Chapter 10 - The Vanished Mermaid (Part 3)

The tour guide chuckled as he looked at the water, then urged everyone, “Hurry up and get off the bus, the mermaid parade is about to start! If you don’t hurry, you’ll miss it.”

But no one dared to move.

The water surface was almost calm again, the waves clear and pristine, yet everyone stared at it as if it were a monster with its mouth wide open, waiting for them to walk right in.

The guide’s smile slowly faded. He glanced at all the players in the bus, licked his lips, and repeated, “It’s time to get off.”

Caught between a rock and a hard place, the group was anxious and hesitant.

Luo Yiran was growing impatient and was about to say something when the curly-haired boy from the back of the bus squeezed through and invited him, “Ranran, let’s get off together.”

Another gaze briefly swept over him. Luo Yiran glanced in that direction out of the corner of his eye while asking the gray-haired, curly-haired boy, “What’s your name?”

The boy replied cheerfully, “Via.”

Luo Yiran focused his gaze on him.

Via grinned and met his eyes. “Shall we get off together?”

“I have to be the last one off,” Luo Yiran said without lowering his voice, so everyone around could hear. “Because I was the last one to get on.” Orderly exit must mean just that.

As soon as he finished speaking, the guide’s expression turned displeased, while Via raised an eyebrow.

The others in the bus suddenly realized what was going on, and some regretted not having thought of such a simple thing.

Luo Yiran then looked at Via. “You were the first one on, weren’t you?” That’s why he had come to invite him.

Via raised an eyebrow, his gaze flickering to a spot nearby.

Luo Yiran smiled. “He’s been watching you all along.”

Via was puzzled. “What are you talking about?”

Luo Yiran continued, “Did he raise you? Is he your father or older brother? You’re very dependent on him.” He watched with amusement as Via’s smile disappeared. “He doesn’t want you to interact with me like this.”

Via felt as if he were about to be exposed, a chilling sensation making him regret not wearing long sleeves and pants.

“Via,” the trench coat man Luo Yiran had noticed earlier stood up. His demeanor was still calm, so much so that one might overlook him if not paying attention.

Even with his unusually long scarred face and tall stature.

He walked soundlessly to Via, whose curly hair only reached the man’s shoulder. The man pressed down on Via’s fluffy curls with one hand. “Don’t cause trouble.”

Via shrugged, his lips downturned.

The man didn’t even glance at the highly noticeable magician wrapped in bandages. He simply nodded at Luo Yiran. “Sorry, my partner tends to speak without thinking.”

Luo Yiran didn’t mind. His hand, full of ball joints, brushed his sleeve as he casually smiled at the two of them.

The man introduced himself, “My name is Li Qi Feng. If the opportunity arises, we could collaborate.”

The doll paused for a moment, then nodded.

Speaking seriously to a doll seemed strange, but this wasn’t the real world, so the odd feeling lasted only a brief moment.

Li Qi Feng led Via toward the bus door. Via turned back and waved at Luo Yiran and Xia Lang before stepping into the water without hesitation.

This time, there were no surprises. Via slowly waded into the water on his own.

Li Qi Feng was the second to follow.

The tour guide stood to the side, his face dark as he watched everyone step into the water like dumplings being dropped into a pot. Eventually, only Luo Yiran and the magician remained.

“Don’t be upset. Learn to face life with a smile,” Luo Yiran said as he manipulated the magician to stand up, offering the guide some friendly advice.

The guide was tempted to kick them into the water, but the rules didn’t allow it. However, his irritation didn’t last long, as he remembered where Luo Yiran was headed.

Watching the magician gradually submerge, the guide couldn’t help but gloat, “Good luck, and may you leave a…”

Luo Yiran quickly interrupted, “Thank you.”

The guide: “…”

When the water reached the magician’s neck, he suddenly spoke, “What kind of person do you like? Do you have high standards for appearance?”

Luo Yiran looked down at the magician’s hat with an expression that clearly said, Are you crazy?

When he didn’t answer, the magician continued, his voice tinged with amusement, “Don’t fall for someone too beautiful. I’m not refined enough.”

As the water covered the magician’s mouth and nose, Luo Yiran’s long lashes flickered slightly. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the magician’s words carried a deeper meaning.

Riding the magician into the water, Luo Yiran felt a sudden lightness as everything around him transformed into something bright and warm.

[Instance The Vanished Mermaid loaded successfully. 27 players loaded.]

[Instance background loading…]

[It’s mid-year, and after completing a major project, the boss of a newly established company has selected 28 employees who contributed to the project for a five-day trip to the renowned Water City. This is a city of the sea, filled with legends of mermaids…]

[In this magnificent and mysterious city, please make every choice with caution!]

[Task one: Survive for five days. Task two: Kill the mermaid.]

[Please choose.]

The scene before them was vibrant and bustling, with towering buildings and a steady flow of people and cars, resembling a seaside city in the real world. Xia Lang jogged over, asking, “Ranran, what should we choose?”

“Be cautious with every choice,” Luo Yiran replied. He seemed to think of something, then smiled and manipulated the magician to lift him closer to Xia Lang’s ear, whispering something.

Xia Lang’s eyes widened as he nodded.

“Can’t see the doll’s lips,” Via said, cupping his hands around his eyes like binoculars. As soon as he finished speaking, he caught Luo Yiran looking up at him through the gaps between his fingers, his crimson eyes slightly curved.

Via hissed, shaking his arm. “Sharp.”

“Stop messing around,” Li Qi Feng said, pressing down on Via’s curly hair again. “You’re easy to trick.”

