Chapter 85: Werewolf Community 22

Chapter 85: Werewolf Community 22

Butterfly's team was vigorously executing their plan of searching the area like a carpet bombing, while danger was stealthily encroaching upon Qin Fei.

However, Qin Fei didn't seem to be bothered by it at all.

He maintained his casual demeanor, with a nonchalant smile on his lips. After whispering something to Lin Ye, he parted ways with his three teammates once more.

Lin Ye and his two companions split up in three different directions, combing through the community in search of further clues related to the garbage station.

Alone, Qin Fei once again made his way down the bustling commercial street.

In the various live broadcast halls, the throngs of spectators gradually fell silent, countless pairs of eyes fixed intently on the screens.

Under Qin Fei's live stream perspective, viewers began to repeatedly leave and re-enter, anxiously toggling back and forth between Qin Fei's and Butterfly's live streams.

As time ticked by, the scorching sun within the dungeon shifted from directly overhead to the side.

Butterfly had already searched from Building 1 to Building 3.

Qin Fei, however, continued to wander aimlessly along the commercial street.

The spectators couldn't help but engage in hushed whispers.

"What is the host doing?"

"I don't understand. It doesn't seem like he's searching for clues, and why isn't he completing any missions?"

In the light screen, Qin Fei was continuously entering and exiting various shops on the street.

For a full hour, he strolled leisurely down the road with no apparent purpose, leaving everyone baffled about his intentions.

He first visited a supermarket and purchased a plethora of miscellaneous items:

Snickers, candles, black paint and a brush, paintbrushes, super glue...

Then, he made his way to a hardware store, purchasing a rectangular bronze plaque.

Taking advantage of the situation, he bargained with the owner to get a lighter as a freebie.

Finally, he stepped into the only dessert shop in the neighborhood and treated himself to a 6-inch cream fruit cake.

It wasn't quite accurate to say that he was strolling about.

In the live broadcast of the Lawful World, players in peril were always the most captivating to the audience.

Those who were oblivious to their imminent danger and constantly at risk of death were the center of attention, the focus of everyone's gaze.

Even some of Butterfly's dedicated fans had come to spectate, curious to see what this unfortunate soul, who would sooner or later face Butterfly's reckoning, looked like.

The spectators chattered animatedly.

"Does he have absolutely no idea that Butterfly might be after him?"

For a D-level player, a slower reaction was somewhat understandable.

"How could that be? He's not an idiot."

"Indeed, let's not discriminate too much based on rank. People who can reach D-level still have a normal IQ, right?"

A genuine fool wouldn't have made it to level F.

The spirit that had been criticized was somewhat unconvinced:

"What do you think he's up to, then?"

Was he planning to live in the instances by purchasing all sorts of trivial items?

"In my opinion, this player shouldn't bother struggling. It'd be better for him to just go to bed and hand over all the information he knows to Butterfly."

This spectator was a fan of Butterfly.

"Exactly, exactly."

Many others echoed his sentiment.

However,

Butterfly wasn't the only one with fans.

Qin Fei also had fans, and quite a number of them.

Upon discovering someone spouting nonsense in the live stream, Qin Fei's fans immediately swarmed in.

"Laughing my head off, does my wife need you to understand her actions?"

"How could it not be natural for a dimwit like you not to understand what my brilliant wife is up to?"

"Princess Qin has arrived, make way for her all!"

...

Unaware of the ongoing battle of wits in his live stream, Qin Fei continued shopping with more items in his hands and his steps unceasing, still buying nonstop.

Within just a dozen minutes, he had purchased three more digital alarm clocks and four wall calendars.

The plastic bags in his hands were bulging. Before leaving the commercial street, Qin Fei made one final stop at a newsstand, spending a single yuan to buy a thick stack of outdated newspapers.

It turned out that Qin Fei's purchase of these items wasn't without purpose.

He returned to the fourth floor of Building 12 with two bulging bags and stopped in front of Wang Mingming's door.

Instead of immediately unlocking his door, he pulled out the newspapers from the plastic bags and neatly laid them on the ground in front of Wang Mingming's doorstep.

