You said you were going to make games, how did you become the richest man without doing anything?

Chapter 588 Late Night Thinking

"...No way?" Tang Yin feigned surprise, his voice tinged with deliberate exaggeration. He glanced at the people around him, but found no one noticed his subtle performance. The thick fog was spreading at an unsettling pace, shrouding the entire square in a hazy haze.

Xiao Mee let out a panicked cry, "Mee——" There was obvious fear in her voice.

"Everyone, it's foggy!" Wang Lina's sharp voice cut through the silent air, echoing over the Hidden Mist Village. Her voice was filled with tension and anxiety, adding a touch of terror to the already eerie atmosphere.

Zhao Gang responded immediately, his rough voice carrying an unquestionable command, "- Granny Rong, you go back first! What about you, Gao Zhijie!?" He glanced around, trying to confirm everyone's position in the thickening fog.

"Don't treat me as an old man!" Gao Zhijie roared dissatisfiedly, his weather-beaten face full of stubbornness.

At this moment, a heart-wrenching scream rang out, "No! No, no fog--!!" Gao Mei's voice was full of despair, and her figure appeared particularly blurred in the fog.

"Wang Lina!! Take the children back to the dormitory quickly!" Gao Zhijie's voice penetrated the thick fog, carrying an irresistible command.

"Yeah, yeah! Tang Yin..." Wang Lina was about to say something but was interrupted by Hua Lu.

"Leave it to me." Hua Lu's voice was surprisingly calm and particularly clear in the chaos.

Wang Lina hesitated for a moment, "...Okay, please! Tang Yin, this is the thick fog of the Hidden Mist Village. You must think this sounds stupid, but you must abide by the rules here no matter what." There was a hint of pleading in her words.

Tang Yin nodded, "... Yeah, I understand." His voice was low and steady, completely different from his previous artificial voice.

"Hey, is this the legendary thick fog...? I didn't expect to actually encounter it, I'm so lucky." There was a hint of excitement in Xia Hui's voice, as if she was completely unaware of the danger.

Zhou Zhengxiong raised his camera and asked, "Will it damage the equipment?" His tone was filled with the concern typical of a professional photographer.

"Well! Now is not the time to talk about this! Fortunately you have a room, go back to it quickly!" Chen Xiang shouted anxiously, her voice seemed a little distorted in the fog.

"——Xia Hui, come with me! The photographer is..." Wang Lina was interrupted by Zhao Gang before she could finish her words.

"I'll do it! It's a mobile home, right? Uncle, follow me quickly! Be careful not to fall!" Zhao Gang's voice was filled with anxiety.

"There's no need to be so anxious, right?" Zhou Zhengxiong seemed to have not yet realized the seriousness of the situation and was slowly packing up his equipment.

Amidst the thickening fog, a hunched figure swayed. It was the village's highly respected Wolf Master. His voice drifted in and out, "Here it comes, here it comes, the wolf is coming..." The old man's words, like some ominous prophecy, vanished into the depths of the fog along with his figure.

Tang Yin watched all this silently, but was thinking about something in his mind.

"Xiao Mei, Mr. Tang Yin." Hua Lu's voice broke the brief silence. Her eyes were filled with worry. "I'm afraid my ominous premonition has come true."

"After the fog comes, you have to stay indoors alone, right?" Tang Yin asked softly, but his eyes looked into the distance thoughtfully.

Hualu's voice was remarkably clear in the mist. "Preparations for the banquet: 褉, 物忌, 梦垫 (dream pillow), these three rules must be followed." Her words echoed through the eerie fog like an ancient incantation. The thick fog seemed to come alive, silently engulfing the entire Hidden Mist Village, burying all its secrets within this vast expanse of white.

"Wash yourself, stay indoors, and go to sleep..." Xiao Mee repeated the rules in her childish voice, her large, black grape-like eyes gleaming with confusion and unease. Her slender figure seemed insignificant in the thick fog, as if it could be swallowed up by the strange whiteness at any moment.

Hualu patted Xiaome's shoulder gently, her slender fingers faintly visible in the mist, "That's right, let's wait until tomorrow to eat." Her voice was soft but with unquestionable firmness.

