# Chapter 2380: Number 3 Hot Commodity
However, what they didn't expect was that as soon as they reached the stairwell entrance, several props flew down from above in succession. The round-faced player walking at the front sensed the danger, but it was too late to dodge. He was knocked back along with his defense barrier, and then a layer of transparent film resembling soap bubbles rapidly spread down from above the stairs, pressing against the corridor walls and doors, directly trapping all three of them inside!
Hua Sisi turned back and waved her hand, and several button-shaped props stuck onto the film, immediately puncturing the bubble. The offensive from above the stairs was too fierce—people hadn't even come down yet, but they had completely blocked their path. So they had no choice but to turn around and go the other way.
The Fish Feast Building's floors expanded in size as they went higher, and this floor had far more than just two staircases.
"Split up!" the round-faced player shouted. "If you run into a miniature door glowing with faint orange-yellow light, hide inside—that's safe!"
The Painting Woman's room was actually on this floor, but if he opened the door from the outside, what lay inside might not be the original room. So none of the three thought about opening doors. They circled around to the other side and scattered, each choosing a different direction.
But what they hadn't anticipated was that all the passages up and down this floor were sealed off, even the elevator was guarded. And these people had their own tasks—though they launched attacks, they never strayed far from their posts, giving Xu Huo and his group no openings to exploit. After making a full circle, the three regrouped.
"Who are these people? What exactly do they want?" Hua Sisi's expression was grim. Being able to arrange so many people to block them meant their opponent was no simple character. And they had been cornered right after the mermaid game ended, which meant it was definitely someone from the gambling table earlier.
"Could there have been someone with connections inside the Fish Feast Building?" the round-faced player said. "That would be bad. If they have connections and got our identities, escaping this time would be one thing, but if we don't make it, they'll have us locked down! Only by escaping can we change our appearances!"
Regardless of the situation, it was clear this wouldn't end peacefully. Seeing a blockade barrier envelop them at the corridor corner, Xu Huo stopped Hua Sisi from attacking and raised his voice, saying, "So it turns out that people who can't afford to lose will chase after their chips afterward. It seems the Fish Feast Building is overrated."
There were Fish Feast Building staff on this floor, but whether waiters or security guards, they all stood silently in place, heads lowered as if they had no presence.
As soon as Xu Huo finished speaking, a man's voice laughed heartily. "Don't misunderstand. I've never taken back anything I've lost, let alone just a few props—they're not worth much."
A young man who looked only about twenty-five or twenty-six walked up to Xu Huo and the others, surrounded by several players in front and behind. Even though they maintained a distance of over ten meters, several layers of defense barriers stood between them.
This handsome man quickly sized up Xu Huo. "I didn't expect Number 3 to be so young. Which wormhole point did you come from?"
Xu Huo didn't answer but asked with displeasure, "What business do you have?"
Number 6 patted the player blocking his way, signaling him to move aside, then spoke in a conciliatory tone, "What happens on the gambling table stays on the gambling table. Once we leave the table, there's no need to bring it up. But I'm very interested in the Perfect Potion you have. I'm willing to exchange it for twice the chips offered on the table."
Xu Huo raised an eyebrow slightly. "Can you be sure it's real?"
"Of course not," Number 6 said. "But gambling is gambling—whether on the table or off it, it's still a gamble. At worst, I'll just treat it as a loss."
"However, to protect the interests of both parties in the transaction, I need a tiny bit of the liquid for verification. Of course, just a very small amount. Whether it's real or not, I'll bear the loss..."
Before he finished speaking, someone approached from the other direction.
Walking at the front was an elderly man in a white formal suit. He interrupted Number 6, "Old Yu, you're still so hypocritical. At your age, pretending to be young to deceive the younger generation."
Number 6's expression turned cold. "When it comes to hypocrisy, I can't compare to you."
Number 1, the elderly man, turned to Xu Huo with a smile, his face carrying a unique amiability that showed no aggression at all, even giving an overly gentle feeling. "Young man, I can also buy your potion at twice the price, and I don't need to verify the goods. Since it's a gamble, I have the grace to accept losing."
The last sentence was clearly aimed at Number 6, but Number 6 retorted, "Whether the potion is real or fake, I guarantee I won't cause you trouble afterward. But you? Over the years, quite a few players who defected from you to me have been killed by your dirty tricks. Back then, you said you respected their wishes and would never interfere with their freedom."
Number 1's smile didn't waver. "I haven't come after you for poaching my people, yet you're the one making things difficult for me. Who's the one with the narrow mind?"
The two had a considerable grudge, but neither intended to waste time bickering. They shifted the pressure onto Xu Huo, letting him choose one person to trade with.
Anyone with eyes could see that neither of these two was a good person. They spoke nicely, but both had come to block him after the game ended. Choosing either one would bring trouble, but he couldn't refuse either, because it was clear that if Xu Huo didn't hand over the Perfect Potion today, he absolutely wouldn't be able to leave.
"What do we do now?" Hua Sisi hadn't found her friend and had instead dragged herself and her helper into this dilemma. She could only say, "Should we just leave?"
But the round-faced player reminded her, "You can't be sure they haven't used a tracking prop on you. Even if you run to another wormhole point, you might not shake them off. That would be endless trouble. At least in the Fish Feast Building, they have to show some respect to the boss. Why not toss out the potion and let them compete for it? Whoever wins takes it."
Hearing this, the other two shot him a sideways glance. Was he out of his mind? In this situation, how would Number 1 and Number 6 allow him to divert the trouble? If he dared to do that, the two would immediately join forces to deal with him first before considering the potion distribution. If they negotiated well, they might even split it half and half.
The atmosphere was growing tense when suddenly a man wearing a shark mask appeared within the blockade barrier, standing beside Xu Huo. He announced with little emotion:
"Miss Zhai wants to see this person."
Number 1 and Number 6 lost their earlier composure, but the former quickly recovered and said calmly, "Miss Zhai's face must be respected. Since that's the case, I'll take my leave."
Number 1 left, and Number 6 had to leave as well. But he reluctantly gave Xu Huo a contact method, telling him to feel free to reach out if he changed his mind.
All the surrounding blockade barriers disappeared. The shark-masked man placed a hand on Xu Huo's shoulder. "Let's go together."