Chapter 30: Targeted

Dean Zhou instinctively scanned her surroundings, only to spot a man not far away. His back was turned to her, but he suddenly slumped over, revealing another person's face. The man wore a short-sleeved floral shirt, and a fierce beast was tattooed on his arm. In his hand, he gripped a gleaming fruit knife.

Noticing he was being watched, he suddenly looked up, gave Dean Zhou a cold, chilling smile, and made a throat-slitting gesture. Terrified, Dean Zhou snapped her gaze away and hurried to catch up with the woman leading them, fearing that if she lagged even a step behind, she and Duoduo would become souls lost to the stranger’s blade.

The woman led the four of them to a large villa. "The first and second floors have eight-bed rooms, the third and fourth have six-bed rooms, the fifth has four-bed rooms, and the large dormitories are in the first and second basement levels. You three will stay on the second floor; your range of activity is restricted to the second floor and below. As for you..." The woman looked at April and smiled coldly. "Your activity is restricted to your room and the first floor."

"Aren't there double rooms and single rooms as well?" Dean Zhou asked, voicing her doubt.

The woman turned to look at her, showing a rare moment of patience. "Let me put it this way: this place is just like your real world, divided into wealthy districts and slums. To protect the privacy of our players, the Base has set aside a special, separate area for them. It is fully equipped with perfect facilities; beyond food, lodging, entertainment, and shopping, they also enjoy a top-tier medical system. If you work hard to clear the levels, perhaps one day you can live there too, and enjoy everything you could never experience in the real world!"

With that, the woman opened the door and walked inside. She climbed the stairs to the second floor and stopped in front of a room. "This is the women's dormitory; you two will stay here!" She glanced at Dean Zhou and the sleeping Duoduo, then looked at the Chef and April. "You two, come with me."

As soon as the woman left, Dean Zhou carried Duoduo into the room. There were four bunk beds in total; the top bunks were all occupied, leaving only two bottom bunks. The beds were simple frames with no bedding. Dean Zhou looked around and found brand-new quilts and pillows in a cabinet. She set Duoduo down and began to spread the bedding. Once the bed was ready, she placed Duoduo on it, carefully tucked her in, and then proceeded to make her own bed. Exhausted, Dean Zhou felt her eyes closing the moment she collapsed onto her bed, and she drifted off to sleep.

"Mommy, Daddy, don't go!" In her dreams, Duoduo relived the moment of their separation. Her small brows furrowed, and tears streamed down her cheeks. She woke up crying, only to realize she was not at home, but in a strange, unfamiliar place. A wave of fear and unease washed over her.

"Sister, where are we?"

"According to that woman last night, this is the Player Base." Chouchou was also here for the first time and was quite curious about everything.

Hearing this, Duoduo suddenly remembered that her father had mentioned this place to her yesterday. "Sister, have you seen Mommy, Daddy, or my brother? Where are they?"

"I'm not omnipotent, how would I know where they are?" Chouchou lost patience immediately.

Duoduo pouted, feeling slightly aggrieved. In her heart, her sister was just as capable as her father—she could do anything!

"How about this? If you take me out for a walk, I'll help you find Mom and Dad, okay?"

"Okay!" Duoduo agreed without hesitation.

Outside the window, it was not yet dawn. Duoduo threw off the quilt, jumped down from the bed, and tiptoed to the door. Just as she reached for the handle, the door gave a soft creak and slowly swung open. Duoduo’s round eyes lit up, and holding Chouchou, she stepped out. She followed the corridor to the stairs and began to stumble her way down. For an adult, the second floor was not high, but for Duoduo’s short legs, it felt like an endless journey.

Seeing only three steps left, Duoduo caught her breath. She took a step, lost her footing, and landed hard on her bottom, sliding down the rest of the way like a playground slide.

"Waaaah, Sister, my bottom hurts so much!"

"It's just a fall, don't be such a baby!"

Scolded by Chouchou, Duoduo swallowed her tears. She awkwardly flipped over, crawled up from the floor, and rubbed her sore bottom. Chouchou said nothing, silently exerting her own ability.

"Oh! It’s better, it doesn't hurt anymore." Duoduo wiggled her bottom, overjoyed.

"Sister, was that you helping me?"

"No, I’m not that bored!" Chouchou stubbornly denied it.

Duoduo tilted her little head, puzzled. "Then why doesn't it hurt? Could it be Daddy helping me?" She turned, scanning the surroundings, hoping to find Ling Yun hiding in the shadows.

Hearing this, Chouchou became annoyed. "Stop looking, he's not here! It's almost dawn, are we going out or not?"

"Yes, let's go!" Duoduo nodded and walked outside, clutching Chouchou.

Outside the villa, red lanterns hung everywhere, and the streets were completely deserted. "Sister, which way should we go?"

"Anywhere!" Chouchou was just curious about this place and wanted to look around. Anywhere was better than staying in one spot!

"Okay!" Duoduo scanned the area, finding everything looked the same. She picked a path at random and wandered forward aimlessly. Unlike her, Chouchou’s dark eyes darted around restlessly. There was a scent of blood, and it was growing stronger! Chouchou opened her mouth, licking her lips in excitement. Even though the little girl usually seemed silly, she had to admit, she had chosen quite a path.

As the scent of blood intensified, Chouchou pulled her tongue back in and stopped moving her eyes, forcing herself to look like an ordinary ragdoll.

"Sister, why is it getting so dark here?" Duoduo shrank her neck, feeling a flicker of fear. Chouchou pretended not to hear, ignoring her.

Duoduo’s pace slowed. Just as she considered turning back, a gaze as venomous as a viper fell upon her.