Global Collapse-Chapter 453 - 428: The Mantis stalks the Cicada, with Xiao Qiao Following Behind_1
At this moment, the Fortune-teller had already stepped one foot inside the elevator, but it didn't immediately ascend.
She watched with wide eyes as the ghost's expression changed dramatically before it turned and bolted. She hadn't expected the ghost's escape to so closely resemble her own.
The ghost in front dashed back towards its original direction at a breakneck pace, with Gu Mian closely following behind.
In no time, the human and the ghost disappeared among the crowded shelves.
"Oh my god…" She clutched her chest, standing before the elevator. The light from within gave her a much-needed sense of security.
Just then, she noticed a familiar silhouette appearing ahead.
It was Mingyue.
Gu Mian had long since run off chasing the ghost. Meanwhile, Mingyue stepped out from the shadows. She was standing by a clothes rack, looking at the Fortune-teller, and even took a few steps in her direction.
The Fortune-teller heard Mingyue ask, "What just happened? What was that all about? Did the ghost run away? Who is that Doctor?"
The Fortune-teller looked at Mingyue, who was standing ahead in the darkness. Mingyue's face showed a mix of shock and disbelief, her expression like someone dreaming.
The Fortune-teller didn't have a favorable opinion of Mingyue. She didn't intend to answer Mingyue's questions and simply ignored her.
Unexpectedly, Mingyue took a few more steps forward, adopting an inquisitive tone. "On second thought, you running in this direction seems premeditated. You must have discussed it with that Doctor, so you must know what's so special about him."
A person whom ghosts won't chase... That's what every player dreams of!
No, wait. Not only is this Doctor not pursued by ghosts, but ghosts actually turn and flee the moment they see him!
"Does he have some special item?" Mingyue asked, now standing right in front of the Fortune-teller.
Despite knowing it was highly unlikely any special item could be that powerful, Mingyue still asked out of wishful thinking.
Out of sight, out of mind, the Fortune-teller thought. She considered entering the elevator to leave this floor, but taking an elevator in a horror instance wasn't advisable.
She stood by the elevator door and said impatiently, "I haven't even settled the score with you for what happened earlier, and you dare to stand here asking me all these questions?"
Mingyue snorted. "What score? Isn't it perfectly normal to only look out for yourself in an instance? Besides, aren't you fine now? Or are you going to play the saint in an instance, worrying about whether others live before ensuring your own safety?"
The Fortune-teller frowned. "But when you grabbed me earlier, wasn't that an act that harmed me without benefiting you? If you couldn't run yourself, dragging me wouldn't have helped you escape either."
Mingyue replied nonchalantly, "That was my instinct. When I'm out of strength, of course I'll grab onto someone nearby who has strength. If I don't grab on, I die for sure. If I do, there's at least a chance I'll survive, right?"
The Fortune-teller stared at the person in front of her. "What kind of person are you?"
Mingyue stared back at her. "Success and failure in this world are never determined by one's character."
"Alright," Mingyue continued. "Professional players' nicknames are all hidden. I presume that Doctor's nickname is hidden too. But it looks like you know his original nickname."
Of course, I know his nickname is Gu Mian, the Fortune-teller thought. I know that the moment I say the name 'Gu Mian,' this person in front of me will immediately come up with a bellyful of malicious schemes.
The Fortune-teller remained silent. She took a step back, fully entering the elevator and intending to leave, but Mingyue blocked the door. "It's Gu Mian, right?"
Inside the elevator, the Fortune-teller abruptly looked up at Mingyue.
Under the illumination of the elevator light, Mingyue's face looked somewhat pale. Her mouth opened and closed as she spoke, "I always read the game announcements. There's a Fatty in this instance. His nickname sounds familiar; it often appears with Gu Mian's name on the same announcements... Oh, and Xiao Qiao, the celebrity. I remember seeing her name on a compensation list in an announcement once. She must have gotten to know Gu Mian back then.
"I noticed Xiao Qiao and that Doctor seem quite familiar with each other, as if they've known each other for a long time. It seems she knew Gu Mian wasn't ordinary, so she stuck with you guys this time. After all, someone like her, who knows nothing, wouldn't survive long in an instance on her own."
Knows nothing?
The Fortune-teller sensed the ill-intent in Mingyue's tone and frowned. "You don't like her?"
"No," Mingyue replied matter-of-factly. "Actually, I quite dislike her. And I see her every time I turn on the TV."
"Is that so..." The Fortune-teller suddenly laughed. "That's right. Xiao Qiao has been with us the whole time; she's in this mall right now. I've long disliked her too. Why don't I take you to her, and you can beat her up? That woman, just as you said, knows nothing. She just drags us down all day. When she gets scared, she just whimpers and cries. She definitely wouldn't dare to fight back."
I personally saw Xiao Qiao toss a three-meter-tall steel shelf aside with her bare hands. If I take Mingyue to fight Xiao Qiao now, someone will definitely be whimpering and crying.
Mingyue looked a little strange. "It hasn't reached the point of beating her up. I just find her an eyesore, always showing up on TV."
As she said this, she suddenly looked in the direction Gu Mian had disappeared. "Of course, the one who interests me most right now is Gu Mian. Did you know he's worth tens of thousands now? But to get the bounty, I need to find out where he is in the real world. Do you know?"
"I don't know," the Fortune-teller replied coldly.
"Forget it." Mingyue stepped back from the elevator door. "I'll find clues myself. Asking you is useless."
Then she turned around and left.
The Fortune-teller watched Mingyue head in the direction Gu Mian had gone. Looking at Mingyue's retreating figure, the Fortune-teller took out the knife she always kept in her inventory. She considered giving Mingyue a righteous stab in the back but hesitated for a long time. She was still hesitating when Mingyue's figure disappeared from view, unable to decide whether to act.
"I guess I still can't do it..." The Fortune-teller stared at the knife in her hand and sighed with emotion. "How can there be someone as kind as me in this world? She set me up like that, yet I still can't bring myself to do it."
And just as she was sighing at the fruit knife in her hand, she suddenly noticed another figure emerge from the darkness ahead.
It was Xiao Qiao, who supposedly "knows nothing"!
The Fortune-teller saw Xiao Qiao step out from the shadows nearby. Who knows how long Xiao Qiao has been hiding there? That position was perfect for overhearing their entire conversation. How much did she hear?!
Xiao Qiao's dark eyes were fixed intently on Mingyue's retreating back for a good while, and she made no sound at all.
In that instant, the Fortune-teller suddenly felt as if she were looking at a wolf stalking through the night, its gaze fixed solely on its prey, making no sound to give itself away. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
A few seconds later, the Fortune-teller saw Xiao Qiao lift her foot and walk in the direction Mingyue had gone. Soon, her figure also vanished.
"Wait, what was that feeling just now?" The Fortune-teller took a few deep breaths, facing the darkness ahead. "Although she's a bit strong, she always seems so naive... But that feeling she gave me just now…"
Her professional intuition told the Fortune-teller something was about to happen. She stared in the direction the two had left, paused for a few seconds, then gritted her teeth and followed them.
This ghost can't pass through walls. This was the conclusion Gu Mian had reached based on his experience chasing it.
By now, the female ghost that could spider-walk had been cornered by Gu Mian for a long time. The human and the ghost were locked in a staring contest, creating a rather strange scene.
If an old man with a heart condition happened to pass by at this moment, seeing this scene would definitely make him yelp and pass out.
