The Midnight Owl

"Ding--"

The notification sounded for the second time interrupted the discussion over there, and also interrupted the eye contact here.

The five partners looked at the arm together, and this time they were given the coordinates of 7/23.

"Chongqing." After thinking for a few seconds, Wu Sheng matched the location.

"Hot pot skewers with hot and sour noodles..." Qian Ai, who has already smelled the strong aroma, is fascinated by the endless imagination.

"There is also the light rail in the sky!" Kuang Jinxin has seen the video, the light rail train passes through the building from the sky in the mountain city, magical and cool!

"Chongqing..." Captain Xu, who was thinking about returning to Beijing, was in a delicate mood.

Chi Yingxue looked at Wu Sheng who instantly judged the location, and the other three who immediately believed in his judgment, and his mood was even more subtle... Did he miss the link of checking the location with stationery?

As time passed, most of the people who wanted to break through the level had gathered their troops and left the banquet hall, and the rest were either those who didn't need to break through the level, or they couldn't gather enough people or couldn't find a team.

Kuang Jinxin went to the dining table to get a few delicious cakes, and when he came back, he shared them with his friends, and when they went to Chi Yingxue, he hit a wall again.

"I hate sweet things." Chi Yingxue's rejection was simple and direct.

"Oh." Everyone has their own love, and Kuang Jinxin respected it, and then gave the piece that was supposed to be given to Chi Yingxue to Qian Ai who was eager.

Student Qian got one piece for two bites, and two pieces for four bites. After eating, he wiped his mouth and taught Jinxin: "Remember next time, no matter how good something is, you have to give it to someone who will appreciate it."

Kuang Jinxin wrote it down carefully: "If there is any delicious food in the future, I will give you double portions."

Qian Ai patted his head in relief.

Chi Yingxue was too lazy to watch the deep affection between the two teammates, so she lowered her eyes and removed the gauze on her arm. As a result, her action was too rough, and the gauze became a tight knot. The more she removed it, the more irritable she became. A few red marks appeared on the recovered arm.

In the low air pressure, a small pastry with a light color was handed to him.

Chi Yingxue frowned and looked up.

Kuang Jinxin looked serious: "I tasted it, it's not sweet."

Chi Yingxue: "..."

The hand of the devil stretched out from the next door.

An eyesore.

"Snapped--"

Qian Ai failed to steal pastries, the back of his hand was swollen, and he covered his beaten hand with a sad expression on his face: "Do you need to be so cruel, are you fighting with your comrades or avenging blood and blood!!!"

As if Chi Yingxue didn't hear it, she took the small cube and threw it into her mouth.

It's really not sweet, with a light buttery taste, and a little fruity fragrance.

Licking the pastry crumbs on her thumb lightly, Chi Yingxue was a little bit unsatisfied, and suddenly wanted to talk to Kuang Jinxin, but she raised her eyelids, and there were two faces of Captain Xu and Junshi Wu in front of her, one smiling brightly, revealing two rows of White Fang, with clear and wise eyes, implied the pleasure and expectation of "I think we can sit down and do a research".

Kuang Jinxin has been taken to the long dining table by Qian Aila, happily wandering in the ocean of cupcakes, donuts, fruit salad sandwiches.

Turning her gaze away from the long dining table without a trace, Chi Yingxue raised her eyebrows inquiringly at the two: "?"

Xu Wang started gently: "Xiaoxue..."

Chi Yingxue smiled: "Say, matter, love."

Finding that being cute is not suitable for new teammates, Captain Xu immediately put on a righteous look: "I want to talk to you about badges again."

Chi Yingxue understood as soon as she heard it, and without waiting for Xu Wang to ask again, she said directly: "I have five badges now, in addition to the castle badge, there are also badges for levels 1, 3, 4, and 8, except for 8/ 23. If you want to collect the rest, I can lead the way.”

Xu Wang was surprised by his confession.

Wu Sheng paid more attention to the information implied in the answer: "Is the hidden location of each badge forever unchanged?"

