Cooperation

"Trouble?"

Watching a group of young men walking toward him from afar, Xu Tong couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Heh, the forest farm has more monks than gruel. Old Bart's daughter is the treasure of this place. Since you've arrived, she has to leave for the town clinic. If I were them, I'd be looking for trouble with you too."

Mad Dog grinned as he explained. He had no intention of helping; he turned and walked toward the back, but before leaving, he didn't forget to tell Xu Tong, "I'll be waiting for you in the Poplar Forest behind me tonight. If you're willing to cooperate, come."

Watching Mad Dog's retreating back, Xu Tong frowned. He looked at the stagnant water on the ground and aimlessly dipped his fingers into it, drawing on the stone slab by his feet.

"So you're the student who came here to cut in line!"

The group of young men had already reached Xu Tong's side by the time they finished speaking. The leader, a young man with thick eyebrows and large eyes, glared at him fiercely. "Get lost. We don't welcome trash like you here."

"That's right, get lost! With a bag of bones like you, you still want to be a forest ranger? Aren't you afraid a black bear will snatch you away at night?"

Listening to their insults, Xu Tong ignored them, focusing intently on the Nine-Grid Game he had drawn at his feet.

He casually drew an 'X' in the top-left corner, then looked up at the leader and his companions, pulling a beef patty from his coat.

The fragrant meat patty, glistening with oil, made the young men's eyes widen, and they couldn't help but swallow their saliva.

This was something they might not even get to eat during the Lunar New Year, let alone now. Having rushed back from the forest garden without time to eat, they couldn't resist the temptation.

"Want to eat? Play with me for a while. If you win, I'll give you another patty."

He pointed to the Nine-Grid Game on the ground and the small puddle of water beside it, speaking to the leader and his group.

"Ha, what's so hard about this? I'm just afraid you won't be able to handle losing and start crying!"

The young men exchanged smiles. They had played this children's game countless times; calling it a piece of cake would be an understatement.

"I'll give you a patty first. Every time you win, I'll give you something delicious. I still have two boiled eggs, another patty, and two packs of biscuits. If you lose, you answer a question for me. How about that?"

Xu Tong took the eggs out of his coat and shook them. Boiled eggs were not something they could easily get; the few hens at the forest farm only laid enough for the elders to stir-fry a dish once a month, and the young men never got a taste.

Furthermore, there were rare treats like biscuits. Since Xu Tong was giving them a patty upfront, they had no reason to refuse.

"I'll go first! I'll go first!"

The group tore the patty apart, eating as they played the Nine-Grid Game with him.

They played together, each one exceptionally focused. Whenever they won, Xu Tong immediately took out the treats and shared them.

However, Xu Tong did manage to win once, though it was a narrow, reluctant victory.

"What happened last night?"

He asked the young men.

At the mention of last night, the group paused, the meat patties halfway to their mouths. After exchanging glances, they whispered:

"They say the farm director was poisoned, but the elders say it's the revenge of the Old Mountain God. There's another theory, though—that he dug up some treasure from somewhere not long ago, and that treasure is cursed."

"Right, right, exactly! It's that Golden Dagger. Pure gold, this long, and it has a gemstone the size of a pigeon egg embedded in it!"

Another young man gestured with his hands.

He was immediately kicked by the leader, who pointed at the Nine-Grid Game on the ground. "That's two questions already. Hurry up."

Seeing this, Xu Tong simply divided the rest of the food among them. "No more playing. Take it all."

With that, he patted the dust off his clothes and stood up.

"Hey, why stop? You didn't lose every game, did you?"

The group was enjoying the meat patties and eggs. Seeing him leave, one of them couldn't help but ask.

Xu Tong waved his hand without looking back. "Out of pee, out of pee. Next time."

"Out of pee??"

The group looked at each other, confused as to what playing a Nine-Grid Game had to do with urine. In their bewilderment, someone suddenly seemed to realize something, their eyes widening as they stared at the now-dry puddle of water nearby.

In an instant, the meat patties in their hands didn't taste so good anymore...

"Ugh!!!"

When the elders of the forest farm walked out of the cafeteria, they saw the young men sprawled on the ground, vomiting until they were unconscious.

When they walked over and saw the eggs and meat patties discarded on the ground, their faces turned black. They raised their sticks and beat the youths until they were wailing for their parents.

"Oh, Comrade Xiao Chen, you've returned just in time. We were just about to go looking for you."

As soon as he reached the small cabin, the deputy director of the forest farm walked up to greet him, enthusiastically grabbing his hand. "I'm so sorry, Comrade Xiao Chen. Our farm had an incident yesterday, and we couldn't meet with you in time. My deepest apologies."

The deputy director looked to be in his fifties and was a veteran leader of the farm. Xu Tong waved his hand, revealing a harmless, innocent smile, while his peripheral vision drifted behind the old leader.

Standing behind him was a young woman—the very daughter of Old Bart.

She was in her early twenties. Perhaps due to years of wind and rain in the mountains, her skin was slightly darker than an average girl's, and there was a heroic spirit in her brow that most men lacked.

