Chinese Specialty 196: "I can testify that Ballpoint Pen was forced into it. Her sister was captured by the God of Light... If she didn’t change her name, the God of Light would kill her sister. Actually, most people were coerced..."
Chinese Specialty 196 suddenly felt like his words might come off as emotionally blackmailing the invincible big shot. He slapped himself hard—what a reckless thing to say!
Sniff... Would he be silenced for this?
He hurriedly explained, "Whirlwind Big Shot, if my words just now sounded offensive, please forgive me. It’s been too long since I last spoke in the chat hall, and my language skills have deteriorated."
Qi Xu hadn’t seen the group messages yet, as she was still dealing with the aftermath of the killing.
She first searched the entire vehicle and, sure enough, found a... girl.
The girl was barely clothed, tied up with one hand and dangling from the crossbar in the middle of the RV’s aisle. A large bruise swelled on her forehead, likely from hitting the wall when the vehicle was abruptly stopped.
Her body bore numerous injuries—rope burns, bruises, and...
The girl was frail, devoid of any vitality, yet even in this state, her striking beauty couldn’t be hidden.
She seemed barely of age, her face frozen in terror as she stared at the doorway, one arm wrapped protectively around herself.
When she saw that the person entering was a woman, her tears immediately gushed out like a broken dam, her entire body visibly relaxing.
Qi Xu quickened her steps, cutting the rope binding the girl’s wrist. The girl collapsed backward uncontrollably, and Qi Xu reached out to steady her—though she remained on guard, her weapon never leaving her grip.
In the previous round of the game, Qi Xu had encountered a similar situation. She’d tried to save someone, only for that person to turn on her.
If not for a protective item she’d had on her, she would’ve been finished.
This time, however, her caution seemed unwarranted. The girl’s eyes held nothing but gratitude. Qi Xu helped her to a seat and pulled a set of clothes from her backpack.
"Put these on first."
The girl nodded numbly, hesitating before asking, "Th-thank you... The God of Light... he...?"
Qi Xu answered bluntly, "He’s dead. Thoroughly dead."
The girl broke down into sobs, as if a crushing weight had been lifted. Qi Xu hated dealing with emotional outbursts—no words of comfort would help. It was better to let her calm down on her own. Leaving her with a wet wipe and some tissues, Qi Xu began searching the RV.
Most of the items inside had been used by the God of Light, and Qi Xu had no desire to keep them. Rather than waste them, she listed everything in the trading hall.
In the back compartment, she found two unopened packs of cigarettes, which she casually sent to Old White Dragon in the Waves. She also asked him what he still needed for his upgrade.
The top three players to level up would receive a server-wide announcement, but those spots were already taken. Still, the top ten would get rewards—generous ones at that. If she could scrape her way in, it’d be worth it.
In the RV’s lower storage compartment, she found an electric scooter—a Level 1 vehicle, likely belonging to the girl.
Qi Xu checked it over. It wasn’t damaged and could still function normally.
But... at this point, she was probably the only player left in the entire server still using a Level 1 vehicle...
While gathering supplies, Qi Xu glanced at the chat hall messages. This girl was undoubtedly the sister of "Ballpoint Pen."
Qi Xu took out the Enslavement Stone and examined it closely. It was a basic version, capable of enslaving one player. Enslaved players would lose access to their interface, and any supply crates they encountered based on their luck would belong to their master.
After some thought, Qi Xu concluded that players who possessed an Enslavement Stone and successfully enslaved someone could encounter double the supply crates. How ruthless.
She hauled the scooter out and packed an ordinary woven bag with 10 compressed biscuits, 20 packs of mini-bread, 20 bottles of water, a dagger, and a set of her old clothes—ones she’d worn before but had since retired after washing and drying.
To her, these items were insignificant. But to the girl... they could mean survival.
From a logical standpoint, investing a small amount to potentially gain two loyal future teammates was a smart move. Of course, their development mattered—if they were too weak, recruiting them would be pointless. For now, she’d treat it as an investment.
Handing the bag to the girl, Qi Xu said, "I’ve prepared some supplies for you. Your backpack must’ve been destroyed, and I haven’t found it. Are your injuries bad? Can you walk?"
She didn’t want to recall her vehicle in front of others, so she needed to settle the girl first.
The girl clutched the bag tightly. "Thank you... thank you for saving me... I’ll repay you for all this. My name is Li Muzi, and my in-game name is Muzi Li."
Qi Xu shook her head slightly. "Is Ballpoint Pen your brother or sister?"
Li Muzi reacted sluggishly, but at the mention of her sister, a flicker of hope lit up her eyes. "Yes, she’s my sister."
"You should contact her first. All Level 1 vehicle players have already been wiped out. You only survived because you were on the God of Light’s RV. Right now, your top priority is upgrading your vehicle. Understand?"
Li Muzi struggled to focus, pinching her thigh to force herself to absorb this advice. The girl speaking to her seemed to radiate light...
"I understand. Thank you... Can I add you as a friend? I’ll return everything to you."
Li Muzi’s grip on the bag tightened.
"No need to repay me. But there’s one condition—you must keep my gender, vehicle details, and identity a secret."
This time, Li Muzi answered swiftly. "I won’t tell a soul—not even my sister. I swear! If I break this promise, may lightning strike me dead and the God of Light revive to enslave me forever."
Reviving the God of Light? Absolutely not. A ruthless person like him thrived in survival games. After finally killing him, bringing him back would be a nightmare.
Qi Xu was confident in her current strength. Even if Li Muzi did spill the truth, it wouldn’t be a big deal—just a minor inconvenience.
"I believe you. Keep surviving. The game has only just begun, and anyone can turn things around." Qi Xu smiled reassuringly, and Li Muzi burst into tears again.
Qi Xu’s heart softened. This girl was stunning—especially when crying, with teardrops clinging to her lashes, evoking an instinct to protect her.
But in a survival game, without the strength to match, such beauty could easily become a curse.
.........
