Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 381 Conversation
However, Feng Qianlin simply smiled.

"No rush. It's a rare coincidence that we've met like this. Let's order first and then talk about it while we eat."

"The saying goes, 'One should not speak while eating or sleeping.' Never mind, I guess you don't care about these things."

Zhou You casually took the menu and glanced at it.

Wow, just as expected, there wasn't a single Chinese character on it.

If it were someone else carrying the dishes, these guys would probably be happy to watch the show, but now that there's a precedent, the waiter next to him didn't dare to be negligent. He was about to bend down to translate for him, but the guy had already imitated his cheap chef and casually started reciting the names of the dishes.

"Give me a filet mignon, well-done—don't say anything yet, I know steaks aren't usually well-done, but I really can't stand the red muscle marbling. And give me a serving of clams with cream sauce, a serving of beef burgundy, and a bouillabaisse. Oh, and please bring extra bread, I only ate a few steamed buns and half a salted fish for lunch, and I'm really starving now."

He casually tossed the menu to the dumbfounded waiter—who, at that moment, looked at him as if he were an old sow flying in the sky—and then, as he turned his head, he saw Feng Qianlin's intrigued gaze.

"It seems you were just as I thought, sir. This is quite unexpected! How about I open another bottle of red wine?"

Zhou You leaned back in the soft chair, stretched out a hand, and suddenly laughed.

"If you don't mind, brother."

Candlelight flickers.

Downstairs, a musician had probably been invited, as the faint sound of a piano could be heard. Combined with the high-end and exquisite decorations around them, it created a uniquely romantic atmosphere.

pity.

Across from me was a man in his forties.

If it's a beautiful girl with a sweet voice, long legs, and a full figure, then no, even a little ghost would be fine.

Just as Zhou You started tapping the plate out of boredom, all the dishes were served quickly.

To be honest, it truly lives up to its reputation as a high-end restaurant catering exclusively to the upper class. The taste is comparable to a Michelin three-star restaurant in later generations—although to be honest, Zhou You has never tasted what a real Michelin-starred restaurant tastes like—but no matter what, the food is impeccable in terms of cooking time, seasoning, and even plating.

The only problem is that at first glance, it always makes people feel that their wallets are really too empty.

Fortunately, someone is treating us to dinner today.

Zhou You cut off a piece of steak, casually stuffed it into his mouth, and felt the distinct layers of meat juice filling his mouth. He first sighed with satisfaction, and then said.

"Then, Brother Feng, please tell me now."

Feng Qianlin asked casually.

"say what?"

"The question I asked earlier, bro, is that your identity?"

Feng Qianlin, with a napkin tied around his neck, ate his meal with impeccable manners. After hearing Zhou You's words, he wiped his mouth and then spoke.

"Actually, there's not much to say. It's just a rather traditional aristocratic family. Although I'm not the eldest son, I've been deeply loved by my parents since I was a child. My father is a farsighted guy. After I received a traditional education in China, he sent me abroad for further studies when I was a little older. So I know a bit about this."

Before Zhou You could ask any questions, he continued to explain.

"As for why these guys are so afraid of me, it's probably because my family had a stake in the construction of this port, and that stake ended up in my name."

Zhou You paused, his fork still in motion.

Feng Qianlin spoke of this as if it were nothing, but this one person in the port, if taken out of context, would be enough to be considered a powerful figure in the region.

"Then why did you become a merchant, brother?"

This time, Feng Qianlin paused for a moment, then suddenly abandoned all formalities and casually tossed the spoon in his hand into the bowl.

But the answer was a completely unrelated question.

"Hey young man, what do you think of the world these days?"

Why ask this?
Zhou You remained silent for a while, then spoke.

"Like rotten wood and withered cicadas, although it has not collapsed yet, it is almost ready to fall apart."

In other places, this would be considered extremely treasonous, a crime punishable by execution, but this was the foreign concession. Not only Feng Qianlin, but even the waiters showed no surprise.

