The Walk-in Closet Safehouse CH21
Chapter 21: Ignorance Breeds Audacity
[Welcome! Please feel free to browse and purchase this shop's merchandise. We ask that you shop courteously.]
It looked like a simple sign, but it actually contained two separate, vital rules. Cui Ye didn’t make the mistake of mixing up the brown monkey plushie's generic greeting at the entrance with the sign's specific phrasing: "Please feel free to browse and purchase this shop's merchandise."
The second rule: "shopping courteously" was simple enough. As long as a customer didn't let greed hijack their brain and try to pull off a "zero-dollar shopping" heist, they wouldn't court an early death. Instead, her entire attention was locked onto the three specific words in the first sentence: "this shop's merchandise".
By explicitly giving permission to look at and buy the shop's items, the sign was secretly hinting at the opposite: anything that didn't belong to the shop was strictly off-limits. Whether it was the store's shelves, the creepy decorations, or the items belonging to other customers, touching them meant crossing a dangerous line. It was a basic piece of backward logic, yet she feared most people would completely miss the hidden warning.
Cui Ye reviewed the warning repeatedly, ensuring every single character was permanently etched into her mind before she finally stepped toward the display shelves. Without even turning around, she could feel two scorching lines of sight drilling directly into the back of her skull. She selectively ignored them. With the beanie resting on her head, even if their eyes could emit literal lasers, they wouldn't be able to inflict a single shred of damage.
[Green Hat: You who don the green hat shall know no fear. No need for helmets; charge ahead boldly! Putting it on grants your head total immunity to all forms of damage.]
Abysmal choice of words. It was clearly a vibrant green wool knit beanie, yet the system had simplified the name down to just those two wretched words. Reading the item name followed by its mechanical description always left one feeling as though the game were dropping a sly, under-the-radar insult.
This beanie had materialized inside Cui Ye’s wardrobe a long time ago, but she had never worn it out due to a simple practical reality—the ambient temperature back then hadn't dropped into the single digits yet, and wearing a wool beanie would have been stiflingly hot. It was absolutely not because she felt disgusted by its cultural connotations.
Cough. Be that as it may, when absolute utility was called for, pride had to take a backseat. She cherished her life deeply, and because she valued survival above all else, she had now crammed every single piece of stat-boosting clothing she owned onto her body at once.
Inside the shop, the several customers who caught the rustle of her entry aligned their eyes toward the door in unison—and then promptly closed them in unison. It was pure eye-searing visual pollution.
The newcomer possessed far too many roast-worthy points from head to toe for anyone to even know where to begin "swinging the axe". A greener-than-grass knit beanie, a pair of hot-pink, sky-high stilettos that made one's ankles ache just looking at them, and a thick gold chain that served as the universal trademark of the tacky nouveau riche. With those accessories acting as the baseline contrast, her pristine, snow-white hiking suit actually ended up looking like the most normal part of her outfit.
"Where on earth did this 'exotic flower' pop out from?" the female half of a suspected couple muttered under her breath.
She opened her mouth to say more, but her boyfriend sharply pinched her hand. Catching his silent warning, the girl looked at him with some confusion, but out of absolute trust in his survival instincts, she sealed her mouth shut and refrained from making another sound.
The young man, meanwhile, swept his eyes across Cui Ye’s completely immaculate white hiking suit, instantly realizing that this individual was not a presence to be trifled with. Right now, water monsters were swarming everywhere outside beneath a torrential downpour, yet this person stood there completely spotless from top to bottom, with only her footwear bearing a tiny smudge of soil. Even if she was a total psycho, she belonged to the absolute highest echelon among psychos. It was best to minimize provocations.
Yet, even though his rational mind processed the danger, his eyes still uncontrollably stole another glance at her exposed ankles. Pink high heels paired with a festive Christmas sock...
Cui Ye paid zero heed to the girl’s commentary, reaching up to tap the ski goggles on her face to verify they were still snugly fitted. Once satisfied, she confidently advanced toward the shelves. It wasn't that she found exposing her face embarrassing. Since she had already resolved to wear this clown suit out the door, how could she possibly fear the judgment of others?
