Chapter 368: Chapter 367 Escape
"You’ve figured it out?!" Peter asked, his face alight with excitement as he pulled open the mosquito net.
Li Ang smiled mysteriously but didn’t answer him. Instead, he rose from his chair and gestured for his teammates, the Governor, and the others to leave the room.
Once the door was locked again, Li Ang turned toward the Governor, his expression growing serious. "This matter is difficult to handle."
The secretary frowned and asked hesitantly, "Master, do you mean..."
Li Ang shook his head and looked at the Governor. "Your Excellency, I fear your son is not suffering from a mental illness but is indeed entangled by a mermaid with ulterior motives."
"Is that so..."
Upon hearing Li Ang’s affirmation, the Governor didn’t know whether to worry about the mermaid or to feel relieved that his son wasn’t mentally ill. He had held a high position for a long time and was accustomed to deceit and concealment, especially in areas he wasn’t very familiar with. Therefore, he naturally couldn’t fully trust this Monk who had appeared unexpectedly.
He nodded and asked calmly, "What do you propose to do then?"
"I have an idea, though it’s a bit rough."
Li Ang rubbed his palms together. "Tonight, let me take your son’s place to see what kind of Monster this mermaid really is."
Inside the manor’s lounge, John Joyce, Julia, and Bob the Smoker sat on the sofa, flipping through the books and documents available for outsiders to view within the estate.
On the table between the sofas lay some Mysterious Studies Texts related to mermaids and the architectural plans of the manor itself.
Out of a sense of shame and resistance, they had replaced the Journey to the West-style clothing Li Ang had initially arranged for them with proper Western suits. Of course, the main reason they dared to do this was that Li Ang wasn’t currently in the lounge; he had gone outside the manor to survey the terrain.
CREAK.
The large door to the lounge was pushed open, and those who were leisurely seated instinctively straightened up and looked toward the entrance.
Li Ang walked in, closed the door behind him, and casually waved his hand.
Julia immediately understood. She placed her hands together, clapped once, then separated them, thumbs facing each other, forming a triangle.
An invisible force quickly spread out. The players immediately felt the surrounding area grow much "quieter." Whether it was the creaking of floorboards beneath their feet, the crackling of wood burning in the fireplace, or distant voices filtering through the walls, everything became almost inaudible.
This was one of Julia’s skills, capable of creating a relatively Soundproof Enchantment. Combined with other skills to confuse the senses, it effectively prevented eavesdropping, allowing people inside to converse with peace of mind. This was especially important since there were quite a few Spellcasters hidden within this manor.
After the Soundproof Enchantment was set up, Julia nodded to the others.
Li Ang found a seat and casually said, "I took a walk outside and used a fragment to scan around, but I didn’t see any trace of a mermaid."
"Really nothing, huh..." John Joyce sighed with some disappointment. Bob pursed his lips and didn’t speak, while Smoker opened his mouth as if to say something, then stopped.
Seeing everyone’s restrained appearance, Li Ang laughed and waved his hand. "Why do I feel like you all lose your energy the moment I arrive? Are you that afraid of me?"
As he spoke, Li Ang rolled up his sleeve, revealing a fat, white Worm with dense black compound eyes and plant-like tendrils covering its body, looking utterly endearing.
Bob shivered subconsciously and quickly responded with a naive smile, "...Where would that come from, HAHAHA."
"Yeah, how could that possibly be?" John Joyce wiped the cold sweat from his forehead almost imperceptibly and said with an awkward smile, "We’re an inseparable team, a united and friendly big family. Meeting each other out of so many people—if that’s not fate, then what is?"
"Absolutely, absolutely," Smoker chimed in, nodding furiously in agreement as he watched the Worm crawling halfway out of Li Ang’s sleeve.
Li Ang smiled and nodded. "That’s good. I thought you might blame me for being autocratic and taking on the commission without consulting my peers."
John Joyce quickly said, "Of course not. We’ve always thought that the team has come this far because of your excellent leadership, Brother Dao..."
Li Ang raised his hand to interrupt John Joyce’s flattery. "Let’s skip the niceties. I know what you want to ask. You want to know, what if the mermaid doesn’t show up? What then?"
John Joyce and Bob looked at each other, then hesitantly nodded. John Joyce said, "According to that rich young master’s description, this time we’re most likely encountering the fairy tale of The Little Mermaid, and it should easily trigger an encounter with the mermaid. However, if the plan goes awry and the mermaid doesn’t show up, on the Governor’s end..."
"That doesn’t matter. If the mermaid doesn’t show up, we’ll just say we made an error in judgment and terminate our employment with them directly."
Li Ang spread his hands. "I even have the resignation speech ready. Statement: Life is full of dreams, each to their own splendor. I hereby officially declare the end of the employment relationship with the Governor’s son, Peter. Thank you for all his efforts. There comes a time for meeting and a time for parting. No matter when, we will fully support his future decisions and arrangements, and we also wish him that on his future path, he will ride the wind, break the waves, and hoist his sail to cross the vast sea, achieving the life he dreams of!"
"???"
His teammates were utterly confused.
John Joyce shook his head, tossed out the mind-numbing thoughts, and then asked, "What if the Governor insists on us continuing to wait here? We can’t afford to waste time."
Li Ang smiled slightly. "That’s easy to handle. We’ll just make up a reason, say we’re not up to such a daunting task, and then recommend another qualified candidate to the Governor."
Julia asked subconsciously, "Who?"
"Dorothy, naturally." Li Ang righteously sold out the Forest Witch once again. "She is a renowned Spellcaster, famous in several kingdoms. If her power isn’t enough, at least her reputation will suffice. After all, she’s already eaten a Worm; I believe she wouldn’t be foolish enough to betray us."
"..."
John Joyce fell silent for a moment. He thought of the Forest Witch left behind in the inn and pitied her for three seconds, but ultimately said nothing.
If Dorothy were "sold" to the Governor, what awaited her was certain death. Even if she could perform exceptionally and resolve the mermaid situation by herself, once successful, she’d most likely be killed by the Monk detonating the Worm inside her, all to prevent any information leaks. A conscience and principles above a certain level are an unattainable luxury for a senior player who has been struggling in this deadly game for months—not only useless but also liable to get oneself killed.
For a moment, the lounge fell into silence.
After a while, John Joyce took a deep breath and inquired, "So, where are we staying tonight?"
"I will disguise myself as Peter and lie in his room. You will wait in the neighboring rooms and a room downstairs, on standby. If the mermaid appears, I’ll scream loudly as a signal for you to come over."
"Understood."
With all instructions given, Li Ang lay down on the sofa, gazed at the crackling flames in the fireplace, and said lightly, "Now, we just wait for the mermaid to come knocking..."