The Walk-in Closet Safehouse CH14
Chapter 14: A Call for You
Just as she was trying to blend into the background, Cui Ye was called out. Every eye in the room pivoted toward her. Her stomach did a slow roll—she had no idea why this guy had suddenly zeroed in on [Plushie Collector].
The others clearly hadn't noticed the earring. It was a plain, black stud in the shape of a common rabbit. Unless this guy had eyes like an 8x-magnification lens with a built-in gem appraiser, there was no way he should have seen it. Then again, in an apocalypse world governed by a game system, maybe that was exactly what he had.
She kept her mouth shut. Two seconds of silence stretched out into an eternity. Cui Ye pressed a hand over her thumping heart, her mind racing.
Handing over the stud was out of the question. But fighting him? Not a chance. She couldn't even guess what kind of tricks a player with a Level 3 Safe House had up their sleeve. [Plushie Collector] was useful, but its one-meter range was a fatal flaw. If he didn't move in close—or if he had defense items that neutralized it—she was dead. That massive, bright red exclamation mark from [Friendly Tip] wasn't just there for decoration.
She’d already backed off about six or seven meters when the danger warning popped up. If she tried to attack now, she’d be dead eight times over before she reached him.
But the fact that he specified the "rabbit stud" made her think of the blind box she’d opened. It was a black-and-white box featuring a rabbit with a bow tie—an image that looked half-plush, half-alive. She’d only caught a glance of the packaging for a few seconds in that crowded subway, but she had examined that rabbit-patterned gold coin dozens of times. The image was burned into her brain.
The coin, the box, the item—they all shared that same rabbit logo. It was a brand, a symbol. This guy wasn't after the item’s power; he was after the brand.
Once the realization hit, a plan followed. Cui Ye’s eyes flickered. She reached into her pocket, pulled something out, and walked toward the giant.
The "Giant"—Qiu Ke—watched as the newbie hesitated before finally approaching. But what she held out wasn't the earring he wanted. He lowered his massive head, peering down at the object in her palm. A paper cup telephone?
He could tell it was a game item, even if he’d never seen one like it. Ordinarily, he might have been curious enough to take it, but with that rabbit stud on the table, everything else looked like trash.
"That’s not what I asked for." His voice was heavy, unreadable. His mouth was open, but the sound seemed to rumble out from somewhere near his stomach.
Cui Ye craned her neck to see his face, but at this distance, it was impossible. Sensing his patience was wearing thin, she spoke quickly.
"I’d be more than happy to trade the stud for your guidance, Senior. But I’ve used it so many times that it only has one point of durability left. However... I know how to get a brand-new one. You just have to use this [Receiver] item."
"Oh?" He sounded intrigued. He pinched the cup with two fingers. He could tell it was a communication tool—no offensive stats at all.
Not that it mattered. To him, a newbie who’d just awakened a talent and bound a Safe House was an ant. This beginner’s server was a playground for veteran players. Anyone who resisted ended up as mushroom fertilizer.
He’d heard those two "Puppet" bastards had entered this world too, but it looked like his luck was better. He’d actually stumbled upon an item dropped by that gentleman. Talk about striking gold!
It was just a pity a newbie had found it first. A brat who hadn't even leveled her talent couldn't possibly tap into its real power—she’d just wasted its durability. What a crime against nature.
He decided then: the moment she handed over that stud, he’d bring down a "heavenly punishment" on this lowly insect. Such waste was unforgivable.
But first, he’d allow her one final struggle. He really was too merciful.
Qiu Ke used two fingers to hold one cup to his ear. The string, which was barely a foot long, stretched infinitely as Cui Ye held the other end and tapped her cup against the rabbit earring.
A second later, a sound came through.
The calm on Qiu Ke’s face vanished. His pupils shrank into pinpricks—it was a deeply unsettling look. Cui Ye rubbed her arms, trying to smooth down the goosebumps. The voice in the receiver was cool and pleasant, just a simple "Who is this?" but it had scared the man half to death.
Since she was holding the other end, Cui Ye heard it too. Seeing the giant frozen in a daze, she realized she’d have to be the one to speak. She cleared her throat and adopted an exaggerated, overly-polite tone.
"Benefactor! It’s me! I’m only alive because of that coin you gave me. I wanted to thank you in person later, but right now, a Senior here wants to make a trade—well, if the trade fails, I might not be around to thank you at all. He wants the earring you made in exchange for some intel. My earring's durability is too low, but I figured you’d have more in stock, so I’m letting him talk to you directly."
The item [Receiver] could place a call through a "medium". [Plushie Collector] was that medium, and the recipient was, naturally, "Mr. Rabbit".
