Standing silently at the entrance of the shop on the east side, Wei Xuguang watched Cheng Tingyu, who was currently working as an employee at the little tailor's clothing store. She observed him occasionally reaching out to adjust the clothes fluttering in the air and felt that the prospects of this mission were indeed quite bleak.
Although he hadn't noticed any danger from scavenger attacks or self-destructive actions for the time being, Li Fuci knew that the time for restocking would never be unlimited.
Sure enough, it didn't take long before the electronic urging sound of "ding ding ding" rang out once again from above.
Although they couldn't find suitable clothes, they had just entered the dungeon, and this was their first time gathering supplies, primarily to test the waters. Therefore, they weren't in a hurry to get results. Moreover, most of the shopkeepers hadn't deducted points, so they should be able to hold on for a while longer.
However, in the last three to five seconds, Cheng Tingyu, who had already quieted down, once again displayed her reckless spirit by reaching out and bringing back a stack of clothes that exceeded her strength limit.
Li Fu was startled: "What are you doing? Can you beat him?"
It wasn't that she doubted the combat abilities of flesh-and-blood players, but Cheng Tingyu just didn't seem like someone with high combat power and a thick health bar.
Cheng Tingyu tilted his head to avoid the sleeve that was whipping towards his face and sincerely said, "I might not be able to win, so you should help share the burden a bit."
Li Fuci, who was inexplicably handed a bunch of clothes that could hit people: "..."
The timing was perfect, leaving her no chance to refuse.
Cheng Tingyu moved swiftly, as if she had already rehearsed the sequence of actions in her mind after grabbing the clothes. She quickly rushed back into the store and hung the struggling clothes, which seemed intent on giving her a headshot, on a hanger.
Her attempt succeeded. After being hung up, the clothes that had been flapping like windmills with their sleeves and pant legs suddenly quieted down, as if the hangers had drained the life out of them.
——The reason those clothes would fly back to the atrium once they left human control was that the procurement process was not yet complete.
After Cheng Tingyu succeeded, the others immediately realized that this was the correct way to procure goods.
Distracted and hit several times by the clothes, Li Fuci fully demonstrated the initiative of an intern inspector by following suit and hanging up the clothes. Kaso wanted to do the same, but just as she was about to start, she heard the sound of "thud, thud, thud" bouncing.
The time for restocking has ended.
The plastic mannequins dressed in security uniforms once again began their patrol time.
The lights in the hallway flickered a few times.
Clearly, nothing had changed, yet the perception was suppressed.
At this moment, Ka Suo fully understood why Cheng Tingyu only attempted to complete the procurement process at the very last moment.
The three individuals who had previous violations, aside from Li Fuci who was one of their own, the other two were members of the "Hounds," one of whom was Kaso himself.
Cheng Tingyu must have already had some suspicions about the procurement method, but she wanted to use the scavenger to experiment and see what the consequences would be of being deducted twice.
...I was too careless.
Kaso was now absolutely certain that Cheng Tingyu's previous behavior of avoiding Masi at first sight was an act, intended to lower the scavengers' guard.
She recalled the expression of that girl, belatedly realizing that the other had black eyes that made it impossible to discern her emotions. When Cheng Tingyu's gaze swept over them, it gave Ka a vague sense of familiarity that sent a shiver down her spine.
——The leader of the "Hounds" would also show a similar expression when looking at the prey that had fallen into his grasp.
The electronic prompt sound had not completely faded when the sound of the plastic mannequin moving had already approached the shop.
Bai Wenji, Chen Jiajia, and the other two had long found an opportunity to sneak back to their original hiding spot, remaining completely still. At this moment, there wasn't a single breathing creature left in the corridor.
A plastic mannequin dressed in a security guard uniform walked to the entrance of the "Little Tailor" clothing store, its dark eyes facing Cheng Tingyu's direction.
Although it was endowed with the ability to move, its facial features remained rigid.
The models rely on moving their lower limbs for training, but their feet are fixed to the plastic sheets below, forcing them to advance in a bizarre posture.
Perhaps it was because the lighting was too starkly white, but when these patrolling security guards faced him, Cheng Tingyu had a vague illusion that their eyeballs moved slightly towards the newly hung clothes.
"Knock."
The plastic mannequin stopped.
Even under the suppression of the store's replica, Cheng Tingyu's vision remained exceptionally sharp.
She almost immediately noticed that during this patrol, the plastic mannequin was positioned closer to the store than the last time. At this rate, in at most four more patrols, the plastic piece under the mannequin's feet would be stepping on the threshold.
About half a minute passed before the pale-faced plastic mannequin slowly moved its face away. As it left, Cheng Tingyu could distinctly see a trace of reluctance in its motionless features.
Cheng Tingyu glanced at the image in the mirror, and sure enough, her sanity value had dropped again.
After the patrol personnel finally left the store entrance, the electronic sound above rang out again—
"Next is the announcement time.
"Due to the lack of new stock, the 'Water Blue' clothing store, the 'Big-Eyed Cow' children's clothing store... the 'Sky' clothing store will have their business scores reduced by 3."
"Please adjust promptly as notified to avoid rectification."
Apart from the "Little Tailor" where Cheng Tingyu worked and the "Cupid" where Li Fuci was, all the clothing stores were criticized.
After criticizing the unqualified shopkeeper, that flat voice reminded them once again that the shopkeeper needed to restock.
Cheng Tingyu glanced at the newly hung clothes and had no major objections to the task given by the electronic voice.
——She restocked, but not much.
Cheng Tingyu hadn't been in the instance for long, but because she hadn't relaxed at all, her stamina was quite depleted. She took a bottle of water from her [affordable and practical hiking bag] and drank a couple of sips. When she tried to put it back, she felt a noticeable resistance.
