Global Collapse-Chapter 538 - 507: The Intermittent Corpse Scam is So Terrifying_1
Fatty cheerfully went off to find the power distribution room, electric card in hand. Xiao Hong, who had apparently never been to such an exciting place, was peering into a nearby claw machine, fascinated by the toys inside.
Gu Mian had no intention of trying the claw machine. He’d made attempts before, but after pouring in more than two hundred Game Coins and reaping no reward, he had even managed to startle the owner.
In the end, though, Gu Mian walked away with two toys, generously gifted by the amused owner.
Xiao Hong seemed to desperately want one of the toys in the glass case, but Gu Mian had no coins on him, so all she could do was watch longingly.
Fortunately, Fatty, perhaps anticipating someone might want to try the claw machine, returned carrying a large basket full of Game Coins that seemed to weigh about ten pounds.
The sound of the Game Coins clinking together was crisp and clear. Fatty laughed cheerily, asking, "Doctor, do you want to try the claw machine? I, uh, borrowed these from the workbench."
Eventually, Xiao Hong swiped the basket of Game Coins. Everyone watched her determined figure at the claw machine as she relentlessly fed in coins and worked the controls. Yet, after about thirty Game Coins, not a single toy had been won.
Having won nothing, Xiao Hong returned, trying to rope Gu Mian into playing.
But Gu Mian remained unmoved, so in the end, Chu Changge was dragged away instead.
Gu Mian sat on a paint-peeled bench, watching the silhouettes of the person and the ghost. Chu Changge stood before the claw machine, head bowed to examine the toys inside. One hand rested on the control stick, the other hovered over the "Start" button; he looked dead serious.
Xiao Hong tugged at the corner of Chu Changge’s clothes with one hand while pointing into the glass case with the other, her Mind Amplifier constantly blaring, "Grab that one, grab that one, grab that one!"
Fatty also ran over to the claw machine, pressing his face against the glass. "HUH?" he muttered, then let out a happy shout, "Doctor, this white-clothed toy looks just like you!"
Gu Mian found himself deep in thought as he looked at the green-furred dog plushie wearing a white outfit.
Chu Changge immediately fished out the green-furred dog. Xiao Hong’s Mind Amplifier finally stopped its noise, and she expressed her joy by contentedly squeezing the green-furred dog’s neck.
To help Xiao Hong better experience life, Gu Mian settled her—still clutching her green-furred dog—into a roller coaster seat. The brother, who had been enjoying the spectacle, was also caught off guard when Gu Mian grabbed him and placed him next to Xiao Hong.
Fatty slapped the Start button on the nearby control panel, and WHIZZ—the roller coaster shot off, carrying the two ghosts, their hair flying wildly in the wind as they sped into the distance.
Gu Mian left the roller coaster area and plopped onto a gentle and unexciting carousel. The horses on it were cheerily revolving, playing a simple children’s song.
Apparently finding the sight quite rare, Fatty sat on the horse behind Gu Mian and, whipping out a camera, began frantically snapping photos.
Gu Mian leaned against the carousel pole, his hand resting on the horse’s head, and turned to look back at Fatty. "You know, you really remind me of the director of the orphanage I used to live in."
Fatty instantly remembered the photo album in Gu Mian’s room, which seemed to be entirely the work of that orphanage director. He curiously asked Gu Mian, "Doctor, did your director often take photos of you?"
Gu Mian nodded silently. "At first, he just captured my unlucky moments, but gradually it became a running series..."
Fatty couldn’t help but recall the photograph of a young Gu Mian drenched in soup by Chu Changge.
"But then he realized he could make money by photographing me. So, every time he took me out, he’d bring a camera and snap pictures right in my face."
Taking photos of the Doctor could make money? Fatty was intrigued.
Noticing Fatty’s curiosity, Gu Mian explained, "Because I’m unlucky. I’d find maggots in my food, the hot pot would explode while I was eating, the roller coaster would stop halfway up..."
