"Sir, the total comes to 25,348. I recommend signing up for a membership. You'll get 20% off, bringing it down to..."
"No thanks. I'll pay the full price."
Xu Tong carefully inspected his new outfit in the mirror. They said clothes made the man, and after changing into a fresh set of clothes, his whole bearing had undergone a complete transformation.
He had to admit, expensive things had almost no flaws besides their price.
After leaving Li Bo, Xu Tong had found a jewelry store and sold a gold bar.
Then he'd started spending the money like crazy at this mall.
But he wasn't here to experience life as a nouveau riche. He was dressing himself from head to toe, after all, the police were still looking for him.
The best option was to leave the city.
But he'd escaped, and had no ID on him. Even taking a train would be difficult. To get out, he'd either have to hire a private car or take an unlicensed taxi.
Still, he didn't want to leave just yet. His good buddy, who'd been through thick and thin with him, was still stuck in the psychiatric hospital.
Of course, nothing was ever certain.
The police were looking for him, but only because they wanted to help. They couldn't issue a wanted notice for a patient, and he wouldn't have a record in the police database.
They were mostly worried he might have a breakdown and hurt someone.
Once the commotion died down and the police realized he hadn't caused any danger, they'd stop worrying about him.
As for the hospital, it was probably eager to keep the matter quiet. By then, he'd be completely free.
So the most important thing for now was to disguise himself as much as possible.
A high-end outfit and a neater hairstyle might seem flashy, but they also made for the best disguise.
Even if people saw the hospital's missing-person notice, they'd only think he looked similar—not that he was the same person.
No one would connect the well-dressed, successful man in the mirror with a patient who'd just escaped from a psychiatric hospital.
As for his old clothes, Xu Tong had simply tossed them into a trash can.
"Sir, would you like to try the latest murder-mystery game at our store? We're a nationwide chain with all kinds of genres. Whether you like suspense or the popular pure-romance style, we have it all."
By the elevator, a young woman eagerly approached him and began promoting her shop's murder-mystery games.
If he'd met her before last night, Xu Tong would have been very interested in the game she was talking about.
But after last night, no matter how lavish the poster in her hands looked, it seemed as dull as children playing pretend.
The difference was like that between a Syrian veteran fresh from the battlefield and someone recommending a game of paintball to him.
The young woman clearly didn't notice the impatience in Xu Tong's eyes. She glanced around, then lowered her voice enticingly.
"Our store also has exclusive scripts for top-tier members. You can choose one to three exclusive teammates and experience a custom emperor's-harem script."
Afraid Xu Tong wouldn't believe her, she took out her phone and showed him some photos. They did indeed feature several alluringly dressed girls in revealing outfits.
"Today's promotion: top-tier membership is just 38,000 for the initial charge, and you get an extra 4,000. It's a great deal."
It was hard to imagine that a service like this was available in the city's busiest shopping mall.
Even more surprising, he'd gotten to know the game of murder mysteries again in this way.
Unfortunately, he had no interest in wasting his excess energy on such a boring game.
"Ding!"
After turning the young woman down, Xu Tong stepped into the elevator, but a strange restlessness welled up inside him. He wanted to go to the Script Murder Experience Hall, to return to that Script World that filled him with excitement.
The uncontrollable restlessness grew stronger and stronger, until he was on the verge of losing it.
"Ding!"
As the elevator doors to the first floor slowly opened, Xu Tong's eyelid twitched. The mall's lobby, which should have been bustling with people, was completely deserted.
Not a single light was on in the empty lobby.
"Zzz... zzz... crack."
In the darkness, a few faulty sparks flickered. Then, a neon sign blinked on and off, gradually illuminating the surrounding darkness...
[Script Murder Experience Hall]
The familiar sign made him draw a deep breath. The air was thick with a rotten smell, yet it excited him more than the nicotine in a cigarette.
With a spring in his step, Xu Tong pushed open the cold glass door, his heart full of joy.
The same café-like furnishings. The same familiar reception desk.
When he saw that saccharine face, Xu Tong even found her unbearably sweet appearance adorable.
"Welcome!"
The young woman looked up. Beneath her practiced smile, her eyes scrutinized Xu Tong. "Sorry, the next round of murder mysteries hasn't started yet. Please come back three days after you receive an Invitation Card."
