Appraisal Item Card

"Sir, the total is 25,348. I recommend you sign up for a membership; you'll enjoy a twenty percent discount, which brings the price down to..."

"No need. Just charge the current price."

In front of the mirror, Xu Tong carefully examined his brand-new outfit. They say clothes make the man, and after changing into this fresh attire, his entire aura had undergone a complete transformation.

It must be said that the only flaw expensive things have is that they are expensive.

After leaving Li Bo, Xu Tong had found a gold shop and sold one of his gold bars.

He began to spend the money he received like a madman throughout the mall.

However, he wasn't here to play the part of a nouveau riche; he was packaging himself from head to toe. After all, the police were still looking for him.

The best way out was to leave the city.

But since he had escaped, he didn't have his ID card on him, making it difficult to even board a train. To leave, he would either have to hire a private car or take an unlicensed taxi.

Yet, he didn't want to leave the city just yet. After all, he still had a good brother in the mental hospital who had shared his hardships and hadn't made it out yet.

Of course, nothing in this world is absolute.

Although the police were looking for him, it was out of a desire to help. They couldn't issue a warrant for a patient, and there would be no record of him in the police database.

They were mostly worried that he might have a breakdown and cause harm to others.

Once the heat died down and the police realized he hadn't caused any trouble, they would stop worrying about his case.

As for the hospital, they were likely eager to sweep the matter under the rug. By then, he would be truly free.

Therefore, the most important thing for him right now was to disguise himself as much as possible.

A high-end outfit and a neater hairstyle served as the best form of concealment while appearing high-profile.

Even if people saw the missing person notice issued by the hospital, they would only think he looked similar, not that he actually was the person.

Surely, no one would associate such a dapper, successful man in the mirror with a patient who had just escaped from a mental hospital.

As for his original clothes, Xu Tong naturally tossed them into a trash can without a second thought.

"Sir, would you like to try our store's latest Script Murder game? We are a national chain with all kinds of genres. Whether you prefer suspense or the currently popular pure romance style, we have it all."

At the elevator entrance, a girl greeted him enthusiastically, trying to sell him on their Script Murder games.

If it had been before last night, he would have been very interested in what the girl was talking about.

But after last night, no matter how flashy the posters in the girl's hands looked, they seemed like child's play to him—utterly dull and flavorless.

The difference was like a Syrian veteran who had just walked off the battlefield being offered a game of airsoft.

However, the girl clearly didn't notice the trace of impatience in Xu Tong's eyes. She glanced left and right, then lowered her voice, speaking in a seductive tone:

"Also, our store has exclusive scripts for top-tier members. You can choose one to three exclusive teammates to experience our special monarch and harem scripts."

Afraid that Xu Tong wouldn't believe her, she even took out her phone and flipped through photos to show him. Sure enough, the photos featured several alluring girls dressed in revealing clothing.

"We have a promotion today. For top-tier membership, a first-time deposit of 38,000 gets you an extra 4,000. It's a great deal."

It was hard to imagine that such services existed in the most prosperous mall in the city.

What was even more surprising was that he had encountered this game again in such a manner.

But unfortunately, he had no interest in wasting his extra energy on this boring game.

"Ding!"

After declining the girl, Xu Tong stepped into the elevator, but a strange restlessness stirred in his heart. He wanted to go to the Script Murder Experience Hall; he wanted to return to that Script World that made him feel so alive.

This irrepressible restlessness grew stronger and stronger, just as he was about to lose his mind.

"Ding!"

As the elevator doors leading to the first floor slowly opened, Xu Tong's eyelids twitched. The mall lobby, which should have been bustling with people, was completely empty.

Not a single soul was in the vast, vacant hall, and not even a single light was turned on.

"Zzz... zzz... click."

In the darkness, after a few sparks from faulty wiring flickered, the neon lights began to hum, gradually illuminating the surroundings...

[Script Murder Experience Hall]

Seeing the familiar sign, he couldn't help but take a deep breath. The air was filled with the scent of decay, yet it excited him more than the nicotine in a cigarette.

With a light step, Xu Tong pushed open the cold glass door, filled with joy.

It was still the same coffee-shop-like decor, still the same familiar front desk.

When he saw that face, sweet enough to be cloying, Xu Tong even felt she was adorable.

"Welcome!"

The young girl looked up, her standardized smile masking her gaze as she scrutinized Xu Tong. "I'm sorry, the new round of Script Murder has not yet begun. Please return three days after receiving your invitation card."

