Maxi's heart was filled with fear and anger.
In his ears, the electronic sound just now, beneath its stable facade, concealed tiny malice and mockery like ants.
Now, more and more ants were gathering here. Those tiny black insects rustled as they crawled up his feet, then along his calves, thighs, and back, all the way to Masi's throat.
Can't shake it off.
If you choke yourself, those invisible ants will crawl onto your hands, and even if you try to shake them off, they will still climb back up.
His muscles tensed uncontrollably, and his breathing became erratic.
The patrolling security guards had gazes that could lower the participants' sanity value. Although Maxie was a combat-oriented player, when he was being watched, he completely lost the courage to confront the plastic mannequins, feeling as if his rationality was being drained bit by bit.
Now, his sanity was nearly drained. If Cheng Tingyu could assess it, he would find that Ma Xi's mental state had long since crossed into the realm of madness.
Unlike the tense participants, the clothes in the courtyard danced with a cheerfulness that did not match the atmosphere of the scene, the rustling sound of the fabric swaying was unsettling.
Maxi, whose whole body had been stiff, suddenly moved. He reached out, relying on the formidable strength of his flesh and blood, and grabbed two pieces of red clothing, putting them together into a complete set. Then he sprinted towards Chen Jiajia and the others, who had reappeared in the corridor.
"Sign for it! You're the customer, sign for it right now!"
He was just one step away from failing, so he had to seize every opportunity to pass.
Duran Qing was already trembling, and at this moment, he was so scared that he almost cried out, "How, how should I sign for it?"
Maxi lowered his head and pounded his temples twice with his fists, trying to calm his increasingly muddled mind.
He was already somewhat unclear and had to quickly figure out the next course of action.
Perhaps Cheng Tingyu's previous actions had inspired Ma Xi. After calming down a bit, he dove back into his shop and frantically rummaged through the drawers.
Maxi was best at pure combat dungeons, but he had accumulated quite a bit of experience with other types as well. About thirty seconds later, he found his target item among a pile of miscellaneous objects.
It was a blank receipt and a barely usable pen.
Maxi rudely shoved the clothes, the receipt, and the pen into Du Ranqing's hands, urging, "Everything's here, hurry up and sign!"
Duran Qing took the pen with trembling hands, trying to sign his name on the form. However, after several attempts, he still couldn't succeed.
Under the illumination of the store lights, her face grew increasingly pale: "I think... I think I can't do it."
A surge of unquenchable anger rose in Ma Xi's heart: "How could it be impossible!"
"They're not customers, of course they can't sign for it."
A somewhat leisurely voice came from the right; it was Cheng Tingyu. She glanced at Ma Xi and smiled, "Otherwise, why do you think no one here is competing with you for the chance to sign for the goods?"
"..."
Maxi's body stiffened.
The electronic voice had informed them that each customer could only sign once. If Du Ranqing and the others were considered customers, then at most four participants could clear the level. As the most precious resource for passing the level, it would certainly attract others' attempts to seize it.
Li, it wasn't because he saw the truth that he didn't fight for the spot. Fu Ci murmured, "So they aren't customers?"
Cheng Tingyu: "If it were a customer, there would be no reason to avoid the security guards, right?"
Wei Xugu and He Xijiang heard this, their expressions remaining unchanged.
They had indeed guessed the answer in advance.
Li Yetai's expression was just as unperturbed as Qiqi's.
Although some thoughts were still unclear, both of them had a basic guess about the identities of Du Ranqing and the others.
As for Yote, he relied entirely on his experience as a veteran player and didn't scramble for a spot. After all, even if one was taken, he was confident he could secure one of the remaining three.
And Kaso, her only reason for not taking action, was because Cheng Tingyu had not taken action.
As the scavenger closest to Cheng Tingyu, she always felt that this player, who claimed to be a "screwdriver" temp worker, had a rather peculiar attitude.
As the weakest party among the three groups and the one most likely to be pushed out as cannon fodder, Cheng Tingyu's decision not to compete for customer slots probably means there's something wrong with it.
"——Max."
Maxi's mind had gone completely blank, and from the other side of the corridor, Kiki's familiar voice echoed in his ears.
"As a companion, I really want to save you, but it seems your score is about to drop below the passing line."
For players already steeped in madness, her voice held a strong allure for Masi, who was also a member of the "Hounds."
Maxi began to tremble, then looked at Cheng Tingyu with a resentful gaze.
As a "hound," if I must die, then I will tear out the throat of my prey before I do.
"..."
Li Fuci, who was closest to Cheng Tingyu, felt a bit uneasy.
Qiqi did this, obviously hoping that Maxi would take the risk of losing points and take out Cheng Tingyu.
Li Fuci felt that Cheng Tingyu had somewhat backfired. She deliberately revealed the method of procurement at the last moment, causing Ma Xi to lose too many points in one go and be pressured by the marketplace. It was as if those who had one foot on the edge of a cliff gradually became reckless.
Cheng Tingyu also sensed the malice from the scavenger and smiled at Maxie: "Although your score is very precarious, if your companion is truly willing to give you ownership of this set of clothes, you still have a chance to pass."
As soon as the words were spoken, Kaso's gaze also turned towards Cheng Tingyu.
Her and Maxie's point deductions were the same, but Carso was more rational than Maxie and could still hold back.
