Chapter Twenty: A New Bug—Sunflower Fever in Plants vs. Zombies

[Sunflower That Absorbs Sunlight]
Introduction: Can summon a cute sunflower. The sunflower will continuously absorb sunlight during the day. Once it possesses a certain amount of sunlight, if the player encounters danger, the sunflower has a probability of summoning plants to protect the player. The more sunlight the sunflower absorbs, the higher the trigger probability and the greater the variety of plants summoned.

"Is it a sunflower this time?" Bai Wan couldn't help but recall a fond memory from his childhood.
As a child, Bai Wan was obsessed with "Plants vs. Zombies" for a while. After staying up all night playing it, he woke up the next morning to find a cute sunflower on his windowsill, smiling at him.
That was a happy time because Bai Wan's parents were busy with work, and only the sunflower kept him company through those heartwarming days.
However, a week later, Bai Wan was too lazy to water it, and the sunflower withered away.

Seeing his new skill, Bai Wan nodded with satisfaction. It was a good skill, providing yet another way to save his life. Most importantly, it didn't consume Ghost Coins, which was the greatest advantage of his "bug."
After mastering the new skill, Bai Wan used the skill points he had earned from clearing the instance to upgrade Mario’s sewer.

[Ding! Congratulations, your skill "Mario’s Coin Room" has been upgraded to Level 2.]
[Mario’s Coin Room
Introduction: Enter any sewer in an instance to arrive at Mario’s Coin Room. Can be used once per instance.
Current Level 2: Mario coins have been added to the sewer, and a Mushroom Vending Machine has been added. (Upgradeable)]

Bai Wan was looking forward to the Mario coins and the Mushroom Vending Machine in the sewer. He was even more curious about what the sewer would become if he kept upgrading it; it surely wouldn't turn into a full-fledged game, would it?

After setting up his skills, Bai Wan opened the folder Liu Tong had given him.
Inside was a special employment contract. The terms were simple: a purely cooperative model where tasks issued by the agency were optional.
If completed, he would be rewarded; if not, he wouldn't get paid. Overall, it was very flexible.
There was also some basic information regarding the Agency and the Horror Game.

After reading for a while, Bai Wan suddenly felt a pain in his heart.
Bloody text flashed before his eyes:
[Horror Game Notification
Strange Tale: The Letter
Game start countdown: 72:00:00]

Bai Wan checked the time and his mood instantly soured.
He had only just finished an instance, and he was entering another one so soon?
72 hours—that was just three days away.
Weren't players supposed to be given at least one to two weeks of rest?
Looking at the Strange Tale titled "The Letter," Bai Wan felt he was being targeted by the system again.
Oh well, what will be, will be.
He checked his sister's notification; sure enough, it was the same Strange Tale.

At that moment, Liu Tong sent another message.
[How is it, Bai Wan? Have you thought it over?]
Bai Wan picked up his phone and replied:
[Alright, the special employment system is fine.]
The special employment system was very flexible. If he completed tasks, he got rewards; if not, no harm done. It wasn't mandatory. Bai Wan had no reason to refuse.
Moreover, he was still a newcomer with little knowledge of the Horror Game, and this was exactly when he needed the agency the most.

The other party was happy to hear Bai Wan's agreement and said:
[Great, then let’s sign the contract at our office at 9:30 tomorrow morning, is that okay?]
Bai Wan replied:
[Can it be a bit later? I have something to do in the morning.]
Liu Tong replied:
[Sure, I almost forgot—tomorrow morning is our Lancheng Ten-Year Celebration. Are you planning to attend?]
[No, I plan on sleeping in.]
[...]

And so, Bai Wan and Liu Tong arranged to meet at 1:30 tomorrow afternoon.
Meanwhile, the family members in the photo were already bickering.
"Good grandson, hurry up and get Grandpa a pack of cigarettes."
"Son, get your old man a bottle of wine too, to celebrate us clearing the instance successfully."
"Drink what wine? Smoking is also forbidden, rejected! I’m really tired of you two—all you know is smoking and drinking; you don't even know how to take care of the house." Bai Wan’s mother, Zhang Yanfang, looked at the two men with utter disdain.
Dad, Bai Tian, complained, "I haven't had a drink for an entire instance..."
"Suck it up! Wait until the next instance! And you too, old man, how many times have I told you to smoke less!"
"I haven't been to get a facial in ages! I work my fingers to the bone for this family every day..."
Zhang Yanfang began to pour out her grievances endlessly. Grandpa and Dad exchanged fearful glances; women going through menopause were terrifying, and they didn't dare talk back.
Bai Wan stretched and watched his family argue, feeling relaxed.