Hearing this reply, the smile on Xu Tong's face stiffened, and he stared blankly at the woman for a moment.

"Sir, is there anything else?" the girl asked patiently.

Hearing her question, Xu Tong tilted his head back, looking utterly bored. He thought for a moment and asked, "Is there any way for me to find this store at any time?"

This question was crucial. The racer who sped by last night had suddenly met with a car accident, which was how he had obtained the invitation card.

After entering the shop, he realized that the racer was a classmate of Wang Shaohui and had already been late.

Coupled with the news he heard that morning of the deaths of Zhou Yu and Wang Shaohui, both of whom had also died in accidents, it was clear this was no coincidence.

It felt more like some kind of punishment mechanism; the consequence of being late or failing a mission might very well be one of those random accidents people heard about on the news.

"You have become an exclusive member of this shop. After receiving your invitation card, you will be given a specific entry time, and within thirty minutes prior to that, you will be able to see the shop's sign. However, in special circumstances, you may consume 2 Script Points to obtain a way to reach the shop quickly, for example... right now!"

"Oh!!"

Xu Tong nodded. After summoning his item manual, he saw that his Script Points had indeed dropped from 120 to 118.

It seemed that in his state of confusion just moments ago, he had consumed those 2 Script Points.

It seemed... a bit expensive!

2 Script Points might sound like a small, even negligible amount at first, but 2 Script Points were enough to activate a title or even use the soul-detention skill of the [Ghost-Charming Bell].

He now seemed to realize the irreplaceable value of Script Points.

If only he had known, he wouldn't have asked for gold bars!

He sighed, believing that the fool Li Bo had yet to realize the importance of Script Points. If he had changed his terms back then to ask for half of Li Bo's Script Points, he believed Li Bo would have been very happy to agree.

But some things were just like that; once an opportunity was missed, it was gone. Even if he went back to Li Bo now with gold in hand, Li Bo would certainly not give him his Script Points.

Thus, he continued to ask: "What is the function of the Bronze Badge??"

"Many. For specifics, please explore them yourself!"

The young girl was sparing with her words and unwilling to explain further on this matter. However, her slender index finger still traced slowly across the corner of her lips, rubbing the smeared lipstick against her finger.

Unfortunately, her performance was directly ignored by Xu Tong, who continued to the next question: "If I have items that need appraisal..."

"Appraisal!"

The girl's brows lifted slightly, and a faint wrinkle appeared on her fair face: "This shop provides appraisal services. Given that you are an exclusive member, I can offer you a twenty percent discount. A basic appraisal only costs 5 Script Points."

5 Script Points was not expensive, but it certainly wasn't cheap either.

Just as Xu Tong was about to agree, he suddenly realized something and waved his hand: "My friend's place is cheaper, and also, your face... never mind, I'm leaving!"

"My face!!"

The girl's pupils constricted, and she hurriedly took out a mirror to examine herself carefully. When she turned back, she saw Xu Tong had already reached the door, so she hurriedly said: "Wait! I can give you a cheaper price, but tell me clearly what is wrong with my face first!"

Last time, this brat had stared at her until she felt completely uncomfortable, leaving her suspicious and uneasy for a long time. Now that it was brought up again, she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread.

"This question..."

"You must believe that as a professional plastic surgeon, I can guarantee that I am responsible for every word I say, but..."

He pinched an inconspicuous hair on his clothes, looking troubled, and rubbed it back and forth between his index finger and thumb.

The girl widened her eyes in disbelief. This guy was actually trying to extort money from her in return??

After a moment of stagnation, the girl finally lowered her head in defeat. Her delicate features twisted as if she had made a difficult decision: "Free appraisal!"

"Alrighty!"

The item card marked for appraisal was already placed before the girl, as if everything had been premeditated.

"Hmph! You had better pray that you aren't lying to me, otherwise..."

The girl took the card with an expressionless face. When she saw the strange dark patterns on the card, she couldn't help but frown.

She took a square box from under the table. After opening it, she carefully took out a black wooden mallet and struck the card on the table with force.

"Click..."

The hammer didn't actually touch the card; instead, it seemed to meet some resistance in the air. Following a sound like glass shattering, the card on the table suddenly began to emit wisps of black light.

"Your luck isn't bad. For a novice like you, you generally wouldn't be able to obtain something like this."

After glancing at the card on the table, the girl seemed surprised by the unique nature of this item card.

Xu Tong couldn't wait to retrieve the card back into his item manual. As he did, lines of brand-new information appeared before him on the previously blank card.