But Feng Qianlin waved his hand, dismissing all the irrelevant outsiders, leaving only Zhou You and his two subordinates, and then spoke.

"I just feel that this world is too difficult."

He and Zhou You leaned back in their chairs, looking at the luxurious food and clothing before them, and for the first time, he showed a look of disgust.

"I've been out and about, so I've seen a lot—in my view, the people on this land of China are very clearly divided into two classes."

"One group is the lowest class, living hand to mouth, where selling children is commonplace. Can you imagine? The village we encountered earlier was actually considered relatively good; at least they had houses to live in, firewood to burn, and they could manage by digging up grass roots and peeling bark. The majority, however, starved to death in the wilderness. I did try to help them, but I quickly realized that with my resources, I could only save one person, which meant I could save ten people. But how could I possibly save hundreds or thousands, the countless people throughout this entire dynasty?"

"And the other is people like me and my clansmen, who are high and mighty, indulging in a life of luxury and extravagance. Faced with this once-in-hundred-years famine, they are still hoarding and speculating, selling grain at exorbitant prices alongside high-ranking officials and warlords. I say, young brother, have you ever seen a city, separated only by a wall, where on one side there is music and revelry every night, and on the other side there are dozens or even hundreds of men holding their elderly fathers and mothers holding their children, their bodies starved to death?"

"Brother Feng, what exactly do you mean?"

Faced with Zhou You's question, Feng Qianlin simply shook his head calmly.

"Looking at this country, I see the lower classes suffering everywhere, the middle classes living in a daze amidst opium, and the upper classes disregarding human life, knowing only greed and corruption."

“I studied medicine abroad, but after returning to China, I realized that studying medicine cannot save everyone, nor can it save this country.”

At this point, Feng Qianlin suddenly raised his head.

"Young man, have you ever heard of the revolutionaries?"

Zhou You fell into a long silence.

After a long while, he finally answered.

"Brother Feng, is this your true identity?" Feng Qianlin asked with a smile.

"It's not really my real identity. I just feel that as someone who was born and raised here, there are some things I need to do."

However, unexpectedly, Feng Qianlin didn't continue after saying this. Instead, he clapped his hands and said with a smile.

"Excuse me, I have another invitation later—I've been hiding my identity for a long time, and my schedule is a bit full. Young man, please eat here first. If you're not full or want to take some home, you can order more. I'll tell them to put the bill on my tab later."

After saying that, the man put on his hat and actually walked out directly. His attendant gave Zhou You a deep look and followed closely behind, closing the door behind him.

Zhou You was left alone in the room, lost in thought.

To be honest, he was fairly confident in his judgment of people. Feng Qianlin's words just now were completely sincere and even a little emotional. It was clear that he genuinely wanted to save the common people and that he had no ill intentions towards Zhou You.

In fact, he was a bit too frank. At least Zhou You knew that if his identity as a revolutionary was exposed, his status as the second son of a powerful family might not be enough to protect him—this was no longer just about overthrowing the Qing Dynasty, but about smashing the tables of all those who had vested interests.

But here's the thing.

—What exactly does he want to do?
Zhou You scratched his head.

I've only met this person a few times, and we're not even acquaintances. The most I've ever spent with him is participating in that religious ceremony. Why would he trust me so much, even telling me about his identity as a revolutionary?

Why?
Zhou You scratched his head for a long time but still couldn't figure it out. In the end, he could only turn his doubts into his appetite and shouted outside.

"Waiter, please add more food!"
-
After a hearty meal, Zhou You carried a large bag of food—he certainly didn't hold back at all—and leisurely walked to his hotel.

It wasn't far from the concession, just a few streets away. Otherwise, he wouldn't have accidentally walked past it. The owner was an elderly man with a lame daughter. He was also very hard of eyesight. When he saw Zhou You come in, he didn't even see what Zhou You was carrying. He just told him that the room had been prepared for him and went to sleep.

