When Jared Harris saw the black car appear just as they had expected, for some reason, a strong feeling welled up inside him—a sense that their own side was about to lose the battle. He looked up, swept his gaze over the shining eyes of Walter Franklin and the others, and silently swallowed this thought.

Maybe it was just that he’d been messed with by The Vault too many times, and it had become a conditioned reflex. It didn’t really mean anything...

The SUV was forced to a stop at the roadside by three cars. Several police officers, wearing body cameras, jumped out and surrounded the vehicle, shouting excitedly, “Get out of the car!”

The video footage was transmitted in real time to their computers. Everyone crowded in front of the screen, waiting to witness the crucial moment when Nancy Dawson would be caught.

The car door opened, and a young man wearing a mask and a hat timidly stepped out. His steps were hesitant, his movements confused and at a loss, both hands raised high above his head as he cautiously approached them.

It was obvious at a glance that this person was not Nancy Dawson, nor was he the person they had found on the surveillance footage.

Walter Franklin’s eyes were about to pop out of his head. He slapped the table hard and voiced the question on everyone’s mind: “Where is the person?!”

The mood of the players on the scene was much the same.

One officer stepped forward, his eyes darting back and forth between the car and the man several times. Unconvinced, he ran to check the back seat, confirmed there was no second person in the car, then returned, exasperated, and demanded, “Is this your car?”

“No!” the unfamiliar NPC protested, “I’m just a substitute driver!”

“Who hired you to drive?”

“A person!” the young man replied aggrievedly, “Someone gave me three hundred yuan, said he had an urgent matter, asked me to pick up a friend at the airport, and told me to wear this mask and hat—the same style as his. I haven’t done anything wrong! Are you undercover police?”

The officer kept gasping: “Where did you switch drivers?”

“At Huayuan Community!” the young man’s voice grew louder as he shouted, “I’m a security guard there, you can go ask if you don’t believe me! I—I’m a law-abiding citizen!”

A player wailed in frustration: “Then where is Nancy Dawson?!”

“How would I kno—” The young man froze, suddenly realizing, and said in disbelief, “That person was Nancy Dawson? No way, right?”

Dozens of people stared at each other, big eyes glaring at small eyes, as an awkward silence filled the comms.

Walter Franklin covered his forehead, struggling to the end: “Check again, surveillance footage of the roads near Huayuan Community, and check the nearby businesses’ cameras too. Find out where she went in the end.”

The chances of re-locating the target were slim, because less than a kilometer from Huayuan Community was a highway entrance.

The Vault seemed very familiar with traffic surveillance. She was so cautious, she would definitely avoid places where her whereabouts could be exposed.

At this moment, because the highway was toll-free, the traffic at the entrance was extremely heavy. If The Vault hid herself in the back seat or in a spot that avoided the cameras, it would be nearly impossible to track her down.

The bird had flown the coop.

·

The Vault stood on the small road leading to the highway entrance, holding up a sign, looking for a ride.

There were a lot of cars during the holiday. She had changed back into her ancient-style outfit. Maybe because this outfit was rather deceptive, she had only been standing there for less than five minutes when a car stopped in front of her.

“Hello, are you heading out of town?” The Vault bent down and smiled at the people inside, “I can pay a hundred yuan. I want to get off at the XX highway exit. Could you give me a ride?”

Both the driver and the passenger were young, a man and a woman. Seeing The Vault’s clear eyes and gentle demeanor, they let down their guard and stopped to chat with her.

“No need for money. What happened to you?”

The Vault lowered her head, glanced helplessly at her clothes, and sighed, “It’s ridiculous. After my club activity today, I had some free time, so I went to the shopping street for a bit. Suddenly, a bunch of police showed up, blocked off the whole road, and started checking everyone. I don’t know what they were looking for. I called a taxi and waited in line forever to get out, but by the time I did, my ticket had expired. My friend said he was heading back too and could give me a lift part of the way. He’s near the xx highway now.”

The woman in the passenger seat chimed in, “I just saw the news—there was a warehouse fire over there, even the fire trucks were blocked outside.”

“Yeah, I was lucky to get out early!” The Vault pulled a long face, “The main thing is, the police checks were so strict, they kept questioning people. They grabbed my ID and said I didn’t look like my photo. Well, who does look like their ID photo anyway?”

