The night was dark, the moon was hidden in the dark clouds, and even a little light refused to let through.
On a remote road in Anyang City, fifteen people appeared out of thin air. Some of them were carrying backpacks, some were light, and their clothes were different, like a temporary FIT tour group.
But without exception, they all stood there, gasping for breath, some of their bodies were still stiff, some of them slowed down, but the pain in their eyes was still clear.
The truth or falsehood of a thing sometimes lies not in the result, but in the process.
The pain of death is more terrifying than death itself.
Han Buting was the first to straighten up with a gloomy expression. For a moment, Xu Wang thought that the other party was going to beat someone up. But in the end, Han Buting just took a deep look at the five of them, as if to engrave them in the depths of their memory, draw a circle with a red pen and then make a slash that prohibits them, then turned around silently, and led the team to disappear into the vast night.
Xu Wang watched the five pretending to be strong backs go farther and farther. For some reason, he felt a little distressed.
The last trace of burning and suffocating horror was also scattered in the cold wind. Wu Sheng's first thing was to take out his mobile phone. As a result, it clearly showed that Beijing time, 03:18.
Before the evil spirit appeared, he checked his phone once, and it was already past five o'clock by then...
On the side of the road, Kuang Jinxin, who had just slowed down, stopped a taxi and greeted the Wei Menghan team over there: "You guys get on first."
Wei Menghan shook his head: "Let's go and have a blast."
Kuang Jinxin said very seriously: "Stop blowing, even if you vomit and burn, let's go back to rest early."
Wei Menghan: "..."
The other party's persuasion is very sincere, that is, it is too realistic, and there is a kind of heart-wrenching that evokes a sad past.
"Let's leave us alone," Ji Yunlei said carelessly, changing his captain's euphemistic style, "We've been tossing around this night, let's have some fun and come back."
"What kind of fun are you looking for?" Qian Ai interjected, her tone of curiosity rose subtly, and she made up countless mosaics in one second.
Ji Yunlei thought about it at will, and said, "Hotpot or barbecue will do."
Qian Ai: "… "
For the first time in her life, Qian Ai was shaken by her eating and broadcasting career.
Because this night, he saw Faith on a flat face.
The taxi could not fit five people, so Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin and Qi Shan were taken away first.
Wei Menghan led the team and said goodbye to Xu Wang and Wu Sheng: "Be mentally prepared, see you tomorrow, and we will drag you into the secret passage."
Wu Sheng likes this kind of gauntlet: "I wish you great success."
Xu Wang's heart was not on the quest line at all, and he was still thinking about Ji Yunlei's fun: "Just after I induce vomiting, don't eat too greasy, drink some casserole porridge or something."
Wei Menghan shook his head: "The casserole porridge is delicious only from Guangdong and Fujian."
Xu Wang: "...bye."
Ten minutes later, Wu Sheng and Xu Wang finally stopped the second taxi.
The two of them sat in the back row together, and no one spoke for two or three minutes after the car started up.
Wu Sheng is sorting out the quest line.
From the beginning to the end, I went through all the links, clues, NPC's lines and all the details that I experienced tonight.
After finishing everything, he turned his head and found that Xu Wang was still staring out of the car window, in a trance.
His eyes are serious, his expression is serious, he is not in an empty state, he is clearly thinking about something.
Systematic scrutiny of tactics or customs clearance tasks has never been the main item of his own captain. Generally, when he starts to think seriously, whoever will suffer.
"What bad idea?" Wu Sheng asked, his tone full of disgust, but the corners of his mouth were hooked.
Xu Wang turned around and stared at him, as if he had finally come to a conclusion: "Qi Shan knows Li Zijin."
"Qi Shan? Li Zijin?" Wu Sheng was completely clueless, how did these two get hooked.
"Didn't you find that Qi Shan always looks at Li Zijin?"
"..." He really didn't. He was keeping an eye on the quest line the whole time, wanting to see how the NPCs pursued love, and it would be better if they could get some practical methods. As a result, I didn't see any good love, it was just negative energy.
