Everyone's playing hide-and-seek: This crazy beauty has maxed-out third eyes.

The mall lights flickered twice more.

Some people screamed, some people cried.

Lydia rushed back, carrying four or five glass bottles in her arms. She was running so fast that one of them almost slipped out of her hand, but she quickly blocked it with her chin.

"I bought all the citrus-scented perfumes."

She laid the bottles out in front of Lin Sui'an; there were five perfume bottles of various sizes, each with an orange and tangerine pattern printed on it.

"And this too."

Lydia pulled two empty spray bottles from her pocket, unscrewed the caps, and shook them: "Clean, usable."

Lin Sui'an took the spray bottle, picked up an orange, squeezed it with his bare hand, and the juice dripped into the bottle opening through his fingers.

"Let's go to the second floor."

The five people ran up the escalator, their footsteps echoing loudly in the empty mall.

The outdoor sports equipment store's roller shutter door was still open, the lights were on, and there was still plenty of equipment on the shelves.

Lin Sui'an started assigning tasks as soon as he entered the room.

"Lydia."

"exist."

"Spray perfume at the entrance, starting from the glass door and covering the entire area for three meters outwards, then sprinkle a layer of orange peel."

"good!"

Lydia had already unscrewed the cap of the largest perfume bottle and was spraying it onto the door frame.

"Sergei."

"Um."

"Check this store for ventilation ducts, ceiling access panels, and any holes you can drill through. Find them all."

Sergei looked up and scanned the ceiling, then picked up his trekking poles and went inside.

"Lina, look for some more light fixtures."

"I'm going right now!" Lina took off running.

Lin Sui'an looked down at Li Yu: "Little Yu."

Li Yu stands at attention.

"Go through every shelf in the store and see if you've missed any items. Whatever they are, if the game prompts you to bring them up, take them all."

"receive!"

The four people dispersed, but Lin Sui'an didn't follow. She turned and walked to the railing outside the door, looking out.

There were no more players in the corridor. Some of the shops on the left and right sides of the three-story building had their shutters down, and the place was sparsely populated. Fifty players seemed like a small number in a shopping mall.

Lin Sui'an mentally reviewed the mall's map again.

There are only three floors.

Lin Sui'an's eyebrows twitched. She had been to shopping malls when she was a child, and she remembered very clearly that some malls had a basement level, and some even had a second basement level.

The parking lot, supermarket, and warehouse are all underground.

The mall's map is spotless; there's no B1 or B2, and not even buttons for the escalators or elevators on the ground floor.

Is the game's dungeon only designed with three levels? Or are they hidden?

Lin Sui'an didn't continue thinking about it; there wasn't enough time.

She returned to the shop, and Sergei poked three ceiling panels with his trekking pole, getting dust all over his face.

"There's a ventilation opening," he said, pointing to a corner. "It's about forty centimeters in diameter; an adult probably couldn't squeeze through it."

"Can a cat squeeze in?"

Sergei paused for a second, then said, "Yes."

Lin Sui'an walked over and looked up at the ventilation opening. It was a dark, square opening with pipes inside curving in an unknown direction.

"Stuff the backpack inside to block it up, and tie a ring of orange peel around the outside."

Sergei nodded and began to operate.

Lina ran back from next door, carrying two LED camping lights and a roll of reflective stickers.

"The light is bright enough." She turned on the camping light.

"I got the reflective stickers from an eyeglasses store. I put them on the door so the cat can see through them with the reflected light."

"Okay." Lin Sui'an took the reflective sticker, tore off a strip, and stuck it on the exterior wall of the shop.

"Calm down! Calm down!"

Li Yu emerged from the deepest part of the shop, clutching a small silver object in her hand.

A metal whistle, chained to Li Yu's finger, dangled back and forth: "I found this!"

Li Yu handed the whistle to Lin Sui'an: "The game gave a hint! It says cats hate loud noises! This whistle can scare away cats!"

Lin Sui'an took the whistle, flipped it over, but didn't blow it. He held it in his hand and weighed it.

"Can I use it a few times?"

Li Yu shook his head: "He didn't say."

"OK."

Lin Sui'an hung the whistle around Li Yu's neck: "Use it in a critical moment, save it for now."

"good!"

Lydia walked back from the doorway, her hands reeking of perfume mixed with the sour smell of orange peel: "The doorway is all taken care of. I sprayed the entire three-meter radius, and threw away some orange peels too."

"The vents are blocked too." Sergei patted the dust off his hands.

Lina placed the camping lamp inside the store, not far from the entrance, with the beam pointing towards the door.

Lin Sui'an glanced around, and everyone returned to their positions: "We've done everything we can. Now we just need to see what changes occur after the game starts. Everyone, adapt to the situation."

"good!"

"Uh-huh!"

"clear!"

Lin Sui'an looked at the shop's roller shutter door switch, walked over, and placed his hand on the handle: "After pulling up the roller shutter door, the glass door will also close."

"Turn on one light first, and use the other one sparingly, since we're not sure if the game will run out of power."

"Everyone, control your voice, control your breathing, control your emotions."

Lin Sui'an glanced at Li Yu.

Li Yu patted his bulging pockets and nodded to her.

The mall lights flickered again, this time not just once, but continuously.

The lights in the mall flickered on and off, creating a tense atmosphere as the light and shadows shifted.

[Hide countdown: 10.]

The game's sound came from the mall's public address system, with a slight echo.

[9, 8.]

Lin Sui'an yanked down the roller shutter door, the metal slats crashing to the bottom with a clatter, blocking the view from the outside.

Lina stepped forward and closed the glass door; the sound of the lock clicking shut was very soft.

【7, 6,】

Five people stood in the shop, the lights inside flickering, casting a dim light on each person's expression.

Li Yu stood next to Lin Sui'an, holding the whistle in her hand, leaning against the cashier's counter, her lips pressed tightly together.

【3, 2, 1.】

The countdown on the radio reached zero.

Then, the game's voice changed its tone, carrying an indescribable joy.

The one-hour hiding time has passed.

The arresting officers officially entered the scene.

【Dear players, I wish you... a pleasant death.】

All the lights in the mall went out.

The Dark Night Marketplace truly lives up to its name.

The white light from the camping lamp became the only light source in the shop, with a beam that covered an area of ​​less than five meters. Beyond five meters, the light grew weaker and weaker until it became dark.

Lin Sui'an stood behind the door, staring intently at the direction the cat was hiding.

"Meow~!"

"Meow?"

"Meow meow meow!!"

Instead of rushing out in a frenzy like before, the ten cats walked out gracefully. Some of them even stretched, as if they completely disregarded the players.

Soon, the golden tabby disappeared, and the black cat blended into the power-off mall, as if it had also vanished.

The silver shaded cat stopped, its ears twitched twice, and suddenly it excitedly meowed at a shop on the first floor. Then, a group of cats strode confidently toward the shop.

Lin Sui'an: ...It looks like a Street Fighter patrolling the streets with hazard lights on.