At her response, the smile on Xu Tong's face froze. He stared blankly at her for a moment.
"Sir, is there anything else I can help you with?" the young woman asked patiently.
Hearing her question, Xu Tong tilted his head back, looking thoroughly bored. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Is there a way for me to find the shop whenever I want?"
This was important. Last night, the speeding driver had suddenly gotten into an accident, which led to Xu Tong receiving an Invitation Card.
Only after entering had he learned that the driver was Wang Shaohui's classmate, and that he'd arrived late.
Then, that morning, he'd heard that Zhou Yu and Wang Shaohui had died. Both had met with accidents.
That couldn't be a coincidence.
It seemed more like some kind of punishment mechanism. Being late or failing a mission might lead to the sort of freak accident people heard about on the news.
"You're already an exclusive member of this store. After you receive an Invitation Card, you'll be given a specific time to enter. You'll also be able to see the store's sign within thirty minutes before that time.
"However, under special circumstances, you can spend 2 Script Points to get a fast route to the store. For example... right now!"
"Oh!"
Xu Tong nodded and summoned his Prop Catalog. Sure enough, his Script Points had dropped from 120 to 118.
He seemed to have spent those 2 Script Points while his thoughts were in a muddle just now.
That seemed a little pricey!
Two Script Points might not sound like much, even negligible, but they were enough to activate a title once or use the Soul Detention skill of the [Ghost-Charming Bell] once.
He seemed to have finally grasped the irreplaceable value of Script Points.
He should've asked for a gold bar instead!
He sighed. He was sure that the fool Li Bo still hadn't realized how important Script Points were. If Xu Tong had asked for half of his Script Points instead, Li Bo probably would've been delighted.
But some opportunities, once missed, were gone for good. Even if Xu Tong went back to Li Bo with the gold now, Li Bo would never give him his Script Points.
So he continued, "What does the bronze badge do?"
"Lots of things. You'll have to find out for yourself!"
The young woman was stingy with her words and wouldn't explain further. Still, her slender index finger slid smoothly from the corner of her lips, rubbing away the lipstick that had stained it.
Unfortunately, Xu Tong ignored her performance completely and moved on to his next question. "If I have an item I need appraised..."
"Appraised?"
The young woman's brows lifted, creasing her fair face slightly. "Our store provides appraisal services. Since you're an exclusive member, you get a 20% discount. A basic appraisal only costs 5 Script Points."
Five Script Points wasn't exactly expensive, but it wasn't cheap either.
Just as Xu Tong was about to agree, he suddenly realized something. He waved a hand. "My friend will do it cheaper. And your face... never mind. I'm leaving!"
"My face?!"
The young woman's pupils contracted. She quickly took out a mirror and examined herself, then turned around and saw that Xu Tong was already at the door. She hurriedly called, "Wait! I can give you a better price, but first tell me what's wrong with my face!"
Last time, this guy had stared at her until she felt uncomfortable all over, making her suspicious of herself for ages. Now he'd brought it up again, and she couldn't help feeling uneasy.
"That's a problem..."
"You have to believe me. As a professional plastic surgeon, I can stand by every word I say. It's just that..."
He looked troubled as he picked an inconspicuous strand of hair off his clothes and rolled it between his thumb and forefinger.
The young woman stared at him in disbelief. Was this guy trying to extort money from her?
After freezing for a moment, she finally gave in and lowered her head. Her delicate features twisted as if she'd made a difficult decision. "Free appraisal!"
"Sounds good!"
He placed the Prop Card marked "Unidentified" in front of her, as if the whole thing had been planned from the start.
"Hmph! You'd better hope you're not lying to me. Otherwise..."
The young woman expressionlessly picked up the card. Seeing the strange patterns on its surface, she couldn't help frowning.
She took a square box out from under the desk. Once she'd opened it, she carefully removed a black wooden mallet and brought it down hard on the card.
"Crack..."
The mallet didn't actually touch the card. Instead, it seemed to hit some kind of invisible resistance. A sound like breaking glass rang out, and wisps of black light began to spread from the card on the table.
"You're pretty lucky. People usually can't get something like this, especially not a beginner like you."
The young woman glanced at the card on the table, surprised by its unusual properties.
Xu Tong impatiently took the card back and put it in his Prop Catalog. A line after line of brand-new information appeared on what had been a blank Prop Card.
Before you continue