Card Room

Chapter 56 - Financial Crisis 16: Change

Xiao Lou controlled these six people with the rings and called Yu Hanjiang, Shao Qingge and Ye Qi next door to discuss countermeasures.

He looked at Yu Hanjiang and softly asked, “Group Leader Yu, what is the situation in the city?”

Yu Hanjiang explained, “The water, electricity and Internet are cut off. Traffic is completely paralyzed and a serious stampede occurred at the supermarket.”

Xiao Lou’s expression slightly changed. “It seems that the situation is getting worse and worse...”

Shao Qingge added, “Yes, the banks were smashed, the ATM machines smashed and the supermarket crowded with people. It was terrible. Fortunately, I closed my account before the Internet broke. This time, I made a profit of one million by shorting the stocks.”

Ye Qi heard a million and his eyes widened. “A million? So much money?”

Shao Qingge looked at him calmly. “This is still a small amount. Give me a few days and the profit could double.”

Ye Qi was stunned. Other challengers found it hard to live in the world of the financial crisis. Yet this person with the short braid actually made a fortune from the financial crisis?

Shao Qingge smiled at the teenager’s shocked eyes. “Do you feel honoured to team up with me?”

Ye Qi nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, please take care of me in the future!”

Xiao Lou looked at Shao Qingge and didn’t puncture the truth of this Hearts and Diamonds slag.

Yu Hanjiang spoke seriously, “There is one thing. The hotel that Chief Shao stayed in refuse to let challengers pay for the room rate with materials. Today, the rate has increased by eight times and there are many challengers who checked out to find another residence. All the challengers who previously had their materials stolen have left.”

Shao Qingge added, “However, most of the challengers have stayed at the Shanshui Guesthouse because the boss gave a discounted price. Group Leader Yu suspects that the boss is an accomplice of the thief.”

Xiao Lou wondered, “Accomplice? Is the Shanshui Guesthouse a black store?”

Ye Qi was also surprised by this speculation and thought carefully about his previous experience. “No wonder! The second night, all of our supplies were stolen. No one could’ve stolen from more than a dozen rooms without someone noticing. Perhaps the unscrupulous boss directly drugged the people in the rooms!”

Xiao Lou frowned and thought for a moment. “Previously, Group Leader Yu and I speculated that this person stole things using the invisibility cloak and universal key. The invisibility cloak only lasts for 30 minutes and he can’t move all the supplies unless the boss is his partner. Then he doesn’t even need to move the supplies away from the Shanshui Guesthouse.”

Yu Hanjiang nodded. “The most dangerous place is the safest place. The stolen materials should still be at the Shanshui Guesthouse.”

Ye Qi stated, “The next day, we suspected there was a traitor among the challengers and we searched all the rooms together, finding no materials. Does this guesthouse have a storage room or a type of concealed basement?”

Xiao Lou nodded. “There is a great possibility there is a basement.”

Shao Qingge looked at Yu Hanjiang. “This thief was found by you and directly killed to escape. He is very vicious. Let’s not worry about the guesthouse. The four of us have so many materials and Ye Qi ha the teleportation card and Xiao Lou’s Peach Blossom Spring. We can move at any time and it won’t be a problem to survive for the remaining seven days in the secret room.”

Ye Qi and Xiao Lou also glanced at Yu Hanjiang.

Yu Hanjiang was silent for a moment before stating, “I still want to look.”

After all, he was a police officer. Today’s stampede occurred and he couldn’t do anything. However, the challengers at the guesthouse were innocent. There was a hiding murderer who could steal supplies at any time. He couldn’t sit idly by.

Shao Qingge told him, “Group Leader Yu, you used to be a police officer and saving people is your instinct. I can understand your feelings but surviving this world is the key. You might call me selfish but I think we have no obligation to help the others. If they can’t save themselves then it will be hard for them to survive in future secret rooms. Moreover, if you go to save people then perhaps you might be in danger.”

Shao Qingge’s worry was reasonable. After all, Yu Hanjiang was facing a murderous thief.

Xiao Lou stared at the man’s deep eyes.

Yu Hanjiang took a deep breath. “Professor Xiao, you decide.”

