(9/10)
Yuying University
Chapter 447: Kill two birds with one stone
Midnight, Dormitory.
The message was short and clear.
Everyone exchanged glances, instantly understanding the hidden meaning behind the words.
—This was likely the time and place of the “club recruitment”.
“Ah… Looks like there’s nothing for us to do for now.”
Orange Candy looked a little disappointed.
Just like in the first academic year, the club recruitment was held after lights out—precisely during mandatory sleep time—so there really wasn’t much they could do.
Orange Candy’s eyes darted mischievously, clearly up to something. She turned to Wen Jianyan and shook her phone:
“Hey, should we rough this guy up a little more?”
She was no longer the naïve type to trust anyone easily—especially not a weasel like that one.
If it weren’t for Wen Jianyan’s presence, the guy wouldn’t have lasted five minutes in her hands.
Still, it was thanks to Wen Jianyan sparing his life earlier that they got this chance to enter the club in the first place. But that didn’t mean Orange Candy trusted him any more than before.
“No need to go overboard,” she tilted her head with an innocent smile, “just enough to make him remember the lesson.”
She spoke lightly, but whether she truly meant that was something only she knew.
“I agree,” Yun Bilan said unexpectedly after a moment of thought.
“During the selection, we’ll still be in ‘rest mode’. If he gets any funny ideas then, it could be bad.” Her expression didn’t change, but a dark red gleam flickered in her eyes. “A little pre-emptive threat isn’t a bad idea.”
Wen Jianyan: “…”
Why are all of you more aggressive than the last?
In the “Integrity First” live room chat:
[Honestly, you male members should do some self-reflection.]
[LOL facts!]
[Not really necessary, though.]
Wen Jianyan said tactfully, “He needs us more than we need him right now.”
After falling out with the Zhao Ze group, the Weasel was left completely isolated, with no backup. He was now desperate to align himself with a stronger force—and they had already proven their power.
He was now eager to gain their trust, and Wen Jianyan intended to use that.
Right now, the Weasel was like a terrified, cornered dog. If they pressed too hard, he might just snap and lash out in desperation.
“Of course, we still need to be cautious—but I trust I don’t need to remind you all of that.”
At their level as anchors, they all had their own means and tools to guard against betrayal.
Orange Candy’s face immediately fell.
“Aw…”
She kicked a small stone hard, muttering begrudgingly, “Fine. I’ll wait for another chance then.”
Wen Jianyan: “…”
So you really just wanted to beat him up, huh?
“By the way, where’s Hugo?” Wen Jianyan glanced around.
“He’s still not out,” Orange Candy said, nodding toward the tightly shut gym.
The gym was completely silent from the outside, offering no hint as to how much longer it would be. But the mere fact that no one had exited yet suggested things weren’t going well inside.
“So what do we do now? Keep waiting?” Tian Ye asked.
Wen Jianyan thought for a few seconds. “No.”
“Whatever is happening in there, we can’t interfere,” he said rationally.
Last time, they had tried to force their way into the gym. It wasn’t just extremely difficult—the cost of doing so had been nearly unbearable.
“Instead of wasting time here, we might as well find something else to do.”
The others froze, turning to look at him.
Night had fallen. Distant streetlights glowed faintly, their light reflecting in the young man’s eyes, making them sparkle in the dark.
Su Cheng: “…What are you planning?”
Yun Bilan also grew alert.
Wen Jianyan replied innocently, “Nothing.”
He still wore that ever-innocent expression.
“It’s just…” He turned to glance at the playground behind him, smiling with a hint of deeper meaning. “I got inspired.”
In a patch of overgrown weeds stood a small convenience store.
It nestled quietly in the shadow of the trees, cloaked in an eerie chill, as if it had always been there. But any anchor passing by would be startled, a question rising in their mind:
Was this store here last year?
Soon enough, they’d realize—it was part of a newly unlocked map that opened in the second academic year. The items it sold were exactly what they needed: the only tools capable of restoring sanity value.
