Chapter 94 : Chapter 94
Chapter 94
Zhou Chenhao didn't introduce himself to Gong Ting. He strode forward directly and slammed the photo and invitation letter on the table.
The comic showed a small panel of the photo and letter hitting the tabletop with a "thwack" sound effect. In the next panel, Zhou Chenhao had already grabbed Gong Ting's shirt collar.
Zhou Chenhao's eyes were cold, his dark brown pupils looking down at Gong Ting.
He asked, "Where is Xia Xiaoxi?"
【Ahhh Brother Hao's gaze is so alpha! Don't grab the jade liquor, grab me!】
【Hahahaha his name is Gong Ting! Why are you calling him jade liquor!】
【Even if I die today, I will shout with my hoarse throat: Chenxi CP is real! (voice crack)】
【Sob sob, even though the male lead is usually all smiles, he's actually not an impulsive person. Now he's a little irrational because Xiao Xi was captured. This is so shippable!】
Gong Ting, with his collar grabbed, looked up and said, "I don't like people grabbing my collar."
The next panel was a side view of the two of them. A waiter in a tuxedo suddenly appeared behind Gong Ting and threw a punch at Zhou Chenhao's face.
Zhou Chenhao let go and retreated, and the waiter pushed off the ground and lunged forward.
What followed were extremely fluid fight scene panels. Zhou Chenhao engaged in close combat with the waiter, their fists and feet connecting, making one's blood boil. His speed was extremely fast; when he lifted his leg for a roundhouse kick at the waiter, there were afterimages on the screen.
While they were fighting, Ling Feng wasn't idle either.
The comic showed a panel of Ling Feng waving his hand to send a gust of wind towards Gong Ting, while he thought to himself: Gong Ting isn't participating in the fight. It seems his special ability isn't combat-oriented?
Seeing this, Bai Xuechao thought to himself that Ling Feng was mistaking the special ability entity for a special ability user.
He wondered when they would discover that the waiter was a special ability entity.
Continuing on, there were two consecutive panels. In the first one, a translucent, light-colored wind swirled, creating an arc in the air as it flew towards Gong Ting, who was sitting behind the table. In the second panel, from the same angle, Gong Ting was still sitting behind the table, but the light-colored wind had vanished, and the words "disappeared" were written on the screen.
Ling Feng's azure eyes widened, his expression shocked.
He thought to himself: Special ability... can't be used!
"Zhou Chenhao!" he shouted.
At the same time, his inner voice continued: Gong Ting can't be a nullification special ability user. It should be that his special ability has a similar effect of "prohibiting the use of special abilities."
【The only brain of the protagonist group is online~ (doge emoji)】
【Ling Feng Maomao's speculation should be correct. As the male lead, Brother Hao's special ability is unique in the world. There can't be a second one, unless Bai old scoundrel doesn't want to live.】
【Wasn't Gong Ting jade liquor's special ability revealed before? The part about exchanging kinship and friendship for game coins.】
【That should just be one of the uses of jade liquor's special ability, otherwise it can't explain why Ling Feng Maomao and Xiao Xi can't use their special abilities.】
Over there, Zhou Chenhao had grabbed the waiter's wrist and kicked him off balance, followed by a shoulder throw. Beside them was a speech bubble with Ling Feng shouting "Zhou Chenhao!".
The waiter disappeared before he hit the ground.
He was stunned, his hand still in the position of having just grabbed the waiter's wrist. He thought to himself: He disappeared?!
Below were two panels placed side by side, indicating that the two were speaking at the same time.
On the left, Ling Feng asked, "Can you still use your special ability?"
On the right, Zhou Chenhao said, "This person is at least a level 7 special ability user!"
The waiter appeared behind Zhou Chenhao, his hair flying, and he chopped at him with a hand-knife.
Zhou Chenhao turned to block. In this full-view panel of him blocking the waiter's attack, there was also a small, long rectangular panel superimposed, showing his widened eyes.
