Chapter 248: Business Competition

The warehouse seems to be far away.

Cheng Shuili lowered her head and examined the few items the Rat King had given her.

【Feather Pen and Parchment】

【Description: The pen and stationery used by the Rat King himself! No matter when or where you are, hold this feather pen on the paper and write a letter to our beloved Rat King Majesty, seal it with wax, and the ubiquitous little mice will deliver it immediately! Whether you're asking for help or requesting a gift, our Rat King Majesty will fulfill your wish!】

Oh?

Asking for help or requesting a gift?

This thing has a bit of a story...

Cheng Shuili gripped the feather pen; she had only seen this in cartoons before, and now suddenly obtaining the real thing made her feel a little excited.

After testing the wool pen on Su Rui's clothes, Cheng Shuili held the parchment and looked at it a few more times; she had never seen this before, so it was an eye-opener for her.

Next is the wax.

【Wax Seal】

【Description: Used to seal your letters, engraved with the Rat King's family insignia; in the beastman world, this symbol signifies power! The remaining paint inside can be used only three times—note that letters without a wax seal will not be delivered by the little mice! O seeker of favor from the Rat King, please use it with caution!】

This item has a limited number of uses.

If that's the case... are the feather pen and parchment unlimited-use items?

After she had just put it away, Cheng Shuili took it out again, tentatively writing a few characters on the parchment; not knowing what to do next, the item seemed to sense she had finished writing, and like a molting skin, it split off a brand-new parchment.

Cheng Shuili stared at this scene, dazed for a while before snapping back to reality.

Her guess was correct. It's this method... kind of disgusting.

Cheng Shuili furrowed her brows, put those two items away, and went to look at the final little crown.

【Crown of Friendship】

【Description: A treasure personally bestowed by the Rat King, symbolizing the highest level of friendship and protection in the black market. Eight gems sparkle like stars forever!】

【Special Item Properties: 1. Rat Gaze: All beastmen affiliated with the Rat King's forces will hold you in awe, automatically granting you the best prices in black market trades (can stack with other title effects).

2. King's Afterglow: When facing mortal danger, a gem on the crown will shatter, summoning nearby rats to fight for you (remaining gems: 8/8).

3. Shadow Pass: You may freely enter and exit most forbidden zones in the beastman world, though some areas may require additional tickets.】

【Special Item Notes:

"It's not merely an ornament; it's a tangible manifestation of power. Of course, if you wish, you can also use it as a night light." (All gems support manual removal, but each missing gem will permanently weaken its effect.)

This note is really bizarre...

One gem can summon nearby rats; in a critical moment, these beastmen might actually be a big help!

Who on earth would voluntarily dismantle it for no reason?

Cheng Shuili paused, then suddenly thought of another possibility—this gem wouldn't be a standalone item, would it?

Or is it the powerful kind?

She stared at the gem, hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and decided to pry one off to see what would happen.

Cheng Shuili's fingertip rubbed the edge of the red gem on the crown; the gem was set unusually firmly, but on her third push it suddenly gave with a click.

"Can it really be removed?" she muttered softly, lifting the gem before her eyes.

Once detached from the crown, the gem still emitted an eerie red glow in the dim light, like a congealed drop of blood.

【Rat King's Gift (single)】

【Description: A crimson gem peeled from the Crown of Friendship, containing the Rat King's bloodline fury. When crushed, it boosts your own attribute points by 20% for five minutes. It can be traded or given to others for use... but... is giving away such a gift so casually not a kind of betrayal toward the Rat King? Betrayer...】

Cheng Shuili silently put away the gem, then also stored the crown.

This description... gave her a sense of threat.

It explicitly said it could be traded or given to others, yet also mentioned betrayal—doing so feels like a death sentence...

And a 20% attribute boost...

Cheng Shuili sucked in a breath of cold air; she'd have to be crazy to trade this thing away.

This buff is simply heaven-defying!

Right now, the only two items she has that can temporarily boost her attribute points are this crimson gem and the konjac jelly she got when the server launched...

That one adds less, but it can stack, lasts up to three hours, and is also quite potent—though it might cause diarrhea.

However, compared to its power, this side effect is negligible.

Laogou led the group through the darkest alley of the black market; the damp air reeked of mold and the beastly stench unique to animals.

Laogou stopped before a rust-covered iron door; the party had finally arrived at their destination.

In the darkness, Laogou glanced back; Cheng Shuili noticed his gaze fall on her, then he immediately turned his head, reaching for the key with a hand shaking like a sieve.

The keychain rattled in the dark; Laogou, as if trying to hide something, deliberately said, "Big... sir, this is the place..."

He said this while handing the keys over with both hands.

Cheng Shuili glanced at the keys, but instead of reaching for them, she fixed her gaze on Laogou's murky yellow eyes and said, "You go in first."

Laogou forced a stiff smile and nodded, saying, "Okay... okay."

He inserted the key into the iron door's lock, turned it gently, and the latch clicked softly.

The door opened.

Cheng Shuili quietly watched his movements, then followed Laogou inside the iron door.

This place is indeed a warehouse.

But since the cargo consists of humans, it's more like a dormitory.

A wall separated the dormitory from the outside; Laogou led the group to sit on the sofa, earnestly pointing at the humans inside and saying, "Sir... these are all of them! Please take a look first; I'll go get you a cup of tea."

After saying that, he bent over and went through another door.

The few people who had sat down exchanged glances, but no one spoke.

Laolang still couldn't help but get up and walk around, then lay on the glass to carefully examine the situation inside the dormitory, and suddenly realized, saying, "It turns out we still need to arrange living quarters for humans."

Cheng Shuili and Su Rui: "???"

What?

What is he saying?

Laolang was still blinking his eyes at the facilities inside, and when he saw water he became even more surprised, saying, "Do we still need to feed them water? Laogou always said these servants don't eat or drink, so he was indeed deceiving us!"

Cheng Shuili: "......"

How is this not considered a kind of vicious business competition?

Su Rui furrowed her brow, the goodwill she had just felt toward this guy completely vanished, and she asked with a hint of anger, "How are you supposed to look after these servants?"