I was the fourth disaster in Yokohama and was loved by everyone.

Sigh, it's such a sweet burden that we all have to send players back.

Zhu Yu sighed insincerely and nodded in agreement.

But... what about the items I didn't take?

Zhu Yu, who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, feels as if millions of ants are crawling all over her body, and she feels uncomfortable unless she removes those "spots".

It's alright, as long as we can catch Lantang's wife off guard...

The player, who was full of wicked intentions, carefully observed Lantang and discovered that he was turning around to observe how to get back.

There is a flaw!

Players should seize the opportunity and charge forward!

Chapter 12 Hit-and-run? No, I just didn't see it (⊙_◎)

Then, in the next moment, the player's fate was firmly grasped by the "skin of their neck".

"Ugh!" Zhu Yu struggled frantically, almost meowing.

However, even though Zhu Yu's strength had greatly increased due to the upgrade, she still couldn't shake Lan Tang, who was a transcendent being.

Waaah, I finally reached LV.30, but I still can't beat Rando's wife.

The "LV.85" above Rando's head was so eye-catching. It was the highest-level NPC she had seen on the Yokohama map so far. Why would a player who was still a newbie encounter an NPC that should obviously be the final boss?

Zhu Yu inwardly complained about the unreasonable game design.

Don't underestimate a young man's potential! Fortune changes every thirty years! She silently encouraged herself.

Lan Tang looked at Zhu Yu, who had run away, with a complicated expression. He sighed helplessly, not daring to believe that Zhu Yu would walk obediently on the way back. He wondered if Zhu Yu would run off again when she saw a trash can halfway back.

“Miss Meichuan…I apologize for the offense.” Lantang smiled slightly, raised his hand without hesitation, and before Zhu Yu could react, he picked her up by the waist, tucked her under his arm, and carried her away like a bag.

Zhu Yu: ??? I never expected you to be like this, Lan Tang's wife! You've completely ruined the players' reputation! ( ?o? )

The player, unable to resist, became deflated.

Lantang knew that Zhu Yu lived in the staff dormitory of the dessert shop, which was just across the street from the dessert shop.

He has a good memory and can remember places he has been to once. Not to mention that he once gave Zhu Yu a ride back to his dormitory. Therefore, he knows the way very well and easily delivered the person to his doorstep.

Good night, Mr. Lantang.

Good night, Miss Meichuan.

After saying goodnight to each other, Lantang watched Zhu Yu walk into the house, and then observed her for a long time before leaving, relieved to find that she really had no intention of going out.

If Zhu Yu knew what Lan Tang was thinking, she would definitely cry foul, since she had originally planned to go to bed to recover her strength.

[Players are taking a break...]

The screen went dark and then lit up again, it was already daytime.

Zhu Yu manipulated the little man to jump out of bed and head straight for the place where he hadn't finished picking up the trash last night.

According to Zhu Yu's long-term experience in collecting garbage, garbage cans in urban areas are refreshed very quickly, usually once every half day, while garbage cans in more distant areas are usually refreshed once a day. However, each refresh of a garbage can does not mean that a collectible "light spot" will be generated.

In short, "spots of light" are rare and hard to come by.

Fortunately, the trash can was far from the city center yesterday, so players were able to pick it up before the "glow spot" inside the trash can respawned!

Zhu Yu controlled the little man to keep running "da da da", charging around according to the system's instructions, stepping directly on grass when he encountered it, and jumping over walls when he hit them, mainly avoiding the main roads.

Given that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, what's wrong with a player rushing forward along the optimal route?

Zhu Yu, who was focused on running around the map to collect trash, bumped into an NPC who happened to be passing by at an intersection.

【HP-5】

A notification popped up above the little figure's head indicating that health was being deducted, along with a three-second "stun" debuff.

Zhu Yu was someone who was very anxious about his health. He took out an apple that he had obtained from a previous quest, took a bite of it, and saw that his health was fully restored. Satisfied, he put the apple back in his backpack.

Alright, all blood replenished, time to set off.

Just as the little girl was about to take a step, a hand reached out and tightly grabbed her wrist.

The owner of the arm had a head of fluffy black hair and delicate features. His khaki beret, which he had originally worn, was now on the ground, and his detective uniform was wrinkled. He was sitting on the ground with his cheeks puffed out, looking sullen.

