Transaction

"What's wrong?"

"Sorry, I admit my voice was a bit loud just now. My room actually really needs cleaning; I've finally been waiting for you two!"

Zhu Daqiang immediately changed his tune. In his heart, he could lose to anyone, but he absolutely could not lose to Yuan Xing. Why should a two-faced traitor be above him?

With that, Zhu Daqiang cheerfully invited Bai Yuze and Yukino into the room.

As soon as they entered, Bai Yuze understood why Zhu Daqiang had said he didn't need cleaning services. There were barely any pieces of furniture in the room. Even the first floor had at least a nightstand, but this room only had a bed and a dilapidated desk and chair. On top of it sat an old computer, and next to the monitor was an ashtray stuffed full of cigarette butts.

It was only then that Bai Yuze noticed a layer of mist-like gas floating near the ceiling. Observing the yellow-stained walls, Bai Yuze deduced that this gas was smoke.

To be precise, it was secondhand smoke.

"Hehehe, didn't I tell you my room didn't need cleaning?"

"Then why did you ask us to come in?"

Yukino's words left Zhu Daqiang speechless. That was true; he had forgotten that part, too focused on the fact that he couldn't lose to Yuan Xing.

"Uh... it's so you can see that I'm much better than that brat Yuan Xing."

"Is that so? Then what do you think of this person named 'Yuan Xing'?"

Yukino took the opportunity to ask the question, while Bai Yuze quietly turned on the recording function on the phone behind his back.

After recording ten minutes of Zhu Daqiang's "admiration" for Yuan Xing, Bai Yuze put the phone away.

"Why is there so little furniture in your room?"

"Hmph, it's all because of that stingy miser. He claims on the surface that having less furniture makes it easier to clean, ha! In reality, this room was just cleared out temporarily."

"Then why do you still choose to stay here?"

Zhu Daqiang scratched the head that was barely hanging onto his neck and gave a sheepish laugh.

"Who else would offer a room this cheap? Once I get back on my feet, I'm definitely going to move into a place a hundred times... no! A thousand times better than this!"

"Alright then, sorry to bother you."

Seeing a person's head looking as if it might fall off at any moment—even though Bai Yuze was already used to it—was still something Yukino couldn't quite accept.

After exiting 207, the two exchanged a glance and headed toward room 205. But before they could even knock, the door to 205 opened on its own.

"Come in."

Yuan Xing's voice came from within. The pitch-black room was like a gaping abyss waiting to devour life. Bai Yuze pulled out Tuanzi's phone and turned on the flashlight, only then feeling his heart settle slightly.

As the two stepped inside, the iron door slammed shut. A cold glint flashed, and a knife pierced the wall right next to Bai Yuze.

"Oh? You've got some guts. Both you and that little girl are quite impressive."

Bai Yuze gave a faint smile. The reason he wasn't surprised was that he had experienced this before and was already accustomed to it, whereas Yukino hadn't reacted at all.

"I know what you're looking for, but I'm sorry, I don't have that thing here. However, I can use an item in this room to make a trade with you."

Through the dim light of the flashlight, they could barely see Yuan Xing sitting upright on the bed. His hollow eye sockets were fixed on the two of them, which was quite unsettling.

"A trade? What kind of trade?"

Bai Yuze was somewhat surprised. He clearly remembered that in the previous cycles, Yuan Xing had never proposed a trade. It seemed things had changed.

"If I'm not mistaken, you must have the key disk given by the front desk on you, right? I want that key to 207."

"What are you offering in exchange?"

Yuan Xing pointed to the wall behind them.

"I'll trade that knife for it. You must be quite troubled by that monster on the first floor, right?"

"Do you know something about the monster on the first floor?"

"I know a little. I'll tell you after I finish my business. Hand that key over to me."

"Then I'm afraid I have to refuse."

Bai Yuze rejected Yuan Xing's proposal. After all, in the previous cycles, the moment Yuan Xing got the key, he would go to fight Zhu Daqiang to the death, resulting in both of them perishing. Now that he finally had a chance to learn what had happened in this Minzhai, Bai Yuze wouldn't let this rare source of information disappear.

Yet, instead of getting angry, Yuan Xing burst into laughter. Just as Bai Yuze was feeling puzzled, Yuan Xing's next words left him shocked.

"You... you haven't died several times already, have you?"

"What do you mean?"

Bai Yuze quickly steadied his emotions, not letting a single crack show.

"Heh, to be so calm and composed when facing Zhu Daqiang's pursuit during the day—even well-trained people show timidity and fear when facing death, but you acted as if you were used to it. There are only two possibilities for this... either you've died many times... or you know what's going to happen next."

Yuan Xing's words made Bai Yuze feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. He was confused; in the previous cycles, Yuan Xing had acted like an NPC, but the current Yuan Xing felt as if an empty shell had suddenly gained a soul.

"Of course, I wouldn't dare to jump to conclusions based on that alone, but just now, I became certain that something is wrong with you."

"Just now? Could it be...!"

Only with Yuan Xing's hint did Bai Yuze recall how foolish his reaction had been just a moment ago.

"Remembered, have you? After all, I never said what 'that thing' was, yet you focused your attention on the 'trade.' This proves you indeed knew that the item wasn't in my room. But in reality, 'that thing' was something I made up. I was just testing your motives."

"So you knew from the very beginning that I would come looking for you? But what if I hadn't focused on the 'transaction'?"

"Of course, but I know myself. I don't have many friends and I dislike communicating with others, so I was very clear that I would never bring up the word 'transaction' myself. That is why I said it offhandedly, just to test your reaction."

Bai Yuze took a slight step back, while Yukino, upon discovering that the iron door wouldn't open, prepared to pull the knife from the wall to defend herself.

The moment Yukino made contact with the hilt, she felt her hand get burned.

"My apologies, beautiful lady, but this knife has yet to leave this room, so it remains under my jurisdiction."

"You can see?"

Faced with Yukino's questioning, Yuan Xing merely chuckled. He snapped his fingers, and the room instantly lit up.

At this moment, Yukino finally saw where Yuan Xing's eyeballs were; they were hanging in the corner of the ceiling, monitoring the two of them like a surveillance camera.

"A blind man has no need for lights, but I am not blind. I simply cannot put my eyeballs back in."

"So... can you consider the transaction between us now?"

Yuan Xing snapped his fingers, and the knife that had been stuck in the wall returned to his hand.

He sat there smiling, watching the two of them, the knife in his hand serving as both his bargaining chip and his source of confidence.