Then, under the watchful eyes of countless viewers through their screens,

Qin Fei pried open a can of paint, took out the largest paintbrush he had carefully chosen from the supermarket shelf, bent down, and began to paint the door with utmost concentration.

One stroke.

Two strokes.

The dark red door gradually became concealed by black paint.

The audience in the live-stream hall could hardly believe their eyes.

"?????"

"????????? Damn, I finally get what he's up to."

"Damn it, this streamer is playing it unconventional."

"What if others find the clues? Oh, of course, destroy them before they do! Hehe~"

"Sorry, I take back what I said about the streamer giving up. He's clearly making a huge effort and has undergone a major 'surgery'."

"Red Door: Even if the King of Heaven comes today, I'll still be black!"

The audience had an epiphany.

It turned out that Qin Fei had bought all those quirky items for this very moment.

After painting the entire door black, he took out the copper plaque he had purchased from the hardware store.

Discarding the paintbrush, he reached into a plastic bag to retrieve a watercolor brush. Dipping it in the black paint, he wrote three large numbers on the plaque.

"404"

The color and size of this bronze plate were chosen by Qin Fei based on the door plates of his neighboring houses.

In reality, there were still some differences, but with three numerals that resembled each other, it could indeed create confusion from a distance.

Qin Fei looked at the makeshift, almost authentic-looking plate in his hand. He squeezed some glue onto the back of the plate and firmly attached it to the Wang family's gate.

Taking two steps back, he admired his work.

Perfect.

Xiao Qin was highly satisfied.

With Qin Fei's actions, the spectators became even more curious:

If he wasn't buying things randomly, then what were the other items intended for besides the tools used for painting the gate?

"I'm dying of anxiety here!"

"Speed it up, host, please! Ahhh—"

"You're hiding clues."

During the live stream, an unexpected voice not belonging to Qin Fei echoed.

Qin Fei turned around and, as expected, saw Mi Yang emerging from a corner of the hallway.

He preferred to be in his original form when no one was around. The black-haired young man curled his lips and walked up to Qin Fei, lightly kicking the oil drum on the ground:

"I wouldn't have guessed you were quite clever."

After Mi Yang had followed Qin Fei to Wang Mingming's house, his first thought was, "I must prevent others from finding this place too."

Mi Yang had considered doing what Qin Fei was doing now earlier that morning.

But he didn't have the same advantageous background or endless supply of pocket money as Qin Fei did.

Mi Yang's pockets were emptier than his face. After failing to scrub the door panel clean with a rag, the cunning thief had no choice but to leave with regret, despite his cleverness.

Unexpectedly, Qin Fei managed to do what he couldn't.

Mi Yang raised his eyebrows, looking rather displeased.

He stared at Qin Fei, his obsidian-like eyes flickering with dissatisfaction. "Are you still going to tell me that this is just fake information created by the system to confuse us?"

If it was fake, why would he waste so much time hiding it?

Qin Fei didn't bother explaining to this idiot. Even if it was false information, it could still bring him trouble.

He spoke coolly, "It's fools like you who fall for such tricks."

Mi Yang: "?????"

How dare a D-level player arrogantly call an A-level player a fool??

Mi Yang narrowed his eyes, puffing up with anger. "Let me warn you, Your Highness, please show some respect to an A-level powerhouse."

Qin Fei shot him a sidelong glance, not intimidated in the slightest. "If you've already acknowledged me as a princess, why should I show respect to a commoner?"

Mi Yang: "?"

Ah, wait, did you really take it to heart when I called you 'princess' and now you're acting all high and mighty?

Their conversation outside the house caught the attention of the NPCs inside. The door creaked open, and Wang Mingming's parents appeared in the hallway.

The paint bucket and brush on the floor were still there, causing Mi Yang to grow wary. He feared that the sudden change in the color of their front door might upset the two NPCs.

But Qin Fei had no such concerns.

"Help me take out the trash, Mom and Dad," Qin Fei said with a smile.

"I thought black would look better on the door, so I gave our place a simple makeover."

Wang Mingming's parents didn't ask any questions. They obediently squatted down to clean up the mess on the floor.

Seeing how Qin Fei was able to get Wang Mingming's parents to jump to his every command, a crack finally appeared in Mi Yang's expression. "They... listen to you like that?"

