After the hospital was destroyed, Xu Muran led everyone to the real " Hunter Base" in Oasis Town.
Located northeast of Oasis Town, the area boasts wide streets with branching off into alleys, facilitating escape and offering a strategically advantageous location. Furthermore, the buildings here are identical to those of the Oasis's native inhabitants; Xiao Lou and his group cannot afford to attack innocent civilians without certainty that the inhabitants might be Hunters.
Gui Yuanzhang communicated with Shao Qingge in the world of the painting through telepathy, saying, "It seems that the hospital is not their stronghold, but a trap they set up. If all of you go to the hospital to find medicine, Xu Muran will detonate a large amount of explosives buried underground, killing you all."
Recalling the scene of flames engulfing the sky, Shao Qingge felt lingering fear: "Fortunately, we split up. If we hadn't known about the trap and had rushed into the hospital only to be wiped out instantly, there would have been no way to salvage the situation."
Gui Yuanzhang said, "Besides having me act as his informant, Xu Muran must have other ways to monitor your movements. These monitoring points must be thoroughly investigated, otherwise, even if we go back in time, we can easily be discovered by him as long as we appear in the Oasis."
Just then, Xu Muran suddenly turned to Gui Yuanzhang and said, " Old Gui, we've taken over all the accommodations on this street. This room was specially reserved for you. I see you've had a long day, why don't you go back and rest?"
Gui Yuanzhang said, "I'm not tired, but I'm a little hungry. Is there anything to eat?"
Xu Muran waved to Cheng Ziyang behind him: "Xiao Cheng, take Old Gui to his room and get him some food."
Gui Yuanzhang followed Cheng Ziyang into the room and found a seat. Cheng Ziyang had someone bring over a plate of roasted meat and a plate of fruit, and said with a smile, "Senior, the conditions here are limited, please make do with what you have to eat."
Compared to Xiao Lou and his men, who were starving and had to share a single pack of biscuits, Hunter was able to eat roasted meat in the oasis. The difference was enormous.
Gui Yuanzhang asked, "Xiao Cheng, I've never seen you before. When did you start following Xu Muran?"
Cheng Ziyang said, "I've known Brother Xu for almost a month now."
Shao Qingge whispered in the world of the painting: "This person is Ye Qi's senior. He caused Ye Qi to be eliminated in the secret room of Spade 3, and later killed Xue Qing in the Zerg secret room of Spade 8. I threw him into the fire. It was exactly one month ago."
Gui Yuanzhang tore off some roasted meat and stuffed it into his mouth, saying to Shao Qingge, " Xu Muran also betrayed our team's agreement. Cheng Ziyang's character of betraying anyone to survive is just like his."
"Can we find out anything through him?" Shao Qingge asked.
"Yes, he is Xu Muran's right-hand man, in charge of internal affairs." Gui Yuanzhang raised his head, his gaze towards Xu Muran gradually softening: "Xiao Cheng, there's no need to be so reserved. It's clear that Muran trusts you a lot, otherwise, he wouldn't have asked you to tally the rewards after the mission ends."
Cheng Ziyang chuckled dryly, " Brother Xu always rewards based on merit. During the time I've been following him, I've always been loyal and obedient, which is why he let me manage these internal affairs."
Gui Yuanzhang nodded calmly: "Yes, I think highly of you too. You're so young, yet you're very meticulous. I must thank you for saving my life with the healing card just now."
Cheng Ziyang quickly replied, "You're too kind, senior. It's my pleasure."
Gui Yuanzhang said, "You know that you'll be rewarded with two Eternal Life Cards after this mission is completed?"
Cheng Ziyang nodded: "I've heard the boss mention it."
Gui Yuanzhang changed the subject: "Have you ever heard of 'raising Gu'?"
Cheng Ziyang was stunned for a moment, looking puzzled: "Raising Gu?"
