Long Sen and Qu Wanyue eagerly flipped to the fourth page and signed their names.
After signing, the two flipped through the pages to see which teammates were all top players—the third page was signed by Liu Qiao, the second page by Shao Qingge and Ye Qi, and the first page by Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang.
Long Sen was taken aback: " Where's Old Han?"
Qu Wanyue looked at Xiao Lou with a puzzled expression: " Brother Xiao, aren't you called Yunxiao?"
Xiao Lou smiled slightly and explained, "Those are our aliases. Let me formally introduce myself. My name is Xiao Lou, and in the real world I'm from Medical University." Associate Professor of the Forensic Medicine Department; this ' Old Han ' is actually named Yu Hanjiang, from Jiangzhou City. The captain of the Criminal Police Officers squad.
Qu Wanyue looked at Long Sen and asked, "Why does this name sound familiar?"
A moment later, Long Sen slapped his thigh: "I know! The announcement in the floating window said that Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang broke the world records for Heart 3 and Red Heart 4. It was you two!!"
Xiao Lou nodded: "Yes."
Long Sen gave a thumbs up: "No wonder you guys were so amazing in Liuxi Village, leading everyone to a perfect ending... Wanyue and I are so lucky to have met such a master!" Both of them looked very excited, as if they had just bought a drink from a roadside stall and opened the cap to find that they had won the grand prize.
Qu Wanyue readily handed the contract book back to Xiao Lou, saying, " Professor Xiao, thank you so much for not looking down on us and for being willing to take us along. From now on, we will definitely follow orders and won't hold anyone back!"
Long Sen nodded vigorously: "That's right, if there's anything we can do, Old Han... no, Officer Yu, just let us know!"
Yu Hanjiang said, "No need to be polite. We're all working together to clear the level; we all have the same goal. Let's get through this week's Weekly Routine first."
Long Sen and Qu Wanyue, a married couple, clearly didn't know what " Weekly Routine " meant, and looked puzzled when they heard this.
Xiao Lou patiently explained it to them, and Long Sen suddenly understood, saying, "So, the elimination rate for Weekly Secret Chamber is around 10%? Actually, it's lower than Red Heart 4 and Spade 4, right? I remember Spade 4..." The attrition rate at Liuxi Village exceeded 80%.
Xiao Lou said, "Theoretically speaking, the average elimination rate of Weekly Secret Chamber is indeed not high. As long as you find a good team, the chances of clearing the room are quite high. But the key is that there are too many uncertainties in Weekly Secret Chamber. If you are unlucky enough to encounter a randomly appearing Hunter, the difficulty will increase exponentially—it is very likely that all the players in the room will be wiped out."
Yu Hanjiang glanced at Xiao Lou in agreement and said, "Both skill and luck are important."
With good luck, everyone might be able to clear the normal Weekly Secret Chamber. With bad luck, like Old Mo, you might encounter Hunters slaughtering players, and survival depends entirely on your own skill.
Luck is the most unpredictable factor, so everyone needs to be prepared for both possibilities and try to improve the team's combat effectiveness.
Long Sen and Qu Wanyue, a married couple, have collaborated with everyone before. After plum blossom 4, they copied the two S-level special effect cards [ Chameleon ] and [ Long Jump Master ]. According to Yu Hanjiang, they are a husband and wife team, and they have good chemistry. They can be arranged into the most flexible mobile team in the team, responsible for reconnaissance and support.
After having lunch in a private room, everyone went to the bank together. Shao Qingge planned to transfer the 30 million he had just received to everyone. Yu Hanjiang said, " Professor Xiao can keep my money. I'm not good at managing accounts."
Ye Qi said, " CEO Shao, could you please keep my money safe? I'm not very good at managing accounts."
Shao Qingge thought for a moment and decided to divide the money into two parts: "I'll keep half and Professor Xiao will keep half. From now on, we'll all be doing things together. When it comes to spending money, Professor Xiao and I will pay. Just tell us what you need to buy."
Xiao Lou nodded: "Okay."
If all the money is in one person's hands, and something happens to that person, everyone will be penniless. It's safer to divide it into two parts.
After leaving the bank, the group went to a nearby shopping mall and each bought a smartphone.
I remember back in the world of Financial Crisis, the cell phones I bought could only send text messages and make calls; they couldn't access the internet. But the technology in the main city is already quite similar to the real world; smartphones can use WeChat, make video calls, and even access the internet.
Seven people bought phone cards and entered everyone's numbers into the address book in turn.
Xiao Lou also created a WeChat group and added everyone to it, so that any notifications could be sent through the group. Of course, these devices cannot be brought into the escape room; they can only be used in the main city.
While passing by the computer mall, Xiao Lou suddenly asked, "Does anyone need to buy a computer?"
Shao Qingge said, "I need a computer. While I'm in the main city, I need to keep an eye on the economic trends and trade stocks to earn some pocket money."
Ye Qi said longingly, "If I have enough money, I'd like to buy a laptop. I used to write lyrics and compose music on the computer a lot. I've had some inspiration recently and I want to write down the songs."