She masked her face solely to prevent anyone from identifying her. That subway mother-and-son pair along with Qiu Ke were not entities she currently had the capability to settle—though perhaps she held a tiny sliver of a chance against the latter.
If they were outdoors, with her umbrella granting a massive movement speed buffer, she could rapidly close the distance to deploy [Plushie Collector] and the [M-Family High-End Luxury Vintage Linen Necklace]. However, if the opponent immediately shrank inside their Safe House, she would temporarily be left entirely unable to handle them.
She still lacked a devastating, raw physical offensive measure. In fact, thinking carefully about it, the stat-boosting clothes and special items in her possession that carried offensive traits all seemed far more optimized for slaughtering human targets than monsters.
As she scanned the room, her eyes "accidentally" caught sight of the other two customers inside the shop. Cui Ye felt a trace of dark surprise. Truly, baneful scourges leave an enduring legacy through a thousand generations. She hadn't expected these two to still be alive—she just didn't know which batch of unlucky bastards had swallowed their bait this time, rushing over to act as their sacrificial scapegoats.
Cao Zhongliang, who was currently hesitating over which item to choose, suddenly felt a chilling sensation crawl down the back of his neck. Turning his head, he only caught a glimpse of a white silhouette—it was that freak who had just walked in. He didn't know where she found the audacity to stand right there and lock eyes with two cashiers who looked neither human nor ghost.
He shared the exact same sentiment as the young man from earlier: it was best to distance oneself from such an individual. However, he only possessed five gold coins, and the merchandise within his budget was limited to just a few choices. Yet, he burned with the urge to pack up every single item and carry them away. Zhao Guangcai, standing right beside him, suggested taking advantage of the situation to sneak out an item or two. Many system items were so minuscule they were only the size of a fingernail, meaning they could easily be hidden anywhere without being discovered. Shoplifting a few would be an absolute cakewalk.
The whisper caused Cao Zhongliang’s heart to waver with temptation for a fleeting moment, but upon casting his eyes back over those two eerie plush toys, he rapidly extinguished the notion.
[Welcome! Please feel free to browse and purchase this shop's merchandise. We ask that you shop courteously.]
It looked like a simple sign, but it actually contained two separate, vital rules. Cui Ye didn’t make the mistake of mixing up the brown monkey plushie's generic greeting at the entrance with the sign's specific phrasing: "Please feel free to browse and purchase this shop's merchandise."
The second rule: "shopping courteously" was simple enough. As long as a customer didn't let greed hijack their brain and try to pull off a "zero-dollar shopping" heist, they wouldn't court an early death. Instead, her entire attention was locked onto the three specific words in the first sentence: "this shop's merchandise".
By explicitly giving permission to look at and buy the shop's items, the sign was secretly hinting at the opposite: anything that didn't belong to the shop was strictly off-limits. Whether it was the store's shelves, the creepy decorations, or the items belonging to other customers, touching them meant crossing a dangerous line. It was a basic piece of backward logic, yet she feared most people would completely miss the hidden warning.
Cui Ye reviewed the warning repeatedly, ensuring every single character was permanently etched into her mind before she finally stepped toward the display shelves. Without even turning around, she could feel two scorching lines of sight drilling directly into the back of her skull. She selectively ignored them. With the beanie resting on her head, even if their eyes could emit literal lasers, they wouldn't be able to inflict a single shred of damage.
[Green Hat: You who don the green hat shall know no fear. No need for helmets; charge ahead boldly! Putting it on grants your head total immunity to all forms of damage.]
Abysmal choice of words. It was clearly a vibrant green wool knit beanie, yet the system had simplified the name down to just those two wretched words. Reading the item name followed by its mechanical description always left one feeling as though the game were dropping a sly, under-the-radar insult.
This beanie had materialized inside Cui Ye’s wardrobe a long time ago, but she had never worn it out due to a simple practical reality—the ambient temperature back then hadn't dropped into the single digits yet, and wearing a wool beanie would have been stiflingly hot. It was absolutely not because she felt disgusted by its cultural connotations.
