There was a public canteen in the town, specifically for guests, and it was a two-street walk away.

The players silently followed behind the town mayor, while the other four NPCs dispersed to the four corners, forming an enclosing formation around them. This escorting-of-“goods” posture made the players angry but afraid to speak, their hearts filled with unease.

After the fog dissipated, the players realized that it was morning, probably a little before seven o’clock. The sun had just risen, half-hidden behind clouds. The light was dim and gloomy, and the air was heavy and stifling.

The streets were very clean and tidy. There weren’t many pedestrians along the way, just a few occasionally. But what surprised everyone was that they encountered several mermaids.

There was a mermaid wearing a yellow vest sweeping fallen leaves on the street, another mermaid repairing a sewer, and even one working as a server in a beverage shop.

How were there so many mermaids?

And, without exception, they were all mermaids with their tails split in half.

They were all wearing human clothes, long sleeves on their upper bodies and skirts on their lower bodies. When they moved, you could glimpse the split fishtails. The skirts weren’t meant to hide anything; it was just that they could only wear skirts.

Unlike the ugly mermaid that had been chopped into pieces earlier, these mermaids were all exceptionally beautiful.

Especially the one in the beverage shop. If you didn’t look at the tail, she could be considered a mermaid in the popular imagination.

But what drew everyone’s gaze the most was their eyes.

These mermaids were different from the mermaid that had been chopped up earlier in one aspect: their eyeballs weren’t white, but had normal black pupils, no different from human eyes, even more beautiful and profound.

The players couldn’t help but shrink back, their gazes fixed on these mermaids.

Or rather, on their eyes.

There were so many mermaids. All they had to do was grab one, find a way to make it cry, and they could get the pearls and complete the mission.

But while they thought this, no one dared to act rashly.

No wonder this place was called “Mermaid” Town. The streets were full of mermaids, but there were very few normal humans.

The players hadn’t expected that mermaids could not only appear openly in this town but could also serve as part of the workforce.

Were these humans or fish?

Thinking back to the mermaid in the thick fog earlier, it was clearly different from the mermaids in front of them.

The mermaid in the thick fog was ugly and terrifying, fierce and dangerous, with strong attack power, sucking out people’s brains, just like a monster.

But the mermaids in front of them ignored them, not a single one approaching to attack.

Was the thick fog some kind of mechanism?

The mermaids they encountered on the road respectfully greeted the mermaid town mayor, showing great respect.

If they were within a meter, the mermaid town mayor would nod in acknowledgment. If they were a little farther away, he would just pretend not to see them.

The Players: “…”

This town mayor wasn’t just “something.” He looked like a boss-level character in the instance. Could he be the leader of the mermaids?

Everyone was both shocked and confused, but looking at the imposing, yet strangely dressed, old man walking in front, no one dared to speak.

The town mayor seemed to be kind to that two-year-old cub, but he wasn’t to others. Even though he always had a smile on his face, it was a smile with a hidden knife, making people afraid.

The best way was to let Gu Lin ask, but obviously, this little cub was only interested in eating and couldn’t be relied upon.

Lin Xingchi was about to whisper in Gu Lin’s ear, quietly asking him to inquire with the town mayor, when someone else spoke up first.

“These neither-human-nor-fish abominations…”

It was the Double-Cap Big Shot.

Hearing him speak, everyone perked up, quietly listening.

The Double-Cap Big Shot’s voice was lazy, as if he hadn’t woken up, his tone carrying a hint of indolence and carelessness: “Are they free labor for your town?”

The other players all silently gave the Big Shot a thumbs-up in their hearts. Good question, they also wanted to ask, but they didn’t have the Big Shot’s guts.

The mermaid town mayor walked at the very front and didn’t answer immediately. Most of the time, his attitude towards guests was still very polite and courteous, although anyone with eyes could see that it was a facade.

Just when the players thought he wouldn’t answer, he slowly spoke.

“It’s not called an abomination,” the town mayor said with a faint smile. “This is a special kind of fish in our town, called a Split-Tail Mermaid.”

“…” Very…very descriptive.

But it didn’t sound nice.

Town Mayor: “It’s not exactly free labor. They are given compensation, just very cheap. These discarded mermaids, who can’t be dealt with, also need to make a living.”

What did he mean by “discarded mermaids”? Split-Tail Mermaids were discarded mermaids? Did that mean there were other kinds of mermaids?

But the mermaid town mayor didn’t intend to say more, falling silent.

The Double-Cap Big Shot didn’t continue to press the issue, perhaps knowing that asking would be pointless.

The other players, although itching to know, didn’t have the courage to speak up.

Just then, a soft, childish voice spoke.

“Are they tasty?”

Town Mayor: “…”

Everyone noticed that when this childish voice sounded, the mermaid town mayor’s originally straight and sturdy back hunched slightly.

This time, the town mayor turned around and looked at the little cub being held, his face innocent and naive.

The little cub was nestled leisurely in dagege‘s arms, holding a lollipop he’d gotten from who-knows-where, eating it.

