On my second playthrough, they were full of malice towards me.

"He's dead." A girl's voice came from behind Liao Ji. Irene had changed her clothes and come out at some point.

She glanced at the family photo on the wall that Liao Jisuo was looking at, and said in a flat voice:

"The cause of death was the backlash from the turbidity within his body. On the second day after becoming a calamity-infected person, he went berserk and out of control, eventually turning into an ugly monster that was killed by everyone."

"The night before, this man was excitedly painting a bright future for his worried wife and daughters, saying that he would soon be able to make a lot of money with the abilities of the Evil Ones, and then take them away from this chaotic settlement to live in a big city full of hope."

"Ha, isn't it ironic? Just for that pitiful bit of power, he abandoned his wife and daughters, abandoned his own life, and kept saying he would protect us and give us everything, but he didn't even know what we really wanted."

The girl looked away from the "family photo," but it was clear from her clenched fists that Irene's heart was far from as calm as she appeared.

"I'm sorry." That seemed to be all Liao Jineng could say.

He now understood why Irene had such a strong aversion to the term "evil one" back in the secret room, and he also understood why the academically excellent little girl in the award certificate on the wall eventually became a scavenger.

"So, the kobold clay statues back then..." Liao Ji hadn't forgotten the cause that led to the gang's annihilation. According to the current worldview, items from the Turbid Calamity should definitely not be something that ordinary people could produce.

Irene didn't try to hide anything and nodded directly:

“That’s right. It was a cursed item that he found by chance on the black market. He absorbed the curse on it and became a cursed being. It is also the only relic he left us. I have always kept that clay statue with me. I never thought that one day I would actually use it.”

With a self-deprecating shake of her head, Irene quickly changed the subject.

"Alright, you old fogey, these things happened six years ago. They're in the past for me now, and I'm no longer some little girl who needs comforting. The reason I'm telling you all this is because... look, your clothes."

Irene handed Liao Ji the wrinkled work clothes she was holding, which looked like they hadn't been worn for years.

"There are no men in my family, and the only clothes I can give you are my dad's old ones. If you feel it's bad luck, there's nothing I can do but bear with it."

Speaking of this...

Actually, Liao Ji wanted to say something the moment he turned around and saw Yilin after she changed her clothes.

"You call this changing clothes?"

"A tattered coat, worn-out leather pants, and muddy boots—aside from looking freshly washed and a bit cleaner than before, what's the difference between your current attire and your previous outfit? Doesn't this just make it obvious you're a scavenger? Besides, couldn't you at least put on some makeup?"

Liao Ji showed a worried and complaining expression.

As for Irene, she was a little annoyed and embarrassed by what he said. She had thought she had dressed up for a long time in the inner room, but in the mouth of this young man, it was no different!

The girl's small hand, hidden in her sleeve, secretly tugged at the hem of her faded trench coat, which had been washed several times, with a hint of self-abandonment.

"What can I do? All I have at home are these scavenger clothes! Nothing else, not even cosmetics! Ugh, I'm really sorry to be poor!!"

Ignoring the girl's pouting remark, Liao Ji pondered for a moment before finally turning his gaze to the money pouch clipped to Yilin's waist.

If I remember correctly, this was something the girl had taken from the gang members while she was scavenging candles from the kobold corpses.

Liao Ji could turn a blind eye to this considerable sum of money before, but now...

"Miss Irene, would you like to experience what it's like to be a young lady from a wealthy family?"

"No! Absolutely not!" Irene immediately saw through Liao Ji's plan, and the girl desperately protected the purse at her waist.

Unfortunately.

"No, you want to." Liao Ji used the contract to control Yilin's body, making the girl obediently place the money pouch in his hand.

"Also, I'd like to dress presentably when I meet your aunt, to make a good impression. You know how important it is to have a good first impression, so please lead the way, Miss Irene, let's go, okay?"

"Let's go to the most expensive and luxurious clothing store around here."

Chapter 16 Dress Change

Yol Clothing Store.

Located in an affluent area, this is a famous shop not only in the Black Hole gathering place, but also throughout the entire Holy Kingdom, where clothes and jewelry often cost several hundred or even thousands.