"Brother, I think I can only stay in the real world for an hour," Bai Xi noted. She had realized that ever since leaving the painting, her body had become increasingly weak, forcing her to return.
Helpless, she finally poured a bowl of cat food into her hand and sadly went back into the painting.
With that, Bai Wan was alone in the room again. He lay on the bed, feeling exhausted.
Having just come out of an instance, he hadn't rested in days.
Although Bai Wan appeared carefree on the surface, it had been painful to turn his family into photos. Now, he finally saw hope in the Horror Game.
He lay on the bed, feeling his entire body relax, and soon fell asleep.

...

Lancheng Special Affairs Bureau Headquarters.
"Is everything ready?" Zhou Lu asked, looking energetic.
"Boss, I had the cleaners scrub the whole floor, and I went out personally this morning to buy a lot of snacks. We’ll definitely leave a good impression on Bai Wan," said Wang Meng from the Affairs Department, full of confidence.
"Boss, I’ve collected all the data on the Horror Game and placed it in the office. I guarantee he’ll be so immersed in the books that it would take him months to finish reading them all," said Li Yintian, a thin, bespectacled man with an insidious smile.
As long as they kept the newcomer in the office, they could slowly build a bond. Wasn't it just a matter of time before he joined their Lancheng Special Agency?
Zhou Lu nodded with satisfaction.
Good, very good.
They had to keep Bai Wan at all costs.
Lancheng was a small city; there were too few players, and even fewer willing to join the official agency.
An overwhelming newcomer like Bai Wan usually appeared in big cities, given the population base.
For a newcomer to hit the 48th spot on the bounty list in their first instance was simply heaven-defying.

Zhou Lu looked at everyone’s preparations with satisfaction, then turned his head to Su Shining and asked with a smile, "Ningning, how is your preparation coming along? Did you watch the video? Have you learned how to toss your hair yet? And why are you still wearing those clothes? Didn't I tell you yesterday to wear black stockings today?"
A flush appeared on Su Shining's face, and she said shyly, "Captain, maybe... maybe we should forget it? I’m not really good at this."
"Oh, what's there not to be good at? You’re the visual centerpiece of our Lancheng agency. What could a kid like Bai Wan possibly understand? It’s nothing more than black stockings, JK uniforms, and long, white legs. These three things will have him wrapped around your finger. Trust me, Ningning, you can do it," Zhou Lu said, giving her a thumbs-up.
"I really am not good at this..." Su Shining was at a loss for words. Her captain's brain had been acting strangely yesterday, suggesting she use "honey traps" on the newcomer. This was just ridiculous.
Zhou Lu sighed, patted Su Shining on the shoulder, and said with a deep expression, "Ningning, do you remember the oath you took when you first joined our agency?"
"Of course I do! I’ve never forgotten it!"
Su Shining recited without hesitation: "I, Su Shining, voluntarily join the Lancheng Special Affairs Bureau. I hereby swear that from this day forward, I will strive to fight against the weird, fearing neither hardship nor danger. I am willing to sacrifice everything, even my life, for the happiness of humanity."
"Well said." Zhou Lu nodded.
"Now is the time for you to sacrifice yourself for humanity, Ningning. Quick, put on the stockings for the sake of humanity!"
Su Shining: "..."
Liu Tong couldn't stand it anymore and said, "Captain, if Ningning doesn't like it, let's just drop it. We have other ways to win Bai Wan over, right, Brother Li, Brother Tian?"
"Uh, how should I put this? Although it's a bit unfair to Ningning, if it's for the sake of humanity..." Wang Meng trailed off.
"Actually, the main thing is Ningning's opinion. If she feels uncomfortable, then forget it. But if she thinks it's okay, then tricking Bai Wan into joining our team isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's all for humanity, after all," Li Yintian said in a hushed, stuttering tone.
Liu Tong paused, feeling something was wrong.
She looked at the two men and noticed them avoiding eye contact, their faces slightly red, their eyes seemingly filled with a hint of anticipation.
"..."
"Hey!!! You guys just want to see the stockings, don't you!!" Liu Tong shouted, speechless.
"Don't... don't talk nonsense!! This is all for humanity!!"
"Yeah, Liu Tong, keep talking nonsense and Big Brother will sue you for slander!!"
The two reacted strongly, clearly feeling guilty.
Three black lines appeared on Liu Tong's forehead.
These two perverts...
"Fine, I'll go!" Su Shining finally made up her mind, gathered her courage, and ran to the lounge.
Although wearing stockings was embarrassing, if it was all for the sake of humanity...
A trace of determination flashed in Su Shining's eyes.

