The man hoped the young man would give him an unusual reaction, something other than begging for mercy or submitting, at least.
It was strange.
He had only come here to get his hands on the S-rank card, yet Mo Yu now felt that even the card was not all that important.
Right now, he cared more about what surprise or shock the young man might come up with next to escape his predicament.
The striking, flamboyant young man showed no trace of panic. His red eyes looked clear and translucent under the light, carrying a coy allure.
"An advanced player getting handsy with a newbie-I honestly wouldn't mind that much if word got out... but it wouldn't do your guild's reputation any favors, would it?"
With both his combat skills and talent above average, the chances of this man not belonging to a guild were slim. He might even be the leader of a famous one.
He might not care himself, but that did not mean other people would not read into it.
Sure enough, the moment he finished speaking, the young man noticed a slight change in the man's expression.
There's a chance!
Shen Ru lowered his eyes to look at him, warmth and intimacy softening his gaze as he coaxed gently:
"I know you mainly want this S-rank card for an invitation to the Secret Garden Tea Party. It sounds so interesting. Take me with you!"
The young man did not spell it out, but his meaning was clear.
If you don't take me with you, we'll burn it all down. Neither of us gets to win.
Mo Yu clearly understood the implication too. He narrowed his dark eyes, excitement warring with restraint within them. His gaze was like that of a kitten toying with its prey, while inwardly he felt a wicked sense of satisfaction.
Luckily, the young man was interesting enough to make this boring trip extraordinarily dazzling.
A low, delighted voice burst against Shen Ru's ear.
"My pleasure."
Shen Ru regained his freedom and calculated how much time remained in the time stop. Then the corners of his eyes tilted upward slightly, his gaze drifting over the man's handsome face. His voice was soft and sweet as he spoke in the final two seconds:
"Come find me after the instance ends. With your abilities, that shouldn't be difficult, right?"
Suddenly.
The frozen atmosphere sprang back to life. The lights still buzzed in the room, and the stench of rot and blood still lingered in their nostrils. But one thing had changed from before the time stop-
Mo Yu was gone.
In the livestream chat:
[With that mouth, it's honestly a waste that gorgeous Shen doesn't do stand-up...]
[Aaaaah, what do you mean, a player!? That's my long-lost wife~~~]
[Threatening someone in that gentle voice-help, that's so hot!!!]
[The last time I was this fucking excited was the last time!!!]
Qi Liang and the other two stared in horror at Shen Ru and the spot where Mo Yu had been standing just a moment ago.
An unhealthy flush stained the expert's face. The rims of his eyes and the tip of his nose were slightly red, as though he had been thoroughly bullied, and even his dark red eyes held a moist sheen of tears.
Just how brutal had that fight been...
He'd fucking beaten him to tears...
Wei Lingling was not as oblivious as the two boys. She looked hesitantly at the young man before her, frowning slightly. She wanted to say something, but felt it would be intrusive, so she kept quiet.
Although Qi Liang was a scumbag, he was very good at easing the tension.
He did not ask any questions about the monster's inexplicable disappearance. It was most likely the work of those two experts, and knowing too much about certain things would do him no good.
Rather than bringing up the man's departure, he asked tentatively, "Boss, what do we do next? Are we still doing side quests?"
Shen Ru said nothing, because he was not sure whether there would be any more side quests either.
Mo Yu had left the instance. Perhaps its difficulty would return to that of a normal beginner instance now that the man was gone.
But... Shen Ru had a bad feeling.
If the instance had originally been designed for five people and had been forced to expand because Mo Yu joined, raising the difficulty, that would be one thing.
But if this instance had been meant for six people all along, who would fill the remaining vacancy...?
Besides, that fucking freak had sacrificed a player before leaving.
Before the young man could fully think through the possibilities, the speaker in the upper right corner suddenly crackled with static.
An eerie, unsettling voice abruptly burst through the silent, cramped space.
"Now... hiring two convenience store employees... report for work before seven tomorrow morning... kzzzt..."
The voice sounded like someone humming a tuneless melody through a hoarse throat. Chilling malice poured from the loudspeaker again and again, as though it were deliberately broadcasting for someone in particular.
Even the blond hair on Cheng Lin's head seemed to stand on end in spine-chilling terror. His face was deathly pale, his body rigid, and he could not stop trembling all over.
"What does... that announcement mean?"
Wei Lingling was one of the braver players among them, yet even she had to grit her teeth as she said shakily, "Maybe we're about to get some new coworkers..."
Shen Ru showed little reaction. Instead, he picked through the debris on the floor and found an intact packet of wet wipes. After wiping the counter clean, he casually sat on it.
Setting aside whether the two things filling those vacancies would even be human, the announcement had clearly stated that these employees needed to be recruited.
Recruitment meant interviews.
So what sort of things would come for an interview?
Still, this worked out nicely. He had been worrying about how to put this mess back the way it was, and now the system had thoughtfully sent him some laborers.
Knock, knock, knock.
Knock, knock, knock.
Suddenly, urgent knocking rang out.
The piercing sound, laden with outright malice, kept coming from the entrance.
A tense, oppressive eeriness instantly filled the room. The young man's eyelashes fluttered, and his lips curved upward. His excited nerves had already clamored in his mind countless times, and a delighted, impatient murmur drifted into the players' ears:
"Looks like our convenience store is about to welcome its first customers before opening!"
Qi Liang's pupils abruptly contracted. Remembering this expert's glorious feat of making a monster leave the convenience store a good review...
You've got to be kidding, bro!
You won't even spare the monsters coming for interviews???
Anyone who passes by has to get fleeced by you???
Cheng Lin and Wei Lingling had no idea what was going on, but they dutifully opened the door. Before they could even make out the visitors' faces, they shot back as though their asses were on fire.
When all six interviewees stepped into the light together, the rapid, panicked breathing in the room briefly stopped.
Shen Ru even heard someone gasp in surprise.
Perhaps anyone faced with this eerie scene would have found it hard to remain calm.
All six applicants had the same face, and everyone present knew her-
Du Xiaomei.
Their expressions were stiff, and even their bisected bodies had been barely stitched together with coarse black thread. Their intestines and internal organs still hung exposed, trembling. Although she had been disemboweled before her death, she now stood before them, eerily and more or less intact.
Blank smiles, identical uniforms, and a sharp, savage job inquiry brimming with malice:
"May I become an employee at your store?"
Just as the others were stunned into silence by the sudden horror, the young man sitting on the counter leaned forward slightly. His sincere, expectant smile looked utterly out of place among their terrified faces.
His voice was gentle, making the listener feel valued beyond compare.
"Of course! But before the interview, I need to ask a question."
His beautiful red eyes swept appraisingly over each identical, eerie face as he spoke solemnly, with the authority of a superior:
"Would you mind leaving our convenience store a good review?"
Qi Liang: ...Fucking knew it.
In the livestream chat:
[????]
[Are you fucking obsessed with money or what???]
[Heartless boss!!! Is there anyone you won't fleece!?]
[This year's best employee award has to go to you!!!]
Before you continue