The silence fell suddenly, and the atmosphere, which had been somewhat polite and warm just a moment ago, instantly grew cold.
The gazes of the NPCs, who had been scattered about, all converged at this moment.
Bai Ci keenly caught where everyone's eyes were landing.
It wasn't on herself, but precisely on Xie Lai beside her, filled with scrutiny and inquiry.
Clearly, Xie Lai's quiet question just now, “What is a Honey Rite?” was the trigger for all of this.
Realizing the cause of it all, Bai Ci had no choice but to adopt a “better you than me” attitude, turning to look at Xie Lai with the same puzzled expression.
When Xie Lai noticed everyone's strange looks—including those of the other two players she knew of—all falling upon her, she finally realized, albeit belatedly, what was happening.
She had caused trouble.
Along the way, her status as an intern had allowed her to get answers to many of her questions from the NPCs, which had gradually worn down her vigilance.
It had also led her to develop a preliminary reliance on this habit, causing her to immediately ask the NPCs directly whenever she had a question.
Xie Lai was a rookie player who had only cleared a single instance. Moreover, before her death, she had been a naive college student, so her mental fortitude was far less stable than that of the others.
Being stared down by everyone present at this moment, she instantly panicked.
She stood there in a daze, her eyes darting around in panic before finally settling on the ground. Her shoulders were tense, and she even suppressed her breathing, keeping it cautious and quiet.
When people are nervous, it's very easy for their minds to go completely blank.
Just like Xie Lai now, who had absolutely no idea how to salvage the current deadlock.
And what about the other players present?
Wang Dong and Qu Ling glanced at each other. Seeing that neither had any intention of helping her out, both comfortably chose self-preservation.
This wasn't a highly cooperative instance. The players were already working for themselves, and no one was willing to share suspicion for a strange newcomer for no good reason.
Once targeted by an NPC, it would only add countless unknown risks down the line.
Remaining silent right now was the most self-serving choice.
Confronted with this situation, Bai Ci's first reaction was to make the same choice.
The silence stretched on for about ten seconds. Realizing that the other two players had already accepted Xie Lai's sacrifice, Bai Ci ultimately softened her heart.
Oh well, she would just lend a helping hand in passing.
If Xie Lai knew how to show gratitude and wasn't a complete fool of a newcomer, they could interact more in the future.
If she turned out to be naturally selfish and lacked boundaries, then Bai Ci would keep her distance, which would count as spotting a potential landmine early.
Furthermore, since the four players held different roles, they might also come into contact with different information.
Having decided on her course of action, Bai Ci slowly adjusted her expression and let out a sigh.
“Your attitude toward work won't do, little sister.”
Bai Ci threw Xie Lai a lifeline, framing the incident as a newcomer's negligence and poor attitude. It was up to Xie Lai to see if she could catch on.
She would only go this far.
Ultimately, people had to save themselves. If one didn't try to help themselves, it would be difficult for others to save them.
Xie Lai grabbed this sole lifesaver and immediately followed her lead.
“I'm sorry, Sister Bai. I'm sorry, everyone. It's my fault.”
“I didn't familiarize myself with our work scope and communication procedures beforehand. I didn't do my homework properly and didn't know the rules. I've caused trouble for everyone, and I promise it won't happen again.”
The frozen atmosphere began to thaw.
Xie Lai's apology was sincere and proper. As she spoke, she grew so overwhelmed with self-reproach and sadness that she began to cry, tears streaming down her cheeks.
In a way, this crying was absolutely genuine.
The situation just now had truly terrified Xie Lai; at that moment, she thought she was about to die.
Although she knew that an Anomalous Infection didn't lead to death that easily, the human instinct for fear was still there.
After she spoke those words, the scrutinizing gazes weakened significantly.
A profound sense of having escaped death welled up in Xie Lai's heart, and she couldn't help but cry to vent her emotions and release her lingering fear.
The group leader withdrew his scrutinizing gaze, but his expression grew even more serious as he criticized her in a deep voice.
“Xiao Xie, you're being far too thoughtless. When you go out on an assignment, you represent the entire company. Doing your homework in advance is the most basic professional standard.”
His tone was harsh but he didn't drag it out. This was merely a show for the client, Village Chief Shen, and Shen Li; his primary focus was never about actually scolding Xie Lai.
Sang Lan smiled and took half a step forward at the same time, smoothing things over in a jovial manner to defuse the remaining awkwardness. “Group Leader, don't be too hard on Xiao Xie.”
“She only graduated recently and is still a newcomer to the workplace. It's hard to shake off student habits all at once, so it's inevitable that she'd be careless.”
“Besides, we've only just entered the village, and oxygen drunkenness doesn't hit that quickly. This was just a simple case of not doing her homework. Just pay more attention next time, learn from this lesson, and it'll be fine.”
Seeing this, Village Chief Shen also smiled and waved his hand, speaking with great magnanimity. “It's fine, it's fine. The young lady is still young, so it's normal for her to be a bit naive. There's no need to be so harsh.”
With several lifelines laid out, the anger the group leader had put on completely dissolved, and his expression returned to calm.
He waved his hand. “Alright, let this be a one-time thing. Everyone, keep this lesson in mind and work with more rigor from now on.”
However, after this incident, the already distant atmosphere became subtle and oppressive.
The group leader raised his hand and instructed everyone, “Alright, let's put this episode behind us. Everyone, get your things together.”
“Sang Lan, open the trunk. Everyone, go grab your luggage and follow the chief into the village to settle in. Let's get our accommodations sorted out first.”
“On it,” Sang Lan replied, pressing his key fob. The vehicle's trunk slowly popped open.
As the trunk lid slowly rose, several suitcases of various sizes, styles, and colors were revealed, neatly arranged inside.
Since Sang Lan was already standing near the trunk, he naturally became the first to retrieve his luggage when it opened.
He picked up one of the black suitcases, and Bai Ci, who was sharing a parasol with him, followed immediately after. She lifted an adjacent suitcase that was identical in model and design but colored off-white.
Among the several suitcases inside, Bai Ci figured hers was probably the easiest to recognize.
Her suitcase and Sang Lan's were a matching couple's set, identical in shape and design, distinguished only by their black and white colors.
Since Sang Lan had taken one, the remaining one was naturally hers.
Furthermore, a small handmade plush bear hung from the handle of the white suitcase, matching the keychain on her canvas bag perfectly.
Right behind them, Wang Dong, who was standing close by, had no choice but to brace himself and step forward.
But as an experienced player who had struggled through various instances, he came up with an idea to buy some time within those few steps.
He walked up, and without picking or choosing, reached out to grab the nearest suitcase and set it aside.
Immediately after, he reached out to lift a second one, setting it aside as well, before starting on a third.
He looked exactly like an honest, hardworking guy who was selflessly helping everyone move their things.
Rate on N.U.
