At the Mermaid Hotel.

The players, who had slept all morning, woke up with a jolt, immediately realizing there was something wrong with the food.

Not long after waking up, everyone learned from the bullet comments that Gu Lin had gone to the hospital. Not only had he gone to the hospital, but he was also looking at fish with the mermaid town mayor, and was going to have lunch at the hospital.

Everyone was instantly: “…………”

All the players had eaten the food. Why was everyone asleep, while that little cub went to the hospital?

That little cub was small, but he ate no less than them, even eating more than them. There was no reason why they, adults, slept all morning, while that cub was unaffected.

The only reasonable explanation was that the little cub had been snatched away by the mermaids while he was fast asleep.

The aunties only said that Gu Lin went to the hospital to see fish, and didn’t go into detail, so the players didn’t know how Gu Lin got to the hospital.

However, they were also sure of Gu Lin’s safety, and there was nothing to worry about.

The most pressing concern now was how to complete the mission and clear the instance.

After eating the food, not only would they fall asleep, but they would also dream of the ugly mermaids in the fog. This was clearly not just sleeping pills, but some other drug.

But what was added, they didn’t know, and that was the most terrifying part.

After all the players woke up, they discussed going to the front desk jiejie to get tears.

There was a ready-made mermaid right here, there was no need to go looking elsewhere.

The front desk jiejie was still standing at the front desk on the first floor, still wearing that eerie and exaggerated smile.

Coming down to the first floor, except for the Double-Cap Big Shot, the other players all exchanged onions from the system store and began peeling onions around the jiejie.

For inducing tears, onions were undoubtedly a good and cheap tool.

The Double-Cap Big Shot leaned lazily against the wall nearby, a smile of unknown meaning on his lips, watching the several people peel onions.

“?” Seeing the guests peeling onions around her, the jiejie was very speechless.

But the guests also had the right to peel onions, and she couldn’t say anything.

The pungent, irritating smell of the onions went straight to their noses and eyes. The players started crying first, and the front desk jiejie also, as expected, began to feel a stinging sensation in her eyes, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

She still maintained a professional fake smile on her face, but the tears flowed like water, unstoppable.

Just then, Yu Qing and Yu Rong entered the hotel to pick up guests for lunch at the canteen.

The front desk jiejie was crying and smiling at the same time. She no longer looked terrifying, but comical. Dutifully, she said: “Wel-welcome… to… Mer-Mermaid… Ho-Hotel…”

All the players were dumbfounded, not a single one could laugh.

The front desk jiejie‘s tears flowed, like beads from a broken string, but when the tears fell, they were still tears, and didn’t turn into pearls.

The Double-Cap Big Shot chuckled lightly and lazily yawned.

Other players: “…”

No wonder the Big Shot didn’t participate. He had seen through it all along, that this kind of mermaid’s tears couldn’t turn into pearls?

–

The players quickly figured it out.

The town was full of mermaids. They could easily grab one, and there were hundreds of ways to make them cry. But, the system gave them three days. Would it give such a simple task?

Sure enough, the tears of these Split-Tail Mermaids didn’t turn into pearls.

But the system mission was to obtain pearls formed from mermaid tears. That meant that mermaid tears could definitely turn into pearls. If they couldn’t, where was the problem?

The problem could only be with the mermaids.

Perhaps these Split-Tail Mermaids weren’t real mermaids.

If they weren’t mermaids, then what were they?

Or rather, besides being like fish, what else were they like?

Thinking of a certain possibility, the players’ faces all turned ugly.

Only now did they understand why, from the beginning, the mermaid town mayor and the four NPCs plus the dog seemed to be going to “unload cargo,” and everyone also looked at them with the eyes of looking at “goods.”

The town provided free food and lodging. What good intentions could they have?

Now the answer was obvious.

The players had only themselves, and what value could they have?

For example… becoming artificial fish?

If mermaid tears couldn’t turn into pearls, then they had only one way to clear the instance: survive here for three days.

But seeing how the townspeople treated them like lambs to the slaughter, and that tattooed man was also guarding the hotel with a pit bull, not leaving a single step.

Let alone three days, it would be good enough to survive today safely, without being captured and transformed into mermaids.

–

The players still followed Yu Qing and Yu Rong to the canteen.

They didn’t know how many drugs were added to the canteen food. They weren’t going to eat, but to see if they could find other clues.

Song Ran frowned: “Do you feel like something is missing?”

As he said this, he realized himself, “Oh, the little gui^[1]T/N: Gui can mean “ghost” or “brat,” often used affectionately for children. is missing.”

Other players: “…”

Gu Lin wasn’t there, and only then did everyone realize how strong the little cub’s presence was.

Lin Xingchi sighed.

Su Qiao also sighed.

The dumpling wasn’t there, and they kind of missed him.

But the mermaid town mayor was kind and gentle towards Gu Lin, and the cub’s good aunties had also said not to worry, ensuring Gu Lin’s safety, so they weren’t worried.

The ten serving windows in the canteen still had the same ten serving ayis. Seeing the players appearing at the entrance of the canteen, but not seeing that cub, the guiyis’ exaggerated smiles on their faces all fell a few degrees.

