A simple two-and-a-half-story Western-style house was turned upside down.
In the end, only 23 nails were found.
This number was far from enough.
Tan Xiao picked up two more nails from under the bed and put them on the plate holding the nails, creating a crisp clinking sound.
He lifted his chin at Li Li and then patted his chest, as if saying: See? You have to look carefully!
Li Li, having not found a single nail, didn't want to pay attention to him.
Pan Xiaoxin, with his small backpack, dashed down the stairs to the living room. He pulled out a large handful of nails from his bag!
At a glance, there were at least forty or fifty nails, far exceeding the combined total of everyone else!
Teacher Cheng couldn't help but exclaim in surprise: “Xiaoxin! Where did you find so many nails?”
Pan Xiaoxin scratched his head and honestly replied, “I couldn't find any nails… I saw a toy train in the attic, so I took it apart…”
“Ah! That train!” Su Man remembered. “I picked it up when we were looking for shiny things. It's made of metal and has a lot of nails!”
Pan Xiaoxin nodded: “It also has a metal track, and each section of track has two nails.”
Everyone was suddenly enlightened!
“If that's the case, we can dismantle all the metal toys in the house!”
“The nails holding the pictures on the wall can also be taken down!”
“Anything with nails can be dismantled! This game is so insidious. If it weren't for the kid's reminder, I wouldn't have thought of removing nails…”
There were screwdrivers of various sizes in the toolbox in the storage room. Everyone grabbed a few and went off to remove nails.
This broadened the scope of their search considerably.
Of course, not all nails could be removed. Some wouldn't budge no matter how hard they tried, especially those related to the structure of the house or furniture.
Gradually, everyone figured out the pattern: “structural” nails couldn't be removed, but “movable” and “decorative” nails were fair game.
The entire house echoed with the chaotic clang of metal on metal, a disorderly, messy, yet lively cacophony. No toy with nails was spared. Wall lamps, the living room sofa, bedroom drawers, even the metal hooks for towels in the bathroom… everything was stripped clean.
Tan Xiao originally wanted to dismantle the doorknobs, but the system seemed to forbid it; the screws wouldn't turn.
Even so, they managed to collect 226 nails!
They didn't know how many teeth the Nailtooth Monster had, but 226 nails… so many, it should be enough, right?
Bai Youwei glanced at the crystal ball on the chest of drawers.
This ball…
When it's active, it's very noisy and annoying.
But when it's quiet, there's no sound at all, as if it's just an ordinary music box.
Who knows what bad ideas it's brewing.
“The first rampage is unavoidable,” Yan Qingwen said. “Whether it's really about nails, and how many nails are needed, we'll find out in this round.”
Shen Mo looked at him: “Although the first round is short, it has the highest uncertainty and the highest risk. The player who invites the guest into the house must be agile, otherwise they won't be able to escape.”
“I'll go,” Yan Qingwen said calmly. “You've invited the guest twice in a row during the summer, it's my turn.”
“Brother Yan, if we're talking about agility, I'm not bad either.” Su Man stepped forward. “You still have to take Li Li to see Professor Song, you can't afford to be injured. I'll invite the Nailtooth Monster in this time.”
Yan Qingwen pondered for a moment, then nodded: “Alright, you go first this round. Be careful.”
He was aware of his position in the team. Letting Su Man go wasn't because he was afraid of death, but because as the backbone of the group, if something happened to him, it would likely affect the entire team's morale and their performance in the subsequent rounds.
Moreover, although Su Man was impulsive, in terms of agility alone, she wasn't much worse than him.
“Then, let's follow the old rules,” Yan Qingwen stood up. “The elderly, women, children, and the injured, go upstairs and find a place to take cover for now. The rest of us, prepare to welcome our guest.”