Qi Xu had Mimi check the records—the "Lord of Demon Island" had 17 movie viewings left on his prepaid account, so Qi Xu topped up the equivalent of 17 tickets for two people.
Watching ten consecutive screenings unlocked the privilege of resting here overnight. Qi Xu suspected that the Lord of Demon Island’s primary goal wasn’t awakening abilities through movies but rather hiding from the giant black snake.
After securing the tickets, Qi Xu also bought the classic movie-watching trio: popcorn, chips, and soda.
He spent a long time talking in circles with Meow and Mimi. At first, the two cats didn’t grasp his meaning—Qi Xu had been deliberately vague to avoid making them break any rules. But eventually, they caught on and agreed without hesitation. It was a small favor within the rules, and they were happy to help a friend.
When the next screening began, Qi Xu and Dongfang Yuan entered together. Immediately, they spotted someone sitting in the very last row.
The theater was dimly lit, and Dongfang Yuan used Qi Xu’s silhouette as cover to slip into the seat closest to the exit, keeping her figure and face hidden from view.
Only after confirming Dongfang Yuan’s calm demeanor did Qi Xu proceed further inside.
He found the best seat in the house—dead center in the seventh row. Since they were here and had already paid, they might as well watch the movie properly. Who knew? Maybe they’d awaken a skill.
As he walked toward his seat, Qi Xu felt a venomous, snake-like gaze tracking his every move. He turned and glared. "Got a problem? Want me to gouge those eyes out?"
The Lord of Demon Island narrowed his eyes, glanced toward the exit, then locked his stare back on Qi Xu.
"Who are you? Do we have history? Are you two here to corner me?"
For nearly two months, Chen Ronghua had been relentlessly hunted by that monstrous black snake. The frustration was unbearable—he’d been forced to surrender his top ranking and was now struggling to stay in the top three.
But there was no way out. That damned snake’s stats were absurdly high, leaving no room for resistance. Chen Ronghua was teetering on the edge of rage and despair.
His only option was to burn through fuel packs to meet daily mileage requirements, then hole up in a station, unable to open a single loot box. It was manageable in the short term, but once his survival coins and fuel packs ran dry, it’d be game over.
This girl in front of him clearly wasn’t from District 01-01. Given their stance, they were probably here for him.
Chen Ronghua had been seething earlier, but now he felt oddly calm. He’d rather deal with a direct confrontation than someone scheming in the shadows. He scoffed.
"Kid, don’t make things harder for yourself."
"Old man, don’t talk bigger than you can back up."
When it came to verbal sparring, Qi Xu wasn’t one to back down.
Chen Ronghua’s paranoia was too sharp—even the best disguise wouldn’t fool him. So there was no point in hiding anymore.
As the opening music played, Qi Xu took his seat and focused on the film.
This movie had been out for a while. Qi Xu had seen it in theaters before, but rewatching it on the Survival Highway gave it a fresh twist.
By the time the credits rolled, Qi Xu still hadn’t felt even a flicker of a skill awakening.
Of course. Expecting to unlock an ability after one viewing was too optimistic.
Then came the second screening, the third, the seventh…
By the 17th replay, Qi Xu had lost count of how many naps he’d taken. The Lord of Demon Island wasn’t having it easy either—staying cooped up here was torture.
Just as Qi Xu and Dongfang Yuan prepared to flank him and force him outside, he suddenly teleported straight to his vehicle outside the theater to grind his daily mileage.
Qi Xu was speechless. After all that bravado, he’d chickened out?
No choice but to follow and finish the day’s mileage. He immediately told Meow and Mimi to alert him the moment the guy returned.
Since he’d posted it in the group chat, all of Qi Xu’s monster contacts started keeping tabs on this "Lord of Demon Island" player.
NPCs weren’t allowed to interfere in player conflicts, but… they were just chatting. Nothing wrong with that.
The Lord of Demon Island was no fool—he ditched the theater and headed for the buffet instead. Soon, Spiky the service hedgehog sent word:
"Some stinky human showed up today. Rude, too. Calls himself ‘Demon’? Pfft."
At the monster shop, Taotao the shopkeeper complained:
"Ugh, business is rough lately. That stinky human came by and haggled like crazy. So annoying."
Next, he hit the bathhouse. Gorilla the masseur groaned:
"Waaah, the stink bomb made me scrub him! I scrubbed so hard I thought I’d die from the smell!"
Then the gym. Buff Bunny the muscle monster reported:
The gym owner, the muscular rabbit monster, grumbled, "Stench is everywhere, and today it's my turn!"
Qi Xu could track the whereabouts of the "Lord of Demon Island" just by glancing at the group chat. Alongside Dongfang Yuan, he chased relentlessly, but the target seemed to have an endless supply of mystical items at his disposal.
Every time they were about to catch him, he would sense their approach and vanish in advance.
Qi Xu couldn’t shake the feeling that the guy was afraid of something.
Surely he wasn’t too cowardly to even fight? After being cornered like this...
Qi Xu had a knack for ambushing his prey. He made sure the stench-ridden target paid up before setting out, ensuring he got nothing out of it except draining his survival coins.
Chen Ronghua was nearly driven mad. If not for the fact that this was...
He took a deep breath and decided to stall for time. These two were chasing him desperately, surely burning through resources as well. Let’s see who had deeper pockets!
What Chen Ronghua didn’t realize was that he had crossed paths with the "King of Roadside Monster Hunting."
Qi Xu only needed to set his navigation and go—no resources wasted, not even needing an "Any Station Selection Card."
"I’m not heading to a station, just visiting a good friend," he said, as the monsters themselves sent him their coordinates.
Meanwhile, Xiao Hei’s long-awaited job negotiation finally paid off—big time! Gas station manager! The previous purple fox had been transferred, leaving the position wide open.
The first thing Xiao Hei did after taking office was establish a membership system, implement purchase limits, revise buying rules, and adjust the price list. After all these changes, Chen Ronghua found himself unable to buy fuel packs anymore!
Now he was truly screwed.
With the giant black snake closing in again, he ducked into a movie theater, continuing to watch Ne Zha, while mass-messaging other players in Zone 01...
They were old friends, after all. Surely they wouldn’t refuse a small favor? Besides, Zone 01 in District 01 couldn’t afford to lose any more people!
...........