Qin Fei wore an expression of utter logic. "They're my parents. Why would they listen to you instead of me?"

My Sheep reluctantly shut his mouth.

He had wished that these two NPCs would obey him, but unfortunately, they were completely uncooperative.

This morning, under the pretense of cleaning, My Sheep had barged into Wang Mingming's house. For the entire morning, he had been at the beck and call of these two NPCs.

Yes, that's right.

The reason My Sheep could clean Wang Mingming's house spotlessly in just a few hours was not only due to his exceptional cleaning skills but also the guidance from Wang Mingming's parents.

Every time My Sheep showed any sign of distraction or attempted to slack off, Wang Mingming's parents would immediately notice and express strong dissatisfaction.

This forced My Sheep to redouble his efforts in cleaning.

With all the back and forth, several hours had passed just like that.

It was like exploiting part-time workers!

And now, these two wicked employers who had previously been stingy had changed their attitudes.

After cleaning up the trash on the floor, Wang Mingming's parents led the two players into the house.

Qin Fei whispered to Mi Yang, "Hold them off for me later."

Qin Fei planned to use a little trick to celebrate his birthday early.

Although Qin Fei felt that whatever was hidden on the second floor of the Wang residence had nothing to do with the hidden mission, it was still a secret belonging to Wang Mingming's family.

If it somehow involved Wang Mingming's character, it would be troublesome.

Since Qin Fei already had Wang Mingming's ID card, he couldn't simply leave without a word.

Especially with the Butterfly's accelerated actions, the entire dungeon's progress had been sped up. Many players had already started secretly searching for clues about the Red House.

In such a tense situation, Qin Fei couldn't tolerate having a ticking time bomb hanging over his head for an entire day and night.

Mi Yang made a soft tsking sound upon hearing Qin Fei's words. "You're giving me orders?"

A mere D-class weakling dared to order the renowned top Mental Ability Thief.

Arrogant, truly arrogant.

Qin Fei lowered his gaze. "Didn't you want to dig out our family's secrets?"

Mi Yang was unaware that Qin Fei's words implied, "By the time you uncover what this secret is, you'll realize that all your efforts were spent digging for nothing but a trifle."

He thought Qin Fei had been convinced by his proposal earlier and was now willing to cooperate.

Mi Yang's brows lifted in delight as he patted Qin Fei's shoulder. "You've finally come to your senses!"

"So, what do you want me to do?"

Mi Yang suddenly became very compliant.

Qin Fei said, "Go talk to them so they won't be focusing on me."

Mi Yang agreed happily.

With their beloved son back home, Mingming Wang's parents were overjoyed.

Dad Wang voluntarily retreated into the kitchen to prepare fruit for his son, while Mom Wang stood in the living room, her gaze fixed on the two young men in the room.

If a player were meeting Mom Wang for the first time, her intense stare might make them feel uneasy, perhaps even questioning if this NPC was about to launch an attack on them.

Yet both Qin Fei and Mi Yang had long grown accustomed to the couple's terrifying gaze.

Qin Fei retreated into a corner, his back turned to the live stream camera as he furtively pulled items out of a plastic bag.

With a cheerful smile, Mi Yang approached, "Hi, Aunt Wang, do you remember me?"

"I was the one who came to clean your house this morning, Mingming's friend!"

Mrs. Wang looked at Mi Yang. Her usually stiff face, for once, displayed a touch of liveliness.

Mother Wang was utterly perplexed. "But wasn't it an uncle in his fifties or sixties who came to clean our house this morning?"

Mi Yang cursed inwardly.

He had forgotten that Qin Fei was using his original face this time!

The corners of Mi Yang's mouth twitched slightly.

Having too many faces was indeed problematic at times; he could easily mix them up.

Mi Yang clamped his lips shut and began to ponder how to smooth things over.

Qin Fei observed Mi Yang's embarrassing slip-up and let out a soft sigh.

"Oh, right, Mom, you're correct. It was him who came to our place this morning."

Walking over to Mi Yang's side, Qin Fei continued, "He went to the beauty salon in the neighborhood for an IPL skin rejuvenation treatment today. Doesn't he look much younger now, Mom?"

