Chapter 256: Train 444-19

Chapter 256: Train 444-19

Qin Fei smiled, and Mi Yang's hair stood on end.

For some reason, although Xiao Qin looked friendly, Mi Yang felt he was up to no good.

Mi Yang's eyes pleaded, "Please get to the point." Finally, Qin Fei showed mercy and spoke, "Can you still use your innate ability?"

Mi Yang's innate ability.

The coveted skill that could steal the faces and identities of NPCs, envied by countless players.

Using it here would be perfect.

Mi Yang was taken aback by the question.

"Yes," he nodded.

Mi Yang's innate skill could only be used once in a single instance, but the Guild Competition differed from regular instances.

While the Guild Competition had a large instance as its backdrop, it was actually composed of many smaller instances, changing how players' skills functioned within it.

Mi Yang had used his skill once at the beginning of the Guild Competition, and now the cooldown had ended, allowing him to use it again anytime.

"Who do you want me to steal?" Mommy Sheep blinked, understanding Qin Fei's intention, "That female vendor?"

If they were to become the vendor, it would be quite simple.

Mi Yang's skill wasn't instant; it required a casting time. The more important the NPC in the instance, the longer the casting time.

Train 444's urban legend wasn't heavily plot-driven, and the female vendor, one of the two positive NPCs in the legend, held a high status among players but was considered minor by the system.

"If I'm to steal her identity, it will take five minutes," Mi Yang gave an encouraging answer.

Qin Fei's eyes flickered.

Five minutes was indeed short.

But times had changed.

Now, all players on the train were on high alert, ready to rush towards the vendor whenever she appeared.

In this situation, holding the vendor for five minutes without drawing attention wouldn't be easy.

Mi Yang clearly thought so too.

The player rubbed his neck, looking troubled, "She pushes a cart, so she can't move fast. If I follow her next time she appears, I should succeed, but that might draw attention."

At the moment the theft reaches 100%, the body uncontrollably transforms into the stolen NPC's appearance. If seen by other players, it would be pointless.

Even if Mi Yang tried to hide, anyone noticing him following the NPC would easily expose him, given that his innate ability was well-known.

Qin Fei smiled, "Don't worry, I'll handle it."

He already had a plan.

Their conversation was kept very low. Players from Black Feather and Dark Fire surrounded the table, casually blocking the compartment door.

Xiong Li listened to the entire conversation but couldn't follow their logic, "Hey, wait a minute?"

"What are you planning?"

Xiong Li knew about Mi Yang's special ability but didn't understand what difference it would make if Mi Yang became the vendor.

The straightforward combat-focused player still hadn't figured it out.

Even Xie Jingtian couldn't bear it anymore, "Are you stupid?"

Qin Fei, with more patience than Xie Jingtian, explained seriously:

"Sell high, buy low."

That was his plan.

Qin Fei needed money.

And he had assets that could be traded for it.

The snacks and pastries he had stockpiled were his most valuable assets.

Indeed, even if he offered them now, people would still buy them.

The vendor's appearances were too infrequent, unable to meet all players' needs before 9 PM.

But that wouldn't be cost-effective.

Trading as a player with other players would inevitably bring unnecessary trouble.

Bargaining, cheating, such incidents couldn't be avoided, wasting Black Feather's precious time.

Just like in the sixth dining car, when Qin Fei wanted to exchange money but didn't directly propose a trade, instead talking to the NPC first.

To create the most favorable trading conditions, one must first establish the right environment.

As long as Mi Yang could change his identity, all problems would be solved.

The plan was set, and everyone in Carriage 1 was ready to execute it.

7 PM, Carriage 2.

Butterfly sat upright in the center seat of the carriage.

That seat could accommodate six people, but now it held only him. Not only this row, but the two rows in front and behind were also completely empty.

Zhou Yong stood before Butterfly, bowing and scraping as he reported:

"We haven't found that vending attendant yet. I've arranged for Baiqiu to buy boxed meals from the dining car. Also, The Third is monitoring Carriage 1."

In the past hour, the players on Train 444 had nearly gone mad searching for NPCs, Zhou Yong included.

The attendant was his top priority, but she never appeared. Previously, attendants always came from the direction of Carriage 1, so Zhou Yong kept an eye on it for a while, only to discover something strange.

"I suspect they've made another discovery," Zhou Yong whispered suspiciously. "They've been huddled together in meetings, not stepping out of their carriage at all."

This was far from normal.

Butterfly's brows furrowed.

"President! Yong Brother!"

Suddenly, The Third's panicked voice came through the guild channel, "Black Feather indeed hid something. Just now, they started a frantic search in Carriage 1. They must have triggered something because the carriage door suddenly shut!"

It closed tightly, and no matter how hard The Third tried, he couldn't budge it.

