Chapter 25

Chapter 25 Too Good at Flattery.

Teacher Dan brought Ning Rong’s little black bag over, with a trace of apology on her face. “I’m really sorry about before. Now I’m returning it to its rightful owner.”

Naturally, Ning Rong would not carry a bag that Chen Chu had touched. But while in the game, she did need a small bag to hold things.

So, the little black bag ended up in Zhou Yujing’s hands.

Anyway, outside the game, he was the one carrying the bag most of the time as well. Now it was merely a change of location for carrying it.

Teacher Dan did not care how Ning Rong would deal with the bag. In any case, once it was returned, her task was considered complete.

After this small incident, Shen Xuan’s questioning on that side had also ended.

[The superiority and inferiority of skills is shown vividly at this moment.]

[This guy exhausted himself and only managed to ask for information related to NPCs. As for the boss, the front desk didn’t mention a single word.]

[Can’t be helped. The upper limit of his skill is too low. He already used it to the fullest.]

Seeing Shen Xuan return, his teammates hurried up and asked, “How was it? Did you get any useful information?”

Shen Xuan nodded. Just as he was about to speak about the important points, Tired Tired suddenly stepped forward and asked sincerely, “Can we form a team? We’re members of the National Team.”

In this game, she had no skill available, so teaming up was obviously necessary. Since this male player had obtained key information, perhaps they could listen in as well.

The words “members of the National Team” clearly carried weight and could easily win others’ favor.

But Shen Xuan was used to being cautious.

National Team members did not have those words carved on their foreheads. Who knew whether the other side’s identity was real or fake? After all, in horror games, there had been players pretending to be National Team members before.

A perfect smile appeared on Shen Xuan’s lips. “Would it be convenient to introduce yourselves?”

Tired Tired smiled confidently. “Of course.”

“I am Chi Juan, nickname Tired Tired. My skill is Rollback. In this game, I will do everything I can to lead you all through the stage.”

As soon as those words came out, the randomly matched players all looked shocked.

“Tired Tired? You’re actually Tired Tired?”

“My god, I actually ran into Tired Tired! What kind of luck is this?”

“If it’s Tired Tired, then we’d be very willing to team up with you.”

Seeing that Shen Xuan was tending toward agreeing, Ning Rong frowned and was just about to speak when an out-of-place voice rang out.

“She’s lying.”

The scene instantly fell silent, as though even the speed of the air had slowed.

Everyone looked in the direction of the speaker and discovered it was Warm Voice.

Shen Xuan took a step toward him and asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Warm Voice looked at Tired Tired with full disapproval and declared firmly, “My skill told me that you lied.”

Warm Voice’s skill could distinguish whether someone had spoken truth or lies.

This skill was very useless in the game.

On one hand, he could not distinguish which part of a sentence was false and which part was true. He could only tell whether the whole sentence was true or false.

On the other hand, NPCs in the game rarely lied.

So his skill had almost no room to be used in the game.

Otherwise, back then he would not have failed even the first round of recruitment for the National Team.

Seeing him question Tired Tired’s identity, Chen Chu, as Tired Tired’s most loyal supporter, naturally became the first to step forward and defend her.

“How is she not Tired Tired? What kind of trash skill is yours? It can even get this wrong?”

Teacher Dan also spoke gently, “Could there be some mistake? I am Dan Ping, her team-leading teacher, currently affiliated with City A Team 37. If you have doubts, after leaving the game, you may contact the Inspection Group.”

Warm Voice remained calm and unhurried, speaking slowly.

“If there’s no problem with her identity, then it can only mean her last sentence was a lie.”

What was Tired Tired’s last sentence?

She had said—

“I will do everything I can to lead you all through the stage.”

After recalling that sentence, Shen Xuan's gaze toward Tired Tired changed at once. He said coldly, “Sorry, I don’t think we’re suitable to team up.” Compared to Chi Juan, whom he had never interacted with before, Shen Xuan trusted his own teammates more.

After all, his teammates had no reason to lie.

[Her Rewind is still on cooldown. That sentence was basically an empty promise. Saying she lied isn’t wrong.]

[Discerning truth and lies? After watching so many streams, this is the first time I’ve seen such a useless skill...]

