Chapter 106: The Deal

A dull thudding sound echoed as the front door was hammered upon.

"Dad" glared toward the entrance, spotting several burly, menacing men blocking the way, looking as if they were ready to smash their way in at any moment.

"Old Ji! Stop playing games! We all know you’ve got a 'medicine human' in your house!"

"We’re still being reasonable right now. If we wait until nightfall... who knows what might happen!"

Hardly had the words left their mouths when a thunderous crash erupted against the door.

Ji Linmo moved in a flash, taking two strides to reach the bathroom door and knocking. It remained shut, the silence within unsettlingly heavy. After a moment’s thought, he knocked again, this time tapping out a sequence in Morse code.

*—Are you okay?*

The door creaked open a sliver. Ji Linmo saw Liu Xiao, drenched and wearing nothing but a trench coat. She wasn't wearing her glasses; she held a cigarette between her fingers, winked at him, and flashed a playful canine tooth.

"What a coincidence, big brother. Are you here for a bath, too?"

Ji Linmo didn't respond, peering past her into the bathroom. "Mom" was slumped in the bathtub, face-down, her skin stripped away, looking like a bloated, discarded corpse.

"Got a light?"

Liu Xiao struck a damp match against the wall, but it wouldn't ignite. She looked up at Ji Linmo.

"No."

She instantly wore a look of disappointment, then stared at the cigarette, pondered for a moment, and popped it into her mouth.

*Gulp.*

With a visible ripple of her Adam's apple, Liu Xiao swallowed the entire cigarette whole. Ji Linmo was speechless. The woman before him was a completely different person from the one he knew. Plus, wasn't she supposed to be pregnant?

Noticing Ji Linmo staring at her with an expressionless face, Liu Xiao picked up her glasses from the floor and scratched her head, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Big brother, please don't tell my sister. She doesn't let me smoke."

With that, she slid her gold-rimmed glasses back on. Her expression shifted instantly; she began to cough violently, spitting out the cigarette she had just swallowed.

Clutching the cigarette, Liu Xiao looked at Ji Linmo. "Did she smoke?"

*She?* Was Liu Xiao suffering from a split personality?

***

Ji Linmo ducked into the bathroom and grabbed "Mom’s" corpse. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot, fixed in a look of terror; she had clearly been drowned alive in the tub.

"The phone..."

Ji Linmo frantically searched the pockets of the body.

*[Little Sister]*
*[The night of bloody slaughter is coming. If you wish to survive, please follow these rules:]*
*[2. Ensure your phone does not receive a "Goodnight" text from anyone.]*

According to the text from the younger sister, he had to ensure no one sent him a "Goodnight" message tonight, or he would fall into an instant, death-like slumber, just as he had the previous night. The only contact on his phone was "Little Sister." He had to retrieve her phone.

He fumbled through the mother’s pockets and found a device, immediately checking it.

"Please enter password."

It was locked. He couldn't be sure if it was the sister’s, so he pulled out his own phone to try a call.

"The party you are trying to reach is currently outside the service area..."

The line was dead. Ji Linmo’s brow furrowed. There was no time to waste; he heard footsteps outside the bathroom door.

"Little son, hurry! Tell your mother to speed it up and get the medicine human to the warehouse!"

"Okay~"

The boy’s clear, melodic voice rang out from the hallway. Ji Linmo saw the doorknob begin to turn. He lunged forward, grabbing the boy and yanking him into the bathroom.

"Mr. Ji, that’s quite rough. You’ll give me a fright~"

Qin Feng glanced at the man, then at Liu Xiao, who was draped in her thin coat. He narrowed his eyes and looked back toward the door. "Dad! Mommy has been—"

Ji Linmo quickly covered the boy’s mouth and shook his head, signaling him to stay silent.

"Qin Feng... let’s make a deal."

"Pretend you saw nothing and let me get this woman out of here. Can you do that?"

Ji Linmo looked at him earnestly, his voice low. He expected the boy to refuse, and as predicted, the boy smiled, his eyes glinting as if he had thought of something amusing.

"Mr. Ji, weren't we supposed to stay out of each other's way?"

"A deal like this goes beyond our usual cooperative relationship."

*I knew it.*

***

Ji Linmo lowered his gaze. If this were any other player, he could simply knock them out. But Qin Feng wasn't someone who could be handled so easily.

"Qin Feng, this deal... you won't lose out on it."

That piqued the boy's interest. He smiled at Ji Linmo. "Oh? I like deals where I don't lose. What do you intend to trade, Mr. Ji?"

"Whatever you want. I will do my best."

Qin Feng laughed aloud at that. He examined Ji Linmo closely, patted the man’s face, and spoke slowly.

"Do your best? Mr. Ji, do you actually have anything of value to offer?"

Ji Linmo was stumped. His inventory was indeed lacking in high-value items. However, he himself was arguably a valuable asset.

"How about me? As a 'Miracle Seeker,' I owe you a favor. I promise to pay it back whenever you need it."

This promise held immense weight. Ji Linmo was a top-tier player; this meant that, for all intents and purposes, he could be commanded at will within the game. But clearly, the boy wasn't satisfied.

"Hmm, Mr. Ji, your favor doesn't seem like a good bargain for me. I refuse~"

Seeing the subtle flicker of anxiety on the man's stoic face, Qin Feng reached out and pinched his cheek.

"How about this, Mr. Ji. Let's change the terms."

"I promise to provide you with help twice in this dungeon."

"But it’s not free. Once you ask for a third favor, you must pay the full price: you must sell yourself to me entirely."

After a brief silence, Ji Linmo nodded.

"Then the deal begins, Mr. Ji."

Qin Feng smiled happily, holding up one finger to indicate that one favor had already been used. As the boy stepped aside, Ji Linmo threw open the bathroom door.

"Liu Xiao, push me down, run to the first room on the second floor, pull the curtains, and use the rope to descend, just like I did last night."

Without a second thought, Ji Linmo barked the instructions, then stepped forward, feigning shock, and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"It's over! The medicine human is escaping!"

Liu Xiao whispered a word of thanks and shoved Ji Linmo. It wasn't a strong push, but Ji Linmo tipped backward, sliding more than a meter across the floor with practiced grace.