Players, Please Board the Train

The red-haired pig, Sima Xiao Er, first shook his head, then frantically tried to bite Xu Huo. This man clearly knew he was a player yet pretended nothing was wrong, not even planning to release him!

Xu Huo firmly grasped the pig’s snout and said coldly, ”Keep making noise if you want the Skinner to find you. The man who just slaughtered pigs was the Skinner. Want to know how he earned that title?”

Sima Xiao Er froze, then began scribbling wildly on the ground with his front hooves.

Without looking, Xu Huo knew what he wanted to say. ”I can’t let you out yet. The incomplete stitching might slow the fusion with the pigskin. Those people outside are all ticket-holding players who won’t care about anyone in the pigpen. If you want to save the others, listen to me.”

After two seconds of hesitation, Sima Xiao Er nodded.

”You too.” Xu Huo glanced at the pigs gathering around. ”If you want to live, you’ll have to follow my lead.”

A group of pig heads bobbed up and down frantically.

”The longer I remain undiscovered, the better our chances of rescuing everyone.” He patted the red-haired pig’s head. ”You stay here and cooperate with me.”

”I’m leaving now. I’ll return tonight.”

With that, he silently slipped out of the pigpen into the orchard outside.The Good Taste Fresh Meat Supply Plant stood on a high slope surrounded by fruit trees. Below the slope, to the left of the factory, flowed a river.

The riverbanks formed an open area, while the orchard extended into a dense forest.

After a glance in that direction, Xu Huo circled past the warehouse and slaughterhouse to reach the front office.

The office contained a desk with a bookshelf behind it—one side holding philosophy and anatomy books, the other filled with gossip magazines and photo collections of scantily clad women.

He randomly pulled out two books, flipped through them, then returned them to their places before examining the desk.

Neatly stacked account books occupied the left side, with stationery items like pens and knives arranged precisely. The right side held a radio, a water cup, and a landline phone scattered casually.

Before the desk stood two high-quality leather sofas flanking a fragrant solid wood coffee table with exquisite tea set—the teapot empty, cups arranged equidistantly around it.

Opposite hung an oil portrait of the Skinner, with a vase of fresh flowers on the shelf below.

The office was unnervingly tidy and meticulous.

Short on time, Xu Huo didn’t linger. He turned on the radio at minimal volume while reviewing the account books.

The order records covered over twenty restaurants and shops, spanning three months. The earliest order, due in three days, came from Violet Restaurant—requesting six six-month-old piglets. The Skinner was to skin them alive while keeping the hide wrapped around their bodies, ensuring it wouldn’t affect customers’ appetites.

Xu Huo’s gaze lingered on the circled word ”appetite” before closing the book.

The radio had finished weather reports and moved to news.

”...The district’s highest administrative official recently stepped down. The successor is Karlon Fielder, grandson of the renowned ’Fielder Morning Star’ Carmen Fielder, who arrived at 1 PM today with his seven wives.”

”Miss Jin Xue’er, soon to become his eighth wife and descendant of the prestigious Jin family, personally welcomed Karlon Fielder and his wives, expressing warm hospitality...”

”...Karlon Fielder’s arrival has triggered numerous personnel changes...”

Xu Huo’s expression shifted repeatedly as he listened.

Indeed, the Dimensional Rift game not only invaded reality through instances but had constructed its own societal system—complete with governance, currency, and consumption. Game administrators, players, and even ordinary people formed part of this structure.

Now he almost believed Professor Han’s words on the Preliminary Trial Train—perhaps the game originated from an advanced civilization.

”Thud!” A noise came from the inner room, followed by a woman’s muffled voice: ”...Stop searching...work first...”

Xu Huo immediately stood, restored everything he’d touched, and exited the office the way he came.

Passing the slaughterhouse, he saw the other two players had returned. All four were now cleaning.

Checking the sky, he grabbed a sack and headed beyond the orchard, concealing himself in a hidden spot.

The Skinner soon returned with Yang Can, whose face was so swollen he could barely open his eyes. The players didn’t dare ask questions as the Skinner raged.

”Useless trash! Can’t even sweep properly!”

”Who’d hire incompetents like you? Only brain-dead morons would!”

”No dinner tonight! Work through the night!”

He stormed out, locking the workshop’s front door.

”You okay?” Xian Dazhi asked Yang Can.

Yang Can pointed inside, mouthing: ”Knocked out two teeth. Just because my bait wasn’t threaded right.”

The others fell silent until Qin An finally said, ”If we don’t finish cleaning tonight, we’ll all get slapped tomorrow.”

They winced at the thought. Yang Can asked, ”Find anything?”

”Ask Tang Pei,” Zou Weichang nodded toward the female player.

”Right side of the front corridor has a freezer and office. Left leads to a massive fur room—all rare animal pelts, some glossy and well-maintained, probably the Skinner’s collection.”

”The bedroom’s innermost. Qin An and I measured—it’s only half the fur room’s length. There must be a secret room on one side. The real collection pieces are probably there, not with those pelts outside,” Tang Pei explained.

”Get in? What’s inside?” Xian Dazhi pressed.

Tang Pei shook her head. ”Couldn’t open it. We tried every mechanism—nothing worked.”

”Don’t you have a universal lockpick?”

She exhaled. ”Qin An used X-ray vision. That vault’s nearly bank-level—half-meter thick door, no keyhole. Can’t pick what doesn’t exist.”

Disappointment flooded the others’ faces. Yang Can mumbled through swollen lips, ”Thought this’d be the easiest task. Didn’t expect this.”

Vault-like walls ruled out brute force. Though D-level players, they lacked high-damage tools.

”We must find another way in,” Qin An said. ”Even if we force it, the Skinner would finish us before we touch the collection.”

”Ask Peng Fengnian.”

Tang Pei nodded, placing a paper phone to her ear. Before explaining, her face changed. After a moment, she told the others, ”Peng Fengnian says there’s another player here.”