"I can't use my special ability?" he said in surprise. "How is that possible?"
"Why is it not possible?" Gong Ting rested his head on one hand on the table, looking at them leisurely. "This is my game room. When I am in the room, I can prohibit special ability users with a lower level than me from using their special abilities."
【Case closed. No wonder none of them can use their special abilities.】
【He's not a nullification special ability user, and he can exchange abstract things for game coins. Combined with words like 'game room', it should be a special-type, rule-based special ability, right?】
【Is Gong Ting jade liquor's special ability to play games in this game room and follow the game rules?】
The comic showed Ling Feng's thoughts: If this is the special ability mechanism, Zhou Chenhao's special ability, with its high priority, should nullify it. But now Zhou Chenhao can't use his special ability either. That means there's only one possibility: Gong Ting is at least a level 7 special ability user!
Below this panel was Zhou Chenhao and Ling Feng's surprised expressions, sharing a single thought bubble: Two level 7 special ability users?!
"Now, can we sit down and talk properly?" Gong Ting asked with a smile, looking as if he had everything under control.
The two exchanged a glance and silently walked to the table where Gong Ting was.
【OTL We have no choice but to talk, we can't beat him in a fight.】
【It's good that Jade liquor still wants to talk to them, I was afraid he wouldn't. Actually, he probably doesn't have too much malice towards the protagonist group, right? Otherwise, couldn't he just have that waiter beat up Brother Hao and Maomao?】
【Waiter, hahaha, I'm dying of laughter at your nickname-giving skills.】
【My sister in the front, you're too naive. Keep reading, jade liquor is too sinister! He wants Brother Haozi and the others' special abilities!】
In the comic, Zhou Chenhao sat on the chair to Gong Ting's right, Ling Feng sat on the chair to the left, and Gong Ting, sitting in the middle, smiled without saying a word.
Ling Feng was the first to ask, "What do you want to do?"
"I want to invite you to play a game with me," Gong Ting said.
Zhou Chenhao said, "Is this your reason for capturing Xia Xiaoxi?"
"No, no, no," Gong Ting raised a finger and wagged it. "I captured her because she trespassed into my game room. I'm just punishing someone who trespassed on my territory."
【He's so shameless. It was clearly that waiter who brought Xiao Xi in!】
【It's all his side of the story now. Anyway, Xiao Xi isn't here, so there's no way to refute him.】
【Sinister guy.】
Ling Feng asked with a calm expression, "Where is she now?"
Gong Ting smiled and said, "You should have seen the photo, right? She's in my secret room, very safe."
【Safe my ass, pfft!】
【Your definition of 'safe' is knocking someone out with anesthetic and locking them in a secret room?】
Zhou Chenhao asked, "What will it take for you to let her out?"
Gong Ting spread his hands, "I already told you, play a game with me."
Zhou Chenhao continued to ask, "As long as we play a game with you, you will let Xia Xiaoxi go?"
"No, you also have to win against me," Gong Ting said. "Letting her go is just your reward for winning."
Zhou Chenhao's hand on the table clenched into a fist.
Ling Feng, at the side, said, "We need to confirm her condition in person."
"No," Gong Ting refused them. "I won't let you see where she is. Only I know where she is."
Zhou Chenhao said, "Aren't you afraid we'll just leave without saving her?"
"Go ahead and leave," Gong Ting said, unmoved, with a smile. "I just want someone to play a game with me. If it's not you, it will be someone else. But that little girl will be in a miserable state. There's no light, no water, no food, and no circulating air in my secret room."
The comic inserted Zhou Chenhao and Ling Feng's expressions here. Their faces looked a little grim.
The readers also started to worry.
