Three Lovable Troublemakers

Shen Nian heard Lu Xiu's words.

Seeing Lu Xiu's mysterious and inscrutable expression, as if she were genuinely concerned for the players, he felt somewhat guilty.

So she had an ulterior motive, even if it meant bearing the brunt of public condemnation. She was truly carrying a heavy burden. Her level of awareness was astounding—while he himself was still afraid and worried about being hunted down. He was utterly inhuman.

Jian Li lowered her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

"So, let's not talk about anything related to dungeons."

Lu Xiu added, "After you finish your tea, go back to where you belong. No swearing allowed!"

"I'm not here to ask about the dungeon."

Jian Li finally spoke up, "I've come to ask you about some settings in the Outlast dungeon."

"Set up----?"

Lu Xiu was somewhat surprised, then looked at Shen Nian: "And you?"

Upon hearing this, Jian Li also looked at Shen Nian, her gaze filled with a hint of inquiry.

"I came here to prevent you from revealing that I said players like the feeling of powerlessness, and Yan Fushou asked me to give you psychological counseling."

In that case...

Shen Nian couldn't bring herself to say it, and could only say, "My goal is the same as Miss Jian Li's."

"It's rare that anyone cares about this. If it's a problem with the plot, it shouldn't trigger the Goddess Intervention. I can answer that for you."

Lu Xiu nodded slightly, secretly relieved that they weren't here to scold her, "But it's almost six o'clock—haven't you all eaten yet? Desserts aren't enough, how about we go out and find a restaurant to eat and chat?"

If the two of them came to confront me.

Lu Xiu first tried to be polite, then decided to send them away after offering them a cup of tea.

But the two weren't there to confront us—we could consider having a meal together.

After all, Lu Xiu was quite interested in the daily lives of these elites from the Coordination Bureau, and she genuinely disliked desserts.

Upon hearing this...

Neither Jian Li nor Shen Nian refused.

"Let's go then."

Seeing that the two did not refuse, Lu Xiu stood up, tidied herself up quickly, and took the access card. "I haven't explored this area much yet, so I'll take a look around."

The three of them went out together.

There are no restaurants near the apartment, and there aren't many pedestrians.

Because this area is sensitive, the people living here are not nobody; it's like a central hub, with security personnel everywhere.

Since Lu Xiu moved in, the security force has increased dramatically, with frontline soldiers stationed both overtly and covertly.

However, this martial law was limited to the two surrounding streets.

After all, it is located in the bustling area of Chen Capital. Just one kilometer east of the apartment is Wuyi Lane, an extremely lively and famous commercial street.

The three of them strolled all the way to the commercial street.

The commercial street was quite crowded, even very crowded.

Although the World Gamification, people still need to eat. Although you can exchange Survival Points for food in the game store, there are still places where you can experience the warmth of human life.

Most people are still willing to experience it.

After all, there are some things in this world that cold, hard data can never replace.

For example, freshly stir-fried hot dishes with a wok-fried aroma and a slightly charred fragrance.

For example, the bustling yet comforting atmosphere of everyday life.

Moreover, many people in the country, although their Survival Points are not wealthy, are not so poor that they cannot survive. With the support of the Coordination Bureau and the front-line troops, the monsters on the front line have been stopped, and they are well protected in the rear. At least they are not in danger of being eaten by monsters when the city is breached tomorrow.

In addition, in order to stabilize social order in the rear areas, the Coordination Bureau intentionally guided and supported the operation of basic businesses.

This makes the world feel different, yet also feel unchanged.

Lu Xiu also appreciated the Coordination Bureau's approach. After all, if people are deprived of even the right to a hot meal or a stroll in the street, then even if the whole society is not destroyed by monsters, it will collapse under long-term oppression and despair.

Preserving basic commerce is, in a way, preserving people's hope as human beings.

The three of them walked around in a circle.

The event attracted a lot of attention, as it was hard not to look when three stunningly beautiful girls with completely different personalities walked side by side down the street.

Each one is exceptionally outstanding.

Let alone the three of them together.

Because it was lunchtime, many restaurants were already packed with people or had long queues.

Lu Xiu finally stopped in front of a restaurant with a bright red facade and a sign that read "The Hard Roads to Shu - Authentic Sichuan Cuisine".

This place seems to have the fewest people.

How about Sichuan cuisine?

Lu Xiu stopped and turned to look at the two people beside her. After hesitating for a moment, she asked, "Can you eat spicy food?"

Shen Nian glanced subconsciously at Jian Li beside her, then at Lu Xiu who was politely asking questions.

In fact, she is a typical girl from the Jiangnan water towns. She even rinses green peppers three times in water before eating them.

But now—one is a senior member of the Strategy Group at the Coordination Bureau, and the other is his benefactor.

She always felt it was bad to spoil the fun.

so.

Shen Nian forced a gentle smile, "I'm fine with anything, even a little bit of spice is okay."

On the other side...

Jian Li's pure, glass-like eyes glanced at the restaurant before her, then at Lu Xiu: "I don't dislike it."

"Let's go with this one."

Seeing that neither of them objected, Lu Xiu hesitated for a moment before leading them inside.

Actually, she herself is not someone who can eat spicy food very well.

She chose this restaurant simply because there was no queue.

In addition, the three of them together were too conspicuous, and the constant stares from all directions made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

Since neither of them objected, she felt embarrassed to admit that she couldn't eat it, so she had no choice but to bite the bullet and go inside.

The three of them sat down at a small square table by the window.

The waiter handed over the menu with great enthusiasm.

Lu Xiu opened the menu, looked at the pages full of bright red pictures, paused for a moment, and then pushed the menu towards the center. "You are the guests, you should order first."

Shen Nian hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took the menu. Looking at the items on the menu, she felt a chill run down her spine.

