The dwarf seemed very confident about the reception of his belongings.
He didn't even mind a few people squatting down together, their faces full of keen interest, as they swung their small gray-green legs from the bed, looking quite pleased.
Duan Chen couldn't help but wonder if the dwarf was happy because he was about to give something away, or because he was going to gain something new.
But there wasn't much space left in his mind for the dwarf.
Because he had already reached out and touched the pile of杂物 on the ground.
As soon as he touched this pile of what could truly be called雜物, a flood of information surged into Duan Chen's mind.
Duan Chen was almost driven to idiocy by this influx of information.
He exhaled a breath of lingering fear, then raised his hand and looked calmly at the dwarf.
The dwarf was, of course, delighted.
He asked with a smile.
"How is it? Among my precious treasures, is there anything you desire?"
Duan Chen didn't know how to answer. He shook his head and replied.
"I need to discuss it with my companions first."
Naturally, the dwarf had no reason to refuse.
But he also had no reason to leave.
Duan Chen thought for a moment, figuring it was probably unimportant, and turned directly to his teammates.
"All these items are bizarre artifacts."
One sentence stirred up a storm.
"What?"
"Really? Fake?"
"All of them? Are they all safe-grade? Then we're rich!"
The dwarf watched all this with a smile, not intervening, nor finding it noisy. Instead, he seemed to be enjoying a play.
The last sentence was spoken by Yuan Yuan.
Seeing this, Duan Chen shook his head with a hint of helplessness.
"How could it be that simple? If only it were that simple."
The dwarf on the bed seemed to be spurred into conversation.
He smiled and took the lead in answering.
"Of course, it wouldn't be that simple. I'm not a philanthropist."
"Do you see my furniture? All that furniture is my treasure."
"I enjoy collecting furniture, and each piece is provided by my customers. How do you intend to provide me with furniture?"
A glint of malicious calculation flashed in the dwarf's eyes.
Seeing this, Duan Chen had no choice but to relay his suspicions and confirmed thoughts to his teammates.
His tone was heavy.
"If I'm not mistaken, and my senses haven't deceived me, all the furniture here was once living people."
The dwarf burst into laughter.
He laughed even more wildly upon hearing Duan Chen's words.
"Yes, yes! After so long of playing, someone has finally seen through it."
"Every item in your hands was once your own kind. Those with higher value became beds, sofas, and chairs. Those with lesser value could only become wine bottles and handkerchiefs."
"But don't worry, the items in your hands are genuine unique artifacts. They won't suddenly turn back into people, and they will absolutely be of use to you."
Yuan Yuan instinctively moved away from anything within his close proximity.
He couldn't help but rub his arms.
Duan Chen accepted this situation quite well.
He glanced at Xi Er beside him.
For some unknown reason, Xi Er's eyes now appeared somewhat numb and unfocused. Duan Chen even saw something glistening at the corner of her mouth.
His mind conjured an improbable possibility.
Could she have fallen asleep?
This was too absurd.
Without dwelling on it, he reached out and nudged Xi Er. Xi Er came to her senses.
She asked blankly.
"What? What is it?"
Duan Chen asked with a hint of helplessness.
"You said earlier that there was something you wanted here. What was it you wanted?"
The dwarf only then noticed Xi Er beside Duan Chen.
His attitude and expression changed drastically.
Under everyone's gaze, the dwarf shook his head in horror.
"How could there be an extra person?"
"No, you're not human at all."
"What in the world are you?"
Every word was directed at Xi Er. Xi Er, inexplicably told she wasn't human, frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure.
She puffed out her cheeks.
"I am human."
But the dwarf had no more patience to listen.
He shrunk back onto the bed in extreme fear, staring intently at this entity that shouldn't have appeared before him.
"Impossible, you can't be human."
The repeated negations seemed to carry some hidden truth.
Seeing this, Duan Chen made a decisive move.
Duan Chen let out a loud command.
"Everyone, obey my orders and cooperate with my actions."
A killing intent blazed in his eyes.
No one dared to disobey.
Jun Ci, Yuan Yuan, Yuan Qing Qing, and Qin Nan Yuan.
The five of them stepped forward, surrounding the dwarf lying on the bed. Upon seeing their actions, the dwarf stopped trembling. He even lay down on the bed as if he had given up.
The dwarf wailed.
"Kill me, kill me! I'm helpless anyway."
"Kill me, kill me! I won't be held responsible for killing me."
"Kill me, kill..."
Duan Chen impatiently picked up a smelly sock and shoved it into the dwarf's mouth.
"Do you have the right to speak?"
After saying this, he looked at the two men beside him.
"Are you alright?"
Jun Ci and Yuan Yuan were startled awake.
They patted their chests with a hint of lingering fear.
"We're fine. We were accidentally ensnared by him just now."
It was precisely because he felt a seductive power in the dwarf's voice that Duan Chen had proactively stuffed the sock into the dwarf's mouth. Otherwise, he wouldn't usually do something so uncivilized.
He usually preferred to stuff underwear.
But that was a story for another time.
Yuan Yuan looked curiously at the bound dwarf.
"We're just going to leave him here, doing nothing with him?"
"Of course not."
Duan Chen looked at Yuan Yuan with a touch of surprise.
"Why would you think we're doing nothing?"
"The bizarre artifacts on the ground, don't you want to collect them?"
The dwarf, bound tightly like a piece of five-flowered meat, began to struggle violently upon hearing this. But it was futile. He was already tied up like a giant crab and thrown onto the ground.
His eyes even showed a plea.
But Duan Chen remained unmoved.
Seeing that Duan Chen was unyielding, his expression turned malicious.
Duan Chen, however, chuckled slightly.
"I'd advise you not to waste your energy. Haven't you noticed?"