Cough. Be that as it may, when absolute utility was called for, pride had to take a backseat. She cherished her life deeply, and because she valued survival above all else, she had now crammed every single piece of stat-boosting clothing she owned onto her body at once.
Inside the shop, the several customers who caught the rustle of her entry aligned their eyes toward the door in unison—and then promptly closed them in unison. It was pure eye-searing visual pollution.
The newcomer possessed far too many roast-worthy points from head to toe for anyone to even know where to begin "swinging the axe". A greener-than-grass knit beanie, a pair of hot-pink, sky-high stilettos that made one's ankles ache just looking at them, and a thick gold chain that served as the universal trademark of the tacky nouveau riche. With those accessories acting as the baseline contrast, her pristine, snow-white hiking suit actually ended up looking like the most normal part of her outfit.
"Where on earth did this 'exotic flower' pop out from?" the female half of a suspected couple muttered under her breath.
She opened her mouth to say more, but her boyfriend sharply pinched her hand. Catching his silent warning, the girl looked at him with some confusion, but out of absolute trust in his survival instincts, she sealed her mouth shut and refrained from making another sound.
The young man, meanwhile, swept his eyes across Cui Ye’s completely immaculate white hiking suit, instantly realizing that this individual was not a presence to be trifled with. Right now, water monsters were swarming everywhere outside beneath a torrential downpour, yet this person stood there completely spotless from top to bottom, with only her footwear bearing a tiny smudge of soil. Even if she was a total psycho, she belonged to the absolute highest echelon among psychos. It was best to minimize provocations.
Yet, even though his rational mind processed the danger, his eyes still uncontrollably stole another glance at her exposed ankles. Pink high heels paired with a festive Christmas sock...
Cui Ye paid zero heed to the girl’s commentary, reaching up to tap the ski goggles on her face to verify they were still snugly fitted. Once satisfied, she confidently advanced toward the shelves. It wasn't that she found exposing her face embarrassing. Since she had already resolved to wear this clown suit out the door, how could she possibly fear the judgment of others?
She masked her face solely to prevent anyone from identifying her. That subway mother-and-son pair along with Qiu Ke were not entities she currently had the capability to settle—though perhaps she held a tiny sliver of a chance against the latter.
If they were outdoors, with her umbrella granting a massive movement speed buffer, she could rapidly close the distance to deploy [Plushie Collector] and the [M-Family High-End Luxury Vintage Linen Necklace]. However, if the opponent immediately shrank inside their Safe House, she would temporarily be left entirely unable to handle them.
She still lacked a devastating, raw physical offensive measure. In fact, thinking carefully about it, the stat-boosting clothes and special items in her possession that carried offensive traits all seemed far more optimized for slaughtering human targets than monsters.
As she scanned the room, her eyes "accidentally" caught sight of the other two customers inside the shop. Cui Ye felt a trace of dark surprise. Truly, baneful scourges leave an enduring legacy through a thousand generations. She hadn't expected these two to still be alive—she just didn't know which batch of unlucky bastards had swallowed their bait this time, rushing over to act as their sacrificial scapegoats.
Cao Zhongliang, who was currently hesitating over which item to choose, suddenly felt a chilling sensation crawl down the back of his neck. Turning his head, he only caught a glimpse of a white silhouette—it was that freak who had just walked in. He didn't know where she found the audacity to stand right there and lock eyes with two cashiers who looked neither human nor ghost.
He shared the exact same sentiment as the young man from earlier: it was best to distance oneself from such an individual. However, he only possessed five gold coins, and the merchandise within his budget was limited to just a few choices. Yet, he burned with the urge to pack up every single item and carry them away. Zhao Guangcai, standing right beside him, suggested taking advantage of the situation to sneak out an item or two. Many system items were so minuscule they were only the size of a fingernail, meaning they could easily be hidden anywhere without being discovered. Shoplifting a few would be an absolute cakewalk.
