Chapter 104

Outrageous

The tall man's move was the opening signal. The remaining players registered what was happening all at once, rushing toward the vendors and seizing whatever would keep — pumpkins, sweet potatoes — and sprinting off.

Every market vendor on the street stood in stunned silence, not reacting even as their goods were taken. There was even a hint of bewilderment.

That much effort — for a few pumpkins and sweet potatoes?

They look a bit pitiful, honestly.

Curly Hair found these residents' reactions deeply wrong. In a place where fighting for food was a matter of survival, people should not respond to theft with this kind of mild puzzlement.

"What are you standing around for?" A player shoved a pumpkin weighing several kilos into her arms and dragged her into a run. She was airborne before she could react.

It was the player who'd moved first. Seeing her still frozen in place, he'd jogged back to collect her.

Six players, tools providing cover, quickly broke away from the crowds and hid themselves in an abandoned derelict factory.

The factory floor was blanketed in thick dust, but the roof was mostly intact. The players rapidly cleared two rooms and reinforced the broken doors and windows.

"This place is stifling." The tall player was dripping sweat. He introduced himself: "I'm Ah Peng. This instance is 3S grade — unprecedented difficulty. I hope we six can look out for each other and get out alive."

"I'm Da Chang, and he's Ah Xiao." Two men emerged from the second room they'd been cleaning. The one who spoke was short and slight — at odds with both parts of his name — while the one behind him, called Little Xiao, was broad-shouldered and tall.

"You two again." A stocky woman in a ribbed singlet jumped in. "I'm Hua Ba — you can call me Ba-ba."

"You always get the advantageous name." The woman in the corner looked to be in her early twenties, delicate-featured and slender. She snapped a steel rebar out of the wall single-handed and looked at Curly Hair. "I'm Ah Rou."

Curly Hair had heard of all five long before. They were what players called the instance bulldozers — the Main God's persistent headaches — each with a record of breaking instance spaces that was the stuff of forum legend.

"And you?" All five turned to Curly Hair in unison.

"Xiao Juan." She touched the phone in her pocket, caught sight of the rebar in Ah Rou's hand, and kept her smile steady. "I noticed some discarded materials outside. Should we bring them in as tools?"

"That can wait." Hua Ba wiped a continuous stream of sweat from her face and looked at the food on the floor. "I've heard your name. You don't usually do survival instances — did you get on the Main God's bad side too?" No trace of deference in the words at all. "This instance is clearly the bastard god deliberately targeting us. I just came out of a 2S instance and got dragged straight in here."

"Same."

"Same — I hadn't even been out half an hour."

The other four compared notes and realized they'd all just come out of 2S instances.

"You?" They looked at Curly Hair again.

"I..." She cleared her throat in the face of five pairs of genuinely curious eyes. "I've been out of instances for several days. My last instance was a failed clearance."

For a high-level player to use a rare tool to exit an uncompleted instance was unusual but not shocking. What they were curious about was how Curly Hair had ended up on the system's blacklist too.

"The temperature's climbing fast." Ah Peng looked out at the blinding sunlight. "When we entered it was around thirty-five. It's probably past forty now."

"We haven't hit the hottest part of the day yet, and I'm already worried about water." Da Chang produced six bottles from his tool pack and distributed them evenly. "System starter resource."

"Thanks." Ah Peng took one and brought out his own — six energy bars.

The other three produced theirs in turn: a firearm, salt, and sugar.

Curly Hair looked at her share when it came. First time in a group where everyone was this direct; she was still adjusting.

She opened her own tool pack — and nearly laughed out loud at what was inside.

Six completely ordinary baseball caps. No attributes. No bonuses whatsoever.

"Did you dig up the bastard god's ancestors?" Ah Peng looked at her with genuine sympathy and put one of the caps on. "It's fine — you're unlucky, but we've got you covered."

She noticed the five of them were already comfortable with each other — clearly old acquaintances. The introductions had been entirely for her benefit.

A chill moved up her back. The five of them had received actual survival essentials. She'd gotten caps that were essentially decorative.

More importantly: they already had a natural alliance. She was alone. In a high-difficulty survival instance, going it alone was the same as dying.

The system genuinely wanted her dead.

The room was suffocating — hot, airless, and beginning to smell of mould. Curly Hair felt very much like a steamed bun in a bamboo basket. A stale, expired one.

The situation was not good.

Ah Peng's prediction was correct. Within two or three hours the room had become almost unbearable. Curly Hair stepped outside and pressed her hand to the baking ground — the surface temperature must have exceeded sixty or seventy degrees.

Conditions this harsh were barely survivable.