Yu Hanjiang looked at Xiao Lou and said, "One machine is enough for the two of us; we can use it together to look up information."
Liu Qiao said, "Then I'll have one too."
Xiao Lou looked at Long Sen and Qu Wanyue, a couple who had just joined the team and had no money, so they were too embarrassed to ask for a computer. Unexpectedly, Xiao Lou smiled and asked, "Gentlemen, would you each buy one, or would you like to share one?"
Long Sen waved his hand, flattered, "No need, no need. I used to use my computer for playing games. In this world, I definitely won't have the time to play games."
game..."
Xiao Lou said, "Having a computer is more convenient for checking information and surfing the internet. Would it be alright to buy one for you two?"
The two exchanged a glance, their eyes welling up with tears. Qu Wanyue quickly said, "Thank you, Professor Xiao. We'll pay you back for the phone and computer later..."
Xiao Lou smiled and said, "No need to pay it back, just deduct it from the team's funds. We're not short of money."
The penniless couple and Liu Qiao: "..."
Suddenly I feel like I'm being kept by a rich team.
Xiao Lou and Shao Qingge bought five laptops in one go; it feels so good to have so much money.
On their way to buy things, they also looked for the Intelligence Bureau branch "Welfare Lottery" that Lao Mo had mentioned. Sure enough, they found a small shop in the city center that was closed on Tuesdays, with a "Closed" sign hanging at the door.
Back at the New World Hotel, Xiao Lou booked an extra room for Long Sen and Qu Wanyue. After a busy day, everyone went back to their rooms to rest and arranged a meeting time for the next day in the WeChat group.
***
The next morning, their biological clocks woke them up on time, and Xiao Lou sent a message in the WeChat group: "Everyone, gather downstairs for breakfast."
When we went downstairs, everyone had already arrived. We went out of the hotel and had breakfast nearby. Then we took two taxis to the "Tang's Welfare Lottery" in the city center.
Several people were already queuing outside the store. Xiao Lou was worried that too many people would attract attention, so he only took Yu Hanjiang and Liu Qiao to inquire, while the others waited for the results at a nearby coffee shop.
At 8:30, the welfare lottery shop opened on time.
The people in line went in one by one in order. Xiao Lou couldn't see what they were doing, but he knew they came out quickly. Some looked happy, while others looked dejected.
Soon it was Xiao Lou's turn.
The three of them entered the house together, and an electric sliding door opened in front of them.
After passing through two doors, they entered an office. Two computers sat on a desk, behind which sat a young woman wearing silver-rimmed glasses, with short, shoulder-length hair and a cold expression. Upon seeing Xiao Lou and his companions, she asked in a flat, emotionless voice, "Want to buy lottery tickets?"
Xiao Lou stepped forward with a smile: "We'd like to investigate two people. How much does it cost?"
The woman readily handed a form to Xiao Lou, saying, "Fill in the information. The more detailed the description, the better. We will price the form based on the difficulty of the inquiry."
Xiao Lou handed the form to Liu Qiao, who quickly bent down and filled in the information of the person she needed to look up—her older sister, Liu Ying, 23 years old, a graduate student at Medical University, 168cm tall, 55kg, with a high black ponytail, wearing a white sweater, blue jeans and a red wool coat when she came to Card World.
Liu Qiao wrote this based on the "missing person notice" and tried to be as detailed as possible.
The woman took the form, glanced at it, and began typing rapidly on the keyboard.
The clattering of her keyboard was exceptionally clear in the quiet room. Liu Qiao couldn't see what she was typing, so he could only clench his fists and stand anxiously by her side, waiting.
Half a minute later, the woman raised her head and said calmly, "No such person found."
Liu Qiao was stunned for a moment, then asked nervously, "What do you mean? How could we not find it? My sister clearly came to Card World..."
The woman calmly said, "We can only find information on Challengers who have entered the main city. If no such person is found, it's probably because the person you're looking for failed to pass the first four stages and didn't successfully enter the main city world."
Liu Qiao's eyes widened slightly: "What if she went to Sun City?"
The woman said, " The Intelligence Bureau's information network is interconnected. My colleagues in Sun City just gave me feedback that they also couldn't find this person—this girl named Liu Ying has never appeared in the main city world."
Yu Hanjiang frowned: "Perhaps you haven't included her information in your statistics?"
Xiao Lou nodded: "Yes, how are you sure you can collect data on all Challengers?"
The woman smiled gently, adjusted her glasses, and looked at Xiao Lou, saying, " Xiao Lou, ID number 89657741." She then looked at Yu Hanjiang and continued, " Yu Hanjiang, ID number 89657701—please do not question the accuracy of the Intelligence Bureau's information."
Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang were startled and exchanged a glance.
The woman not only accurately recited their names, but also their ID numbers without a single mistake.
It seems the Intelligence Bureau's database is indeed comprehensive; they've only been in this world for three days, yet they've already been entered into the Intelligence Bureau's database. Thinking this, Liu Qiao's expression grew increasingly grim: "Really can't find Liu Ying?"