However… something was different from the last time Wen Jianyan had visited.
This time, there was a sign at the entrance.
It read:
- Bottled water can be purchased or taken for free.
- No bargaining. No tabs.
- Once you leave the counter, we are not responsible.
The creaky door was pushed open—but the bell didn’t ring this time. A chunk of the door where the bell should’ve been was missing.
Wen Jianyan looked up, clearly disappointed.
Damn. That thing should’ve been his.
The store’s interior hadn’t changed a bit.
Cold. Damp. Dark.
Rows of shelves lined with bottled water. A ghostly figure sat behind the counter, unmoving—like a shadow in the dark.
Wen Jianyan stepped in first.
The moment he entered, the shadow behind the counter suddenly stirred.
A pale face peeked out.
Its features were flat and blurred, eyes bulging and round—strangely human and inhuman at the same time.
Within a second, those bulging eyes locked onto Wen Jianyan.
The store owner’s gaze was cold and venomous, tracking the young man’s every move through the aisles, never looking away.
In the “Integrity First” live room chat:
[Wait… did it recognize him?]
[Duh! Remember, the anchor did report him last time!]
[LOL, the grudge is real. Bet that owner will never forget.]
Wen Jianyan acted as if he hadn’t noticed. He strolled slowly between the shelves. Though every shelf held the exact same item, he examined each one carefully. Even the store owner’s face showed a hint of impatience.
Finally, he picked up a bottle from the front shelf and approached the counter.
Store owner: “…”
Wen Jianyan: “I’d like to pay.”
The moment he spoke, the store owner perked up.
He grinned wide, pale damp lips stretching into a sinister smile. “You want to buy water?”
Wen Jianyan remained calm. “Yes.”
The store owner’s slimy gaze swept slowly over him, then finally said, “One human heart.”
The group exchanged glances.
This confirmed what they already suspected.
In this store, items were priced using parts of the body. Which part, however, depended entirely on the store owner.
But that freedom had limits.
The “no bargaining” rule clearly applied to the owner.
After all, dissatisfied customers could take the product for free—they’d just have to deal with the potential consequences. But for the store owner, it was different.
Once he named a price, it was binding. Neither side could change it—unless he wanted to be reported again.
More anchors entered, shifting the owner’s attention.
Wen Jianyan raised an eyebrow. “A heart?”
The owner, distracted, replied, “This is your second purchase. Price increases are natural.”
Wen Jianyan tilted his head, smiling politely with a hint of guilt. “That’s odd. I didn’t buy it last time.”
“It was a gift from you… wasn’t it?”
“…”
The owner’s forced smile vanished.
In the “Integrity First” live room chat:
[…]
[This guy really knows how to push buttons.]
The store owner stared, clearly trying to decide which part of Wen Jianyan to bite off first.
Wen Jianyan stood calmly under that malicious gaze, manners still impeccable.
“If you can’t afford the price,” the ghostly figure said slowly, “you can always take it for free.”
That flat, blurry face wore a cold smile, eyes full of malice.
Wen Jianyan blinked innocently.
“But if I take it for free… and something happens later…”
The owner, now juggling the new customers and Wen Jianyan’s chatter, was visibly annoyed.
“Once you leave the counter, we are not responsible.”
Wen Jianyan frowned, like he was troubled. “But boss, doesn’t this violate the rules? You didn’t label the price clearly. And you haven’t disclosed product details. What about consumer rights?”
Store owner: “…”
Even the chat went dead silent.
[…]
[…The hell?]
A line was forming behind them.
The store owner finally lost patience.
He asked coldly, “So are you buying or not?”
Wen Jianyan sighed. “Forget it. I won’t buy.”
He turned around and placed the water bottle back on the shelf.
The owner’s eyes followed him wordlessly as he walked out.
The store door swung shut behind them, blocking the view of their retreating backs.
The small shop faded into the distance. The group quickly left the overgrown area.
They didn’t go far, instead stopping to wait.