After returning to the house, Zhou You didn't rush to rest. Instead, he hung the bag outside the window, using the cold winter as a refrigerator to prevent the rare meat inside from spoiling. Then, he took out the remaining materials and, following the old man's and the book's instructions, cut out several paper figures for ritual purposes.

After all this was over, he finally let out a sigh of relief, then plopped back down on the bed and began to check the Diancang Ring as usual.

Since the big pot was destroyed, this thing has become a bit loose, and as time goes by, the loose opening is getting bigger and bigger. According to his estimation, he can open a hole in the next few days.

It would have been better if he hadn't looked; what he saw actually gave him a pleasant surprise.

Perhaps enough had been accumulated, and at this very moment, one layer of the seal on the ring broke, and a faint glow emanated from it. Now it looks...
It seems I can actually extract something meaningful and effective from it now?
The person felt pleasantly surprised.

"Damn, after struggling empty-handed for so long, we can finally use something handy!"

Unfortunately, since entering this world, the system's notification sounds have seemed to have disappeared without a trace. He can only figure it out on his own now. After studying it for a long time, he finally figured out what he could take out this time.

Both.

Whether it's the method or the equipment, this is the limit.

Then Zhou You fell into an even bigger dilemma.

So it would be better to take something out myself?
Generally speaking, Duanxie is definitely the top priority, after all, this sword is his main weapon. Unfortunately, after the battle of Duxie, its internal structure has long been broken. It is only slowly being nurtured by the evil energy in the scabbard. Even if it can be used now, he dares not use it, for fear of accidentally breaking the sword.

A death curse in Sanskrit?

That thing wasn't very useful when fighting evil spirits, after all, it's a skill obtained from a beginner dungeon, and I've only completed two of them yet, with the rest still a long way off.
Broken Crescent Bow?
That's a good option, but unfortunately, without the Heaven-Shaking Arrow and without any arrows on hand, this thing can basically only be used at night.
Buddha's bone relics?

This item can only be used twice per scenario, and it's gone once the inspiration is used up. It's a consumable item used to fight bosses. Isn't it too hasty to take it out now?
After much deliberation, Zhou You finally chose two rings—but after taking them out, the faint light on the rings dimmed again, returning to their simple, unadorned appearance.

However, after finishing all that, the night had become completely deep. Zhou You looked at the moon outside the window, then just shook his head, yawned, and lay back down on the bed.

Whether it was because he had unexpectedly stumbled upon a pleasant surprise, or because he had encountered Feng Qianlin today, Zhou You felt that he hadn't slept very soundly.

I tossed and turned in bed for ages, unable to fall asleep completely. For some reason, there were some sounds lingering in my ears, but I could only vaguely hear them.

The old hotel had little to no insulation, and it grew colder as the night deepened—and after the firefly-like sounds came the sound of orderly footsteps.

Moreover, it grew larger and larger until it no longer seemed like an illusion.
Wait, no, this isn't a hallucination at all!

Zhou You suddenly opened his eyes, and then immediately rolled to the side of the bed.

This ability to handle crises has almost become second nature to him.

But he soon realized that the voice wasn't directed at him.

It came from outside the window.

"Damn it, have these soldiers gone mad? Marching in formation in the middle of the night? This isn't a recruit camp or college military training. What's going on? Are they all insane?"

Halfway through his sentence, Zhou You sensed something was amiss.

This doesn't sound like a queue either.

It sounded more like stiff footsteps landing heavily on the stone slabs.

"."

Zhou You frowned, slightly raised himself, and leaned out the window.

The view outside the window is also very simple.

Sometime during the day, all the streetlights had gone out, leaving only the cold, desolate moonlight shining down—and on the street, a dozen or so people were forming a line, moving slowly forward.

Strangely enough, despite the considerable noise these guys were making, not a single person complained. On the deserted street, all that could be heard was the sound of their synchronized footsteps.

Russia.

The moonlight slanted slightly, casting its light on the faces of these people and illuminating their features.

It was bluish-purple, cold, and utterly devoid of life.

Clearly, these are not the faces of living people.

(End of this chapter)