Global Collapse-Chapter 461 - 426: Xiao Qiang Needs to Work Hard to Become Qiao_1

Chu Changge, who was beside Fatty, suddenly interjected, "I'm ready for whatever the other players might do."

Fatty, his neck stiff, turned to look at Chu Changge. "So, Brother Chu, when you said that... were those cans of gasoline you bought at the supermarket the other day for the event?"

Fatty was still wondering why Chu Changge would buy and store a few cans of gasoline, as their Spirit Car didn't require fuel.

Now he understood. It was for burning boats—other people's boats, of course.

The sun was slowly setting, and the dangerous night was approaching.

Fatty saw Chu Changge, who was beside him, suddenly raise his hand; a lighter was clenched in it.

Then Fatty heard a CLICK. Chu Changge had flicked open the lighter in his hand. A fingernail-sized flame appeared before him, illuminating his face against the backdrop of the gradually dimming sky.

Fatty stared at Chu Changge's face in eerie silence for a moment. "Do you think you're Zhuge Liang, planning to set fire to all the boats?"

That little bit of gasoline isn't enough to burn much!

"Not quite," Chu Changge said, extinguishing the lighter. "It's just for emergencies. I imagine other players have thought of this too. I bet as soon as the event starts, it'll be a sea of fire."

During a dragon boat race, the boats are most densely packed right at the start or just before it begins, making them highly flammable.

Fatty's face wrinkled up like a steamed bun. "If their boats are burned, those players will either burn to death or have to jump into the water—and the water is full of Evil Ghosts! Dying in this event means real death. I know some people are truly depraved and would do anything to win... even though I hate to think of others that way."

Chu Changge glanced at Fatty, who still clung to his belief in truth, kindness, and beauty. "A few days ago, I was watching the supermarket entrance, and indeed, quite a few people bought gasoline. Of course, they weren't buying it openly; they bought it secretly and then carried it away."

"Those people bought their items when the supermarket was less crowded. When they came out, they were only carrying black plastic bags that concealed the contents. However, if you observed closely, you could make out the outline of what was inside." Chu Changge paused. "Gasoline cans."

"So, at the beginning of the event, when everyone's boats are still clustered together, someone might start a fire?" Fatty frowned.

They wouldn't set a fire that would get themselves caught in it.

Anyone planning to start a fire would likely paddle hard at first, get some distance, and only then light it, ensuring they wouldn't be caught in the blaze themselves.

"Actually, I'm not certain when they plan to set the fires. Perhaps, as you hope, all the players participating in the event uphold the virtues of truth, kindness, and beauty, and they bought gasoline simply to go home and roast chicken," Chu Changge said, adjusting his glasses.

Fatty: "..." He felt that Chu Changge's statement was a bit unrealistic.

Xiao Hong was still shaking her head, sending cool droplets of water splashing onto Fatty's face. He wiped them away. "We should still figure out a plan for what to do if someone starts setting boats on fire..."

Logically, being on the water, burning boats should be the least of their worries.

Anyone who can swim just has to jump overboard and swim to shore; they'd be fine, not even a scratch.

Unfortunately, this wasn't ordinary water. There were ghosts in it. Jumping in here meant you'd probably be lucky if you came out with even one finger intact.

"I have a plan," Chu Changge said, glancing at the sun setting in the west. "But it's getting dark now. Let's go back and discuss it in detail."

Gu Mian and the others had already found a place to stay. This time, they weren't staying in a hotel.

There were plenty of vacant houses by the Liannu River. Those dilapidated, dangerous buildings were uninhabited, so Gu Mian and the others picked a quiet spot, picked the lock, and settled in.

Six months ago, this kind of behavior would have landed them in jail, but now, even if Gu Mian picked the locks on an entire building, nobody would arrest him.

The dilapidated building lived up to its name, exuding a horror film atmosphere.

The four-story dilapidated building had no elevator. The iron stair railings were heavily rusted, with large patches of corrosion exposed where the paint had peeled off.

Spiderwebs filled the corners of the stairs, and the slightest movement would stir up a cloud of dust.

Before the sun completely set, Gu Mian and the others returned to their quiet lodging, an old, sixty-square-meter, two-room apartment.

They were living on the fourth floor. Fatty always felt safer living on higher floors, although he didn't think that way inside an instance.

They had drawn the curtains tightly. At night, when they turned on the lights, they kept the bedroom doors closed and only used the lights in the living room, as it had no windows, preventing anyone outside from seeing light escaping the old house.

At this point, Chu Changge was sitting on the dirty sofa. On the table was a trophy the Doctor had obtained previously—a transparent crystal teacup that provided unlimited refills of rose tea. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

In the current situation, with no running water or electricity, this was like a divine artifact for lifestyle players, allowing them to replenish fluids anytime, anywhere. Best of all, it was free.

However, Chu Changge seemed to be treating it simply as a beverage. "In this dragon boat event," he began, "the most immediate danger we face will come from other players. This is especially true for those who know Gu Mian. Of course, their malice towards Gu Mian is far greater than any they might hold for us. But we can't expect to stay out of it, because the five of us are on the same boat. As soon as the event starts, we're tied to Gu Mian's fate, like grasshoppers on a string. If someone tries to kill Gu Mian, we'll inevitably be affected."

Fatty retorted, "Is this what they mean by 'a fire at the city gate brings disaster to the fish in the moat'? Here's hoping our Doctor doesn't start any fires."

"Of course, keeping a low profile is also impossible, because this time, there's a very conspicuous person on our dragon boat team," Chu Changge said, glancing at Xiao Qiao.

This actress, a frequent face on television, was extremely well-known. Even middle-aged people in their forties and fifties who didn't follow celebrities could call out her name upon seeing her face.

Moreover, Xiao Qiao herself was strikingly beautiful and would stand out in any crowd.

Imagine the face you usually only see on a TV screen suddenly appearing next to you one day... and she's rowing a boat with all her might...

Of course, that would attract everyone's attention.