Chapter 54 Conditions

Liang Dan looked into Yao Meng's smiling eyes and sensed no malice in them.

So Liang Dan said, "Actually, no one kidnapped me. I just wanted to use this method to call out the players."

"Oh," Yao Meng understood. "You were testing us to see who is a good person like you."

Liang Dan asked, "Then what about you? Why did you come over?"

Yao Meng replied, "I came to save you."

Liang Dan looked completely unconvinced: "You ambushed me twice. If I hadn't reacted quickly, I would have been pierced by your hidden weapons long ago."

Yao Meng's tone was calm: "Isn't this better? Didn't you stage this act just to find someone who is willing to help you and capable of doing so?"

Han Yuan, standing nearby, realized: "No one kidnapped you?"

"Right," Liang Dan said. "I'm really sorry."

Han Yuan said, "Well, you must have had a compelling reason to do this. Let me help you too."

Liang Dan quickly shook her head: "It's too dangerous here. You should hurry back and find a safe place to hide."

Han Yuan said, "So many people have died in the wards. There are no safe places left now."

Liang Dan was momentarily speechless.

Yao Meng crossed her arms, and Liang Dan could see her bulging muscles.

Liang Dan asked, "Where is your cloak?"

Yao Meng said, "It got dirty after I strangled a few people with it just now."

Liang Dan took a deep breath: "Are you sure you're here to help me?"

"Of course."

Yao Meng walked forward, and Liang Dan quickly took a step forward to block Han Yuan.

Liang Dan asked, "Why?"

Yao Meng looked into Liang Dan's eyes, appearing full of curiosity about her: "Because I tried it just now, and every player you mentioned is real."

Liang Dan didn't believe it: "You clearly didn't trust me, how could you risk your life to verify the players I mentioned?"

Yao Meng's tone was soft: "It's not like I had to try it myself. As long as you catch a player, you can achieve that."

"Liang Dan," Yao Meng said, "you have the ability to know who the players are. You could just complete the task and leave on your own. Why take the risk to help others?"

Liang Dan frowned: "Because this task is too difficult for others. It's hard for them to identify every player."

"So, what does that have to do with you?"

Liang Dan said, "I don't want all the players who entered this instance to die. I want everyone to make it out alive. Is that hard to understand?"

Yao Meng smiled: "Although it's not easy to understand, that doesn't matter. What matters is that I am willing to help you."

Liang Dan said, "Your conditions."

Yao Meng said, "I want to be the second person to complete the task."

Liang Dan didn't hesitate: "No problem."

Yao Meng raised an eyebrow: "You agreed?"

"Yes," Liang Dan said. "After I figure out who the player is, I'll tell you first before broadcasting it."

Yao Meng nodded: "Tell me, what do you need me to do?"

"Ah!"

A scream echoed from the hallway, tightening Liang Dan's heart:

That sounded like Zhang Xiaoli's voice.

Liang Dan looked back at Han Yuan, who looked confused: "You stay here. Yao Meng, come with me to save someone."

With that, Liang Dan grabbed Yao Meng's sturdy arm and bolted out the door.

At the entrance of the restroom, a bald middle-aged man was grabbing Zhang Xiaoli.

Zhang Xiaoli struggled desperately: "Help!"

The bald man laughed: "No one is coming to save you!"

Liang Dan shouted loudly, "You bald old bastard, let her go right now!"

"Supreme Good Samaritan Liang Dan, insulting others, you are dead!"

*

Liang Dan shouted loudly, "Let her go!"

"Oh?"

The bald man snapped back to his senses, pressing a kitchen knife against Zhang Xiaoli's neck. In disbelief, he said, "Someone actually came to save you."

The bald man continued, "Even though there are three of you and only one of me, if it comes down to a hard fight, you might not be my match."

"In anything, first come, first served. I caught this player first, so naturally, I should be the one to identify her."

Liang Dan looked back; sure enough, Han Yuan was following closely behind her.

Yao Meng smiled: "Judging by your level of baldness, you must be the vice president here, right?"

The bald man was unconcerned: "Indeed it's me. You can directly identify me in the system. As for this woman, after I kill her, if she really is a player, I'll tell you her serial number."

Yao Meng looked back at Liang Dan: "Sounds like a good idea."

"No," Liang Dan said. "I'm telling you, she is an NPC. You don't need to kill her for verification."

The bald man sneered: "You say she's an NPC, so she's an NPC?"

Liang Dan grew a bit anxious: "I have already verified it; she is definitely an NPC."

"Lying," the bald man said. "If your verification failed, how are you still alive?"

Liang Dan lowered her voice: "I'll say this one last time: she is an NPC. Let her go immediately."

The bald man laughed: "We could have discussed this reasonably, but since you are so unappreciative, there's no need for me to waste any more breath on you."

With that, the bald man brought the kitchen knife closer to Zhang Xiaoli's neck.

Zhang Xiaoli's eyes widened, her body trembling slightly. Fear was written all over her face, yet she didn't make a sound.

Liang Dan grew anxious. Earlier, to make her feigned injury look more convincing, she had hidden her whip in the vice president's office across the hallway.

With no weapon on hand, she was suddenly in a very passive position.

"Whoosh!"

A hidden weapon launched forward, piercing the bald man's arm.

"Ah!"

The bald man shrieked, dropping the kitchen knife to the ground.

Zhang Xiaoli delivered a sharp elbow strike straight into the bald man's stomach. As he curled up in pain, Zhang Xiaoli sprinted back.

The bald man straightened up, extending his uninjured left hand to grab Zhang Xiaoli, but another hidden weapon was fired, striking dead center on his wrist.

The bald man yelled, "Ah... you... I'm going to kill you!"

Zhang Xiaoli ran back, and Liang Dan grabbed her, shielding her behind her back.

A fireball materialized out of thin air, hurtling toward the four of them. They scattered in a panic as the fireball smashed into the door of the president's office.

Instantly, the wooden door went up in a blazing inferno.

More hidden weapons rained down on the bald man, while more fireballs targeted the four women.

The bald man dodged every hidden weapon, and they all struck the wall behind him, clattering to the floor.

The four women dodged every fireball, and they all exploded behind them, quickly trapping them in a sea of fire.

The bald man laughed heartily: "You brought this upon yourselves! Enjoy the sea of fire!"

With that, the bald man turned and ran. A hidden weapon pierced his leg, but he dragged his wounded limb away into the distance.

Yao Meng sighed: "I told you, being a kind person brings bad luck."

Thick smoke billowed. Liang Dan watched the raging fire, her eyes stinging until she couldn't keep them open anymore. The three of them coughed violently from the smoke.

"Stop... cough cough... making sarcastic remarks! Think of a way for us to get out of here!"

Yao Meng said, "I am wearing an avatar skin. When I die, I'll revert to the system-assigned character. I can carry all three of you out."