"Forget it," Xu Wang found that he had picked the wrong object of discussion, and the scientific research direction of his military adviser had never been in such a delicate field of human hearts, "When I didn't ask."
Wu Sheng looked at the obvious "disgust" on Xu Wang's face, and there was a sullen sullenness that "the book is not a professional when it is used."
Regarding Qi Shan and Li Zijin, along the way, Xu Wang did not ponder any new inside information, but when he returned to the hotel, Qi Shan sat on the first floor waiting for them.
Xu Wang was surprised and had some kind of premonition, but he didn't show it on his face: "Why didn't you go back?"
Qi Shanding's hotel is not here. According to the original route, Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai should get off here first, and he should sit for a while.
"I want to say sorry to you guys." Qi Shan didn't go around in circles.
Wu Sheng frowned, but did not speak.
Xu Wang smiled, lightly, with some understanding: "Go up and talk."
The three returned to Xu Wang and Wu Sheng's standard room together. After entering the room, Wu Sheng sat in the corner, made a gesture, and did not participate in the communication.
Although Qi Shan said he was waiting for the two of them, Xu Wang was the captain.
All he has to do is keep watch.
Xu Wang pulled a stool for Qi Shan, handed him a bottle of pure water prepared by the hotel, and then sat down.
The new teammates didn't make any detours, so Xu Wang went straight: "Want to retire?"
Qi Shan took the water, did not unscrew it, paused for two seconds, and nodded.
Xu Wang asked, "Because Li Zi is near?"
Qi Shan was stunned for a moment, and touched his nose a little embarrassedly: "Is it that obvious?"
"Well," Xu Wang said honestly, "I was worried that you would pounce on me all night."
Qi Shan was delighted, and if he didn't know how to speak, he confessed so smoothly: "He's my idol."
With the word "...", Captain Xu, who has never chased stars, needs to react for a while.
"I've been a fan of several professional e-sports players," Qi Shanda generously shared his way of chasing stars, "I climbed from one wall to another, and I broke down here..."
"Three years ago, when he was only sixteen, he operated Ju Sao and became famous in one battle!"
"His talent is absolutely overwhelming, speed, awareness, reflexes, top-notch, almost patience, but this can be tempered..."
"Last year and the year before were his most brilliant times. I chased after every game, I watched the warm-up games, and I even went to the scene to make a call..."
Qi Shan's speech is getting faster and faster, and the light in his eyes is getting more and more fanatical, just like a true fan of e-sports, Li Zi, who is almost overage.
When adding members, Xu Wang only saw Qi Shinyang's handsome appearance.
Now, he recognizes the soul of this classmate.
"That..." Xu Wang wanted to say that you should restrain yourself first, we have to continue to discuss the issue of leaving the team, but the other party automatically calmed down first.
"At the beginning of this year, he retired." The enthusiasm in Qi Shan's eyes has not faded away, but there is a hint of melancholy, intertwined and complicated, "Nineteen years old is the most golden time for an e-sports player."
Qi Shan smiled bitterly, as if feeling distressed for Li Zijin: "I couldn't figure out the reason at the time. Nothing happened to him. At most, he didn't play well in the last two games..."
Xu Wang knew that he had found the reason now.
Just because I found it, I'm not reconciled to replacing Li Zijin.
He resigned himself, and Wu Sheng's company has not dared to take on new projects for a month. This is the erosion of "owl" on real life. However, behind this erosion, there is also mental pressure. Mao Qiping on the endless sea has completely adapted to the intertwined life of the two worlds, but when it comes to reality, his eyes are still deeply tired.
Not to mention the nineteen-year-old Li Zijin.
The brief silence made the atmosphere a little heavy, Xu Wang pulled back to the original topic: "Have you agreed with their team?"
Qi Shan shook his head: "I have to quit the team first before I can go after a new team, otherwise I'll be cheating."
Xu Wang teased: "You quit us and join them immediately. This is called seamless integration, and it is also cheating."
Qi Shan was stunned for two seconds, happy, and admitted, "There's nothing wrong with that."