Chi Yingxue really didn't think about this question. When asked like this, her eyes gradually drifted to unknown places, and she fell into memories.

a long time.

"I can't tell," Chi Yingxue shook his head, and gave the most authentic information he could give, "I only found the badges for 3, 4, 6, and 8 once, and only the badge for the first level. Three times, all with different teams, the first time and the third time the position of the badge was the same, and the second time it was changed."

Xu Wang: "You said earlier that badges are related to levels after 13/23..."

"I used to follow a team looking for badges, and I accidentally let it go." Chi Yingxue sighed half jokingly and half seriously, as if it was a pity, "If I knew it would be useful today, I should have eavesdropped seriously."

Xu Wang teased casually: "Is it someone's slip of the tongue, or you eavesdropped on purpose."

Chi Yingxue was happy, as if remembering something interesting: "I think the former, but the other party firmly believes that it is the latter."

"..." Xu Wang really didn't know how to comment on this doomed tragedy of a team that guarded against rookies, and a rookie who didn't want to integrate into the new team at all.

So far, the information is clear, and the only things new teammates can provide are "relevant to after 13/23" and "location information of the four badges", and the latter is not necessarily still valid.

Wu Sheng fell into deep thought.

After pondering for a moment, Xu Wang flexibly changed to Plan B and searched the entire banquet hall. Sure enough, he caught a familiar face in the crowd.

From the very beginning of the conversation, Chi Yingxue had been waiting for Xu Wang to ask a certain question, but now, seeing that the other party was about to get up, she couldn't help herself, so she took the initiative to ask: "8/23, don't you want to ask?"

Xu Wang looked at him again.

[Except for 8/23, if you want to collect the rest, I can lead the way. 】

These are the words of the new teammates.

The meaning of it is already obvious, Xu Wang thought that this kind of tacit matter, you understand and I understand it, but looking at it now, it really needs to be communicated frequently.

"It wasn't you when I was looking for that badge." Xu Wang simply stated the facts without too much emotional inclination.

It is not the first time Chi Yingxue has confessed her dual personality to a new team, and it is indeed the first time she has met such a calm captain.

Suddenly came curiosity: "If one day I disappear and he comes out, will you kick someone?"

Xu Wang really thought about this question: "If you asked me yesterday, I might hesitate, after all, the memory of the playground is not very good."

Chi Yingxue restrained her smile and asked lightly, "Have you changed your mind now?"

"The two of you got the badge last night together," Xu Wang said in a slow and sincere voice, looking into his eyes, as if he wanted to look at another soul through the fundus of his eyes, "from the moment he made a move." , is already part of the team.”

Chi Yingxue narrowed her eyes, observed for a while, and realized: "He is not awake yet, he can't hear you when you speak."

"You didn't say it earlier." Xu Wang gave him a blank look as if complaining. The affectionate captain just now seemed to be a hallucination.

Chi Yingxue: "..."

This is not the first time he has confessed his dual personality to the team he joined, but it is the first time he has met such a captain who has prepared for a rainy day. In front of him, he has already begun to win over another...

"You guys talk first, I'll go back when I go." Seeing that the locked person was having a good chat with another disabled team, and he was about to join, Xu Wang couldn't wait any longer, so he got up immediately after saying this, in case he wanted to ask Before asking about the matter, the other party disappeared with the new team and entered the checkpoint.

Chi Yingxue watched him take three steps in parallel, walking towards the mercenary named Wang Chuming, and after thinking about it, he probably thought of his purpose.

Looking away, looking at Wu Sheng who was still in front of him, he couldn't figure out for a while, what should "you guys talk first" with this person.

Wu Sheng has clarified the clues of the badge, and can finally temporarily close this matter and open the second thread: "Are you better at melee combat or long-range attack?"

Chi Yingxue: "Huh?"

Junshi Wu continued on his own: "I see that you don't like to use stationery frequently, can you tell me more about your stationery tendency?"

Chi Yingxue: "Inclination?"

