Hanks was dragged along by the eerie force, staggering back to work. The others who had finished their meals gradually returned to their posts as well, while those who hadn’t gotten enough to eat due to Hanks cast resentful glances at Ning Yi'an, their fellow K-countrywoman.
Ning Yi'an could sense the tension in the air, so she apologized to them before quickly leaving the scene.
Over the next few days, she kept looking for opportunities to talk to Fang Zhiyi. However, Fang Zhiyi remained cold and indifferent. She tried every approach—gentle and neighborly, the pure white moonlight, even the accidental wardrobe malfunction—but Fang Zhiyi didn’t even bat an eyelid.
Meanwhile, the live-stream audience of lecherous viewers howled with excitement.
The days of relative peace passed quickly. Both the delivery workers and the shop staff had grown somewhat accustomed to the job. Once they got used to it, the eerie beings didn’t seem so terrifying anymore. In fact, one person even ended up beating an eerie customer over a payment dispute—though it was with the help of an eerie veteran employee.
Cheng Xiang watched as the long-haired eerie woman pushing a stroller entered the shop. Something about her seemed different today.
Normally, she hid her face behind her hair, but today, she had tied it up. On closer inspection, her dress seemed new too, with two small pink flowers pinned at her waist.
Cheng Xiang’s eerie coworker nudged him with an elbow. "Here she comes again. I think she’s really into you."
Cheng Xiang sighed. Today marked the end of the game, but how was he supposed to face his audience afterward? The first-ever "macho man" pursued by an eerie being?
The female eerie being held out a withered flower to him, as usual. Cheng Xiang still refused to take it, but she didn’t get angry—just placed the flower on the counter.
"Honestly, after seeing her a few times, she’s not bad-looking."
"Damn, bro?"
"I agree. You guys wouldn’t get it, but her features are actually pretty. With some makeup, she’d be a beauty."
"It’s just that grayish-blue skin… kinda creepy."
"Gothic beauty?"
"I think Cheng Xiang should just go for it. Then both of our country’s players could dominate the eerie world!"
"Dominate? Pfft. This eerie can’t even beat one of Fang Zhiyi’s shop employees."
"Ugh, this is so touching. If he won’t take her, I will. I don’t have a girlfriend anyway."
"Absolute legend."
The female eerie being casually grabbed a mop from the break room and started cleaning the floor. The eerie staff pretended not to notice, while Cheng Xiang sat there, restless.
Just then, Fang Zhiyi walked in. He glanced at the mopping eerie woman, then at Cheng Xiang, and a knowing smirk curled on his lips.
As time passed, more and more players gathered in the shop. Trailing behind were a dozen or so unfamiliar faces, covered in dust—the players assigned to the warehouse. Though they hadn’t had to deal with eerie beings, the warehouse work had worn them out.
At first, they’d been led into a small storage room. The eerie guide explained it was the shop’s warehouse—nothing too big. The players had been secretly relieved, but then another door opened, revealing a massive space that left them all stunned.
"This is our boss’s distribution warehouse. It supplies multiple regions. Your job is to sort and inventory the goods..."
Over the days, their live streams had few viewers—no eerie beings, no danger, just a bunch of people covered in dust, scrambling around moving boxes.
As the group assembled, Fang Zhiyi began a headcount. But two were missing—Hanks and Ning Yi'an. The crowd murmured in confusion, but Fang Zhiyi remained unfazed, simply waiting.
Before long, Ning Yi'an came jogging back, clutching a small box she’d gotten from somewhere. She headed straight for Fang Zhiyi. The eerie shop manager, knowing she had some connection to the boss, didn’t stop her.
"Zhiyi, I got you a gift. Took me a long time to find it. Thank you for looking out for me." Ning Yi'an spoke sweetly, but a flicker of something else flashed in her eyes.
At the same time, an eerie being dragged someone to the entrance. "Boss, this idiot got into a fight with a customer. Lost a leg."
All eyes turned to the delirious figure on the ground—Hanks. The crowd’s expressions said it all: Well, that figures.
And in that exact moment, Ning Yi'an, now standing close to Fang Zhiyi, suddenly tossed the empty box aside, revealing a hidden knife. She lunged at Fang Zhiyi!
Before this mission, the K-country higher-ups had approached her. They knew Hanks was an idiot, so they’d entrusted the real orders to her—eliminate Fang Zhiyi at all costs. The only viable method was assassination. If Fang Zhiyi wasn’t taken out, he’d remain a constant threat in the eerie world. Of course, K-country had allies.
Just as the knife was about to strike, seven or eight others burst from the crowd, all charging at Fang Zhiyi.
Ning Yi'an’s mind was filled with visions of the status and wealth she’d been promised. Triumph gleamed in her eyes. She’d even set up Hanks, waiting for the perfect moment when everyone’s attention would be on him.
The plan was flawless.
…If this were the normal world.
Ning Yi'an’s wrist was caught in a vice-like grip. She turned her head and locked eyes with the red-eyed shop manager. The eerie being’s neck slowly elongated, coiling around her in a full circle.
The eight attackers were all pinned down—one by Cheng Xiang.
"Tsk. I wanted to give you all a way out, but you just wouldn’t take it." Fang Zhiyi finally looked away from Hanks.
"You can’t do this! We paid!"
"That’s right! The whole world is watching. Is the Xia Kingdom going to break its word?"
Fang Zhiyi said nothing. They grew smug—after all, they’d paid. Worst case, they’d just get beaten up.
"Any idiot can see they were trying to kill Fang Zhiyi!"
"Refund their money! Then finish them off!"
"This is infuriating. That woman really had the nerve to say she’d known Fang Zhiyi for years? Seriously?"
"I had a weird feeling about her. I’ve seen her before."
"Whoa, me too. Pretty sure she’s been in some… films."
"A true hero, you know what I mean?"
The Xia Kingdom’s higher-ups were furious.
"Old Wei, I’ll use the hint opportunity right now—tell Fang Zhiyi to deal with them!"
"Can we refund the money these countries paid?"
Old Wei watched their outrage with amusement, then waved a hand. "You all seem to have forgotten one thing—have you ever stopped to consider what our young general is thinking?"
"Huh?"
Old Wei turned back to the screen, where Fang Zhiyi was slowly looking up. "Do you really think he’s the type to take this lying down?"
As if to prove his point, Fang Zhiyi spoke. "Out of professional integrity, since you paid, I’ll ensure you clear the game. As for the assassination attempt… I won’t hold it against you. However—" He pulled out a notebook, flipping through it casually before reading aloud, "Broke a cup, crashed into a streetlight during delivery, clocked in thirty seconds late, exceeded lunch break by two minutes..." With each infraction, he pointed at a different player, as if assigning them fitting crimes.