Mermaid Town Mayor: “…”

The other players, seeing the town mayor looking at Gu Lin silently, also turned to look at Gu Lin, and saw him eating a lollipop nonchalantly.

Other Players: “…”

Seriously, how can he keep eating?

What else can this little doll do besides eat?!

Lin Xingchi: “…”

What’s so surprising about that? He’s been eating the whole time, hasn’t he?

The mermaid town mayor looked at Gu Lin for a while, then turned back around, taking up this ridiculous topic: “The town doesn’t cultivate this kind of fish for eating. Our Mermaid Town made its fortune from mermaids.”

He was unwilling to reveal any more information, and after that, he didn’t say another word.

This extra piece of information was given out of the kindness of his heart, for the sake of this little cub.

The rest of the way was silent.

Soon they arrived at the canteen.

It was a canteen similar to those found in universities, with three floors in total. The aroma of food wafted out from the canteen.

The town mayor stopped in front of the canteen, and the players behind him also stopped.

The town mayor turned to face the players, a smile of unknown meaning on his old, bark-like face, raising an eyebrow: “Please be sure to eat within the allotted time. In half an hour, someone will take you to the hotel.”

Players: “…”

A set time? Half an hour later? The players all latched onto this key point.

Nonsense, the town mayor had only said two sentences. If they couldn’t grasp the key point from that, they must have a brain problem.

The town mayor’s gaze once again swept over everyone, pausing for two seconds when it reached Gu Lin, even lingering a moment longer on the Ultraman backpack behind him.

Then, the town mayor took off the fedora on his head and gave the players a gentleman’s bow: “I wish you all a pleasant meal, my distinguished guests.”

Players: “…”

“My distinguished guests” sounded like a curse, making people feel creeped out.

After the mermaid-chopping incident, this town mayor had already been equated with a bandit in the players’ minds. They didn’t know what he was pretending at. He was bad at pretending, yet he insisted on pretending.

Most of the time, the town mayor was acting alone awkwardly, and the players didn’t cooperate much.

Like with this hat-tipping bow, the players just stared at him with fear, not daring to react.

Only the little cub, who didn’t understand the dangers of the human heart, seeing the town mayor take off his hat and bow, imitated him. But he didn’t have a hat, so he grabbed a small tuft of his own hair and returned the bow to the town mayor.

The town mayor’s dull gray eyes lit up, and the wrinkles that had been piled together seemed to smooth out a bit.

The other players were all stunned, seeing this little interaction.

This human cub was really bold and reckless. Any other child, facing the town mayor’s wrinkled old face, would probably cry in fear, but he dared to return the bow?

And dared to call him “Mayor-yeye” left and right?!

Before leaving, the mermaid town mayor looked at Gu Lin again, his smile widening, his eyes flashing with a strange light.

“In two days, it will be the Mermaid Festival. There are no little mermaids in town yet.”

“…” Lin Xingchi and Su Qiao’s expressions both changed. They blocked Gu Lin behind them, shielding him from the mermaid town mayor’s gaze, which was flashing with an unsettling light.

Gu Lin blinked his big eyes, reached out his little hand, and squeezed his own chubby little leg.

He was an auspicious beast, how could he turn into a little mermaid?

Mayor-yeye was mistaken!

–

The livestream chat, however, had a different atmosphere:

[Huh? A little mermaid? Let’s get on that right away!]

[A mermaid cub would be too cute, just thinking about it makes my head explode from cuteness.]

[This bullet comment is exactly what I imagined. No one is cursing the mermaid town mayor. It seems everyone thinks the idea of a little mermaid is very good, hehe]

[Who doesn’t love a little mermaid? I want to see a mermaid cub right now! Hurry it up!]

–

Gu Lin looked at the bullet comments, wanting to tell the aunties that he wasn’t a mermaid cub, but a two-year-old auspicious beast cub.

Even if he transformed, he would only turn into an auspicious beast dumpling, not a little mermaid.

Auspicious beasts were also very cute.

Everyone who had seen his true form had praised him for being cute.

But his gege wouldn’t let him casually reveal his true identity, saying that if humans knew he wasn’t actually a human cub, they would capture him and do research on him.

What would they research him for? He wasn’t even tasty.

He really didn’t understand humans.

Gu Lin poked Lin Xingchi, his little face confused: “Dagege, why aren’t there any little mermaids in town?”

Besides humans, other species also had childhoods. Just like he was an auspicious beast in his childhood.

Why didn’t mermaids have them?

Lin Xingchi was stunned, completely stumped by the question. Yeah, why weren’t there any little mermaids?

Seeing Gu Lin’s curious and confused face, Lin Xingchi felt that he now bore the great responsibility of imparting knowledge and resolving doubts for the human cub.

If he said he didn’t know, not only would he disappoint Gu Lin, but he would also seem useless.

Lin Xingchi could only rack his brains, thinking for a moment, and said something that even he felt was far-fetched: “Maybe it’s because…mermaids are born this big?”

Gu Lin’s little face was bewildered: “Huh?”

Lin Xingchi: “…”

Damn, he might as well have said he didn’t know.