Players, Please Board the Train

[As a stalker, she really did turn over a new leaf, huh.]

”What a broken heart.” Xu Huo sympathized with the item’s owner for three seconds after reading it, then began studying how to use this Special Item.

The ”Truly Reformed Poster’s” greatest function was tracking, and it was far more convenient than items like the Screaming Chicken or Balloon. By displaying the target’s photo, portrait, or some particularly distinctive features, or even by directly confirming the real person, the poster could track them.

Most of the time, it would stick to specific surfaces, like walls, floors, or furniture, to move around. Of course, it could also detach itself. The only downside was that, in addition to tracking, it also doubled as an ”assassin,” often waiting for an opportunity to kill the target.

”Not very obedient,” Xu Huo said thoughtfully.

”If it doesn’t obey, hit it,” the Painting Woman chimed in from the side.

Xu Huo looked at her. ”You know this item?”

The Painting Woman shook her head, then added, ”I can help you hit it.”

Although both the poster and the Painting Woman were made of paper, they weren’t necessarily related.

Xu Huo took out the poster. He hadn’t expected the ”Ghostly Shadow” to have changed so drastically. Before, the face had been half-assed, but at least it had somewhat looked like a person. Now, it was completely unrecognizable as a face. At first glance, it resembled a bloated, rotten tomato, split open and festering, with a fake eyeball bulging out of its socket.”Now that’s... a whole new level of ugly.”

The greatest affirmation a poster could give its holder was ugliness. The uglier the poster, the more beautiful the holder’s soul. Although Xu Huo had no idea what criteria the item used to judge a person’s character, it felt like it was squeezing the holder’s head regardless of beauty or ugliness.

The Painting Woman had already looked away, signaling a ”refusal due to ugliness.”

The poster had no feelings. As soon as Xu Huo let go, it dutifully stuck to the wall, slowly crawling from the side to the ceiling, staring straight down at him.

Rubbing his chin, Xu Huo found a few things to test the poster’s specific usage.

It wasn’t as flexible as the Painting Woman. It had no ability to express meaning and couldn’t carry objects—it could only track purely.

Additionally, it couldn’t be used in conjunction with other tracking items, like the Screaming Chicken, which could leave marks. Once sent out to track, unless the target disappeared or died, the poster wouldn’t give up. It wouldn’t voluntarily return unless the target vanished or the holder recalled it.

In other words, this thing might go out and never come back. And if it did turn around and return, it could potentially lead someone back to you.

Of course, since it was a tracking item, as long as it was within the same city, Xu Huo could recall it from a distance. But items like these couldn’t bridge space and connect with their holder. Like ordinary items, if lost, it would become an ownerless item.

It would be very convenient for harassing people, though, since it would pop up and wrap itself around their faces from time to time.

When he first got the item, Xu Huo had considered using it to track Dr. Deng, but he didn’t want to kill Dr. Deng either. So, he stuck to his original plan and spent some money to hire someone to track Dr. Deng instead.

Recently, quite a few high-level players had returned to District 011, so he didn’t plan to send the Painting Woman out.

”Sir, Miss, breakfast is ready,” Mr. Dong said as he came up.

The Painting Woman turned back and waved dismissively at the ugly face on the ceiling, signaling it not to follow her, then trotted downstairs.

However, when Xu Huo went down, the poster followed him too. But it had an instinctive way of moving, sticking to the corner where the first-floor ceiling met the stairs, looking very inconspicuous.

Mr. Dong was very considerate and asked if Xu Huo wanted to change the castle’s patterns to better hide the poster, ”so it won’t frighten the guests.”

”Can the overall structure of the castle be modified?” Xu Huo asked.

”Not the exterior, but the interior can,” Mr. Dong said. ”There are still five days until the banquet. Sir can sketch a blueprint.”

Xu Huo nodded slightly, then asked, ”Can the annex over there be modified?”

”Of course. Everything here belongs to you, sir,” Mr. Dong answered readily.

”Can I use the items on the third floor?”

”No.”

Xu Huo continued eating.

After breakfast, Xu Huo made some modifications to the interior design. He and the Painting Woman were living here, so it was best to make the interior of the castle adapt to them. A too-spacious castle was inconvenient for moving around. Therefore, the dome ceiling and corridor pillars could be made more complex. Additionally, doors should be added both inside and outside the rooms—real doors or fake ones, both would do. Some paintings should also be purchased.

Small doors were also added inside and outside the garden, especially inside the maze, where the ground was given some undulating steps. The number wasn’t large, and the height differences were minimal.

The annex at the back housed many of Fan Xiao’s belongings and the spiders Mr. Dong kept. Xu Huo decided not to change the interior and only repaired and added some patterns to the exterior wall.

When Mr. Dong received the blueprints from him, he was slightly surprised. ”Spiders?”

Xu Huo had chosen spiders for the pattern on the annex’s exterior wall—large 3D models at that.

”To add a bit of character to the castle,” Xu Huo said. ”When the guests arrive, you can invite them to see the spiders you keep. If there are new breeds, you can also buy them. I’ll cover the cost.”

Mr. Dong stood still for two seconds, not moved by his generosity, but said, ”If the castle needs repairs again next time, sir will have to pay for it.”

Maintaining a castle wouldn’t be cheap. Xu Huo paused, then asked, ”Didn’t He Pu leave money behind?”

”The last round of repairs cost quite a bit,” Mr. Dong said with a serious expression.

Xu Huo caught his implication. ”I’ll try not to cause trouble.”

Mr. Dong nodded and very kindly advised, ”Please take care of your safety.”

The ironclad castle endured; its heirs came and went.

Their eyes met, and both fell silent.

After a moment, Xu Huo shifted the conversation to the banquet preparations. Mr. Dong told him everything he needed to know and reminded him that attending the banquet would be best with a female companion.

”Dress her up,” Xu Huo said, pointing at the Painting Woman.

The Painting Woman, all too familiar with what a ”female companion” meant, shyly walked over to lean on his shoulder. But when he tapped his finger on the table, she shrank back, sat down on the sofa, and went back to eating her dessert.

Mr. Dong said it was fine and pulled out a pre-prepared list. ”These are the noble ladies of comparable status to you, sir. You can invite one of them to be your companion. But you must send them a valuable gift after they agree.”

”Helping someone out is only right.” Xu Huo casually pointed at one of the women on the list, a black-haired one.

Inviting a female companion like this was common among the nobility. If you had no suitable partner but needed one for an event, you could invite a noble of comparable status. If they liked you or wanted to get to know you, they would agree directly. It was a way to expand your social circle.

Since Xu Huo was also going to do charity work with the Duchess, getting to know a few more people wasn’t a bad thing.

Speaking of which, Xu Huo then asked about the Welfare Home. During the time he had been away, many children had been adopted.