The whisper caused Cao Zhongliang’s heart to waver with temptation for a fleeting moment, but upon casting his eyes back over those two eerie plush toys, he rapidly extinguished the notion.
He warned in a frigid tone, "You think those two things are just interior decorations? This is no ordinary convenience store."
Separated from them by a single merchandise display rack, Cui Ye caught their entire conversation clearly. It wasn't that she was intentionally trying to eavesdrop, but rather that after her Safe House upgraded to Level 3, her five senses had received an all-around buff. Her eyes, which used to suffer from mild nearsightedness, had completely recovered, granting her a much greater visual range than ordinary humans. Likewise, even though those two detestable guys lowered their voices to a hushed whisper, every single word was caught clearly by her ears.
The relationship dynamics between those two had undergone a significant shift, with their hierarchical positions completely inverted. Given Cao Zhongliang’s middle-aged, out-of-shape physique, he must have either bound a Safe House or awakened as a Talent User. Otherwise, someone like Zhao Guangcai could have easily executed a one-on-two beatdown against him without breaking a sweat. Feng shui truly rotates in a continuous cycle.
Although she didn't know what they had been through since they last met, it no longer had any correlation to her.
Cui Ye inspected the display rack before her, discovering that the various items lacked any classification or sorting, being piled onto the shelves entirely at random. Resting right beside a heavy combat shield might be a bag of barbecue-flavored potato chips, or perhaps a single mahjong tile. Whether one could unearth what they desired depended entirely on eyesight, patience, and a tiny dash of luck—because the merchandise only displayed numerical prices, carrying zero functional labels or descriptions.
What she currently required most was a high-shredding, heavy-assault weapon capable of prying open a turtle shell. For now, she had zero need for utility or support-type gear. Fortunately, she possessed her awakened talent, saving her an immense amount of hassle.
Her cheat-like talent did not disappoint. A massive, two-hundred-watt lightbulb materialized out of nowhere, flashing with the exact same vibrant green light as the beanie resting upon her head before drifting over to hover directly over a specific spot. Her talent's "prompting" method had received an epic-tier upgrade, and its level of "friendliness" had reached a brand-new historical high.
"..."
Cui Ye advanced with a deadpan expression, single-handedly snuffing out the green lightbulb that was bright enough to blind someone. However, this was merely her personal perspective; in the eyes of the bystanders, she had simply raised her hand abruptly to grab a handful of empty air. Then again, dressed the way she was, whatever bizarre action she performed looked entirely reasonable.
Seeing his girlfriend raise her head to peek over in that direction once more, the young man reached out to manually turn her head back straight. Meanwhile, Cui Ye was carefully sizing up the stamp in her palm.
To be precise, it was a stamp priced at exactly 32 gold coins—not a single coin more, not a single coin less. Cui Ye had every reason to suspect that [Friendly Tip] and the game system had colluded to completely bankrupt her, forcing her back into being a broke beggar so she would drag herself back out to farm monsters.
Being unable to see the item's description and its function meant she would only learn what it did after purchasing it. Although she had a burning desire to roast this design choice, she ultimately chose to place her faith in her talent, tightly gripping the unadorned, plain black stamp inside her palm.
The stamp was only the size of a walnut, exactly like those cheap plastic stamps you add at checkout just to hit the minimum spending threshold for free shipping. It wasn't encrusted with diamonds, yet it was valued at 32 gold coins.
I see. Setting up a storefront is way more efficient than robbing a bank, Mr. Rabbit.
Cui Ye looked at the rabbit logo stamped on one side of the item, then glanced at the varying-sized plush toys she had noticed the moment she stepped into the shop. One didn't have to be a genius to figure it out: this convenience store absolutely belonged to Mr. Rabbit as well. She just didn't know how much profit the guy cleared by selling all this merchandise, though it was bound to be a lot—an extreme amount.
"So rich that oil flows out" huh? A vivid image immediately materialized in Cui Ye’s mind: a rabbit donning a tacky, nouveau riche gold necklace, a gemstone crown resting upon its head, and a diamond scepter gripped tightly in its paw.
