Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

"Let’s just give Xiao Mochen a red envelope," Zhang Jingxu suggested after some thought. "After all, money is the most convenient gift, and it carries our best wishes."

However, Liu Xing raised a concern, "Uh, not to be nitpicky, but isn’t your Chinese yuan a bit outdated at the moment? Xiao Mochen might mistake it for counterfeit money."

In Liu Xing’s memory, the red version of Chinese yuan was introduced after 2000, and it was still 1999 at this point, with the old version still in circulation.

After this reminder from Liu Xing, Zhang Jingxu recalled, "You’re right, it seems that way. But it’s not a big problem. I’ll just tell him these are the new versions of Chinese yuan. Besides, in a few days, we’ll be in a new time period again."

Liu Xing shrugged and said with a smile, "It’s up to you, Mr. Zhang Jingxu. As foreign friends, Ling Ishikawa and I are here to eat and drink. You’re in charge of everything."

Zhang Jingxu nodded reluctantly, saying, "Fine, I’ll take care of it. It’s not a big deal. But when you and Ryuusei return to your country, remember to send the money to me."

"Ling Ishikawa, you’re so stingy," Ling Ishikawa sneered at Zhang Jingxu.

Zhang Jingxu rolled his eyes and responded, "I call it frugality, not stinginess."

After a couple more banter exchanges between Ling Ishikawa and Zhang Jingxu, breakfast concluded.

Today was Xiao Mochen and Hu Li’s wedding day, and the entire Panlong Town was captivated by the festivities. Liu Xing and his companions decided to join the crowd and immerse themselves in the celebration.

Of course, their main objective was to observe Hu Li up close. Although Liu Xing and the others were almost certain that Hu Li was a fox spirit, they hadn’t found any substantial evidence or triggered any related side quests.

However, they believed that Xiao Mochen and Hu Li’s wedding day might be the most likely opportunity to uncover any side quests related to them in this module.

Although Hu Cang had promised to attend the wedding, he couldn’t let go of his concerns entirely and had stayed behind to look after the clinic.

As it was still early, Xiao Mochen and some of his friends were resting in a tea house, greeting relatives and friends who came to congratulate them.

Representing the player, Zhang Jingxu handed a thousand yuan to Xiao Mochen.

Liu Xing noticed that Xiao Mochen looked surprised when he saw the money in Zhang Jingxu’s hand. They engaged in a lengthy conversation, during which Liu Xing heard the sound of dice rolling. It seemed that Zhang Jingxu had conducted a quick conversation judgment with Xiao Mochen.

Judging by Xiao Mochen’s sudden realization, it appeared that Zhang Jingxu’s judgment had been successful.

After conversing with Xiao Mochen for a while longer, Zhang Jingxu turned and, wearing a helpless expression, said, "Well, just as you said, Liu Xing, Xiao Mochen initially thought these new yuan bills were fake. Fortunately, I have a way with words, and I finally convinced him that these new bills are genuine. They just haven’t been widely circulated in the market yet. But the good news is that, thanks to the generous gift we’ve given, Xiao Mochen has arranged a prime seating location near the main table for us at the wedding. Of course, Hu Cang might have something to do with it too."

Liu Xing nodded. In 1999, in small-town weddings like this, the gift money usually ranged from around fifty to a hundred yuan, and even a hundred was considered generous. Moreover, it was calculated per family, so someone like Zhang Jingxu, who gave two hundred yuan per person, would surely stand out.

But this was exactly what Liu Xing and his group wanted. They had already realized that their main mission at this time was to trigger the side quests related to Xiao Mochen and Hu Li. Spending a little more money didn’t matter. In the Cthulhu RPG Game, money was essentially just an extraneous asset and had little impact on clearing modules.

Of course, this didn’t apply to the high-level players with a credit score above 90, as they could practically do anything with their wealth.

Furthermore, Zhang Jingxu had given such a large sum as a gift to "fish" for something. Wasn’t the "fish" taking the bait?

Xiao Dafu, dressed in a wrinkled suit, approached with a fawning smile and said something to Zhang Jingxu.

On their way to the tea house, Liu Xing and his companions had decided to test Xiao Dafu’s limits and determine the cost of "hiring" him for various tasks. This would provide them with an extra hand or a fall guy for potentially high-risk endeavors, as Xiao Dafu had the chance to "resurrect."

"So, that’s why Zhang Jingxu chose to offer such a large sum of money to attract Xiao Dafu’s attention. After all, Xiao Dafu, as a drug addict, was in dire need of cash. However, the locals in Panlong Town had already figured out what kind of person Xiao Dafu was, so no matter how smooth-talking he was, they wouldn’t give him a single penny.

Therefore, Zhang Jingxu was certain that when Xiao Dafu saw him pull out such a large amount of money as a gift, he would definitely find a way to get some money from him.