Xiao Mee lowered her head, her fine bangs covering her eyes, "...um...I understand..." There was a hint of helplessness and fear in her voice.

Hua Lu was silent for a moment, a complex expression flashing across her deep eyes. When she spoke again, her voice became unusually heavy, "As long as you follow the rules, no one will die today."

"What do you mean?" Tang Yin asked, frowning, his angular face filled with inquiry. In the white mist, his gaze seemed particularly sharp. Hua Lu's voice echoed through the fog, "Today is the preparatory period, and tomorrow is the official banquet. If you don't prepare well, you will be punished by the Thousand Bright Gods." Her words carried a sense of ancient mystery, as if she were revealing some unknown curse.

"Okay, let's go." Tang Yin's tone suddenly became urgent, as if he realized that some danger was approaching.

Hualu gracefully bent down and lifted Xiaome up. She took a step back through the thick fog. Even that short distance blurred her delicate features, leaving only a faint glimpse of her solemn eyes. "Please be prepared," she said, her voice thick with worry.

"I hope to see you again tomorrow." There was a hint of sob in Hualu's words, as if predicting an ominous future.

"—I will definitely abide by the rules!" Tang Yin suddenly shouted as Hua Lu was about to be completely engulfed by the thick fog. His voice was filled with determination, as if trying to dispel the other person's worries.

Looking at Hua Lu's worry-filled face, Tang Yin felt a pang of sadness well up in his heart. Her kindness was so genuine, and her tearful expression was even more heartbreaking. She must have thought that if she ignored these warnings, she would be reduced to a disfigured corpse the next day.

Tang Yin wanted to tell her that he fully understood the seriousness of the situation, understood their fear and despair. More importantly, he came here to help them. He wanted to respond to her concern in this way, but the words were on the tip of his tongue and he swallowed them back.

Then, Tang Yin turned and walked down the hillside toward his cabin. Thick fog swirled beneath his feet, shrouding the entire world in an eerie white. His footsteps were particularly clear in the silence.

Unlock, enter, lock. The sound of metal clashing echoed in the silent house. Tang Yin leaned against the door and breathed a sigh of relief. Compared to last time, this time he felt much safer. A door that could be locked, a space that could be isolated from the thick fog, and a bed to lie down and rest. Compared to the last experience, the current situation was going smoothly.

The lights in the room were warm and bright, proving that there was still electricity. Tang Yin recalled that there was electricity in the dormitory last time, but the cafeteria's power and telephone lines had been cut. Surrounded by thick fog and cut off from communications, the Hidden Mist Village had become a perfectly sealed stage. And Tang Yin was an actor who willingly stepped into this dangerous performance.

He walked to a corner and pulled a yellow-wrapped box of nutritious food from his worn rucksack. Although he felt a little guilty about enjoying his food alone, he had to maintain his strength. He knew tomorrow would be a bloody battle. The thick fog outside the window seemed to silently mock his preparations, but Tang Yin's eyes remained firm, like a ray of light in the darkness.

……

The wrapping of the nutritional supplement rustled slightly in the dim light, and Tang Yin, with almost mechanical movements, placed the food in his mouth. The taste was bland and tasteless, but that didn't matter; he just needed to replenish his energy. After quickly finishing his simple dinner, he stood up and walked over to the bucket in the corner. The water in the bucket rippled slightly, reflecting the dim light from the ceiling. He wet a towel and began to wipe himself down briefly. The cool touch soothed his nerves a little.

The door was locked, the metal latch making a reassuring click. Tang Yin surveyed the small but safe shelter, figuring all he had to do next was spread out his blankets and sleep. However, as he lay down on the bed, he found he couldn't sleep at all. Countless thoughts swirled in his mind, a tangled mess that was difficult to sort out.

First, his actions had already changed the course of events. Through that carefully woven tragic story, he had successfully integrated into the closed society of the Hidden Mist Village. Furthermore, he had saved two reporters who had intruded without knowing the extent of the situation. Was this a blessing or a curse? Tang Yin felt he couldn't say for sure, but one thing was certain: the current situation was vastly different from the previous one. This realization made his heart beat faster.