——The formation of spatial tools is mostly related to the power of realms, and the powers of different realms tend to repel each other. From this perspective, the concentration of this type of power within the marketplace replica is indeed quite intense.
While Cheng Tingyu was clearing his throat, he kept listening for the sound of the plastic mannequin's footsteps. The moment the noise from the plastic mannequin disappeared, Ma Xi had already rushed to the entrance of the "Little Tailor" shop, flashing a bloodthirsty smile at the shop assistant inside.
Qiqi's voice came from farther away: "The young man from 'Little Tailor' clearly thought of a way to get the goods, but didn't even tell his companions. Since everyone else lost points, it's not very nice for you to keep a perfect score all by yourself."
Facing the enemy's blockade, Cheng Tingyu did not rush but calmly said, "You have already lost four points. If the full score is ten, then the passing line is likely set at six." She looked at Maxie and revealed a pleasant smile, "Choosing to fight at the store entrance will certainly cause damage to the shop, and whether the consequence of that damage will deduct your points or mine is yet to be concluded."
Both possibilities make sense.
Store clerks who damage other people's shops may be penalized by security, and clerks who fail to protect their own shops may also be penalized by security.
Cheng Tingyu currently has a perfect score, so she has the most opportunities to make mistakes among everyone.
However, it was different for Ma Xi. If it really was a ten-point system, losing just one more point would drop him below the passing line, subjecting him to punishment from the marketplace.
Maxi's body stiffened.
Cheng Tingyu: "I lean more towards the former. The survivors just mentioned that if we engage in destructive activities like lock-picking, we will be attacked by the patrolling guards." Her eyes were so deep and dark that they reminded one of a night without starlight. "Do you want to give it a try?"
"..."
After a long while, just as the inspector nearby was about to intervene, Ma Xi reluctantly stepped aside from the doorway. He looked at Cheng Tingyu with malice, cracking his knuckles loudly. "Every prey has its own scent. The 'hound' will remember you."
Cheng Tingyu's gaze shifted to Ma Xi, and after a moment, he chuckled, "Then you'd better hurry."
Although it was not explicitly stated, the initiative of the entire scene had unconsciously begun to shift towards Cheng Tingyu, who had the highest score. She subtly used the score difference to exert control over the participants' actions.
Wei Xuguang also breathed a sigh of relief. When she sensed the scavenger's hostility, she had already prepared to use a tool to forcibly pull Cheng Tingyu and herself out of the instance.
——Being able to leave an already activated copy, the [Exemption Pass] can't do it, but [the computer plug was kicked out by a cat] might work. However, Wei Xugui had never tried it before and couldn't guarantee it 100%.
Apart from Cheng Tingyu, Li Fuci was the second highest scorer among the participants.
Li Fu couldn't help but say, "You are quite calm."
She could now understand why Cheng Tingyu said he relied on skill—if problems could be solved through thinking, why resort to force?
Cheng Tingyu recalled the SAN value he had just seen and shook his head: "It's not calmness, it's optimism and cheerfulness."
Wei Xuguang, who was a bit distanced from his companions, sighed silently, feeling that Cheng Tingyu's mental state had taken another step closer to that of a true master.
After a period of waiting, those fluttering clothes reappeared.
After discovering the method of acquiring goods, Cheng Tingyu seemed completely unaware of the scrutinizing gazes fixed on her. Instead of rushing to grab the red dress, she pulled Du Ranqing aside and started chatting.
Du Ranqing was in worse shape than Chen Jiajia. Her head and body were covered in cold sweat, and the sweat had glued her hair to her face, making her look particularly disheveled.
Cheng Tingyu: "Do you know how the plastic mannequins dealt with those who broke the rules before?"
Duran Qing's lips trembled, and she shook her head. "I, I can't say for sure." She sobbed, covering her face with her hand. "It was just in an instant, they were all dead..."
Kasuo shifted his gaze away from these people.
Ordinary people are too weak; in the face of the dungeon's malice, they have no ability to resist. Even if they spend some time in the marketplace, it's hard to obtain useful clues—it's just waiting for death.
Cheng Tingyu patted Du Ranqing on the shoulder, feeling the young girl trembling continuously, her clothes already soaked with cold sweat.
On the other side, Qiqi was discussing the ownership of the red clothes with Li Yetai.
This time during the restocking period, three jackets, three pairs of pants, a skirt, and a woolen cloak appeared in the courtyard.
Although the styles of the clothes might change, the total number is not much different from the last time. After a few more rounds, it might not be impossible to gather nine complete sets.
The scavenger knew very well that relying solely on forceful plundering would lead to unnecessary losses. For instance, in the previous procurement cycle, they could have obtained two sets of clothes, but ended up with nothing due to a dispute.
Just as the participants' gazes lingered on the red flying garment, an electronic sound abruptly rang out from above.
——The restocking time has just begun, which is an unexpected event completely different from the previous cycle.
"Here is the store announcement.
"Recently, the sales of various stores in the mall have significantly declined, and no five-star reviews from customers have been collected this quarter. All store employees are requested to make timely adjustments."
"The customers in the VIP lounge gave negative reviews about the drinks."
"A friendly reminder, if customer satisfaction continues to decline, the mall management will deduct points from all stores that are currently operating."
After delivering the bad news to the participants inside the replica, the electronic announcement concluded.
Li Fu was at a loss for words: "…This store even has a VIP section?"
Cheng Tingyu looked around and said, "You can't see it from the second floor here; it might be located somewhere else."
After hearing the electronic broadcast, both the scavengers and the inspection team felt a bit tense.
Many game instances have time limits, and if you fail to clear the instance before time runs out, the outcome is usually not very good.
The whites of Maxie's eyes, who had already lost four points, were streaked with red blood vessels.