"Highway Terror": The Speculation Continues

[So that's what the paper money is for.]

[Good thing they bought plenty. This road is so long that if they ran out, they'd be surrounded.]

[Did Xu Xi foresee this, and that's why he was so adamant about having his teammates buy so much paper money?]

[He acted before anyone else even reacted. He obviously knew paper money could hold those Ghostly Shadows up.]

[That raises a question: how did Xu Xi know? Could he predict the future?]

[Rather than predicting the future, I'd say he spotted clues we missed.]

[Yeah, predicting the future is way too far-fetched.]

[There's actually a basis for it. First, a funeral supply shop appeared out in the middle of nowhere. Most people's first reaction would be that something was off, and they'd subconsciously be wary and distrustful of the shop.

The players found paper currency on themselves right at the start, and before entering the dangerous highway, they found this shop where they needed money to buy things. On top of that, the first thing the owner said was a hint. Don't you think that's too much of a coincidence?

Most players would do what the woman in the denim skirt did and play it safe by buying a little paper money. But a few perceptive people, like this rookie player Xu Xi, would be wary while also realizing that, in a sense, the shop most likely existed to provide them with clues or items.

Never mind what else the money might be needed for later; at the very least, they had to spend some at the shop. Unlike the woman in the denim skirt, who wanted to play it safe, Xu Xi clearly realized that the item the owner was pushing was vitally important and might only be available this once.

If it were me, I'd have spent at least a third of the money buying more of the paper money the owner was pushing, then saved the rest for emergencies.

Ultimately, it's just a slight difference in how the two think. One plays it safer, the other is bolder.

And why did Xu Xi realize so quickly that paper money could slow the Ghostly Shadows down? Simple. Just remember what the owner said when he was selling it—

"If you encounter anything strange on the road, scatter a handful of paper money and it'll keep you safe." Those were the owner's exact words.

This rookie must have thought of those words very quickly. It shows his reactions really are pretty good.]

Many of the bullet comments were wondering about Xu Xi's "precognition" when one netizen posted a long, detailed comment explaining it to the other viewers.

[I read that whole analysis on my knees. Is this the level of a big shot?]

[You wrote a lot, so I'm with you.]

[You have to think about that much? I hope this crappy game never picks me. I'd be the first to die in there.]

[Big shot, can you analyze that two minutes and forty-eight seconds? I'm really curious.]

[...Not this instance. Don't make things hard for me.]

Inside the instance, Xu Xi and the other two slowed the Ghostly Shadows down with paper money, giving Tan Xingyun time to drive out of the area with the grave mounds.

Behind them, the Ghostly Shadows looked unwilling to give up, but could do nothing. In the end, they slowly dissipated.

Only after seeing the Ghostly Shadows vanish completely in the rearview mirror did Tan Xingyun let out a huge sigh of relief and ease up on the accelerator.

"That was close, that was close..." Li Kang patted his chest, still shaken. Cold sweat had poured down his back during those few short minutes. "Brother Xu, thank goodness you were there!"

Xu Xi, who had also relaxed, hadn't expected to be praised out of the blue.

But he quickly figured it out.

He had been the first to throw paper money at the Ghostly Shadows, and it had proven effective.

But Xu Xiuman had actually been the one to come up with the idea last time. He had merely taken advantage of his rebirth to use it first.

Xu Xi felt he didn't deserve the credit and was a little helpless. Well, he couldn't explain this again.

After thinking it over, he added, "Actually, it wasn't my doing."

The other three hadn't expected the young man to be so modest on top of being so low-key.

Naturally, they misunderstood, thinking Xu Xi meant everyone deserved credit.

Tan Xingyun looked disapproving. "You're being too modest, young man. Without you, we might not have gotten away so easily."

The Ghostly Shadows were fast. If the ones up ahead had reached the highway before they reacted and used the paper money, they would most likely have been surrounded.

"Exactly, you're too modest, Brother!" Li Kang nodded quickly in agreement.

When Xu Xiuman joined in praising him too, Xu Xi finally gave up and shut his mouth.

[I didn't expect Xu Xi to be so modest too.]

[I think he's just trying to maintain a low-key persona.]

[I think so too. Didn't you see how everyone else was trying to show what they could do at the start of the instance, while he barely spoke? But if you pay attention to the details, you'll see Xu Xi was obviously trying to make himself invisible on purpose. Too bad he's exposed now.]

[Tell us more? What details?]

[First, right after the four of them introduced themselves at the start of the instance, Xu Xi gave the beer-bellied uncle a meaningful look when he took the initiative to assume the role of leader. Second, didn't you notice? When they passed the funeral supply shop, everyone was hesitating over whether to get out, and Xu Xi was the one who settled it by choosing to investigate. And when his teammates were being cautious about buying paper money, Xu Xi insisted on buying a lot. Out of all those ritual supplies, he picked the incense, and sure enough, it turned up another hint. Think those details over carefully; each one checks out.]

[Holy crap, there were so many subtle details? I didn't connect any of them.]

[But why pretend to be invisible?]

[Maybe that's just a big shot's perverse sense of fun? Who knows. Judging by how little he seems to care for interacting with his teammates, maybe he just doesn't like leading a team.]

[All those comments mocking the two minutes and forty-eight seconds have gone quiet now. Feeling slapped in the face? You lot just love running your mouths.]

[Tch, things change in an instant inside an instance. Who knows how long he'll survive? The higher your expectations, the harder you'll fall.]

[Person above, I hope you're still talking that tough when the game picks you.]

If Xu Xi had known the bullet comments said he didn't like interacting with his teammates, he would have widened his eyes and shouted, "That's not fair!"

He was just a little socially anxious, a little quiet, and a little reluctant to speak unless necessary. How had that become not liking to interact with his teammates?

It wasn't that he didn't want to share clues with them, either. The problem was that he had died to get those clues. How was he supposed to share them?

And there was even less to say about those so-called "details"!

A meaningful look? He had been thinking about learning from Tan Xingyun's experience!

Settled it? Hadn't Xu Xiuman already made it clear she wanted to go, and he had simply gone along and agreed?

He had told his teammates to buy lots of paper money because he had died once.

As for picking the incense... could he say it was the cheapest thing there? He had just thought that since the paper money could be used, maybe the incense could come in handy too. Who could have thought it would come with a bonus hint?

Unfortunately, Xu Xi couldn't see the bullet comments and couldn't defend himself. As a result, without his knowledge, the netizens' misunderstanding of him kept growing.