Chapter 50
The situation was a bit delicate. The two teams stood facing each other at the entrance of the photo studio, seemingly evenly matched, neither willing to back down. Compared to Jiang Liu’s group, who already knew of Jiang He’s existence, the other side’s reaction was much more surprised.
The skinny man squinted at Jiang Liu, not forgetting to ask Jiang He, “Are you sure she’s a player?”
Jiang He nodded repeatedly, finally dispelling his doubts. On the other side, Zhao Ziming’s gaze darted all over Jiang Liu, completely baffled. “How does he know you?”
Although there were plenty of ways to investigate someone in the public area, this Jiang He didn’t look very smart. He wasn’t exceptionally tall but was sturdily built, with prominent muscles on his arms and legs, giving him a bit of a “dumb jock” vibe. A person like that didn’t seem like someone who would have access to high-level information.
Jiang Liu was also initially surprised, but after hearing a few more words from Jiang He, it all became clear. She raised an eyebrow and looked Jiang He up and down like a fox, her gaze lingering on his calf for a moment before she drawled, “Haven’t had enough of a beating from the other day? You look pretty energetic.”
At these words, Jiang He’s face turned into a spectacular array of colors. Xu Meng and the others were taken aback, unable to recall when Jiang Liu was talking about. Only Zhao Ziming’s eyes lit up as he had a moment of inspiration and shouted, “It’s him! The guy who tried to rob us of our kit!”
The only time that involved a fight was that one day! “Shut up!” As if a dark secret had been brought to light, Jiang He became flustered and shouted anxiously.
Jiang Liu watched him with amusement, her tone taunting. “What, you have the guts to do it but not the guts to admit it?”
Jiang He shot her a hateful glare and turned to the skinny man, hastily saying, “Don’t mess with this crazy woman. Let’s focus on the mission.”
He knew full well what Jiang Liu was capable of. Even with all five of them combined, they were probably no match for her. Watching them talk, Jiang Liu’s eyes flickered, her mind already working. On the surface, the skinny man was clearly the core of the team. Although they hadn’t fought yet, the other three always stayed close to him, clearly in cahoots and all in it together. Jiang He was a couple of steps away from them, seemingly not fully integrated into the group, but he still had some say.
She remained silent, standing there and waiting for them to finish their discussion. A moment later, the skinny man took a few steps forward and extended a hand to Jiang Liu with a fake smile.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Hou Yuqiang.”
Jiang Liu didn’t move, a half-smile on her face. It was the quick-witted Zhao Ziming who stepped forward and gave his hand a perfunctory shake. “I’m Zhao Ziming, and this is our Sister Jiang.”
His words subtly elevated Jiang Liu’s status, which made Hou Yuqiang frown slightly, but he didn’t dwell on it. Instead, he looked at Jiang Liu cautiously. “Since we’re all players, let’s be frank. What’s your mission?”
It was the first time two teams of players were in the same instance. Even if they were to cooperate, they had to clarify each other’s identities. Jiang Liu knew exactly what he was planning and shrugged nonchalantly. “Looking for someone. What else could it be?”
Her answer was vague. Hou Yuqiang’s eyes flickered, but he didn’t press further. Instead, he slapped his thigh and laughed out loud.
“I knew it! The missions are the same. Then we’re all in this together. No need to be so tense. Come on, everyone, meet Sister Jiang.”
He waved his men forward, then looked at the photo studio, his tone sincere. “To be honest, that kid from the photo studio gets here at ten-thirty every day. We don’t have much time. Why don’t we find a way in first?”
Jiang Liu lowered her gaze and hummed in agreement. She turned around and picked the lock in a few swift movements. Her clean and efficient actions left Hou Yuqiang stunned for a moment.
“A gesture of cooperation. Please, you first.” She opened the door and made a welcoming gesture, waiting for them to enter before slowly following them in.
“Sister Jiang, are we…” Zhu Yan followed behind like a little tail and tugged on Jiang Liu’s sleeve.
A soft chuckle escaped her throat. Her demeanor, no longer tense, completely relaxed. Her gaze swept around the photo studio. “I know this is your first time at the mission location. Don’t be nervous. Just take a look around.”
The implicit hint in her words made Zhu Yan understand. He secretly gave Jiang Liu an “OK” sign and began to look around the shop curiously. Unlike their disorganized wandering, Hou Yuqiang’s group started searching the room as soon as they entered, their purpose clear. They didn’t even glance at the photos on the wall.
The phone in her pocket buzzed. Jiang Liu looked down and saw a message from Zhao Ziming in the group chat.
“They seem to be looking for something.”
This group had returned empty-handed last night. Their return today must be for a specific purpose. Jiang Liu typed quickly, “Don’t worry about it. Let’s just watch for now.”
After replying, she conveniently stopped at the staircase hidden by the curtain. Directly opposite was the picture that had swallowed Zhang Xiaochen last night. Now, stripped of the strange Ghostly Shadow, it revealed its original appearance. It was a gentle and elegant pregnant woman in a loose-fitting long dress, her belly clearly rounded. She was sitting in a chair, looking down and stroking her unborn child, her expression soft and relaxed. The photographer’s skill was excellent, and the woman’s emotions were perfectly captured, showing no trace of being posed. It looked like a candid shot from daily life, the atmosphere perfectly captured.