Wu Sheng: "Do you like armor or phantom? Do you like attack or manipulation?"

Chi Yingxue: "..."

Wu Sheng: "Don't worry, I won't formulate any complicated tactics for you. I fully understand your preferences in order to give you more space to play."

Chi Yingxue: "..."

"What worries do you have?" Wu Sheng didn't understand the other party's silence, "You did a great job of finding the badge last night." He patted the other party's shoulder, trying his best to convey the power of reassuring with his firm eyes, "Keep going, I will satisfy all your fantasies about fighting."

Chi Yingxue: "..."

……

Beijing time 01:46:00

After Xu Wang finished his secret conversation with Wang Chuming, he came back and greeted all his friends to a safe corner to share information as soon as possible.

"Badge manual?" It was the first time for everyone, including Chi Yingxue, to hear this thing.

Xu Wang nodded, looked around, made sure that there were no ears behind the partition wall, and then said in a low voice: "Yes, there are badge location reminders for levels 1-13 in this manual."

"Let me just say it," Qian Ai's doubts were finally resolved, "In such a big level, if you are looking for a small badge, even if it can shine, you have to search for it in the right place. It's so easy to find a pinpoint. "

Wu Sheng asked: "How can I get this manual?"

Xu Wang said, "Buy."

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai: "Buy?"

Xu Wang said: "You can buy it at any store in any level in Owl."

Qian Ai: "Spend RMB?"

Xu Wang: "Yes."

Qian Ai: "How much?"

Xu Wang: "One hundred thousand."

Qian Ai: "...Actually, finding a needle in a haystack is quite good, really."

"Captain," Kuang Jinxin remembered another question, "If you ask such a confidential matter, Wang Chuming will answer it?"

"I want to review with you, the situation is special, so I used public funds," Xu Wang said, "The information fee is [-]."

Qian Ai: "Twenty thousand?!"

Xu Wang: "He hasn't opened for a while, and he's celebrating the New Year with these two news."

Chi Yingxue: "Two?"

Xu Wang paused, reconfirmed that there was no eavesdropping around, and then slowly revealed the second piece of information: "The thirteen badges are the keys to unlock levels after 13/23."

Kuang Jinxin: "But no team has been behind 13/23?"

Xu Wang shook his head: "It's not that there is no one, but our current list only shows levels 1-13."

Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin were at a loss.

Chi Yingxue vaguely understood a little bit, but it wasn't clear enough.

Wu Sheng, who had been quiet all this time, said, "High school and university."

"Yes," Xu Wang knew that his military division could understand it in seconds, "The first 13 tests and the last 10 tests are like two completely different schools. Of course, the transcripts are also independent of each other, and they passed the 13/23 team. , never returned."

"This makes sense, why are there so many unfamiliar names on the submission speed list?" Wu Sheng finally solved the doubt that has plagued him for a long time. , broke into a higher level."

"If it's not returned," Qian Ai wondered, "Where did Wang Chuming get the information?"

"Boundless Sea harvested it," Xu Wang sighed, "It is said that the purchase price is not cheap."

Qian Ai: "It must be a lot of money. We hacked [-] yuan."

Xu Wang: "He asked for fifty thousand."

Qian Ai: "Captain, I knew it was right to trust you."

Chi Yingxue: "..."

Now that the ins and outs are clear, Wu Sheng looked at Xu Wang and directly sought the key point: "Shop? Payment?"

"Of course I asked." Xu Wang gave him a look of "you can rest assured that I will handle the business". "There are shops in this pass, just below the banquet hall. The payment method is cash, but there are ATMs."

Kuang Jinxin: "Can I withdraw money here?"

Xu Wang: "If Wang Chuming didn't lie."

Qian Ai: "If he dares to take so much money and return false information, I will hunt him down to the ends of the earth..."

After a while, the five of them came to the staircase leading to the basement floor that Wang Chuming said. It was a very inconspicuous small door. After it was pushed open, the staircase stretched downwards in dim light.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng took the lead, Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin were in the middle, and Chi Yingxue was at the end.