Because it is a large chain store, the owner behind it is said to have great power. In addition, there is a "church" located in the wealthy area, so even the gangs that gather here rarely appear here.

At that moment, a man and a woman walked out of the glamorous clothing store, immediately attracting the attention of many passersby.

The young man was wearing a brand-new brown suit. The quality of a garment can actually be judged just by its lines.

The young man in the suit now not only appears to have broader and more robust shoulders, but also shows off his tall and well-proportioned figure. The vest underneath makes his slightly thin chest appear fuller and more solid, and the elegant wing-shaped collar exudes a sense of upper-class refinement.

This is the power of high-end clothing design, which further highlights the wearer's charm.

However, compared to the young man, his female companion was actually the main attraction.

The girl's outfit didn't look complicated at all; on the contrary, it was very simple: a fitted little black jumpsuit.

The dress clings to the skin, outlining the vibrant figure unique to young girls. The curves extending from the armholes to the waist provide ample space for the bust while making the waist appear slimmer. The well-placed slits in the skirt hem allow the legs to be partially revealed, making them appear both slender and mysterious.

Finally, the slightly serious black color, paired with a pair of red-soled stiletto heels, neutralized the girlishness, but it didn't quite exude a mature charm; instead, it gave off a playful vibe.

Passersby glanced at her and quickly lowered their heads, not daring to look any longer. At most, they would secretly wonder where this young lady came from.

Outsiders are actually quite common in the Black Hole community, especially during the craze for the [Ruins Cave]. Every now and then, you could see strangely dressed people appearing and spending money in the community. Of course, now that the craze has faded, there are far fewer of them.

It's worth mentioning that, having seen many powerful people before, passersby who frequently travel through the wealthy area can easily distinguish whether those dressed in expensive clothes are nouveau riche or truly important figures.

The method is simple: even the most expensive clothes can be bought by a nouveau riche if they grit their teeth. But the overall temperament, especially the girl in front of the clothing store, with her fair and delicate skin that she has never experienced the wind and sun and must have taken great care of herself, is more representative of the girl's "rich lady" status in the eyes of passersby than any expensive and gorgeous clothes.

however.

It seems the passersby misjudged the situation this time.

Fortunately, they were far enough away; otherwise, if they had been any closer, they would have heard the truth about this woman, whom they had always perceived as a highly cultured, wealthy young lady from a big city, who was actually...

"These few tattered pieces of cloth, the total fabric cost is less than half the price of my previous coat! How dare they sell them for over a thousand yuan? Who gave them the audacity! The Emperor?"

"And these worn-out shoes, over five hundred yuan! Can you believe that these awful, clunky shoes cost over five hundred yuan?! What the hell—this heartless, rip-off shop! I spit on them!"

"You spendthrift! You sucker! You lecherous old man! You're making me so angry! Making me so angry!!"

Irene stomped her feet in anger, but halfway through, she seemed to realize that her "worn-out shoes" were worth at least five hundred yuan, so she quickly stopped stomping.

These heels are so thin, what if they get broken by stomping on them? Then all those 500-plus yuan would be wasted!

Seeing the girl's behavior, the young man beside her was clearly a little helpless, and at the same time felt that it was a very wise thing to seal Irene's mouth with the "contract" when he was in the store.

"Miss Irene, I can accept the previous ones, but who is this last old lecher?"

"Hmph, look at those female saleswomen circling around you in the store. Their skirts are so short they can barely cover their butts! And just because you bought a few cheap clothes, they immediately start shoving their business cards at you, constantly winking at you, practically wanting to stick to you. These kinds of profit-driven, coquettish women, ugh, disgusting, disgusting!!"

Irene stuck out her little tongue in a very vivid and expressive way, and even made a vomiting motion as a result.

Liao Ji glanced at the exaggerated girl beside him and made a suggestion directly:

"If you don't like it that much, I'll just return this set. We haven't gone very far yet."

Then, as expected.

Irene's voice, which had just been filled with disgust and disdain, stopped abruptly, and she instantly became somewhat flustered.

"That's really unnecessary. While the fabric in these clothes may be meager, the quality is passable. Besides, these unscrupulous shops will never give you a refund once they've made a purchase. And also..."

