Chapter 35
Chapter 35
After five rounds, the “Number One Demigod” team emerged victorious with a stellar score of 5:1.
That single point for “Coffee or Milk Tea, Which is Better?” came from Rao Lin correctly answering the question: “What is your partner’s favorite drink?”
Upon realizing he got it right, Rao Lin looked toward the heavens with genuine sincerity. “Thank you, Teacher Song, for allowing me to successfully answer one question.”
Luo Li was about to explode with rage. “If your boyfriend didn’t love milk tea, there’s no way you would have remembered that I like it too! You probably would have answered that kids like drinking milk!”
Rao Lin shot back, “You’re one to talk! I clearly stated in the group chat that Teacher Song making me sleep in the study for two days would be the greatest regret of my life!”
“You post ten times a day in the group about how great your boyfriend is! Who has the time to read every single message?!”
“Teacher Song would!”
In the end, “Coffee or Milk Tea, Which is Better?” had sacrificed a high-level item to participate in this task, only to suffer a crushing defeat.
As the Heat Points were credited, Ning Shuo said with a beaming smile, “Thanks, guys. You really live up to your reputation as High-level Players.”
Knowing Ning Shuo had already realized they were sent by the System to hinder them, Rao Lin gave a cold snort. “Next time, when Teacher Song and I come together, you definitely won’t win.”
Ning Wang countered, “No, the only difference is that you’d lose a bit more gracefully than you did today.”
There were many players on the Ranking List with the surname “Song.” Since Rao Lin and his partner were using aliases, it was difficult to determine exactly who they were based solely on the knowledge that they were High-level Players.
However, if they were sent by the System, the possibilities narrowed significantly.
Those chosen by the System had to be prominent figures on the Ranking List, which was why they needed a Disguise when they came to find Ning Shuo.
Ning Shuo smiled and dropped a bombshell. “Willow, let’s add each other as friends.”
Rao Lin’s footsteps faltered.
Ning Wang wasn’t surprised either.
While Ning Shuo had been asleep from exhaustion, Ning Wang had browsed the Forum. In a thread where almost everyone was speaking in code, he had pieced together a shocking bit of gossip-
Rao Lin, ranked number one, and Song Zhu, ranked number seven, were in a relationship.
Because they were two Big Shots-one of whom might even have direct contact with the System-the discussion in the thread was exceptionally cryptic.
It wasn’t just because two men were dating; it was more about the fact that they were both famous Big Shots on the Ranking List. Consequently, while the thread’s popularity wasn’t sky-high due to the players’ fear of these powerhouses, it wasn’t low either.
In that case…
Ning Wang looked at the little girl who was currently wearing a look of utter impatience.
This girl, who practically radiated teenage rebellion, should be the player Lolita, who carried her own share of fame on the Forum.
There were posts claiming she had a good relationship with Rao Lin, leading to rumors that Rao Lin was cheating on his partner with her.
Of course, those threads attracted plenty of backlash, with people cursing the cynical posters for having dirty minds and trying to pair a twenty-five-year-old man with a fourteen-year-old girl.
Rao Lin tapped his finger, and Ning Shuo saw a barrier rise around them.
“This is for soundproofing. Aside from the System, no one around us can hear our conversation now,” Rao Lin said with a casual air. “Why do you want to add us?”
Lolita had a lollipop in her mouth, appearing unconcerned that her identity had been seen through. “If we add you and the System takes a dislike to you, what if it starts disliking us by association?”
Ning Shuo smiled. “Doesn’t it already dislike you?”
He wasn’t saying the System disliked these two High-level Players, but rather that these two High-level Players disliked the System. That was why they were only paying lip service to the System’s orders and had even gone so far as to ‘accidentally’ expose their identities in a fit of temper.
The two Big Shots, understanding the double meaning, exchanged a look. After a long moment, Rao Lin pulled up his Virtual Screen. “Request sent.”
Lolita also pulled up her Virtual Screen. “When are we going to play a round together?”
“We can set something up once Paradise is over.”
The four of them added each other as friends. Rao Lin closed his Virtual Screen. “Right then. Until next time.”
