Today was another intimate date for the couples.
This sprawling forest zoo not only had animals, but also brought together all sorts of amusement rides.
Those who preferred quieter activities could go see the animals.
Those who liked being active could try the roller coaster, giant pendulum, Ferris wheel, and other attractions.
But before the dates, there was a warm-up activity.
The seven guests entered the AI gaming room and split into two opposing teams.
The losing team would cover all the other team's dating expenses.
The game they would compete in was a horror-thriller combat game.
Both sides would wear VR headsets to compete, with all sorts of NPC ghosts and monsters popping into view from time to time, making it more realistic and terrifying than a haunted house.
Their show had held this competition last year, too.
Back then, the female guests had been frightened into hiding in the male guests' arms, serving up plenty of sugar.
But whether this episode would serve up that kind of sugar too... the production team no longer wanted to comment.
First, the guests formed their own teams.
Duan Xuanyu was the first to gather beside Su Mian.
Cheng Qin ran over too, linking arms with Su Mian. "Mianmian, carry me!"
Wanting to compete against Su Mian, Lin Xi went straight to Fang Nuonuo and the top-ranking big spender's team.
He even remembered to talk trash. "Su Mian, I forgot to tell you, I'm in the global top 100 high scorers for this game. This time, I absolutely won't let you win!"
Su Mian gave a soft snort of laughter. "You really wouldn't forget to put on a face mask even after getting into your coffin."
Lin Xi: "??"
Su Mian: "Saving face even in death."
Lin Xi: "...Fine! Don't cry when the fighting starts!"
Today, if he failed to avenge his explosive diarrhea, he swore he wasn't human!
That left Gu Yichen.
He had originally thought that since he had never played this kind of game, he would only drag his teammates down if he joined, so he hadn't wanted to participate.
But the production team hadn't offered the option of sitting out.
So in the end, he joined Su Mian's team anyway.
Fang Nuonuo's team was one person short, so an intermediate-level bot was automatically added to make the numbers fair.
[Goddess Nuonuo's team has this in the bag! Everyone knows the bots in this game are super strong, because real players get scared by all the horror effects, but bots never feel fear. They just attack like crazy!]
[Not necessarily.]
[That's not really true.]
[Quite the opposite.]
[Mianmian will never let us down.]
Soon, all the players took their positions.
Huang Han took Fang Nuonuo's hand. "Don't be afraid. I'll protect you."
Fang Nuonuo replied gently, "Thank you."
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Duan Xuanyu & Gu Yichen & Cheng Qin: "Su Mian, we're counting on you!"
Brimming with confidence, Su Mian said, "Fall back behind me!"
The game finally began.
The audience could see what the players on both sides saw in the game.
All the players were dressed in outfits suited to the game.
They were the sort of full-body protective suits commonly seen in biohazard games.
Su Mian led her three teammates in making preparations inside a dark, damp underground base.
When she looked back, the character Duan Xuanyu controlled hadn't moved.
He kept raising his hands above his head to make a heart, constantly triggering the voice line, "Love you~ Mwah~"
Su Mian: "Duan Xuanyu, what are you doing?!"
Duan Xuanyu: "I don't know..."
This was his first time trying a modern people's game. He had absolutely no idea how to play!
[Hahaha, Tyrant Bro is killing me!]
[What do we do? I'm seriously starting to worry Mianmian's team can't win...]
[Don't worry! This is a tactic! Tyrant Bro handles the taunting, while Mianmian and the others attack!]
Su Mian continued forward.
Only to discover that Gu Yichen was actually spinning in place!
Su Mian: "Gu Yichen, what are you doing?!"
Gu Yichen: "I get 3D motion sickness..."
Su Mian took a deep breath.
She was just about to ask how Cheng Qin was doing.
Cheng Qin screamed at a zombie that suddenly appeared in front of her and threw away her controller!
The audience finally realized that their team really wasn't using a tactic.
