Chapter 2348: Might as Well Treat It as an Encounter
"I'm not staying overnight," Xu Huo said.
As soon as he said this, at least half of the people gathered around him left. The remaining few still wanted to try, including some children who chased after him, persistently trying to persuade him.
"Not staying overnight," Xu Huo repeated. This time, even the children were disappointed and immediately turned around to rush toward the next traveler.
The streets were filled with hawking voices. Even vendors selling snacks would bring their goods out to the main road for people to sample, using this to attract customers.
It wasn't until he had walked a long distance that such vendors became fewer. Near the city center, the area was relatively prosperous, with neatly arranged storefronts.
Xu Huo purchased a map.
Shi Sanjiu had given him a district address along with several city names, saying that the entrance might appear. Whether it would be in multiple cities or just one of them was unknown.
Xu Huo remained fairly optimistic. Given the environment of District 001, if the Fish Feast really wanted to attract more players without drawing attention, this kind of backward district was the most suitable. Of course, it could also be a trap.
The invitation Shi Sanjiu gave him was not exactly the same as the one he had obtained from the game. There were subtle differences in the patterns. It was unlikely to be a version update of the invitation; more likely, the invitation's format was used to distinguish guests.
The Painting Woman inside his clothes tapped his back. Xu Huo found a secluded spot to let her out.
"Where are we going?" The Painting Woman leaned in to look at the map.
Xu Huo pointed to a circled city. "The closest one. We'll go there first."
The Painting Woman nodded, then looked at him. "You're not going to disappear again like last time, are you?"
That was a possibility.
Xu Huo took out the two Fish Feast invitations and spread them open. "The two invitations aren't exactly the same. They might be used to distinguish player identities. One was issued to me by the game, and the other was taken from someone else. This one might have an identity trap."
He held up the second one. "Which one do you want to take?"
The Painting Woman took the one from Shi Sanjiu without hesitation and said, "I'm not afraid. At worst, I'll stick myself to a wall. You'll just have to come find me then."
Xu Huo couldn't help but smile. "That is indeed a solution."
"Let's go." He took out a teleportation item and headed directly to the destination.
Chunyi City was the largest city in the area. Compared to the backwardness of the small towns near the station, Chunyi City was much better overall. The city even had aircraft and uniquely designed metal-structured buildings, making it feel like a completely different world from the surrounding cities. The people walking here were also mostly well-dressed and paid little attention to outsiders. When the Painting Woman pointed and gestured at a shop window, she even earned a few dirty looks.
This at least indicated that the safety of Chunyi City's residents was guaranteed.
There weren't many patrolling players on the streets, but the city had specially built hidden guard posts in corners, each with at least two players stationed.
There was no more detailed address, and the time for the entrance to appear was still uncertain, so Xu Huo could only wander aimlessly around the city for now.
This suited the Painting Woman perfectly. She would occasionally disappear at a certain spot on the street, then suddenly reappear when Xu Huo had walked a bit farther, repeating the process over and over.
This time, she didn't buy many clothes or accessories. Instead, she carried a lot of food and even recommended it to Xu Huo. "These snacks smell amazing!"
District 001 was rich in spices, many of which were unique to the area for cooking. As a result, their food had a distinctive aroma that lingered and stimulated the appetite.
Xu Huo tried some as well. It indeed had an exceptional freshness and flavor.
The Painting Woman had a three-minute enthusiasm for everything. She had to taste every kind of food, and soon even Xu Huo's hands were full. The two had to find a place to rest and share the food with the children playing nearby.
Some of the bolder children even sat down to eat with them, casually recommending good places to eat and have fun.
The Painting Woman's communicator never stopped, repeating phrases like "Is it really that delicious?" or "Is it really that fun?" and "You're so amazing for knowing so much."
A group of kids, charmed by her, contributed a pile of their own snacks and toys and even offered to take her to play the latest popular games—until their parents came to call them for dinner.
After resting enough, Xu Huo and the Painting Woman went to find a place to stay.
There was no Yongxing Hotel here, so the two checked into a large hotel. During check-in, the receptionist reminded them to take care of their own belongings. "Since most of our guests are players, the hotel is not responsible for the safety of guests' property."
She added, "This is the case for all hotels in Chunyi City."
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Xu Huo and the Painting Woman followed the receptionist upstairs. Once inside the room, the Painting Woman quickly told him, "Several people in the lobby were staring at us."
Xu Huo had noticed them too. They were players, dressed unlike locals, likely players from other districts.
But since the Painting Woman had mentioned it, it wasn't just a casual glance. Those people seemed to be specifically sitting there watching the comings and goings of players.
"We'll deal with it if someone approaches us," Xu Huo said. He took a simple shower, familiarized himself with Chunyi City's map, and then planned to go out for a stroll.
The Painting Woman had originally wanted to stay in the room and play games, but when he mentioned that the entrance might appear at any time, she reluctantly got up.
Some of the random instances within the city had already been marked. By avoiding these areas, they could safely wander around the city.
Before they had gone far, someone was handing out flyers. "Sir, our bar is running a promotion! Every new guest gets a free glass of locally produced fruit wine, with a 20% discount on consumption. Welcome to come and have fun!"
There were many people handing out flyers. The nearby commercial street was holding an event, and many shops had come out to attract customers, drawing a large crowd.
Xu Huo checked the time. The event wouldn't officially start until evening, but the prelude had already begun. Some stores offered significant discounts, attracting many customers.
He joined the crowd and bought two cups of local fruit wine to try. The taste was quite good.
The streets were crowded, and collisions were frequent. Suddenly, another person bumped into him. The woman's smooth, glossy hair naturally drew attention. She looked up with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that."
Xu Huo smiled back. "It's fine. If your eyesight is bad or your coordination is off, you should go out less and avoid crowded places."
The woman looked confused. "What are you talking about?"
Xu Huo pointed ahead. "You've bumped into no fewer than five people from one end of the street to the other."
The woman dropped her feigned innocence and gave him a flirtatious wink. "Don't be so stingy. It's just a little bump. It's not like you'll lose anything. Why not treat it as a romantic encounter?"