There Must Be Something Wrong With This Game!

Chapter 17: Chapter 17: A Suitable Price

The SUV started driving toward the point of light.

Behind Duan Fei and the others, the middle-aged man’s jeep had been stripped clean. The group had taken everything useful and piled it in the back of their SUV, including but not limited to a radio, a revolver and its bullets, warm clothes, and the man’s Passport to Moon City.

In order to enjoy the full range of Crowbar services, the man had confessed everything he knew.

Some of what the middle-aged man had said was true, but some of it was also lies.

It was true that Moon City existed, and that the monster boys didn’t dare cause trouble there. But if they had actually followed his instructions, gone to the city, and said he had sent them, they would have been as good as dead.

Naive travelers would be sent to an inn. After their last supper, they would fall into a deep sleep from the sleeping pills in their food, and then be sent to an arena to fight mutated creatures.

Although the City Lord claimed they could leave if they won, it was an impossible task.

The mutated creatures were stronger than humans in every way. Fighting such terrifying beings was simply suicide. Even if someone managed to survive by a fluke...

Well, no one ever had.

If one entered normally, Moon City was much safer, but also much crueler.

You could find anything there, but without money, you had nothing. The power of capital had completely corrupted this post-apocalyptic city, making the filthy black blood of capitalism flow from every pore of its residents.

But no matter what, it was still a good place to go for now.

Leaning back in his seat, Duan Fei yawned. Just as he was about to take a quick nap, Mary, who was beside him, pushed him awake.

Annoyed, Duan Fei shifted away a little and said, "Can’t you let me sleep, daughter?"

"No, Dad! What if you fall asleep and forget me? I mean, I could live with you forgetting me, but what if you forget that mysterious Eastern Qi Gong?"

"Don’t worry, it’s fine. I’ll remember it."

"Just in case, Dad. Please hang on a little longer."

Sighing helplessly, Duan Fei decided to humor Mary and stay awake for a while more.

He pushed the Little Fatty next to him awake. "Tell a joke," Duan Fei said.

"Don’t mess with me. Go look one up online yourself."

Cuihua, in the front passenger seat, turned her head. Frowning, she said, "Nev..."

Little Fatty immediately translated, "She says, ’I’ve never seen someone who can’t sleep themselves and won’t let others sleep either. Keep this up and I’ll kill you right now.’ Bro, I agree with her."

"Not... count..."

After forcing out the two words, Cuihua fell silent.

At two in the morning, the SUV finally reached the point of light.

It was a massive city. The sturdy iron walls were lined with searchlights, and heavy machine guns, like totems on the ramparts, were aimed menacingly at the gate below.

A burly, well-built man waved for the SUV to stop. He then knocked on the window, signaling for them to roll it down.

The guard was visibly surprised to see a twelve-year-old girl behind the wheel, but he soon discovered something even more astonishing than a girl driver: her foul mouth.

’Her vocabulary is bigger than mine!’

The guard was a bit dazed from the string of curses, but his professional training prevented him from laying a hand on a girl who was merely cussing up a storm. Besides, she was cute, and there was a very fierce-looking woman in the passenger seat.

Taking a step to the side, he peered into the back seat and frowned at the three old people.

’Old people...’

’Not very useful.’

Still, he dutifully asked, "Any special skills?"

"Computer technology," said Little Fatty, holding up the computer in his hands.

"Fierce..." Cuihua uttered a single word.

Duan Fei glanced at the two of them. ’They both seem pretty useful,’ he thought.

Not to be outdone, he held up his Crowbar and said, "Doctor."

"Isn’t your professional tool a bit... unusual?"

Through the open window, Duan Fei jabbed the Crowbar right in the guard’s face, making him stumble back several steps, clutching his cheek.

The heavy machine guns on the wall immediately swiveled to aim at them. Another guard at the gate flicked the safety off the submachine gun in his arms and pointed it at the SUV.

But the first guard waved his comrades down. Then, touching his own mouth, he asked, "How did you just cure my cavity?"

"The mysterious Eastern Qi Gong."

"Amazing Eastern... With a skill like that, you’re sure to make a name for yourself in Moon City. Alright, go on in."

"Thanks."

"Oh, right. To thank you for curing my cavity, here’s a map of Moon City. And I won’t ask who recommended you. Having a referrer isn’t a good thing."

"Thanks again."

Looking at the fierce-faced guard, and then glancing at the equally fierce-looking Mary, Duan Fei felt that in this instance, it seemed the uglier someone was, the kinder their heart.

Once the car had driven into Moon City, Little Fatty looked at Duan Fei with admiration. "Duan Someone, I bet you got a pretty powerful Talent, didn’t you?"

Duan Fei looked at Little Fatty. ’This guy isn’t so dumb after all.’

’But I have been acting a bit high-profile, and he’s been with me for two instances now, so it’s normal for him to figure some things out.’

’But it’s fine. Not a big deal.’

’After all, even I don’t know what kind of gift (bug) the next instance will be, so there’s no way he could guess.’

So, Duan Fei just smiled faintly and didn’t answer, letting Little Fatty guess for himself.

Following the map, Duan Fei directed Alice to drive the car to the market, intending to sell the SUV for a good price.

Seeing the almost brand-new SUV, the merchant at the market let out a whistle and couldn’t help but ask, "Where’d you get this thing? You didn’t steal it from the City Lord, did you?"

"Why would you say that?" Duan Fei sensed the scent of a clue and immediately asked.

"Because only the City Lord has the means to get brand-new things like this around here. Normally, all we get are old, scrapped items. Only the City Lord regularly gets his hands on fresh stuff, things we’ve never seen before."

Mentally noting this clue, Duan Fei said seriously, "Don’t worry, it has absolutely nothing to do with the City Lord."

"It wouldn’t matter if it did. The City Lord’s authority doesn’t extend here. Alright, I’ll give you a good price. I’ve decided..."

"Wait a moment." Duan Fei stopped him. "Before you make me an offer, I need to show you something. Cuihua."

Gun Master Cuihua stepped forward. With the long staff in her hands, she flicked up a scrapped car, sending it spinning 360 degrees in mid-air before it crashed heavily back to the ground.

Patting the pale-faced merchant’s shoulder, Duan Fei said, "Personally, I don’t like threatening people, but sometimes you have to show what you’re capable of beforehand. I myself don’t have that kind of martial strength, but I do have a lot of channels to get things that are no worse than what the City Lord has. And I’m also a doctor. As long as you’re still breathing, I can bring you back."

"Therefore, what you see before you is not just a newly-arrived old man, but an old man with formidable martial backing, mysterious channels, and terrifying Medical Skill. Behind him is a large and mysterious organization, preparing to slowly enter this city."

"Alright, I’ve said my piece. Now, can you give this poor old man a fair price?"

Looking at the beaming Duan Fei, the merchant wiped the sweat from his brow and nodded. "Don’t worry. It’ll be more than fair."