chapter 48
“No… this can’t be! They’re lying… they’re lying!!”
Wang Qiang had killed so many people, lost an eye and half an arm, and barely managed to survive.
Why was it that Jiang Li and the others did nothing, yet still managed to accumulate enough Points and remain unscathed!
Wang Qiang’s questioning fell on deaf ears with the Administrator.
He had personally counted everyone’s Points, so there was no way there was a mistake.
Even so, when the Administrator left, he still shot a glare at the Old Lady.
The Old Lady shrank her neck and hid behind Jiang Li.
“How do you have 1000 Points?! How is it possible to have 1000 Points!!!…”
On the other side, Wang Qiang’s mind was on the verge of collapse.
He furiously smashed the table with his Kitchen Knife, unable to comprehend how things had turned out this way.
He could accept everyone hacking at each other, getting injured together, and struggling to barely survive.
But what he couldn’t accept was that after shedding blood, abandoning kindness, and erasing his humanity, he ended up with the same result as those who had done nothing!
Jiang Li took half a step forward, a Bank Card pinched between her fingers.
It was given to her by Xia Xiaoqiang.
“Money. Bought it.”
With just these four words, Jiang Li resolved Wang Qiang’s confusion.
“As long as you have money, anything can be bought.”
These were the words the Old Lady had said before entering the Dining Car.
The Old Lady was greedy for money and had surely hinted this to every passenger.
However, some people didn’t take those words to heart, such as Wang Qiang.
Wang Qiang had been led by the nose by the rules the entire time.
As a result, he ended up doing such insane and terrifying things.
All for a few plastic Points tokens, he had actually killed so many people.
“Bought… hahahaha…” Wang Qiang’s remaining eye was bloodshot, his mental state highly unstable.
“I killed all those people for Points… and you’re telling me they can be bought!?”
Dining Car Rules, Article 4:
[Points can be obtained through games.]
The word “can” in the rules is quite interesting.
It provides one way to obtain Points.
But it doesn’t tell you all the ways.
Robbery and killing-Points gained that way are recognized.
So, Points acquired through “purchasing” naturally also count.
Especially when it comes to the Old Lady-she will sell you anything.
Just like before, Xia Xiaoqiang’s over-a-meter-long Large Machete was bought this way.
“Everyone-”
The voice of a Staff Member at the dining counter broke the confrontation.
“Survivors, with only 500 Points, you can redeem ‘Immortality.’ Does anyone wish to redeem it?”
The Staff Member, wearing a Black Vest, spoke politely.
“I will! I want to!”
Wang Qiang, holding his Kitchen Knife, strode over to the counter.
The Staff Member collected the Points and quickly handled his request.
“Would the three of you like to redeem as well?” The Staff Member smiled at Jiang Li and her group.
Xia Xiaoqiang was tempted, looking at Jiang Li for her opinion, but Jiang Li stopped her.
In the Strange Tale World, there’s no such thing as a free lunch falling from the sky.
She suspected things weren’t as simple as they seemed.
“Does it work in other Instances?” Jiang Li considered, then asked.
The Staff Member glanced at Jiang Li and smiled. “It is only effective in the current Instance.”
Jiang Li pondered for two seconds. “No.”
The Staff Member continued to entice them:
“Besides that, we also have ‘Safe Houses.’ For 1500 Points, you can redeem one. Only one person can live inside, and it’s absolutely safe.”
The more the Staff Member tried to sell, the more uneasy Jiang Li felt.
This Staff Member was overly eager with the promotion.
But what benefit would it bring the Aberration to let the Survivors have all these seemingly invincible things?
It simply didn’t make sense.
Jiang Li declined, but Wang Qiang was particularly enthusiastic.
He poured out all the Points from his pockets, his tone frantic. “Redeem! Give me the Safe House!!”
The Staff Member smiled, opened his arms, and swept all the Points into his embrace.
Then, he clapped his hands, and immediately, four men appeared behind the Kitchen door carrying a house.
It was called a house, but in reality, it resembled an Iron Cage.
The Iron Cage looked extremely sturdy. One side had a door, and the lock was even controlled by voice recognition.
The iron gate was open, and Wang Qiang, in a manic state, darted straight inside.
Once inside, Wang Qiang assumed the posture of a victor.
