June 6th, 2018, 1 a.m.

In the quiet Beijing, several black figures crossed the buildings at an extremely fast speed, quietly heading in the direction of Dongcheng District. Their figures were also integrated with the night. A breeze blew and they disappeared in the blink of an eye. By 5 a.m., there were more than 30 players gathered near the Temple of Heaven in Dongcheng District.

Starting with the black tower 2.0 version update, the black tower would release an a.s.sembly instance almost every month.

Most a.s.sembly instances werent life-threatening. The a.s.sembly instances released by the black tower were different every time, with different missions, different bosses and different rewards. Tang Mo had partic.i.p.ated in two a.s.sembly instances, one in Shanghai and one in Beijing.

The a.s.sembly instance this time was a bit different.

Located in the heart of Beijing, the Temple of Heaven Park was a flat area with few buildings as cover. A week ago, the black tower released this a.s.sembly instance and Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo had unanimously agreed to partic.i.p.ate. They wouldve chosen to enter even without Bai Ruoyaos deliberate provocation. It was because there was a condition to enter this instance.

The entrants mustve received the Christmas tree branch from the Christmas surprise instance six months ago.

In the past six months, of the a.s.sembly instances that Tang Mo partic.i.p.ated in and heard of, only the Strange Circus a.s.sembly instance in Shanghai had restrictions to enter. According to Tang Mos experience, this type of instance with an entry threshold would generally be very rewarding. The instance content would also be related to some secrets of the Underground Kingdom and players could come into contact with more advanced black tower monsters. Tang Mo called these a.s.sembly instances a special instance.

The sky was becoming clearer as Tang Mos group of four hid in a small building in the Temple of Heaven Park, staring quietly at the Temple of Heaven not far away.

Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo had seen Santa Claus. The gap in strength was very big and neither of them dared to be careless. Fu Wenduo handed his gun to Tang Mo and Tang Mo also brought the kings gold coin.

A special instance is different from ordinary a.s.sembly instances. There is a high probability of death. Tang Mo whispered. In the Strange Circus instance, there was a total of 23 players and only nine survived. In this instance, it is important to keep your life. Based on previous experience, you wont die if you fail. Thus, the most important thing was to save their own lives.

Chen Shanshan and Fu Wensheng nodded.

Time pa.s.sed and it got closer to 6:06.

Fu Wenduos body was close to the window as he stared at the entire Temple of Heaven Park. The park was quiet. The dark trees swayed slightly in the wind and there was no sound. Fu Wenduo stopped for a moment on a tree and then two other buildings.

Fu Wenduo grabbed Tang Mos hand and wrote the number 9 on it.

Then he wrote the same numbers on the back of Chen Shanshan and Fu Wenshengs hands.

Tang Mo looked at him with surprise.

Fu Wenduo raised his index finger to his lips in a shh gesture and pointed to the ceiling. Tang Mo instantly understood his meaning.

Tang Mo took his phone from his pocket and typed:

[Is there someone?]

Fu Wenduo took the phone. [They came earlier than we did. I just discovered their existence.]

Tang Mos expression sank.

Chen Shanshan took a pen and paper from her bag and wrote: [The ones who are qualified to come here are players who have received the Christmas tree branch reward. The returnees shouldnt be involved in the Christmas instance. Many players who received the reward wouldve died. There shouldnt be more than 50 people in Beijing who can enter this a.s.sembly instance.]

However, this meant that every player in the instance had strength that exceeded the average level.

Fu Wenduos number 8 meant that he found nine people hidden in the Temple of Heaven Park. They also knew that there were more players who hid very well and even Fu Wenduo couldnt discover them.

Tang Mo thought about it and typed: [Wait.]

Everyone nodded lightly.

The morning sun completely emerged from the horizon but the Temple of Heaven was still empty. There was only one minute left until 6:06 when a black shadow jumped from a big tree towards the square in front of the Temple of Heaven. The next moment, more than a dozen figures jumped and landed on the square.

