After Li Yang joined the walkie-talkie conversation, the others also "joined the group chat."
There were bursts of talking and static, environntal noise, alternating sounds. They used the walkie-talkie to exchange thoughts with varied intentions in advance.
Guan Yu: "Li Yang, where are you guys? You’re not still wandering around the supermarket with Brother Cheng, are you?"
Li Yang: "We parted ways with Brother Cheng long ago. Guo Yin and I are... I won’t tell you."
Guan Yu: "Pfft—who cares. Brother Cheng? Brother Cheng? Would you like to join the group chat?"
After a slight hum of static, a distinctive clear voice joined in.
"What’s up?"
Guan Yu: "Heh, nothing much, just pulling you into the group. Did you happen to hear or see anything strange just now?"
Cheng Zhirang: "No. I was on the main road and only heard an electronic voice saying the file card was activated. There was no other reaction. Are you all together?"
Guan Yu: "Nope, I’m with Chu Qiu, Brother Huai, and Chen Yi, not one person missing. How about you, Mu Qiu?"
Having long anticipated being called upon, Mu Qiu was already prepared and joined the "World Channel" at that mont.
"I’m with Zhao Yu, Sister Shu Ran, and Han Xizheng, and no one is missing either."
Li Yang: "Why emphasize no one is missing? Has soone already been slaughtered?"
A mont later, Cheng Zhirang’s voice ca again, filled with confusion.
"Shen Zhousong is missing."
...
"Second hour in, please return to the starting position, guests!"
The group of eight led by Mu Qiu walked from the hotel to the fast-food restaurant.
They didn’t manage to analyze things with Guan Yu’s group, as once Cheng Zhirang ntioned Shen Zhousong’s disappearance, all their attention shifted elsewhere.
Who activated the file card? Why was Shen Zhousong the first to be killed? Does his disappearance signify he’s already been slaughtered, or just hiding?
How does this monster carry out its slaughter? How can it be avoided?
According to the program crew, once the monster is activated, it won’t stop after just slaughtering one person and will not cease its actions.
Therefore, they must figure out the monster’s thod of slaughter and remain vigilant not to fall within its range.
Quite a challenge.
Walking and thinking, the sun was sowhat scorching. She absentmindedly wiped the sweat from her forehead, glancing at a small breakfast shop nearby. At the severely damaged shopfront, a pile of disorderly utensils lay scattered on the ground, alongside a few models of osmanthus cakes.
Amid the rubbish, there was a pink toy mostly covered by a steaming basket lid, with only the card insertion part visible. It looked like the transformation device for Ultraman’s card insertion, with a gold-colored card inserted in the middle.
She rely glanced idly, retraced her line of sight, paused for a mont, slowly opened her eyes wide, and slowly turned her head back to take another look.
Shit.
Could it be as she suspected?
"What’s up?"
Beside her, Zhao Yu noticed her unusual movents and asked softly.
Mu Qiu’s expression switched seamlessly, feigning disappointnt and frustration: "It’s just models in the breakfast shop, not even real soy milk and buns or anything."
"And then a group goes to pick up buns to eat, right?" Guan Yu chid in from behind, "Won’t that be a bit too pathetic?"
"It’s better than having nothing to eat or drink, right?" Chu Qiu said gloomily.
"Why have nothing to eat or drink? Doesn’t Mu Qiu have so in her pockets?"
Mu Qiu: "......"
Oh god, soone’s eyeing the snacks in her pockets!
She covered the two central pockets on her cargo pants, hiding between Zhao Yu and Shu Ran, with Han Xizheng forced to shield her in front.
"This prisoner of war is ours, you go look for others."
"..." Listen to those words! She better be careful, or she’ll turn evil later!
Guan Yu didn’t seem to have any intention of taking action, just pretended to pick his teeth, saying: "Why the panic? We’re not robbing you. We can trade through legitimate ans."
"What legitimate ans? What trade?"
"For instance, with and Brother Huai’s mysterious cheat."
Mu Qiuxin skipped a beat.
Guan Yu and Shi Yuhuai had MVP cheats, whereas she and Li Yang had the penalty of a roaming NPC.
Now, with her carrying pockets full of snacks, everyone’s eyes were fixed on her like wolves.
Besides, what if the card she had glimpsed was indeed the monster’s file card, and she couldn’t retrieve it right now, leaving it among the debris, praying no one else would see it.
This situation was truly life-threatening.
Fortunately, they reached the fast-food restaurant while walking. Pretending not to have grasped the threat, she sat down hand in hand with Zhao Yu.
Inside the fast-food restaurant, so had already returned; Cheng Zhirang, dressed in camouflage, was seated at the innermost spot.
Unlike his usual noble and elegant postures, he now leaned back against the chair, more like a military roughneck negotiating with a gun.
Just this change in aura made his facial features even more alluring.
Mu Qiu quickly shifted her appraising gaze, sat properly, awaiting the others.
Li Yang was the last to rush in, panting, clutching the door, face full of terror: "Guo Yin is missing!"
"What?" Guan Yu asked incredulously, "In such a short ti, has the monster already resolved two people? Which staff mber’s pretending to be this strong?"
Dragging Guo Yin away isn’t hard; idols tend to be skinny. But Shen Zhousong is different; he’s tall, strong, and has served in the army. How could he easily be taken away by staff?
Unless... under the soldier’s facade, Shen Zhousong is actually an obedient good kid. When staff say, "biu you’re dead," he dutifully fell and played dead.
But that didn’t seem like him either.
Cheng Zhirang furrowed his brows, asked Li Yang: "Were you two together before? How did he disappear?"
"We were together, at that school! We just separated for a bit, just monts ago, and when I turned to call him, he was gone! I searched everywhere, shouted his na, no response."
Cheng Zhirang maintained his composure, following his description: "Shen Zhousong was the sa, we were at an art museum then, separated to look at the two corridors of shattered paintings. An electronic sound notified that the first monster file card was activated, then I called for him, and couldn’t find anyone."
"Didn’t see any suspicious people?" Chu Qiu pursued, "Like suddenly erging strong staff."
The crew standing behind the cara felt offended.
Cheng Zhirang shook his head: "I checked, the follow-cam photographer was male, the props guy was male, but both had their hands full, no free hands. The other staff were all female."
Li Yang, still catching his breath, licked his dry lips, also recalling: "Present then were the photographers filming Guo Yin, they’ve all returned with now, right here."
"All the follow-cam photographers returned?" Shu Ran mustered up courage to feign calm and join the discussion: "So, after Guo Yin’s disappearance, even those filming him vanished? Sa for Shen Zhousong?"
Cheng Zhirang pursed his lips slightly, said: "I left them at the museum because when asking where the people went, they all wouldn’t say."
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