As Gu Mian spoke, he glanced up at the speeding roller coaster, where Xiao Hong and the brother were currently enjoying themselves.
"So, his photos became evidence: evidence of unsanitary restaurants, hot pot places spontaneously combusting, amusement parks with inadequate safety measures. He’d then use this evidence to extort money."
Those shop owners were so furious their hair practically stood on end. Eventually, whenever they saw the director leading Gu Mian to their establishments, they would simply close up shop.
Fatty mused that back then, someone probably wanted to put up a sign saying ’Gu Mian and dogs not allowed.’
Gu Mian remembered that orphanage was incredibly poor. The large iron pot used for meals would be scraped so clean not a speck of meat could be found; they were dirt poor.
The director’s office looked as if it would collapse with the slightest breeze, its walls riddled with cracks. When a mouse scurried past the base of the wall, it could knock loose a piece of plaster.
Back in his childhood, there were more girls in the orphanage, so most of the donated old clothes were little girls’ dresses.
With not enough clothes for boys, they too would reluctantly squeeze into the little skirts. But Gu Mian could tell the difference back then! Even though everyone wore skirts, you could tell the boys from the girls by how awkwardly they wore them and the unwilling expressions on their faces.
Only Chu Changge wore a skirt without batting an eyelid, which led Gu Mian to believe he was a girl for many years.
Later, the director discovered Gu Mian’s "value" and would often take him out to swindle and extort people. After that, the food at the orphanage improved; their bowls gradually saw more oil, and the children’s gaunt faces began to fill out.
Then, everyone got new clothes, and the boys finally got their own trousers.
After that, the director sent the children to school, one after another.
Sometime later, the orphanage closed down.
It was because the director suddenly vanished on a rainy night, never to be seen again.
Before disappearing, he only left Gu Mian a radio. This radio, not long after the global game started, stopped making any sound after Fatty tapped it a couple of times—it was probably broken by the tapping.
While Gu Mian was reminiscing about the radio Fatty had broken, a RUSTLING sound suddenly came from the nearby bushes.
Chu Changge seemed to have noticed something amiss there much earlier and had already turned to look at that patch of bushes.
The RUSTLING continued, as if someone was engaged in some furtive business inside.
Just as Gu Mian lifted his leg to get off the carousel horse, a green mushroom suddenly shot out from the bushes.
"This is..." Gu Mian’s eyebrow twitched.
He recognized it. It was Mr. Green’s hat.
Since Gu Mian had carried him out of the ’Crazy Guessing Words’ instance, Mr. Green had been wandering around. He always wore green, and the verdant hat on his head was especially conspicuous.
Then, the group saw the hat bob up again, and half of Mr. Green’s face appeared from the bushes.
It really had been a long time since they last saw this unlucky host.
Gu Mian, eyebrows twitching slightly, looked at the half-emerged NPC. "What in the world are you doing?"
Only then did Mr. Green jump out entirely from the bushes. He brushed the leaves off his clothes. "I heard something yesterday... Did you go to the Old World?"
So he came looking for Gu Mian to settle old scores?
Gu Mian nodded honestly. "Yes, we did. We even tore up a Law Code."
Hearing this, Mr. Green puffed up his cheeks and pursed his lips, looking like he was about to launch into a tirade. But then, just as quickly, he deflated, his head drooping listlessly. "You have no idea what state the instances are in right now."
Indeed, Gu Mian didn’t. He asked, "What state?"
"It’s utter chaos! Things are popping up here and missing there; we can’t patch them up fast enough. Everyone’s in a frenzy, holding meetings to figure out what to do! And the worst part is, some of the instances you entered before—they were almost fixed, and now they’ve cracked open again!" Mr. Green clenched his fist.
Looking at Mr. Green’s fist, Gu Mian felt an urge to laugh. "So, your instance cracked open again?"
Mr. Green dropped his hand, a hint of pride appearing on his usually listless face. "Mine hasn’t, at least."
Can these cracks pick and choose which instances to affect? Gu Mian rubbed his chin.