Gui Yuanzhang patiently explained, "My plan with Mu Ran, to put it simply, is to raise a 'poisonous insect' (a metaphor for a dangerous situation). First, we'll have an excellent Challenger team clear all the way to the K Secret Chamber, and then we'll eliminate them in the final Twin Kings Secret Room. That way, we can get the highest reward from the Hunters."
Cheng Ziyang suddenly realized: "I understand now. Senior and Brother Xu are truly farsighted!"
Gui Yuanzhang said, "Mu Ran and I have been planning for the Immortal Card for half a year. After leaving this escape room, we will continue the Gu-raising plan. If you perform well enough next time you get the Immortal Card, Mu Ran will definitely give you the reward first, and I will have no objection. Our Hunter team also needs reliable core members."
Cheng Ziyang's eyes lit up, and he clenched his fist excitedly: "Thank you for your appreciation, senior!"
Gui Yuanzhang smiled, gently patted his shoulder and said, "Go ahead and get busy."
After Cheng Ziyang left, Shao Qingge asked in a low voice, "Is the Gu-raising plan that you mentioned true?"
Gui Yuanzhang nodded: "Yes. When I met the boss in the Hunter Organization, he told us that if we killed all the Challengers in the Twin Kings secret room, we could get the Hunter's highest reward [Eternal Life Card]."
Shao Qingge asked in confusion, "Boss?"
Gui Yuanzhang said, "The boss is what we call the mastermind behind the Hunter Organization. His status is higher than the four Guardians, and he is likely one of the big and small kings. He decides the rewards and punishments for the Hunters. However, that person never shows his face. Every time he summons us, he sits behind a screen and announces the rules to us in a mechanical voice."
Shao Qingge understood: "He must be the highest-ranking 'faction leader' in Card World, right?"
"That's one way to understand it," Gui Yuanzhang said. "After the boss told us about Hunter's highest reward, Xu Muran approached me to discuss the Gu-raising plan. I decided to play along and, in Lu Jiuchuan and Tang…"
He resigned from his position as an undercover agent.
Shao Qingge suddenly realized: "No wonder you waited until the Twin Kings secret room to reveal your identity. You pretended to help Xu Muran infiltrate, but in reality, you wanted to send us out of Card World?"
"Yes, this method is somewhat risky, but it is also the best way."
Shao Qingge was conflicted. After a few seconds of silence, he asked, "Then what will you do? You're the Hunter. If we clear the level, it means your mission has failed, right?"
Gui Yuanzhang said, " Xu Muran gave me a survival time card that will allow me to live for another three months in Card World. Don't worry, I'll figure something out when the time is up."
Shao Qingge was about to speak when Gui Yuanzhang interrupted him in a low voice: "Alright, it's time to find out their plans."
*
When Gui Yuanzhang arrived in Oasis Town, he indeed saw Cheng Ziyang bustling about.
Since Old Gui had just promised him the benefit of "giving you priority consideration for the next Eternal Life Card," Cheng Ziyang's wariness of Old Gui had largely dissipated. Upon seeing him, he immediately ran over and said solicitously, "Senior Gui, why did you come out? It's windy at night, you should go and rest. I'll keep watch here."
"I'm worried, so I came out to check."
Gui Yuanzhang glanced around, then suddenly, taking advantage of a moment when no one was looking, lowered his voice and whispered in Cheng Ziyang's ear, "I know Xiao Lou and his group very well. With their strength, they might be able to return from the Nightmare Secret Room. We have to be careful."
Cheng Ziyang paused for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, " Brother Xu has already instructed me to send people to increase nighttime patrols."
Gui Yuanzhang said, " Xiao Lou has a lot of teleportation cards, so he can hide everywhere. Yu Hanjiang is also a former Criminal Police Officer with top-notch counter-surveillance capabilities. If the surveillance you set up is destroyed by Yu Hanjiang, and he cooperates with Xiao Lou's teleportation to launch an ambush guerrilla war, it is very likely that we will fail at the last minute."
Cheng Ziyang nodded in agreement and said, "Senior is right, we still need to be careful."
Gui Yuanzhang said, "Hmm. To be absolutely sure, it would be best to personally inspect it again."
