"That mission Qiu Zhongji mentioned?" Song Linjia asked.
"Yeah, I want to give it a try."
Li Ran and Song Linjia walked toward the north gate of the neighborhood.
Outside the north gate was a street once called Happiness Block. But after all sorts of complicated people moved in, the place became chaotic and poorly managed. Its decline made the name "Happiness" feel ironic, so people started calling it "Back Alley" instead.
"It's not very convenient for a girl like me to go there. Coincidentally, I have a mission at the east gate, so I won’t go with you," said Song Linjia.
Li Ran raised his brows in surprise and looked at her. "Are you confident?"
"I’m one hundred percent sure I can complete it," Song Linjia replied confidently.
"Alright, good luck."
"And good luck to you—go get that rich bar lady."
They quickly parted ways, one heading north, the other south.
Li Ran didn't doubt Song Linjia's abilities. It was already the third day in the Eerie World, and anyone still alive had to be sharp—there’s no way you could survive without some real skills.
And he didn’t assume everyone else was clueless either.
Because he had a cheat ability, most missions seemed solvable without much thinking. That, in turn, made him overlook others’ innate talents and capabilities.
Who knew what hidden powers they might have?
Now that he had separated from Song Linjia, Li Ran actually felt more at ease.
After all, when he had teammates nearby, he couldn’t recklessly use his cheat ability.
But walking alone was different—if he ran into any trouble, he could just rely on the cheat.
Grandma Mi’s request, the rich bar lady in the bar, the ID card from the beauty salon—they were all in Back Alley.
“I’ll just finish all these missions in one trip. Gaining power quickly is what really matters.”
“Tomorrow I also have to attend the kindergarten’s parent-child event. That probably won’t be simple either.”
The bullying in Li Ziyang’s drawings and the creepy ‘nutritional supplements’ from the teacher all came from that kindergarten.
Who knew how many terrifying beings were hidden in there?
And let’s not forget that brat who bullied his son and sent prank texts to his wife.
No matter what, he had to be exposed at tomorrow’s event!
“Damn, I just organized my thoughts for a bit, and now it feels like I’ve got a mountain of unfinished business.”
Li Ran rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
And that’s not even counting the mission to eliminate the serial killer Wang Qian.
Just thinking about it made his head throb even more.
He glanced at his status panel.
[Li Ran]
[Eerie Power: 210]
[Agility: 20]
[Strength: 20]
[Points: 110]
[Active Skills: (Shadowstep), (Shadow Assault)]
[Passive Skills: (Thunder Scar) (Focus Mind)]
“Wang Qian is an A-rank Mental Infection Entity with 500 Eerie Power. I’m nowhere near strong enough.”
This morning he’d felt pretty invincible. Compared to guys like Xiao Yi and Chen Jiabin, his power and points left them in the dust.
But compared to Killer Wang Qian, his current stats weren’t even worth mentioning.
Wang Qian could kill him with ease.
“I’d need a full set of quality gear and at least 700 Eerie Power to have a shot at killing Wang Qian,” Li Ran thought to himself.
He didn’t believe reaching 500 Eerie Power would be enough.
In fact, he suspected he’d need a full loadout of rare gear to even try.
But so far, after three days of completing missions—even with a cheat—he hadn’t seen a single rare item. That just showed how rare they truly were, never mind epic ones.
After quickly reviewing everything, Li Ran felt like his brain was turning to mush.
He passed through the north gate of the neighborhood and stepped onto a pedestrian street buzzing with commercial vibes.
Shops lined both sides of the street, selling handmade goods, snacks, flowers, and milk tea. Stalls were set up right in the middle of the walkway.
For a brief moment, Li Ran felt like he’d stepped into the commercial center of Yida.
But the stillness of the area reminded him this was no ordinary street.
He swept his gaze across the entire block.
Strangely enough, all the shops had their doors wide open.
As if they were doing business with invisible customers.
Compared to the clean neighborhood, this place was clearly more chaotic and messy.
There wasn’t a single person in sight, but it still gave off the feeling of a venue right after a big event.
A little farther ahead, he saw a bar named Ten Years Less Struggle.
Unlike the other shops, this bar had music playing inside.
“Is that name for real?” Li Ran smirked.
Seeing that name, he actually started to believe there really might be a rich bar lady inside.
