September 2, 2020, at twelve o'clock in the morning.
The local official pardons sins.
The gates of Hades are open.
On the day of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, a huge black cruise ship slowly sailed into the city port of Guanghui City. The people invited to this cruise ship were basically the new generation of today, either rich daughters, or handsome men, or those from wealthy families, or young and promising people.
After all, most game players come from this type of people.
so... ... ..
"You are probably the only one who is as poor as you."
"Shut up!"
The corners of Gu Moli's eyes twitched slightly, and he rolled his eyes at Zhiji Nanxun in annoyance, while Hua Qiong looked helpless as he tried to smooth things over between the two people who were arguing with each other.
At this time, the three of them were in the cabin of the cruise ship.
Of course, the three of them did not share a cabin.
Don't get me wrong.
The cabins here are more like suites than rooms. There are three rooms, a living room, and even a toilet.
Compared with the ordinary three people, Hua Qiong changed her casual clothes and put on a long dress that suited her status as a young lady, while Zhiji Nanxun tied her hair up. Although she was a woman, she wore a black suit like a butler, which matched the suit on Gu Moli.
But here’s the thing… .
(This guy looks even more handsome than me in this suit... .)
(It’s so unfair!)
Gu Moli's eyes twitched as he looked at Zhiji Nanxun, who had his back straight. Zhiji Nanxun, who had always appeared without makeup, for some reason put on makeup like Hua Qiong this time. With a suit, he looked quite handsome, and standing next to Hua Qiong, they complemented each other.
Gu Moli felt inexplicably unhappy when seeing this.
How to say it.
I always feel like I am a bit redundant...
"grass."
Cursing inwardly, Gu Moli immediately threw this nonsensical idea out of his mind, and then focused his attention on the vast sea of Guangjiang outside the boat.
The waves are rolling... ..of course not.
The reason is simple.
"It's so dark to hold a party like this in the middle of the night, and you can't even see the river view."
"But there's nothing we can do about it."
"After all, money makes you the boss."
Gu Moli was very open-minded about this. After a few words of emotion, he changed the subject: "Speaking of which, the process of organizing this party was very loose. It was just a normal safety inspection. I thought the organizer would prohibit us from bringing electronic devices and give us an extra set of bird-beak masks."
"It's just a players' gathering, what do you think it is?"
"And if electronic devices are really banned, I'm afraid few people will come."
"That's true."
"As for masks, although they are not bird beaks, they are also available. After all, it is the Ghost Festival, and the organizers have provided a lot of ghost masks out of mischief."
As he said that it was hard to find a true friend, he walked to the coffee table in the living room, then took out several masks from the drawer under the coffee table and placed them one by one on the coffee table.
The mask is oddly constructed.
His appearance resembles that of an evil spirit.
"After all, there are a few players who are worried that the grudges they have in the game will be resolved in real life, so they don't like to reveal their true identities."
"Guanghui City is so small."
"There are always people who are better than you. Even if you are a successful person, you are not necessarily at the top of your industry. What if two players are superiors and subordinates in real life, and the subordinate betrays the superior in the game, and then the party ends up with a big disaster?"
"Besides, this game itself is not easy."
Gu Moli and Zhiji Nanxun were chatting while they each picked up a mask at random, and Hua Qiong excitedly came over, picked up a mask and put it on.
"How is it? Is he handsome?"
“Not handsome.”
"Well."
After cruelly dampening Hua Qiong's excitement about wearing a mask for the first time, Gu Moli also casually put on his own mask, which was a black and white judge's mask, while Zhiji Nanxun picked a Xiang Hongniao mask. As for Hua Qiong, her mask was commonly known as the Demon Mother Goddess in the martial arts world.
It’s hard to find a bosom friend: “Actually, it’s the so-called female demon.”
Gu Moli: "Looking at it this way, it seems to suit you quite well."
Hua Qiong: "???"
Click!
A crack immediately appeared on Hua Qiong's mask, and Gu Moli, who had just complained that it was hard to find a confidant, and who had come to make the final move, immediately shut their mouths.
Then the three of them packed up simply and walked out of the cabin wearing masks.
The boarding process was controlled by the organizer. In order to protect the privacy of the participants, the boarding process was very covert. Basically, unless they were together like Gu Moli and the other two, they would be led into the cabin by staff individually.
Like the mask, this is also prepared to cater to players who do not want to reveal their true faces.
However, Gu Moli and the other two didn't care about this.
Wearing a mask just makes you look cool.