When he was going down the stairs, he was still thinking about how Xu Wang could instantly extract the whole picture of the problem from Wu Sheng's simple words "shop, payment". Chi Yingxue couldn't think of any other explanation for <[Fantasy] Soul Tacit Understanding>...

After 3 minutes, a group of people went down to the end of the stairs. What greeted them was a very simple grocery store, just like the stalls that can be seen everywhere in the vegetable market. At the top of the stairs, they greeted them down with kind eyes all the way.

This so-called "basement floor" is actually just a piece of land as big as a palm, with a grocery store, an ATM, and five of them standing at one stop, there is basically no room left.

"What do you want?" Grandma asked kindly, "Candy? Fruit? Bread?"

Xu Wang took a step forward and said clearly, "I want to buy a badge manual."

Grandma still smiled kindly: "20, please pay in cash."

Xu Wang and Qian Ai: "... Isn't it one hundred thousand?!"

Grandma was at a loss: "Huh?"

The friends all looked at their captain at the same time.

Captain Xu was under a lot of pressure: "Wang Chuming absolutely said that it was [-] yuan, and he bought it at this level. It was only half a year ago, and it is possible that the price will skyrocket..."

Qian Ai's black line: "Is this increase a little crazy..."

Wu Sheng sighed, and asked the most practical question: "How much is left in the public account?"

Xu Wang sighed harder than him: "I just spent 14 yuan, and I have [-] yuan left."

They have been busy in the endless sea for a month, and they only saved these in the public account. They thought that they would be nourished for a while if they were not extravagant.

"Let's make it together again," Qian Ai's cautious heart was already riddled with holes, "I have to buy it anyway, buy it early and stop the loss early." If it continues to drag on and continue to increase the price, he is afraid that every time he sees the manual in the future, They all had angina and went home early.

Xu Wang: "That's the only way."

Fortunately, the cash treasure chests in Endless Sea were not confiscated, and some of them went to the friends who opened the chests.

In the current situation, we have to do what we can.

Xu Wang sent the bank card of the public account to the ATM, planning to take out this part first.

As soon as the card was sent out, a hand fell from the sky and blocked the card slot.

Xu Wang followed his arm and found the handsome face of the host classmate Chi: "What's wrong?"

Chi Yingxue had a faint question in her eyes: "Public account?"

Xu Wang only talked about his relationship with his new teammate, thinking that the relationship would be completely stable before discussing money, otherwise, if he paid the money today and broke up tomorrow, it would involve a refund, which would be embarrassing.

But now the new teammate took the initiative to ask, and he just took advantage of the trend to popularize the science: "Well, our AA has established a public account within the team to be responsible for all team expenses."

Chi Yingxue thought for a while, and then confirmed again: "There is only 14 left in the account now?"

"Yes." After talking here, Xu Wang naturally had nothing to hide.

Chi Ying took out his wallet from his pocket, took out a card and stuffed it into the ATM: "I'll take the information, and I'll share the manual, there's no reason not to pay."

It was the first time Xu Wang saw someone withdraw money so quickly, and he wanted to say something, but he started to press the password.

The four little friends instinctively turned back to avoid seeing what they shouldn't see.

So in the next few minutes, the four of them listened to the machine behind them "swish", "swish", "swish" count the money, and "squeak" to pay the money.

Finally, when the silence returned, the friends turned around, and Chi Yingxue was holding a handful of banknotes, which was quite a spectacle.

"You are... [-]?" Qian Ai blinked vigorously, always feeling a little fuzzy about the size of money.

"One hundred thousand." Chi Yingxue said.

Xu Wang raised his forehead, the arithmetic level of his new teammates was too worrying: "Even if you add the previous 16, the public account is [-], [-] per person, why do you use [-]?"

Chi Yingxue said: "[-] tuition fee, [-] transfer sponsorship fee."

Kuang Jinxin: "Transfer?"

Qian Ai: "Sponsorship?"

