang Jinxin’s temperament, if there wasn’t a trick up his sleeve, he wouldn’t ask such a question about whether they should take action.

However, before he could ask again, after listening to the guidance, Kuang Jinxin’s eyes were cleared of all hesitation. He firmly raised his arm!

At the same time, the speeding truck was suddenly enveloped in a thick white fog, as if a stage had suddenly sprayed ethereal dry ice!

To the four people inside the truck, it was an unexpectedly cool breeze.

After pressing his arm in the Beetle, Kuang Jinxin closed his eyes and concentrated. A few seconds later, the white fog that had surrounded and swallowed the truck disappeared as if by magic!

The three people + one NPC inside the Beetle stared at the distant truck… or rather, where the truck used to be, dumbfounded. This might indeed be a magic trick.

Under the bright moonlight, the heavy truck disappeared into thin air. The fisherman hat, the student, and the handsome braided person all fell to the ground together, exclaiming “ouch” and “fuck”.

The buzzcut driver was still speeding forward, seemingly unaware that the steering wheel in his hands and the clutch brake under his feet had changed. With a death-defying spirit, he continued to sprint forward on a brightly colored shared bicycle!

However, the metal plank that had been put down for a while, as if reaching its patience limit, suddenly began to retract again.

Yue Shuai, who still thought he was speeding with all his companions, was anxiously pedaling until it started to almost smoke. “No, no, no—”

The metal plank was slow to release but quick to retract, and in the end, showed no mercy. Yue Shuai clenched the handlebars and slammed on the brakes causing the bicycle tires to screech a brake line on the ground, finally stopping steadily at the edge of the riverbank.

All of this happened in a flash, so brief that it was only after the dust settled that they heard the belated reminder—

[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) Calling a Deer a Horse] on you~~]

“Damn! I knew I shouldn’t have been soft-hearted!” Yue Shuai slapped the horn hard, regretting not throwing those guys into the river when he had the chance.

The bicycle bell rang out a crisp “ding, ding, ding” under his frustration. A bicycle… bell?

Finally coming to his senses, Yue Shuai looked down under the moonlight at the handlebars—the bell, the wheels, the frame.

“Captain—” Still sitting where they fell, the three teammates finally found the chance to wake their overly invested captain. Yue Shuai, annoyed, replied, “I know. It’s just an illusion. So what if they turned the truck into a bicycle? When the plank bridge is lowered again, I’ll still speed away…”

“That’s not the point!” Wei Tianhang interrupted him at the top of his voice, his little braids almost exploding. “Behind you—”

Behind?

Yue Shuai instinctively looked back.

A female zombie was sitting on the rear seat, her bulging red eyes “affectionately” gazing at him.

At that moment, the distance between him and the zombie was only 0.01 cm.

Time seemed to stop.

The world was left with just one man, one zombie, one bicycle, and one bright moon.

Yue Shuai had never told anyone, but his dream was to ride a bicycle, carrying his beloved girl, and enjoy the night breeze on a riverside path.

Now it had all come true.

But, oh God, is there some misunderstanding about “girl”? “Female zombie” does not count!

“Urgh—” The zombie in the backseat couldn’t hold back anymore and, with a howl, lunged at Yue Shuai’s face as he looked back!

Yue Shuai propped himself up on the handlebars and leaped up, jumping two meters away! The driverless bicycle carrying the female zombie crashed down with a “clang”, toppling over.

Yue Shuai pulled out a rolling pin-sized iron rod from his waist and swung hard. It turned into an iron mace several times thicker than a baseball bat!

The zombie, following the bicycle’s fall, got up incredibly quickly and lunged at him again!

Yue Shuai swung the mace with all his might!

With a pitiful howl, the zombie flew off into the riverbank like a baseball hit in a home run, splashing into the water with a “plop”!

At the same time, Su Mingzhan, Wei Tianhang, and Tao Anan had also gotten up, each pulling out their weapons, standing back to the riverbank, vigilantly covering the other three directions.

The metal plank couldn’t be lowered for the time being, and the zombies, attracted by the previous disco noise, were getting louder and closer!

“They’re saving us.”

In the midst of high alert, the three suddenly heard their captain utter this non sequitur.

“They must have seen it. The zombies were on the truck.” Captain Yue didn’t mind his confused teammates and continued, “If we had gotten on the ship just like that, the zombies would have come along. The truck was so crowded; we would surely come down to rest in the cabin, and then, being in a dark, enclosed space with zombies, unprepared, the consequences would be unimaginable.”

The three teammates looked at each other, slightly behind the captain’s pace. “Why would they save us?”

“Repaying a favor!” Yue Shuai looked towards the pink Beetle with a sharp gaze. “We didn’t throw them into the river, so they are returning the favor!”

Three teammates: “…”

The captain always liked to interpret opponents with the greatest kindness—what to do? Urgent, waiting online! — [Collection of Questions from Captain Yue’s team members on Baidu Knows]

Inside the Beetle.

Qian Ai’s face was almost pressed against the glass, looking at the four people standing by the river without any means of transport, puzzled. “The horde of zombies is about to arrive. Why aren’t they trying to get on the ship? What are they standing there for?”

Wu Sheng had already figured it out. “That metal plank is the only way onto the ship. Now that it’s been pulled up, they have to brace themselves for battle.”

“But even if they fight off this wave of zombies, they still can’t get on the ship,” Qian Ai said.

“If I’m not mistaken,” Wu Sheng said, “that metal plank should lower again. They’re waiting for that moment.”

Qian Ai: “What about us?”

Xu Wang: “Pray that the car shell is thick enough.”

“Bang—”

The vanguard of the zombies arriving first split into two groups, the male ones lunged at the four people standing by the shore, while the others were all females heading straight for the pink Beetle.

The most flexible among them had already jumped onto the roof of the car.

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The author has something to say:

Captain Yue, who grew up watching hot-blooded comics, has always believed in love and justice (╰_╯)

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