"He's probably even wealthier than that," Cui Ye murmured under her breath. It was her shriveled wallet that restricted the boundaries of her imagination.
As for the underlying meaning behind the rule to "purchase this shop’s merchandise," the answer emerged after a quick look around.
The vast majority of the items in the shop carried the rabbit logo; as long as a customer steered clear of products lacking that logo, they wouldn't violate the rules. Even if a shopper had no idea Mr. Rabbit existed, they would easily notice the identical logo printed on the items if they were paying attention.
But if someone unluckily selected an item without the logo and failed to notice the missing symbol—or if they were so paralyzed by fear of the plush toy employees at checkout that they failed to read the shopping rules entirely... Cui Ye had already witnessed firsthand what happened to them.
Yet, there would always be individuals who were completely ignorant and devoid of fear. Staring at the dazzling array of merchandise lining the shelves, they fantasized about grabbing a few items and "slaughtering across all four quarters," turning the tables in a single stroke to liquidate anyone who had ever looked down on them or stepped over their heads.
Chapter Notes:
Separated from them by a single merchandise display rack, Cui Ye caught their entire conversation clearly. It wasn't that she was intentionally trying to eavesdrop, but rather that after her Safe House upgraded to Level 3, her five senses had received an all-around buff. Her eyes, which used to suffer from mild nearsightedness, had completely recovered, granting her a much greater visual range than ordinary humans. Likewise, even though those two detestable guys lowered their voices to a hushed whisper, every single word was caught clearly by her ears.
The relationship dynamics between those two had undergone a significant shift, with their hierarchical positions completely inverted. Given Cao Zhongliang’s middle-aged, out-of-shape physique, he must have either bound a Safe House or awakened as a Talent User. Otherwise, someone like Zhao Guangcai could have easily executed a one-on-two beatdown against him without breaking a sweat. Feng shui truly rotates in a continuous cycle.
Although she didn't know what they had been through since they last met, it no longer had any correlation to her.
Cui Ye inspected the display rack before her, discovering that the various items lacked any classification or sorting, being piled onto the shelves entirely at random. Resting right beside a heavy combat shield might be a bag of barbecue-flavored potato chips, or perhaps a single mahjong tile. Whether one could unearth what they desired depended entirely on eyesight, patience, and a tiny dash of luck—because the merchandise only displayed numerical prices, carrying zero functional labels or descriptions.
What she currently required most was a high-shredding, heavy-assault weapon capable of prying open a turtle shell. For now, she had zero need for utility or support-type gear. Fortunately, she possessed her awakened talent, saving her an immense amount of hassle.
Her cheat-like talent did not disappoint. A massive, two-hundred-watt lightbulb materialized out of nowhere, flashing with the exact same vibrant green light as the beanie resting upon her head before drifting over to hover directly over a specific spot. Her talent's "prompting" method had received an epic-tier upgrade, and its level of "friendliness" had reached a brand-new historical high.
"..."
Cui Ye advanced with a deadpan expression, single-handedly snuffing out the green lightbulb that was bright enough to blind someone. However, this was merely her personal perspective; in the eyes of the bystanders, she had simply raised her hand abruptly to grab a handful of empty air. Then again, dressed the way she was, whatever bizarre action she performed looked entirely reasonable.
Seeing his girlfriend raise her head to peek over in that direction once more, the young man reached out to manually turn her head back straight. Meanwhile, Cui Ye was carefully sizing up the stamp in her palm.
To be precise, it was a stamp priced at exactly 32 gold coins—not a single coin more, not a single coin less. Cui Ye had every reason to suspect that [Friendly Tip] and the game system had colluded to completely bankrupt her, forcing her back into being a broke beggar so she would drag herself back out to farm monsters.
Being unable to see the item's description and its function meant she would only learn what it did after purchasing it. Although she had a burning desire to roast this design choice, she ultimately chose to place her faith in her talent, tightly gripping the unadorned, plain black stamp inside her palm.
