I will work twice as hard in the future

“[Trembling Delight]? Hunter No. 1 has plenty of that!”

Inside the [Lazybones Craft Shop], Zhu Yan couldn’t help smiling again.

He adjusted his oversized cloak and walked out, a brand-new puppet and a phone meant for the Vine-Cage Woman stored inside his ring.

He had been worrying about how to get Qiu Lingfeng to take the potion.

If he gave the Vine-Cage Woman a bottle of [Trembling Delight] mixed with the disguise potion and had it pass the bottle to Qiu Lingfeng in the name of the [Recitative Stage] as a reward, wouldn’t everything become ridiculously simple?

Zhu Yan boarded the [Monster Tram] and found a secluded spot in the corner.

He lowered his head and began working carefully, using his oversized cloak to conceal his movements completely.

The puppet inside his ring had some of Zhu Zeyu’s hair. He could use [Telekinesis] to pluck out a strand and put it into the disguise potion.

He also had to think of a way to let Qiu Lingfeng know that this thing could disguise him, without letting Paradise find out.

…

Qiu Lingkai was clearly somewhat afraid of Qiu Lingfeng.

He didn’t answer Qiu Lingfeng’s question directly. Instead, he said, “There is still some good news. At least, getting your piece of land won’t be difficult.”

A cold laugh rumbled up from Qiu Lingfeng’s throat.

“Have you ever considered one problem?”

What problem?

Zhu Yan asked on Qiu Lingkai’s behalf in his mind.

Qiu Lingfeng’s eyelids drooped heavily. Combined with his sharply arched brows, they finally gave him a somewhat vicious look.

“Based on the information I have, Hunter No. 1 used Zhu Zeyu’s face to deceive those high-ranking horror creatures.”

“That’s why they believe Zhu Zeyu is Hunter No. 1, and have posted wanted notices everywhere, both inside the dungeon and outside the [Recitative Stage].”

Qiu Lingkai paced across the soft carpet, his brows knitting tightly at those words.

He stared at the artificial window scene behind the glass, so realistic that it could almost pass for the real thing, and seemed a little restless.

“I understand what you mean,” Qiu Lingkai said slowly.

“They’re trying to capture someone who looks like Zhu Zeyu and whose player ID is [User Deleted].”

“But if Zhu Zeyu was working with Hunter No. 1 to deceive them in the first place, then there’s no way we can find someone who meets both conditions.”

Qiu Lingfeng said, “Exactly. I’ve already checked Zhu Zeyu. He’s a little stupid, and taking his head wouldn’t be difficult.”

Just from that statement, Zhu Yan felt that pretending to be an idiot had been a resounding success.

The invisible [Fog] coiled around Qiu Lingfeng’s neck, stretching itself into a rope and mimicking the motion of strangling him.

Qiu Lingfeng noticed nothing.

“The problem is that even if I took this head to them, they could still find out that Zhu Zeyu isn’t [User Deleted].”

It was an impossible condition, one that could never be satisfied—a complete paradox!

There was no player in this world who both looked like Zhu Zeyu and went by the name [User Deleted]!

“I’m not stupid enough to reveal the truth to those horror creatures,” Qiu Lingfeng said, his words slightly slurred. “That little female ghost from the [Recitative Stage] was already difficult enough to deal with. As I said, the higher-level horror creatures would only think I was challenging their authority.”

“So… do you think there’s any way to fake it?”

Qiu Lingkai froze.

He immediately understood. He spun around and stared at Qiu Lingfeng in shock.

“You want to deceive them? Those things?”

He hurried to the desk, growing anxious.

“Tricking people is one thing—we can usually get away with it. Human desires aren’t that twisted, so they’re easier to manipulate. But now you want to deceive horror creatures? Can you bear the consequences?”

Qiu Lingfeng raised his dark, sunken eyes and placed a hand on Qiu Lingkai’s shoulder.

He kept applying pressure until Qiu Lingkai collapsed into the chair in front of the desk. Only then did he withdraw his hand, smiling.

“How can you call something like this deception?” Qiu Lingfeng said with perfect righteousness. “I’m satisfying their desires and lifting their spirits. Besides…”

Zhu Yan immediately learned this particular style of rhetoric.

He deceived people too, but he could never make it sound as altruistic as Qiu Lingfeng did.

Qiu Lingfeng might not have been a very good person, but “satisfying their desires” was an impressively clever way to put it.

Zhu Yan waited for the rest of his sentence, and Qiu Lingfeng did not disappoint.

“All I have to do is find a way to make Hunter No. 1 look like Zhu Zeyu. That creates a perfect win-win situation.”

“Aren’t they hunting Hunter No. 1?”

“If Hunter No. 1 looks exactly like Zhu Zeyu, wouldn’t he still be a wanted criminal?”

Brilliant.

Zhu Yan felt that, in a certain sense, he and Qiu Lingfeng were kindred spirits who had somehow found each other in the most unexpected place.

The wisp of [Fog] began twisting involuntarily.

Horror flashed through Qiu Lingkai’s eyes.

But he soon accepted the idea. “In theory, it’s possible. But how could we actually do it?”

How could they do it?

The [Fog] let out a silent, mocking laugh.

Obviously, they would rely on the very item Hunter No. 1 had been longing to deliver to them!

…

Inside the [Recitative Stage].

Zhu Yan handed a brand-new phone to the Vine-Cage Woman. He patiently taught it how to use the communications app, then added the art student who lived in the human world.

He had just asked Feining to modify the phone on the way. That meant he had also fulfilled the promise he’d made to An Xuyin.

The Vine-Cage Woman quickly sent a thirty-second voice message expressing its gratitude to the art student for drawing its original character, along with its admiration for the artist.

Then it turned to Zhu Yan and broke into a frightening grin.

“What was it you wanted to ask me to do?”

“Ah, this.” Zhu Yan responded with an innocent smile and placed two bottles of [Trembling Delight] mixed with the potion on the counter.

“It’s like this. I’m entering a dungeon the day after tomorrow, and I know that Hunter No. 3 and I will both need this.”

The Vine-Cage Woman nodded. “Yes. So?”

“So I’d like to ask you to deliver these two bottles to him in the name of the [Recitative Stage].”

Zhu Yan’s expression was utterly sincere. “I know he isn’t used to accepting kindness from other people directly. It might be inappropriate if I gave them to him myself.”

“We’re all friends, and in this dungeon, we share the same interests and goals. We’re all working toward the great cause of revitalizing Paradise!”

The Vine-Cage Woman’s gaze shifted. “You’ve become this enlightened?”

Zhu Yan sniffed. “How can you say that? People have to grow and transform. We should view things through the lens of change and development!”

“Besides, [Frenzied Paradise] has treated me well. I’ve reflected deeply, and it’s true that I fell short in many ways before.”

“I’ll work twice as hard from now on!”

The Vine-Cage Woman stared at him with its enormous eyes. “Then does that mean you’ll be able to come down and play with me soon?”

“Yes,” Zhu Yan said shamelessly. “But first, you have to give the [Trembling Delight] to my good friend. Listen carefully—this is what you should tell him…”