Qin Fei's favorability rating with Wang Mingming's parents had now soared to a staggering 11,426%.

Under the influence of such heaven-defying statistics, no matter how earth-shattering Qin Fei's words might be, as long as they didn't violate the fundamental rules of the instance dungeon, these two NPCs would choose to believe without hesitation.

Wang Mingming's mother suddenly realized, "The beauty salon in our neighborhood has really improved their skills!"

Mi Yang: "???"

Ah, seriously? How could this family believe anything and everything!

To turn that gentleman's face into Mi Yang's original appearance, that wouldn't be just cosmetic surgery, it would be plastic surgery.

No.

Even plastic surgery couldn't achieve that.

To accomplish the goal, they'd probably have to switch heads directly.

Mi Yang's face was filled with a thousand unspoken words.

Speaking of which, when he casually lied this morning, saying he knew Wang Mingming, he hadn't actually expected Wang Mingming's parents to believe him.

Miyang did that merely to buy time.

His mental thief skill required constant interaction with NPCs to take effect.

The closer the contact, the faster the theft would occur.

Initially, he only intended to strike up a casual conversation with the two people inside the house, planning to find other ways to get close to them in the following days.

To his surprise, these two NPCs were easily deceived, allowing him to enter their home with a single trick.

As a result, his theft value had increased significantly in just half a day.

At this moment, an ambiguous glint shone in Miyang's eyes as he looked at Wang Mingming's parents, seeing them as two colorful fruit-flavored lollipops, filled with sweetness and temptation.

On Miyang's talent panel, the theft value was rising slowly but steadily.

"Thievery Value: 83%"

Mrs. Wang Mingming: "Since you're Mingming's friend, why don't you come and sit in the living room with him?"

As she spoke, she poked her head out to search for Qin Fei's figure.

Mi Yang subtly stepped forward, blocking Mrs. Wang's view.

Behind them, Qin Fei took out his brush, seemingly writing or sketching something unknown.

After finishing one spot, he dashed to another corner, repeating the same actions.

Neither Mi Yang nor the viewers in the live stream could figure out what Qin Fei was up to.

However, after witnessing Qin Fei's mysterious behavior at the door earlier, everyone was at least aware that Qin Fei's actions were deliberate.

Mi Yang's smile grew more sincere.

He leaned closer to Mrs. Wang Mingming, "Auntie, could you tell me what Mingming usually does at home?"

Mrs. Wang Mingming was indeed very interested in this topic.

With endless affection for her beloved son, she had an unceasing flow of words.

Wang Mingming's mother chattered on, while Mi Yang stood quietly, listening attentively.

"Thievery Skill: 89%"

Qin Fei continued to dart around the living room corners.

He hung the purchased calendars in various spots and then took out a clock, winding its spring mechanism meticulously.

Wang Mingming's father emerged from the kitchen with a fruit platter in hand. "Have some fruit, kids."

In response, the sound of an alarm clock echoed through the room.

Mi Yang turned back, puzzled, to see Qin Fei wearing a paper crown on his head, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Happy birthday to me, dear Mom and Dad!" Qin Fei said with a smile.

Behind him, a birthday cake adorned with candles sat neatly on the living room coffee table.

Three alarm clocks rang in unison.

One of them even emitted a childish and mechanical electronic voice:

"It's midnight, it's midnight, a new day has come!"

The birthday song wafted from the candles on the cake.

Mi Yang looked utterly bewildered.

He clearly remembered that before entering Wang Mingming's house, the daylight was still bright outside.

But every corner of the house was draped with curtains, blocking any light from entering.

The room was pitch black, illuminated only by the ceiling light above.

For a moment, it was difficult to discern whether it was day or night.

Mi Yang frowned.

"Stealing Rate: 92%"

Qin Fei looked at his beloved parents with an open expression. "Today is my 16th birthday, did you forget, Mom and Dad?"

Wang Mingming's father and mother exchanged glances before replying in a daze, "But isn't it only July 2nd today? Your birthday is the day after tomorrow."

A gentle and mild smile tugged at Qin Fei's lips. "How can that be? It's already July 4th, Mom and Dad."

