When Yang Zicang returned to Mu Si’s side, a figure at the reception desk was writing furiously.

“The distributor’s already hiked my price to two hundred percent. That’s insane. “

The atmosphere around was strange; everyone was on edge, worrying for themselves.

Xue Qi, wearing Yang Zicang’s jacket, walked over to him and said, “Mine’s at two hundred percent, too. “

The woman wasn’t boasting about her experiences being highly valued; instead, her face was filled with gravity.

“All those who signed contracts with distributors said they were being watched, and their offers were raised. One person’s price has already reached three hundred percent. “

Yang Zicang pondered for a moment. “After all, it’s related to the divine essence. “

“No, the previous prices for Radiance were only between one-fifty and two hundred. It wasn’t until Li Qian’s incident just now that all our distributors suddenly raised their prices collectively. “

“Collectively? ” Yang Zicang glanced at his own wristband. Dī’ān had indeed given a price hike reminder earlier.

There was more than one lighthouse—a fact marked on Aqiang’s map. Hence, there was more than one distributor at sea, not just Dī’ān.

As Yang Zicang walked toward the front desk, He Yishu squeezed through the crowd and leaned in to speak:

“I think we might be running into a dangerous situation that most distributors probably know about. “

“Mm. ” Yang Zicang agreed with the assessment.

The Radiance of different events held varying value for different distributors, yet they were all upping their offers for this “experience. “

Yang Zicang looked over at the man by the counter, who, after shuffling two steps aside, continued writing furiously.

“Are you…? “

“Ah, Mr. Buchen, rest assured. I’m just jotting down what happened just now. You know, I heard them say the distributors are collectively raising prices on this matter, but I don’t have a distributor yet. “

The man with slightly chapped lips smiled, shaking the sheet of straw-colored paper in his hand.

“If I find a distributor later, I’ll show this paper to him—he’s bound to offer me a high price.“

This piece of paper carries the peculiar power of the Troubadour’s Inn, making it excellent proof indeed.

“Did you write down your name? ” Yang Zicang began searching through the register.

“Of course, of course—this right here is my name.“

The man pointed his finger down at the dense list of dozens of names, locating one called “Wang Xu ” somewhere in the middle.

“Good, it’s written. Now we’re all brothers.“

Yang Zicang patted the man on the shoulder, then turned to talk with the people nearby, discussing potential issues that might arise with Room 204.

—｛Distributor February. Dian sighed once more in amazement at the efficiency of my Radiant Glow’s conception.｝

“Manager of the lobby, ” came a very faint voice from beside him.

Yang Zicang looked over, puzzled, to see the man pushing his paper toward the lobby manager.

Sensing Yang Zicang’s gaze, the man called Wang Xu turned, smiled at him, and folded the paper, saying, “I’m just showing the manager to see if this counts.“

The other party hadn’t made any requests to bid or rent a room.

The lobby manager nodded, saying, “In fact, you could sell this paper directly to a distributor in the outside world. The experiences on it would be transferred with it. Consider it a kind of ‘Distributor Letter.’“

“Now that’s terrific! ” Wang Xu exclaimed in delighted surprise. “I’ll be off to the washroom.“

Glances from the people around him lit up, as if everyone wished they could stuff all the room rate receipts into their own pockets at once.

Xue Qi brought Yang Zicang a dessert, a freebie for the hotel guests.

Yang Zicang took the dessert and glanced at Wang Xu, who was pocketing a piece of paper. The man raised his hand in an apologetic wave toward Yang Zicang and slipped away from the edge of the crowd.

The suspicion that had just stirred in Yang Zicang’s mind receded just a tiny notch.

“Speaking of which, isn’t it still the dead of night?” someone muttered among the crowd. “If we hurry, we can still rush back and get some sleep, folks.“

“The other side of this auction is way too slow to respond. Wonder if the Weiting Travelers’ Guild plans to hold us up here for three days before agreeing to let us bid.“

“Going to the bathroom again, Wang Xue?“

“At least we’re stuck on this sea during a storm this time. Still got a ways to go before we hit land.“

Despite all the hubbub, that faint voice still snagged Yang Zicang’s ear. He shot a glance at the guild roster, and the name “Wang Xu” leaped into his sight.

In a flash, he shot forward. “Get back here!“

“Make way!” The man among the crowd heard the shout and his face went ashen with terror.

“Get your ass back here!“

“Ahhh!“

After sprinting a couple strides, Wang Xue realized he could never escape the inn; he stopped short with a mournful face near the reception desk on the other side.

Yang Zicang’s arm sliced through the crowd, grabbed the man by his clothes, yanked him close, and snarled:

“From now on, you’re Wang Xu. Tell everyone—what’s your name!“

“Con, what in blazes is wrong with you?“

With a crestfallen face, Wang Xue stammered amidst the bewildered inquiries of those around him, “I… I’m Wang Xu now. “

“Louder! “

“I am Wang Xu. ” Wang Xue raised his voice.

