Open Up! Free Trade!

Seeing Wu Wang's evasive look, Xiezhi had a bad feeling.

Before he could ask anything, the voices of other squads crackled through his earpiece.

"This is 001 Squad. We've detected the entry of outside players. Estimated numbers are equal to all currently surviving players, over!"

"002 Squad is making contact, attempting to ascertain their method of entry. Just in case, all teams prepare for conflict, over!"

Xiezhi was speechless.

This earpiece was a type of 【Relic】. The Abnormal Affairs Bureau had obtained it many years ago and hidden it in the 【Hidden Map】. Each year, members would dig it up at a marked location to use during their search for other 【Relics】.

It was a small loophole they exploited in the Spirit Calamity Game.

Since you won't let us use our own items, I'll just place things in the Instance beforehand and not take them out. I'll just use them cyclically every time I enter.

Of course, this method only worked in the 【Relic Scramble】. Other Instances couldn't be reliably opened every year, nor did their content remain unchanged. The timelines of normal Instance Worlds flowed and developed on their own.

But back in the present, Xiezhi had a sinking feeling he knew exactly how these new players had gotten in.

How was he supposed to explain this to the others over the earpiece?

Tell them I've run into the main culprit, and he's brought the big boss here to talk business?

It felt like rushing to someone's door with a gun, knocking twice, and shouting, "Open up! Free trade!"

Wu Wang noticed Xiezhi's unnatural expression and immediately got the hint.

He smiled. "You have something that lets you communicate with other people from the Abnormal Affairs Bureau, right? Have they run into other players?”

Xiezhi nodded awkwardly.

A moment later, a new message came through his earpiece.

"002 Squad reports. These players say a mysterious player brought them in and that knowing his identity requires a fee. They are now breaking from our line of sight to search for 【Relics】, over!"

"003 Squad has encountered outside players! Both sides are fighting over three large 【Twisted Resentful Spirits】 near the well on the southeast side of town. Requesting backup!"

The 【Twisted Resentful Spirits】 were not just a danger here. They were also an opportunity. Most of them contained 【Relics】 within them, and some even derived their abilities from these artifacts.

To put it simply, defeating a 【Twisted Resentful Spirit】 could drop loot.

Xiezhi looked up to get his bearings. The thirty players from the Abnormal Affairs Bureau had entered in ten squads of three, fanning out from 【Dedication Square】 to conduct a grid search.

The location requesting backup now… he was the closest.

He activated his comms unit.

"009 Squad is en route to provide support! All colleagues, please ensure your own safety!"

He immediately shouted to Bei Lang, who was still chatting with Wu Wang. "Go help! Stop chatting!"

Then he turned to Wu Wang with an apologetic look. "Sorry, Brother Yan, we have a mission. You can explore on your own."

"If you run into anyone from the Abnormal Affairs Bureau, it's best to avoid conflict," Xiezhi continued. "If a fight is unavoidable, just give them my name. Both sides can take a step back. Sorry to trouble you."

Although Xiezhi's status wasn't as high as his colleagues from the capital, most of them would still give him some face. They held the upright and unyielding tough guy in high regard. They knew that if they had gone through what he had, it would have been impossible for them to remain so true to themselves.

People always respect heroes who can do what they cannot. It was a matter of personal charisma.

Aside from a very small number of people who already disliked him, Xiezhi's name was still very useful.

Unexpectedly, Wu Wang offered a sheepish grin.

"If your guys get hassled by those people from outside, you can use my name too. It'll probably work pretty well, seeing as I'm their creditor."

Xiezhi stared, confused.

Wu Wang put it more directly. "Give me your earpiece. Have your colleague give their earpiece to the players outside. I'll talk to them."

Though he didn't understand why the other man was so confident, Xiezhi hesitated for only a moment. He briefly explained the situation to 003 Squad and handed over the earpiece.

Wu Wang listened to the arrogant voice coming from the other side. It sounded vaguely familiar.