After the two of them left, the barrier vanished along with them. Zhao Zhaozhao walked over and asked, “What were you guys talking about just now?”
Ning Wang pointed at the Sika Deer. “We told it we won and that they’ve accepted their defeat. You guys can go ahead and ask the Sika Deer for your Heat Points now.”
Zhao Zhaozhao and Qi Yang went over together. When they saw the Heat Points credited to their accounts, Zhao Zhaozhao’s eyes lit up. “There’s actually two thousand!”
Qi Yang, who had been in a terrible state due to his fear of heights, felt much better. With the significant influx of Heat Points, his joy was visible to the naked eye.
Ning Shuo said lazily, “Alright, this task point gives out way more Heat Points than the others. Now, let’s go find that Secret Mission Agent!”
Zhao Zhaozhao’s expression froze. “…Secret Mission Agent? How are we supposed to find them? We don’t even know what the Secret Mission is.”
Ning Shuo lowered his eyes and chuckled. “We might not know, but people from previous sessions do.”
Ning Wang glanced at him and said nonchalantly, “I checked a Forum before coming here and found that many Secret Missions almost always involve orchestrating a Murder Case.”
Zhao Zhaozhao nodded blankly. “So that’s how it is. No wonder they mentioned getting involved in a Murder Case or something. They already gave us a hint.”
Ning Wang glanced at her and let out a soft laugh. “Actually, that’s not true. I was just talking nonsense. It’s called a Secret Mission for a reason. Even if we caught the Secret Mission Agent, the System wouldn’t reveal the contents of the Secret Mission, would it?”
Zhao Zhaozhao looked at Ning Shuo, who had clearly been digging a pit for her, and then at Ning Wang, who had been exceptionally cooperative with him. She couldn’t help but take a step back. “You… you’re baiting me!”
Zhao Zhaozhao’s face was full of terror, which made Ning Shuo and Ning Wang appear exceptionally calm.
“We never once pointed the finger at you, Zhaozhao,” Ning Shuo said.
“Young lady, you’re just too nervous,” Ning Wang added. “Knowing that the Secret Mission is related to a Murder Case, you subconsciously thought we’d discovered something the moment we spoke, exposing yourself as the Murderer.”
Ning Shuo’s tone was tender. “Besides, Zhaozhao, we were just joking. Why would you think we were baiting you?”
Ning Wang’s voice was casual. “Only a Murderer would be this nervous and instinctively take the bait.”
Zhao Zhaozhao turned to run, but Ning Shuo grabbed her. “We’ve discovered your identity. Regardless of whether a Murder Case occurs on the grounds, we can go straight to the Notary Office-unless you quit Paradise right now.”
“But if you do that, Zhaozhao… as a Secret Mission Agent, quitting on the spot would probably cost you a lot, wouldn’t it?”
…
Although Zhao Zhaozhao wasn’t a newcomer, she wasn’t a High-level Player either.
She had been in the System for a year or two, but she could only manage to keep herself in the lower-middle tier of the Ranking List.
She had participated in several Large-Scale Murder Mystery Games and knew that while some Secret Mission Agents were High-level Players, others were just ordinary Players.
However, given the sheer number of Players in the System and her own psychological bias, Zhao Zhaozhao felt that the System would most likely assign Secret Missions to High-level Players.
So, when this Large-Scale Murder Mystery Game opened, Zhao Zhaozhao was caught completely off guard by that System email.
[Hello, Player Zhaozhao. You are to complete the Secret Mission in the next Large-Scale Murder Mystery Game: Orchestrate a Murder Case and escape conviction during the accusation phase.]
[Secret Mission contents are tailored to the Player. This is a mandatory mission and cannot be declined; otherwise, a penalty of ten thousand Heat Points will be incurred.]
Zhao Zhaozhao’s total Heat Points barely exceeded ten thousand. If she really had to pay that much, she would be forced to spend her foreseeable future living inside Scripts.
Zhao Zhaozhao gritted her teeth and entered Paradise anyway.
As soon as she entered, she saw an exceptionally high-profile Player gathering others.
More importantly, he wasn’t even afraid of the NPCs.
Zhao Zhaozhao heard people whispering: “Is he the Secret Mission Agent?”