"You want to stay at this level, right." Xu Wang unscrewed his water and took two sips. This season, the room temperature water is also a little cold.
Qi Shan was surprised by his sharpness. He thought that the new captain could speak a little.
"This is the first level that requires a five-man team." Xu Wang took the water bottle in his hand and looked at him, "If I were you, I would choose to wait here."
Unless the Han Buting team goes all the way, if they come back to this level before returning to this level, they will have to add new members.
"I really want to stay here," Qi Shan said frankly about his selfishness, "but if you still trust me, I will finish the other half of the love line tomorrow."
"I believe you will be good at the beginning and the end," Xu Wang said, "but I'm afraid that when the next level is reached, there will be no singles or teams that need to be added, and we have to tie them together."
Qi Shan understood what he meant. In addition to his surprise, he smiled: "Are you so confident that you can hand in the papers tomorrow?"
Xu Wang glanced at Wu Sheng and nodded earnestly: "Our team lacks everything, so there is no lack of confidence."
One wants to stay on 6/23, and the other wants to find new teammates as soon as possible to cultivate their relationship.
Before leaving, Qi Shan took out a sketch from his pocket and gave it to Xu Wang. It looked like it was done in a hurry, so I used A4 paper and a water-based pen, but after a few strokes, Xu Wang clearly recognized which was himself, which was Wu Sheng, and Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai.
A sketch of a four-person team without flashing together.
"I just drew casually when I was waiting for you on the first floor. I borrowed the pen and paper from the front desk. If you don't think it looks good, it's a tool problem." Qi Shan jokingly shook the pot.
Xu Wang took over the sketch and suddenly felt that it was like a parting gift, with a subtle sense of ritual.
Looking at the sketch, he asked what he had always wanted to ask: "What about your previous team?"
"It's gone," Qi Shan said lightly, "Some people want to go home, and some people go to Endless Sea to make money."
Xu Wang did not ask any further questions.
Qi Shan didn't care what he said, but he could think in a different position. If one day Wu Sheng, Kuang Jinxin, and Qian Ai told him, "Captain, we're quitting, we're going to leave."
After hesitating for a moment, Qi Shan also asked the last question: "When you can use stationery in the first half of today, why don't you ask me what stationery I have?"
Ask about stationery, build tactics, this is a routine operation.
Xu Wang was stunned, and suddenly felt a little complicated: "We are waiting for you to speak."
Four eyes facing each other.
Laugh dumbly.
The encounter between people depends on fate, but trust depends on running-in and time.
After sending Qi Shan away, Xu Wang threw himself directly into the bed, tired, tired in his heart, and aching in his head. He was about to smash the quilt into cotton balls.
As slow as Wu Sheng, he can give accurate eight-character comments: "Cheer in front of people, and heartbroken in the back."
"He said that, what can I do?" Xu Wang turned his head from under the quilt, looking aggrieved, "Can I stop people from pursuing their ideals..."
"Blocking for a day is not blocking for a lifetime." Wu Sheng couldn't see his tangled appearance, and had the urge to capture Qi Shan back.
"If you meet Newton, you will change your mind faster than him."
"First, it's impossible for me to meet Newton. Second, even if I do, I won't quit the team."
It was a joke-like metaphor, but Wu Sheng's answer was word for word, very serious.
Xu Wang fixedly looked at him, inexplicably giving birth to a trace of anticipation, and asked in a low voice, "Why?"
Wu Sheng didn't have to think about it: "With Newton's team, I can't be IQ."
Before going to bed, Captain Xu's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
Sergeant Wu thought, sure enough, the failure of this increase in personnel caused huge damage to his captain.
Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin had dreams in their sleep after breaking through the barrier. A villain dreams of eating all over the world, and a villain dreaming of drinking tea all over the world. Continued.
When they woke up, the two were in a cold sweat, and then they were told that their new teammates had changed their minds.
On the second day of 6/23, Jin and Qian kicked off with "surprise after surprise".
Until another zero o'clock came, they were still in a trance.
After the swirling sense of weightlessness, five friends appeared at 1310.