After playing the "grateful victim" card, Cui Ye followed the white string with her eyes and gestured for the giant to speak. "Senior?"
Qiu Ke: "..." You crafty little insect! Who’s your Senior?!
"Heh... ugh..." He tried to force a sound out, but he couldn't form a single word. He wanted to defend himself, but he felt a sudden, agonizing pain in his gut, like an invisible hand was shredding his insides.
Blood and visceral organs threatened to spill from his throat, but a split second before it happened, he remembered that that gentleman hated filth. Fearing for his life, he held his breath and clamped his mouth and nose shut.
The squad then witnessed something out of a horror movie. The veteran player’s face began to... well, disappear. Literally. His mouth, nose, and eyes vanished as if erased or swallowed by his own skin. His face became a smooth, fleshy ball. Combined with his gaudy clothes, he looked like an upside-down human mushroom.
He stayed frozen, still holding the cup. The sight was so bizarre the others scrambled backward. Only Cui Ye stayed put, watching her paper cup begin to go soft and collapse. Just before the white string turned into black fuzz, a voice drifted from the receiver: "Clever girl."
There was no anger or warmth in the tone, but Cui Ye felt like she’d just finished a tightrope walk over an abyss. Luckily, Mr. Rabbit didn't seem truly offended.
The voice vanished. The paper receiver turned back into a plush toy and fell to the floor. It wasn't that she’d lost her grip; it was the system notification that had just popped up:
[Harassing a Ticket Seller. Fine: 5 Gold Coins. A small lesson learned.]
Cui Ye: "?!?!"
I was just using a big name to scare off a scammer! A five-coin fine?! That’s enough for a whole bottle of Healing Potion!
Her savings had just been slashed by a third. But the item was used, the call was made, and the fine was paid. While her "backing" was still fresh in the giant’s mind, she looked at the featureless face of Qiu Ke with an expectant gaze.
"Senior, I gave you the address of the supplier. I can't give you the goods directly, but I did use up an item for you. Don't you think you should... you know.." Maybe show some appreciation?
She didn't finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear. If he still had a face, his expression would have been a masterpiece. After a moment of silence, mushrooms began sprouting from the floor. Cui Ye stood her ground; the mushrooms avoided her. Finally, the giant’s voice rumbled from his stomach again. He grudgingly spat out a few pieces of intel before basically telling them to get out. Out of sight, out of mind.
"My name is Qiu Ke. I didn't get yours." It sounded like he wasn't willing to let it go. He called out to them as they prepared to leave.
Cui Ye didn't hesitate. "Cao Zhongliang."
Qiu Ke: "Cao Zhongliang. I hope we never meet again."
It was a blatant threat. It might have been more effective if he’d actually gotten her name right. Cui Ye didn't care; she just memorized his name for later, thinking she’d look into his background if she got the chance. He looked intimidating, but he wasn't exactly a genius.
Then again, he wasn't an idiot either. She couldn't pull the same trick twice, and there was no guarantee her [Christmas Sock] would drop another [Receiver]. But that was fine. There were thousands of items in the world. Maybe next time, she wouldn't need a gimmick—she’d solve the problem with a blade, just like she did with the water monsters.
The group left the hotel and headed for the next block. Red lightning still rolled through the clouds. The rain had slowed, but the wind was still howling. The injured members looked hesitant, glancing at He Fangzhou and then at Cui Ye.
The series of events had left them dazed. They’d technically offended a veteran player, but they weren't the ones who did it, and they’d gotten the intel for free. The process was a mess, but the result was perfect. They now looked at Cui Ye with a touch of awe—she had a weird arsenal of items and apparently some very scary people backing her. Not someone to mess with.
Cui Ye didn't say anything; she just looked at He Fangzhou. He got the hint and ordered the team to find a spot to settle in the next block. The rubber boats were back in the water. The ride was bumpy, but it was much smoother than they expected. No monsters came to harass them; it was as if they had all vanished overnight.
Chapter Notes:
Cui Ye's Talent & Currently Equipped Items:
Just as she was trying to blend into the background, Cui Ye was called out. Every eye in the room pivoted toward her. Her stomach did a slow roll—she had no idea why this guy had suddenly zeroed in on [Plushie Collector].
The others clearly hadn't noticed the earring. It was a plain, black stud in the shape of a common rabbit. Unless this guy had eyes like an 8x-magnification lens with a built-in gem appraiser, there was no way he should have seen it. Then again, in an apocalypse world governed by a game system, maybe that was exactly what he had.