Clearly, although the girl kept complaining about the clothes, she actually loved the black dress very much. For Irene, the most direct feeling was the fabric. Having been used to wearing rough linen that would irritate her skin, the soft, smooth, and incredibly comfortable feel of this dress made it impossible for Irene to refuse.

Moreover, even if the young woman was unwilling to admit it, those damn designers of high-end clothing really knew how to capture people's hearts. She had always thought that having a piece of clothing to wear was enough, and that women who spent money on clothes were fools, until today when she tried it on herself.

Irene will never forget that moment when she looked at herself in the fitting room mirror and realized that she could hardly recognize herself. She never imagined that clothes could change a person so much.

Men and games, women and clothes.

This statement seems to apply in any world.

The girl's voice became slightly flustered as she racked her brains for a reason to stop the young man. It wasn't until she saw the young man's smiling face that she realized that Liao Ji had done it on purpose.

"Hmph! Anyway, you're not going to give me back the money you swindled from the gang, so why don't I just enjoy myself!"

Irene tossed her head, revealing the ponytail she had tied with a rope for ease of movement when she was a scavenger. Liao Ji had untied it while she was in the store, under the pretext of changing clothes. This made the girl's long, coffee-colored hair, like her mother's, seem to have been unsealed. Perhaps it was due to her genes, but the ends of her hair still had a slightly wavy curl.

Perhaps she wasn't used to having long hair yet, because when Irene tossed her head, her long hair started to flutter. The girl, forced to do so, reluctantly tucked her hair behind her ears, a rather unfamiliar gesture, which, it must be said, did have a certain charm.

This made Liao Ji marvel once again at the power of Yilin's mother's genes.

And it's a pity that such a good seedling grew a mouth.

With her smooth skin after being cleansed by the Holy Healing spell, an expensive and beautiful black dress and high heels, and a completely different hairstyle, Irene's appearance has changed drastically. Even the girl herself can hardly recognize herself, let alone the gangsters.

They set off openly towards the southwest side of the settlement, where the illegal clinic where Irene's mother worked was located. It was sandwiched between the wealthy area and the gang-controlled territory, and was known as the gray area by the people in the settlement.

If even the gates to the settlement are subject to exploitation by the gangsters, then the gray areas are even worse.

However, as a girl with "great abilities," Irene naturally also has a special passage that allows her to easily enter the gray area.

Moreover, this time the passage seems to be more reliable.

It was through the back door of a bar.

Sea Sand Bar.

Chapter 17 Sea Sand Bar

"Damn it, the security in this settlement has been getting worse and worse over the years. How many disappearances have there been now? Has the church completely abandoned this place?"

"I found an ancient coin on the black market today. It looks pretty good. I'll take it to someone for appraisal later. If it turns out to be a rare and valuable item, I'll be rich! I'm going to find a girl and have some fun this time!"

"Hey, did you hear what Old John said when he came back from outside? There was a red light shooting into the sky over the cave in the ruins. Who knows, maybe some treasure has been unearthed! How about we go try our luck later?"

"Come on, a towering red light? You actually believe what that old drunkard John says? He's probably just drunk out there and making up his own hallucinations. He's spouting nonsense all too often."

"A toast to the early ascension of those bastard bastards from the Kaleva gang! Cheers!!"

As soon as I pushed open the bar door, I was greeted by the chaotic shouting and yelling of drunken patrons at the bar.

Some of them were playing drinking games in small groups, while others were boasting and showing off to each other. Of course, the vast majority were those who, fueled by alcohol, came here to vent their various dissatisfactions with life.

The deafening background rock music stimulated people's nerves, and the dazzling neon lights made people in the dance floor twist and turn their bodies to their hearts' content.

No matter the era, entertainment venues like bars will never disappear.

There are quite a few bars in the Black Hole area, and the Sea Sand Bar is just one of them. Liao Ji, who had just entered, was obviously not used to the slightly chaotic environment of the bar, but looking at the girl next to him, he seemed to be in his own home.

"Pfft! Old fogey, is this your first time in a bar? Okay, relax, this is our turf, I've got your back, no one can bully you!"

The girl patted her own shoulder like an older brother, but given his previous experience in the sewers, Liao Ji always maintained a skeptical attitude towards Yilin's words.