【Being imprisoned in a little dark room, a person will go crazy QAQ】
【Even if Xiao Xi's mental state is stable, she will die of thirst and hunger. Plus, there's no air circulation. Won't she suffocate after a while?】
【Family, have you forgotten that special ability users in this world have a setting called the Hunger Period? Emptying their special ability power and not eating for a long time will trigger the Hunger Period. Before she starves to death, my daughter will go crazy first!!】
【omg I want to know now, did they eat (meaning mutated species) during the process of tracking the level 4 special ability user? If not, then the time Xiao Xi can last will be even shorter.】
"As long as I don't want to let her out, no one can save her, until she dies." The comic had no tone, but one could see Gong Ting's very punchable expression. He continued, "I wonder how long she can last in such an environment?"
A cold light flashed in Zhou Chenhao's eyes, "If we just demolish this Dream Game City of yours, we should be able to find her, right?"
He was threatening.
【Brother Hao's train of thought always surprises me.】
【I think it's feasible. As long as we blow up this crappy place of his, we'll be able to find Xiao Xi.】
"Ha..." Gong Ting started to laugh, "Hahahaha!"
He said, "I regret to inform you that the entire Dream Game City is my special ability. Even if you destroy it a hundred times, a thousand times, I can instantly repair it."
【Holy crap! This special ability comes with a big house?】
【So the secret room where Xiao Xi is locked up isn't an ordinary secret room, but a special ability secret room?】
【All the conditions point to one conclusion: Brother Hao and Ling Feng Maomao must play a game with Gong Ting. This is a destined plot.】
"By the way, if you agree to play a game with me, I can give you this first," Gong Ting took out a phone from his suit pants pocket and placed it on the table.
It was Xia Xiaoxi's phone.
Seeing this, Bai Xuechao thought to himself, even if they could be ruthless enough not to save Xia Xiaoxi, her phone contained the SAIDB's internal software and the authority of the Special Team. It absolutely could not fall into someone else's hands. What's more, they couldn't be that ruthless.
If Xiao 6 knew Bai Xuechao's thoughts, it would definitely say: Host, you don't understand hot-blooded shonen manga, friendship is greater than everything! (outburst)
In the comic, Zhou Chenhao reached for the phone.
Gong Ting pushed the phone towards Ling Feng, not letting Zhou Chenhao get it. He said, "You haven't agreed yet."
Ling Feng asked, "What game do you want us to play with you?"
"Anything that can be played in this room is fine," Gong Ting replied. "But it's best to be a common gambling-type game, otherwise it will take time for my special ability to learn. I can wait, but I don't know if your friend can."
"Tsk," Zhou Chenhao said, "I'll play with you."
【Brother Hao is so considerate. He didn't say "we" but "I".】
【He doesn't want to drag Maomao into this, sob sob sob.】
"Me too," Ling Feng took the phone that had been pushed towards him.
This time, Gong Ting didn't stop him.
【Gong Ting didn't say that both of them had to play with him, he just tacitly agreed to only have Brother Hao. But Ling Feng Maomao took the initiative to join!】
【Ahhh Ling Feng! If this isn't love!】
【I have to shout it, Chenfeng CP is real! They are so shippable!】
Xiao 6: A kindred spirit!
Gong Ting knocked on the table, "Very good. Then before we start the game, I need to state our game rules."
The comic here was a full view, with the camera facing Gong Ting. In the picture, Gong Ting sat in the middle with a slight smile on his face. Zhou Chenhao sat on the left of the picture, which was Gong Ting's right, and Ling Feng sat on the right of the picture. Neither of them had any expression on their faces.
There was a large screen on the wall behind Gong Ting. A speech bubble-shaped panel extended from the large screen. The screen inside the panel lit up automatically, displaying text.
Gong Ting raised his hand and made the number one. His words were almost the same as the text on the screen, "First, all players must hold game coins to play the game."
"Second, violence is prohibited in the game room. After the game starts, players cannot use their special abilities." Gong Ting smiled when he said this, tilting his head and saying, "This rule doesn't seem necessary to mention to you, because even if the game doesn't start, you can't use your special abilities, haha."
