“Departure time, huh… I have a feeling there’s a pitfall here.” [Heart of Durian] nodded firmly, also glancing at her own watch to make sure there was no discrepancy.
She was the first to offer an idea based on the other party’s question, but just now, [Cheng Yu (Modern)] returned the favor with a piece of useful information.
This made [Heart of Durian] feel that their cooperation could continue even after getting off the bus.
Since they’d decided to keep working together, there were some things that needed to be discussed first:
“According to the background introduction of this Copy, our Copy this time is a team-building event organized by some unknown company. But did you notice? We didn’t bring anything with us.”
Even if the company had already bought the tickets and arranged the hotel, it wouldn’t make sense for them to leave home without bringing anything, right?
Usually, in this kind of Copy, at the very least they’d be given identification and cash. But this time, there was nothing.
Upon hearing this, [Cheng Yu (Modern)]’s eyes widened. Of course, after entering the Copy, he’d also checked himself over carefully. It was just as the other party said—he really didn’t have anything on him.
Many Copies don’t give players any identity props, but that’s usually in low-level Copies. In most cases, C-level Copies will equip players with corresponding identities and props.
Previously, [Cheng Yu (Modern)] hadn’t thought much of it, just assuming this Copy didn’t require money.
But now that [Heart of Durian] mentioned it, he also felt something was off. Was this really a proper company team-building trip?
“So what do you want to do?” After thinking for a while and coming up with nothing, [Cheng Yu (Modern)] simply asked. He figured since the other party had brought up the issue, maybe she had some ideas.
His guess was correct. [Heart of Durian] rubbed the armrest and spoke her mind:
“I want to hold off on rushing into the tasks after we get off the bus. Let’s find the tour guide first and learn a bit about our company, then ask some other tourist NPCs what the company actually does.”
Normally, after entering a Copy, you’d have to race against the clock to complete tasks. But she wasn’t planning on doing that—she wanted to first get a feel for the Copy.
Different players have different problem-solving approaches, so she wanted to consult her teammate’s opinion.
Of course, even though she was asking, if her temporary teammate didn’t cooperate, she wouldn’t compromise—she’d just find a new one.
“Sure.”
[Cheng Yu (Modern)] agreed readily. “When we get off, let’s ask the tour guide directly. Who knows, maybe you don’t even need to go into the amusement park to clear this Copy?”
[Heart of Durian]:
Although she suspected there was more to it, wasn’t that a bit too optimistic?
Just as she was speechless, the tour guide Feixian spoke up again:
“After I take you into the amusement park, I’ll head back to the hotel to rest. If you need anything, you can find me at room 444. We’re almost at the stop. If you have any questions, now’s the time to raise your hand.”
As soon as she said this, several arms shot up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain—”swish, swish, swish.” Clearly, many people had questions, but had been holding back, unsure of the rules.
[Cheng Yu (Modern)] and [Heart of Durian] also had questions, but since they were sitting in the back, they decided to wait and see.
They wanted to see if anyone ahead would ask about their doubts, and if so, there’d be no need to repeat the question.
The tour guide called on people in seat order, starting with the short-haired woman in the very front.
“I want to ask, are there places in the amusement park where you need to spend money?” The short-haired woman asked a bit shyly, “What should I do if I get thirsty or hungry?”
She didn’t care why she didn’t have any money, but she did care about money itself.
This was a question everyone was concerned about. Even if they hadn’t thought of it before, after hearing her ask, everyone pricked up their ears to listen to the guide’s answer.
Feixian smiled and took out a shiny gold Game Token. “This question is actually answered on your ticket. But since you asked, I’ll say it in advance.
Happy District 13 Amusement Park has a special rule: regular currency doesn’t work inside. Visitors need Game Tokens to buy goods.”
She didn’t make things difficult for the players.
After showing the currency, Feixian immediately explained how to get Game Tokens: “For every completed amusement project, the staff will give out a certain number of tokens.”
The fact that there was a free way to get tokens made everyone breathe a sigh of relief.
After all, to complete the company’s Punch-in Task, they’d have to play the amusement facilities anyway, so earning tokens was just a bonus.
However, some people’s eyes darkened, as if they’d thought of something.
“Durian, do you think someone will try to steal tokens?” [Cheng Yu (Modern)] asked with interest. Although phrased as a question, his tone was certain—he clearly already knew the answer.
[Heart of Durian] shot him a slightly displeased look but didn’t answer. She thought the same.
When it came to tickets, players with some integrity might not snatch others’ tickets unless they’d lost their own.
But as for Game Tokens, people would definitely steal them, even if they had plenty themselves.
[Cheng Yu (Modern)] didn’t care whether she answered. He stroked his chin. “Do you think NPCs have Game Tokens and tickets?”
He still had a bit of integrity and didn’t plan to rob other players. But robbing NPCs—surely that didn’t count as stealing, right?
“You can try.” This time, [Heart of Durian] answered. That’s what players always did—no one felt any pity for NPCs.
Next, two more players were called on. One asked about the exact assembly time, and the other asked what would happen if they didn’t complete all the Punch Card Projects.
The first was a valid question, and the guide’s answer was that they had to be on the bus by 7:30 a.m. the next morning.
The second was a dumb question—if you don’t punch in, what do you think happens? You can’t clear the Copy, obviously.
***
Soon, the bus stopped at a parking lot full of buses. The guide stood up again, her face wearing an obvious smile. “Please prepare to disembark in an orderly fashion. Happy District 13 has arrived.”
There were no mishaps during the disembarking process. After all, this part involved the crucial distribution of tickets, and no one wanted to cause trouble.
After getting their tickets and getting off the bus, [Cheng Yu (Modern)] didn’t look at the ticket right away, but instead observed the surroundings.
Not far from the bus was the amusement park entrance. Behind the tall iron fence was a lively, joyful scene, with a constant stream of visitors, packed with people.
But what was strange was that there were no pedestrians or tourists at the gate.
The several buses parked nearby gave the impression that there were lots of visitors, but there was just no one there. Did they just happen to be out of sync with everyone else, or was there some hidden reason?
[Cheng Yu (Modern)] pondered for a moment, then withdrew his gaze and looked carefully at the ticket in his hand.
On the front of the ticket were ten projects: roller coaster, bumper cars, pirate ship, log flume, giant swing, drop tower, carousel, city train, Ghost House, and Ferris wheel.
Behind each project was a checkbox—these were the ten projects they needed to check in at.
Almost every project seemed somewhat dangerous. The only one that sounded harmless was probably the carousel, but even that didn’t feel reassuring.
“That’s a lot… but if we have 24 hours, it shouldn’t be hard to finish.” [Cheng Yu (Modern)] groaned instinctively, but quickly calmed down.
Even if each project took an hour to queue for, there was more than enough time. The question was, how late did these amusement facilities stay open? Were there projects that only opened at night?
In horror Copies, there was often a setting where ghosts become stronger at night, and players hated acting at night.
Before she could look at the rules on the back of the ticket, [Heart of Durian] walked over. “Let’s go find the tour guide first.”