Catching the flash of panic in [Lao Mi]'s eyes, [Lone Elder] froze, then quietly signaled [Crazy Guy] with a glance. The two walked off to one side.
"What's wrong?" [Crazy Guy] asked.
[Lone Elder] looked grim. "Something's wrong with Lao Mi."
"Is there?" [Crazy Guy] asked doubtfully. "He's the first player to get a puppet. It's normal for him to be excited!"
"If you got a love puppet, would you spend an entire evening drinking and chatting with it, yet resist starting a livestream to show it off?" [Lone Elder] asked.
"..." [Crazy Guy] glanced at [Lao Mi] and frowned. "When you put it that way, it is a little strange."
"Don't you think Lao Mi's situation looks a little like Qingyu and Huaxi's?" [Lone Elder] continued.
Hiss!
[Crazy Guy] jolted, his eyes filled with disbelief. "You mean...?"
Gulp!
[Lone Elder] swallowed hard. "I suspect Shopkeeper Lin's Love Club works both ways. It didn't just affect the City Lord. It affected Lao Mi too."
"How is that possible?" [Crazy Guy] cried out, forgetting to use private chat and drawing several people's gazes.
[Lone Elder] glared at him.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, [Crazy Guy] smiled at the others, switched to private chat, and hurriedly said, "How is that possible? This is just a game! How could a game item affect a player?"
"Then how do you explain what happened to Lao Mi?" [Lone Elder] countered.
"Maybe... maybe it's a coincidence!" [Crazy Guy] babbled. "Maybe it isn't as serious as we think. How could a game affect someone in real life? And in such an absurd way? Hypnosis? Even if it were hypnosis, it shouldn't happen. This is just a game! If something happened to players in the game, would the Game Company still be able to stay in business?"