Secondly, in this village shrouded in a strange fog, at least one person had experienced the legendary Huangquan Feast. This discovery was entirely within his expectations. Not only were the wrinkled, deep-eyed elderly men suspicious, but even the seemingly rugged Zhao Gang seemed particularly suspicious. Tomorrow, he should find a suitable opportunity to naturally inquire about the details of the last fog. Beyond these strange customs and superstitious legends, the long history of the Hidden Mist Village might also hold important clues.

And then… Tang Yin's thoughts drifted unconsciously to Hua Lu. That woman was even more peculiar than he'd expected. She kept falling for unknown reasons, and she became nervous whenever her name was called. Despite these odd little quirks, she possessed a unique charm. It was like walking into a fancy restaurant with trepidation, only to discover the affordable prices and delicious food—a pleasant surprise.

But… Tang Yin rolled over, staring blankly at the ceiling. Objectively speaking, Hua Lu seemed to have a crush on him. This confused him. Was it simply because of that dramatic hero-saving-the-beauty scene when they first met? Being liked should be a joyous thing, but this kind of inexplicable romantic luck instead made people wary. This was probably the inherent resistance to unexpected surprises in human nature.

All in all, this was a wonderful fate that was completely beyond his expectations. But when the truth came to light, how would he face her? Tang Yin closed his eyes, only to find that Hua Lu's melancholy and deep eyes emerged from the darkness. The thick fog outside the window seemed to be silently telling something, and his heart, like the fog, was filled with an unclear confusion. The old clock by the bedside ticked, as if silently calculating the time until tomorrow's banquet.

If he continued to play along here, settling in the Hidden Mist Village as if it were real, he would probably offend quite a few people. Thinking it over, he realized that he would eventually leave this mist-shrouded village. And then, how would all these complicated interpersonal relationships end? He gently rubbed his temples with his fingers, trying to clear his mind. Hua Lu, that woman, would probably choose to stay here. But what about Wang Lina? What would she choose? Tang Yin couldn't help but smile bitterly. Was he even old enough to make such wishful calculations?
To be honest, Wang Lina's affection for him this time really made him feel a little excited. Perhaps because of the failure last time, he had a special persistence in saving her this time. It felt like he was making up for the regrets of the past, and like he was fulfilling an unfinished wish.
However, thinking from another perspective, the current Wang Lina was no longer the person he remembered. She was not the comrade who had fought alongside him, through thick and thin, not the one he had witnessed depart in those final moments. Tang Yin sighed deeply, a wave of bitterness welling up within him. He realized that his feelings for her had no connection to the Wang Lina of the present. Hoping to resonate with her memories in this moment was nothing but a futile fantasy.

"Don't think about it..." Tang Yin muttered softly to himself, trying to interrupt these random thoughts that only added to his emptiness. He sat up in bed, determined to review the important information he had. The bedside lamp emitted a dim light, casting a swaying shadow on the wall. His eyes sharpened, as if trying to penetrate this foggy mystery.

First, let's discuss the distribution of the protectors from last time. Zhao Gang's role as the protector of snakes has been confirmed. Tong Xiaoliang and Xiaome are the protectors of monkeys, while Qin Ming and Granny Rong are the protectors of wolves. Tang Yin's fingers traced something in the air, as if forming an invisible network of relationships. These were the protectors whose identities had been confirmed, but the identities of the remaining protectors remained a difficult mystery.

Logically, the spider should be protecting the snake. However, Zhao Gang was killed on the second day, meaning the spider was likely dead on the first day. Tang Yin frowned slightly as he considered this possibility. In other words, the spider's protector was either Gao Zhijie or Qin Yi. Combining all the signs, he was more inclined to believe it was Gao Zhijie.

Finally, there's the crow... Tang Yin rubbed his swollen temples. He had no idea who this protector was. At the last banquet, only one person was executed according to the normal procedures, while unnatural deaths occurred frequently outside the rules. This left the crow with no opportunity to exert its protective power. More importantly, whether the crow's ability to identify corpses also applied to those who died unnatural deaths remained a mystery.

(End of this chapter)