Mission in another world with my transformed best friend

Upon hearing the phrase "a den of simps," Zhang Lan's smile froze instantly, and he turned around to put on a "Oh no" expression.

Caught off guard, she seemed at a loss for how to respond, and the resentment behind her had spread to the point of threatening to devour her...

"Of the thirty-six stratagems, running away is the best." Zhang Lan's steps became unsteady and somewhat stiff. After silently taking a dozen steps up the stairs, she changed her tone and said without turning her head.

"It's getting late, and joyful times always seem so short. I've heard so much about your triumphant return and your glorious adventures, and I'm deeply moved. My heart is still racing, and even now, late at night, I can't calm down. To ensure a good night's sleep and maintain my early rising habit, please forgive me for leaving early tonight. Although I'd love to chat and drink with you all night long, to be honest, I'd like to wait for a more suitable and wonderful time to have a proper chat next time... So I'm going to sleep now. See you tomorrow..."

After saying that, Zhang Lan's steps quickened, as if he was about to make a run for his life. At that moment, a gradually growing angry response came from behind him.

"Why are you sleeping so early? We just got to a point where you, who calls yourself a young lady, feel 'guilty,' and you're already making a hasty exit? That's such a killjoy. I'll give you a piece of advice: 'Why sleep so much in life, when you'll have plenty of time to sleep after death'... If you don't explain yourself right now, I'd be happy to play the role of a 'sleep aid'... Stop right there!"

"Waaaaah... Don't come any closer!"

Next, the usually quiet "Alchemy Pavilion" building was suddenly filled with the sound of frantic chasing footsteps, something never before heard.

In terms of speed alone, Wang Kai could catch up with Zhang Lan in no time, but he had only navigated this intricate "staircase maze" once or twice, and each time he had to be led by someone else to avoid getting lost.

This has resulted in a situation where, every time Wang Kai tries to intercept Zhang Lan, he is immediately pulled away by several steps.

In any sense, Zhang Lan can be considered the "architectural designer" of the "Alchemy Pavilion." With the home-field advantage, taking shortcuts or going through secret doors would definitely be easy.

The most crucial point is that Zhang Lan was quite cunning; she took off her high heels shortly after the start, which minimized the noise of her footsteps and also significantly increased her running speed...

Finally, after exhausting herself to finish the first chapter of "Escape," Zhang Lan finally reached the bedroom door on the fifth floor and breathed a sigh of relief. She remembered that Wang Kai had never been to the fifth floor before, and even if he ran up with her, he would definitely get lost.

Slightly relieved, Zhang Lan quietly opened the door and slipped inside, intending to close it silently. But just a centimeter or two away from closing, the door wouldn't budge...

"What's going on? I designed this door myself. It locks automatically once closed, and you can't even break it open with magic..."

Zhang Lan muttered something under her breath and increased the pressure on the door as she closed it, but it just wouldn't close properly, as if something was blocking it. She was stunned when she slowly raised her head and saw an iron rod seemingly magically "stuck" in the crack of the door.

Soon, a chill ran through her body. Helplessly, she released her hands and slowly backed away. The iron bar that was wedging the door trembled slightly, and the door was slowly pushed open. A dark figure stood there like a ghost outside the door, and a suffocating sense of oppression instantly filled the air.

Zhang Lan finally decided to feign composure. After forcing an awkward smile, she focused her breath on her abdomen and spoke slowly and deliberately, using her still somewhat unskilled, high-pitched voice.

"Wait, Kyle, how did you find her? That's amazing..."

"However, even if we want to continue playing hide-and-seek, she's already run to the safe zone. Your chasing and blocking her, and your attempt to force your way into her room, is a bit of a violation of the rules, don't you think..."

"How about we get some rest, like they just said?"

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you, your room is right where we were discussing things with Ilya. If you don't know the way, I can have someone take you there..."

"No, no, no, don't misunderstand. It's not that they don't want to take you there themselves; they just ran a long way and their legs are too tired, so they have to go to bed early to rest. So, if you could close the door for them before you leave, they would be extremely grateful..."

...Under the intense verbal provocation of the clip's sound effects, Wang Kai seemed to tremble slightly, but the angry voice still slowly seeped in through the crack in the door.

"Well, if you apologized honestly in a normal tone, I might really turn around and leave... But this affected tone gave me goosebumps instantly. You know, having 'goosebumps' all over will definitely cause insomnia, so please think of a way to help me get rid of them."

After saying that, Wang Kai walked in step by step, his face contorted with rage. After looking around, he realized that it was Zhang Lan's "boudoir". He knew that she must have reached the "finish line" and there was no way back now, unless there was some secret passage or something. However, he could guarantee that he would never give her the chance to enter the secret passage.

So Wang Kai pulled up a stool and sat down, adopting a "I'm listening to your explanation" posture.

Zhang Lan knew it was impossible to pretend to be confused, so she rolled her big eyes, stopped speaking in a pinched tone, and asked tentatively.

"First of all, let me clarify that I'm completely innocent regarding that 'licking...' topic from earlier. What do you want to know?"

"Tell me everything! Tell me everything, including your attitude from now on, otherwise this iron rod in my hand will unconsciously make intimate contact with the part of your body that you use to sit on every day."

Zhang Lan reflexively covered her buttocks with both hands, moving backward as she spoke.

"You...didn't you promise me you wouldn't use that trick on girls anymore..."

“I only promised you I wouldn’t use my ‘hands.’ Okay, enough nonsense. After you and Martha moved out in such a hurry, why did that place become some kind of ‘celebrity’s former residence’? And what does it mean by those four characters you wrote on my door that the locals call ‘divine revelation’ and ‘holy text’?”

"If I plead guilty, could you wait until I finish speaking and then pretend this never happened...?"

"Okay, but I can only promise not to hit you!"

Zhang Lan breathed a sigh of relief, turned her head and looked around. The only stool had been taken away, so she could only take a few steps back and sit down on the big bed. She tidied her clothes and hair, which were messy from running, and sighed.

"Because a chamber of commerce investigator tragically died there, the rental house we stayed in was labeled as a 'crime scene' and a 'haunted house,' and was temporarily sealed off."

Hani obtained the sales rights to my "inventions," and in order to give a reasonable origin to several "unparalleled inventions," I was given the title of "reclusive saint" and heavily publicized.

Furthermore, those 'inventions' quickly attracted the attention of merchant guilds throughout the empire. As more and more wealthy merchants and nobles joined the fray, word spread that you and I had once rented the same apartment, and the 'crime scene' even became a hub of attention!

Wang Kai rubbed his temples, a hint of helplessness on his face.

"The transition in the story was a bit abrupt, but I can manage to keep up. Please continue..."

"It was that landlord who, after learning that the 'reclusive saintess' had turned his already unrentable house into a 'crime scene,' decided to exaggerate the story to increase traffic..."

Later, despite Hani's strong opposition, and after some unknown agreement was reached with the landlord, the "crime scene" was unsealed, and the landlord renovated it into some kind of "celebrity's former residence".

On the premise of being allowed to use the name 'Hermitage of the World', they also obtained the operating rights. As for what happened later…