In the last 10 seconds, a total of 25 players stood in front of the Temple of Heaven, staring vigilantly at the people around them.

Tang Mo heard the sound of wind above them and knew that the person hiding above their heads had also set off.

It wasnt too late. Tang Mo cried out, Go!

The four people leapt from upstairs. Tang Mo carried Chen Shanshan and Fu Wenduo carried Fu Wensheng. The two people arrived in front of the Temple of Heaven at a terrible speed. Tang Mo arrived and saw Bai Ruoyaos disgusting smile towards him and Fu Wenduo.

Tang Mo narrowed his eyes. At this point, there was only one second left.

Suddenly, Tang Mo saw a person who shouldnt be hear. He looked at the other person with astonishment but couldnt see their face before a white light flashed in front of his eyes. The black towers childlike voice was heard.

Ding dong! Player Tang Mo has successfully entered the a.s.sembly instance of Santa Claus Quirky Commercial Street. As of 6:06 on June 6th, 2019, a total of 31 players have successfully entered the instance. There are 20 official players, 1 reserve player, 7 stowaways and 3 returnees.

The voice of the black tower was transmitted to the ears of all players. There was a white light in front of him but Tang Mo could hear a startled cry to the side.

Theres still a reserve?

There were returnees?

Then that really was Ning Zheng just now?

Ding dong! A tip for the Santa Claus Quirky Commercial Street instance: Santa Claus has never experienced such a a bad Christmas. A good holiday for children to receive gifts was shamelessly destroyed by the black tower monsters. This matter made Santa crazy and he hasnt slept well for six months. Thus, today Santa has decided to give a real reward to the good kids who were cheated by the bad bosses. All children who like Santa Claus and like to play Santa Claus games are honest and good children. This time Santa Claus wont mess up the special surprise for Christmas.'

Tang Mo suddenly felt the sharp sensation was falling. He was about to hit the ground when he subconsciously held out a hand and steadied his body. The place that his fingers touched was soft and very elastic. Tang Mo looked down with surprise and saw that the ground was a large trampoline separated into pink and white squares. His body bounced a few times before settling down.

Tang Mo stood up and quickly checked the situation around him.

He saw Fu Wensheng!

Fu Wensheng was slower than Tang Mo. He had just steadied his body and also saw Tang Mo, showing an expression of surprise. Tang Mo wanted to see who the other people were when the black towers mechanical voice filled the room.

Ding dong! Players have officially entered the Quirky Commercial Street. Violence is prohibited in the commercial street. The use of abilities and all props are also prohibited. In the magical Quirky Commercial Street, players no longer have special ident.i.ties such as official players, reserve players, stowaways and returnees. All players are tentatively reserve customers. Friendly tip: Please find the right way to become an official customer of the Quirky Commercial Street.

These words finished and Tang Mo finally saw the other two people in the room.

This was a candy-like room with a rubber candy trampoline as the ground, the walls were made of biscuits and the windows were made of rock candy. The ceiling was a giant dome of chocolate and there was no furniture in the room. The sweet smell pierced Tang Mos nose, making him frown.

There were a total of four people in this candy room.

Tang Mo, Fu Wensheng, a strange woman in black and Ning Zheng.

Thats right, it was Ning Zheng.

All four people stood in four corners and calmly looked at the others.

Fu Wensheng was very happy when he first saw Tang Mo but he quickly got rid of his expression after seeing the other people in the room. He acted as if he didnt know Tang Mo and stared vigilantly at the three adults in the room.

Ning Zheng hadnt expected to fall into the same room as Tang Mo. He suddenly felt that his neck was a bit painful as he remembered his Eves apple. He stared coldly at Tang Mo but didnt start anything. He started observing the room.

The young woman looked curiously at Tang Mo and Ning Zheng. Then her eyes fell on Fu Wensheng and she smiled. There is a young boy?

Tang Mo raised his eyebrow. A Cantonese person?