Moreover, as soon as Liu Xing and the others entered, they noticed Xiao Dafu eyeing the money in his son’s hand.

"Guess how much Xiao Dafu would sell the secret of the Black Flood Dragon for?" Ling Ishikawa said with a smile.

To test Xiao Dafu’s bottom line, Liu Xing and the others had come up with the idea of asking Xiao Dafu about the secret of the Black Flood Dragon. After all, according to Hu Cang, as local residents of Panlong Town, most people, except for the ignorant children, were generally capable of keeping their mouths shut.

But Liu Xing and the others knew that Xiao Dafu was definitely an exception because, for him, revealing the secret of the Black Flood Dragon would be a matter of how much profit he could gain. So, when Xiao Dafu made his demands known, they could roughly estimate where his bottom line was.

Liu Xing looked at Xiao Dafu, who appeared conflicted, and said, "I guess at most it would be fifty bucks. After all, our initial offer that we agreed upon with Zhang Jingxu was twenty bucks, so seeing Xiao Dafu looking this conflicted, he might raise the price to fifty at most. It seems Xiao Dafu’s bottom line is much lower than we imagined."

Ling Ishikawa shrugged and said with a smile, "For someone like Xiao Dafu, a drug addict, there is no such thing as a bottom line. But for us, it’s good news because it means we can better control Xiao Dafu to do things for us."

Liu Xing nodded and, while Zhang Jingxu’s attention was on Xiao Dafu, whispered to Ling Ishikawa, "Ling Ishikawa, do you think we should recruit a group of addicts to help us with some dirty work when we return to the Island Nation?"

After all, for secret cults like the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect, there would undoubtedly be a need for some unsavory tasks, so many secret cults would support or even create their own criminal organizations to cover up their illicit activities.

Ling Ishikawa thought for a moment and shook his head, saying, "Master, I don’t think it’s a good idea because, as you’ve seen, the bottom line of these addicts is extremely low, especially when they’re craving drugs. There’s virtually no limit to what they would do. If we can use them against others, then other malicious individuals could use them against us as well. So, I think it’s best not to recruit addicts."

"Okay, Ling Ishikawa, you make a valid point. Let’s not recruit addicts. But you know the nature of my collaboration with Alice. When we return to the Island Nation, you should go to Tokyo with NobiNobita and start a company with HonekawaSuneo. Then, we can arrange all our Worshipers of the Yellow Sect’s followers to work at the company. Just be careful and don’t let other secret cults find out."

Ling Ishikawa nodded and said earnestly, "No problem, Master. You can trust me with this mission. I won’t let you down."

At this point, Liu Xing saw that Xiao Dafu had made a determined decision and said something, prompting Zhang Jingxu to smile and hand Xiao Dafu fifty dollars. Xiao Dafu, upon seeing the money, quickly took it with a grin and left.

Zhang Jingxu watched Xiao Dafu’s departing figure and shook his head, saying, "Indeed, Xiao Dafu is willing to go to great lengths for money. He was willing to reveal the detailed secret of the Black Flood Dragon for just twenty bucks, and now, he’s even more forthcoming. It seems his bottom line is much lower than we expected."

Ling Ishikawa raised an eyebrow and said with some surprise, "Twenty bucks? But Mr. Zhang, you just gave Xiao Dafu fifty bucks. Does that mean you’ve already arranged something for him to do?"

Zhang Jingxu continued to shake his head, feigning depth, "Ling Ishikawa, you’re jumping to conclusions because your social experience is not sufficient to understand my intentions. If we want the horse to run, we must first feed it. By giving Xiao Dafu some benefits now, when we need him to do something for us, it will be easier to persuade him."

Liu Xing chuckled and asked, "Xiao Dafu, as an elder in Panlong Town, probably knows more about the Black Flood Dragon’s secret than Hu Cang. Is there any noteworthy information he provided?"

Zhang Jingxu nodded and said seriously, "You’re right. We’ve spent this fifty bucks very wisely. Xiao Dafu has provided valuable information. It turns out that the Black Flood Dragon is very likely the Taoist who sealed the black cat demon back in the day. As Hu Cang mentioned, this Black Flood Dragon claims to be a black-clothed Taoist and has been serving as a guardian deity in Panlong Town for many years. Most importantly, there is no Taoist temple nearby in Panlong Town."

"So, in Xiao Dafu’s generation, everyone believes that the Black Flood Dragon is the same Taoist from back then. Some have even asked the Black Flood Dragon directly, and although it doesn’t confirm it outright, his attitude makes it clear that he is indeed the same Taoist. But the key point is, even though the Black Flood Dragon attempted to seal the black cat demon back then, it couldn’t completely suppress it. This suggests that the black cat demon’s combat strength is not to be underestimated."

Liu Xing furrowed his brow. If that were the case, then the black cat demon’s combat strength was much greater than he had initially thought. It explained why the side quest regarding the black cat demon had not been triggered yet.