He stepped into the bar.
The music wasn’t the brain-shattering party kind that’d make you feel deranged.
Instead, it was the kind you’d hear in old Hong Kong movies whenever a sexy woman walked onto the scene.
It was seductive.
Inside, it wasn’t the crowded scene Li Ran had expected.
Instead, he saw two familiar faces lounging in a booth.
Well, so much for doing the mission solo.
“Li Ran.”
Xiao Yi spotted him and stood up with a beaming smile to greet him.
As Li Ran walked closer, he saw that in addition to Xiao Yi and Chen Jiabin, there was a third guy he didn’t recognize.
The new guy looked a bit shy, with thick glasses—he gave off serious tech-nerd vibes.
He also noticed Chen Jiabin’s arm had been reattached, and he wore a neck brace—clearly post-surgery.
That surprised Li Ran a little.
It meant Chen Jiabin had found a doctor to perform the surgery and completed the mission required by the doctor.
Li Ran scanned Chen Jiabin—Eerie Power: 20, Points: 200, with one ongoing mission.
Xiao Yi had 50 Eerie Power, 500 Points, and three active missions.
That confirmed Li Ran’s earlier guess: anyone still alive likely had their own unique strengths or methods.
"Go ahead and introduce yourselves," Xiao Yi said.
"Li Ran."
"Lu Zhaohui."
There was a cocktail waitress behind the bar who wouldn’t say a word unless you ordered something. Once you ordered, she’d tell you the cost in points.
Li Ran spent 10 points on drinks. Living supplies weren’t expensive—even alcohol was affordable.
10 points’ worth of drinks was enough for a whole night.
But in the Eerie World, no one dared to get drunk.
They just sipped lightly to stay alert.
During their chat, Li Ran learned that Lu Zhaohui lived on the 11th floor of Building 3. He hadn’t left his apartment for three days out of fear he might fall asleep before midnight. His survival was pretty much thanks to his laziness.
He didn’t do his guide mission and just stayed in.
His guide mission? To court a girl.
But since he was lazy, he couldn’t be bothered.
It was only this morning—starving—that he finally went out looking for food. But with zero points, he couldn’t afford anything. If he hadn’t run into Xiao Yi, he would’ve started chewing on tree bark.
He also had social anxiety and avoided talking to people.
That was probably a big reason he was still alive.
“In a bit, the rich bar lady will arrive. When she does, open your minds and turn on the charm—got it?” Xiao Yi said, ignoring Li Ran and addressing Lu Zhaohui and Chen Jiabin instead.
“I’ve observed her for two days. The rich bar lady mission is the only one that’s non-lethal, and you can retry it as many times as you want—until you succeed,” he added.
Li Ran stayed silent, letting him put on his act.
He could tell Xiao Yi was deliberately excluding him, playing the role of the experienced mentor guiding newbies.
"Xiao Yi, you're amazing! How did you figure that out?" Lu Zhaohui asked with admiration.
Xiao Yi adjusted his glasses with a modest smile, clearly enjoying the praise before quickly masking it. He said, "Over the past two days, I tried everything I could think of—every method possible, but still failed to win her favor."
“It’s that hard? Then I’ve got no shot,” Lu Zhaohui said, instantly losing confidence.
"The rich bar lady is actually the bar owner. Otherwise, why name it that?" Chen Jiabin added.
"So if she picks you, you really get ten years less struggle?" Lu Zhaohui asked.
Xiao Yi nodded. "In theory, yes. Though no one knows exactly how."
Li Ran basically understood now.
The rich bar lady was the bar owner. If she picked someone, that person supposedly got ten years less struggle.
In reality, it probably meant a huge reward.
She had money, and if she gave it to players, it would likely convert into some form of resource or reward.
But such rewards wouldn’t come easy. There might be a cost.
As they spoke, the background music changed.
"She's here."
Xiao Yi and Chen Jiabin both turned to look in a specific direction of the bar.
Li Ran followed their gaze.
From the second floor, a stunningly elegant figure descended.
She wore a lavish cheongsam that highlighted every curve of her figure. Every movement exuded grace and allure. Her eyes shimmered, her smile seductive—it was as if just looking at her pulled at the strings of your heart.
With one extra glance, it felt like you'd fall into those eyes and never get out.
(End of Chapter)