[It really is useless, but in this situation, it unexpectedly works well.]

[Tired Tired probably never imagined someone would specifically activate a skill just to judge whether that sentence was true or false. Does this count as capsizing in a gutter?]

Teaming up with Shen Xuan’s group was impossible now, and teaming up with Ning Rong’s side was even more impossible.

In the end, Tired Tired silently took her teammates and personally went to the front desk to investigate clues.

After 18:00, players could choose whether to return to their rooms.

There were still three hours left before the safe period ended.

The danger belonging to the horror game was about to truly descend.

Ning Rong went to the front desk again and opened two more rooms.

One on the 16th floor, and one on the 17th floor.

Floors 16, 17, and 18 could only be reached by swiping a room card. There was no other route.

Because she only wanted access rights to those floors, the rooms Ning Rong booked were not expensive, only 599 game coins per night.

Zhou Yujing, personally witnessing his girlfriend spend money like flowing water: …

Urgent question: my girlfriend is too strong in the game, making me seem useless. What do I do? Very urgent. Really urgent.

[6.]

[She spent another 1200.]

[Adding the previous expenses, the total is almost ten thousand now...]

[Compared like this, all the other players really are poor ghosts.]

[I’m numb. I dare bet that even if she gets an S-rank evaluation in this game, she still won’t earn back a few hundred.]

[I want to ask, how exactly did she make money? Living off savings? Windfall fortune? Never mind how she earned it—where did she get that much starting capital?]

At this time, Shen Xuan and Tired Tired’s group also happened to be waiting in the first-floor lobby and had not gone back to their rooms, so they immediately learned that Ning Rong had opened two more rooms.

Wen Huai’s eyes shone brightly, her tone full of envy. “Rich lady big sister is so rich.”

Wen Sheng had a gentle personality and usually did not fight or compete for things. He rarely envied others, but after personally seeing Ning Rong not only renew the 3999-per-night room, but also open two additional 599-per-night rooms, even he felt sour.

Wen Huai looked worshipful. “So many of us are only staying in a 101-per-night room. The rooms she casually books cost five times ours.”

Shen Xuan and the others: … Stop talking, stop talking. If you keep going, our mentality is really going to collapse.

The people feeling envy were not only Shen Xuan’s group.

Tired Tired clenched her right hand tightly, her nails digging her palm until it turned bruised green.

Even though she had a father ranked relatively high on the overall leaderboard, she still could not compare with Ning Rong in financial power.

That was what frustrated her the most.

In reality, she had naturally sent people to investigate Zhou Yujing’s girlfriend’s identity.

The information returned was that the girl’s mother died early, her father’s information was unknown, and she had relied on scholarships since childhood. In university she studied physical education, and in the future would either become a PE teacher or engage in some other ordinary work.

Just an ordinary fourth-year sports student not worth much attention.

It was easy to imagine that person’s future life would be nothing more than firewood, rice, oil, and salt.

Tired Tired had even disdained looking at her photo.

But after meeting her in the game, she discovered that Zhou Yujing’s girlfriend was nothing like she had imagined.

Teacher Dan sighed. “Don’t think too much. Just focus on yourself.”

After all, some things simply could not be compared. The more you compared, the more depressed you became.

At eight-thirty, Ning Rong planned to return to her room. The first floor was full of NPCs, and once the safe period ended, this place would obviously become very dangerous.

Just as she and Zhou Yujing were about to enter the elevator, Wen Huai suddenly rushed forward and said timidly, “Rich lady big sister, my name is Wen Huai. My skill is Future Eye. I can see key scenes that will happen within the next twelve hours. Behind me is my brother, Wen Sheng. His skill is discerning truth from lies.”

Ding-dong.

The elevator doors opened.

Ning Rong did not step inside. She patiently looked at Wen Huai, waiting for what came next.

Wen Huai clasped both hands together, her eyes shining brightly. “Rich lady big sister, may my brother and I follow you?”

“Reason?”

Wen Huai began gesturing with her hands. “I saw you in a luxurious room, talking face-to-face with the biggest boss in this game. In that scene, you looked completely at ease, like everything was under your control.”

[She really knows how to describe things.]

