Volume 3, Chapter 19 – A Shill with Terrible Acting

Compared with yesterday, the number of players gathered in front of Nine Songs had only increased.

Most of the players who had come to Twinmoon City were gathered here now. Although the faction system had only just opened, it had already drawn everyone’s attention.

Compared with solo players, once players joined a faction, they had a clearer goal, and they no longer had to painstakingly search everywhere for quests.

After browsing the forums, Anran had also gotten a rough grasp of the situation regarding this trial instance.

After the battle in which the Morningstar Resistance attacked Twinmoon City ended, players had begun flocking to Twinmoon City one after another. At that point, Twinmoon City’s Security Department and Nine Songs spotted an opportunity.

They wanted to recruit this group of unusual “outlanders” to fight the Stars together, but they also set a threshold for that recruitment. That threshold was the instance located at 97 Qiuyang Road.

A virtual anti-terror drill!

Once players put on the specially made headband, they would enter a virtual space.

Inside that space, the players would play the role of a Security Department soldier, and their opponents would be the Morningstar Resistance forces that had suddenly barged into the village.

Only after successfully eliminating all the Resistance fighters would the instance be considered cleared.

The reward for clearing the instance was 3,000 EXP and a chance to join the Security Department. There was also a certain chance that Nine Songs would take a liking to you and let you join this mysterious agent organization.

That 3,000 EXP alone was enough to lure players in, not to mention that this was also the prerequisite quest for joining a faction.

So when Anran saw several hundred players crowding around the entrance to Nine Songs, she was not surprised in the slightest.

Unless they could find a hidden quest, joining a faction was the best route for players at this stage to get a better gameplay experience.

Players were still too weak. When they could not influence the direction of the plot, they could only join the plot instead.

…

123 Qiuyang Road.

Beside the Research Center, a handcart suddenly appeared.

A big girl and a little girl stood beside the handcart.

Under the older girl’s instructions, the younger girl placed two large bags onto the cart’s flat surface, then took out a large number of green and pale yellow pastries from the cart.

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This immediately drew the attention of some idle players who had nothing better to do.

“In a moment, I’ll hang this sign here. Aila only has to handle collecting the money.”

Anran took out a piece of cardboard, wrote the prices of the pastries on it, and hung it directly on the front of the handcart.

Keep everything simple.

The stall was set up very quickly.

Next came teaching Aila how to sell things.

Anran chattered away: “#@%&#￥@…”

“Mhm, mhm, mhm.” Aila kept nodding.

“If someone doesn’t pay, absolutely do not hit them directly. Just shout, ‘Someone bought something and isn’t paying!'” Anran instructed.

Although letting Aila beat people up was the most efficient method, at this stage there definitely was not a single player who could withstand a full combo from Aila.

But Anran still remembered Colin’s warning: she absolutely must not let Aila reveal how unusual she was.

It made sense too. This place was wedged between the Research Center and Nine Songs. If things went badly, Aila might get dragged off for research.

“Oh.” Aila indicated that she understood.

“And take this too.” Anran handed Aila the “golden legend” Gray had given her. “If anything happens, take this and go find me over there. Just tell that guard.”

Anran pointed at the guard at the Research Center.

“Mhm.”

Anran still wanted to say a little more, but at that moment Zhou Jieyu, who was playing the shill, had already walked over.

Anran immediately put on a friendly smile. “What would you like to buy?”

“Give me ten mung bean cakes!” Zhou Jieyu said with a grand sweep of her hand.

“…”

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Cold sweat sprang out on Anran’s forehead. Big sis, your acting as a shill is way too fake.

“Isn’t ten a bit much…” Anran muttered quietly.

“It’s fine, I’ve got money!” Zhou Jieyu shouted.

That movement drew even more players over.

“…”

She should have asked Leading the Charge to play the shill instead. He seemed like a much more reliable adult man.

While Anran was speaking, Aila skillfully packed up ten mung bean cakes and handed them to Zhou Jieyu.

Zhou Jieyu handed over 30 Bilu.

Aila grabbed it and stuffed it straight into her pocket.

Zhou Jieyu picked up a mung bean cake and stuffed it into her mouth. She had no manners at all when eating; after chewing a few times, she swallowed the mung bean cake.

“Wow! This pastry actually restores stamina!” Zhou Jieyu shouted in “surprise.”

This was way too awkward.

Anran could not help wanting to cover her face, but she still forced herself to endure it.

Even a bad movie had to have an ending.

But Anran was clearly overthinking it.

Would players really think something like a player acting as a shill for an NPC could happen?

Of course not.

They only thought that “Leading the Escape” was a silly but adorable player.

And that the pastry stall’s owners were a cute girl and an adorable little girl.

And that the pastries at the stall could restore stamina!

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So what were they waiting for?

– = ≡ヘ(*?ω?)ノ

Run!

“Don’t shove, damn it. Why the hell are you shoving?!”

“How much stamina does one mung bean cake restore?”

“Who cares? I’ve got money too. Give me ten first!”

“Boss lady, can I get your contact info?”

“Boss lady, are you hiring a boss?”

“Get lost. You? Boss lady, your daughter is so cute!”

A cross-shaped vein popped on Anran’s forehead.

“Not hiring a boss? Then are you hiring a son-in-law?”

“Not her mother, her sister!” Aila said with a straight face.

“So they aren’t mother and daughter? Bad review!”

“Sisters are pretty good too, you idiots.”

“Who are you calling idiots?”

For the sake of Aila’s gradually bulging pockets, Anran filtered all the players’ words straight out through her ears.

Just as the crowd was pushing and shoving, a player with the name “Monster Mountain Hermit” walked into Nine Songs. Her cutting in line did not attract anyone else’s attention.

…

Zhou Jieyu had been squeezed out of the crowd long ago. Her mung bean cakes had nearly fallen out of the bag.

Looking at the thick crowd, Zhou Jieyu was extremely satisfied with her acting.

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I, Miss Zhou, am a real acting talent too. I’m destined to make a name for myself in Night of the Stars!

Zhou Jieyu counted the nine mung bean cakes she still had in her hand. In a bit, she would return the pastries and get her money back along the way.

After squatting off to the side for more than ten minutes, Zhou Jieyu finally saw the crowd disperse.

She stood up and swept her gaze around.

“Hm?”

Anran was gone?

Behind the handcart stood only a little girl who was barely taller than the cart’s flat surface.

Aila was carefully stacking the coins into a string.

“…”

Was she really supposed to ask this little girl to give her money back?

Zhou Jieyu hesitated.

Looking at the way Aila was counting the money, she somehow felt that doing that would be a very cruel thing.

“…”

Just pretend that money didn’t exist. Just pretend she had really bought the mung bean cakes.

Zhou Jieyu turned around.

She picked up a mung bean cake and took a bite.

The mung bean cakes she made really were delicious.

(?_?)

Stay strong!