【He's so punchable!! (dimensional-breaking punch) (one punch to blow him up)】
【This special ability mechanism of his is really strong. Doesn't this mean that even if your level is higher than his, you can't use your special ability once the game starts?】
【This also shows that he himself doesn't have much attack power, right? That's why his special ability has a "magic-banning" rule, otherwise anyone could blow him up.】
As the person who had obtained the Dream Game City special ability, Bai Xuechao could be said to be very familiar with Gong Ting's special ability mechanism.
Exchanging for game coins and participating in the game in the game room was equivalent to voluntarily signing an agreement to "not use special abilities in the game room".
Therefore, even if a special ability user's special ability level was higher than the City Lord's, they couldn't use their special ability. After all, they had "voluntarily" signed it at the beginning, and only they themselves could restrain themselves.
And when the City Lord was in the game room, even if only a toe was on the threshold, it counted. When a special ability user with a lower level than the City Lord entered the game room, they would be "forced to sign" the agreement. The City Lord could choose whether the agreement would take effect. If he chose to make it effective, it would become what Gong Ting called "prohibiting special ability users with a lower level than me from using their special abilities".
The existence of this special ability mechanism was to protect the owner of the special ability. After all, the Dream Game City itself did not have any attack power.
The special ability entity waiter knew some martial arts because Gong Ting had used game coins to increase the system's intelligence, allowing the system to learn some fighting skills.
But seeing the waiter being knocked down by Zhou Chenhao in the comic, one could tell the level of the waiter's fighting skills.
Bai Xuechao continued to read the comic.
In the picture, Gong Ting made the number three with his hand, "Third, if you feel that you have been physically assaulted by another player, you can request a judgment from the 'system'. If the judgment is successful, the person who used violence will have a certain amount of game coins deducted."
"System?" Zhou Chenhao.
"You'll know in a moment," Gong Ting replied, making a four with his hand and continuing, "Fourth, to ensure the fairness and impartiality of the game, players are prohibited from cheating or using tricks. If a player is found cheating or using tricks, you can report it to the system with evidence. If the system judges it to be successful, it will punish the player by deducting a certain amount of game coins."
Gong Ting also said, "However, if the system judges it to be a false accusation twice in a row, the player who made the false accusation will be fined double the game coins."
【Hiss, does this mean you can actually cheat, as long as you don't get caught with evidence?】
【The description seems to be like that, because you need to "bring evidence" to report.】
【So it's a competition of who is better at cheating =.=】
"Last one," Gong Ting made a five, "After the game starts, transferring game coins between players is prohibited."
After explaining the game rules, he also said, "The game rules have been explained. Let's exchange for game coins, and then decide what game to play."
The waiter walked to Gong Ting's side and bowed, "Respected City Lord, may I ask what you would like to exchange for game coins?"
The comic showed two panels of Zhou Chenhao and Ling Feng looking stunned.
"He's a special ability entity?" Ling Feng immediately reacted. "He is the system?"
He thought to himself: All along, there has only been one special ability user, Gong Ting!
【This special ability of jade liquor is too comfortable! It comes with a big house and a special ability entity system butler!】
【The system is a special ability entity. Will it blow a black whistle (be biased)?】
Gong Ting smiled, "You guessed right, but there's no prize."
Ling Feng frowned slightly and said, "You are the master of the system. How can you guarantee the fairness and impartiality of the game?"
"You can rest assured on this point. After the game starts, the system will be absolutely impartial, and I am just a player," Gong Ting spread his hands. "If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do. You'll know once you play."
Even if they didn't trust him, what could they do? They still had to play.
Zhou Chenhao said, "Ling Feng, let me play with him."
"I don't mind," Gong Ting said with a smile. "However, players who are not participating in the game will be sent out of the game room."
Ling Feng said, "No need, I'll stay."
Gong Ting ignored the conversation on his left and right and said to the waiter, "I want to exchange with the condition of 'releasing Xia Xiaoxi'."