After entering the cabin, the staff also said that the party will officially start at 1 a.m., and you just need to go to the main hall of the cruise ship before that.
"It's almost half past twelve."
"Go there soon."
"OK."
Walking through the aisles inside the ship, he didn't meet a single person along the way, which even made people wonder if this was a ghost ship. It was not until he entered the main hall that Gu Moli saw three figures standing at the door of the main hall, talking excitedly to the staff on the ship.
"Are you kidding me? You're not allowed in!"
"Feel sorry... ."
"Didn't we agree that the party would start at one o'clock? It's already 12:45. It's okay for us to enter early, right?"
"this... ."
The person who was speaking should be the player. He had dyed blonde hair, was not wearing a ghost mask, and was wearing an iron ring. He looked like a street thug.
I always feel that it looks a little familiar.
Is it my illusion
Just as Gu Moli was wondering who this blond young man was, the arrival of the three of them also attracted the attention of others, and the blond young man turned around in response.
"A new player? And wearing a mask, is that necessary?"
"... ..ah."
Looking at the blond young man's face, Gu Moli finally remembered that this was the guy he met when he first went to the Civil Affairs Bureau to report as a player and in the Phantom City! If he remembered correctly, this guy's name should be...
"Extra Man A?"
"My name is Ren Xuan! You... .Hmm?"
The blond young man called out subconsciously at first, then froze, as if he remembered something, and a puzzled look appeared on his face: "... Gu Moli?"
“Yo.”
Gu Moli had no intention of hiding anything and simply waved his hand: "Hello, Extra A, I didn't expect that you, as an extra, would have such a role."
"My name is Ren Xuan!"
The blond young man pulled his blond hair, looking a bit troubled: "We have met twice anyway, and my name isn't that hard to remember."
"I'm sorry." Gu Moli said from the bottom of his heart: "It's mainly because you have too few roles."
Ren Xuan: “???”
At this moment, the other two players beside Ren Xuan finally couldn't hold back anymore. Like Ren Xuan, these two players were not wearing masks.
"Is this your friend, Ren Xuan?"
"ah."
It seems that they are acquaintances, but it is not uncommon for players to team up with each other, just like Gu Moli and Hua Qiong are hard to find close friends.
Gu Moli's eyes immediately lit up when he saw this!
He knew this was the time for him to use his tactful words!
"Hello, hello, both of you are Long... Are you an acquaintance of Ren Xuan? I am also a friend of Ren Xuan, and I am considered a relatively famous private detective."
"Right?"
Gu Moli smiled and looked at Ren Xuan. Unlike his gangster appearance, Ren Xuan was surprisingly shy. He just scratched his head and recalled his previous experience with Gu Moli in the Phantom City. He nodded honestly and said, "He is indeed very powerful."
As soon as Ren Xuan said this, the two players beside him also relaxed.
The only female player among them also extended her hand generously: "Hello, my name is Mo Lian. I didn't expect there is a private detective in Guanghui City. Speaking of which, I seem to have heard that there is a very powerful private detective in Guanghui City, who is very famous in a certain circle..."
"That should be me."
Gu Moli said without hesitation, and then took out his business card: "In fact, this is how Ren Xuan and I met. As soon as I introduced myself, he immediately started talking to me enthusiastically. We had a great chat and became close friends. You are also welcome to come and sit down."
Before Gu Moli finished speaking, a strange expression appeared on Ren Xuan's face.
A past that he couldn't bear to recall flashed through his mind.
Then... ..
"Ah, Gu Moli, this name... Oh yes, that's right, the private detective I heard about seems to be called this name, you are also a famous person, your job scope... Marriage partner investigation, marriage status analysis, divorce agreement review, property distribution processing, one-stop service... ..."
Mo Lian: “???”
Immediately afterwards, Mo Lian and another male player immediately shifted their gazes and looked at Ren Xuan with strange expressions. The latter gritted his teeth and said:
"Don't listen to his nonsense! I never commissioned him at all!"
"So, Xuan, you have this kind of past... Sorry."
"Me too. I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize to me! Fuck!"
Compared to Ren Xuan who was obviously a little crazy, Mo Lian and the other male player had indelible smiles on their faces and they were obviously enjoying this conversation.
Looking at the interaction between Extra Male A, Extra Female A and Extra Male B, Gu Moli thought for a moment and came to the conclusion: Extra Male A seems to be acting as the team's punching bag in this small group. To use more professional terms, he is the one who gets bullied
Gu Moli felt ashamed of his own thoughts.
