DSMC Chapter 34.1

The round table symbolized reunion and perfection. Clearly, Zhao Renfu was a superstitious man. He hoped this deal would reach a flawless conclusion.

Though the table was covered with fine wine, dishes, and tea, everyone knew they weren’t there to eat.

Yan Jiyun slipped away to hide. Jiang Yan might dare bring him along, but he would never let him sit at the table. Once he was sure Yan Jiyun truly understood human speech, Jiang Yan set him on the floor without worry, letting him find a place to hide on his own. As long as no one noticed, all was well.

At a time like this, nobody would pay attention to a black cat. Yan Jiyun crouched in a spot where he could overlook the whole room, which was an inconspicuous corner of a display shelf. Beside him sat a large black pixiu figurine, which helped dampen his presence.

From here, he had a perfect view of the dining hall.

Lin Xie and Zhou Ying’s team, disguised as waiters, could only stand off to the side. Any move they made would be noticed, so for now they stayed still and obedient.

At first, Zhao Renfu only exchanged pleasantries, introducing those at his side.

But his old friend, the gold-toothed man, unaware of the restaurant’s recent changes, put his foot in his mouth as soon as he spoke. “I hear you’ve got three capable men, Zhao-ge. This must be the Third Young Master? Where are the First and Second?”

Zhao Renfu’s face stiffened, but he kept his composure. “Those two are useless. Forget them. If they came, they’d only spoil the mood.”

He could hardly tell his trading partner that Kevin Yang had sold the Red Field Poppy formula to their rivals, nor that Lin Xie was an undercover agent. Only his closest ally knew that.

The gold-toothed man didn’t know what had happened here, but in organizations like theirs, a perfect harmony would be strange. A few internal problems were the norm. And no one would gossip about family matters in front of outsiders.

Time was precious to both sides, especially Zhao Renfu. As long as this deal went through, he could withdraw in peace.

Yan Jiyun fixed his eyes on the first batch of Red Field Poppy displayed on the table. Surrounded by men in black uniforms, there was no chance of snatching it.

The four people the gold-toothed man had brought stood aside, holding nothing but cash. The deal would be done entirely in U.S. dollars, the most universally accepted currency.

That was their agreement. The money was ready; now it was time to see Zhao Renfu’s goods.

They had already drunk tea and made their introductions. Nobody cared for food. The “perfect” nine dishes and one soup sat untouched. The buyers, sensing the timing was right, moved to inspect the goods. Zhao Renfu had no objection, he was eager to move things along.

Yan Jiyun stayed crouched behind the shelf, shielded by objects, ignored by everyone.

He didn’t know how Lin Xie and Zhou Ying’s team had regrouped, nor what their plan was. But he did know Jiang Yan’s plan: he didn’t want Lin Xie involved in tonight’s clash, nor did he want him risking himself to save people.

But… had Jiang Yan considered stopping the deal itself?

Lin Xie’s goal couldn’t just be rescuing someone. Between saving a man and destroying Red Field Poppy, if forced to choose, Yan Jiyun guessed he’d pick Red Field Poppy. Otherwise, all his undercover work would be meaningless. He was the type of main character brimming with righteousness.

Jiang Yan wanted to save someone. Yan Jiyun wanted to complete his mission. Saving people and destroying the goods were both on his task list.

But he still had no full plan. He was like a bystander in this story, not the protagonist, forced to predict outcomes from the leads’ actions, then decide when to act. That was the cunning part of the game — ramping up the difficulty as much as possible.

His mind drifted to his Human Form Time Card. Only thirty minutes. He couldn’t use it lightly. And now wasn’t the time. Turning human here was basically suicide.

[Time until the instance ends: 1 hour, 55 minutes, 08 seconds]

Not much time left to clear the stage.

Zhao Renfu signaled Lao Fang to open the case and hand the gold-toothed man a small sample of Red Field Poppy. Inside the clear sealed bag were three pale-red pellets, like enticing candy, begging to be tasted.

Yan Jiyun remembered he still had a quest about tasting a set meal from the Midnight Diner. If that meal had been laced with this stuff, he’d never escape the game for life. Luckily, he hadn’t done it. Another trap, no doubt, a deadly side quest hidden among the rest.

No one moved yet, perhaps waiting for the right moment.

The gold-toothed man passed the sample to the woman at his side, decked in heavy makeup. She bit into one candy-like Red Field Poppy pellet, then nodded at him, signaling the quality was excellent.

“Zhao-ge, I’ll take all of these,” the gold-toothed man declared.

“You’re a straightforward man.” Zhao Renfu’s heart bloomed with delight, and he flattered him generously. “Red Field Poppy hasn’t even hit the market yet. You’ll be the very first distributor. You’ll be raking in money by the bucket.”

“Then I’ll borrow your lucky words.” The gold-toothed man gestured to the cases. “Here’s the U.S. dollars, as agreed. Count them, please.”

Business was business. The money had to be checked. Jiang Yan stepped forward himself to verify the bills were real. He gave Zhao Renfu a nod as they were genuine.

The two sides shook hands. The deal was done.

But just as the gold-toothed man reached for the case of Red Field Poppy, the four waiters in the hall suddenly moved.

