Chapter 3: Each Tourist Must Collect Fifteen Little Pink Hats.
"It can't be as simple as just finding fifteen little pink hats," Yan Jiayu said. "Otherwise, no one would be giving their hats away."
"The pentagram only marks ten game points. Going through all those places, you can get at most ten little hats," Xu Huo said.
"Maybe the other hats are on randomly appearing staff members," Yan Jiayu said, scratching her hair. "I wonder what kind of questions the staff will ask."
"We'll see when we encounter them. Let's head to the first game point first," Xu Huo said.
To save time, the two of them ran to the first game point. Even so, it took them half an hour. Only after passing through a patch of flower vines did they see a small wooden cabin, surrounded by a wooden fence with over a dozen white rabbits inside.
As soon as they approached, a vending machine outside the fence announced, "Mother Rabbit has gone out. The poor little bunnies are home hungry, waiting for their mom. Kind tourists, please feed them."
"One hundred White Notes for two cabbage leaves. That's a sky-high price, isn't it?" Yan Jiayu complained, but still paid for two leaves. The moment the cabbage appeared in her hand, the rabbits that had been leisurely grazing inside the fence all swarmed over, mouths wide open to bite.
Yan Jiayu, quick-eyed and fast-handed, grabbed one of them and squeezed its throat. The rabbit's open mouth revealed rows upon rows of densely packed sharp teeth, with fresh red shreds of meat stuck between them. The rabbit didn't struggle, but its impossibly long tongue reached out to lick her face!
Without even blinking, the young girl's left hand was suddenly covered with a transparent layer. She grabbed the rabbit's tongue, swung it around, and slammed it to the ground, yanking out both its throat and tongue!
Several beams of sword light flashed by. Xu Huo killed a few rabbits and then turned to look at Yan Jiayu, who was using the tongue like a whip. He paused for a moment—the image of the little girl practicing punches and stances on the initial train had completely shattered.
These rabbits looked fierce, but they weren't fast. Once their surprise attack failed, it was hard for them to hurt anyone. The two of them finished them off without much trouble. Faced with the rabbit corpses scattered everywhere, the door of the small cabin suddenly swung open.
"The game can't be this simple," Yan Jiayu said, clapping her hands as she stepped inside first.
As they entered the cabin, the door behind them automatically closed, and the sound of metal bars locking into place echoed one after another. The large fireplace in the room ignited on its own, and the rabbits hanging inside it began to roast, filling the air with the smell of fat.
"They're not going to treat us to a meal, are they?" Yan Jiayu approached to take a look, then turned back to Xu Huo. "They really are rabbits."
Xu Huo nodded, standing by the cabin's only window. "Mother Rabbit is back."
Yan Jiayu followed his gaze outside and saw a cloud of dust rising in the distance, rushing toward the cabin at incredible speed.
It was a group of rabbits—but not normal-sized rabbits. These were giant rabbits at least two meters long, with claws and teeth that had evolved. As they charged, they tore up the ground, reaching the cabin in no time.
However, the giant rabbits didn't immediately surround the cabin. Instead, they frantically devoured the smaller rabbits on the ground. Fresh entrails were scattered everywhere, but in an instant, the hungry rabbits licked them clean.
"The first game of the Rabbit Bear Happy Park begins now!" A plush rabbit crawled out of the fireplace, patted its ears that had been singed black by the flames, walked into the room, and plopped down onto a chair.
Xu Huo pulled the curtain shut and walked over. "How do we play the first game?"
"Very simple," the plush rabbit said, swinging its two feet. "How could an amusement park have games that trouble the little ones?"
It then extended its front paw. "Of course, bunnies play rock-paper-scissors! Now listen carefully—the rule of the game is: you can only play scissors."
Xu Huo looked at its paw, which was sewn into a ball shape. "If we can only play scissors, aren't we bound to lose?"
The plush rabbit's voice was cheerful. "How can little kids' games be about winning or losing? But if you do lose, the door here will open automatically. Outside is a low-risk mutant world, and bunnies do eat people, you know."
Xu Huo's eyes flickered. "So if we kill all the rabbits outside, do we win?"
The plush rabbit shook its head. "There are many more rabbits here. If the rabbits die out, the foxes come. If the foxes die out, the wolves come. Each of you only has one chance to play the game. If you lose, you'll have to wait until tomorrow for a second attempt."
"Then aren't we destined to lose?" Yan Jiayu turned to look at Xu Huo. "The rabbit plays rock, and we can only play scissors. If we lose, not only do we not get the little hat, but we also have to fight those mutated animals outside."
Xu Huo paused and then asked, "If we never start the game, can it never be declared over?"
The plush rabbit flicked its long ears. "Too bad—the start and end of the game are both announced by me. You already know the rules now, so let's begin!"
With that, it put its paw behind its back and gestured for Xu Huo and Yan Jiayu to do the same.
Xu Huo stopped Yan Jiayu and looked at the plush rabbit. "You've announced the start, so we're already in the middle of the game now, right?"
The plush rabbit tilted its head. "That's right. Are you afraid of losing?"
"Not afraid," Xu Huo said with a smile. "I just want to know—is there a time limit?"
The plush rabbit's mouth drooped. "You can think for ten minutes."
"Great. This game is too hard, so I need to think it over carefully." Xu Huo took out all his candy and even asked Yan Jiayu if she wanted some.
Without a second thought, Yan Jiayu sat down, reached into the glass jar, grabbed a handful, peeled a few, and popped them into her mouth. Her eyes lit up. "They taste even better mixed together!"
"Really?" The plush rabbit leaned its head forward, its paw reaching for the glass jar.
"Bang!" A stone rod slammed onto the wooden table, rattling everything on it. Yan Jiayu stared with a smile at the rabbit, which quickly withdrew its paw. "Rabbits can't eat candy."