Saving the challengers might put them in danger. Not going to save the challengers meant the four of them easily clearing the instance. Yu Hanjiang and Shao Qingge disagreed with each other, leaving the opinion to Xiao Lou.

Xiao Lou didn’t use any excuses. Since they were a team, continuing to argue would only waste time.

After thinking for a moment, Xiao Lou suggested, “In the early hours of the morning, I will open the Peach Blossom Spring. Ye Qi and Shao Qingge will stay in the paradise to protect the materials while I will go with Group Leader Yu to check the Shanshui Guesthouse. If we can help then we will. If we can’t help then we will withdraw.”

He glanced at Yu Hanjiang. “We only have half an hour. If the situation isn’t right, we will use the space teleportation to return to the Peach Blossom Spring. Group Leader Yu, what do you think?”

Xiao Lou had carefully studied the Tao Yuanming card and found a trick.

The Peach Blossom Spring was a separate space and only he and Tao Yuanming could find the entrance. Other people couldn’t see it and it was very safe. However, it existed only for 30 minutes. Once the 30 minutes were over, the people inside the paradise would be forced back to the entrance.

They would be sent back to the entrance, not disappear.

In other words, if he let Tao Yuanming open the Peace Blossom Spring’s entrance in the northeast corner room of the third floor, Shao Qingge and Ye Qi would bring the materials into the Peach Blossom Spring. Then after 30 minutes, the paradise would disappear and Shao Qingge, Ye Qi and the goods wouldn’t disappear. They would be thrown from the paradise and returned to the northeast corner room.

During the 30 minutes that the Peach Blossom Spring existed, Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang could move back to the spring at any time.

The Peach Blossom Spring was like a safe transit station.

In this way, the materials, Shao Qingge and Ye Qi hiding in the Peach Blossom Spring would be very safe while he and Yu Hanjiang could also withdraw to it at any time.

Xiao Lou explained his strategy in detail and then added, “Although Shao Qingge’s account has one million gold coins but money can no longer be withdrawn from the bank and ATM machines in this world. 3 of Hearts is a campus world and there are no ATM machines. If you go into 3 of Hearts penniless then you can’t even afford instant noodles from the snack counter.”

He smiled and said, “Then saving other challengers is actually good for us. We have a lot of supplies and they probably have some spare money to buy our supplies. This would be enough to buy food in the 3 of Hearts secret room.”

His consideration was very thoughtful in all aspects.

Shao Qingge replied, “Professor Xiao’s approach is perfect and I have no problem with it.”

Yu Hanjiang looked at Xiao Lou, eyes somewhat complicated.

He thought his plan to go to the Shanshui Guesthouse would be opposed by everyone. After all, in the secret room, they had to care about their own lives. Other people’s life or death had nothing to do with them. People would become more and more cold-blooded.

However, Yu Hanjiang was a police officer and most of the challengers were law-abiding ordinary people in the real world. Due to all types of accidents, they came here and were forced to play the survival game. They were innocent and he found it hard to watch them all be eliminated.

He couldn’t control other secret rooms but at least in this world, why shouldn’t he save them if he had the ability?

***

Ye Qi didn’t dare express his opinion as he stood next to the three big men.

Shao Qingge’s thoughts were correct while Group Leader Yu’s thoughts were also correct. Ye Qi thought the two people would quarrel and didn’t expect them to give the decision to Xiao Lou. Xiao Lou then thought of a perfect solution that everyone could accept.

It seemed that in this time, the key moments relied on Professor Xiao’s decision.

Ye Qi quietly moved to Xiao Lou’s side. He already knew who he should listen to in the future.

Xiao Lou wondered, “I have captured these six people. Do you have any opinions on how to deal with them?”

Shao Qingge raised his eyebrows. “They dared to directly try and steal materials. Surely you aren’t kind enough to give them food?”

Xiao Lou laughed. “Of course not, these people had malice in their hearts. Just now, the man took out a fruit knife in order to attack me and Ye Qi and steal our supplies. Feeding them will only be raising tigers.” There was a pause before Xiao Lou said, “However, if we let them go, they might expose our hiding place and attract a large number of people fighting over our supplies.”

Yu Hanjiang simply said, “Let them fend for themselves.”

