Chapter 157 Two Choices

Chapter 157: Two Choices

"Stop, that's enough." The player known as Tuniu interrupted the one still trying to persuade Qiu Lei. "Mr. Bai has come all this way for the girl. If he mistakenly believes she's one of us, he might not be willing to stake his fortune for her life."

Though Tuniu spoke thus, his flippant tone suggested no real concern about Su Bai backing out. He likely assumed that since Su Bai had willingly walked into this abandoned warehouse, where no patrol officers ventured, their numbers would easily compel Su Bai to make the transfer.

After all, he was merely a disabled resident of Fog City.

Su Bai might not be their sole target, but in their eyes, he was certainly a vulnerable one. This was probably why Tuniu was unwilling to forgo extracting every last asset from him.

"Mr. Bai, you've seen the young lady. Shall we now discuss our significant business deal?" Tuniu didn't rise again, merely gesturing for Su Bai to come and sit.

Su Bai did not respond to the invitation and remained at the warehouse entrance, speaking in his usual calm voice, "Though I only run a small general store, I can barely be considered a businessman. As far as I know, business is about give and take, putting something in and getting something out."

"But from the sound of it now, you gentlemen from outside want all my assets? So what exactly will I receive from you in return? Merely my employee's safety?"

"You really don't know when to quit." Meng Wei, who had been pushing Su Bai's wheelchair, stepped aside, watching Su Bai with an amused expression. "I'm quite curious to see if you'll end up worse off than me."

"Is that any way to speak to an honored guest? Are your wounds not painful enough?" Tuniu shot a cold glance at Meng Wei before turning back to Su Bai. "Mr. Bai, people from my hometown always say that a person's life is priceless. So I believe this young, kind-hearted lady is worth that price."

"If it's someone who works diligently for me and bears no ill will, then naturally, in my view, they are priceless," Su Bai said, also glancing at the strangely expressive Meng Wei. "But if I heard correctly earlier, you outsiders seem more like a cohesive group, while I, the shop owner, am more of an outsider."

"No, that's right!" Upon hearing Mr. Bai's words, Qiu Lei nodded repeatedly. She looked around at the players surrounding her and declared, "This is a matter between us outsiders! It has nothing to do with an ordinary Fog City resident! My benefactor and even my mentor are both here. How could I possibly need a local to save me—"

Before Qiu Lei could finish, the person she called her benefactor—the player surnamed Ding—clamped a hand over her mouth, preventing her from uttering another complete word.

"Are you stupid? No matter what kind of people Tuniu and his group are, no matter what methods they use, their goal is the same as ours: to light all the Everlasting Lamps as soon as possible and leave this damned place! Do you really want to stay in this hellhole forever for an NPC you've only known for a few days?!" Brother Ding covered Qiu Lei's mouth, frustrated that she was ruining their plan.

Although Brother Ding spoke softly, his words clearly reached Su Bai's ears.

"Whether those words are said or not doesn't matter. Since Mr. Bai is already standing here today, his options are limited." Tuniu's expression showed no concern for Qiu Lei's attempt to sabotage the plan. Instead, he continued to watch Su Bai's face in the wheelchair as if it were entertainment.

Unfortunately, from the moment they entered the warehouse until now, the general store owner's expression in the wheelchair had not changed at all, as if while Tuniu was preparing to watch a show, the store owner was also watching an exceedingly dull play.

"Two choices? That doesn't sound like many," Su Bai remained calm, as if it had nothing to do with him.

"One is to die right here." Su Bai's composure seemed to anger Tuniu, who stood up again, clutching his teapot, and looked down at Su Bai in the wheelchair. "The other is to go to the bank and transfer the money."

"Big brother, what if this guy in the wheelchair asks the patrol officers for help at the bank?" one of Tuniu's henchmen sneered as a reminder.

"I believe everyone's life is priceless, and I believe Mr. Bai will definitely make the right choice. But what my henchman said isn't wrong either. If Mr. Bai seeks help from the patrol officers at the bank, given your personal relationship with Mayor Bai, you'd probably get out of danger quickly, right? That way, it seems like I, Brother Tuniu, would get nothing out of this?"

Tuniu's tone seemed to be pressuring Su Bai step by step.

"That possibility certainly exists. So I've been thinking about it for a long time. Even if I can't gain any benefit, even if I lose an excellent target like you, Mr. Bai, I should at least get to watch a good show."

"So, if Mr. Bai agrees to go to the bank to transfer the money, I will entrust that young lady Qiu Lei and her teammates, benefactor, and mentor to accompany you to the bank." Tuniu, teapot in hand, pointed towards Qiu Lei and the others. "If Mr. Bai really chooses to seek out the patrol officers there, these few people will be sent to prison, and I'll get to see a good show."

"Then I'd rather go to prison!" Qiu Lei, clutching the kitten tightly in her arms, broke free from Brother Ding and gritted her teeth as she looked in Su Bai's direction. "Mr. Bai, just agree to go to the bank! Once we're there, contact the patrol officers directly and have them arrest us!"

"Qiu Lei, are you crazy?" Brother Ding looked completely freaked out. "Do you know why Tuniu's influence is so feared? If going to prison could avoid all this, I'd happily steal something on purpose just to get some peace and quiet in jail! But Tuniu's influence isn't just outside the prison; he even has people inside who obey him! Qiu Lei, if we get thrown in prison like this, we might not even live to see the day we leave Fog City!"

"Qiu Lei, why can't you understand?" Another of Qiu Lei's teammates standing nearby also sighed, lowering his voice to console the angry Qiu Lei. "This place isn't real, the people here aren't real. We're just playing a game. Using underhanded methods is pretty normal. No matter how much you hate us, everything we're doing is to help everyone leave Fog City as soon as possible!"

"Even though time in Fog City is almost stagnant, we work our tails off here and still get ostracized because we're outsiders. Our families and friends are waiting for us in the real world... I remember you have an older sister who loves you, Qiu Lei. Don't you want to go back and see her soon? Don't you want to return to the real world and live a normal life with people who care about you?"

"That Fog City person won't lose anything! Tomorrow is the first reset. Once we clear the fog, this entire Fog City might cease to exist. What use will money be then?"

Tomorrow is the first reset?

Hearing the whispers from Qiu Lei's group, Su Bai remembered that during his meditation in the lounge earlier, he seemed to have indeed heard an administrator announcement with similar content.

Was this why Tuniu and the others were so impatient to shake him down for his money?