The day before the black ring transaction, Zhuang Liang went to see Xia Zhiyi.
The two agreed to meet in the most private teahouse in the city.
Xia Zhiyi was not originally in Yaoguang City, so he took two days off to rest for this transaction.
Zhuang Liang pushed the door and entered the private room. He was stunned to find that it was actually him.
The man sitting on the sofa had a delicate appearance, a teardrop mole under his left eye, and was wearing a blue pin-striped shirt. He had a weak temperament, and a hint of depression in his eyes.
This is Xia Zhiyi, the leading actor in the recent hit movie that grossed 6 billion yuan at the box office.
As soon as the movie became a hit, the first person to become famous was the leading actor, and Xia Zhiyi has already reached the peak of his career.
His daily schedule is packed, and the fame and fortune he desires are coming towards him at an unimaginable speed.
Late one night, after he finished his last announcement, he took out a white magic ring from his suit pocket on his way back, and then he knew about the Paradise game and forum.
On one hand, his career is prospering day by day, on the other hand, his death is approaching day by day. How can Xia Zhiyi be willing to accept this
Zhuang Liang reacted calmly to the popular movie star's experience. He nodded slightly to show his understanding, and then gestured to the other party: "I can accompany you for this transaction. This is the price I usually pay for orders."
Xia Zhiyi was a little dissatisfied with Zhuang Liang's attitude, but Zhuang Liang had a great reputation in the small circle of Paradise Games, especially after the last account suspension incident.
He was at the transaction site and met Miss Lu, who was suspected to be the game administrator.
There was a lot of discussion in the high-level player group about the mysterious seller.
Some people didn't believe it and threatened to find the player who posted that he had seen her in the game, so as to find out her real identity.
Zhuang Liang stood up and said, "If you want your account to be blocked, just go ahead and steal it," which immediately put those who had ulterior motives to rest.
Mr. Zhuang used to be a very "wasteful" player among the top players. He was rich and arrogant, and he spoke and acted according to his own preferences.
Even he showed his weakness, which was enough to prove that "Miss Lu" was indeed not someone to be trifled with.
Xia Zhiyi had other plans in mind, so he suppressed his emotions and gestured, "I'll give you twice the price, can you tell me about Miss Lu?"
Earlier, Xia Zhiyi contacted him and wanted to have a meeting. Zhuang Liang guessed that there might be something else and said coldly: "I'm not familiar with her, there's nothing to talk about."
The implication in his words was not what he meant. Xia Zhiyi did not want to continue playing Tai Chi, so he got straight to the point: "It is said in the forum that she can command NPCs to help people pass the third level of the Black Ring World. Do you think it is possible to ask her to lead people?"
It must be said that this movie star thinks pretty quickly.
Hasn’t Zhuang Liang thought about this
Of course I have thought about it.
But does he dare to ask Lu Yao about it
I dare not at all.
Zhuang Liang raised his hand and scratched his face, saying anxiously, "It's hard to say. The posts on the forum are true and false, so you can't believe them all."
Xia Zhiyi was disappointed that he didn't get any really useful information from Zhuang Liang.
But he didn't want to give up and made two preparations in private.
He will observe Miss Lu first before the transaction tomorrow.
If there is an opportunity, just mention bringing someone along.
Since she is selling the ring and keeps raising the price, it means that she actually has financial needs.
It's not that he didn't have a chance.
The next day, Xia Zhiyi prepared five million, and Zhuang Liang arrived at his residence in the city as promised.
At the agreed time, a black door appeared out of nowhere in Xia Zhiyi's room.
This was different from the usual process where one had to wear a ring to enter the game, and both of them were stunned for a moment.
After a moment, he seemed to wake up and pushed the door open and walked in with the money.
-
After Lu Yao had lunch at the snack bar, he saw that it was about time, so he went to the theme park with the ring in his pocket, followed by a group of shop assistants.
Except for Qi Chen who volunteered to watch the store, everyone else went with Lu Yao.
Bai Jian was eating in the office upstairs, ordering the curry beef brisket rice that had just been served at the snack bar that Qing Gang brought with him.
Lu Yao went upstairs to find him and told him what the clerk thought.
After listening to this, Bai Jian nodded and asked Qing to join in.
The guards are more intimidating than the shop assistants, and Qing can handle any problems that arise during the transaction.
Lu Yao: “…”
The door that the park opens specifically for shop owners is on the outermost side of the corridor on the first floor, and the house number is "999".
Judging from the house number, this is probably the safest room in the park so far.
Lu Yao pushed the door open and walked in. There was no messy scenery, just a dark, empty space.
Even without lights, I can still see the surroundings clearly.
She looked around, turned back, and her heart almost stopped.
The clerk who came in with her was gone, and a row of scary park NPCs stood at the door.
Even after experiencing the bloodiest scenes in the game and the impact of the dragons, demons, necromancers, and vampire ancestors in the magic world, it still took Lu Yao five minutes to gradually adapt when he saw the completely camouflaged clerks and guards for the first time.