However, after listening to Cheng Tingyu's words, all the participants couldn't help but feel a stir in their hearts, especially the two whose scores were dangerously close to the failing line.
Yote: "Do you know how to clear the level?"
Cheng Tingyu: "I just have a bit of an idea."
The eyes of scavengers are much like those of wild beasts; when they fix their gaze on others, it gives one the feeling of being pricked by thorns on their back.
At this moment, Yote fixed his gaze firmly on Cheng Tingyu.
If the inspection team weren't nearby, they could have used force to make this young player reveal what he knew. However, now they could only be patient.
Qiqi's ability was related to her voice; she could also adjust her tone at will. At this moment, she coaxed in a particularly amiable tone, "Since you know, why not say it out loud for everyone to discuss? After all, there are your companions in this store too."
As soon as the words fell, Cheng Tingyu suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of elation. She immediately opened the small round mirror she carried with her to observe, and soon, lines of information began to appear beside her reflection.
She paid special attention to the special status and found that there was indeed an additional [Inspired Listener] at the end
Considering that Kiki's ability is related to sound, it should be the effect caused by her ability.
Qiqi: "What are you looking at?"
Cheng Tingyu closed the mirror and answered earnestly, "Admiring my own wise features."
Kiki: "..."
As a scavenger, she knew very well that when feeling puzzled, there was no need to question whether the mind of someone who often immersed themselves in virtual worlds was normal, because the answer was usually so obvious that it didn't warrant any doubt.
The additional status in the information column made Cheng Tingyu realize that he had actually been influenced by Qiqi's words.
Of course, this wasn't a problem for Cheng Tingyu, as explaining her thoughts to others was exactly what she planned to do next.
Second floor of the mall.
The young man, who claimed to be a temporary worker at the "Screwdriver" insurance company, was speaking eloquently: "The copy is not just the layer we see."
Kaso didn't mind: "Did you guess it from the report just now?"
After receiving the electronic sound and the VIP lounge prompt, it wasn't hard to guess that there were other areas.
Cheng Tingyu shook his head: "No, it's because of the plastic mannequin."
All the participants left the store only after the sound of the plastic mannequin's footsteps had faded away. At this moment, the corridor was already devoid of the patrolling security guards.
Kiki and the others suddenly understood the implication of her words.
Cheng Tingyu nodded slightly, as if confirming the others' suspicions: "We can't see the existence of the stairs, so where did the plastic mannequin go after completing its patrol?"
Maxi wanted to mention the other restrooms, but quickly realized that the public restrooms at all four corners had already been checked by the participants, and the security guard couldn't be hiding over there.
Cheng Tingyu said leisurely, "Maybe they're resting, but considering that we, as employees, have never gotten off work, it's more likely that they've gone to other places that need patrolling."
As he was explaining, the young man's gaze fell on Maxie, and he offered a friendly suggestion: "So next time the security comes around to patrol, why don't you follow them and check out the other floors? You might find a lounge."
"..."
The other person's smile was quite cheerful, yet it made Maxie feel as if someone was slowly pouring ice water into his chest.
He completely understood Cheng Tingyu's intentions.
This young player probably discovered the method to reach other floors very early on, but kept silent about it.
She was waiting, waiting for a suitable guinea pig to appear.
These highly skilled individuals wouldn't want to take risks, so if they come up with an idea, they will definitely force the player with the lowest strength and the role of a clerk in the instance to test the method's correctness first.
Under similar conditions, Cheng Tingyu was more likely to become the target of coercion by scavengers.
She was not a member of the inspection team, and Li Yetai would not go to great lengths to protect the employees of "Screwdriver."
However, the situation has now changed.
Everyone was already standing on different starting lines. The point deductions for the thirteen clerks were not the same. Kiki and Yote could still wait, but he could no longer afford to wait.
——As long as there is a need, it can be exploited.
"…Was all of this part of your plan?"
Cheng Tingyu was slightly surprised upon hearing this, then she chuckled and shook her head. "Of course, not entirely." Her voice was gentle. "I didn't expect that not stocking up would directly result in a three-point deduction."
"So, are you planning to continue waiting for the next round, or will you take the initiative to find a way to conquer the level?"
Her attitude was not aggressive, yet it made Maxie realize that he was like a puppet in her hands, every move dictated by the will of this young woman.
Maxi: "…I choose to give it a try."
He suddenly felt a surge of fear.
Even though Cheng Tingyu had always appeared so harmless, he still felt a chill down his spine.
The other person was calm and full of curiosity. Had he known this, Maxie would have certainly avoided any chance of leaving a deep impression on her.
In this round, not only Maxie but also Kaso reached the danger line in terms of scores.
In the absence of a brawl, finding the target item from a pile of flying clothes wasn't too difficult. Naturally, Cheng Tingyu, who prided himself on his skills as a flesh-and-blood player, didn't join in the commotion. He simply grabbed a few ordinary clothes nearby to satisfy the electronic notification's requirement for stocking up.
In the end, Ka got a dress and a pair of pants, while Ma Xi got a top and a pair of pants. The rest of the red clothes were hung up by Li Yetai and He Xijiang.
She was initially hesitant about whether the combination of a skirt and pants met the requirements, but she was quickly persuaded by Cheng Tingyu—it only required the top to be summer wear, without specifying the style. Besides, if questioned, she could explain it as a fashion statement.