Chapter 320 He Must Still Be Alive

Chapter 320: He Must Still Be Alive

"Honestly, I'm not sure why I feel this way." Qin Ge noticed the confusion in Sha Linghai's eyes. "We only spent a few hours together, barely exchanging a few words—hardly enough for me to claim acquaintance."

"Ultimately, we just went through one game together, and even then, we weren't really teammates." Qin Ge seemed to be replaying every memory of Su Bai. "He truly would risk going alone to the most dangerous parts of a game level just to save complete strangers."

"Before meeting that senior, I never would have imagined someone so kind, even selfless, could exist in the Nightmare World," Sha Linghai echoed, sighing.

As both Sha Linghai and Qin Ge were players, they didn't need a secluded space to discuss matters related to the Nightmare World.

"He truly was a good person, but..." Qin Ge's tone shifted again. "I consider myself experienced with people and events, yet I could never see through him. It was as if his eyes were looking at us, yet also gazing at something deeper and more distant. And compared to how he treated humans, he might have been even kinder and more selfless toward non-humans."

What came to Qin Ge's mind were images of Su Bai and the ghost bride from Bus 444.

"Non-human?"

"Yes, that person felt both mysterious and incredibly powerful. He was the strongest player I've ever known. In my view, his strength was on a level that could only be described as terrifying." Qin Ge's appearance alone conveyed a sense of power—he was built and muscular, carrying the aura of a soldier forged in real combat situations.

In contrast, the "bride" Sha Linghai encountered in that mansion, though not short, had a slender build without any obvious muscle from training. And from the side profile glimpsed before the fog descended, the person was undoubtedly a stunning beauty, one that remained true even if their true gender was male.

But now, Qin Ge, who himself radiated an undeniable aura of strength, was describing that "bride" as "powerful to the point of terror"?

"I've been through several nightmare games, but what frightened me the most was the Beginner Quest when I first met him. Yes, you heard right—the player and I met during a Beginner Quest, though now I'm not entirely sure what his identity was at the time."

"Back then, right after I entered the game, a vicious ghost was sitting beside me. Even now, I wouldn't be confident of escaping unscathed from a confrontation with that ghost. But he handled it swiftly and decisively, and he clearly still had strength to spare."

"If you knew why player ID 888 became a legend on the player forum, you'd understand that person hid more secrets and trump cards than anyone else. He was also more well-adapted to life in the Nightmare World than any player I've ever known."

"You said he gave up his quest to save you, but you didn't actually witness his death, did you?" Qin Ge seemed, from the very beginning, not to believe that Su Bai had truly died because of this, which was why he hadn't shown any grief. "Though I have no proof, I believe he must have chosen to save you while holding onto some trump card. He must still be alive and well."

"So, hold back the guilt." Qin Ge stood up from his chair and extended a hand to Sha Linghai. "With our help, push yourself to get stronger. Then, when you meet him again, prove that his choice was the right one."

Sha Linghai also rose from his chair, took a deep breath, and shook Qin Ge's hand.

"I had already decided to do something about it, and I will give it my all." Sha Linghai's resolve was firm, a far cry from the arrogant trainee he'd once been.

"Later, we'll register an account for you on the player forum. If you're interested in following the forum's trading section, you might come across number 888 again." As Qin Ge spoke, he seemed to remember something and added, "Of course, the forum contains a lot of important player-related information. Plus, with the Relevant Authorities recently preparing to implement a new exchange plan, the forum is bound to become even more lively."

"Thank you, Captain Qin."

Sha Linghai had originally hoped to learn more about that "bride" from Qin Ge, but whether due to these considerations or not, Qin Ge hadn't even revealed the "bride's" real name. What he shared were mostly his own personal impressions about the "bride."

Still, Qin Ge's tone and attitude were very sincere, and coupled with the backing of the Relevant Authorities, it was enough to convince Sha Linghai that Qin Ge meant no harm.

"Now, let's strike while the iron is hot and discuss the talent you acquired after beating the game." Qin Ge invited Sha Linghai to sit down again and got straight to the point. "The Relevant Authorities have compiled some materials on talents and abilities, though for now, they're only for internal use within our team."

Hearing this, Sha Linghai straightened up.

...

Not long after Sha Linghai registered as a user on the player forum, the forum admins rolled out a new exchange plan. This plan that seemed familiar also caught the attention of Su Bai, who had always kept a close eye on the forum's exchange.

Since posting the "Mist Shop" advertisement in the forum's trading section under the ID number 888, even though Xiao Wu always emphasized that Su Bai shouldn't stress about store profits—explaining that the Mist Shop existed primarily to serve Su Bai, the owner—Su Bai, having grown up helping his mother run a shop and seeing how such a small business supported their family financially, genuinely hoped the "Mist Shop" could fulfill a need and become a real store.

So, Su Bai specifically brought out several self-service kiosks from the Mist Shop's mysterious warehouse. These machines somewhat resembled the self-service waste sorting machines recently popular in Honghuai City, but they had been modified by Xiao Wu and Su Bai using power they'd stored up in the shop.

Because modifying ordinary items with energy involved a great deal of randomness, Su Bai and Xiao Wu had to try many times before successfully creating just one self-service machine that worked right.

When using the self-service machine for the first time, users could follow the prompts to receive a shop Points Card.

After inserting the Points Card into the machine, users could toss items they wanted to exchange for points or discard into the deposit slot below. Within seconds, the screen above would display the number of points the item could be exchanged for and ask if the user confirmed the exchange.

If the user selected "No," they could still retrieve the item from the deposit slot.

Additionally, by operating the self-service machine, cardholders could also check reference items available for different point values. For now, only existing items in the shop were displayed, but as Shopkeeper Su continued his efforts, the range of exchangeable items would grow.

With the help of these machines, even if Su Bai wasn't in the shop, players could search for "Mist Shop" on the forum map and find the storefront at the corner along with the self-service machine nearby.

And after obtaining the shop's Points Card, that small card seemed to possess some magical power, continuing to guide players toward the Mist Shop.

Su Bai had prepared thoroughly, but for a long time, the Mist Shop still saw very little business.

However, not long after the forum launched its new exchange plan, a small butterfly flapped its wings, indirectly and unexpectedly causing the Mist Shop to quickly blow up!

To be precise, it was the self-service machine outside the Mist Shop's door that became wildly popular.