The waiter took Gong Ting's hand and smiled, "Hello, this condition involves a portion of Xia Xiaoxi's freedom and life safety, valued at 200 million."
"Oh, that's not low," Gong Ting said. "Exchange it."
A small panel of falling gold coins was inserted beside them, with the sound effect "clatter—". A golden card appeared in the waiter's hand, which he respectfully handed to Gong Ting.
Gong Ting took the card and said, "A sincere suggestion, your game coins should not be lower than mine. By the way, a warm reminder, you can exchange money for game coins, but the exchange rate between money and game coins is 10:1."
【Holy crap, 10 to 1? So Gong Ting is playing with 2 billion??】
【Isn't the point that the matter of releasing Xiao Xi is actually worth 2 billion?】
【My daughter, you've made it, you're worth 2 billion! (takes out a small handkerchief to wipe tears)】
"... I'll exchange first," Zhou Chenhao said. "Can anything be exchanged?"
Gong Ting said, "Yes, you can exchange anything you own."
"Please place your hand on mine," the waiter extended his hand to Zhou Chenhao, palm up.
Zhou Chenhao placed his hand on it and asked very seriously, "Can my shortcomings be exchanged?"
【Ahhh save me, I'm dying of laughter! As expected of you!】
【Brother Haozi is dreaming too big, hahahaha!】
"Hello, considering that 'shortcomings' are unlikely to be desired by other players after entering the game prize pool, your exchange is rejected," the waiter said with a smile, adding another jab, "In addition, your 'shortcomings' are valued at 20 game coins."
【This is ridiculous, this waiter actually gave an appraisal, haha!】
【I'm really going to laugh myself to death. 20 coins, that's two hundred yuan.】
【Shortcomings are actually worth something? What shortcomings, let me see? (puts an ear out)】
Next, the readers witnessed Zhou Chenhao's bizarre ideas.
He proposed to exchange various items such as "the five old mobile phones I've replaced", "the washing machine at my house with a loose screw", and "the autograph of a certain popular star".
The waiter agreed to the exchanges, but their values were not high.
"Then never mind," Zhou Chenhao said sincerely. "Thanks, now I know how much to list them for on the second-hand market."
【Ahhhh I'm really going to die laughing here!!】
【The atmosphere that was so solemn just now has suddenly become cheerful. The game room is filled with happy air. (doge emoji)】
【Brother Hao is indeed naturally black-bellied. Jade liquor and the waiter's smiles are so ugly, hahahaha, they look like they've been tricked.】
Gong Ting finally couldn't help but say, "You can exchange some abstract concepts, like friendship, kinship, or even your special ability."
"You want me to exchange my special ability?" Zhou Chenhao asked.
"No," Gong Ting shrugged and said, "I'm just giving a few examples. What you exchange is your own decision."
"Is that so," Zhou Chenhao said. "Then I'll exchange my special ability."
The waiter immediately said, "Your special ability is valued at 300 million game coins."
The comic gave a close-up of Ling Feng here. He slightly widened his deep, ocean-like eyes, seeming a little surprised. His inner voice said: The exchanged items will enter the game prize pool. If he loses, the nullification special ability will fall into someone else's hands.
He said, "Zhou Chenhao."
"It's okay, Ling Feng. Don't always think of things in the worst way," Zhou Chenhao grinned, his dark brown eyes curving into crescents, shining with optimistic and confident light. "You have to believe that we will win."
His smile was inexplicably reassuring.
"Then I'll exchange my special ability too," Ling Feng said.
He thought: The special ability is not essential for me. I can live without it.
【I told you! Chenfeng is real! If you exchange your special ability, I'll exchange mine too! We'll face the difficulties together!!】
【I feel like Ling Feng Maomao's thoughts are always very pessimistic. He hasn't even exchanged his special ability yet, and he's already prepared to lose it.】
【Maomao's personality has always been like this, always preparing for the worst, being wary of everything, and maintaining a skeptical attitude towards many things. I wonder if it has anything to do with his family background?】
【In the marine amusement park, we learned that my daughter has a brother. Now among the three members of the protagonist group, only Ling Feng Maomao's family background is completely unknown.】
"Clatter—" Gold coins fell from above the blank panel.