Xu Wang looked at his new teammates with complicated emotions: "I just want to ask a question, how did you, a classmate who is so glittering, get so reduced that you are not accepted by the school?"

Chi Yingxue slightly raised the corner of her mouth: "Maybe they still think that money is not as important as life."

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin: "..."

Is this the midnight murderer! ! !

"Okay, since you joined our team, even if you have a mine at home, you have to follow our rules," Xu Wang said, "Everyone pays AA for the badge manual."

The captain made a final decision and refused to protest.

Under the supervision of his teammates, Chi Yingxue re-deposited the excess banknotes. While listening to the machine counting the money, he suspected that he was the first customer of the machine's "deposit function".

The 20 cash was sent over, and the grandma carefully counted it. After ordering the last one, all the money suddenly disappeared.

At the same time, all five of them heard a "ding—"

In the <Stationery Box>, there is an icon of "booklet" in the lower right corner of the hidden item grid interface where badges are stored.

Click on it, and the badges of levels 1-13 hide hints, which are clear at a glance——

1/23: Bear Claw.

2/23: A land of lust.

3/23: No. 8 in row 9.

4/23: First Quarter Moon.

5/23: Ghost in the Wall.

6/23: Water lilies.

7/23:  …

Wu Sheng: "The reminders on 4/23 and 6/23 do not match the way and where we found the badge."

Xu Wang: "Wang Chuming said that these reminders will change from time to time as the corresponding badges are found."

Qian Ai: "Can I apply to skip the fifth level permanently..."

Kuang Jinxin: "Brother Qian, don't you like watching horror movies? Made in Europe, America, Japan, Korea, India and Thailand."

Qian Ai: "Like watching, doesn't mean like digging walls to find ghosts..."

"Have you received the manual yet?" From behind Linlang's groceries came a caring greeting from the grandmother.

Xu Wanghui gave the old man a painful but polite smile: "Yes, I received it."

Forty thousand per capita!

"Just receive it," the grandmother felt relieved, and reached out to touch the European-style cast iron rattle next to it. "The next thing is the gift."

Five partners: "... a gift?"

"Ding bell~~~"

The rattle made a simple sound, and the five friends felt their eyes dimmed and their bodies lightened.

Opening his eyes again, he was already standing in front of the familiar European-style manor.

"Ding--"

<Cheat Sheet>: Welcome to the [Flight VIP Lounge].

"Ding--"

<Cheat Sheet>: Hello, guest, I am Xiao Feidao, the butler here!Let me lead the way for you, so that you will be full of energy before midnight next time~~

"Captain!" Kuang Jinxin looked at Xu Wang in surprise, "This is the lounge of Flying Island!"

Qian Ai couldn't help but patted her captain on the shoulder: "I saved the air ticket! Haha!"

Wu Sheng was also very satisfied: "I can concentrate on designing tactics now."

Chi Yingxue doesn't feel much about food, housing, and transportation, but it's better to be able to wait for work at leisure than to be in the dust.

Among all the friends, only Captain Xu looked at the sky quietly.

He wants to go back to Beijing!

What kind of devil's gift is this "咻——" to Chongqing, which is farther away! ! !

……

22 hours later, Beijing time, 23:59:00

The rare long rest made the friends full of energy like never before.Even Captain Xu, who was depressed, looked away after a lazy sleep. Anyway, he has been waiting for ten years, not less than a day and a half.

Regarding the level of 7/23, the information Chi Yingxue gave is simple and clear - board games.

There is no map, no new world, and no quest line. It means that each team chooses a representative to play a board game in a room with only one round table.

As for the content of the board game, and whether there will be other messy storylines or tasks during the process, Chi Yingxue has no idea—the only time he entered on 7/23, when he watched the team representative enter the battle room, his body fell apart. Substitution.

The author has something to say: Mr. Chi Zhuolin, I received two text messages from the bank today, both from the secondary card, one showing an expenditure of 10 yuan, and one showing an income of 5.6 yuan.

President Chi, who has never received "income information" from his own brother, fell into deep thought...