Team Han Buting and Team Wight didn't show up, and it was estimated that they were still spending those two minutes trying to stagger away from them.
The room is intact, there is no secret passage, no ghosts and ghosts, and the oil paintings are well hung on the wall.
The five people also have a complete lineup, but they just look at each other again, and their eyes are a little more awkward.
The five-in-one "ding-" came as promised.
Xu Wang looked at his arm, sure enough.
: You have a 5-minute exemption, choose [Back] or [Kick], and the countdown starts.
When the five-person team was successful yesterday, Owl also gave a similar prompt, but it may be the first time to form a five-person team. The prompt is more detailed than this, and all five-person levels are clearly defined. There is a 5-minute exemption time. If you kick someone or withdraw from the team after this time, it will be regarded as a failure of all staff to submit the paper.
At that time, they had just formed Qi Shan, so naturally they didn't pay much attention.
Who knows that things are unpredictable, and I used it today.
Xu Wang didn't speak, just pointed his arm towards Qi Shan.
Qi Shan understood, gave them an apologetic look, and then clicked to exit the team.
The world was pitch black.
The five people disappeared together, and soon, they reappeared in the banquet hall together.
The guests were staggering, and the laughter was still the same.
The other intruders scattered in the banquet hall, only when they came in from reality, some glanced at it, and some did not raise their heads.
When they dispersed from each other, the sound of the sounded, and in the noise, only they could hear it.
The four small partners received the same sentence: the team is insufficient (4/5), is there an increase in the number of members
Xu Wang raised his head subconsciously and looked at Qi Shan who had already walked over there. The other party was also looking down at the reminder on his arm.
Qi Shan's prompt should be the sentence Sun Jiang had received before - a lonely ship will never dock.
The sentence is obviously quite sad, but there is light and direction in Qi's eyes.
Life is like this, with direction, everything is bright.
Xu Wang retracted his gaze, and together with all his friends, clicked to confirm the addition, and the list of candidates opened at once—
6/23 Chi Yingxue [Invitation]
6/23 Flash [Invitation]
6/23 Wang Chuming [Invitation]
… shorter than yesterday.
Yesterday there were more monks and less porridge, and today even the bottom of the bowl is empty.
Choose one of the three, and there are two that cannot be chosen. Xu Wang looked at that Wang Chuming with a sense of sanctity of the destined son.
"Wang Chuming?" Wu Sheng couldn't tell what he felt, so he spoke with data and facts, "He was elected with Chen Xu yesterday."
Xu Wang: "..."
Let Wu Sheng remind him like this, it seems to be true.
Entering the team and retreating again, this is worth pondering. Did you leave within five minutes? Or is it like Qi Shan, walking around and saving a file? It is impossible for one or two to meet the lighthouse on the ideal road...
The so-called helpless, that is, knowing that it may be a pit, you have to choose.
After all, this is only a possibility, and the one next to it is an obvious sinkhole.
After a brief exchange with the four friends, they sent an invitation to Wang Chuming.
ten seconds.
Twenty seconds.
half a minute.
One minute…
The invitation to increase members sinks into the sea.
Just wondering, a young man in an army green coat walked towards them, with strong steps, walking with wind, and before anyone arrived, the aura came first.
The four little friends looked up together.
The man smiled brightly, his teeth so white that they could reflect: "Wang Chuming."
Xu Wang understood why he didn't accept the invitation: "Let's do a field trip first?"
"The main reason is for you to inspect me," Wang Chuming said heartily. "If you think it's suitable, we will form a group, advance and retreat, and delay each other's time."
Xu Wang heard something in his words, and simply pointed out: "We are a group of ordinary people. If we want to break through, we don't have any requirements. If you have any, you can tell us in advance."
Wang Chuming watched them for a while, and understood why they couldn't talk much. He thought that the other party could see his identity at a glance, but obviously, the other party was not the old fritters in the "owl".
"I'm a mercenary." Wang Chuming was straightforward.
Xu Wang was even more confused: "Mercenary?"