"By the way, are there any other players coming besides you?"
“Yes.”
Ren Xuan nodded: "I saw Wang Yan, Liu Xinye and others on the boat before. There were also a few people who wore ghost masks and didn't speak like you."
Gu Moli nodded when he heard that. As expected, he didn’t recognize any of them.
But it doesn't matter.
Unlike herself, Zhiji Nanxun had communicated with them using Li Shaohua's real name. She seemed to have had a good chat with them the first time she went to the Civil Affairs Bureau. Thinking of this, Gu Moli immediately poked Zhiji Nanxun beside him and whispered, "Do you recognize these names?"
“I don’t know him.”
The answer to the question of finding a true friend was without hesitation: "Why do I have to know a few minor characters?"
“That’s too much!”
Gu Moli's face suddenly showed grief: "You can't be as popular as me like this!"
Gu Moli was not without self-awareness, or he just said that on purpose to get people to complain. And it was natural that a confidant was hard to find and rolled his eyes at him.
However, when the two of them finished their conversation, they both realized that Hua Qiong had become friends with Mo Lian and Ren Xuan. Names such as Wang Yan, Liu Xinye, and a bunch of other names that the two of them couldn't remember came out of Hua Qiong's mouth, leaving the two of them dumbfounded.
“… I’ll tell you.”
"Stop talking."
"Isn't it possible that among the three of us, she is the only one who is the best at socializing?"
"Didn't I tell you to stop talking?"
Gu Moli's words cruelly hit the nail on the head: both Gu Moli herself and Confidant Hard to Find are actually standard patients with social maladjustment syndrome... Confidant Hard to Find is better, at least she can pretend, while Gu Moli is worse, as he also suffers from intermittent cerebral convulsions.
But at this moment.
"Hello, hello? Can you hear me? Are there twenty-four Hero Trial players wandering around the Titanic right now, except for the staff?"
The same voice was heard in the walkways, cabin rooms, and even the decks of the cruise ship. At this time, the cruise ship had already left the Guanghui City Port and was drifting aimlessly on the Guangjiang River. The same was true for the players, so this broadcast immediately attracted everyone's attention.
"Please don't panic, players."
"My last name is Wu, you can call me Mr. Wu, and I am one of the organizers of this bounty invitation for all the players to come here. The red envelopes promised before have all been transferred to your registered accounts, so without further ado, let's get to the point right away."
Mr. Wu... ... Gu Moli narrowed his eyes slightly.
It's hard to find a true friend, and he raised his eyebrows.
"First of all, I want to make it clear that the 24 players on the Titanic this time have been divided into groups of six into four cabins on the Titanic. The cabins on each floor are not interconnected, so please do not try to go to cabins on other floors."
"The second thing I want to say is that this Titanic was once a large private cruise ship owned by the now deceased president of Guanghui City Financial Group, Li Caijin. And this Mr. Li Caijin was also one of the sponsors of the game Hero Trial, and he had a close relationship with all the players."
"And this time, I hope that all players can complete my bounty before the official gathering. That is to find the four treasures that Li Caijin stored in the four cabins of this cruise ship because of his personal interest. The player group that finds the treasures first will get my bounty."
"Of course, I am not forcing you players. There are special banquet halls on your respective floors. If you don't want to find it, you can just wait inside for others to find it. There will be no shortage of food, music, and entertainment. Players don't have to worry."
At this point the broadcasting voice suddenly paused, and then continued:
"You can find the specific information about the four treasures and the clues I have in my hands from the staff. Please ask them patiently."
"When the bounty is over, I believe the Titanic will return to the port of Guanghui City smoothly, and you can choose to attend a real large-scale party on the deck, or you can choose to get off the ship directly."
"By the way."
"If the player who receives the bounty does not want to receive the monetary reward, that's fine. I have some connections with the head office at Hero Trial, so I can exchange the monetary reward for legendary cards, character cards, equipment cards, or skill cards. You can choose whatever you want."
"That's about it."
"I hope all players can have fun tonight. At the same time, I sincerely hope that some players can help me find the treasure hidden by Li Caijin."
The broadcast was cut off.
On the other side, Ren Xuan suddenly remembered something and looked at Gu Moli with shining eyes: "Well, you are a detective, right? Are you good at this?"
"Of course I am good at it."
Gu Moli nodded seriously: "Although you are a minor role that holds me back, I am the protagonist after all, so let's finish this story within five chapters!"