He slowly picked up his hat and put it on, then stood up, supporting himself with his hands. He stared at Zhu Yu for a few seconds, a sharp glint suddenly flashing in his narrowed eyes: "If you bump into someone, you have to say 'sorry.' Even famous detectives follow this rule."

"So, if this absent-minded lady who's in such a hurry to pick up trash could give the famous detective one of those magically effective apples you just ate, I'd forgive you!"

For some reason, when Zhu Yu met the NPC's gaze, she suddenly shuddered.

At that moment, she had no idea that this was a bad premonition—a feeling of being entangled by a curious cat and unable to shake it off.

Zhu Yu blinked, feeling a little guilty. In other games, bumping into an NPC wouldn't cause any reaction, but in this game, the NPC would actually grab the player and demand compensation...

High AI settings in games aren't always a good thing...

The stingy player handed him the apple he had just eaten, while looking at the cute face of the newly appeared NPC, constantly comforting himself: "Giving something to a pretty NPC is like offering it to him."

Of course, players also have their own ulterior motives: by giving an ate apple, the NPC won't be able to tell the difference, the player loses an item that reduces health, but also successfully appeases the victimized NPC—a win-win situation!

Looking at the apple in Zhu Yu's hand that was clearly chipped, he put his hands on his hips and glared at her: "Hmph, there are obviously whole apples out there, don't try to fool me."

"Besides, this is clearly a gift to apologize. If Miss Confused's intentions aren't sincere, it will be hard for me to forgive you."

[What would you do if a poor boy was hit by a car while passing by?]

A. Give him the new apple.

B. Picked up the apple in his hand, took a bite, and said, "It's okay, I forgive myself for you."

C. Pointing to the sky, he shouted, "Look, there's an airplane!" and then ran away.

Oh no, the NPC has found out I was fooling him (sweating profusely).

With the refresh time fast approaching, Zhu Yu decisively chose option A, hoping the NPC would let her off the hook after accepting the apple.

The NPC, quite pleased with himself after receiving the apple, excitedly poked at its surface with his finger: "The famous detective has received your apology and will forgive you this time. My name is Edogawa Ranpo, remember it!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the "???" above the NPC's head was successfully unlocked, and she was able to change to the green name "Edogawa Ranpo," which she had just learned.

"Great! It's an NPC from the 'Friendly' faction!" Zhu Yu immediately straightened her posture and began to introduce herself in a friendly manner: "My name is Meichuan Kuzi. Hello, Mr. Edogawa."

Although she really wanted to chat with the little detective NPC a bit more and see if she could trigger a quest, she had to say goodbye hastily because she was worried about the trash can: "I'm in a hurry to pick up trash, see you next time."

Good-looking NPCs can usually trigger quests, and I hope to see them again next time.

Zhu Yu was quite reluctant to part ways and clicked the screen to end the conversation.

"Wait, quickly bring the famous detective..."

Did an NPC just speak? Zhu Yu wondered.

Because she tapped the screen too quickly, she skipped the subtitles of the conversation. And since she didn't understand Japanese very well, Zhu Yu didn't realize that someone was calling her. She was puzzled for a moment and then put the thought out of her mind.

Pick up trash! Pick up trash!

The black-haired cat, ignored again, was about to cause trouble. He finally got serious, straightened his beret, and opened his emerald green eyes, clear and calm, as if they could see through all the fog.

His gaze was fixed on the direction Zhu Yu had left in, and he loudly proclaimed, "Is this a reasoning challenge for the famous detective? Very well, the famous detective will definitely find you!"

Chapter 13 Behold my righteous iron fist!

Fortunately, the trash cans hadn't been cleaned yet.

Zhu Yu charged forward and successfully retrieved the item.

Congratulations on obtaining: Glasses with Mysterious Sealing Technique

Thick-rimmed black glasses, which may look ordinary or even a bit rustic, seem to possess a mysterious power known as the "beauty-sealing technique." They can "seal" your original outstanding looks, blurring others' perception of you. In their eyes, you are someone else. Once you take off the glasses, the seal is broken, and you return to your original self.

Friendly reminder: Wearing these glasses in public may startle those with sensitive stomachs; please use them with caution.

Isn't this just like having an extra identity?

That's great! I don't have to live in fear every day anymore, afraid that I'll wake up one day and be arrested and thrown in jail!