The woman noticed Tang Mos gaze and smiled at him before turning to find clues in the room.

Tang Mo and Fu Wensheng didnt communicate as they both observed the room.

Presumably, the 31 players had entered different rooms after entering the game. Tang Mo walked around while aware of Ning Zheng and the young woman. However, they didnt act. The four people walked around the room before heading back to the centre of the room.

Ning Zheng silently watched Tang Mo and didnt open his mouth.

Fu Wensheng pretended not to know Tang Mo and also didnt speak.

Tang Mo thought about it and wanted to speak when a clear female voice was heard. It seems that everyonen has looked around?

This person seemed to be in a good mood and his tone was very pleasant. Tang Mo looked at the woman with a strange expression. It was the first time he had seen a player with such a good att.i.tude after entering the black tower game. It felt like she was just here to play the game and wasnt afraid of failure. Wasnt she afraid of death?

Fu Wensheng nodded. Ive seen it.

The young woman smiled. This child, are you 13 years old this year?

Fu Wensheng reflexively replied, I am 12 this year. Then he remembered that this person was a complete stranger and he didnt have to answer the question. Fu Wensheng was a bit annoyed but he was completely unprepared for this womans tone of speech.

So young. The woman in black touched her chin.

Ning Zheng interrupted their chat. Tang Mo, what is Eves Reward?

The young woman looked surprised and stared at Tang Mo.

Tang Mo frowned.

Ning Zhengs words were full of resentment. He casually asked but it was actually very tricky. Previously, Xiao Fu wasnt present when Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo seized Ning Zheng so he didnt know that Tang Mo and Fu Wensheng knew each other. Now that he said this, the young woman discovered that Tang Mo had Eves Reward.

Eves Reward was something that caught the attention of senior players. It was like Pandoras Box. Everyone thought there was a treasure waiting inside. These players wouldnt believe it even if Tang Mo told them he lost his memory and had no idea what Eves Reward was.

Ning Zhengs words placed Tang Mo on the opposite side of the three players inthe room.

Tang Mo thought for a long time but only a few seconds pa.s.sed. He calmly replied to Ning Zheng, A very good prop. However, it is forbidden to use any props in Santas a.s.sembly instance and I also didnt bring it with me. Ning Zheng, how can you be here? You are a returnee. Do you also have a Christmas tree branch?

The young woman looked at Ning Zheng with surprise.

Players in Beijing knew that Ning Zheng was the last remaining returnee on the time leaderboard in Beijing. Tang Mos reputation was very loud in China but Ning Zheng wasnt lacking compared to him. Tang Mo had Eves Reward and this made him the public enemy of players. Ning Zheng was a returnee and his ident.i.ty itself made him the enemy of Earths survivors.

Killing Ning Zheng would give them a good prop. This was a game rule for the time leaderboard.

Ning Zheng wanted Tang Mo to be singled out by the players in the room and Tang Mo did the same.

The woman in black saw the faint hostility between the two people and laughed. Tang Mo, Ning Zheng, i didnt expect to be so lucky as to meet two famous senior players. You seem to know each other so no introductions are needed. My name is Mo Xue. What is the name of this small friend?

The reaction of the woman in black was beyond Tang Mo and Ning Zhengs expectations.

She just accepted it?

Fu Wensheng told her, My name is Chen Chensheng.

The woman in black smiled. The black tower recommended that we find the right way to become regular customers faster. What do you think of this?

Based on Ning Zhengs careful personality, Tang Mo kew he wouldnt start anything here. Neither side could use abilities and props and there was no certainty of winning against Tang Mo. In the same way, Ning Zheng knew Tang Mo wouldnt act.

Ning Zheng stated, There are four windows in this room. There are two to the left and two to the right, as well as a door. I just tried to open the door but it didnt open. The door is locked. Looking out from these four windows there are four stores.