She kept her mouth shut. Two seconds of silence stretched out into an eternity. Cui Ye pressed a hand over her thumping heart, her mind racing.
Handing over the stud was out of the question. But fighting him? Not a chance. She couldn't even guess what kind of tricks a player with a Level 3 Safe House had up their sleeve. [Plushie Collector] was useful, but its one-meter range was a fatal flaw. If he didn't move in close—or if he had defense items that neutralized it—she was dead. That massive, bright red exclamation mark from [Friendly Tip] wasn't just there for decoration.
She’d already backed off about six or seven meters when the danger warning popped up. If she tried to attack now, she’d be dead eight times over before she reached him.
But the fact that he specified the "rabbit stud" made her think of the blind box she’d opened. It was a black-and-white box featuring a rabbit with a bow tie—an image that looked half-plush, half-alive. She’d only caught a glance of the packaging for a few seconds in that crowded subway, but she had examined that rabbit-patterned gold coin dozens of times. The image was burned into her brain.
The coin, the box, the item—they all shared that same rabbit logo. It was a brand, a symbol. This guy wasn't after the item’s power; he was after the brand.
Once the realization hit, a plan followed. Cui Ye’s eyes flickered. She reached into her pocket, pulled something out, and walked toward the giant.
The "Giant"—Qiu Ke—watched as the newbie hesitated before finally approaching. But what she held out wasn't the earring he wanted. He lowered his massive head, peering down at the object in her palm. A paper cup telephone?
He could tell it was a game item, even if he’d never seen one like it. Ordinarily, he might have been curious enough to take it, but with that rabbit stud on the table, everything else looked like trash.
"That’s not what I asked for." His voice was heavy, unreadable. His mouth was open, but the sound seemed to rumble out from somewhere near his stomach.
Cui Ye craned her neck to see his face, but at this distance, it was impossible. Sensing his patience was wearing thin, she spoke quickly.
"I’d be more than happy to trade the stud for your guidance, Senior. But I’ve used it so many times that it only has one point of durability left. However... I know how to get a brand-new one. You just have to use this [Receiver] item."
"Oh?" He sounded intrigued. He pinched the cup with two fingers. He could tell it was a communication tool—no offensive stats at all.
Not that it mattered. To him, a newbie who’d just awakened a talent and bound a Safe House was an ant. This beginner’s server was a playground for veteran players. Anyone who resisted ended up as mushroom fertilizer.
He’d heard those two "Puppet" bastards had entered this world too, but it looked like his luck was better. He’d actually stumbled upon an item dropped by that gentleman. Talk about striking gold!
It was just a pity a newbie had found it first. A brat who hadn't even leveled her talent couldn't possibly tap into its real power—she’d just wasted its durability. What a crime against nature.
He decided then: the moment she handed over that stud, he’d bring down a "heavenly punishment" on this lowly insect. Such waste was unforgivable.
But first, he’d allow her one final struggle. He really was too merciful.
Qiu Ke used two fingers to hold one cup to his ear. The string, which was barely a foot long, stretched infinitely as Cui Ye held the other end and tapped her cup against the rabbit earring.
A second later, a sound came through.
The calm on Qiu Ke’s face vanished. His pupils shrank into pinpricks—it was a deeply unsettling look. Cui Ye rubbed her arms, trying to smooth down the goosebumps. The voice in the receiver was cool and pleasant, just a simple "Who is this?" but it had scared the man half to death.
Since she was holding the other end, Cui Ye heard it too. Seeing the giant frozen in a daze, she realized she’d have to be the one to speak. She cleared her throat and adopted an exaggerated, overly-polite tone.
"Benefactor! It’s me! I’m only alive because of that coin you gave me. I wanted to thank you in person later, but right now, a Senior here wants to make a trade—well, if the trade fails, I might not be around to thank you at all. He wants the earring you made in exchange for some intel. My earring's durability is too low, but I figured you’d have more in stock, so I’m letting him talk to you directly."
The item [Receiver] could place a call through a "medium". [Plushie Collector] was that medium, and the recipient was, naturally, "Mr. Rabbit".
After playing the "grateful victim" card, Cui Ye followed the white string with her eyes and gestured for the giant to speak. "Senior?"
Qiu Ke: "..." You crafty little insect! Who’s your Senior?!
"Heh... ugh..." He tried to force a sound out, but he couldn't form a single word. He wanted to defend himself, but he felt a sudden, agonizing pain in his gut, like an invisible hand was shredding his insides.
Blood and visceral organs threatened to spill from his throat, but a split second before it happened, he remembered that that gentleman hated filth. Fearing for his life, he held his breath and clamped his mouth and nose shut.