"Hello, Comrade Xiao Chen. My name is Yang Guanjin, just call me Xiao Jin. Thank you for saving my father. This is a gift I prepared for you; please, don't be modest."

Xiao Jin spoke concisely and clearly. Her voice was bright and sunny, carrying a straightforward, refreshing quality that made it easy to feel favorable toward her. It was no wonder the young men at the farm looked at him with such hostility.

As she spoke, she handed him a Deerskin Jacket. The jacket had several pockets sewn onto it, and the cuffs featured patterns of fish and flowers; it was clear at a glance that this wasn't something made in a day or two.

The deputy director patted his shoulder. "Xiao Jin is of the Bai ethnic group. This is their traditional attire. She has been working on this for nearly half a month; it's very precious. Old Bart told me you saved him twice, which is why she's giving this to you. Xiao Chen, you must cherish it."

After saying this, he shifted his tone: "Since you've arrived, let Yang Guanjin take you into the mountains to get familiar with the area. She's transferring to the town's health clinic next month, so the forestry work will be handed over to you!"

"Serving the people!"

"Good! You two get busy then. I have matters to attend to elsewhere. Once the recent troubles at the forestry station are settled, I'll throw you a welcome banquet!"

The deputy station chief finished speaking and hurried toward the office to discuss how to handle the late station chief's funeral arrangements.

"It's already very late, and you've been traveling for so long. Get some good rest tonight; I'll take you into the mountains to have a look first thing tomorrow morning."

Xu Tong nodded with a beaming smile. As he watched Yang Guanjin leave, the smile on his face gradually faded bit by bit.

He looked thoughtfully at the Deerskin Jacket in his hand, then turned around and, mimicking Yang Guanjin's exact tone and expression, walked toward his room step by step.

Every mannerism, every detail—even the angle and gaze Yang Guanjin had used when looking at him—was identical, save for the face itself.

It wasn't until he reached his door and placed the Deerskin Jacket in the air that his expression returned to normal.

"Strange??"

He picked up the Deerskin Jacket from the floor, muttered a few words to himself, and then turned to close the door.

At night, after a hurried meal, he didn't return to his room but instead stepped toward the Poplar Forest behind the station.

As expected, Mad Dog was sitting on a large rock in front of the woods waiting for him.

Seeing him arrive, he casually pulled out a burger and offered it: "Want a bite?"

Xu Tong patted his stomach, looking as if he were already full, and didn't take the burger from Mad Dog.

"How do you propose we cooperate?"

Mad Dog jumped down from the rock and said: "I have a special prop. Anything I've smelled once, I can recognize. That unique scent on you—others can't smell it, but it can't fool me. That's why I recognized you the moment you arrived."

Xu Tong didn't speak, quietly watching Mad Dog.

"The other three guys haven't shown up yet, which means their missions are different from ours—perhaps even conflicting. Do you really think the two of us can stand against them?"

Mad Dog stared at him intensely, his tone gradually turning cold: "A word of advice: in a Script World, the most terrifying things aren't those strange, supernatural entities, but people."

Plunder and slaughter don't just stop here; they are often carried out to the extreme. Rare props and the essential script points can all be acquired through trade or theft.

Sometimes, the rewards for killing another player far exceed the gains from completing a Script World adventure.

"Take this as a sign of my sincerity, how about it!"

Mad Dog pulled out a small bottle and handed it to him: "This is a Temporary Boost Potion. After drinking it, no matter how severe your injuries are, it will buy you thirty minutes of life-saving time. This is a rare prop. How about it? That's generous enough, right?"

Xu Tong took the bottle and stored it in his Prop Catalog. Sure enough, the prompt from the catalog matched what Mad Dog had said.

"Good stuff, but are you sure I'm worth this price?"

He held the bottle in his hand again, looking at Mad Dog with a half-smile.

Mad Dog shook his head bluntly: "Not worth it, but I have no choice."

"Then forget it. I don't do things that take advantage of others!" He put the potion down and turned to leave without looking back.

Mad Dog was stunned, his face turning ugly. He had thought this was a sure thing; he hadn't expected this guy to refuse.

"Don't go!"

Seeing Xu Tong about to leave, Mad Dog hurriedly called out to him, his expression helpless: "I received a side quest to protect that Golden Dagger. That means something is definitely going to happen to the dagger tonight, and I need someone to help me."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Tong received a mission notification: [Mad Dog has initiated a mission share with you.]

[Side Quest: Golden Dagger]

[Mission Objective: A dagger made of gold will naturally attract the greed of many. Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night. Protect it and don't let anyone steal it.]

[Mission Hint: The value of the dagger may not be money.]

Looking at the mission information sent by Mad Dog, a smile finally appeared on Xu Tong's face. He casually put the potion away and laughed: "Oh, I forgot to tell you—actually... I'm a veterinarian!"

Hearing this, Mad Dog's eyes widened, and he stared straight at Xu Tong: "You motherf*cker, you tricked me!"