“Wang Xue, what’s wrong with you? “

“Even louder! What’s your name? ” The furious Yang Zicang’s voice thundered like a crashing storm.

He drew the Black Rose and pointed it at the man’s temple, his spittle splattering onto Wang Xu’s face. The surrounding chatter and questions instantly fell silent.

“Wang Xu! My name is Wang Xu! ” Wang Xu shouted loudly.

His face flushed crimson, hands trembling slightly against the seams of his trousers, his shoulders swaying as his body stiffened, as if he might collapse like a block of wood at any moment.

｛Radiance Over Ten People Recognize My Name, I, the Mysterious Triangle Can Use the New Codename ‘Wang Xu’.｝

Yang Zicang released his grip on the shirt. “Go fetch the roster. “

“Yes, Chairman! “

In the dead silence, Wang Xu, with his shirt disheveled and crooked, thudded to the counter, exchanged a glance with the smiling lobby manager, picked up the Travel Association roster placed there, and threaded through the crowd to hand it to Yang Zicang.

Gradually, a low hum of murmurs began to rise around them.

“Bai Zilong! ” Yang Zicang shouted, his gaze piercing toward the back of the crowd to Bai Yuan, who was sitting on the stairs chatting with a girl.

“Ah, Zi… Bucheng, you still don’t trust me? “

Everyone turned to look.

“Semis! “

The crowd’s gaze turned to a bewildered foreigner. Seeing all eyes on him, the man pointed a finger at himself. “Me? “

……

On the surging sea, theThor’s Hammersped through the wind and waves.

Slanted moonlight shattered into silver fragments in the thick fog, a sleek, dark silhouette cutting through the waves, snapping at the heels of the merchant vessel.

“Hurry! “

“This floating wreck can’t outrun a torpedo boat no matter how fast we go! “

“Faster, dammit! More pressure! More pressure! ” Wager craned his neck, staring at the sea behind them, shouting at the top of his lungs.

A dull rumble of valves turning echoed from the mail steamer’s hold. The hull vibrated, accelerating with a hum. The smokestack spewed a shower of sparks, and the sound of the waves instantly grew tighter and more urgent.

“Why do we run into that iron fish as soon as we leave the fog? “

The hum of the boiler was audible even on the deck.

“Probably because the Twin Lions on land are making a move around here. “

Suddenly, a deep sound rumbled under the water, and theThor’s Hammerlurched violently.

“Did we get hit by a torpedo? ” Monica’s face went pale.

They just had long lives, not immortality. Falling into the sea meant drowning just like anyone else.

A faint buzzing reply came from below. “I guessed as much, so I blocked it with a force field. God, that was close. “

……

Names spilled from Yang Zicang’s lips one by one.

These people, having gone from initial panic to eventual acceptance, each responded with their own name and then voluntarily stepped forward from the young man toward the left.

As expected, a few of them used names that differed from their sworn brotherhood alias. After being stared at with deep, penetrating looks by all the “brothers, ” these few had no choice but to sigh in response with a “Yes, ” following the line toward the left.

Once the roll call was complete, Yang Zicang frowned as he looked at Room 204’s nameplate light. Even now, the other party hadn’t accepted the bid.

“Maybe they’re looking for backup. “

“Though we’re deep in the Fog Sea, if they sprint back to land at full speed, it probably won’t take more than three days. And besides… “

If the Travelers’ Guild had strongholds at other lighthouses, or some secret base deep within the Fog Sea, they could very well summon a more formidable expert to deal with us.

The young man glanced at Xue Qi, who was busy stuffing a small piece of cake into her mouth.

This woman didn’t have the ability to turn the void-time sequence into coins for transactions like he did. As only a Red Model, she couldn’t invest for herself, so for now there was no way she could pay back the five hundred thousand void-time sequence.

When leaving the Demon Hero Hall, although he had received over a hundred of Mori’s “Lifespan Bank” ability spheres at the very end, he hadn’t taken them all. Instead, he had given a portion to Liang Xi, Zhao Xuemei, Luo Bin, and the others.

As for the time sequence he could currently manage, aside from the one hundred thousand he had gained in the first two hours inside the Model Halo, he was left with less than two hundred thousand void-time sequence.

“It really is just like Croft said. “

Yang Zicang muttered quietly to himself.

“What are you mumbling about? ” Xue Qi glanced over. Seeing the young man watching her with an indifferent expression, she forced a smile and pretended she hadn’t asked that question at all.

After being quiet for two seconds, she brought the triangular pastry she had already pinched to Yang Zicang’s lips. “Want to eat? Go on, have some.“

“Hey, everyone.” Hua Mi stood at the stairwell corner and clapped her hands. “Since the bidding hasn’t started yet, let’s properly review the magic patterns I gave you earlier.“

“Still studying? We’re all pretty tired today.“

“This is a rare opportunity to learn magic patterns!” Hua Mi planted her clenched fists on her slender waist, glaring unceremoniously at the burly man who had spoken. “What others would beg for but can’t get, and you actually find fault with it!“