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Even during the grueling days of the game, Youyou had never encountered a stench like this.
With her boyfriend, Wang Guangfei, handling all the household chores, her only responsibilities were to dress herself beautifully, sit down for meals on time, and critique the saltiness or flavor of each dish.
Having never washed dishes or disposed of kitchen waste, the pungent odor was unbearable. One whiff left her dizzy, her vision blurred as she gasped for air.
Forgetting her original intent to search for the black sheep, she held her breath and bolted toward the warehouse exit as if her life depended on it.
As she charged out, she collided headfirst with what felt like a solid wall.
In reality, it was Zuo Chengan, who had just entered the warehouse. The impact sent a sharp pain through her nose, and for a brief moment, she feared her implanted nose bridge might have shifted.
But there was no time for confrontation. Gasping for fresh air, she stumbled away, desperate to compose herself.
Zuo Chengan, wearing night-vision goggles, scanned the warehouse and quickly spotted the black sheep in a corner.
The animal was fervently digging at the dirt, its short tail wagging with unusual enthusiasm.
Its erratic behavior was unprecedented, likely tied to the special mission. As a key NPC in the storyline, the black sheep seemed designed to guide players through its peculiar actions.
Approaching the animal, Zuo Chengan noticed a corner of a wooden box protruding from the dirt. The black sheep was so engrossed in digging that it didn't notice his presence.
Taking advantage of this, Zuo Chengan carefully felt around the sheep's neck, searching for an oddity he had recalled. Beneath layers of curly wool, he found a leather collar that once held a bell.
Removing the collar, he noticed two characters etched on its inner side: "Mo Dou."
“Mo Dou?” he murmured.
The black sheep froze at the sound of its name, then let out an agonized bleat.
Its body convulsed violently, collapsing to the ground. Its horns retracted, its hooves transformed into paws, and its fluffy coat straightened as if stretched taut by an invisible force.
Within moments, the black sheep had transformed into a sleek, majestic black dog.
Zuo Chengan immediately recognized the dog from a photograph he'd seen on the second floor of the farmhouse.
Now restored to its true form, Mo Dou wagged its powerful tail, the rhythmic thuds echoing against the nearby shelves.
It barked twice, jubilantly, before refocusing on its mission. Gripping Zuo Chengan's sleeve with its jaws, it tugged insistently, urging him to assist with the digging.
With Mo Dou's newfound agility and Zuo Chengan's help, the wooden box was unearthed in no time. As Zuo Chengan prepared to open it, his gaze flicked to the warehouse entrance, where the fading sunlight signaled that time was running out.
Ignoring the padlock, he forcefully pried the box open, aware of the in-game audience's watchful eyes.
Inside, there were no treasures, no legendary artifacts—just a rusted tin of tomato paste.
The tin's corroded packaging bore faint but legible text: "Mu Zhou Farm Plum Tomato Paste."
Unlike the label shown earlier by Red-Eye, which read "Red-Eye Farm Tomato Paste," this tin carried a name Red-Eye would despise—"plum tomato."
...
“So this farm was originally called 'Uncle Mu Zhou's Farm'," Zuo Chengan speculated.
He pulled up the mission interface and began filling in the blank with the characters "Mu Zhou."
Suddenly, a thunderous shout erupted from the warehouse entrance. “What are you holding? Hand it over now!”
“Woof! Woof!” Mo Dou barked fiercely.
Stepping into the fading sunlight, Red-Eye appeared, its once-elegant demeanor in tatters. Its tailored tuxedo was shredded, its cane bent in half, and its hat nowhere to be seen. One of its ears was even broken.
Zuo Chengan squinted, his gaze settling on the status above Red-Eye's head:
[HP: 42.77%]
Unfortunately, Red-Eye wasn't on the verge of death.
Red-Eye's gaze burned with hatred as it locked onto the tin in Zuo Chengan's hands.
Its voice trembled with barely suppressed urgency. “Dear player, hand over that can. You like rare items, don't you? I've got dozens right here. Just give me the tin, and they're all yours.”
Despite the polite tone, Zuo Chengan detected the desperation simmering beneath.
...
The live audience erupted in chatter:
[So this is why Red-Eye left halfway through ‘No Escape'—he had a side hustle in another dungeon!]
[Two jobs at once? What a hardworking boss!]
[Thanks for leading Red-Eye back here again!]
[Wait, what's in that tin to make him so desperate?]
[All those rare items he looted from the 3rd Heavenly Ascension players? He's trading them for that?]
...
The live viewers, having followed Red-Eye from the other dungeon, were stunned. They had seen him annihilate half of a hundred 3rd Heavenly Ascension players before retreating with their spoils. Now, he was ready to trade everything for this rusty tin?
Red-Eye's hatred deepened as it glared at the tin.
"I thought I destroyed all the old packaging. How did this one survive?"
“Woof! Woof!” Mo Dou growled, standing its ground fearlessly against Red-Eye.
Red-Eye sneered. “You stubborn mutt! Couldn't you stay hidden? Why ruin my plans?”
“Woof!”
Ignoring the threats, Zuo Chengan swiftly completed the quest interface, filling in the blank with "Mu Zhou."
...
[Uncle Mu Zhou's Farm]
[Mission Objective: Correctly identify the ‘???' text (Completed!)]
[Reward 1: The recipe for the legendary tomato paste beloved across the Heavenly Tower.]
[Reward 2: Earn Red-Eye's eternal enmity.]
...
As the task was completed, the dungeon trembled violently.
The farm descended into chaos—chickens scattered, sheep panicked, cows stampeded. Outside, fields of tomatoes wailed like babies, their cries echoing through the shaking landscape.