Chapter 2348: Chapter 2348: Why Not Treat It as a Chance Encounter

"I don’t need lodging," Xu Huo said.

As soon as he said this, at least half of the people surrounding him walked away. The remaining ones still wanted to try their luck, including a few children who kept on persuading him.

"I don’t need lodging," Xu Huo repeated. This time, even the children were disappointed and turned away without hesitation to approach the next traveler.

The streets were filled with the sounds of vendors, even those selling snacks and such would bring their goods onto the main road for people to sample, thus attracting customers.

As he kept walking, the number of such vendors gradually decreased. Closer to the city center, the area was a bit more bustling with neatly arranged shopfronts.

Xu Huo bought a map.

Shi Sanjiu had given him some zoned addresses and a few city names, saying that the entrance might appear there. But whether it was in all those cities or just one of them was uncertain.

Xu Huo was still optimistic because, judging by the environment of District 001, it would be ideal for the Fish Banquet to attract more players without drawing attention by holding it in such a backward zone. Of course, there was also a possibility it was a trap.

The invitation Shi Sanjiu gave him was not exactly the same as the one he got from the game; there were slight differences in the pattern, suggesting it wasn’t simply a version update of the invitation but possibly a differentiation of guests.

The Girl in the painting tapped on his back from inside his clothes, and Xu Huo found a secluded spot for her to come out.

"Where are we going?" The Girl in the painting leaned over to look at the map.

Xu Huo pointed to a city that was circled, "The nearest one, let’s go there first."

The Girl in the painting nodded and then looked at him, "You’re not going to vanish like last time, are you?"

That was possible.

Xu Huo took out the two Fish Banquet invitations, spread them out, and said, "The two invitations are not entirely the same. They might be used to differentiate player identities. One was sent to me by the game, and the other belonged to someone else. This one might have an identity trap."

He raised the second one, "Which one do you want to take?"

The Girl in the painting unhesitatingly took the one from Shi Sanjiu and said, "I’m not afraid. Worst-case scenario, I’ll stick myself against a wall and you remember to come find me."

Xu Huo couldn’t help but smile, "That’s certainly one way to do it."

"Let’s go." He took out a teleportation prop and went directly towards the destination.

Chunyi City was considered the largest city in this area. Compared to the backwardness near the station’s small towns, the overall condition of Chunyi City was much better. In the city, one could even see flying devices and uniquely shaped metal buildings, completely unlike the surrounding cities. People walking here mostly dressed well and paid little attention to outsiders, while the Girl in the painting, pointing and drawing outside shop windows, drew some side-eye from locals.

This at least indicated that the safety of Chunyi City’s residents could be assured.

There weren’t many patrolling players on the streets, but the city had specially built hidden booths in the corners, and almost every booth had at least two players stationed there.

More precise addresses weren’t available, nor was the time for the entrance’s appearance set, so Xu Huo could only wander aimlessly in the city for the time being.

This was quite to the Girl in the painting’s liking. She would occasionally disappear at certain spots on the street, only to reappear after Xu Huo had walked further ahead, repeating this process.

This time, she hadn’t bought many clothes or accessories but had instead picked up quite a bit of food, recommending many, "These are delicious!"

District 001 was known for producing spices, many of which were unique to this area, giving their food a distinctive aroma that enhanced and stimulated the appetite.

Xu Huo tasted a bit as well, indeed finding it to be uniquely tasty.

The Girl in the painting had the enthusiasm of three minutes, wanting to try everything, and before long, even Xu Huo’s hands were full. The two could only find a place to rest and share their food with the children playing nearby.

Some of the bolder children would even sit down with them to eat and skillfully recommend some good places to eat and have fun.

The Girl in the painting’s communicator was constantly buzzing with phrases like, "Is it really that tasty?" or "Is it really that fun?" and "You’re amazing for knowing so much."

A bunch of kids happily contributed a pile of their own snacks and toys and even wanted to teach her the latest games until the adults called them for dinner.

Once they were rested, Xu Huo and the Girl in the painting went to find a place to stay.

There was no Eternal Star Hotel here, so they booked at a big hotel, where the receptionist reminded them to take care of their belongings since mostly players stayed there and the hotel was not responsible for their safety.

Additionally, "All hotels in Chunyi City are like this."

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Under the guidance of the receptionist, Xu Huo and the Girl in the painting went upstairs. Once inside the room, the Girl hurriedly told him, "Several people were watching us in the lobby just now."

Xu Huo had noticed too—players not dressed like locals, likely players from the Outer Zone.

But since the Girl had mentioned it, it implied it was more than just a casual glance; those people were likely stationed there to monitor the players coming and going.

"We’ll see when someone comes up," Xu Huo said simply as he took a quick shower, familiarized himself with Chunyi City’s map, and then planned to go out again.

The Girl initially wanted to stay in the room and play games, but hearing how they might find the entrance anytime, she had to get up again.

Some random instances in the city had already been marked, so avoiding these places would allow them to walk around the city relatively safely.

They hadn’t gone far when someone offered them a flyer, "Sir, our bar is having an event recently, offering a free local specialty fruit wine to new customers, and an 80% discount on orders. You’re welcome to join us!"

There were many people distributing flyers; the nearby commercial street was holding events, with many businesses coming out to attract customers, drawing a large crowd.

Xu Huo checked the time. The event would officially start in the evening, but some shops were already offering significant discounts, drawing many customers.

Joining in the fun, he bought two glasses of the local fruit wine to try, finding it quite pleasant.

There were many people on the street, and they often bumped into each other. Suddenly, someone bumped into him. The woman had long, shiny hair that naturally drew attention. She raised her head, a smile full of apology, "I’m sorry."

Xu Huo smiled back, "It’s okay. If your eyesight and coordination are poor, you might want to avoid crowded places."

The woman looked confused, "What are you talking about?"

Xu Huo pointed ahead, "You’ve bumped into no fewer than five people walking from the street’s entrance to its end."

The woman dropped her innocent act, blinked flirtatiously at him, "Don’t be so petty. It’s just a bump, no big deal. Why not see it as a chance encounter?"