"Hey! Who the hell are you, pal? What's it to you that our Tower of Order is snatching stuff from the Abnormal Affairs Bureau?"

It was the Poet of the Myriad Springs Division. Who knows what the 003 Squad on the other end had told him, but it seemed they hadn't mentioned Wu Wang by name. As a result, the Poet had no idea who was on the line.

"The Tower of Order, is it?" Wu Wang's voice was calm. "It's been less than ten minutes since you all got off the boat, and you're already thinking of raising the price on what you owe my lord? Or would you rather I send your people back to town to retire?"

On the other end, the Poet of the Myriad Springs Division's hands began to tremble. His face turned pale.

He quickly forced a smile. "Oh, no, no, Boss Yan, I was just kidding! So it was you on the line, sir."

"You want us to compete fairly and amicably with the people from the Abnormal Affairs Bureau? No problem!"

"Just tell us how, and we'll do exactly as you say."

"Oh, oh, okay, okay, hanging up now. I wish you a bountiful harvest!"

The members of 003 Squad were dumbfounded. Just a moment ago, the Tower of Order had been acting high and mighty. Their group of five or six had been about to snatch the spoils of war right out of their hands. But after their leader took the earpiece, his entire demeanor had changed into something completely unfamiliar.

Who the hell is on the other end of that line?! The Tower of Order is supposed to be on equal footing with us!

You acting like this makes us lose face too!

Does your leader know you're bowing and scraping like this?

"Here, your earpiece." The moment he hung up, the Poet's expression reverted to normal, showing everyone what it meant for a great man to be flexible.

Looking at the bewildered expressions of the Bureau members, he spoke.

"The big brother who brought us in has given his instructions. We'll compete according to his method now. If we lose, we'll have no complaints and leave immediately."

The stunned leader of 003 Squad asked, "What method?"

The Poet of the Myriad Springs Division replied with a straight face, "Rock Paper Scissors."

The Abnormal Affairs Bureau players stared in disbelief.

Dude, isn't this a little... rash?

This is about a 【Relic】!

If you made a post on the Spirit Calamity app saying the Abnormal Affairs Bureau and the Tower of Order settled a 【Relic】 dispute with Rock Paper Scissors, nobody would believe you.

"Hurry up! Stop dawdling!" the Poet said, rolling his eyes.

Left with no choice, the leader of 003 Squad stepped forward.

"I'll do it."

Rock, paper, scissors!

Abnormal Affairs Bureau threw rock.

The Poet of the Myriad Springs Division threw scissors.

"Okay, brothers, let's pull out. Time to find other 【Relics】."

Despite having superior numbers, the players from the Tower of Order turned and left without the slightest hesitation.

Now, 003 Squad was completely dumbfounded.

"They… they really left?" the squad leader said in disbelief.

His mind couldn't help but think of the so-called "big brother" on the other end of the earpiece.

If I remember correctly, 009 Squad is led by Xiezhi.

Xiezhi is in contact with the leader of these outside players?!

No one could have imagined it. A bloody scramble that should have been filled with brutal competition had been kicked off in the most abstract way possible by a Fun-seeker.

A moment later, all players from the Abnormal Affairs Bureau received a notification.

【If you encounter other players competing for a Relic, approach them directly, play "Rock Paper Scissors," and inform them that this is the instruction of a "certain Mr. Yan."】

This time, it was truly free trade. There was no smoke of battle, no brutal competition.

There were only resounding shouts of, "Rock, Paper, Scissors!"

The winner took the 【Relic】, and the loser left with regret.

Players from different factions had been fighting in Instances for years, but this was the first time they had ever resolved an issue so peacefully. The child's game was bizarre, yet it worked.

And every single player from the Abnormal Affairs Bureau now held an intense curiosity toward the mastermind behind this "free trade," Yan Shuangying.

They could sense this guy was no simple character.

They had to find a way to make contact with him.