Ye Qi’s eyes were bright and he suggested, “I have a way. In the last few days of the Nightmare Room, I survived by eating grass and leaves. Then should we give them grass and leaves to eat every day?”

Shao Qingge spoke helplessly, “Feeding them grass every day, are you raising a rabbit?”

Ye Qi, “......”

Xiao Lou laughed. “Xiao Qi, you are thinking about people too simply. If you give them grass, they won’t feel that you are helping them. Rather, they will feel that you are deliberately insulting and torturing them. This will make them more hostile to you.”

Ye Qi bowed his head. “Yes, I was just speaking casually.”

Xiao Lou suggesting, “Trapping them is considered giving them a lesson. Let’s see if they can hold on with their own perseverance.”

The group agreed with Xiao Lou’s opinion.

The four people returned to the northwest corner room and the people trapped in the rings immediately started to beg for mercy.

A young man spoke with a bitter expression, “Brother, please let us go. We haven’t eaten for a day and impulsively wanted to grab some food out of hunger. We have no malice!”

Ye Qi thought of how he was hungry in the Nightmare Room but never tried to stolen anything. They had only been hungry for a day and weren’t even thin yet they tried to bully the weak. It was as Xiao Lou stated. They really had malice in their hearts.

A girl spoke in a tearful voice. “Isn’t just a few okay? Just give us a bit of food, a bit...”

The man in the corner smiled. “You have so many goods and won’t be able to finish it even in a month. Can’t you give us a bit? Not too much, just a few biscuits and milk to live on...”

Yu Hanjiang spoke in an impatient and cold manner, “Shut up. You were caught when trying to steal things yet you continue to ask for more?”

The group was affected by his sharp eyes and were suddenly too frightened to speak.

Xiao Lou smiled and told them, “If the six of you hadn’t moved with a bad heart and found me first to discuss it then perhaps I would have a soft heart.” Then he became cold. “However, you saw there were only two people here and we looked good to bully. You entered the door to steal and even took out a knife. I have no reason to give you any food.”

His fingers lowered and the two people hanging from the roof immediately fell to the ground, letting out pained screams. This was followed by Xiao Lou manipulating the rings to quickly tie up the six people. “You should look out for yourself.”

He glanced at the six people and deliberately told Yu Hanjiang in a voice that the other side could hear. “We should leave here. It is no longer safe.”

Yu Hanjiang immediately understood. “Okay, there is a forest on the outskirts of the city. We will immediately move there.”

Xiao Lou winked at everyone and worked with Shao Qingge, Ye Qi and Yu Hanjiang to move the supplies out of the room.

The four people pretended to move away from the construction site. Once the materials were concentrated at the door, Yu Hanjiang took out the teleportation card and moved everything to the northeast corner room on the third floor.

The building only had three floors but it was very wide. The distance between the northeast and northwest corner was close to 1,000 metres and it would be difficult to hear the movements on the other end without the use of listening devices. Therefore, the six captured people mistakenly thought they moved to the forest.

The room in the northeast corner also had a good view and they could see downstairs from the windows on the four walls.

At this time, the sun set and it was evening. Xiao Lou took some food out of a box and set a piece of cloth on the ground, ready for dinner. Ye Qi saw the floor covered with canned fruit, canned fish, canned meat, bread, milk, fruit juice...

The abundance was comparable to a picnic.

He suddenly felt that he had been weak to eat only bread, milk, biscuits and mineral water.

***

Dinner passed and everyone took a rest. It wasn’t until the early hours of the morning that Xiao Lou opened the Peach Blossom Spring as planned.

The skills of the Remember Peach Blossom Spring was currently level two and he could take in two teammates with him. However, every use would increase the growth. He took in Shao Qingge and Ye Qi and it grew to level three. This allowed Yu Hanjiang to also enter.

The four people moved the supplies into the Peach Blossom Spring. Ye Qi’s face showed surprise.”What a beautiful paradise! It is a magical card!” He ran to the lake and pointed. “Is the person fishing Tao Yuanming? Can he catch fish to eat?”

Originally, Ye Qi was afraid of everyone but after a day of getting along, he found that Professor Xiao’s temper was particularly good. Therefore, Ye Qi couldn’t help speaking a lot when he was with Professor Xiao.

