However, this time, the hopeless crowd no longer shouted and screamed. Like soulless puppets, they simply leaned against the walls, each finding a posture that felt safe and comfortable, curling up as if to isolate themselves from the fear of the outside world.
This time, even Ren Fei seemed despondent. Uncle, I really can't do this without you. If only you were here... What would you do? he cried out in his heart.
However, the surrounding silence forced Ren Fei to accept reality: his uncle was gone.
In the darkness and deathly silence, time seemed to lose its meaning. Every minute, every second, stretched out like a drawn thread, slowly and torturously tightening around everyone's heart.
Chen Pingchuan was still unconscious, with Lilia and Wei Hao watching over him, their expressions complex. Porcupine, on the other hand, was pacing restlessly nearby, his stomach protesting with the occasional GRUMBLE. He desperately hoped his boss would wake up soon and lead them out of this predicament.
Finally, after a long wait, Chen Pingchuan's fingers twitched slightly. He slowly opened his eyes, a trace of fatigue and weakness in his gaze, but more than that, there was fear.
Chen Pingchuan was terrified because he had a strange dream. In it, he had transformed into a giant hundreds or even thousands of meters tall, looking down on all of existence from above the clouds. At his feet knelt countless creatures.
That's right—creatures, not people.
In truth, Chen Pingchuan was already beginning to form a theory, but he didn't want to admit it. Moreover, he noticed something else was wrong with him. It seemed his emotions could cause him to temporarily lose control of his own body. It was a feeling of being a passenger, as though another will was at work even as he was clearly the one trying to be in command. This possibility terrified him.
Before Chen Pingchuan could fully collect himself, Porcupine sensed the movement and excitedly rushed over.
"Boss, you're finally awake!"
The impact nearly knocked Chen Pingchuan unconscious again.
Lilia and Wei Hao hurriedly gathered around as well.
Chen Pingchuan scanned his surroundings. Despite the pitch-black environment, he could faintly distinguish people and objects.
"What's the situation?" his voice was hoarse. He had been unconscious for a long time. Although those trapped inside had no sense of time, an entire day had actually passed. Content orıginally comes from novel⸺fire.net
Lilia, the only one among the three suited for the task, softly explained what had happened.
After quickly getting a grasp of the current state of affairs, Chen Pingchuan glanced around again. Since he was in a live-action simulation, he couldn't call up his attribute panel, leaving him in the dark about his physical condition. The only thing he knew for sure was that he could no longer use his "Sleight of Hand" skill. The mere thought of it sent a sharp, stabbing pain through his head.
Even so, Chen Pingchuan stretched his arms and then stood up. He called out towards Ren Fei's group.
"Hey! Young fellow, interested in making a deal?"
In the silent vault, Chen Pingchuan's voice was deafening. His identity and terrifying feats had already been spread among the other employees by a few of the bank guards, making his presence all the more intimidating.
The surrounding staff trembled in fear, but Ren Fei got to his feet. He shot back defiantly in Chen Pingchuan's direction, "Don't even think about playing any tricks! I don't want to hear it, and I'm not interested!"
His words were forceful and left no room for argument. Even his colleagues broke out in a cold sweat for him. This was the ruthless individual who had forced his way into a branch of the Southern Alliance Bank. They had let him rest for a day; what if they angered him now? What would they do if these criminals went back on yesterday's agreement? They were hardly a match for them now.
Despite their fear, no one blamed Ren Fei. He may have made the decision yesterday, but no one had objected at the time. They weren't so fragile as to need a scapegoat for everything.
Hearing Ren Fei's disrespectful tone toward his boss, Porcupine's temper, already frayed by hunger, finally snapped.
"You little punk! You dare talk to our boss like that? Get over here, I'll crush your damn head!"
At Porcupine's words, Ren Fei's comrades couldn't hold back any longer. Though they couldn't see anyone's face, their aggressive posturing was unmistakable.
"What did you say?"
"Yeah, I dare you to say that again!"
...
Facing their bluster, Porcupine fearlessly responded in his comically infuriating, simple-minded voice, "I'll say it again. What are you gonna do about it?"
"Come on, I'll take all of you on at once! Let's see if I don't make you kneel and call me Daddy!"
Porcupine's words finally enraged the already dejected guards.
"Hey, you stepped on my foot!"
"Who pushed me!"
"Who touched my head!"
"Sorry, excuse me, I'm gonna teach them a lesson."
"Don't provoke them! What if... I'm just saying, what if..."
A clamor arose from the crowd as people voiced their individual complaints and intentions. Seeing that the two groups were on the verge of a clash, Ren Fei had no choice but to roar in frustration, "What is the meaning of this?!"
"Didn't we agree not to initiate—"
Ren Fei's words trailed off. The surrounding noise vanished in an instant, not because of his roar, but because of his unfinished sentence.
Could Chen Pingchuan be deliberately luring them into breaking the agreement so he could slaughter them all?
The thought sent a chill down Ren Fei's spine. He didn't dare hesitate. He shouted at his comrades, who were already stumbling forward in the darkness, "Don't go over there! It's a trap! If you let them provoke you into making the first move, they'll attack us!"
"Don't fall for their scheme..." Ren Fei finished his words through tightly clenched teeth. Though no one could see each other's faces in the dark, he could already picture Chen Pingchuan's sinister, triumphant smirk.
Hearing the shouts from the other side, Porcupine was momentarily confused. He didn't know if this was truly what his boss intended. If it was, what should he do? And if it wasn't, what then? He had just lost his temper because he was starving.
Meanwhile, Lilia and Wei Hao exchanged a look. They both felt that Ren Fei had guessed Chen Pingchuan's true intentions. Now that their new boss was awake, a storm of blood and violence was sure to follow. Although Lilia had not yet fully recovered, she felt she was on the verge of breaking through to the sixth level, separated only by the thinnest of membranes. She was, therefore, eager for the impending fight.
Chen Pingchuan, of course, was oblivious to what everyone else was thinking.