*

Chao Musheng's group walked out of the airport and was nearly knocked flat by the wall of heat that met them. The class secretary beside him couldn't hold back a gasp. "It's so hot."

The welcome staff looked embarrassed, afraid the experts from the capital would be put off. "I apologize — we're in the thick of an autumn heat wave right now. Our car is just ahead — only a short walk."

"Ha!" Professor Zhang pulled out his phone and checked the weather. "Forty-two degrees today?"

"Yes." The two staff members regretted not bringing sunshades. "We've been over forty every day this week. Even the schools have pushed back their term start."

At the sight of the reception vehicle, the staff relaxed. "Please, everyone, get in — the air conditioning is on."

By the time Chao Musheng had covered the short distance to the car, his shirt was soaked through. The cold air inside hit him like new life.

"Hanyue County sits in a basin, so summers and early autumn are always hot and airless." The staff distributed water. "It's still over two hours' drive from the city airport to the county. Please rest in the car."

Chao Musheng glanced at the airport facilities — everything looked dated, the waiting area smaller than the bus stations he'd been to elsewhere. It appeared to double as a general transport terminal.

One flight a day to and from the capital, departing at eight in the morning. To make it, everyone had been at the departure airport by six. The day had already been long.

Nobody needed persuasion. They leaned back and slept.

Chao Musheng dozed against the window until the horn of a freight truck woke him. He opened his eyes to a row of low buildings — traditional tiled houses pressed up against concrete structures built in the nineties, shops mostly shuttered, almost no pedestrians in sight.

A heavy truck rumbled through dragging construction debris, raising a cloud of dust that settled over everything — another fine layer on the already-dusty goods of the small roadside shop. An old man sat in a rocking chair and paid it no attention.

A very small town.

By the time they drove through it, Chao Musheng had not seen a single young person.

Though poor and remote, Hanyue County's road infrastructure was reasonably solid — though along many stretches, stone plaques marked the names of donors.

"Just ahead is Kunlun Road," the staff member said when everyone had woken. "Two years ago Hanyue suffered severe flooding. Kunlun Group donated significant relief funds to help rebuild, so the residents named this stretch outside the new homes after them."

Once the car entered Kunlun Road, the houses on both sides improved noticeably, and there were more pedestrians than in the small town before.

"Hanyue has always been a labor-exporting county. Thirty years ago the registered population was five or six hundred thousand. Now..." The staff member gave a rueful smile. "The county is poor — it can't hold onto young people. Many families barely manage to gather together a few times a year."

"A few years ago, Kunlun set up an agricultural processing factory here." This part came with visible pride. "Now a lot of the county's young people are employed there."

The mention of the Kunlun factory set him off on a five-minute eulogy that covered every angle of its benefit to the county.

The class secretary, knowing Chao Musheng was Kunlun's technical consultant, leaned over and murmured: "If he knew you were a headquarters consultant..."

"Shh." Chao Musheng shook his head quietly. "It really hasn't been easy for this place."

Mountain terrain, winding roads, a severe aging population, lagging infrastructure.

But it hadn't been abandoned. The detailed support plans, page after page — these were its new hopes.

"Ahead is where you'll all be staying." The staff pointed to a building of about five or six storeys. "The location is good and easy to get around from. If you need anything at all, please don't hesitate to reach us."

The bus pulled up at the hotel entrance. Not only were welcome banners hung across the front, but people had come to present flowers and shake Professor Zhang's hand — warm and genuine, their eyes full of anticipation for what was coming.

Maybe they weren't welcoming us. Maybe they were welcoming a better future.

"You're all far too kind — we're here to serve the community." Professor Zhang, arms full of flowers, introduced the student team, then specifically drew Chao Musheng to his side. "As it happens, this student has a particular connection to Hanyue County."

The welcome staff were curious.

"He's not only our school's designated support student — he's also technical consultant to Kunlun Group headquarters." Professor Zhang clapped Chao Musheng on the shoulder and laughed. "The Kunlun processing factory falls under Kunlun Group, so technically, he's also consultant to the factory. This student and all the others are warm and approachable — please don't be shy about coming to them with questions."

Kunlun technical consultant?!

The staff's eyes lit up. In that instant, Chao Musheng outranked Professor Zhang in their estimation.

The class secretary, hiding in the back, grinned. She knew that would be the reaction.

The welcome ceremony ended and Chao Musheng was immediately surrounded, people even lining up for photos.

"Please, everyone, please give way." One of the reception staff pushed through the crowd. "Consultant Chao has had an exhausting day. Let's get him to his room to rest — all questions tomorrow."