"Bai Ming?" Lu Yao called out the name while calming his heartbeat.
The huge black nightmare took a step forward, its body like an erratic ghost, "I'm here."
"Apricot?"
The body jumped forward like a stitched-together doll, with traces of stitches on the neck, arms, and face. The eyes were large and round, dark and dull, with no whites, and the voice was shrill: "I like the owner the most."
Lu Yao touched his arm, "...Xiao Qie?"
A bright purple eggplant pony squeezed out from behind the many big guys and came to Lu Yao with a "da da da" sound. "I'm here."
Seeing the familiar eggplant pony, Lu Yao breathed a sigh of relief and continued to call out names: "Chi?"
A fog monster crawled out with blood all over its body, limbs twisted, and a pair of giant scissors on its back. "Owner, I'm here."
Lu Yao: “… Yeah, yeah.”
Next to him is Qing who has transformed into a blood demon. Quan Shengju, Mo Cheng and Yu Cai are all small monsters similar to Xiaoqie.
Because their soul power is stronger, the mimicry of the guards and former guards is larger than that of ordinary residents, and looks weirder and more terrifying.
The rules they must follow in the game are also stricter, but they can always find various loopholes to lure players into triggering traps and killing them.
Xingzi said that Xiaoqie usually hangs out in the Gray Ring World and the White Ring World, always in the form of an Eggplant Pony.
If he goes to the Black Ring world, his mimicry will be upgraded to a higher-level form.
Xiao Qie originally planned to perform a transformation on the spot for Lu Yao to see, but was stopped by her.
God knows, at this moment, the Eggplant Pony is such a being that she would be healed just by looking at him.
Xia Zhiyi and Zhuang Liang came in from the black door. In the center of the black space, there was a round table with three chairs.
The two walked over and sat down. Xia Zhiyi was still thinking in his mind that he must not show his timidity and should act steady and experienced.
After hypnotizing himself for a while, he fantasized in his mind that maybe Miss Lu had seen his movies, and it would be easier to talk to her if she was his fan.
That movie had just been released and was a hit all over the country, even gaining some popularity overseas. There was no reason why Miss Lu wouldn't know about it.
Maybe later, Miss Lu would recognize him first, awkwardly ask him for an autograph, or even offer to take him to the Black Ring World... Thinking of this, Xia Zhiyi seemed less nervous.
"They are here." Zhuang Liang patted Xia Zhiyi with a pale face, regretting coming here.
He clearly knew that Lu Yao was not someone to be trifled with, but he just didn't learn his lesson and was hoping for the best. He really had to kneel down.
Xia Zhiyi also heard the footsteps. He looked in the direction of the sound and his face turned pale.
Many years later, Xia Zhiyi and Zhuang Liang still feel uncontrollably frightened when they recall this scene.
To describe it in Xia Zhiyi's words: At that glance, it was as if I saw the abyss of hell.
Lu Yao used magic to create a bone mask to cover his face and walked in front.
A row of NPC bosses followed behind him in unison.
The NPCs walked silently. In the huge black space, there was only the sound of Lu Yao's footsteps, but it had the momentum of thousands of troops.
Xia Zhiyi pressed his thighs hard under the table, trying to stop his legs from shaking, but found that even his hands were shaking.
He turned to look at Zhuang Liang, whose face was even paler than his.
Lu Yao noticed that the guests had arrived, so he quickened his pace and walked over, pulled out a chair and sat down, and took the initiative to greet them: "Good afternoon, both of you. Sorry for the long wait."
The NPCs stood behind Lu Yao, observing living people other than the shop owner outside the game for the first time. They all had curiosity in their eyes and felt very fresh.
The two living beings were trembling, like weak animals caught in a predator's trap.
Zhuang Liang first came to his senses, tried to control his emotions, and replied calmly: "Hello, Miss Lu."
Having seen Lu Yao many times, he could recognize her even if she covered her face.
Lu Yao wore a mask just to fit in with the team's overall style, and did not deny: "Mr. Zhuang, long time no see."
He took out the magic ring and pushed it over, "Please inspect the goods. If there are no problems, we will pay you."
Zhuang Liang picked it up, took a look at it, and nodded to Xia Zhiyi. He didn't dare to ask any questions.
Xia Zhiyi immediately took out four suitcases from under the table and pushed them in front of Lu Yao.
Qing, Chi, Baiming and Xingzi stepped forward and immediately opened the boxes to take inventory.
Zhuang Liang and Xia Zhiyi were trembling with fear, and they tried hard not to lose their composure further.
At this moment, they were only half a meter away from some of the most terrifying NPCs in the Black Ring world. It was so scary.
Zhuang Liang was surprised and envious when he heard Qi Jue say that Lu Yao could control NPCs.
But I couldn't imagine what the scene was like, so I finally got to see it today.
Lu Yao kindly comforted him: "They have no ill intentions, they are just a little curious."
Zhuang Liang & Xia Zhiyi: … We are all ordinary people, there is really nothing interesting about us, please stop being curious!!!