They were just pure noobs.
[Wait, is your team seriously not going to turn things around this time?]
[Teacher Su, they're really pinning you down and slaughtering you!]
[Mianmian, for the first time, you've made me lose so completely...]
[Production team, hurry up and mute Tyrant Bro's character dialogue! Hearing that "mwah" makes me mad!]
On the other side, Fang Nuonuo had been frightened at first, too.
But Lin Xi walked in front and killed every zombie that suddenly sprang out, so no more zombies frightened her.
Killing zombies also earned points.
Points could be exchanged for all sorts of powerful equipment.
Soon, the three people and one bot on Lin Xi's team farmed their way forward and swiftly became fully geared.
When they reached Su Mian's base, barring any surprises, Su Mian and her three disabled teammates were going to be slaughtered...
At that moment, Su Mian's heart was bleeding too.
Was she really going to have to cover those three people's dating expenses today?
No!
Spending her money hurt her more than getting beaten up!
Suddenly, a giant zombie smashed through the gate of Su Mian's base!
Its body was twisted and deformed, its tattered clothes hanging from its skeletal frame, its skin a nauseating bluish gray covered in festering pustules!
Its face was even more horrifying, its eyes sunken deep in their sockets, the rotting flesh around them faintly writhing as though maggots might crawl out at any moment!
The frightened audience filled the screen with [Holy shit].
Gu Yichen sucked in a cold breath in fright, too.
Cheng Qin had long since shut her eyes, not daring to look at all.
Duan Xuanyu kept making hearts at the zombie. "Love you~"
[You'd honestly be better off playing this game with bots... It's already this terrifying watching the relayed footage on our screens, let alone for these guests who are right in the middle of it!]
[Mianmian, give up. You've been winning ever since you came on this show anyway. Losing once or twice is fine, and you still have so much in your fund.]
Su Mian went numb.
Let it all burn. I'm done.
She jabbed wildly at several buttons, intending to kill off her character.
Unexpectedly, a panel suddenly popped up before her!
"Dear player, congratulations on triggering a hidden treasure chest. Here, you can modify the outfits and dialogue styles of NPCs and your opponents."
Su Mian's eyes lit up.
An opening!
Time for a desperate counterattack!
She immediately changed the NPCs' and opponents' clothes into khaki military uniforms, adding khaki caps with butt flaps to their heads.
She changed all their faces into ordinary human faces.
The key was drawing a little black mustache over each philtrum.
She changed all the zombies' original hissing and rasping lines to:
"Bakayaro!"
"You die, die!"
"Sneaky, sneaky!"
Hearing those lines, Cheng Qin's eyes flew open. "I'm suddenly not scared at all. A rush of hot blood just shot straight to my brain! Today, I'll show you what the Granny with Two Guns is made of!"
Gu Yichen finally found his bearings. "My 3D motion sickness suddenly disappeared. Su Mian, you've practically worked a miracle cure. If they have a single intact intestine left today, I'll admit defeat!"
Su Mian also entered a new background music link.
Then she grabbed Duan Xuanyu's hand and guided him to press a certain button.
The character Duan Xuanyu controlled suddenly put away his gun, pulled out a bugle, and sounded the charge!
Since she couldn't teach him the controls in such a short time.
He could be responsible for boosting morale here!
Just as in ancient battles, there were soldiers specifically tasked with beating drums to raise the army's spirits!
[Bloodline awakening! Kill, kill, kill! Aaaaah!]
[So fired up! This dating show is getting more and more fired up!]
[Braving the Valley of Terror ×, bloody battle at Tai'erzhuang ✓]
[My grandpa says my taste in variety shows keeps improving!]
[Downloaded! My thirst for revenge can't wait another second!]
In an instant, the dark gray horror game seemed to be illuminated by red light!
Su Mian and her teammates shouted, "Charge!"
They hacked their way out, one kill with every slash!