The fact that she received a "silver bracelet" at the beginning of the game left a huge psychological shadow on Zhu Yu.

Having acquired this "magical tool," she treasured it and happily twirled around next to the trash can. After a long period of merriment, she finally put the item away with a cheerful expression and rushed back to the dessert shop.

The dessert shop was doing well as always. She changed into her uniform, tied on her apron, and started tapping away at the screen to make new desserts.

Before long, the glass display case was filled with freshly baked desserts: caramel pudding glistened enticingly under the lights, the strawberry cake was so delicately decorated that it was almost too beautiful to eat, and a whole row of this week's featured new product—tiramisu—was on display, the aroma of coffee and cocoa seemingly wafting through the glass.

Zhu Yu was busy until the afternoon. The sun was setting and the wind chimes were tinkling. A familiar figure dressed in a detective's outfit burst in, accompanied by the sweet smell of chocolate.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked around the shop. His gaze lingered on the desserts in the window for a moment before he looked away with difficulty, finally settling on Zhu Yu.

"Found you." He flashed a bright smile, adjusting his hat, which had askped for directions from his journey. "Although I took a long detour, went the wrong way, and finally had to ask a kind passerby for help to find this place, but... this challenge is still a victory for the great detective!"

Zhu Yu: ???

Did I miss something in the story? What does "found me" and "challenge won" mean? When did I enter the hidden storyline?

Players are confused, players are deep in thought, players have an epiphany!

There must be a reason why the NPC says that; it might be a setting requirement. Players just need to nod and accept it.

Having figured it out, she nodded solemnly, following his words: "Congratulations, you've won."

Seeing that she admitted it so readily, Ranpo was somewhat dissatisfied: "What? You didn't even understand what I was talking about."

Zhu Yu continued to nod and say "uh-huh," since she couldn't understand anyway, she could just be a cold, mechanical nodding machine.

"Don't try to fool me..." the cat said, its fur standing on end.

"I didn't give a perfunctory answer," Zhu Yu replied instantly.

Just as they were arguing about whether or not the service was perfunctory, a sudden commotion broke out in the store.

Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw a customer clutching his throat, looking pained. His face quickly turned bluish-purple, and then he collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth.

The surrounding customers screamed in fright, and the scene instantly spiraled out of control. Many people hurriedly ran out of the store in fear.

Wha...what? Don't go! You haven't paid yet!

Wishing you a happy life.

Zhu Yu was furious at being ripped off and shoved the doorway, blocking other customers from leaving.

She said to the little customers who were blushing with anxiety, "You can leave, but you have to pay first."

Ranpo, however, was more concerned about the deceased. He took a few steps forward, squatted down, glanced at the body, frowned, and said casually, "It's poisoning. There's no saving him."

After saying that, he plopped down on a chair to the side, seemingly unconcerned about the chaos before him.

He smiled and reminded the customers crowding at the door, "I suggest you don't leave now, or the police might come and list you as suspects."

These words had an immediate effect; the chaotic crowd quieted down, and no one wanted to be suspected for no reason.

After calming down, everyone chose to return to their seats and wait for the police to arrive.

The situation was finally brought under control, but a tense and uneasy atmosphere prevailed. Strangers secretly peeked at other customers, wondering if the other party had poisoned them.

Suspicion and fear.

An eerie silence fell over the dessert shop, with only the sound of heavy breathing audible.

Zhu Yu, unaware of the situation, noticed that the customer NPCs had all quieted down and stopped thinking about skipping out on their bills. She gave a thumbs up to the "great contributor" to all of this—the Edogawa NPC.

Awesome, so awesome!

Sensing the other person's genuine amazement, Ranpo raised his chin with a touch of smugness.

Zhu Yu turned her gaze to the poisoned NPC lying dead. If she could move the body away before the police arrived, could the shop open immediately?

Leaving a corpse in the store undoubtedly cast a "dispelling" debuff on the establishment, deterring customers who might have wanted to enter...

Zhu Yu manipulated the little figure to circle the corpse twice, seemingly eager to do so, but was stopped by Ranbu: "It's best not to do that, otherwise it will be very troublesome to explain to the police, and they might suspect you of being the murderer."

How does the little detective figure out what the player is thinking?

Zhu Yu stood there in a bit of fear, suspecting that this NPC had mind-reading abilities, and cautiously circled around to his back.