The waiter handed a golden card to Zhou Chenhao, walked over to Ling Feng, and extended his hand.
Ling Feng placed his hand on it.
The waiter said, "Hello, your special ability is valued at 200 million game coins."
"Yes," Ling Feng replied.
Again, with a "clatter" sound effect, the waiter handed Ling Feng a gold card.
"Insert your game cards into the table," Gong Ting demonstrated first, inserting the golden card into the side of the table.
Ling Feng and Zhou Chenhao did the same.
In the next panel, the image appeared slightly doubled, with the word "tremor" written beside it.
The next panel was a close-up of the large screen.
The content on the screen was—
【City Lord: 200 million】
【Player A: 200 million】
【Player B: 300 million】
Perhaps because Ling Feng inserted his card first, he was displayed as Player A.
The camera pulled back from the large screen, and the scene had shifted to the lobby of the Dream Game City. There was also a large screen here, and the camera was focused on this screen, which also displayed the same content.
The players saw the screen and showed surprised and excited expressions.
Several speech bubbles appeared in the crowd.
"Holy crap! The City Lord is playing a game with someone again!"
"Oh my god, both players have so many game coins. The highest one actually has 300 million! That's even more than the 200 million one from last year!"
"When will I ever be able to have so many game coins..."
The scene changed, returning to the game room.
This full-view panel surprised all the readers.
The angle of the picture was slightly from above. The entire game room had completely changed. All the decorations and furnishings were gone. The light shone down, and the floor was pitch black as if it were a bottomless abyss. Only a stone-paved path led to the main entrance. A game table was suspended in the center of the room, and the three of them were still sitting at the table in their previous positions.
【Holy crap, what is this, a real ●byss of madness? (doge emoji)】
【I just want to know if people can still stand on this floor? Is it a real abyss or a fake one?】
【I want this special ability of jade liquor so much! It comes with a big house and it can transform!】
【I want it too. I desperately need to know how much I can sell my pile of second-hand items for. (doge)】
"Now we can decide what game to play," Gong Ting said. "We'll take turns suggesting a game, and the final game will be chosen from these three. Let's start with me."
He said, "Texas Hold'em."
"Huh?" Zhou Chenhao scratched his head, "I don't know how to play that."
Gong Ting said, "You can suggest a game you know."
"Hmm—" Zhou Chenhao pinched his chin, looking thoughtful.
The scene shifted to Ling Feng.
Ling Feng thought to himself: Texas Hold'em is definitely not an option. I'm not good at it, and Zhou Chenhao doesn't know how to play at all. I have to think of a game we both know, or one with simple rules, so that we can maximize our chances of winning...
"Ah!" Zhou Chenhao clapped his hands together, a small light bulb icon appearing above his head. "Have you ever played 'dadadada'?"
The next panel was a Q-version illustration of the three of them.
On Zhou Chenhao's cute Q-version face, his eyes were curved into crescents, and his mouth was a small triangular shape.
Opposite and beside him, Ling Feng and Gong Ting both had dot-eyes and their mouths were a straight line, with a huge question mark above each of their heads.
Gong Ting asked, "What dadadada?"
"It's—" Zhou Chenhao slapped his left hand on the table.
In the next panel, the camera was focused on his hand.
His left hand was spread open, and his right index finger was quickly tapping back and forth between his fingers. There were afterimages above his fingers, and a vertical line of text "dadadadada" represented the sound of his fingertip tapping on the table.
The next panel was a half-body shot of Zhou Chenhao making this motion.
"It's this one! The one in the movies! With a knife!" he started to provide his own sound effects, "Dadadadadadada—"
Again, it was a Q-version illustration.
Ling Feng looked at Zhou Chenhao with dead-fish eyes, his gaze dead.