She flipped through the menu and finally found a dish at the end that seemed suitable for her, so she quickly wrote it down.

He then immediately handed the menu to Jian Li.

Jian Li took the menu, looked through it for a while, wrote something down, and then handed it to Lu Xiu.

I went around in a circle.

Lu Xiu took the menu and order form back and glanced down at them.

Stir-fried seasonal vegetables

[Stir-fried seasonal vegetables x2]

Lu Xiu stared at the elegant handwriting on the menu, paused for a moment, and really wanted to write "[Stir-fried Seasonal Vegetables x3]" at the end.

But in the end, she held back. "Wait, what did you order? Let me confirm first, are you just embarrassed, or can't you eat spicy food at all?"

On the left, Shen Nian, who came from a water town in Jiangnan, was studying the texture of the tablecloth with her head down, pretending not to hear.

On the right, Jian Li, the top player in the Coordination Bureau Strategy Group and an ice-cold beauty, reached out and summoned the System Panel, seemingly sending a message to someone.

"No----"

Lu Xiu watched as the two people simultaneously looked away, feeling utterly exhausted.

She slammed the menu shut, covering her pretty face in despair. The words that escaped through her fingers were filled with disbelief and despair. "You two should have said you couldn't eat spicy food! I asked if you could eat spicy food, and one of you said you could have a little, and the other said you didn't hate it!"

"Finally, we came in and ordered two plates of stir-fried seasonal vegetables!"

"What do we do now?!"

Three people.

Three complete weaklings who can't handle spicy food at all.

To accommodate each other's preferences, they put on a show together with remarkable tacit understanding.

Then, hand in hand, they entered the most authentic Sichuan restaurant on the street.

Finally, they ordered three servings of stir-fried seasonal vegetables? What's that supposed to mean?

What a tragedy!

"What a tragedy!"

The Coordination Bureau, the Strategy Group, a rest room.

A flash of Bai Guang followed.

Fan Lixin, sporting his wild, frizzy hair, returned from the dungeon after dying. He took out his sunglasses from his backpack, put them back on, and sighed deeply, exuding an aura of despair.

About two minutes later.

A flash of Bai Guang appeared again.

Wei Yidong also died and came back.

Just landed.

He started swearing and cursing.

"Lu Xiu! Are you kidding me?! A DV camera can slip from your hand and fall! Why didn't you just make me play through in the dark?! Why didn't you just dig a hole and bury me alive?! What kind of hellish setting is this?!"

Fan Lixin waited until he finished cursing before asking, "----Any progress?"

"Progress?"

Wei Yidong turned his head to look at Fan Lixin, his expression beyond despair. "What progress! What progress! In that state of being stretched to the point of running around like a dog, what progress could I possibly make?!"

The Roleplay Instance already has Memory Blur mechanism after death, meaning you won't remember many details.

This bullshit "Outlast" game now expects me to just run for my life! The whole thing is groping in the dark! What am I supposed to remember?!

In that situation, what strategy or plan could you possibly have in your mind? All you remember is running away in a panic!

I stumbled into the mental hospital and got a fright; after exploring some dark, haunted room, I was startled again by someone pressing their face against mine; then I was chased! Hiding here and there—and all the while, I was looking for weapons, but couldn't find anything!

All I can remember is this garbage! No route, no direction to go, no progress whatsoever! This dungeon is not for humans!

"What a tragedy!"

Fan Lixin sighed again, because his situation was exactly the same as Wei Yidong's.

Wei Yidong was still cursing and swearing.

Subsequently, more members of the Strategy Group died and returned.

Everyone was as if they'd eaten shit and had no will to live.

No one chose to re-enter the instance immediately after dying.

soon.

Wei Yidong was too exhausted to continue his tirade.

The main problem is that scolding is useless.

Yan Fushou has just given a death order.

The Strategy Group is going all out to conquer this dungeon; there's no room for discussion.

lounge.

Everyone just sat there in silence.

Everyone felt hopeless about life.

At this time.

The message notification sounded in the internal group.

Many people opened their communication interface and glanced at it.

Yan Fushou sent a new message, seemingly to encourage the players in the Strategy Group.

[Yan Fushou: Jian Li just found out some information. Lu Xiu has a purpose in creating these dungeons; it's not just to torture players. I suspect it might be related to the new version. So, besides the rewards for clearing them, getting familiar with the dungeons might also be beneficial. Good luck, everyone!]

Everyone who saw this message fell silent.

"Is there a purpose? Is there a benefit?"

"What benefit is there? What purpose is there?!"

"She's just tormenting people."

Wei Yidong was the first to jump up, breaking down in tears. "I don't believe her for a second! If she really had a ulterior motive, I'd immediately buy a DV camera identical to the one in the dungeon and eat it! What motive could she possibly have to torture people like this?! She's doing it on purpose! She's deliberately torturing the players!"

No one responded.

But everyone showed an expression of agreement.

At the same time.

Longsword Guild.

[I just found out that the Lu Xiu dungeon was built with a specific purpose in mind, possibly related to the version update notifications received by the Architect, and it's not just for torturing people.]

Even if it's not for the reward, you should still clear this dungeon for the sake of your future! Good luck everyone!

Jiang Qiu also posted a similar message.

It's no secret that the major guilds and the Coordination Bureau have infiltrated each other.

Furthermore, Yan Fushou didn't intend to keep it a secret when he notified the other members.

Therefore, these major guilds quickly learned of Lu Xiu's attitude.

only.

The Strategy Group members from these large guilds have attitudes similar to those of the Strategy Group from the Coordination Bureau.

That is.

"With a purpose?"

"Bullshit!"

"Benefit?"

"I'd be incredibly lucky if I could clear this dungeon before I have a nervous breakdown!"

blessing