Chapter 60

Zhao Zhu waited for about half an hour, and suddenly a sense of dizziness came over him. He felt nauseous in his chest, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. A dizzying sensation overwhelmed him, and he almost couldn't stand, falling to the ground and rolling out of the house into the yard. When he stopped, he saw the old monk's corpse blocking his way, the bullet hole between his eyebrows still clearly visible.

"Hehe, Brother Zhao, sorry, my technique is a bit unorthodox, so you had to suffer a bit when it broke through." Xiong Zhiqi shrugged apologetically and reached out to help Zhao Zhu up.

"Do you know what this is?" Zhao Zhu asked.

"It should be some kind of illusionary device, similar to Zhuge Liang's Eight Formation Diagram. It can trap people in a specific false space, making it impossible for them to escape. This kind of treasure is very valuable. Even if you exchange it with the group owner, it would cost at least 2,000 points, and maybe even a plot point." Xiong Zhiqi picked up a painting from the ground. The painting was blank, but it shimmered with an unusual light. Then, he pointed to the house. "Brother Zhao, is there anything else inside?"

"Yes, there's a locust wood chest. There are quite a few things in it. Let's move it to the car together."

"What about the old monk's corpse?"

"Burn it. Let him return to dust and earth. Your hands can melt iron, so a corpse should be no problem."

"…But melting a corpse with my own hands is too disgusting. I'm not a part-time undertaker."

"Just bear with it. Come, let's move the chest first."

"Okay."

Xiong Zhiqi and Zhao Zhu went to move the locust wood chest and placed it in the trunk of Zhao Zhu's car. Then, Xiong Zhiqi went back to handle the old monk's corpse, while Zhao Zhu sat in the driver's seat, revealing a string of relics in his palm. Some things can be shared with others, but some are better kept to oneself. Zhao Zhu felt that wearing the relics would have a special effect.

About ten minutes later, Xiong Zhiqi returned, giving Zhao Zhu a thumbs-up and saying, "The corpse, your fingerprints, and all other traces have been dealt with."

Zhao Zhu checked the time on his phone and saw it was already 11 o'clock. He started the car and said, "Let's go. We'll have lunch outside. We'll pick up Zhu Jianping from school first."

"Is that guy free? He might still be doing that…" Xiong Zhiqi thought for a moment, "Forget it, let's go find him."

About twenty minutes later, Zhao Zhu's car stopped at the middle school gate. The last time he entered the school, he drove right in, and the security guard didn't stop him or ask for registration. This time, Zhao Zhu didn't plan to drive in because he wasn't in a top-tier sports car, and the security guard was a snob. He didn't want to waste time arguing, so he sent a text to Zhu Jianping, telling him to come out after class or he would leave.

When the class ended, many students walked out of the school gate, all wearing the same school uniform. The girls wore long pants and long-sleeved uniforms. Unless they were naturally beautiful, they all looked similar. Xiong Zhiqi sat in the car, leering at the passing female students and making comments.

"Hey, Daxiong, if you like any of them, just ask them out. You may be a bit fat, but your heart is warm, and your money is even warmer," Zhao Zhu teased Xiong Zhiqi.

"Hehe, I won't go and ruin those young girls. There's no need for that."

"If you don't, someone else will. Cabbage left in the field will eventually be eaten by pigs. It's the same here; it will be broken eventually." Zhao Zhu had a good day, so he was in a good mood and joking with Xiong Zhiqi.

"Ah, we're different. I'm afraid that one day I won't come back from a mission, so I don't want to delay anyone."

As Xiong Zhiqi spoke, the atmosphere in the car became somewhat heavy.

"Brother Zhao, sorry, I said the wrong thing."

"It's okay, you're right. We don't even know how long we'll live. So, while we still have time, we should live well and enjoy life. Men, in the end, pursue two things: a career and women. A career is difficult, but women are relatively easier," Zhao Zhu said, "Of course, I mean certain women."

"Let's see. Anyway, Zhu Jianping sometimes calls girls to play, and I join in, but I don't want to go after schoolgirls."

"Hmm, as you wish. He's here."

Zhu Jianping carried a schoolbag, head down, shoulders slumped, looking like a typical student from an ordinary family, with a sense of inferiority. He was the most unremarkable person in a crowd.

"Ah."

"Ah."

Zhao Zhu and Xiong Zhiqi sighed simultaneously, silently despising Zhu Jianping: a beast. They guessed he had already played out several AV teacher-student scenarios in class but now acted like a good student.

"Hey, it's rare for you guys to come pick me up for lunch. My parents died early, and my grandfather was bedridden before he passed away. I've never experienced being picked up after school." Zhu Jianping said as he got into the car, "Big Brother Zhao, do you have any cigarettes in the car?"

"Here." Zhao Zhu took a pack of cigarettes from the car drawer and threw it to Zhu Jianping, adding, "No problem, you can think of us as your parents."

Zhu Jianping took a cigarette, lit it, and exhaled a smoke ring. "Where do you guys plan to eat for lunch?"

"Let's go for chicken pot," Xiong Zhiqi suggested.

"Sure, I'll follow your lead." Zhao Zhu nodded.

At that moment, their phones vibrated. Zhu Jianping's face turned red, and he let out a muffled groan, looking somewhat pained. There was a glimmer of realization in his eyes, clearly understanding what was about to happen.

Zhao Zhu took out his phone, opened the group message, and read the latest group announcement, which was a new task preview. It was a four-person mission, and Zhu Jianping's name was on the list.

"I was getting bored, and now there's something exciting to do. The longer we go, the longer the intervals between tasks. It's not easy to get one," Zhu Jianping said calmly. He had a reputation in the group as a madman, meaning he was absolutely crazy and perverted in the mission worlds.

"Let's eat first. After lunch, I'll show you something I just got. If you like any of it, you can take it into the mission world, and we can take turns using it," Zhao Zhu said as he started the car.

"Big Brother Zhao, you found something?" Zhu Jianping asked Zhao Zhu but looked at Xiong Zhiqi.

Xiong Zhiqi nodded. "Yes, there are some good things. You and I will definitely find them useful."

"Tsk, tsk, this is interesting. Let's eat first, and we'll talk about it after lunch."

Zhao Zhu drove to a famous chicken pot restaurant nearby called "Chuan Jin Lou." They got out of the car and went inside, booking a small private room.

The food hadn't arrived yet, but the door to the private room was pushed open. A middle-aged man in a chef's uniform walked in, looked around, and shook his head apologetically, clearly realizing he had entered the wrong room. He immediately turned and left.

Xiong Zhiqi was pouring water for Zhao Zhu and Zhu Jianping, but he didn't stop, spilling hot water all over the table. Zhao Zhu and Zhu Jianping didn't pay any attention, both lost in thought. After exchanging glances, Zhu Jianping said in a mournful voice, "Big Brother Zhao, why do I feel like the chances of encountering ghosts have increased so much since I met you?"

"Damn, I feel the same way," Zhao Zhu spat. "At this rate, I'll probably be scared to death by the real-world ghosts before I die in the mission world."

Indeed, the middle-aged man in the chef's uniform who had just entered… everything about him was normal except for one thing: he had no shadow. This detail did not escape the sharp attention of the three people in the room!