As Jiang Liu was admiring it, a grumble sounded beside her. “What’s so interesting about this thing?”
She glanced over and saw it was Jiang He. She ignored him and turned to look at another photo. Being ignored like that, Jiang He couldn’t hide his embarrassment. A flicker of anger appeared in his eyes, and he shouted in a low voice, “Hey!”
What a rude kid.
Jiang Liu frowned in annoyance and shot him a cold, warning glare. Jiang He’s heart trembled, and he was instantly reminded of the brutal beating he had received that day, instinctively taking two steps back. But after coming to his senses, he hesitated and stepped forward again. Although his tone was not great, his posture was much more humble.
“Jiang… Sister,” he called out reluctantly, “wasn’t there another person in your team?”
Jiang Liu’s interest was piqued. She turned, crossed her arms, and looked him over. This Jiang He didn’t look very old. He had a muscular build and was tall, but his face was still quite youthful. Right now, he was looking at her with a conflicted expression, his awkwardness quite amusing. Recalling what Zhang Xiaochen had said, Jiang Liu finally felt a bit of interest and drawled, “Who are you asking about?”
Her attitude made it clear she was deliberately teasing him and had no intention of telling him. A flash of anger crossed Jiang He’s eyes, and his black and white eyes widened as he glared at Jiang Liu. “Forget it, no one,” he said angrily.
With that, he turned and walked away, his steps hurried, looking for all the world like he was fleeing. This person… seemed a bit different from the one Zhang Xiaochen had described.
Xu Meng, who had witnessed the whole scene, waved at Jiang Liu after Jiang He had left and whispered, “Sister Jiang, over here!”
The group was gathered around the table. Zhao Ziming had plopped himself down on the counter and was tapping a photo frame hanging nearby. The photo wasn’t large. In it, a handsome young man was holding a bouquet of sunflowers, his smile bright and sunny. His features were identical to the ones in the photo on Zhao Ziming’s phone.
Jiang Liu breathed a small sigh of relief. Finally, they had found it. With this, she could think of a way to deal with those Ghostly Shadows. All four of them had looks of pleasant surprise in their eyes. In contrast, Hou Yuqiang’s group, who had been rummaging through the room for a long time, were all shaking their heads in dejection.
Her eyes darted around, and her expression shifted to one of appropriate confusion. She frowned and sat down on the sofa. “There’s nothing here. Could it be that the photo studio isn’t the cause?”
Hou Yuqiang was anxious, and hearing her words, he subconsciously interjected, “Impossible!”
Only after he had spoken did he realize who he was responding to. A flash of regret crossed his eyes, and realizing his slip of the tongue, he quickly took a deep breath and changed his expression. “I mean, there must be some secret in the photo studio. After all, it’s the only thing mentioned in the mission.”
This weak explanation didn’t convince Jiang Liu, but she didn’t show it. She just tapped her knee unconsciously and said in a low voice, “Yeah, it seems we’ll have to come back at night.”
This was exactly what Hou Yuqiang was waiting for. He quickly chimed in, “You’re right. Why don’t we go together?”
The dangers in the instances were mostly at night. Since Jiang He had mentioned this woman was very capable, it would be good to use her as an asset. His little plan was working perfectly in his mind, and he was completely unaware that he was being led by the nose by Jiang Liu.
“Sure, around what time?” Jiang Liu smiled inwardly, asking with feigned innocence.
“Midnight. Let’s meet here.”
After setting the time, and seeing that Zhou Yuan should be arriving to watch the shop soon, the groups parted ways. Jiang Liu watched them turn into the back gate of No. 16 Middle School and suddenly frowned. She turned to Zhao Ziming. “Did you say that players are responsible for their own food and lodging in the instances?”
He nodded, his face falling. “Yeah. You have no idea what my life was like before. Thank goodness I met you and Sister Yang.”
Beside him, Zhu Yan also nodded in empathy, his face turning pale as he recalled the arduous days in the last instance. Jiang Liu pressed her lips together, her gaze deepening. If the last two times were because Yang Caisi had given her special treatment, then what about Hou Yuqiang’s group? As fellow players, they had free access to the campus, dormitories, and meal cards. Was that also a form of special treatment? Then the person behind them, could it be the Qiao Ke that Yang Caisi was so wary of?
The feeling of being lost in a huge mystery with no direction made her anxious. Ever since she entered the game, it seemed like an invisible hand had been pushing her every step of the way. What could be more frustrating than being surrounded by a bunch of people who spoke in riddles? She took a deep breath and tried to push the complicated thoughts out of her mind.
Regardless of anything else, the most important thing right now was to clear the level and get out of here. She reached into her pocket, pulled out a turned-off phone, and tossed it to Zhao Ziming. “See if there are any clues in here.”
Zhao Ziming fumbled to catch it and fiddled with it for a moment before asking curiously, “Whose is it?”
Jiang Liu had already started walking ahead, her hands in her pockets. Her voice floated back lightly, “Jiang He’s.”
Although she disdained such petty thievery, it didn’t hurt to use it sometimes.