Chapter 98

Chapter 98

What kind of person is Luo Xi? Even when facing a group of ruthless streamers, he is unafraid and still gets intimidated by a bunch of hungry NPCs?

He spoke a few more words, originally trying to save face and avoid offending the audience, but the man holding the stone provided the perfect excuse for Luo Xi to immediately let go and strike back!

In an instant, the narrow, filthy courtyard full of refugees erupted with various screams and the sounds of things breaking.

As Luo Xi dodged the stone, he kicked the attacking NPC away, then grabbed a broken wooden stick to use as a weapon, beating those attempting to escape or resist into bruises, blocking the door and saying, "I don't bully women, but men, strip down. Anyone bitten by a corpse demon must be left behind, if you keep them, you're just harming yourselves."

The little boy held in his hand trembled in fear, while the boy's mother cried and passed out, being supported by another girl who cried for help.

"He was bitten! I saw it!" A man finally couldn’t hold it in any longer and started exposing his companions.

The NPC he pointed out immediately tried to climb the wall to escape.

Luo Xi swiftly stepped forward, pulled him down, and tightly bound him with a piece of cloth, then coldly looked at the man who had exposed others: "Alright, what about you? Are you revealing this to clear your name? I won't let any infected person go."

The man’s face turned pale as he realized he was no match for Luo Xi's exceptional skills and, in despair, slumped down with his head bowed.

One must say, Luo Xi really had a knack for being a head of capture.

He tied up the injured people in the courtyard into a long line and herded them toward the village gate, almost ready to exceed the mission.

Just when Luo Xi was ruthlessly whipping the NPCs at the back of the line, the weak West Yu appeared, stunned, at the street corner.

Luo Xi's expression instantly changed, and he quickly approached, asking, "How are you? Why are you bleeding?"

"It's not my blood," West Yu smiled, looking at the NPCs in surprise. "Is this... your mission?"

"They were all bitten by corpse demons, you understand," Luo Xi shrugged, not bothering to explain.

West Yu, who was somewhat familiar with zombie-themed stories, nodded, sighed helplessly, and stepped forward to ask, "Are you hungry?"

The villagers, shrouded in the shadow of death, looked at each other.

West Yu took out another bloody steamed bun. "I'm Fox Fourth Aunt’s assistant, and I want a hand in exchange for a steamed bun."

This was a cruel and unreasonable request, but the villagers, starving and about to lose their lives, would rather have one last meal before closing their eyes.

As soon as the words were out, the NPCs went mad and pounced!

Luo Xi quickly intervened, flicking his willow branch in warning, "Stay calm! It’s you!"

He then grabbed the NPC who had just exposed his companion.

Although they had no knives or swords and couldn’t sever limbs, how did Fox Fourth Aunt get Su Zhen’s left leg? Luo Xi, facing the brutality of NPCs, was even more ruthless.

Thirty seconds later, West Yu, heart racing, took the severed hand, still dripping blood, his face stunned.

The culprit, Luo Xi, helplessly shrugged. "This game probably doesn’t have much humanity. I know you’re emotional, but the bigger picture matters, understand?"

West Yu lowered his gaze, clutching the severed hand and eyeballs. "I’ll go turn in the mission."

Luo Xi, covered in splattered blood, couldn’t touch West Yu any longer and could only watch him slowly walk away. He then resumed herding the infected, heading toward the direction where Head of Capture Situ was.

Fox Fourth Aunt always looked leisurely and languid. Seeing West Yu as she leaned against the counter, she appeared very pleased. "Oh, little one, you're the first to return."Xi Yu's smooth progress was thanks to Luo Xi, who was even more terrifying than the zombie monsters.

He placed the eyeball and arm on the table and coldly said, "Now can I be your partner?"

"Of course, of course." Hu Si Gu pinched the eyeball, happily saying, "Ah, this is a child's, children's eyeballs are the softest."

At this moment, Xi Yu almost regarded her as a flesh-eating monster, unwilling to speak any more, silently retreating to the side.

Hu Si Gu took the horrifying body parts away and followed Xi Yu with a smile, "What's wrong? You look unhappy... I know you don't want to do these things, but in troubled times, there's no happiness or stability that comes without reason. If you think about it, most things in life are like this. If you want something, you must understand loss. Equivalent exchange is the fairest."

"I don't think a bun and a pair of eyes are equivalent exchange." Xi Yu replied coldly.

Hu Si Gu laughed even harder: "Fool, that’s not just a bun!"

Xi Yu furrowed his brows.

Hu Si Gu said confidently, "That’s the hope of survival. Do you think a pair of eyes is more important than surviving?"

This kind of inhumane question left Xi Yu speechless.

Fortunately, Hu Si Gu didn’t continue with her philosophy, waving her handkerchief and saying, "From now on, you’ll work for me. Start by cleaning the pawnshop dust."

Xi Yu, after all the effort, was naturally thirsty: "Do you have clean water?"

Hu Si Gu showed her white teeth: "That’s sold in the market, twenty taels of silver per bag. Do you think you can get it for free?"

"Then how are the flowers outside kept?" Xi Yu didn’t believe her.

Hu Si Gu snorted: "No water, but plenty of blood. It’s better if you don’t know."