The four people walked to one side with windows and looked out. There were four identical stores outside the window. Each store had beautiful gla.s.s windows and there were exquisite gifts in the window, along with cake and biscuits. They went to the other side and there were the same four identical stores.

There were eight stores with this house as the centre. The stores on the left were a cake store, a candy store, a cookie store and a gift store. The four stores on the right were the same.

The four stores had colourful neon lights used to spell out the names of the store.

Santas Cake Shop, Santas Candy House, Santas Cookie House and Santas Gift Shop. Fu Wensheng read out the four names.

The door couldnt be opened and the windows were sealed.

The Quirky Commercial Street prohibited violence but it black tower didnt say if it prohibited violence between players or all violence. Therefore, Tang Mo didnt dare violently open the door. He could only quietly wait for the black tower to announce new rules.

Apart from the woman in black whose details were unknown, the other three were senior players who had experienced many games. They werent in a hurry.

The black tower would never give inexplicable puzzles. They had found all the clues that could be found and there must be other clues that havent been released yet.

Before this, Tang Mo had asked Ning Zheng a question and Ning Zheng hadnt answered.

Tang Mo lowered his gaze towards Xiao Fu and gave him a look.

Fu Wensheng didnt have the same tacit understanding with Tang Mo as his brother and only understood Tang Mos meaning after a while. At this time, he seemed to be a curious and timid child. He stared nervously at the returnee Ning Zheng, his body shrinking back towards Tang Mo. His behavior didnt arouse NIng Zhengs suspicion. After all, Tang Mo was an official player and Ning Zheng was a returnee. It was obvious who the child would choose.

Fu Wensheng whispered, How can returnees enter this game?

Tang Mo followed his words and asked bluntly, How did you enter? Did the returnees also experience the Christmas surprise instance?

Ning Zheng was leaning against the rock candy window when he heard Tang Mos words. He asked coldly, Christmas surprise instance?

Tang Mo wondered, How did you get the Christmas tree branch without experiencing the Christmas instance?

Ning Zheng looked at Tang Mo with strange eyes before sneering. You dont want to know what Christmas instance we experienced. He didnt say anything else and kept observing the four stores outside the window.

Tang Mo captured the key information.

The returnees had also experienced the Christmas instance.

The Christmas instance that the returnees experienced didnt seem to be a good memory.

Tang Mo looked at Ning Zhengs neck. You have become an official player now?

Ning Zheng didnt have the string of gold numbers at his neck.

Ning Zheng stared at Tang Mo. After a moment he asked, Did Xu Yusheng say something to you before she died?

What was she supposed to say? Tang Mo replied, Yes.

Ning Zheng stiffened. He carefully observed Tang Mos expression before snorting. He sighed with relief, She didnt say it.

Tang Mos heart tightened.

There were only four people in the room.

Tang Mo and Ning Zheng definitely werent friends and Fu Wensheng didnt dare be close to Tang Mo. The woman in black called Mo Xue stood by and didnt partic.i.p.ate in the conversation. She looked like she didnt care about Tang Mo and Ning Zheng as she reached out to touch the biscuit wall. She broke off a piece and chewed on it.

Um? It is sweet.

Tang Mo,

Ning Zheng,

This world was full of wonders! How could such a player appear here?

The next moment, Tang Mo saw the womans hand grasp a small piece of rock sugar at the window and she used this force to flexibly jump towards the ceiling and take a piece of chocolate. Her movements were beautiful, as if she could freely move on this elastic rubber candy trampoline.

Tang Mo and Ning Zheng realized that this womans strength wasnt simple.

The strange and stagnant atmosphere lasted for five minutes before a familiar voice broke the silence.

Ding dong! All 100 virtual customers are in place.

The 31 reserve players, please be prepared. In five minutes, the Quirky Commercial Street will usher in the first wave of customer frenzy. Please carefully observe to find the store that really belongs to Santa Claus. After three waves of customer frenzy, players can choose the store they want to enter.

Please note! You can only turn into a regular customer by walking into the right store.

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