The woman said, "All Challengers who enter the main city will automatically be issued an ID card and receive an ID number. Unfortunately, there is no girl named Liu Ying in the database. I think she was probably eliminated in the first four rounds."
Liu Qiao clenched her fists tightly, and her body began to tremble slightly.
Her eyes were slightly red, and tears were welling up in them, but she held them back from crying.
Xiao Lou had actually anticipated this outcome. When she met Liu Qiao's sister in the Plum Blossom 2 escape room, she ended up teaming up with a skinny girl. Such a combination had a very low chance of surviving. The first four levels, Heart 3 and 4, and Spade 3 and 4, were all very difficult. If they didn't encounter a powerful player to carry them to victory, being eliminated would be the most likely result.
Unexpectedly, that fleeting glimpse into the secret room of Plum Blossom 2 turned into a final farewell.
That girl with a gentle voice and long ponytail, perhaps
It has completely disappeared from Card World.
Xiao Lou felt a pang of sadness and gently pressed Liu Qiao's shoulder, unsure of what to say.
Liu Qiao was usually very calm, but when she heard that her sister was "not found," she couldn't control her emotions. Tears welled up in her eyes. She took a deep breath and said, "Maybe my sister was delayed in another secret room and hasn't finished the first four levels yet. She won't be able to come to the main city for a few days. Can I check again next week?"
This kind of statement is just self-comfort.
The loss of a loved one was too hard to accept, and Liu Qiao needed to adjust her mindset. Xiao Lou could only say gently, "That's right, let's check again next week. Maybe your sister was just late."
Yu Hanjiang stepped forward and filled out another form to look up Mo Xuemin's information.
The Intelligence Bureau was very efficient and quickly printed out a stack of documents and handed them to Yu Hanjiang. — Mo Xuemin, 40 years old, 180cm tall, 70kg, is a designer at Xinxin Decoration Company and came to Card World three months ago.
The information table even showed all of his teammates' details, and sure enough, his previous teammates were wiped out in last week's Weekly Routine.
Xiao Lou was increasingly alarmed as he read on. The Intelligence Bureau's research capabilities were terrifying. They were able to uncover all of a person's information during their time in Card World's main city.
Yu Hanjiang looked at the woman behind the desk and asked, "How much do we need to pay?"
The woman filled in a number for him— Liu Ying was relatively simple, since no information about her could be found, and the fee was only 100,000 gold coins; Mo Xuemin's information was printed out in several pages, and the fee was ten times higher.
Xiao Lou readily paid the bill, and the three of them left Intelligence Bureau and returned to the coffee shop.
Seeing Liu Qiao's pale face, everyone knew that the results of the search were probably not optimistic. Ye Qi hurriedly and clumsily comforted her, "Xiao Qiao, don't be sad. The Intelligence Bureau's information may not be accurate. Your sister will definitely be fine. We'll try to find her again."
Liu Qiao quickly composed herself and said, "Well, it's okay. Let's focus on figuring out how to do our Weekly Routine first."
Shao Qingge changed the subject, asking, "Have you investigated Lao Mo's background thoroughly?"
Yu Hanjiang sat down and put a stack of Lao Mo's documents on the table for everyone to see. He frowned and said, " The Intelligence Bureau can find out so much about a person's resume. There must be some very skilled hackers among their members."
Xiao Lou looked at him: " Captain Yu means that they hacked into Card World's official database and stole data?"
Yu Hanjiang nodded: "The Population Management Bureau should have all of our identification codes; the police archives center will have records of missing persons. Once an outsider Challenger goes missing, he must have died in the Weekly Routine or some other locked room. The Intelligence Bureau can quickly identify a person by comparing their portrait with their ID card. Just now, there was something wrong with that woman's glasses."
Xiao Lou thought back carefully. The woman was wearing silver-rimmed glasses. He paused for a moment and said, "Did she have a camera installed in her glasses? Or a device that scans our facial data?"
Yu Hanjiang said, "Yes, she extracted our facial features, compared them with the database, and was able to immediately identify us and say our ID numbers."
Shao Qingge couldn't help but admire: "The head of the Intelligence Bureau is really something, managing to gather so many hackers to work for him?"
Xiao Lou said, "I remember when the president of the Distant Place Association mentioned the Intelligence Bureau, he said that their boss was mysterious and surnamed Tang. This Director Tang must be a very powerful person. We can try to contact him in the future. If he can really hack into the official database of Card World's main city, that would be amazing. Maybe he knows a lot of secrets about this world."
Yu Hanjiang nodded in agreement: "I think so too. However, it's already Wednesday, and we only have two days left to prepare for this week's Weekly Routine. Let's talk to Lao Mo first and finalize the team."
Shao Qingge said, "Including Lao Mo, we only have eight people, which is barely enough to meet the minimum number of people required for a high-end contract book."
Yu Hanjiang said decisively, "Eight people are enough. As long as everyone unites and follows orders, a small elite team can be more flexible than those large guilds."
Xiao Lou nodded: "Everyone, let's go back first and discuss how to plan our weekly routine for this week."