Wen Jianyan let go of a string in his hand. Two figures that had been following him closely suddenly deflated like balloons, turning into two weightless paper cutouts drifting to the ground.
In the empty space to the side, two figures slowly emerged.
It was Su Cheng and Wei Cheng.
Their faces were pale, and their breathing was rapid.
“Did it work?” Wen Jianyan asked.
Su Cheng took a deep breath and steadied himself slightly.
He nodded and tossed over a bottle of mineral water.
With a smile at the corner of his lips, Wen Jianyan raised his hand and caught the bottle.
In the “Integrity First” live room chat:
[?]
[?]
[???]
[Wait… So your solution was to freaking steal?!!!]
“Are you sure this doesn’t count as just taking it for free?” Orange Candy looked suspicious.
“Not sure,” Wen Jianyan answered honestly.
Teammates: “…”
Then why did you look so confident the whole time?!
“But,” Wen Jianyan tossed the bottle up and caught it again, eyes slightly narrowed, a smile on his lips, and suddenly changed the subject, “the odds are pretty decent.”
Orange Candy: “How so?”
“Do you guys remember what happened on the playground when the student council did roll call?” Wen Jianyan asked.
Everyone nodded.
Because Wen Jianyan and Hugo had swapped student numbers during the previous PE class, it almost caused a mess this time.
“The student council already noticed it back then,” Wen Jianyan said.
“What?” The others were shocked.
Unlike their surprise, Wen Jianyan remained calm.
Due to his profession, he was extremely sensitive to emotional changes in others. So, naturally, he had noticed the student council member’s greed, hunger, and anticipation during roll call… and the uncontrollable disappointment after Hugo stepped forward.
In other words, from the very beginning, the student council already knew he had answered in Hugo’s place during that PE class.
“Wait,” Wei Cheng frowned slightly. “If they already knew, then why… ah!”
He froze, as if suddenly realizing something.
“Exactly.”
Wen Jianyan smiled.
“Because they had no proof.”
“So, do you get what I mean now?”
Wen Jianyan said seriously:
“As long as you don’t get caught in the act, and there’s no evidence, then it doesn’t count as breaking the rules.”
In the “Integrity First” live room chat:
[…No wonder you said you were inspired just now.]
[So what inspired you was this??]
[When other people go through this kind of thing, their first reaction is ‘phew, close call, thank goodness we got away with it,’ but your first reaction is, ‘if no one finds out you did something bad, then it’s as good as not doing it’? You’re really a reading comprehension expert, huh.]
[But I still think… stealing from a small shop shouldn’t be that simple, right?]
Just like the viewers in the livestream, Tian Ye outside the stream also showed a conflicted expression and hesitantly asked the same question: “But… will stealing like that really not have any consequences?”
Unexpectedly, Wen Jianyan raised an eyebrow:
“What?”
Tian Ye was stunned: “Huh?”
Wen Jianyan: “Who said we stole anything?”
Everyone: “…”
They looked at Wen Jianyan’s righteously innocent expression and fell into collective silence.
Then what was it?
A slight, unnoticeable smile curved Wen Jianyan’s lips: “If you don’t believe me, go check. Nothing is missing from the shelves.”
Tian Ye: “Huh?”
Before he could react, Wen Jianyan suddenly tossed the bottle of mineral water to him.
Tian Ye fumbled to catch it.
Wen Jianyan: “Take a closer look.”
Tian Ye blinked and instinctively looked down.
After examining the bottle carefully, he suddenly froze.
The surface was dented. Although it had been wiped clean, traces of blood remained in the crevices. The bottle was not full—only about two-thirds full.
“Wait, this is…”
Su Cheng nodded with a bit of helplessness:
“Yep, it’s our original bottle.”
Wen Jianyan put his hands in his pockets and smiled: “So, strictly speaking, we didn’t steal any merchandise.”
Every bottle of water was still sitting neatly on the shelf.
It’s just that… a few bottles had a little bit less water inside than before.