At some point, they had crept closer to the center of the room, and now they tossed smoke bombs one after another.

In an instant, vision blurred. Everyone in the hall felt danger close in!

Yan Jiyun hadn’t expected Lin Xie and Zhou Ying to use this trick. He remembered that they hadn’t had such props. The only thing they’d had was a stun grenade, and that only worked once at a time. These smoke bombs must have come from the instance itself.

It dawned on him — he knew where Lin Xie had been hiding all afternoon. In Jiang Yan’s office!

No wonder Jiang Yan had stopped moving after setting two hideouts, staying in his office. He’d been covering for Lin Xie all over again.

And Jiang Yan’s office had armor, guns… so smoke bombs weren’t a surprise either.

The hall plunged into chaos. Both sides thought the other was trying to sabotage them. Guns were drawn from hidden holsters!

“Zhao Renfu, you tricked me!”

“Bullshit! It’s your mole!”

“Don’t shoot! There’s an undercover!”

Yan Jiyun didn’t bother to guess how good the understanding between Lin Xie and Jiang Yan was. He was also engulfed in the smoke now, and had to act.

Holding his breath, he leapt from the shelf, darted to where the Red Field Poppy had been. In the mist, nobody dared fire recklessly for fear of hitting the wrong person. He bounded onto the table, ready to turn human and grab the goods, only to find the case gone!

Someone had already taken Red Field Poppy in the chaos.

He immediately bolted for the exit. The thief had to be either Lin Xie or one of the gold-toothed man’s people!

Smoke bombs kept flying like they cost nothing. The hall grew more and more chaotic as people crashed into each other. How many did they bring?!

But nobody was stupid. Smoke indoors meant someone was covering for an escape. One after another, people began rushing outside.

Yan Jiyun followed the person with the case. Who was that figure?

The smoke blinded him so he couldn’t tell who else was inside. But this was the perfect chance to escape. He had to run now.

Zhou Ying’s team seemed to have fled as well. With both sides armed, no amount of shields would be enough.

Only then did Zhao Renfu realize that the Red Field Poppy was gone!

“Who took them? Get it back to me!”

Lao Fang was the first to charge out. Under the cover of the smoke bombs, Zhao Renfu shouted as he ran toward the study. He had no intention of dying here.

The man who’d been tied to the chair had somehow freed himself. Through the smoke, he locked onto Zhao Renfu’s position and chased him straight into the study.

Gold Tooth and his men, unfamiliar with this place, didn’t dare make reckless moves. Guns raised, they only guarded themselves, not one of them daring to open fire. Blind shooting was too risky.

When the smoke gradually cleared, only Gold Tooth’s people and Zhao Renfu’s black-uniformed guards remained. Not a single one of the higher-ups was still in sight.

The woman beside the gold-toothed man asked, “Do we run with the money, or chase after our goods?”

Gold Tooth snapped, “Of course we run with the money! Didn’t you hear? There’s a mole!”

Bang!

A bullet hit one of Gold Tooth’s men!

Gold Tooth’s group returned fire!

Bang bang bang!

An inevitable gunfight broke out instantly.

Yan Jiyun, who had already slipped outside, spotted the one running ahead. It was Lin Xie, carrying the case. And chasing right behind him was Jiang Yan!

When the smoke bombs went off, Jiang Yan had been closest to the case. Yan Jiyun assumed Jiang Yan must’ve grabbed it. But now it was in Lin Xie’s hands. Did Jiang Yan give it to him?

Lao Fang and his black-clad men were right on their heels. Yan Jiyun, just a light-footed cat, went unnoticed in the chaos.

Lao Fang wanted to shoot, but it was impossible. Everyone was running, Lin Xie and Jiang Yan sprinting too fast for a clean shot. Wasting bullets would do no good.

“Stop right there, Lin Xie! Jiang Yan, you’re not getting away!”

Lin Xie chose to dash down the stairwell, heading straight for Building C, the one that had just exploded earlier today.

Yan Jiyun hadn’t returned there since the second blast, but now he followed hard, paws aching from the strain. How were these NPCs so fast? His limbs felt like they might break.

Meanwhile, Zhou Ying and the other two players didn’t dare rush headlong into the chaos. Untrained, they chose survival. They hid in a nearby room, waiting out the firefight.

Their final mission was clear: bring Zhao Renfu to justice.

They had coordinated with Lin Xie, helping him throw the smoke bombs, then scatter, hide, and survive. Every step had been calculated.

Gold Tooth’s men were desperadoes, but they didn’t have unlimited lives like players. They couldn’t afford to clash head-on, so they too held back.

Once the gunfire inside settled, the three players donned bulletproof vests and other gear scavenged from Jiang Yan’s office. Then they prepared to hunt Zhao Renfu, who had slipped into the study.

Hunkering down in their safe zone, Cheng Li suddenly murmured, “I think I saw the little black cat run after them…”

Zhou Ying: “Probably scared. I saw it too. It was just crouching in the dining room earlier.”

Wen Nanxing: “Weird, I didn’t see anything.”

Whether they saw him or not, Yan Jiyun was long gone, already chasing with the others.