Chapter 38: Never Backstab
Old Wang from Building Materials groaned, complaining bitterly. “No way! Do we really have to order before they let us leave? If we order, won’t they force us to clean our plates before letting us out the door?”
Even Dragon Emerging from the Sea looked unsure of what to do. He lowered his voice and said firmly, “How about we fight our way out?”
His suggestion was immediately backed by If You’re Bad, Practice More. “Agreed! Let’s just carve a path through them!”
Lin Huai raised her hand quickly to stop them. “Don’t do anything rash. This restaurant is crawling with monsters. Every single spirit in this town is an NPC, and you can’t possibly kill them all. Worse, attacking NPCs triggers system penalties.”
As she spoke, she reached into her bag, pulled out a Yin energy crystal, and smoothly slipped it into the ghost waitress’s apron pocket. “Big Sister, we already placed our order, finished our meal, and were just heading downstairs to settle the bill.”
The waitress took the Yin crystal. Without a word, she looked down at her handheld order terminal, tapped a few random dishes onto the screen, and tore off a printed receipt. Passing it to Lin Huai, she rasped, “Downstairs. Settle the bill.”
Lin Huai took the paper and led the group down the stairs.
The others hurried after her in single file.
It was only after Lin Huai paid at the front desk with underworld coins and led everyone out into the open air that they finally dared to speak at normal volume.
Cute and Sparkling looked at her with pure admiration shining in her eyes. “Boss Bone Ash, you’re incredible! How did you know how to handle those NPCs?”
Lin Huai did not answer right away. Instead, she turned around and studied the faces gathered around her.
These people formed the foundation of her core Elite Squad.
Aside from Peace and Violence and If You’re Bad, Practice More, everyone here was an original survivor from Zone 444. Some were players she had heard about in her previous life, which made her naturally inclined to trust them.
Those she hadn’t heard of had likely died early in that previous timeline.
This time, however, everything was different. She had claimed first place across the entire server, the tyrant of Sector 587 was dead, Dragon Emerging from the Sea acknowledged her as the true leader, and the fate of Zone 444 had been completely rewritten.
Because of that, the people standing before her today would surely live much longer.
After sweeping her gaze over each of them, Lin Huai said with an exceptionally solemn expression, “The Zone 444 Elite Squad is officially founded today.”
Her sudden seriousness made the group visibly tense. Cute and Sparkling nervously clutched the hem of Milk Tea Seven Parts Sugar’s sleeve, worrying she had said something wrong.
Lin Huai continued, her voice steady and clear. “I never asked to be a leader, but circumstances brought us here. None of you had a choice, and neither did I. So I will take on this role and carry the future of Zone 444 on my shoulders.”
“However, I have always been ruthless. Since the squad is established today, I want our ground rules set in stone from the start.”
“I don’t need flattery or hollow respect, and you don’t have to put me first in every single situation. It’s completely natural for people to look out for themselves.”
“As my teammates, I have only one rule: never betray, and never backstab.”
“There are no second chances for disloyalty. You are the people standing closest to me, which means you will learn most of my secrets and methods. If an ordinary survivor betrays me, I might show mercy. But none of you will get that chance.”
“Traitors will only ever meet one end: death!”
In her previous life, Lin Huai had paid too high a price for betrayal. She refused to gamble on human nature ever again. At the same time, she could not survive as a lone wolf forever, so she had to draw a hard line for her team.
Her cold, unyielding gaze made it plain that she meant every word. If anyone betrayed her trust, she would put them down without hesitation.
Dragon Emerging from the Sea was the first to speak. “Understood. I’m willing to lay out all my cards and skills to prove my loyalty.”
The others quickly voiced their agreement one after another. Only then did Lin Huai nod in satisfaction. She brought up her system screen and created a brand-new private group chat with a limit of twenty members.
The roster comprised eleven people: Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice, Dragon Emerging from the Sea, Old Wang from Building Materials, Milk Tea Seven Parts Sugar, Cute and Sparkling, Jiangzhehu Inheritor, Fastest Hand at SF Express, Hungry Spirit Blue Knight, Flash Delivery Yellow Knight, Peace and Violence, and If You’re Bad, Practice More.
With the group created, Lin Huai led them toward a small public park nearby to share a hotpot lunch. She brought out large piles of fresh vegetables, fruits, meatballs, and cooking pots, accompanied by plenty of bowls and ladles.
Peace and Violence and If You’re Bad, Practice More stared in disbelief. The sheer abundance of their leader’s stockpile went far beyond anything they had imagined.
Only then did Lin Huai circle back to answer Cute and Sparkling’s earlier question. “The universal currency among all NPCs is the Yin energy crystal. Whenever you deal with NPCs in the future, being generous with crystals will get you much farther.”
She took the time to explain the economic system of the highway, clarifying the true relationship between underworld coins and Yin energy crystals.
Old Wang from Building Materials listened with his jaw open. “It really is true that money makes the world go round—even for ghosts! I honestly thought Yin crystals were just rare crafting materials. Who would have guessed they’re actual currency for the dead? The paper coins we use are just a conversion tool to trade for crystals with them.”
Jiangzhehu Inheritor quickly grasped the logic. She nodded thoughtfully. “Whoever designed this survival game was truly brilliant. Underworld coins only circulate among the living. Even though outposts and shops accept them, the monsters don’t use them as actual currency, which neatly prevents corruption.”
“Almost no ordinary players realize that Yin crystals are the hard currency among monsters. Yet players can convert paper coins into crystals, creating a complete economic cycle.”
Peace and Violence understood the practical value of this knowledge immediately. He tightened his fists with excitement. “Knowing this, I’m confident I can upgrade my vehicle much faster.”
At that moment, Lin Huai took out five vehicle repair cards from her inventory. “Here’s the plan: I managed to secure five vehicle repair cards. They can summon mechanics from a repair station to restore damaged vehicles to brand-new condition.”
“Our enemies happened to leave behind five Level 3 vehicles. We can patch them up and hand them over to our own members, which will save a tremendous amount of upgrade materials and time.”
Everyone’s eyes lit up. A free Level 3 vehicle was an incredible opportunity, especially for Peace and Violence and If You’re Bad, Practice More, who were still driving Level 1 cars.
Currently, only those two still drove Level 1 rides. Flash Delivery Yellow Knight had managed to upgrade to Level 2 on the final evening of the Newbie Protection Period.
Meanwhile, Milk Tea Seven Parts Sugar, Cute and Sparkling, Jiangzhehu Inheritor, Fastest Hand at SF Express, Hungry Spirit Blue Knight, and Flash Delivery Yellow Knight—six members in total—drove Level 2 vehicles.
Lin Huai looked at the group. “Do any of you want to trade your current rides for a ready-to-drive Level 3 vehicle? You get first pick.”
Fastest Hand at SF Express looked over at his delivery van, hesitating. “I really love my delivery van, though. We’ve been through everything together for a whole month, and I can’t bring myself to abandon it. I’d rather upgrade it myself with my own hands.”
