Chapter 76: The First Rose Bar Meeting

After Old Master Liu finished speaking, the group on the walkie-talkie channel fell silent.

Finally, Chen Nian was the first to break it.

"Is it April Fool's Day?"

Deep exhaustion bled through his voice.

For a Cleaner who had spent the entire day working like a dog, hearing this news was like a boss patting him on the shoulder and saying, "You've worked hard today."

And just as you racked your brains for a flattering response...

...the boss followed up with, "You can happily clock out as soon as you defuse this bomb."

If the next sentence wasn't, "Just kidding, have a good evening," Chen Nian was genuinely going to break down.

"What's April Fool's Day?"

Old Master Liu asked, momentarily confused.

...

"Is there still time for us to run?"

The exhaustion in Chen Nian's voice deepened.

After learning that the Tower was already on partial lockdown to search for the bomb...

He sighed.

"Shouldn't they organize an evacuation if there's a bomb?"

"That's right..."

Old Master Liu finally reacted, punching his fist into his open palm.

"Why wouldn't they evacuate? There's something fishy going on!"

Silence fell over the walkie-talkie.

Chen Nian waited for the guy who usually had the final say, but after a long pause, Yan Jing never answered.

Finally, he spoke up again.

"Yi Ji probably didn't bring his walkie-talkie. Let's finish our shifts and meet at his shop."

"See you at twelve."

...

...

Tucking his walkie-talkie back into his sleeve, Yan Jing massaged his temples.

Ever since hearing the Slicked-Back Hair Man mention in Rotten Vegetable Village that this banquet was tied to the chaos in Old Sin City, he had known this trip to the Tower wouldn't be simple.

But he hadn't expected it to be this complicated.

Bombing the Tower...

The last time he'd heard a phrase like that was in a TV drama from his past life.

Now, he was standing right inside the target.

He glanced at the clock. The hands pointed to 11:00 PM.

Although he could squeeze in two more customers, he clearly had no time to worry about his quota now. He immediately headed for the door.

Near the entrance, he turned his head slightly, catching a glimpse of something behind him out of the corner of his eye, and promptly quickened his pace.

At the same time, Mu Rao smiled, apologized to the female customer asking for his continued service, and strode out the door.

The Squint-Eyed Man, who had been dozing in a corner, moved at the exact same time, along with a few other inconspicuous figures.

Next were Mu Wan, Mo Nagu, the Fat Man, and the Slender Girl...

It was as if Yan Jing were the eye of the storm. The moment he moved, all the other players followed suit.

Yet when they stepped outside, none of them could find a single trace of him.

Walking at the forefront, Mu Rao watched the inner world residents coming and going around him, finding it somewhat unbelievable.

Just moments before, he had been less than ten meters behind Yan Jing.

But after turning a corner, the guy had vanished, evaporating into thin air.

"Tch..."

The smile he'd been maintaining faded slightly.

If he couldn't force Yan Jing out of the game before the night was over, his waiter task rating likely wouldn't reach S-grade.

Coupled with a mediocre task rating for the Gluttonous Ghost Banquet, Stage A of his current Dungeon run would be a massive failure.

Ultimately, however, he looked at the crowd rushing up behind him and abandoned the thought of searching for Yan Jing.

"The Dungeon is still long. Let's hope you can run this fast next time," he muttered.

His signature smile returned as he faced the arriving players.

"Why did everyone come out? Are you all trying to speed up the Dungeon's progress?"

As soon as he finished speaking...

Instantly, the surrounding atmosphere grew extremely tense, ready for an imminent clash. Vigilance filled everyone's eyes.

...

...

At this moment, the atmosphere in the hall was already incredibly tense.

But obviously, it still couldn't compare to the atmosphere in a certain bar.

Twenty minutes later, inside the Rose Bar.

Most of the chairs had already been stacked upside down on the tables. Four figures sat gathered around a single table in the very center.

Only a single white light behind the counter remained on. Its faint illumination wasn't enough to light their faces, but it stretched their shadows long, making the empty bar feel even more desolate.

The stark contrast of black and white made the scene look like a vintage film.

"Tap. Tap. Tap."

The figure sitting on the inner side of the table had his back to the light. His entire face was hidden in shadow as he propped his head up with his left hand and tapped the table with his right.

"There's no way to evacuate the guests."

The person on the left spoke from the shadows, his voice deep, hoarse, and aged.

"The guy who sent the Advance Notice said there's more than one bomb. If the Tower arranges a large-scale evacuation, he'll detonate them early."

"Moreover... several factions have been preparing for this banquet for a long time. They won't cancel it over an Advance Notice of unknown origin."

"Besides, those VIPs all have experts protecting them. A few mere bombs won't do much."

When he finished, the figure on the right spoke. His voice was deep, magnetic, and perfectly calm.

"That's exactly the problem."

"If the bombs can't kill these VIPs, what's the point of planting them?"

The figure on the left replied.

"It could be to cause a commotion, to take revenge on society, or it could just be a lunatic."

"We have too little information right now."

The figure on the right fell silent.

It was true. They only knew there were bombs in the Tower. Trying to catch the culprit based solely on that was virtually impossible.

"What do you think?"

He looked at the figure in the center.

The figure on the left and the figure across the table immediately followed his gaze.

The tapping stopped.

"How do I see this..."

Sitting with his back to the light, Yan Jing looked at their solemn faces and sighed.

"You guys only turned on one light. How do you expect me to see anything?"

"I just have one question. When did we start trying to catch the bomber?"

Old Liu on the left and Chen Nian on the right both froze.

Chen Nian, in particular, looked stunned.

Right. Why was he trying to catch the bomber?

They were just tourists here.

Ensuring they didn't get blown up should be the priority.

He was the one who hated trouble the most...

Realizing this, he glanced at Old Master Liu across from him and rubbed his forehead in shame.

He had let this old man lead him completely off track...

Yan Jing turned his attention to Old Liu.

"Bringing this news back is a massive contribution, sir, but this isn't our turf. Some things just aren't our problem."

Old Master Liu nodded thoughtfully. That did make sense.

Next, Yan Jing looked at Mantou and said sternly, "And you, Mantou. You're so young, you shouldn't learn from these two and frown all the time, or you'll get wrinkles. Also, fix your posture. It's bad for your bones."

"Oh, oh... I know... S-sorry... Yi... Ji."

Mantou obediently relaxed her brows and sat up straight.

She had only wanted to match the atmosphere.

Yan Jing let out another long sigh.

"Of course, you can still gather related information, like how many bombs there are and how powerful they might be. But our ultimate goal is just to minimize our own risk."

"Finally, once news of the lockdown gets out, the bombs won't stay a secret. Commotion in the Tower will be inevitable."

"Add the banquet on top of that, and the real storm is about to hit."

"We came out here for a happy tour, so we need to go back just as happily."

"Aside from gathering information, don't run around blindly. Restrict your movements, avoid crowded places, and stay away from anyone with high status."

The rest of them nodded.

Yan Jing's instructions summed up the rules for evading the bombs with crystal clarity.