The squad then witnessed something out of a horror movie. The veteran player’s face began to... well, disappear. Literally. His mouth, nose, and eyes vanished as if erased or swallowed by his own skin. His face became a smooth, fleshy ball. Combined with his gaudy clothes, he looked like an upside-down human mushroom.
He stayed frozen, still holding the cup. The sight was so bizarre the others scrambled backward. Only Cui Ye stayed put, watching her paper cup begin to go soft and collapse. Just before the white string turned into black fuzz, a voice drifted from the receiver: "Clever girl."
There was no anger or warmth in the tone, but Cui Ye felt like she’d just finished a tightrope walk over an abyss. Luckily, Mr. Rabbit didn't seem truly offended.
The voice vanished. The paper receiver turned back into a plush toy and fell to the floor. It wasn't that she’d lost her grip; it was the system notification that had just popped up:
[Harassing a Ticket Seller. Fine: 5 Gold Coins. A small lesson learned.]
Cui Ye: "?!?!"
I was just using a big name to scare off a scammer! A five-coin fine?! That’s enough for a whole bottle of Healing Potion!
Her savings had just been slashed by a third. But the item was used, the call was made, and the fine was paid. While her "backing" was still fresh in the giant’s mind, she looked at the featureless face of Qiu Ke with an expectant gaze.
"Senior, I gave you the address of the supplier. I can't give you the goods directly, but I did use up an item for you. Don't you think you should... you know.." Maybe show some appreciation?
She didn't finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear. If he still had a face, his expression would have been a masterpiece. After a moment of silence, mushrooms began sprouting from the floor. Cui Ye stood her ground; the mushrooms avoided her. Finally, the giant’s voice rumbled from his stomach again. He grudgingly spat out a few pieces of intel before basically telling them to get out. Out of sight, out of mind.
"My name is Qiu Ke. I didn't get yours." It sounded like he wasn't willing to let it go. He called out to them as they prepared to leave.
Cui Ye didn't hesitate. "Cao Zhongliang."
Qiu Ke: "Cao Zhongliang. I hope we never meet again."
It was a blatant threat. It might have been more effective if he’d actually gotten her name right. Cui Ye didn't care; she just memorized his name for later, thinking she’d look into his background if she got the chance. He looked intimidating, but he wasn't exactly a genius.
Then again, he wasn't an idiot either. She couldn't pull the same trick twice, and there was no guarantee her [Christmas Sock] would drop another [Receiver]. But that was fine. There were thousands of items in the world. Maybe next time, she wouldn't need a gimmick—she’d solve the problem with a blade, just like she did with the water monsters.
The group left the hotel and headed for the next block. Red lightning still rolled through the clouds. The rain had slowed, but the wind was still howling. The injured members looked hesitant, glancing at He Fangzhou and then at Cui Ye.
The series of events had left them dazed. They’d technically offended a veteran player, but they weren't the ones who did it, and they’d gotten the intel for free. The process was a mess, but the result was perfect. They now looked at Cui Ye with a touch of awe—she had a weird arsenal of items and apparently some very scary people backing her. Not someone to mess with.
Cui Ye didn't say anything; she just looked at He Fangzhou. He got the hint and ordered the team to find a spot to settle in the next block. The rubber boats were back in the water. The ride was bumpy, but it was much smoother than they expected. No monsters came to harass them; it was as if they had all vanished overnight.
Chapter Notes:
Cui Ye's Talent & Currently Equipped Items:
Talent: [Friendly Tip]. It provides strategic information, identifies item properties, and even "censors" particularly gruesome sights by applying a pixelated mosaic over them to protect the user's sanity. In terms of combat or utility, it functions as an information-gathering and sensory-filtering system.
Items:
Items:
- [Leopard-Print Thermal Leggings: Wearing these increases the player’s movement speed.]
- [Christmas Sock: Wearing it on your foot increases movement speed. Hanging it on the wall allows the player to receive a Christmas gift the following morning.]
- [Receiver: A "gift" from the Christmas Sock. A plain white paper cup telephone. When a "medium" makes contact with either cup, a direct call is placed to the medium's original creators. Can only be used once.]
- [Prison Uniform: Increases escape speed when worn. Probability of successful jailbreak is doubled.]
- [M-Family High-End Luxury Vintage Linen Necklace / "Linen Necklace": Confirms target, precise strangulation. Durable and sturdy. Can be equipped in the Safe House as an offensive measure.]
- [Plushie Collector: A black rabbit shaped stud earrings. When activated, it could turn any creature within a one-meter radius into a plushie. 100 Durability points.]
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