After all, Jiang Li and the other two each only had 1000 Points, nowhere near enough to buy the “Safe House.”
Only he! He alone could easily produce 1500 Points and claim it without breaking a sweat.
Wang Qiang’s gaze was both triumphant and provocative.
Because this meant that every step he had fought for last night was worth it!
But Jiang Li merely glanced at Wang Qiang indifferently before shifting her gaze away.
Jiang Li’s attention remained fixed on the password for the Smart Door Lock.
When she saw the words on it, her expression turned somewhat peculiar.
But in the end, she said nothing more.
Soon, Wang Qiang was locked inside the cage, and both he and the cage were dragged away.
After all this, at some point, every Staff Member in the Dining Car had vanished.
The entire Carriage was left with only Jiang Li and her two companions.
They waited for a long time, and it was almost time to arrive at Qing City Station, but nothing else happened.
“Sis, we’re about to reach the station,” Xia Xiaoqiang checked the time-it was nearly nine o’clock.
She stood up and bid farewell to Jiang Li:
“For the last stretch, you’ll have to rely on yourself.”
With these words, Xia Xiaoqiang reached into her pocket, took out a Peace Amulet Lock, and placed it in Jiang Li’s hand.
Jiang Li was slightly surprised to see the Little Golden Lock. “…What’s this?”
“It’s the thing you gave to the Old Lady,” Xia Xiaoqiang explained.
“I thought it looked special, and it must be important to you. So after I bought Points this morning, I spent a bit more to redeem it for you.”
Xia Xiaoqiang’s gesture was truly unexpected for Jiang Li.
Jiang Li had thought their relationship was purely one of mutual benefit, never expecting Xia Xiaoqiang to go out of her way for her.
Tears shimmered in Xia Xiaoqiang’s eyes as she stepped forward to hug Jiang Li.
Liang Jie watched their interaction and took out his phone to snap a photo.
As he did so, his black backpack fell from his Seat to the floor.
Liang Jie bent to pick up the backpack, and his left earbud was knocked off.
He bent down to retrieve the earbud, but Jiang Li’s pupils suddenly widened!
“Wait!” Jiang Li pushed Xia Xiaoqiang aside, walked up to Liang Jie, and stared at the exposed left earlobe.
“Didn’t you have a Red Mole on your left ear? How come…”
Jiang Li frowned, looking at him suspiciously.
Liang Jie looked a bit guilty, but since he was about to get off the train, there was no need to keep hiding it.
“Uh…” Liang Jie scratched his head awkwardly, “Actually, that mole is fake.”
As he spoke, Liang Jie took out a SIM pin and waved it in front of Jiang Li.
“At that time, I was the only one left alone. According to the rules, I was sure to die. I figured, if I didn’t pretend to have a Red Mole, you definitely wouldn’t save me.”
Liang Jie smiled, rubbing the back of his head, his eyes curved and his teeth gleaming white.
Though his face was sunny and innocent, his words were infuriating!
Jiang Li’s fists clenched.
No wonder…
No wonder it was such a coincidence that, right at the last second before the team was formed, Jiang Li saw the Red Mole.
The strange feeling Jiang Li had always harbored finally found its source!
“How did you know I would save someone with a Red Mole?” Jiang Li looked up and asked him.
Liang Jie replied:
“I was sitting right across from you.
You stared at the second rule for so long, so I guessed that someone with a Red Mole must be especially important to you.
Like you said, since we’re all doomed anyway, why not take a gamble? If I lose, it’s just death, but if I win, maybe I get to live.”
Hearing this, Xia Xiaoqiang slapped her forehead and leaned in:
“So that’s it! I kept hiding my Red Mole from Sister Jiang, afraid she’d abandon me halfway.”
As she spoke, Xia Xiaoqiang swept her long hair aside, revealing the Red Mole on her earlobe.
Jiang Li looked at the two on her left and right, held her forehead, and felt like she was about to lose her mind!
Fine, fine, fine…
Sister and you are heart-to-heart, and you play mind games with Sister.
No wonder you two survived to the end!
Jiang Li glared at the pair in exasperation.
They almost ruined everything!
These two, who seemed a bit silly, were actually quite sharp.
In the Instance, Jiang Li had fought desperately with the rules, the Aberration, and tried to read people’s minds.
But these two, their only little tricks, were all used on Jiang Li herself…