Xiao Lou smiled. “Tao Yuanming ignores us and only fishes. You can take him as a scenery NPC.”

Shao Qingge squinted as he gazed at the mountains in the Peach Blossom Spring and sighed. “The environment here is really good but it only lasts 30 minutes a day. Otherwise, Professor Xiao can develop a tourism business in the secret room.”

Xiao Lou, “...”

Tourism? He hadn’t thought about it at all. Shao Qingge was really good at grabbing opportunities to make money. If this was the real world, it would be 30 yuan to experience the Peach Blossom Spring for 30 minutes and to take a photo with Tao Yuanming. Surely people would be willing to come. However, this wasn’t a peaceful world. Apart from this teammates, it was better not to let too many people know about the Tao Yuanming card. Shao Qingge was just kidding.

Time couldn’t be wasted. They finished moving the supplies and Xiao Lou said, “Group Leader Yu, let’s go.”

Yu Hanjiang nodded and left the Peach Blossom Spring with Xiao Lou, using the teleportation card to quickly return to the city.

On the streets late at night, Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang teleported every 50 metres like the wind, as if they were using advanced magic.

This made Xiao Lou feel very novel.

Yu Hanjiang gazed at Xiao Lou, his eyes rarely gentle. “Thank you.”

“Why are you thanking me?”

Yu Hanjiang’s voice was low. “You supported my approach and also accompanied me.”

Xiao Lou understood what he meant and smiled. “You and Shao Qingge both had correct thoughts. He was worried you would be in danger but I don’t think it is a bad thing to save people if it is within our power.” Xiao Lou paused before giving an example, “It’s like... you see a person falling into the water. If you can swim and save that fool by jumping in, why wouldn’t you try to save him?”

Yu Hanjiang listened to this example and couldn’t help raising his lips. “Yes, I currently still have the ability to help these innocent challengers. Perhaps later, we won’t be able to save them even if we want to.”

It was quiet all around them and they could only hear each other’s voices. Listening to Xiao Lou’s gentle voice, Yu Hanjiang’s heart also warmed. Meeting a teammate who could understand him and have similar ideas was really difficult.

He was extremely happy that Xiao Lou was willing to accompany him.

......

The entire city was plunged into darkness because of the power failure. The streets weren’t safe and residents were hiding in their homes, afraid to come out.

The two people moved according to their memories and arrived at the Shanshui Guesthouse in only a few minutes.

Surprisingly, the moment they arrived downstairs, the original dark landscape suddenly lit up with candlelight. Yu Hanjiang immediately dropped the bug on the second floor window, the 100 metres range letting him hear all the movements inside.

The low and hoarse voice of a middle-aged man entered his ears. “Are you sure there are only 12 foreigners left?”

The boss spoke with a laughing tone. Yes, I couldn’t stop the couple you previously stole from and a few wary foreigners. For the rest, I added drugs to the room’s mosquito incense. This time, they are all sleeping like dead pigs and won’t wake up even if shaken.”

The man asked, “What about the two people in 207? Have you been back?”

The boss asked, “You mean Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang? Today at noon, Yu Hanjiang came back once and asked about the guess with the last name Xu. I told him you have checked out and didn’t come back.”

The man sneered. “If it wasn’t for the two of them last night, my plan would’ve been completed.”

The boss said, “The foreigners’ cards are really easy to use but the drugs I added today should be sufficient. There is no need to use the invisibility cloak. Let me help you We will directly go in and steal.”

The man asked, “The person I killed, where did his body go?”

“It is hidden in the basement but the body decaying will cause a smell. It might arouse the suspicion of the foreigners tomorrow morning.”

The man spoke without hesitation, “Later, we will drive away the supplies and then burn the guesthouse down. Then I’ll have my brothers go and find those two surnamed Xiao and surnamed Yu. These foreigners can’t be allowed to stay.”

Xiao Lou, “......”

This secret room’s boss was so vicious!

It seemed that he and Group Leader Yu had interfered with the other person’s plan to steal supplies so this person wanted to destroy the plans of the foreigners ahead of time.

He wanted to burn down the guesthouse?

Fortunately, Yu Hanjiang had rushed over or else the 12 innocent challengers living in the guesthouse would be burned to death in their sleep!