Chapter 41: Points

What was that just now?

Everyone was stunned, including Cao Mengmeng, who had been immersed in the excitement of shopping just moments ago; she instantly sobered up.

The transparent panel that had flashed by, along with the shifting numbers on it, was without a doubt the "points" the little old man had spoken of.

According to the panel, Cao Mengmeng had started with 8,600 points.

Where did these points come from? Did everyone have the same amount? How could they view their points again?

Everything was a mystery. Even Cao Mengmeng tried to summon the panel again in secret, but she couldn't make it appear.

Qin Changsheng sighed and looked at the shopkeeper. Like the little old man, it was clear the shopkeeper had no intention of telling them anything.

Forget it.

Qin Changsheng gave up. In any case, as long as they made a purchase in town, the transparent panel showing the points would appear. Since that was the case, he would rather not waste these points on games.

"Let's go."

He helped Cao Mengmeng carry the two large bags of game cartridges she had just bought, and led the group out of the video game store.

The entertainment facilities on this street didn't seem to be limited to just video game stores. Next to various electronic shops were chess and card parlors, karaoke halls, and bars.

At the end of the street, there were several shops with red lights lit outside. Many scantily clad women stood at the doorways, actively soliciting the male passersby.

Seeing such places, Qin Changsheng’s conscience began to warn him to stay away; he had no desire to wander into one of those places by mistake.

They had only walked a few steps down the street when Cao Mengmeng suddenly exclaimed, "Oh no!"

"What's wrong?" Cao Mengmeng’s reaction startled Qin Changsheng, who feared she had run into some trouble.

Cao Mengmeng looked devastated. "I forgot to buy a game console!"

"What’s the point of having the games if I don't have a console to play them on?"

"You're only realizing this now?" Qin Changsheng couldn't help but cover his face. "Maybe this will make you feel better—it’s not just that you don't have a console; you also don't have a display screen, no power outlets, and no big sofa to lie on while you play!"

Cao Mengmeng’s head drooped instantly. "Can we buy those things here?"

"You still want to waste money? We shouldn't even have bought these two bags of games; who knows what other things we'll need to spend points on?" Qin Changsheng clutched his hair in frustration. One of the benefits of having Shanhai Beast hair was that no matter how hard he pulled, it wouldn't fall out.

He truly hadn't expected that Cao Mengmeng would have such a strong chemical reaction to video games.

The girl was completely unable to walk away once she saw them!

Seeing Cao Mengmeng blushing and scratching her head in embarrassment, Qin Changsheng didn't have the heart to say anything more.

He had only ever known the Cao Mengmeng from the life-or-death games.

Perhaps this unreliable side of her was the real Cao Mengmeng in everyday life.

To avoid wasting any more points and to see the points panel again, Qin Changsheng decided they should go to one place first: the accommodation area.

Before the Monarch disappeared, he had told them that this place existed so they could get some proper rest.

That being the case, finding a place to stay for the night was of the utmost importance.

Especially with someone like Cao Mengmeng, who was prone to impulsive spending, Qin Changsheng didn't want to reach the end of the day and find they had no money left to book a room, leaving them to sleep on the streets.

Before taking their next step, they needed to find a base of operations.

Following the road signs, the four of them walked from the entertainment district to the residential area.

Compared to the bustling scenes of the two districts they had visited earlier, there were only a few people on the streets of the residential area.

Perhaps the other survivors were still having fun in the dining and entertainment districts?

Qin Changsheng walked into the first building on the residential street with some hesitation, as it was the only one with lights on and the door left open.

The door to the building was automatic. As soon as Qin Changsheng stepped inside, the two glass doors slid open slowly, followed immediately by an incredibly loud roar from within: "What did you say? It’s that expensive!?"

The volume made Qin Changsheng recoil, and only then did he open his eyes to see the situation inside.

The room looked like a service lobby. The floor was covered in smooth tiles, and several rows of seats were placed along the sides near the door, presumably for people waiting for service to rest their feet.

However, there weren't enough people to warrant a queue. There was only one desk in the center of the room, and only one person standing in front of it.

It was a burly, aggressive-looking man, tall and stout, blocking the view of whoever was behind the desk.

He slammed his hand on the desk and roared, his voice shaking dust from the ceiling. "Say that again, you bastard! How much is this tiny, pathetic room worth?"

Though the person behind the desk was obscured, Qin Changsheng could still hear their polite voice: "I apologize, honorable Chosen One, but this is already the cheapest room we have."

"Just for one night, it costs 6,000 points? Are you freaking robbing me?" The burly man slammed the desk again, and Qin Changsheng was worried he would shatter it with one blow. "I’m a fucking Chosen One! Isn't there any discount?"

"The points for booking a room were not set by me; I am truly powerless to help," the voice behind the desk remained calm and unhurried. "If it's truly not an option, the internet café in the entertainment district also provides lodging. You could go there; the cost for a package deal is much cheaper."