“He’s bullied me before!” Via protested, bouncing under Li Qi Feng’s large hand.

Though Li Qi Feng didn’t know the specifics, based on his understanding of Via, he replied without hesitation, “You probably provoked him first.”

“…” Via pouted, quickly changing the subject. “So, what do we choose?”

“Our goal is to uncover the background of the instance and go beyond the tasks to achieve a higher score,” Li Qi Feng said, clasping his hands together briefly. “The first option is more suitable.”

Via shrugged. “So, we go with the first one?”

Li Qi Feng looked up at the massive, ornate city before them, his eyes glinting.

As the last person made their choice, a cold, mechanical voice echoed: [Now, the game officially begins. Good luck to everyone!]

Once the system’s voice faded, Xia Lang’s teammate, a slightly overweight middle-aged man, jogged over. He glanced at Luo Yiran and asked Xia Lang, “Who’s this?”

Before Xia Lang could answer, Luo Yiran spoke up, “Luo Yiran, Xia Lang’s friend.”

The man’s gaze involuntarily shifted to the magician, given the bizarre appearance of the bandaged figure. However, he kept the conversation going with Luo Yiran, “Xia did mention having a childhood friend.”

The magician let out a short, abrupt laugh.

The man instinctively took a step back.

Luo Yiran, not yet detecting any ulterior motives from the teammate Xia Lang had spoken so highly of, reassured him, “Don’t be afraid. He’s just a puppet with self-awareness.”

The man gave an awkward smile. “I’m Guan Cheng, currently Xia’s teammate.”

Luo Yiran, sitting on the edge of the magic hat, nodded. “Hello, Cheng-Ge.”

Guan Cheng shivered slightly.

“What’s wrong?” Xia Lang, standing closest to him, noticed.

Guan Cheng hissed, “Nothing.” He couldn’t exactly say that being called “Cheng-Ge” felt a bit overwhelming, even though the two were still high schoolers and it was perfectly reasonable for them to address him that way.

Xia Lang looked up at Luo Yiran, who nodded and then asked Guan Cheng, “Shall we team up?”

Guan Cheng’s eyes lit up. “I was just thinking the same thing…”

“What’s going on with you all?”

Before Guan Cheng’s words fully trailed off, a voice rang out ahead of them: “I’ve been waiting here for ages!”

Everyone turned to see a man in a suit standing by the roadside. His expression was stern, his brow deeply furrowed. “You’re ten minutes late.”

Several people quickly realized this must be their “boss.”

Silence fell as no one answered him, and the boss’s anger visibly grew. Just as he was about to explode, the black T-shirt young man suddenly spoke up, “You’ll have to ask the last person who got on the bus.”

The accusation was too direct. Several people turned their gaze to the little doll perched on the magician’s hat.

Xia Lang nearly bristled. “What are you trying to say?”

The boss cut in, “No arguing!” He then looked at the doll, completely unfazed by the fact that one of his employees was a doll, and said with a frown, “Even though you contributed the most to this project, you still need to pay attention to certain aspects of life… Alright, the mermaid parade has already started. Go sort out your rooms and then take a stroll around.”

“Remember, don’t cause any trouble.”

With that, the boss left the room cards and drove off in his sports car.

Xia Lang volunteered to pick up the room cards for the three of them, while Luo Yiran watched the departing car.

Guan Cheng, with his sharp eyesight, remarked, “There’s a very beautiful woman in the car.”

Luo Yiran narrowed his round eyes. “Does the boss like wearing earrings?” He thought he caught a glimpse of something small and white on the boss’s earlobe.

Guan Cheng was taken aback. “I didn’t notice, but the boss doesn’t seem like the type to wear earrings.”

“He’s wearing them. Pearl earrings,” Li Qi Feng said as he walked past them. He nodded at Luo Yiran. “We’re heading out.”

Guan Cheng looked in his direction and asked, “Aren’t you going to watch the parade?”

“Of course! How can we skip the mermaid parade in a mermaid-related instance?” Via trailed behind Li Qi Feng like a little tail, but his tone was blunt. “But this guy’s being super picky. He insists on finding the perfect spot to watch, dragging his feet the whole time.”

Li Qi Feng, long accustomed to Via’s chatter, ignored him completely. After nodding, he led Via away.

“They’re quite impressive,” Guan Cheng explained, knowing Luo Yiran was a new player. “They are a team with a fixed and tacit understanding, one typically uses a gun while the other uses a knife.”

Luo Yiran asked, “Have you met them before?”

Guan Cheng nodded. “I’ve seen them, but never interacted. They were selected for a live broadcast instance once.”

Luo Yiran frowned almost instantly. “A live broadcast would expose a lot.”

“Exactly,” Guan Cheng said with a bitter smile. “The problem is, players only find out their game process was being streamed after the instance ends. So they have no chance to prepare.”

…

Normally, players who aren’t participating in an instance would stay in their personal space. However, if a special instance that’s being live-streamed occurs, a notification would pop up on their “World Human” app: [Would you like to watch the live broadcast instance?]

Most would choose “Yes,” as it’s an opportunity to learn or take notes.

After selecting “Yes,” players would be transported to [Central Square], a place similar to a real-life arena for watching competitive events. Players sit in rows, facing a massive display panel where everything is clearly visible. The aisles are filled with “staff” wearing red armor.

Right now, at this very moment, many players are seated in Central Square. Someone in the audience laughed loudly, “Here! This doll, this special species, just mentioned the live broadcast!”

His voice was loud enough that many turned their attention to the display panel showing Luo Yiran and Guan Cheng.