“They must be looking for Nancy Dawson, right? The news is all about him today. I feel so sorry for him. But you don’t look like him at all. The police are wasting time questioning you.” The girl in the passenger seat asked, “So what happened? How did you prove yourself?”

The Vault replied, deadpan, “I recited a section of my major’s coursework for him, and he let me go.”

Both of them burst out laughing.

The girl said, “Good thing you actually paid attention in class. These days, it’s not safe for slackers to go out.”

The Vault put her hands together pitifully, “Please give me a ride, big brother, big sister.”

The young man waved his hand generously, “Get in, we’re heading that way anyway.”

The Vault breathed a sigh of relief, “Thanks, big bro. You’re all good people.”

“You can call me handsome too, not just a good person,” the young man joked, “But somehow, it doesn’t feel that flattering.”

The Vault got in the back seat, put her bag to the side, and said, “I’ve been out all day. Can I lie down and rest for a bit?”

“No problem, go ahead and sleep. We’ll wake you when we get there.” The girl teased, “A good-looking guy like you really doesn’t know how to protect yourself. I almost want to sell you off.”

The young man chimed in, “Sure. Trafficking women and children is illegal, but I don’t think there’s a law against trafficking adult men. It’s a no-cost, all-profit business.”

The Vault cried out, “Don’t!”

The young man started the car, laughing, “Well, our black car finally picked up a fat sheep.”

The girl: “Who told you to get into a stranger’s car? Run, run!”

They joked and laughed as they entered the highway through the ETC lane.

Not long after the car set off, the sky, which had been overcast all day, finally began to rain. Raindrops pattered down, soaking the road and drifting slantwise through the air, like a layer of white-gray gauze hanging from the sky.

The two in the front seat chatted quietly, occasionally laughing, like a close-knit family. They probably were.

The Vault sat up, took her bag, and absentmindedly touched the few clothes and the little cash left inside.

The two dropped her off at the designated XX highway exit and kindly gave her an umbrella before saying goodbye.

The Vault walked in the rain with the umbrella. The hem of her long clothes was soaked by the muddy water at the roadside. Looking around, the road was empty in all directions, as if it were a wasteland.

After getting off at this highway exit, it was about a half-hour walk to a minibus that ran between towns. These vans weren’t strictly regulated and could pick up passengers along the way.

The Vault waited by the rickety bus stop sign until the white van arrived.

It was much warmer inside the van than outside. The ticket seller lifted his eyelids, gave her a second look, and said, “Let me see your ID. Twelve yuan, scan here.”

The Vault handed over her ID and the cash together. The man took the money, didn’t even look at the ID, and just handed her a ticket, telling her to find a seat in the back.

When The Vault sat in the last row, she heard the game’s clearance prompt in her ear.

The screen froze on her sharply defined profile, her dark pupils reflecting the light from the ceiling, her eyes clearly shining, yet seeming a bit gloomy.

The viewers in the livestream room began to celebrate enthusiastically.

“Boss: Peaceful times. Q-ge: A mess of feathers. Slogan: Daily grind.”

“Cleared the stage, throw flowers~ Jump and throw!”

“Only depth can make a boss seem so unfathomable.”

“Where exactly is Nancy Dawson going?”

“If only San Yao would cut to the [Chaser]’s perspective now, it’d be perfect. Then I wouldn’t have to switch rooms to watch. [doge]”

“Can you imagine next door, a bunch of big guys smoking sadly, sighing about the impermanence of life? [rolling on the floor laughing]”

“This stream is so fast! Already completely out of the search range?”

“Just kneel. [all according to plan]”

Chapter 53: Consolation

After the game ended, Jared Harris didn’t log out immediately. He stayed with the other unlucky souls, squatting on the ground and smoking a nonexistent cigarette, feeling the pain of growing up.

This instance—how to put it—felt like he’d learned a lot, but also like he’d learned nothing at all. Anyway, the #HowToFeedInStyle# commemorative manual now had a new entry.

...It was nothing, really.

But to be fair, when you have more teammates, the sense of defeat from failure is greatly reduced. Looking at the dejected teammates around him, Jared Harris even found it a little funny.

Beside him, Walter Franklin gazed sadly at the computer room for a while, then clapped his hands and exited the stream. Jared Harris logged out as well.