The stamp was only the size of a walnut, exactly like those cheap plastic stamps you add at checkout just to hit the minimum spending threshold for free shipping. It wasn't encrusted with diamonds, yet it was valued at 32 gold coins.
I see. Setting up a storefront is way more efficient than robbing a bank, Mr. Rabbit.
Cui Ye looked at the rabbit logo stamped on one side of the item, then glanced at the varying-sized plush toys she had noticed the moment she stepped into the shop. One didn't have to be a genius to figure it out: this convenience store absolutely belonged to Mr. Rabbit as well. She just didn't know how much profit the guy cleared by selling all this merchandise, though it was bound to be a lot—an extreme amount.
"So rich that oil flows out" huh? A vivid image immediately materialized in Cui Ye’s mind: a rabbit donning a tacky, nouveau riche gold necklace, a gemstone crown resting upon its head, and a diamond scepter gripped tightly in its paw.
"He's probably even wealthier than that," Cui Ye murmured under her breath. It was her shriveled wallet that restricted the boundaries of her imagination.
As for the underlying meaning behind the rule to "purchase this shop’s merchandise," the answer emerged after a quick look around.
The vast majority of the items in the shop carried the rabbit logo; as long as a customer steered clear of products lacking that logo, they wouldn't violate the rules. Even if a shopper had no idea Mr. Rabbit existed, they would easily notice the identical logo printed on the items if they were paying attention.
But if someone unluckily selected an item without the logo and failed to notice the missing symbol—or if they were so paralyzed by fear of the plush toy employees at checkout that they failed to read the shopping rules entirely... Cui Ye had already witnessed firsthand what happened to them.
Yet, there would always be individuals who were completely ignorant and devoid of fear. Staring at the dazzling array of merchandise lining the shelves, they fantasized about grabbing a few items and "slaughtering across all four quarters," turning the tables in a single stroke to liquidate anyone who had ever looked down on them or stepped over their heads.
Chapter Notes:
- "Zero-dollar purchase" 零元购: A sarcastic Chinese internet buzzword used to describe flash-mob looting, shoplifting, or stealing merchandise from stores without paying a single cent.
- "To court death / to manufacture death" 作死: A highly popular internet slang meaning to engage in completely unnecessary, highly reckless, or incredibly stupid behavior that will inevitably lead to one's own demise. From the famous phrase 不作死就不会死 (If you don't court death, you won't die).
- "Green hat" 绿帽 / 绿帽子: In Chinese culture, wearing a green hat (绿帽子) is a widely known idiom that means your romantic partner is cheating on you. To say a man "wears a green hat" (戴绿帽) is the ultimate public humiliation, explicitly labeling him a cuckold. Because of this massive cultural stigma, practically no one in China will ever buy or wear a green hat or beanie in real life, as it invites teasing, jokes, and immediate second glances.
- "swinging the axe" 吐槽 /砍 : In Chinese internet and web novel culture, it means to aggressively roast, criticize, or sharply dissect someone's flaws.
- "Exotic flower" 奇葩: Originally a positive literary term for a rare, beautiful flower, it has completely inverted in modern internet slang to mean a psycho, freak, or someone with incredibly eccentric and bizarre behavior.
- "baneful scourges leave an enduring legacy through a thousand generations." 祸害遗千年: A traditional idiom equivalent to the English proverb "bad weed never dies." It means that horrible, malicious, or toxic people always seem to survive and thrive through crises while good people suffer.
- "Feng shui rotates in a cycle" 风水轮流转: A classic cultural saying meaning that luck, power, and fortunes are never permanent; the tables will always turn eventually, shifting status levels between people over time.
- "So rich that oil flows out" 富得流油: Colloquial idiom used to characterize someone who is obscenely wealthy, swimming in cash, or "filthy rich."
- "To slaughter extensively across all four quarters" 大杀四方: A classic idiom used in web novels and gaming to describe a character completely dominating a battlefield, crushing all opponents, or going on an unstoppable, legendary killing spree.
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