The Simp Strikes Back

Where was the system notification?

When Chen Feng had cleared the goldfish-catching game, the system had immediately confirmed his check-in. This time, though, it had gone completely silent.

Maybe he needed to get the Game Coin before the check-in would count. If so, he should have taken the risk just now.

Chen Feng seemed to have found a reasonable explanation, but his instincts told him otherwise.

He felt as though he had overlooked something important.

He went over the air-rifle rules again:

[One monster, one bullet. A player who knocks down ten monsters can obtain one Game Coin from the owner.]

[Watching during the game is strictly forbidden.]

"The goldfish-catching rules said the owner would award a Game Coin. These say you obtain one from the owner."

"That was practically spelling it out."

"Doesn't the owner fit the definition of a monster too?"

"The rules never said the monsters were only balloons. We just assumed they were."

Once everything clicked, Chen Feng raised the rifle and said to the owner, "Hand over the Game Coin."

The owner said nothing. It suddenly brandished its scissors and lunged at Chen Feng.

But the black barrel of the rifle was waiting for it.

At this range, a gun was faster and more accurate.

Bang!

"I couldn't hit the balloons, but did you think I'd miss a target as big as you?"

Looking at the owner sprawled on the ground, Chen Feng thought, That was close.

The first nine monsters had all been the same. Making the last one the owner, hidden in plain sight, was a nasty trick.

Especially since the fish owner in the previous game had been nothing more than a mascot who explained the rules. It was easy to let your guard down around an owner after that.

Then came a click.

Chen Feng now understood why watching this game was forbidden. Once someone saw a player fall for the trick, everyone after them could clear it easily.

After searching the owner, Chen Feng found a Game Coin.

[Ding! Congratulations, user. You have successfully checked in at the Horror Amusement Park air-rifle game.]

Meanwhile, at the edge of the forest.

Captain Wu was furious. "Damn it, that kid went in without saying a word. When Xiaohu gets out, I'm giving him a slap."

Lin He snickered to himself. Gets out? He probably isn't coming back.

But a moment later, he could no longer smile.

Chen Feng walked out of the forest without a scratch.

Lin He, the captain, and the priest were stunned. None of them spoke, but their faces all said the same thing: You're alive?

Not only was he alive, he wasn't even hurt?

Lin He couldn't make sense of it. His faith in himself nearly shattered.

Captain Wu almost asked, "The owner didn't catch you off guard?"

Then he remembered Meng Chengcheng was still there. She had yet to play the game. If she heard him, he would lose a Game Coin and become ineligible to complete the mission.

So although Captain Wu desperately wanted to know how Chen Feng had cleared it, he could only keep quiet.

Then another frightening thought struck him.

The man before him looked exactly like Liu Xiaohu, but his behavior, speech, and performance were nothing like the cowardly simp Captain Wu knew.

Cihang City had more monsters capable of disguising themselves as humans than anyone could count.

Could this man be someone other than Liu Xiaohu?

Captain Wu put a hand on his holster.

But just as Captain Wu's suspicions peaked, Chen Feng dispelled them with two sentences.

Chen Feng pointed at the forest. "Are you still going in?"

Meng Chengcheng gave a nod. Even Liu Xiaohu hadn't given up, so she had no reason to run away.

But Chen Feng's next words made her blood boil. "Chengcheng, there's something wrong with the owner. Be careful. The ten monsters mentioned in the rules include the owner."

The instant he finished speaking, Chen Feng felt his pocket grow lighter. The Game Coin he had just earned was gone.

But Chen Feng didn't care. From the start, he had only planned to clear five games, collect his check-in points, and make a clean exit.

What good would handing a souvenir doll over to the organization do him?

His avatar's life mattered too.

Besides, Chen Feng had realized that performing exceptionally well twice in a row could make everyone suspicious. So, to play the part of Liu Xiaohu the simp, he had deliberately done something idiotic.

It worked immediately.

Captain Wu's furrowed brow smoothed out. Then he laughed in exasperation.

No monster would act like that much of a simp.

So there was nothing wrong with Liu Xiaohu's identity. His brain was another matter.

Meng Chengcheng's whole face visibly reddened. "Xiaohu, what do you mean by that? Do you think I couldn't figure it out myself?"

Honestly, Meng Chengcheng didn't know how to react.

Should she be angry? Xiaohu had given her a hint. Wasn't that looking down on her, assuming she would get into trouble?

But then again, the owner counted as one of the monsters?

Without his hint, would I really have noticed?

Even the captain, vice-captain, and Lin He fell for it. If it were me, I might have died.

Once she realized that, Meng Chengcheng couldn't bring herself to voice the accusations on the tip of her tongue. All she said was, "Just wait. After I finish the game, you and I are going to talk in private."

With that, she tossed her hair and stormed into the forest.

The sight finally cheered Lin He up a little. Xiaohu, you're the biggest fool in the world. You know how proud Chengcheng is, and you still did that. Now she hates you, doesn't she?

But just as Lin He settled in to watch him try to explain himself, Chen Feng asked the captain, "Once Chengcheng comes out, are we carrying on today?"

"No."

Captain Wu looked over his team. Some were injured, others were barely able to keep going. They definitely needed a rest.

"Then I'm getting sleepy. I'll head back to the hotel."

Chen Feng had been controlling his avatar for long enough.

His avatar and his real body worked like this: whichever one held his consciousness was active, while the other went dormant.

The Trio had been gaming the whole time and hadn't had a chance to pay attention to him, but leaving his avatar asleep all the time wasn't ideal.

Besides, he still hadn't finished today's hero training plan.

Captain Wu paused. "All right, then. But didn't Chengcheng say she wanted to talk to you?"

Chen Feng answered casually, "Haven't we already booked our rooms? She can come find me in mine."

Asking the woman he worshipped to come find a simp like him in the middle of the night?

Captain Wu kept his mouth shut, but thought, You've got some nerve.

So when Meng Chengcheng finished the game and came out, ready to have a proper talk with Chen Feng, she discovered he had gone back to sleep and stood her up.

She finally snapped. "Liu—Xiao—hu!"

Captain Wu thought the whole thing was insane.

A simp had actually dared to make the woman he worshipped come to him late at night.

And the most astonishing part was that she really went.

Determined to get an explanation, Meng Chengcheng swallowed her anger. The moment she entered the hotel, she marched straight to Chen Feng's room and pounded on the door. "Open up! Open the door!"

But what happened next was even more outrageous.

The door stayed shut.

[Push-ups +1. Current total: 45.]

[Push-ups +1. Current total: 46.]

Chen Feng was exercising at Happiness Internet Cafe. He had no time to log into his alternate account and talk about some damned love story.

As for whether Meng Chengcheng got angry, he cared even less.

Liu Xiaohu was the simp. What did that have to do with Chen Feng?