After the payment was counted, the NPCs closed the suitcases and took them away.
Lu Yao also stood up and prepared to leave: "The deal is indeed done. I wish you two a happy life!"
Zhuang Liang & Xia Zhiyi:…
The black door behind him disappeared, Xia Zhiyi's legs softened, and he collapsed to the ground, "Who is she? How do you know her?"
Zhuang Liang's suit was soaked with sweat. He leaned against the wall with his hands and let out a long breath: "I also want to know who she is. Do you understand what I mean now? Don't mess with her."
Xia Zhiyi nodded blankly, unable to say anything.
All those little thoughts from earlier were thrown into the deepest part of his memory and he never wanted to think about them again.
-
In the paradise, the NPCs immediately became lively when they discovered that the living had left the game space.
Yu Cai imitated Lu Yao's tone: "'Please inspect the goods!' It reminds me of the domineering CEO novels I read before I died, haha."
Xingzi also laughed: "The owner explained that we had no ill intentions, and I think the two survivors became even more scared after hearing that."
Bai Ming pondered for a moment and said, "When the buyer started looking at the store owner, his eyes flickered, as if he had some idea."
Qing said: "After today, I shouldn't have any more ideas."
Chi and a few others were hanging at the back, and they all found this trip very interesting.
It’s like when you’re tired of your day job and suddenly take a vacation, but this vacation is a little short, and it’s gone in a flash.
Xiao Qie noticed that Lu Yao hadn't said anything, so she poked her with her elbow, "Why isn't the shopkeeper talking?"
The others immediately stopped and looked at Lu Yao, thinking something had gone wrong.
Lu Yao stroked his chin and thought for a while, then said, "I'm wondering if I need to file tax on the money from selling the ring?"
System: [What I'm selling is a phantom ring. You don't need it, right?]
Lu Yao shook her head and clicked on the store manager's status bar. Her assets had changed from "1.35W" to "6.35W". She felt a little uncomfortable.
The NPCs have been out of touch with modern society for a long time and don't understand these things at all.
The system considers it unnecessary.
Lu Yao did not hesitate for long and decided to report the previous one million together. He typed into the system: "I remember that I had to pay taxes when I inherited the shopping street. You took the initiative to do it. Can you help me with these?"
System: [… Hmm.]
I thought the owner didn't notice little things like that, but it turns out she knew them all.
When Lu Yao came out of the theme park, the system had already deducted the tax and the assets in the store manager's status column were corrected to "515W".
"In the future, all income related to assets must be reported to me after deducting all taxes," said Lu Yao.
System: [OK.]
With sufficient funds, Lu Yao decided to put night meals at the snack bar on the agenda.
She mentioned this to the store clerks and the response was very enthusiastic. Everyone was very excited.
For the time being, only the first floor is open, mainly selling barbecue, and the business hours are from 7pm to 2am.
Lu Yao originally planned to hire two new people, but the shop assistants said they could take shifts at night.
They don't need sleep in the first place, and taking turns opening the store at night makes the feeling of going to work more realistic.
Lu Yao was persuaded and started to plan new dishes, set prices, and even recontact suppliers.
After talking to the shop assistants, she also completed the soul binding with Xiaoqie.
-
Lu Yao returned to the nail salon. Tina and Eugenia were receiving customers, while Clarissa and Mumu were greeting customers and occasionally coming to the workbench to watch and learn.
The two giant dragons are still hiding in the corner and fishing.
When Edward heard that Lu Yao had finally returned, he immediately called her into the laboratory.
Ambrose and the twin fairies were inside. There were plastic armor plates on the experimental table and various magic circles suspended in the air. They seemed to be in trouble.
Lu Yao picked up the nail plate and looked at it. "Is this a manicure for Mumu?"
Edward nodded, frowning slightly: "We are trying the idea you mentioned. Unfortunately, it seems impossible to realize it."
Ambrose held his head in his hands, extremely troubled: "We have developed all the magic combinations we can think of, and all of them failed."
Merulu and Pushu leaned against a glass dessert bowl, with grapefruit particles and milk stains on the corners of their mouths.
Before Lu Yao went to the snack bar, he made them a large portion of mixed fruit salad using the yogurt and fruits that were about to expire in the refrigerator.
The two kids got one bowl and it took them a long time to finish it.
Considering the size of the fairies, the two little ones are very greedy.
At this moment, they were leaning there with their bellies protruding, unwilling to move.
Lu Yao reached out to wipe the corners of their mouths, but Pu Xiu grabbed her fingertips first and rubbed them with joy.
Merulu turned her face away coquettishly, but couldn't help but pay attention.
She thought that after Lu Yao had finished his general training, he would come over and rub against her again, but Lu Yao withdrew his hand and lowered his head to look at the magic circle test they had done.
After a while, Lu Yao finished reading all the plans and rolled up his sleeves. "I roughly understand it. Let me try it."
Edward took a step forward, looking a little incredulous: "We have tried everything. Do you have any other ideas?"
Lu Yao said vaguely: "Well, almost."