From this perspective, Liu Xing believed that the side quest related to the black cat demon would likely be the most challenging one in this module. After all, the black cat demon would probably hold a hostile attitude towards humans, and it wouldn’t be surprising if things escalated to violence without any warning.

However, before Liu Xing could comment on this, Ling Ishikawa began to speak seriously but with some nonsense, "I think the Black Flood Dragon’s strength should be on par with the black cat demon, but the black cat demon has a racial advantage. You see, Ryuusei and Mr. Zhang, you must have seen videos of cats playing with snakes, right? Because cats have faster reflexes than snakes, the snake’s attacks are like slow motion to the cat. So, the Black Flood Dragon probably thinks it can’t attack the black cat demon, so it came up with a plan to entice it."

Although Ling Ishikawa’s explanation seemed somewhat reasonable, in reality, his thoughts were likely incorrect. After all, the Black Flood Dragon and the black cat demon had both become mythical creatures, and it would be a mistake to view them from an animalistic perspective.

Moreover, while traditional Chinese myths might suggest that a dragon evolved from a snake, the Black Flood Dragon and snakes were vastly different species by now.

But before Liu Xing could respond to this misconception, there was a commotion from Xiao Mochen’s side.

Xiao Mochen stood up and clapped his hands. After the people in the teahouse quieted down, he said a few words, and the teahouse erupted in cheers. Then, Xiao Mochen took the lead and left the teahouse.

"Xiao Mochen is going to welcome the bride. Let’s join in the festivities," Zhang Jingxu stood up and said with a smile.

So, Liu Xing and his group followed the crowd to Hu Li’s residence, which was a three-story building located next to the Panlong Town primary school, with a clothing store on the ground floor."

On their way to the event, Zhang Jingxu overheard quite a bit of information from others. "This clothing store is owned by Hu Li," he heard someone say. "But it’s strange. This store seems to be closed for business more often than it’s open. For about half the month, Hu Li keeps it shut. Except for occasional visits to the teahouse with Xiao Mochen, Hu Li spends most of the time in their room. And as for Hu Li’s social circle, it’s exceptionally small. Besides Xiao Mochen and Hu Cang, Hu Li only exchanges nods with the other residents of Panlong Town."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow and remarked with a smile, "So it seems Hu Cang, Xiao Mochen, and Hu Li might be entangled in a love triangle."

Zhang Jingxu nodded in confirmation. "You’re right. Just now, I heard people discussing this. They say that before Xiao Mochen returned to Panlong Town, it seemed like Hu Cang and Hu Li were in a relationship. However, something happened, and they broke up. Coincidentally, Xiao Mochen returned to Panlong Town and soon got together with Hu Li."

The entertainment world is truly chaotic.

Liu Xing shrugged and said, "That’s not our concern. Right now, all we need to do is watch the drama unfold."

At this point, unrelated bystanders were stopped outside the clothing store as Xiao Mochen, accompanied by several friends, went upstairs to receive the bride.

Suddenly, Xiao Dafu hurriedly approached Zhang Jingxu and said something to him.

As a result, Liu Xing and the others were led upstairs by Xiao Dafu. After all, no matter what, Xiao Dafu was Xiao Mochen’s father, so it made sense for him to have a few people there to support his son.

"This is the power of money," Ling Ishikawa remarked with a smile.

Liu Xing nodded and said, "This is exactly what we wanted to witness."

Upon reaching the third floor, Liu Xing smelled a faint fragrance and then heard the sound of dice hitting the ground.

Then, before Liu Xing could react, he found himself back at the entrance of the clothing store, and the crowd was surrounding Xiao Mochen and Hu Li as they left.

What just happened?!

Liu Xing looked puzzled and turned to Ling Ishikawa, who was standing beside him. He noticed that Ling Ishikawa appeared equally bewildered.

Zhang Jingxu and the others also seemed disoriented.

Frowning, Liu Xing realized that this must have been a Plot Encounter, and most likely, none of them had passed the willpower Judgment.

At that moment, Hu Cang approached Liu Xing and the others and said something.

Zhang Jingxu nodded and said, "We’ll discuss this matter later when we get back. For now, we need to continue attending Xiao Mochen and Hu Li’s wedding."

So, Liu Xing and the others, along with Hu Cang, headed to the main venue of Xiao Mochen and Hu Li’s wedding.

The wedding was held on the playground of Panlong Town Elementary School. Given that Panlong Town was situated on a small island in the middle of a lake, with limited space and a significant portion of land covered by bamboo forests, and the nearby middle school being an ominous place, it was only natural to choose the largest open space left in Panlong Town, which happened to be the elementary school’s playground.

Therefore, Xiao Mochen and Hu Li’s wedding was scheduled for Sunday to avoid disrupting the normal classes at Panlong Town Elementary School.

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