Seeing Guan Tong's expression, Xu Xiaotian couldn't help but laugh. "The first time the others in the hotel saw this item of mine, they had the same look on their faces as you. They thought it was ridiculous. Sigh, to be honest, so did I."
"You know, I was searching for stuff in the Sublimation Store earlier. I happened to be a little hungry at the time, and since I've always liked instant noodles, I searched for it. And what do you know, I actually found it! But when I saw the price was 100 Sublimation Coins, I had no intention of buying it at all."
"Later, when I tried searching for other things, I couldn't find anything. I had no other choice, so in the end, I had to buy this Instant Noodles Item."
Guan Tong came back to his senses and said, "I see. But it's not completely useless. Doesn't it come in handy for the third rule?"
Starting from the second rule, people knew they could use Psychic Power items to help complete challenges.
Now, Xu Xiaotian's Psychic Power item was Instant Noodles, which was perfect for the current Fasting Therapy rule. He didn't need to endure hunger, nor did he need to spend Sublimation Coins on food boxes. His Psychic Power item alone was enough.
"Exactly," Xu Xiaotian said with a laugh. "So when the third rule came out a few days ago, I was ecstatic. Everyone else at the hotel was green with envy."
As Xu Xiaotian spoke, a hint of helplessness returned to his face. "The annoying thing is, I have to use Psychic Power to generate the noodles. I can only make one serving a day. It's enough to get through the third rule, but it's not nearly enough to fill my stomach."
Guan Tong comforted him, "Don't worry. Once your Psychic Power limit increases, you'll be able to make more in a day."
"It'll be useless by then," Xu Xiaotian retorted. "If it weren't for the rule's restrictions, I wouldn't be relying on instant noodles to fill my stomach. Ever since food became free, they've been supplying big chicken drumsticks and pork knuckles for free. I could eat those forever and never get tired of them!"
"..."
"But looking at you, Guan Tong, your complexion is so good. You haven't been starving these past few days, have you? Did you give up on the challenge, or did you buy food boxes?"
It wasn't that Xu Xiaotian was particularly observant; Guan Tong's ruddy complexion truly didn't look like that of someone who was starving. In contrast, at the gathering just now, many people had looked haggard and weak, as if they hadn't eaten in days.
"I've eaten a little," Guan Tong said.
Guan Tong's answer was a bit ambiguous, but Xu Xiaotian didn't mind. He then suggested, "Do you have any plans this afternoon? Want to go hang out somewhere?"
"Hang out? What's there to do outside these days?"
Guan Tong felt that ever since the Apocalypse Rules descended, the entertainment industry had accelerated its development, but it was mostly online.
Things like movies, TV shows, games, anime, novels, and live streams... most offline entertainment venues had gone out of business.
On one hand, it was because the population had dwindled so much. On the other hand, it was also related to the recent rampant random crime.
In the era of the Apocalypse Rules, the psychological pressure on every survivor was immense. No one knew if a person who seemed perfectly normal might suddenly break down the next second and attack everyone around them indiscriminately.
Out of this fear, most people chose to stay at home or indoors as much as possible, rarely going out to wander around.
"The arcade!" Xu Xiaotian said. "You can play all the arcade machines for free now, no need to even insert coins. Amusement parks, too. You can go on all the rides for free."
"...I think I'll pass. I might have something to do this afternoon."
Guan Tong thought, 'I might have to go to the Sheriff's station to give a statement this afternoon. Even if I don't, I'm not interested in going to an arcade or anywhere like that. I'd rather just rest in my room and save my energy.'
"Alright then." Xu Xiaotian sighed. "Sigh, nobody likes to go out anymore. But I'm just trying to make the most of my time and have some fun in Yunhua. I'll be leaving next month."
Hearing this, Guan Tong asked, "You're leaving Yunhua next month?"
"Yeah, the Psychic Power Development Academy is starting classes next month. I'm planning to go to the Capital to enroll," Xu Xiaotian said with a smile. "It might not look like it, but my Psychic Power limit is over 80, so I meet the admission requirements."
"I see."
Guan Tong didn't pay much attention to the "Psychic Power Development Academy," so he didn't know about its construction status or the specific start date for classes.
"What about you, Guan Tong?" Xu Xiaotian asked. "I figure if you have enough coins to buy food boxes, your Psychic Power must be over 80, right? Why don't we go to the Capital and enroll together? It'd be perfect, we could keep each other company!"
Guan Tong had no intention of going to the academy, so he just shook his head.
"I probably won't go."
"Oh, I see... Alright then, let's talk later!"
Guan Tong watched Xu Xiaotian leave, then returned to his room. He checked his Terminal Panel; his Psychic Power hadn't recovered enough yet.
He was about to turn on the TV when his phone rang. The caller ID showed it was the Sheriff's station.
"Mr. Guan, if you're free this afternoon, please come down to the station. We have some key information that we need you to confirm."
"Alright."
Guan Tong hung up the phone. 'What does "key information that we need you to confirm" mean?' he wondered. 'Have they found a new clue in the case?'
He waited until 1 PM, then went to the Sheriff's station.
To his surprise, he was received not only by the two Sheriffs who had visited his home yesterday, but also by a man with black-framed glasses—Li Meng, the chief of the Sheriff's station.
Chief Li Meng and the other two Sheriffs led Guan Tong into an office, where they showed him a photograph on a large screen.
Guan Tong was slightly taken aback when he saw the photo, as it was clearly of two dead bodies.
"Take a close look. Are these the two men who came knocking on your door last night?"
Guan Tong studied it for a few moments and asked, "Do you have a clearer photo of their faces, by any chance?"
"We do." Li Meng had one of the Sheriffs switch photos. There were close-ups of both corpses' faces.
Although both men's faces were injured, bruised and swollen, Guan Tong could still recognize them since so little time had passed.
"That's them," he confirmed. "These are the two men who pretended to be Sheriffs and came to my house last night."
Li Meng nodded. "Just as we thought."
Guan Tong's gaze was still fixed on the photo on the large screen. "Excuse me, but what happened to them...?"
"They were most likely silenced," Li Meng said. "But whoever silenced them definitely didn't expect us to find the buried bodies so quickly."
"Who were they, exactly? And what was their goal?"
Li Meng gestured to a Sheriff with his eyes, who then explained, "Our preliminary assessment is that they're part of a criminal gang. As for their motive, based on several similar past cases, it's highly likely they were looking for and kidnapping High Spirit Users."
Guan Tong frowned. "Why would they kidnap High Spirit Users? For human trafficking?"
"That's what we'd like to know, too," Chief Li Meng said in a grave voice. "For now, based on these two bodies, the station has already gathered some leads. We'll be taking action immediately."