"Dammit, I come to this ghost place and I still have to stay in an internet café!" The burly man complained angrily, but he had no choice and turned to leave.

As he turned, his eyes met Qin Changsheng’s, who was just entering. His face, full of thick muscle, showed no friendliness. "Go ahead, go ahead! This place is a total rip-off. Even the crappiest room costs six thousand points. Do they think I own a bank?"

6,000 points?

Qin Changsheng finally understood. The argument was because the man thought the rooms were too expensive.

6,000 points for the cheapest room... this...

Qin Changsheng remembered that Cao Mengmeng’s panel had started with 8,600 points. If a night’s stay cost 6,000, wouldn't that mean they would spend almost all of it in one go?

While feeling that it was expensive, Qin Changsheng was also immensely grateful that he had come here first. Otherwise, their room money for the night would likely have been squandered by Cao Mengmeng already.

Seeing that Qin Changsheng had no intention of leaving, the burly man couldn't help but click his tongue. "Don't say I didn't warn you. You're just wasting your time here. If you get ripped off, it’s your own fault!"

As the man spoke, he walked to the side, finally revealing the desk he had been blocking.

Sitting behind the desk was a young man wearing small glasses and slicked-back hair. His face was long, and he exuded a scholarly air.

The bespectacled man wore a grey suit vest over a crisp white shirt. He had a thin cigarette dangling from his lips, but Qin Changsheng didn't smell the unpleasant odor of tobacco; instead, a strange, faint fragrance drifted toward him.

As he approached the desk, the man with glasses immediately looked up. He took the cigarette from his lips with one hand and offered a standard, professional smile. "Hello, honorable Chosen One. How may I assist you today?"

"I want to rent a room," Qin Changsheng said, leaning in slightly. "How many points does your most expensive room cost?"

"You've come to the right person for that." The bespectacled man politely opened a brochure on the desk, turned it toward Qin Changsheng, and pointed to the diagrams while introducing it. "This is our most expensive accommodation—The Mansion of Hope. It is an entire detached, two-story structure with a duplex design on the ground floor. It includes a grand hall, master bedroom, guest rooms, a recreation area, and a bathroom—all fully equipped."

"If this is your first time purchasing, there is a limited-time discount for paying in full at once. The original price is 200,000 points, but now it is only 160,000 points."

Upon hearing that price, the burly man from before looked at Qin Changsheng with a gloating expression.

"Hmm, hmm." Qin Changsheng ignored him, resting his chin on his hand as if he found it very interesting. "That sounds quite nice, but I don't know if I have enough points. May I ask how I can check my points balance?"

Faced with Qin Changsheng's question, the bespectacled man simply smiled helplessly and said nothing.

Damn it, this leading question didn't seem to work either.

Qin Changsheng curled his lip in frustration. The people in this town seemed respectful, but they really weren't willing to help with even the smallest things; they were all riddle-mongers.

Just as he was about to settle for buying the cheapest room, a somewhat familiar male voice came from the side: "If you want to view your points, you just need to say it out loud."

"What?" Qin Changsheng hadn't expected to get an answer, so he quickly looked in the direction of the voice.

He saw that, at some point, a man had appeared in the room, wearing a long gown in shades of green and pink.

That face was enough to leave a deep impression at a single glance, because he was truly handsome!

The man had delicate features and a handsome face. Compared to the trendy celebrities on TV, he lacked their worldly air, possessing a clean, refined beauty that felt like a bowl of warm, clear tea.

Even as a man, Qin Changsheng had to admit that the other person was indeed better-looking than himself, to say nothing of Cao Mengmeng and Wu Yutong, the two girls nearby, who were staring directly at his face without blinking.

After a second of stunned silence, Qin Changsheng gathered his wits and asked the man who had suddenly appeared, "Uh... what did you just say?"

"I said, if you want to check your points, you just need to say it out loud."

The man repeated himself, then, as if to demonstrate, he simply said, "View points account."

As the man spoke, a transparent panel appeared before him, displaying his points.

Qin Changsheng snuck a look and saw that the points displayed were 50,000—nearly six times more than Cao Mengmeng’s.

"Cancel," the man said, and the points panel vanished.

The man’s voice sounded very familiar. Qin Changsheng couldn't help but ask, "Hey, have we met somewhere before?"

"I've seen you," the man nodded, "but you haven't seen me."

"Alright then." With another cryptic, circular answer, Qin Changsheng could only offer a wry smile. "Anyway, thank you."

Seeing that the man had nothing more to say, Qin Changsheng casually called out, "View points account."

Sure enough, just as the man had said, a transparent panel appeared before him, displaying Qin Changsheng’s points.

However, after only one glance, Qin Changsheng was suddenly frozen in place.

Because the points displayed on the panel were only 100.