It was unexpected that this game, filled with zombie crises, wasn’t about the streamers fighting zombies, but rather the so-called "helpers" performing tedious daily tasks. Xi Yu worked from noon till afternoon, hosting several refugees who were pawning various organs, and spent the rest of the time doing useless chores for Hu Si Gu. He was completely exhausted.

As the dim light faded and the sun was about to set, a streamer’s figure finally barged in.

It was Su Ziyan, who had already gone deaf.

Su Ziyan was very loud: "Si Gu, Si Gu! I’ve done what you asked me to do!"

"What's all the noise? You look so clean but are so noisy." Hu Si Gu straightened up from the counter, rubbed her blurry eyes, and checked the severed limbs Su Ziyan had placed in front of her. She finally smiled, "Very good, you can work here now."

Su Ziyan sighed in relief, then turned around and shouted, "You're here too!"

Xi Yu was shaken by his loud voice and helplessly brought a pen and blood-red ink from the inner room. He wrote on rice paper: "You shouldn’t be working here, the shop needs a lot of communication."

Su Ziyan looked frustrated: "I had no choice, both Head of the Si Tu and the swordsmen are all about fighting and killing. Although I didn’t lose any strength, I’m not good at fighting... Also, I went to Lin’s mansion and saw two streamers already crowded there, thinking that the deep mansion might be haunted, it’s better here with Si Gu."

Hu Si Gu smiled foolishly, not answering his speculation.

Xi Yu shook his head and rubbed his aching eardrums.

At this moment, another streamer staggered through the door. It was Su Zhen, who was already missing his left leg, stumbling as he entered.

Su Zhen was covered in blood, clearly having suffered greatly to complete his mission. He panicked and said, "Si Gu, I’ve completed the mission!"Hu Si Gu remained unfazed: "Unfortunately, they are quicker than you. My partners are already full."

Su Zhen looked anxiously at the dimming sky outside and pleaded, "All other jobs are also filled. Please, I really have nowhere else to go. I will work hard, can I do double the tasks tomorrow?"

Hu Si Gu shook her head coldly.

Su Zhen's eyes reddened: "Is there really no way the pawnshop can take me?"

Hu Si Gu grinned: "I only take two partners, but if either of them dies, won’t you just take their place?"

Su Zhen immediately glared at Xi Yu and Su Ziyan, clearly having made up her mind.

If it were before, Xi Yu could have easily dealt with this girl with one hand, but now, he was even weaker than Lin Daiyu. He couldn’t help but nervously move toward the door.

Su Ziyan, who still didn’t fully understand the situation, stopped him: "W-what are you doing?"

Su Zhen pushed him aside: "Get out of the way!"

Saying that, she leaned heavily on her wooden cane and desperately moved toward Xi Yu.

Fortunately, at that moment, Luo Xi suddenly appeared at the door, raising an eyebrow and asking, "Oh, what’s going on here?"

Su Zhen instantly stopped in her tracks.

A wise person knows when to back down. Even if she could kill Xi Yu, she would never get past Luo Xi. Besides, the cost of murder was yet to be revealed. It was better to use the fifty taels she had in her pocket to stay at an inn for a day... Anyway, streamers always die, and tomorrow, whoever dies, she could just take their spot.

After thinking quickly, Su Zhen lowered her eyes, turned, and limped away with her cane.

Luo Xi shook his head and looked at Xi Yu, saying, "It’s getting dark. Time to clock out."

"Ah, you're coming to pick him up? Such a considerate man." Hu Si Gu, of course, didn’t care about the conflict between the players. She took a white steamed bun from inside, broke it in half, and handed one half to Xi Yu and the other half to Su Ziyan, saying, "You have to come help at the shop as soon as the sun rises tomorrow. If you don’t do what I tell you, I’ll have to kick you out."

Xi Yu nodded: "Of course."

He then took the bun and, with Luo Xi’s support, prepared to leave.

Su Ziyan followed behind and loudly asked, "Are you going to the shelter? I want to go too."

"I’ll go buy some drinks first. You wait for Duli," Xi Yu replied.

This response was simple, but the implied meaning was "don’t follow us." Su Ziyan, feeling frustrated, bit his lip and nodded.

Xi Yu did this because, apart from Xu Tu and Bai Qi, he shouldn’t easily form alliances. Those two were friends who had passed various tests with Luo Xi, while his brief connection with Su Ziyan during the selection process was even less reliable than his bond with Wu Zhi.

Luo Xi, while walking, gently held Xi Yu's hand: "What’s wrong?"

Xi Yu shook his head.

"It feels like you’re not in a good mood. Even the harsh conditions at the last sanatorium didn’t make you like this," Luo Xi said, keenly sensing it, then asked bluntly: "Is it because you feel unsafe after losing strength? Or is it because of the particularly unpleasant and inhumane people in this instance?"

Xi Yu didn’t answer, just took his slender fingers in his hand and softly said, "Neither. Take your time and guess."

Luo Xi: "..."

Xi Yu smiled and turned his head: "Let’s go. After buying dinner, we’ll just go to sleep."These words made Luo Xi feel a strange illusion, as if the two had spent a very natural and ordinary day together.

However, the ordinary experiences of natural humans are a luxury that artificial beings could never attain in their entire lives.

Will there ever be a day when they can really finish an ordinary day’s work at sunset and walk home hand in hand?