"Yes, of course." Everyone agreed at once, and together they walked him to his room with bustling efficiency, helped him get his things settled, then swept out again — thoughtfully having adjusted the air conditioning temperature before leaving.

He looked at the closed door and exhaled. The enthusiasm had been a lot to absorb.

He picked up the canvas bag left on the table — a notebook, an insulated cup, a sun hat, an ID lanyard, local promotional pamphlets, heatstroke medicines, and more. Well prepared.

Sticky with sweat, he showered, then opened his phone and tapped on Xu Chenzhu's profile.

[Mr. Xu — have you left yet?]

Xu Chenzhu was signing documents. He saw the notification pop up, finished the signature, handed the papers to his secretary, and said: "For this trip, Secretary Liu and Assistant Yang will be sufficient. No additional staff needed."

"Yes, boss." The secretary carried the documents out, exhaling quietly. Not his favorite work arrangement — in the past few months the boss had taken only Liu on every trip, and the rest of them had begun to feel distinctly like furniture.

"Sighing about what?" Assistant Yang appeared with a briefcase. "The boss didn't sign your documents?"

"You wouldn't understand." Another sigh.

The recently-reinstated favorite has no idea what it feels like to be left out in the cold.

"Hmm?" Yang looked baffled. Did I offend him somehow?

He knocked and entered the boss's office. "Boss — the important documents for Hanyue have been packed."

"Good." Xu Chenzhu was typing on his phone, eyes down.

[Chenzhu: Leaving in an hour — you've arrived?]

[Zhaozhao Mumuou: Yes! Hanyue is incredibly hot — please take precautions against heatstroke when you come.]

Chao Musheng lay on the bed, read the reply, and took a photo of his own face to send.

[Zhaozhao Mumuou: I was sweating so much, it's only after a shower that I feel like myself again.]

In the photo, his cheeks had a faint flush, his hair tousled with a relaxed dishevelment, the collar of his shirt hanging open just enough to show his collarbone.

"Boss."

"What?" Xu Chenzhu locked the screen instantly and looked up.

"Secretary Liu is in the carpark downstairs, ready to go." Assistant Yang, sensing the boss didn't want anyone close to the desk, had already stepped back two paces.

"I know." Xu Chenzhu stood and went to the adjoining rest area, from which he produced a small yellow suitcase.

Yellow?

Yang struggled to keep his expression neutral. The boss occasionally returns to his inner child, has a fondness for pale yellow... that should be fine?

*

After sending the photo, Chao Musheng set his phone aside and read through the internal support project materials. To prevent early leaks, Professor Zhang had only shared these after they'd arrived at the airport. The overall scope was substantial — estimated to take a year or two; their contribution was a small part of the whole.

By the time he'd finished, Xu Chenzhu still hadn't replied. He laughed softly to himself, got under the covers, and fell asleep — and there in his dream, the virus ball appeared again.

It looked somewhat deflated. Many of its tendrils were missing, giving it a patchy, scraggly appearance.

Whether from having been beaten or dried out by the sun, its surface was wrinkled and shriveled — somehow even uglier than before.

It was lying on a patch of sand, eyes all over its body spinning wildly. The moment it registered Chao Musheng's presence, its remaining tendrils shot upright, reorganized into symmetrical centipede legs, and attempted to flee, hauling its puckered body as fast as it could.

"Where are you going?" He put his foot on the hindmost tendril. The virus ball rolled into the sand, and moisture quickly darkened the sand beneath it.

Crying or wetting itself?

Before he could do anything else, it snapped the tendril free of his foot and burrowed, rat-like, into the sand and vanished.

Ugh.

Revolting.

He lifted his foot and wiped the sole on the sand. Looking around — where was this place?

He walked a short distance and found a familiar large hourglass containing a few glass spheres.

He'd seen this in a dream once before. He walked up slowly, looked at the glass spheres inside — dim, lacking their usual light — and gave it a gentle shake.

Crack.

The hourglass shattered abruptly. Every sphere inside rolled free, and then dissolved into threads of light that faded into the sky.

He picked up a shard of glass. It wasn't glass — it was something like ice. The moment it touched his palm, it melted.

Strange. No logic to any of it.

He sat up in bed and opened his palm. A faint coolness remained.

A group notification: dinner downstairs. He changed, tidied himself in the bathroom mirror, opened his door — and found a slightly plump woman in glasses standing outside.

"Consultant Chao." She was visibly excited to see him. She took his hand in both of hers and produced her identification. "Hello, hello! I'm the manager of Kunlun Hanyue Agricultural Processing Factory. It's wonderful to meet you."

"Hello." He hadn't expected the factory manager to be waiting at his door. "I'm sorry — I didn't know you were out here."