Black Feather did indeed hide something.

But it wasn't what Zhou Yong and The Third suspected—discovering new rules or triggering a new plot.

For almost an hour, all the anxious, chaotic, and indescribable atmosphere in Carriage 1 was just an act.

Everything they did was to justify closing the door naturally at the end.

"Bang!"

The heavy iron door slammed against its frame, and Cui Wenxuan quickly used a prop lock to secure it tightly.

Soon, shaking sounds came from outside, but the prop lock was no ordinary item from the mall, and The Third couldn't easily break it with a few attempts.

"That's settled then," Lu Cheng, who had been on edge for a long time, relaxed and said with a smile, "With this performance, their attention will definitely be diverted elsewhere."

As for where "elsewhere" was,

it would depend on what other players imagined.

Xie Jingtian remained tense, licking his dry lips. "We're about to stop again soon."

After the cold wave announcement, the train had already stopped once, and the attendant didn't appear then.

So this time, the probability of her appearing was high.

Black Feather was taking a gamble, along with Dark Fire and the scattered players who were huddled like quails in the corner of the carriage.

Xie Jingtian held his breath.

The new half-hour was about to pass, and he couldn't help but look towards Qin Fei.

The young man was sitting in his seat, eyes closed, resting. His long, crow-like lashes fell gently, casting a quiet shadow on his cheeks.

Not far away, on another row of seats, Gala calmly flipped through a stack of paper documents, while Cen San Ya remained silent, sitting alone in the corner, cold and distant.

Xie Jingtian slowly exhaled.

With these three powerful figures present, even the most chaotic scenes seemed less stressful.

Music drifted from the speakers, but the train didn't stop.

Xie Jingtian's eyes suddenly lit up.

In the intense gaze of everyone in the carriage, the attendant appeared at the end of the aisle.

"Hello everyone! A cold wave is approaching, and the train crew reminds all passengers to stay warm."

The attendant changed her lines, still maintaining a pleasant demeanor and smiling at everyone.

Just as she began speaking, two players near the door suddenly shouted and started fighting!

Bang!

Bang!

The two, wearing protective gear, punched the door repeatedly, the sound of leather gloves colliding mimicking a real fight.

The eavesdropper outside and the NPCs inside were both stunned.

The timing of the noise was perfect, effectively drowning out the attendant's words. Those outside assumed there was a new situation in Carriage 1 and grew anxious, not thinking of anything else.

Meanwhile, right behind the door, Qin Fei slowly opened his eyes, meeting the attendant's gaze.

"Excuse me, do you sell cold medicine here?" the young man asked softly, his speech slower than usual, his pale face showing signs of illness, "I'm feeling a bit unwell... the cold wave hasn't arrived yet, but I've fallen ill first. It's quite unfortunate."

His beautiful face showed a pitiful weakness, and the NPC, who wanted to refuse, couldn't bring herself to say no.

"I'm sorry, we don't have any medication on board," the attendant said, looking at the passenger she found the most agreeable on the entire train, trying to help him, "But if you can give me a cup, I can provide you with some free hot water."

This answer was exactly what Qin Fei expected.

In the cold wave warning, the solution provided for hypothermia was "nutritional supplements," which led Qin Fei to guess that there were no medicines on the train.

The young man nodded slowly, as if this simple action was extremely difficult for him: "You're too kind. I'm really sorry."

It was unclear whether his frail state had particularly stirred the NPC's sympathy, but this time Qin Fei didn't spend a single coin, yet the NPC's favorability towards him increased by several points.

Five minutes later.

The NPC, who had been coaxed into confusion, was completely lost amidst repeated apologies and words of regret.

She looked at Qin Fei, her eyes radiating a motherly warmth.

Logically, at this time, she should have already pushed her cart through the entire train.

But it was too late now.

She had wasted her working hours in this carriage.

"It's alright; this won't cause any trouble for me," the fading figure of the attendant continued to reassure Qin Fei, "Besides, didn't your companion buy something from me?"

The one who bought the items was Wen Tao from their temporary team.

Qin Fei smiled and politely waved goodbye to the attendant, despite the pain he was enduring.

The moment the NPC disappeared, the player's condition suddenly changed.

The feeble state vanished abruptly, and he once again became calm and composed, his gaze serene as if nothing had happened.

Qin Fei looked up at Mi Yang, who had been squatting in the corner of the carriage: "How about it? Any issues?"

The black-haired youth grinned, showing his white teeth: "Of course not."

...

The Third squatted almost like a wooden statue at the entrance of Carriage No. 1, wishing he could stuff his entire ear into the door crack to hear what was being said inside.

Suddenly, the noise inside came to a halt.

A somewhat familiar female voice echoed: "Why is this carriage door locked?"

Then, the door opened.

The NPC attendant pushed the door open and walked out.