Cheng Ziyang did not suspect Old Gui's true purpose. He took Old Gui with him and turned to patrol the surrounding area.
The night was cool and still, and Oasis Town, bathed in moonlight, seemed shrouded in a mysterious veil. Many men and women dressed as locals patrolled in pairs along the main streets of Oasis Town; Gui Yuanzhang immediately recognized them as hunters.
While quickly noting down the height, appearance, and other characteristics of these people, Gui Yuanzhang silently counted the number of Hunters in his mind. After walking for a while, Gui Yuanzhang asked in a low voice, "Do you have enough patrolmen? Why don't you transfer some more?"
Cheng Ziyang said, "Except for Brother Xu who is resting, everyone else has been mobilized. There are only about thirty Hunters in total who came to the Twin Kings Secret Room this time. We also know that this is a critical period and we cannot be careless. As long as we can get through these few hours and confirm that the mission has been successfully completed, it will not be too late for everyone to rest."
Gui Yuanzhang praised, "It's good that you all have this awareness. Everyone, please work hard tonight. You should also take stock of the cards you have, so you won't be overwhelmed."
Cheng Ziyang nodded obediently: "Understood, senior."
He led Old Gui to inspect several surveillance points in turn. Gui Yuanzhang followed him, quickly memorizing the layout of all the surveillance cameras in his mind. Shao Qingge drew a map in the world of the painting according to the route provided by Old Gui.
After walking around the area, Shao Qingge had drawn a complete map of the surveillance distribution.
Looking at the drawn map, he said, "Senior, the town has a dense surveillance network; it seems they're very well prepared. I just wonder if we can sneak in wearing Invisibility Cloaks?"
Upon hearing Shao Qingge's words, Gui Yuanzhang turned to Cheng Ziyang and asked, "Have the cameras been checked?"
Cheng Ziyang immediately reported: "I've checked, everything is fine. I think even if Yu Hanjiang is very capable, he shouldn't have anywhere to hide in front of so many surveillance cameras, right?"
Gui Yuanzhang reminded them, "Don't forget, they also have the Invisibility Cloak."
Cheng Ziyang laughed and said, "Senior, don't worry. The cameras on the sixteen main roads are all my [Infrared X-ray Camera] cards, which can detect invisible targets. Against an S-level card, even if they're wearing an Invisibility Cloak, it won't help. Whether they're going to the Hunter base or the Hospital, they'll have to pass through the main roads, and they'll be detected by the cameras."
He paused, then said excitedly, "Some of the people who came this time have the [Heavenly Net], and some have the [White Crystal Ball]. The Crystal Ball can make invisible targets over a large area visible, while the Heavenly Net can be placed high in the sky and no one can detect it. If they really show up, they will be walking into the trap!"
Gui Yuanzhang feigned relief and said, "That's good. You need to keep a close eye on the monitor and not give them any opportunity."
Cheng Ziyang said, "Don't worry, the monitoring screen is in Brother Xu's hands, and he's keeping a close eye on it."
The two chatted casually as they walked back. When they got back to their lodgings, Gui Yuanzhang said, "I'm getting old, and the wind gave me a headache. I'll go back to my room and rest for a while. Xiao Cheng, please take good care of me."
Cheng Ziyang respectfully escorted him back.
After returning to his room, Gui Yuanzhang immediately checked the surveillance map of the entire Oasis Town with Shao Qingge, as well as the locations of traps such as the inescapable net. At the same time, based on his memory, Gui Yuanzhang also marked the location of the Hunter base.
Shao Qingge said, "With this detailed map, it will be much more convenient to come back next time."
Gui Yuanzhang whispered, " Yu Hanjiang is a Criminal Police Officer. Let him figure out how to bypass the main road's surveillance and strike at the heart of the enemy. Also, we need to find out who has the [ Card Skill Shielding ] card, and Xu..."
"The card Mu Ran just used to turn into a turtle was also strange. I'll go find out more about him."
*****