Chapter 175 The MVP of the Dungeon

Chapter 175: The Dungeon's MVP

While others stared at the projection, their faces a mix of envy, jealousy, and resentment, Xie Tingsheng radiated an icy aura.

On the screen, his wife was being flirtatiously caressed on the face by Anfoya, that succubus. His expression instantly darkened, like the ominous, heavy sky before a storm, his eyes glinting with a sinister intensity, as if he wished he could crawl into the projection and sever that damned hand.

Hua Diao, munching on snacks, noticed the strong scent of jealousy emanating from beside her. Her body instinctively stiffened, and the snacks in her hand suddenly lost their appeal!

Ugh… She had completely forgotten about being taken advantage of, and to make matters worse, her possessive and jealous husband had witnessed it firsthand. This was going to be trouble!

But it was already too late to pull him away.

Hua Diao’s face fell, a picture of regret and frustration. Fortunately, Anfoya was soon called away, allowing her to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Then, she cautiously glanced at Xie Tingsheng, leaned in coaxingly, and kissed his cheek, which finally managed to soothe his temper somewhat.

This small interlude was only noticed by the observant Director Zhang, Lin Xiaobao, and the ever-attentive Zhu Bin and He Yongxin. The others remained completely engrossed in the projection, their eyes glued to the screen, for the unfolding plot was simply too captivating to look away from. The conference room buzzed with exclamations and discussions.

"Hiss—someone ambushed her at night! That speed is insane. I probably wouldn’t have dodged even the first poisoned needle."

"Ah, an underwater battle! So thrilling! I thought Hua Diao from the Peanut Squad was just a lucky airhead, but it turns out she has real skill. She instantly reacted to the disadvantageous situation and fought using her strongest underwater combat techniques."

"Beautiful! That tail whip was perfect. I heard a mermaid’s tail is incredibly tough, comparable to a legendary weapon. Look how that one swing sent the ambushing succubus reeling!"

"Ah, I’ve learned something new. Having racial advantages is so useful! Even succubi are scared of a serious mermaid. Man, I should get myself a racial disguise item or awaken an ability tied to a high-tier race from the fantasy continent. Might come in handy for the next Wisdom Dungeon."

"Exactly! Racial factions are way too important in Wisdom Dungeons."

"Damn, getting assassinated once actually comes with such huge benefits? Not only did Anfoya send a flood of compensation gifts, but even the confiscated private treasury of the second prince was handed over. Wow, racial advantages really are everything. Mermaids are GOAT. Next time, I’m getting myself a mermaid identity too. But where do I even find info on mermaids? How did she lay it out so convincingly that even the succubi couldn’t spot any flaws?"

"Ah, so Task Two was hinted at this early, and the clues were practically delivered to her doorstep. Tsk, it’s like the universe is handing her wins. She didn’t do anything outrageous or display superhuman cunning, yet the clues and promises for Task Two just fell into her lap."

...

The Recording Stone contained over ten days’ worth of dungeon footage, so of course they couldn’t scrutinize every second. They fast-forwarded through parts like sleeping, chatting, storytelling, and Hua Diao seemingly spacing out while interacting with the game interface (which they couldn’t see). Only task-related segments were paused and examined carefully.

It took about half an hour to finish reviewing the entire Recording Stone.

Once the Recording Stone dimmed, everyone in the conference room wore expressions of that satisfied post-movie glow. Then, they began surreptitiously eyeing Hua Diao, the luckiest player alive.

They had initially thought the items and gold coins they’d obtained in the dungeon were plentiful and satisfying. But who knew? There’s always someone better. She was the true MVP of this dungeon—those waves of extravagant compensation gifts, many of which were treasures from a prince’s private treasury, were so goddamn enviable!

Especially Chu Zexuan, whose eyes shifted darkly, as if scheming something.

Xie Tingsheng pulled Hua Diao into his arms, shielding her from the covetous gazes around them.

He also clearly caught the calculating look in Chu Zexuan’s eyes.

Lowering his ink-black lashes, he concealed the murderous intent in his deep gaze before raising his eyes again toward Director Zhang. Feigning helpfulness, he suggested, "Since the purpose is to understand the Wisdom Dungeon, why not review everyone’s Recording Stones? My wife got lucky—many task-related clues were handed to her on a silver platter. Ordinary people with worse luck might not be able to replicate her experience. Why not check the others’ footage? Maybe we’ll find other inspirations or dungeon rules even my wife didn’t notice."

His words immediately earned Hua Diao’s agreement. She nodded like a bobblehead—yes, yes! It’d be awkward if only her footage was shown. Let’s all share ours!

The Storm Team, Flying Wolf Team, and others in the conference room were also tempted. The Recording Stones would be handed over to the Special Operations Bureau afterward, meaning they wouldn’t get another chance to review them. So, while Director Zhang was still amenable, it’d be best to watch as many as possible to better understand the Wisdom Dungeon’s mechanics.

After all, the rewards from this Wisdom Dungeon were too incredible. Compared to it, other dungeons just didn’t measure up. They’d definitely be aiming for Wisdom Dungeons in the future, and this golden opportunity to study them was right in front of them. Missing it would be a shame.

Thus, they all stared at Director Zhang with puppy-dog eyes of anticipation. Even if someone wanted to object, their dissent would be drowned out by the collective will and only earn resentment.

Director Zhang had no issue with sharing information. These people were, after all, the pillars of Qingcheng. The city’s safety in the future would rely on their joint efforts. So, chuckling without hesitation, he agreed to Xie Tingsheng’s suggestion.

The white wall, which had just darkened, lit up again with another projection.

This time, the footage was randomly selected from several Recording Stones—unexpectedly, it was Chu Zexuan’s.

Xie Tingsheng raised an eyebrow, equally surprised by the coincidence.

Unlike Hua Diao’s fortunate start, Chu Zexuan was spat out by the spatial rift into a tavern—a brothel run by the Succubus Race. The moment he appeared, the tavern’s proprietress seized him.

Succubi had always been fond of beauty, and the proprietress was no exception. Chu Zexuan, a charming playboy, naturally had the looks to match.

Thus, with just his face, he earned the proprietress’s distinct preference. Despite knowing he wasn’t a succubus, she willingly helped conceal his identity, refusing to hand him over to the patrolling guards who were hunting down outsiders.

After waking up and assessing his situation, Chu Zexuan relied on his silver-tongued ways with women to con a wisdom fruit from the proprietress. He even embedded himself in the tavern, earning himself the moniker "Lord Ze."