Tian Ye: “…So that’s why you insisted those two go together.”
Earlier, Orange Candy had wanted to tag along, but Wen Jianyan had gently refused.
At the time, it seemed like he wanted her to stay behind and cover the team, but now it turned out that wasn’t the reason at all.
Wei Cheng and Su Cheng—one a medium, the other a prophet—were the only two in the team with a spiritual connection to the supernatural.
Only the two of them standing together in front of the shelves could sense whether Wen Jianyan’s strategy would work, and precisely determine how much they could take without being noticed.
If any action would trigger a curse—whether immediately or in the future—they could sense it in advance and stop immediately, leaving the store as if nothing had happened.
Wen Jianyan blinked:
“In the supermarket, taking a bottle from the shelf is allowed. Afterward, we returned it to its original place before leaving. How can that count as stealing?”
He smiled gently:
“And even if it does count… no one saw us.”
When he said this, Wen Jianyan looked as innocent and well-behaved as the perfect student—like someone who would never break the rules.
In the “Integrity First” live room chat:
[…]
[I want to argue, but I don’t know what to say.]
[Damn it, are you addicted to bug abuse or what?!]
[Anchor really does have a talent for exploiting loopholes.]
[But this is all based on what I’ve experienced in this dungeon so far,” Wen Jianyan’s expression suddenly grew serious. “So this is just speculation. I can’t guarantee the dungeon won’t come after us later.]
After all, this dungeon was high-level, and the chance of being caught for exploiting a loophole wasn’t low.
“So we’d best stay alert from now on.”
If this ends up being considered a “free grab” by the dungeon, at least they’ll be mentally prepared.
Not far behind them, the supermarket door opened again.
The group from Zhao Ze came rushing out.
Wen Jianyan immediately noticed that one of them was pale, sweating, and had one hand hidden in their sleeve. Although it wasn’t visible, the faint metallic smell in the air hinted that—just like with Hugo—some part of them had been left behind in the supermarket.
Zhao Ze stepped forward at the sight of Wen Jianyan, but shrank back slightly upon seeing Orange Candy.
Wen Jianyan smiled and waved:
“Over here.”
Only then did Zhao Ze muster the courage to come over.
“Thanks for earlier,” he said gratefully.
Back on the basketball court, one of the teammates who lost 10 SAN was from his team.
Wen Jianyan’s information had been a godsend.
He not only told them exactly how to recover SAN, but also where the shop was and what kind of dangers they might encounter.
Although Wen Jianyan asked them to enter the store ten minutes before he did, that minor request didn’t really matter.
Wen Jianyan: “It’s nothing.”
He smiled. “After all, we’re all dormmates in the same game—we should help each other.”
Zhao Ze nodded and left with his team.
“Hugo?” Wen Jianyan asked. “Any word?”
Orange Candy checked her phone: “Nope.”
After a moment’s thought, Wen Jianyan said, “Then let’s head back to the dorm.”
He twisted open the water bottle and carefully took a sip. Once his SAN was back to 60, he stopped immediately.
He tossed the bottle to Orange Candy: “You guys take some too.”
Orange Candy shrugged:
“I’ll pass.”
Not just because the stuff was valuable and might not be easy to restock, but mostly because her SAN hadn’t dropped as badly as Wen Jianyan’s.
“I insist,” Wen Jianyan said.
“After all, we’ve got a club meeting tonight—we’d best be fully prepared.”
Orange Candy tilted her head at him: “And if we run out?”
Wen Jianyan tilted his head toward Zhao Ze and his team in the distance, and said lightly:
“Don’t they still have a full bottle?”
In the “Integrity First” live room chat:
[…]
[………………]
[No wonder he shared the supermarket info with his dormmates. Now I get it.]
[So your idea of ‘mutual help’ was this??]
[You let them go in to help distract the curse, and now if anything goes wrong, you’ve got an extra bottle in reserve? Two birds with one stone?]
[…You little devil!]
