Chapter 40

Chapter 40

The three Players filling the vacancies this time were an elderly woman and two young men.

The two men followed closely by the old woman’s side.

“Elder Qi, please sit here.” The two men seemed to be currying favor with the woman. Upon arriving, they immediately found a seat for her. Once she sat down, the two began to bicker over the seat next to her.

“You sat next to Elder Qi last time. It’s my turn now,” one of the men said.

The other was not to be outdone. “You’re careless and clumsy. It’s better if I’m the one taking care of Elder Qi.”

This scene left Qin Nan and the others somewhat shocked.

Qin Nan looked at Mu Xin.

Mu Xin understood what Qin Nan meant. She shook her head and lowered her voice. “I never got that kind of treatment.”

In this trio, it was clear that the elderly woman was the center, while the other two relied on her for survival. This dynamic was very similar to Mu Xin’s previous group, but as Mu Xin said, she didn’t receive that level of deference. Her situation had never reached the point where teammates were turning on each other just for the chance to sit next to her.

“What do you think?” Qin Nan nudged Jian Fan with his elbow.

Jian Fan didn’t move.

Puzzled, Qin Nan turned his head to look at him.

Jian Fan was currently staring at the old woman, his expression grave.

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?” Qin Nan lowered his voice and gave Jian Fan a tug.

Jian Fan snapped out of it and looked at Qin Nan. “Do you know who she is?”

“Who?” Qin Nan was confused. He really didn’t have any recollection of such a person. However, looking at the elderly woman, despite her advanced age, she had a distinguished air about her. She clearly wasn’t some minor character.

Jian Fan had already returned to his usual expressionless self. “Qi Shuping. An expert in Artificial Intelligence, a professor at Jing University, and the Honorary Dean of the School of Computer Science. She has published numerous highly influential papers internationally. In that industry, she’s practically a household name and an idol to many students.”

“Sounds like a real big shot. Then again, only someone with that kind of IQ could navigate the Realm of Death so well. No wonder those two are sucking up to her.” Qin Nan accepted this information immediately, and then he started to get ideas. “The Infirm and Disabled… we’re still missing an ‘elderly’ member. What do you think? Should we try to get her?”

Jian Fan shook his head.

“Are you afraid I won’t be able to win her over?” Qin Nan asked.

“No.” Jian Fan paused, then spoke in an uncertain tone. “I’m afraid she might be a variable.”

“A variable?” Qin Nan was even more confused.

Jian Fan didn’t answer. Instead, he shifted his gaze to Xia Zeqin. Qin Nan instantly caught Jian Fan’s drift-if Xia Zeqin wasn’t Xia Zeqin, then was it possible that Qi Shuping wasn’t Qi Shuping either?

Qin Nan was startled by his own train of thought, but seeing Jian Fan’s expression, he felt that this might truly be what Jian Fan was thinking.

But why?

Qin Nan was full of questions, but even Jian Fan couldn’t provide him with an answer to that point.

“What kind of riddles are you two speaking in?” Mu Xin was even more bewildered.

Knowing Jian Fan’s personality, Qin Nan spoke up to smooth things over for him. “He’s just being cautious. Even a genius isn’t necessarily a good fit for our team. He wants to observe from the sidelines first and wait until he’s sure before making a move. It was the same when he found me, and when we found you. It’s just the standard procedure.”

Mu Xin didn’t doubt him. She nodded. “True, you have to be careful when looking for teammates. However, if we really could recruit someone like that, it would definitely be a huge advantage for us.”

Qin Nan smiled. “Even if she’s not a teammate, as long as we don’t end up on opposite sides, we can still benefit from her presence.”
Mu Xin smiled. “Makes sense.”

While the three of them were whispering, things finally quieted down on Qi Shuping’s side as well.

She had driven both men to the back row.

However, just as their butts hit the seats, the bus came to a stop once again.

They had arrived.

Xia Zeqin was the first to get off, his arm around Lin Junruo. Qian Xing followed closely behind, and the others disembarked one after another.

The moment he stepped off the bus, Qin Nan felt as if his ears were being bombarded. The noise was so loud that he couldn’t help but cover his ears with his hands. Only after he had adjusted a bit did he lower them to take in his surroundings.

They had arrived at a bar.

On the stage, a crowd of NPCs was dancing like demons. The music was deafening, and the flashing lights pulsing with the beat made Qin Nan’s eyes ache.

“What’s the situation?” Qin Nan turned to ask Jian Fan.

Jian Fan frowned. “What did you say?”

The music was so loud that normal conversation was impossible.

Realizing this, Jian Fan scanned the area, then tapped Qin Nan and Mu Xin on the shoulders. He pointed toward a corner, and after the two nodded, he led the way.

Mu Xin and Qin Nan followed close behind.

The three of them reached a secluded corner. Although the music was still audible, they could finally communicate properly.

“What’s going on now? No NPC to guide us?” Qin Nan looked at the scene before him, completely bewildered.

Jian Fan was much calmer. “It’s a scenario we need to figure out for ourselves.”

The worlds within the Realm of Death weren’t always the same. Some were like a Murder Mystery Game where an NPC might provide basic guidance, but there were also worlds with no direction at all. This one appeared to be the latter.

Mu Xin was also an Old Player with no less experience than Jian Fan. She offered Qin Nan further explanation: “In a completely unknown world, all information needs to be explored by us. Whether we search for it or coax clues out of these NPCs, it all comes down to our own skills. We need to gather information first to understand our current situation. Once we have a handle on things, we can look for a way to break the scenario.”

“In this environment?” Qin Nan was speechless. You had to shout just to be heard-was she sure they could get clues out of NPCs?

Mu Xin shrugged. “I’ve never seen such a noisy background before either.”

“Jian Fan, what do you think we should do?” Qin Nan decided to follow Jian Fan’s lead.

Jian Fan didn’t speak immediately. His gaze swept across the bar’s main hall, pinpointing the positions of the other Players before he spoke. “Wait and see. When facing the unknown, the best move is to stay put and let the others be our scouts.”

Qin Nan followed Jian Fan’s gaze and raised an eyebrow. “Not bad, Old Jian.”

Jian Fan paused and turned to Qin Nan. “Old Jian?”

“Then… Xiao Jian?” Qin Nan offered, signaling he was easy to negotiate with.

Jian Fan rolled his eyes. “Jian Fan, thank you.”

“Autocorrect, got it,” Qin Nan replied with a grin.

Jian Fan didn’t bother entertaining Qin Nan’s sense of humor and returned his focus to the other Players.

The twelve Game Players had appeared together at the bar’s entrance after getting off the bus, but they were already starting to split up into their respective teams.

While Qin Nan’s trio hid in the corner, Xia Zeqin had his arm around Lin Junruo, seemingly blending into the environment perfectly. They had already entered the dance floor, dancing wildly with the NPCs. Qian Xing, meanwhile, had gone to the bar on the left and ordered a drink.

As for Lu Jing and Qin Weiyi-

They seemed to be in trouble.