Chapter 25 Who Am I 24
The time was getting late. At seven in the evening, the Eerie Parents would be coming home, so Lin Xiangjun chewed on some dried mango while walking home with Wang Min.
Downstairs at the apartment building, the two of them ran into an unexpected person.
"Aunt Wang?" Lin Xiangjun tilted her head. She wasn't trying to be cute; the dried mango was a bit hard to chew, and her cheek was starting to ache, so she tilted her head to relieve the tension.
Standing at the foot of the apartment building was indeed Aunt Wang, that middle-aged woman wearing a floral blouse. Her mental state wasn't too bad; although she had suffered some corruption, it hadn't even reached the level of mild corruption.
"Young lady." Aunt Wang swallowed, rubbing her hands together in embarrassment.
Lin Xiangjun used a toothpick to remove a mango fiber stuck between her teeth and said, "Aunt Wang, is there something you need?"
If the other party could provide useful clues, she would listen to their request. If they were just there to be unreasonable or use moral blackmail, she would turn around and leave immediately.
Aunt Wang hesitated for a moment before pulling something out of her pocket. She steeled herself and said, "Young lady, I'm old and don't understand these rules or puzzles you young people talk about. I only have one request: I want to leave this place alive."
She tried to shove the item into Lin Xiangjun's hand.
"I found this in my home. I know it's a good item. Can I use it to trade for you taking me out of this instance?"
Lin Xiangjun took the item and looked at it, a flash of surprise crossing her expression.
【Living Wallet: Produces 50 underworld currency every week. The amount isn't much, just enough for you to buy twenty catties of rice to eat for a week. Remember, don't have it with pickles, or you won't have enough money.】
It was actually a c-rank prop.
This was actually a pretty good item. After all, it could produce an infinite amount of underworld currency, though the output was a bit low. Fifty a week was just enough to support Wang Min; trying to support Patrick Star as well would lead to starvation.
However, this item would be very useful to take out of the instance. Fifty a week to buy twenty catties of rice—how could that not be enough for a family of three to have thick porridge three times a day?
If the output were a bit higher, it might even reach B-rank or higher.
Unfortunately, while it was a good item, it was useless to Lin Xiangjun.
Money was the last thing she lacked. The long string of numbers on her bank card was enough for her to chop up underworld currency as filling to make buns and dumplings, and even steam them. This fifty a week... tch, it was completely useless.
Lin Xiangjun weighed it in her hand, then turned to look at the anxious Aunt Wang and handed the wallet back.
To her, this item was like a chicken rib—tasteless but wasteful to discard—but to an ordinary person like Aunt Wang, it was a massive opportunity. At the very least, it could ensure they wouldn't starve to death after the apocalypse descended.
"This item is very useful to you. Are you sure you want to give it to me? I might not even be able to clear the instance myself, let alone guarantee I can take you out with me. You'd be better off finding the other two. If the three of you work together, you might just find a solution."
Aunt Wang gave a bitter smile.
"Young lady, I haven't read many books, and I don't understand any grand principles. But after living for so many years, I have a bit of an eye for people."
"That young man looks capable, knowledgeable, and smart; he's very likely to survive. But he keeps things hidden. He digs for information from me and keeps saying he'll think of a way, but where is the solution? He doesn't tell me anything, just wants to take things from me, and won't even share verbal information. How could I dare to entrust my life to someone like that?"
"And that little one, he's still just a child himself. He loses his head when things happen; what can I expect from him?"
At this point, Aunt Wang sighed, looked up, and wiped away her tears.
As a village aunt like her, she hadn't traveled far in her life; taking her child to school in town was the furthest she'd ever gone. When it came to knowledge or cleverness, she certainly couldn't compare to those educated people.
But in all her years of living, what she was most proud of was her ability to judge people.
Who was upright, who was honest, who was capable—she had a scale in her heart even before she got married.
When she was young, her parents arranged a marriage for her. The other party was the wealthiest family in the village. In those days, they had built a red brick house with iron fences—the conditions were excellent.
But after meeting him once, she refused to marry him no matter what. When asked why, she said she felt that the young man's eyes were gloomy, as if he were hiding something. Just looking at him made her heart tremble; she was afraid.
In the end, it didn't work out.
What did the villagers say at the time? They all said she had no eye for quality, no luck, and wasn't destined to enjoy a life of ease.
Who would have known that less than two years later, the police came to that young man's house and dragged the whole family of three away in handcuffs.
Once people asked around, they found out that the skinny, frail-looking guy was actually involved in organ trafficking. No wonder he had made so much money at such a young age; no wonder he had built a big house and had money to buy a car.
The moment Wang Guiying saw Lin Xiangjun, she had a strong premonition—just like when she met her husband—telling her that this person was very capable and that following her would lead to a good life. However, this feeling was even stronger than it had been back then, making her unable to help but steal frequent glances at her.
Thinking of this, Wang Guiying's eyes became firm.
The thing she was most proud of in her life was her eye for people, followed by her clear self-awareness. She knew exactly what she was worth.
Five days in total; today was the second day. Time was about to pass the halfway mark, yet she had no clue. Yesterday, she had gritted her teeth and made a judgment based on the rules, but somehow something went wrong. She had clearly followed the rules, yet she had still been corrupted.
She couldn't rely on herself, Wang Zixuan was about the same as her, and while Zhuo Xing had some ability, he was as cunning as a fox, so she couldn't trust him either.
Except for gambling on Lin Xiangjun, she had no other choice.
"This item, once I give it away, I won't take it back. Young lady, I'm not trying to force you. Whether this item is worth it or not, just give me a few pointers. If I survive, I'll remember this favor. If I don't, it's just my bad luck, and it won't be your fault."
The wallet returned to Lin Xiangjun's hand.
Lin Xiangjun was silent for a moment.
She didn't lack such a chicken-rib-like prop, nor did she mind giving a little help to this aunt who gave her a good impression, provided it didn't hinder her own interests.
There was no conflict of interest in this instance, so she lowered her eyelashes and accepted the wallet.
"There are three sets of rules in the residential complex: the complex rules, the family rules, and the stairwell rules posted behind the unit door."
Seeing Aunt Wang's surprised expression, she knew that the three of them must have missed the stairwell rules.
"The family rules are correct, and the complex rules are correct; you cannot violate either side. Think about how your child fools both you and the teacher—use that method."
Lin Xiangjun paused, then finally said, "As for the answer to the instance, I've guessed about eighty percent of it, but I can't be entirely sure, so I won't say it and lead you astray. Just lay low for these next two days and don't violate the rules. If you violate the rules, you might turn into a ghost, and by then, even having the answer won't save you."
Wang Guiying nodded hurriedly.
"Tomorrow, the day after, at this time and this location—once I solve the answer, I'll tell you right here."
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