[6. “Everything under control.” Big sister boss aura confirmed!]

Wen Huai continued, “The crystal chandelier overhead gave off bright light. In that light, you yourself seemed to be glowing.”

“You were really dazzling, and very special.”

Ning Rong: …

Zhou Yujing: !!!

[Little sister is way too good at flattering.]

[The brother is so wooden, who knew the sister was this clever.]

[Damn, I’m just a viewer. Why am I so happy hearing this?]

Wen Huai finally said, “The big boss was turned sideways to me, so I could only see the side of her face. But her expression was very calm, and she was seriously listening to you speak.”

Ning Rong asked, “What kind of room was it? Can you be more specific?”

Wen Huai shook her head apologetically. “Sorry, big sister. The scene I saw didn’t show many details. But once my skill levels up, I’ll definitely be able to see more in the future.”

Ning Rong nodded. “Then come along.”

Hearing that, Wen Huai looked overjoyed. After reacting, she hurriedly said, “Thank you, rich lady big sister.”

Just as the four were about to enter the elevator, Shen Xuan and the others also came over.

Shen Xuan smiled brilliantly. “Can you add us too?”

After speaking, he hurriedly introduced himself. “My skill is Affinity. As the name suggests, it makes NPCs have a higher favorability toward me. Beside me is Xiao Mu. Her skill is Auto Pathfinding. It lets her find the nearest safe route. The other one is Xiao Ze. His skill is Clue Analysis, which can integrate all kinds of clues into the most useful conclusion.”

Within her ability, Ning Rong did not mind giving her fellow countrymen a hand.

Of course, the premise was that they did not cause trouble or bring her problems.

Hearing this, Shen Xuan and the others quickly cooperated.

“We’re all sensible people. If anything we do displeases you, just say it and we’ll change.”

“Backstabbing is even more impossible. I’m planning to join the National Team.”

“Big sister, please rest assured.”

Ning Rong gestured. “Get in the elevator.”

“Alright!”

The elevator doors slowly closed, cutting off the complicated gazes of Tired Tired and the others outside.

No one else said anything. Only A Leng was especially agitated.

“If we hadn’t offended her, we could’ve gotten on the elevator too.”

Unfortunately, there was no such thing as “if” in this world.

After arriving on the 18th floor, Shen Xuan and the others naturally did not enter any room. They simply stood in the hallway.

Shen Xuan’s group of three were just included along the way.

The one Ning Rong mainly wanted to bring was Wen Huai.

She opened her mouth and invited them. “You siblings, come in.”

When Wen Huai heard that, her face was full of disbelief. “Really? Rich lady big sister, would it be inconvenient?”

Ning Rong said, “No.”

Wen Huai and Wen Sheng followed them into the luxurious suite with delighted expressions.

The moment she entered the room, Wen Huai felt the charm of game coins.

A room costing 3999 a night compared to one costing 101 a night was simply heaven and earth apart.

The 101-a-night room was practically unfit for human habitation. The environment was terrible to the extreme.

But here, the environment was comfortable and peaceful, and there was even a faint scent of roses in the air.

Seeing the rose petals scattered all over the floor and the somewhat messy bedding, Wen Huai and Wen Sheng tactfully shifted their gazes away and did not dare look too much.

Ning Rong thought of the new skill she had just obtained and really wanted to test it.

She asked, “Your Future Eye is very interesting. Can I use it too?”

Hearing this request, Wen Huai was somewhat surprised.

She carefully said, “You can, I mean... big sister, I’m very willing to share it with you, but how would you use it? And right now my skill is on cooldown. There are still more than twenty-three hours left...” By the end, Wen Huai lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly.

The cooldown time of her skill was simply too long.

Ning Rong said nothing more, because after the sentence, “I’m very willing to share it with you,” she was already able to use the skill.

There was no need to hesitate.

Ning Rong directly used the skill — Everyone Wants to Be Friends With Me.

She shared Wen Huai’s skill — Future Eye.

She closed her eyes, and a scene that would soon happen in the future quickly surfaced in her mind.

In the scene, Chen Chu’s face was full of terror, his eyes wide open. He was slumped in a corner, blood flowing from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. His whole body was motionless...