Chapter 34: Chapter 31 Temporary Props
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What on earth… Hidden Round?
Zhou Wang saw a series of prompts from the system and was momentarily stunned.
He wasn’t too surprised about discovering an “Easter Egg” while reading.
After all, there was a similar hidden mechanism in the first round, which was triggered by the “Lucky Number.” At that time, however, the system had given a clear hint, but this time, there was no such sign.
It seemed that this “Easter Egg Book” was the key to triggering the hidden mechanism in the second action round.
...
But Zhou Wang couldn’t determine how many of these “Easter Egg Books” there were.
After scrutinizing the description of the Hidden Round, Zhou Wang felt confused.
“Angels and Demons? Prologue?”
Just from the brief introduction, he couldn’t make anything out of it, but the title was certainly thought-provoking.
The system also clearly told him that the key figure of this round was “Jiang Mo.”
“Peeking into reality… both the sun and the human heart can’t be looked at directly… So it’s about human nature? That indeed has a close connection with the book ‘Psychology and Life’…”
[The Hidden Round will begin in “1 hour and 34 minutes”]
At that moment, Zhou Wang saw the system’s final line of prompt, which included a countdown timer.
“It starts in about an hour… Let’s eat first.”
It was already approaching 5 p.m., and as Zhou Wang’s mind grew groggy again, he lost the desire to continue reading and left the library after tidying up.
The Provincial Library was strategically located, right next to Cui Lake, one of Ming City’s famous attractions, and surrounded by well-known restaurants.
Zhou Wang opened a review app, selected upscale restaurants averaging over 300 per person, and casually picked one without hesitation.
What if he wanted to eat at several places? No matter, he’d just try another one the next day, with enough time in ten days or so to eat everywhere he wanted.
Having money had its perks; after all, many problems were exclusive to those without money, like “decision-making disorder”… (Note: Zhou Wang did not intend to insult anyone)
Arriving at a restaurant named “Cui Mansion,” Zhou Wang ordered a few of the signature dishes on the waiter’s recommendation.
A dish of stir-fried snowflake beef with bolete for 698, a baked baby lobster with black truffle for 598, plus a fragrant dry-fried rice for 66, and a glass of passion fruit juice for 55, Zhou Wang spent nearly fifteen hundred on this regionally distinctive dinner.
To be honest, purely in terms of taste enjoyment, it wasn’t inferior to his experiences at star hotels and, in some respects, even surpassed them.
After all, star hotels catered to guests from all over the world, and to accommodate general tastes, they sometimes had to compromise on “characteristics.”
Slowly finishing his meal and lighting up a heavy Nine Dragons cigarette afterward, a satisfied Zhou Wang heard the system prompt again.
[The Hidden Round is about to begin. If you choose to complete this round, please arrive at the following location before the countdown expires]
[Location.gps]
Zhou Wang glanced at the location sent by the system, which was in a residential area near Ming City’s Expo Garden, not too far or too near from here.
The round was set to begin in just over 30 minutes, and considering downtown traffic during rush hour might be tight, Zhou Wang didn’t delay further. He settled the bill and went out, where Old Yang, who came early, was waiting nearby.
After getting into the car, Zhou Wang, who never played unprepared for the possible system rewards, searched for information about the residential area on his phone.
Data showed this was a neighborhood built 20 years ago, and for the Ming City of that time, it was considered a “wealthy area” due to its proximity to the Expo Garden.
However, with the rise of major commercial districts over the years, this neighborhood gradually declined, with nothing much to boast about except its somewhat central location.
As Zhou Wang mentioned he was in a hurry, Old Yang fully demonstrated his driving skills, delivering Zhou Wang to the residential gate just before the countdown ended.
“Brother Yang, you can head back first. I have some matters to handle here, and I’m unsure of the time.”
“Alright, Mr. Zhou, just call me when you need a pickup.”
Nodding, Old Yang drove away.
[Host detected at specified location. The round officially begins]
[The host has acquired a temporary item: Zeph’s Windbreaker (Details are available in the system warehouse)]
An item too?
Zhou Wang was somewhat surprised, opening the system warehouse to find a grey windbreaker quietly lying there.
[Zeph’s Windbreaker: Upon wearing, it will infinitely weaken the host’s presence in reality, concealing their tracks]
A low voice resonated in Zhou Wang’s mind.
[The Shadow dwells within!]
So this was… an invisibility cloak?
Seeing such an exciting item, Zhou Wang’s heart skipped a beat.
“Zeph,” known in the game as the “Shadow Master,” having a windbreaker like this seemed reasonable.
Although the system didn’t state it explicitly, the item was obviously to aid in completing the Hidden Round, so Zhou Wang immediately retrieved it and put it on.
There was nothing special about the feeling, and the windbreaker’s style was also ordinary, but as Zhou Wang walked through the community gates, he felt distinctly different.
Not only did the security guard engrossed in short videos not react, but even a couple approaching in conversation didn’t glance at him, as if he didn’t exist.
But where should I go next?
Zhou Wang wandered aimlessly down the community road, soon coming to a halt.
Because he saw Jiang Mo.
At the entrance of a row of somewhat peeling townhouses, Jiang Mo stood there with an open suitcase at her feet, and several clothes scattered on the ground beside her.
Swish!
Another piece of clothing was tossed out from the villa door, and Zhou Wang looked over to see a middle-aged woman standing there, arms akimbo, coldly saying, “Jiang Mo, you can’t blame us for being heartless, blame your father instead.”
“Though he’s been imprisoned, it doesn’t mean his debts to us are settled. The court transferred this house to us long ago. We let you live here for a few months for free, but if you still can’t pay the rent, you should move out!”
“Honey, maybe we should…”
Another middle-aged man standing behind the woman looked reluctant, seemingly wanting to say something.
“Shut up!”
The woman interrupted him directly, yelling shrilly, “You’re always playing the nice guy, huh? If you hadn’t insisted on lending Jiang Yunfei the money, we wouldn’t have so many problems!”
“But that’s not…”
The couple seemed to start arguing, and the woman slammed the door shut with a “bang,” cutting off all sounds.
Zhou Wang turned his head to look at Jiang Mo, who remained silent throughout. Her long hair covered her cheeks, hiding her expression in the shadows, but Zhou Wang clearly saw a single crystalline tear drop silently from her smooth chin.
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