He shifted slightly, revealing the calendar behind him.

Qin Fei had bought this from the supermarket, intentionally choosing one identical to the one Wang Mingming's family had used before.

The number 4 on the calendar was circled in bright red ink, while every date before it was crossed out with a large X.

It was a habit of the Wang Mingming's family.

Every day, they would draw an X on the calendar to mark its passing.

There was no computer on the first floor of Wang Mingming's house.

The television only had one channel, and that channel only displayed static.

The NPCs in this instance seemed unfamiliar with using cellphones; Qin Fei hadn't seen a single one during his over a day's stay in the instance.

Under such objective circumstances,

Qin Fei could easily deceive his loving parents by marking the calendar appropriately.

As expected,

the two NPCs' gazes continuously swept across the various calendars. Once they were absolutely certain that each calendar indicated that it was July 4th, their eyes lit up instantly.

"Happy birthday, my precious son!"

Wang Mingming's parents sang the birthday song to him.

Mi Yang opened his mouth to sing along, feigning enthusiasm.

"Thievery Value: 96%"

After finishing the birthday song and cutting the cake, Qin Fei finally launched into the main event of his performance.

"Since I've now turned 16, as we previously agreed," Qin Fei lifted his face, anticipation in his eyes. "Can we go upstairs and take a look, Mom and Dad?"

It had to be said that Wang Mingming's parents were truly excellent parents. They never lied or broke promises to their son.

Wang Mingming's father: "Of course, my dear son."

Wang Mingming's mother: "You've always been an integral part of our family. We just didn't want you to go upstairs before because we were afraid it might frighten you."

Wang Mingming's father: "But now, you've grown up."

Queen Mother Wang: "Let's head upstairs together then."

As they spoke, both turned to look at Mi Yang, who was standing aside. "But he can't come, Son!"

Qin Fei nodded. "Sure, let him stay in the living room."

He glanced at Mi Yang with a helpless expression that seemed to say, See, it's not that I don't want you to go upstairs, but the NPC won't allow it.

Something was amiss on the second floor – that much was evident. Even an outsider like Mi Yang, who had only been here twice, could sense it.

Where there was oddity, there was likely a secret worth uncovering.

It would be regrettable to miss out on a secret.

Strangely enough, Mi Yang didn't show any sign of wanting to fight for his chance this time.

In the living room, the three of them looked at Mi Yang, who returned a seemingly forced, submissive smile.

"That's alright, I'll wait here for you. You go ahead."

Miyang's tact pleased the two NPCs immensely: "Come on, son."

They led Qin Fei up the stairs that led to the dark and unknown realm.

Miyang stood his ground, watching them depart.

Once all three voices had faded up the staircase, Miyang strode over to the sofa and sat down quite unceremoniously.

On the side table was a fruit platter that Wang Mingming's father had specifically prepared for his son.

Miyang picked up a fork and skewered a piece of honeydew melon, popping it into his mouth.

The black-haired young man's eyes were lowered, his gaze simmering with repressed excitement.

He enjoyed anything novel, intriguing, and thrilling, and in this instance, the most thrilling aspect of the instance dungeon was undoubtedly the hidden quest.

The more the D-level rookie struggled to conceal the Wang family's secret, the more intrigued he became by it.

And now, he was on the verge of uncovering the truth.

"Thievery Rate: 100%"

"Target of Theft: Werewolf Community - Building 12, Unit 404 - Mother of Wang Mingming"

"NPC information collection complete. NPC vision and appearance synchronization in progress."

(Note: For additional synchronized information, please refer to the Attribute Panel under the Talent section.)

This PS note had never appeared before, but Mi Yang couldn't afford to dwell on it.

As the notification sounded, a new perspective instantly opened up before his eyes.

Despite sitting in the living room on the first floor, he could clearly see what was happening upstairs.

It was the viewpoint of Wang Mingming's parents.

Mi Yang took another bite of honeydew melon. It was sweet, with a refreshing juice.

The young man gazed at Qin Fei's profile in his field of vision, a relaxed yet slightly smug smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

But very soon, that smile froze on Mi Yang's face.