"I only just arrived." Director Chen took a large bag of goods from her assistant and pressed it into Chao Musheng's hands. "Products we make at the factory — please try some."

"Thank you, Director Chen." He noticed her face was flushed and sheened with sweat from the heat.

He didn't turn down her enthusiasm. He carried the bag back into his room, then said: "I'm here in Hanyue as a Jinghua student, participating in the county support project. If there are work matters within the factory's scope, I may not be able to help much — but if there's anything I can personally do for you and the staff, please don't hesitate to ask."

"You're far too busy to be bothered with small things." Director Chen didn't quite dare take him at his word. She'd come from the factory the moment she heard a Kunlun technical consultant was with the expert group.

And having now seen him, she found him considerably younger — and considerably better-looking — than she'd imagined.

"Our factory's anniversary is in a week's time." She placed an invitation card in his hands. "I hope you might be able to spare the time to attend. I was born and raised in Hanyue — if there's anything you need while you're here, please contact me. I'd very much like to show you some of what our county has to offer."

She understood that places like Hanyue rarely had the chance to see company executives of this caliber. If she could win even a small improvement in conditions for the local staff, a wider market for local products — she'd not only make herself always available, she'd sleep on the doorstep if she had to.

If she couldn't seize an opportunity like this, she'd have no face to show anyone back home.

"Xiao Chao." His classmate from the same floor stepped out of her room and saw Chao Musheng with an unfamiliar woman. "Who's this?"

"This is Director Chen — the manager of Kunlun's Hanyue factory." He smiled. "She's a local, so she knows this county inside out."

"Good evening, everyone." Director Chen's manner was warm. Seeing the Jinghua students, she waved to an employee waiting around the corner to bring out the local specialties they'd prepared earlier. "Please — these are some of Hanyue's products. Try some and let us know what you think."

Suddenly having a large package pressed into their hands, everyone looked instinctively to Chao Musheng, unsure whether to accept.

"I'll thank Director Chen on everyone's behalf." He said. "Let's go downstairs and chat over food."

"Oh, no, no — we've already eaten." Director Chen knew the experts' dinner had been arranged by the reception staff and didn't want to intrude. "Mr. Chao — the night scenery around here is quite lovely. If you're lucky, there are even fireflies after dark. Once you and your classmates have finished dinner, perhaps we could take a walk?"

"Thank you." Faced with the hope in Director Chen's expression, he found he couldn't say no.

*

"It'll be dark soon." Ah Peng, shirt soaked through, leaned against the mouldering wall. "The situation outside is still unknown. While the temperature is starting to drop, I want to go scout the boundaries of where we can move."

"We can split into pairs." Ah Rou said. "Ah Peng — you're with Xiao Juan. Your instincts aren't your strong suit; take her lead."

Curly Hair: ...

That direct?

"Fine." Ah Peng wrung out his shirt and put it back on. "I promise not to go off on my own."

They'd been cooped up in the stifling room most of the day and all smelled accordingly — but in a survival instance, nobody had the luxury of caring about personal presentation.

Dinner had been one raw sweet potato. Curly Hair found herself missing the proper food she'd been eating in Xiao Chao's company.

Outside the derelict factory — no people, no lights. A fat rat shot past her feet, utterly unbothered by her presence.

In a survival instance... how does a rat get this fat?

Ah Peng made a lunge and caught it, setting it aside as emergency provisions.

"Is that running water?" She led Ah Peng toward the sound and found it — a drainage channel, rank with heat-magnified river smell.

Rubbish along the bank. Where there was rubbish, there were living people nearby.

She fished several large plastic bottles out of the pile and tied them together on a cord — makeshift water carriers.

"Let's keep going." The wrongness had been growing in her mind with every step. She walked on with her string of bottles, and before long reached a small river.

Insects hovered over the water; stone railings ran along both banks.

Survival wasteland — with civil infrastructure?

She rarely did survival instances, but everywhere she looked something was off. This place didn't behave like one.

"Careful!" Ah Peng caught a glimmer of green light in the undergrowth and yanked her back, reaching for a defensive tool.

Common knowledge: in survival instances, any creature could be lethally venomous. The brighter the glow, the worse the toxin.

A willow branch, parched by a day of sun, was blown by the warm river air onto Curly Hair's shoulder. She felt an itch and scratched at her neck. The plastic bottles clattered.

Nearby, a woman's voice drifted toward them: "This is Hanyue County's famous firefly reserve — in cooler weather, people come from other cities specifically to see them."

"In a survival wasteland..." Ah Peng said in utter disbelief. "There are tourists? People are still doing that — even here?"

Were these NPCs just completely unreasonable?