Knowing there was something wrong with the food, the players weren’t planning to eat, but they saw the Double-Cap Big Shot actually get food and eat it nonchalantly.

“…” The players’ stomachs all growled. Smelling the fragrant aroma of the food in the canteen, they couldn’t help but swallow.

Li Nan mustered up his courage and asked the Double-Cap Big Shot: “Didn’t y-you say the f-food was drugged?”

The Double-Cap Big Shot still had that half-dead demeanor, his whole body screaming “perfunctory,” giving people the feeling that he was just going through the motions.

He slowly lifted his eyelids: “If you don’t take some sleeping pills, are you sure you can sleep at night?”

Others: “…”

That… seemed to make sense.

Suddenly, the other players also picked up their trays and went to get food.

Anyway, they had already eaten breakfast. Besides falling asleep and dreaming of those mermaids in the fog, there seemed to be no other side effects?

Most importantly, there were still two and a half days left. It was impossible to not eat at all.

With the previous experience, at each window, Li Nan called out “Beautiful jiejie,” and got more meat than the other players.

That little dumpling wasn’t there, and Li Nan’s tray had the most food.

–

After eating, the mermaid town mayor was going to personally send Gu Lin back to the hotel.

Zhuang Mu didn’t pack up the leftovers for Gu Lin. By evening, the food would be cold, and there was no way to heat it up at the hotel. It wouldn’t be edible if packed up.

However, he did pack up the fruit the townspeople had given to Gu Lin.

Gu Lin had been out long enough, it was time to go back, but he didn’t want to leave.

There was nothing fun to do at the hotel.

Gu Lin said reluctantly: “When can cub ride again… When can cub play with Zhuang Mu-gege, Mayor-yeye, and Doctor-shushu again?”

Mermaid Town Mayor: “…”

Zhuang Mu: “…”

It was fine with just the two of them, but there was really no need to include Yu Youmian.

Both of them pretended not to hear that Gu Lin just wanted to ride the scooter.

The mermaid town mayor had a lot of things to deal with. He probably wouldn’t have time to spend with his little grandson in the near future.

Zhuang Mu smiled and said gently, “If nothing unexpected happens, gege can play with you tomorrow.”

Gu Lin: “Then Zhuang Mu-gege must come and pick up cub.”

Zhuang Mu: “I will.”

Downstairs, several white vehicles, similar to ambulances, were parked in front of the hospital. Many medical staff were gathered around the vehicles.

Yu Youmian was also there. He stood on the steps in front of the hospital, watching the medical staff busy themselves.

The medical staff carried out stretchers from the vehicles, and on the stretchers lay people… no, not people, they should be mermaids.

But they didn’t look like mermaids.

They also had two-part fishtails, but they were different from those Split-Tail Mermaids walking freely on the streets.

Their fishtails looked “newer.”

Even the color was lighter and more tender, as if…

Gu Lin pointed with his little hand and said, “Silkworms.”

Yu Youmian: “…”

Mermaid Town Mayor: “…”

Zhuang Mu: “…”

That’s right, Gu Lin’s description was very accurate. These mermaids’ fishtails were pale white, just like silkworms, soft and tender, two long strips, looking very fragile.

Even the light green liquid slowly flowing inside the tails could be clearly seen.

Yu Youmian glanced at the cub whose little belly was so full it was round, and said lightly: “Some guests at the Mermaid Hotel have hatched fishtails. You can take a ride and send him back.”

Gu Lin waved his little hand: “Goodbye, Doctor-shushu.”

Yu Youmian was slightly startled, his eyes seeming to soften a few degrees: “Goodbye.”

–

The town mayor took Gu Lin and got into a mermaid ambulance.

Mermaid Town wasn’t very big. About ten minutes later, the mermaid ambulance slowly stopped in front of the Mermaid Hotel.

At this time, in the lobby of the Mermaid Hotel, all the players were gathered.

They were all looking in shock at Li Nan, who had collapsed on the ground.

After eating, just after returning to the hotel, Li Nan suddenly screamed and collapsed on the ground. His two good legs had suddenly turned into two fishtails.

The others didn’t see how it happened. When they heard the scream and looked at Li Nan, Li Nan’s legs had already turned into fishtails.

But these fishtails were different from those Split-Tail Mermaids’ fishtails. They looked soft, white, and two long strips.

They looked like fishtails in shape, but they were more like soft, white worms, and you could even see the light green liquid slowly flowing under the skin.

All the players got goosebumps.

What the hell was this thing?!

How could good legs suddenly turn into this?

They immediately thought of the drugs added to the food!

All the players had eaten the food in the canteen, which made everyone feel uneasy.

Lin Xingchi was most afraid of insects. He only took one look, his sanity dropped sharply, and he didn’t dare to look again.

Li Nan’s legs turned into fishtails, and he could no longer walk, and could only lie on the ground.

He was so scared that his face was pale, and he almost fainted: “My legs, my legs…”

Just then, the long-lost childish voice sounded at the entrance of the hotel: “Why did Li Nan-shushu’s legs also turn into silkworms?”

Silkworms?

Holy crap, that was a perfect description!

All the players stiffened. Instantly, including the Double-Cap Big Shot, everyone’s eyes turned to the door.