Is this an introduction to his real identity, or is there any special setting in the owl
"It's just taking people's money and helping them pass the test." Wang Chuming said in more detail, "From this test, the further you go, the more people like me."
Xu Wang looked back at his three little friends - there is such an operation
The eyes of the three little friends are also full of emotion - they are really running around with business opportunities, to see if you can find them.
Compared with Mao Qiping's project list, Wang Chuming's quotation is simple and clear. After all, the content of part-time work is relatively simple: "It can be settled on a per-time basis, 1,000 yuan at a time, and a bonus of 5,000 yuan will be added if the paper is successfully submitted, or a monthly subscription of 50,000 yuan can be bought out per month. , the bonus for successful submission is no longer counted alone. You can pass the level and the endless sea, and all the cash rewards you get in the process will belong to you."
Xu Wang: "..."
Wu Sheng: "..."
Qian Ai: "… "
Kuang Jinxin: "..."
"I don't have a lion's mouth to speak," Wang Chuming was dumbfounded by the silence of the four. "A cash treasure box can be tens of thousands, or a few thousand. My part-time salary will come out in minutes."
Qian Ai: "… "
There are also hundreds of dollars, okay
"It's not about money," Xu Wang said after a pause, "We still want to find teammates."
Wang Chuming shook his head: "I'm afraid you've been looking around, only to find out that mercenaries are more useful." He paused. "There are many teams behind, and even the money-making team."
Xu Wang agreed: "People are separated from each other, and many times it is not as efficient as a simple employment relationship..."
Wang Chuming raised his eyebrows.
Xu Wang was half-joking and half-serious: "But if you don't suffer a big loss, you always have fantasies."
Wang Chuming nodded and understood.
He has been in the owl for more than a year, and he has seen many such teams. They are always full of enthusiasm at the beginning, but there are very few who can reach the end of the original team. This is a long-distance race that almost never sees the end. There are always people who fall behind, or simply give up.
The invitation sent out has exceeded the time limit, because Wang Chuming did not answer it, it was automatically terminated.
Wang Chuming went to chat with other teams that needed to be recruited, and the remaining four little friends stood there, looking so desolate.
Xu Wang looked at his teammates: "I regret it."
Kuang Jinxin was stunned: "Huh?"
Xu Wang said: "Five thousand is five thousand. At least this time is over."
Qian Ai's black line: "Then why don't you stay for one more day, five thousand, your consumption concept is too arbitrary!"
Xu Wang: "..."
He can be criticized, but the angle of this criticism...
"Ding-"
: Chi Yingxue asked to join the team, do you agree
The four partners looked at their arms and were all astonished.
Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, and Qian Ai all thought they had hallucinations at the same time, but Jin Xin felt that, as expected, it was very similar to what Chi Yingxue did - couldn't understand, couldn't guess, it felt like it was all a secret.
"Sorry, I volunteered to recommend it," the voice that appeared from behind seemed familiar, but there was no trace of unfamiliarity, "Can we chat?"
The four of them turned around in unison, Chi Yingxue smiled politely, dressed as low-key as yesterday, and at first glance looked like a good and beautiful man.
His brows and eyes are cold, the two times of Endless Sea and 3/23, even if he smiles, they are as cold as moonlight.
But now, he smiled warmly, like the shadow of the moon in the water, dyed with the warm fireworks of the world.
"How do you want to talk?" Xu Wang asked.
Chi Yingxue lowered her eyes, thought for a moment, and raised her head: "We have dealt with each other, right?"
"No," Qian Ai couldn't bear it any longer, "it's boring for you to be so stupid. What have you done yourself?"
Chi Yingxue sighed: "It seems that you don't need to ask, it's the King of Hell who caused me the trouble again."
"Ye Wang?" Kuang Jinxin looked at Chi Yingxue carefully next to his own captain, and confirmed that his appearance had not changed in the slightest from the last time, but why did the whole person feel changed? Who is the King of Hell
Chi Yingxue took a deep breath and smiled helplessly: "I am a dual personality, and the King of Hell is my sub-personality."