Chapter 41

Chapter 41

They looked over to see a Player sitting on the ground, his expression pained. “What kind of simple Script could a High-level Player possibly match into? Why am I so unlucky!”

Two Players beside him tried to comfort him. “It’s fine. Maybe the Big Shot can carry us?”

“Yeah, Zhang Qicheng, there’s no need to be so pessimistic.”

Qi Yang asked in a low voice, “Matching into a Script with a Big Shot shouldn’t be something to be this upset about, right? Isn’t our task in the Script to find the Clown and make an Accusation against the Murderer? If the Big Shot gets it right, won’t all dozen or so of us be able to get out?”

Ning Wang patted his shoulder. “Silly child, have you forgotten that besides finding the Murderer, our task is also to survive the Script?”

Qi Yang had a very positive mindset, as if a glow of luck had been shielding him until now. “Well, having a Big Shot leading us still means a higher survival rate than fighting alone.”

Hearing this, Ning Shuo turned around and kindly brushed away the imaginary glow of luck scattered on the boy’s shoulder. “Good boy. That’s a great attitude.”

Luo Li snorted. “I suppose fortune favors the foolish.”

While this side was bathed in the glow of luck, the other side was weeping under a haze of misfortune, leaving the rest of the group with mixed feelings.

Ning Shuo surveyed their surroundings.

Judging by the decor, it looked like a Western-style Ancient Castle from a movie. Thirteen people stood in the main hall. Given that they only knew they had been invited by the Castle Owner, no one dared to wander around.

Ning Shuo did, however, look back at the main entrance.

Doors were tightly shut; what lay outside the Ancient Castle remained to be seen.

After a moment, a stream of Servants emerged from behind the staircases on both sides. Finally, a man wearing a tuxedo walked out. His hair was tied back, and a folded silk handkerchief was tucked into his breast pocket- the standard look for a Butler.

As the Servants lined up on both sides of the hall, the Butler stepped forward and gave a gentlemanly bow. “Welcome, guests, to Rose Castle.”

“Every guest here is a well-known Good Person from the town. This time, the King has invited you all to the castle not only to enjoy yourselves but also to ask that you do whatever good deeds you can within these walls.”

“Any good deed will do, as long as it expresses your goodwill.”

“Additionally, guests are requested not to leave this castle at will, nor should you venture onto the fourth or fifth floors. The King will be displeased.”

“And if the King is displeased, the guests will suffer.”

Suddenly, someone nudged his arm. Ning Wang whispered beside him, “Your throne has been snatched.”

Ning Shuo said solemnly, “No matter. We shall lie low for a while and then catch him off guard.”

The Butler left after finishing his long speech without providing any further details.

Rao Lin looked thoughtful. “So, are our character identities for this round all ‘Good People’?”

Song Zhu added, “And ‘well-known’ Good People at that.”

“Hey,” Rao Lin looked at Ning Shuo. “Got any ideas on how to shatter this Script?”

Ning Shuo replied, “I know you admire me, but no matter how amazing I am, I can’t exactly shatter a Script after just one encounter.”

Rao Lin gave an “oh” and then ran off to mutter with Song Zhu. Ning Wang heard him preening like a male peacock, fishing for a compliment: “See? Compared to me, Xiao Ning is still a bit lacking.”

Just then, a Servant suddenly cried out, “I forgot to get the plates!”

This one cry triggered a chain reaction. Either someone had forgotten the cups, or someone had forgotten the forks.

In short, there was a massive amount of work to be done.

The Players exchanged glances. Just as someone was about to offer their help, Rao Lin suddenly felt a shove against his backside.

From a position where no one could see, Ning Wang kicked Rao Lin, who was standing at the front, right toward the Servants. “This Mr. Good Person here is very eager to help you. Please, let him assist.”
He smiled and said, “Otherwise, I’d feel bad for letting his kindness go to waste.”

Rao Lin: “…Good for you.”

The servant who had first mentioned the missing items said joyfully, “Then we’ll have to trouble our guest. It’s best to bring them all at once; the Ancient Castle rules state that the final plating time is in fifteen minutes.”

There were about twenty Servants, and every single one was missing something. Without a dining cart or a crate, it was clearly impossible for Rao Lin to carry everything alone.

Furthermore, one couldn’t use their Backpack in front of an NPC. Doing so was practically saying, “I’m not a normal person, come and suspect me.”

Qi Yang grew instinctively nervous and looked toward Ning Shuo and the others, only to find them lounging in relaxed postures, seemingly not worried at all.

It looks like the Big Shots have a plan.

Rao Lin headed to the back kitchen empty-handed and returned carrying a bundle.

He had used a spare tablecloth from the pantry-pre-washed and sanitized-to wrap up all the missing tableware.

Rao Lin placed the bundle on the table very gently. The Servants counted the items; there was not a single piece too many or too few.

They looked delighted. “Thank you! May the Sky God bless you for always maintaining your Goodwill.”

Rao Lin nodded to show it was no trouble.

At the same time, he exchanged looks with the others. Everyone had noticed the peculiar blessing the Maids used: the Sky God.

The Servants finished setting the table and said to the Players, “Guests, please come and dine.”

As if sensing the Players’ hesitation, the lead Servant looked back and suddenly cried out, “Where is Xiao Wei? Why hasn’t she pushed the dining cart over yet!”

Rao Lin hadn’t seen a dining cart when he went to get the tableware, so he realized this was yet another trick conjured up by the NPCs.

He quietly moved to Ning Wang’s side.

As if in response to the Maid’s words, several noises came from the back of the hall.

With the sound of wheels sliding across the floor, a dining cart suddenly appeared from behind the hall at high speed, followed by a Maid. “Help! Stop that cart!”

Just as Ning Wang saw the dining cart, a sudden shove came from behind him.

Rao Lin’s vengeful voice rang out from beside him: “Friend, the time has come for you to show off your skills!”

Ning Wang was pushed forward, so he simply used the momentum to reach the dining cart. He braced himself against the cart, but the dishes on top were flung outward by the inertia.

Amidst the Maid’s frustrated cry of “If lunch is ruined, we’re in big trouble!”, Ning Wang’s hands darted out and back. In that brief moment, he narrowly rescued several plates of food that were about to go flying.

The people around them breathed a sigh of relief. Xiao Wei thanked him, and several Players took their seats. Beside him, Rao Lin raised an eyebrow. “Nice moves.”

“Better than yours.”

The food was set, and the Players took their seats one after another. Once the Players were seated, the sound of footsteps echoed from the stairs.

A man dressed in opulence appeared. A silver mask covered most of his face, yet his complexion remained visible-it was as pale as paper.

He clapped his hands, his appreciative gaze falling on Rao Lin and Ning Wang. “Both of you are good people with hearts of kindness.”

The Maid standing beside him held a notebook and immediately began scribbling something down.

They were “good people,” even if it had only come about through a petty squabble.

Perhaps because he had been brainwashed by Ning Shuo, Qi Yang liked following him. He sat next to Ning Shuo and whispered, “What that person is recording is what we did…”

Before he could finish, the Maid standing behind Qi Yang cleared her throat. “When the King is speaking, guests are requested not to whisper among themselves.”

Ning Shuo looked up and saw the Maid beside the King scribbling away again with her pen.

The King’s gaze fell on them with a hint of reproach. “How can a good person have the bad habit of whispering below while the Host is speaking?”

Ning Shuo thought to himself that applying such rules to so-called “good people” was simply insane.