...

On the other side.
At 12:30 PM, Bai Wan lazily climbed out of bed, dazed for a while, and scrolled through his phone.
The top recommended news in his browser was that a once-in-a-century meteor shower was about to hit Earth.
"A meteor shower? If I could make a wish, I’d definitely wish for my family to return to normal, and for myself to return to normal too." Bai Wan stretched, beginning to fantasize about unrealistic dreams.
After a simple wash, he went out and hailed a taxi to the meeting spot.
It was a grand building. He had always thought it was a large corporation, but he hadn't expected the Lancheng base to be hidden here.
Five people were standing at the entrance—four men and one woman—apparently waiting specifically for him.
The person in the lead was around forty, with an honest face.
Bai Wan walked over.
Zhou Lu greeted him warmly, "Oh, this must be the talented young friend, Bai Wan."
"Hello, Leader," Bai Wan said just as warmly.
"Let me introduce you. This is Wang Meng from Logistics, and Li Yintian from the Information Department," Zhou Lu introduced with a smile.
Bai Wan looked at the two men. Wang Meng was very sturdy and muscular; it was hard to imagine he was in Logistics.
If he entered a weightlifting competition, he could probably represent the country.
The other man wore glasses and was thin, looking quite sharp.
"Nice to meet you," Bai Wan said politely.
"I don't need to introduce this one, you already know her: Liu Tong."
Bai Wan nodded. He had seen Liu Tong’s stern expression from quite a distance away.
"And finally, this is the visual centerpiece of our Lancheng Special Agency, Su Yunning," Zhou Lu said to Bai Wan.
Bai Wan nodded and looked at the girl who stood out in the crowd.
Her skin was fair and translucent, her eyes like a pool of autumn water, and her pure white hair reached her waist, swaying gently in the breeze.
Today, she was wearing a blue-and-white checkered JK uniform. The black, semi-sheer over-the-knee stockings slightly cinched her skin, and a sliver of snow-white thigh was exposed between the stockings and the short skirt. She looked smooth and lovely. The narrow waist of the uniform gradually widened into perfect hip curves, and her legs were straight and slender.
The girl's hair was actually white, which looked very unique, like a character stepping out of an anime.
"Hello," Bai Wan greeted her enthusiastically.
"Hello, Bai Wan," Su Yunning smiled slightly, looking with curiosity at the somewhat lazy young man before her.
Is this the mysterious newcomer with the codename "Family"?
He looks quite ordinary, like a typical homebody.
I should be able to win him over!
Everything for humanity!

"Let's go. I'll take you to see our headquarters and your office," Zhou Lu said with a smile.
"I have an office too, even as a temporary member?" Bai Wan was curious.
"Of course. Even if you're temporary, you're one of us, our family. Come by and visit whenever you want; it's not mandatory," Zhou Lu said cheerfully.
Of course, he wasn't telling the whole truth.
Usually, temporary staff didn't have desks. Bai Wan's desk had been specially added just for him; everything was done to keep him here.
Zhou Lu led Bai Wan into the headquarters. The interior was exquisitely decorated and elegant, looking very high-end.
"The decoration of our headquarters was specially designed and considered, incorporating psychological principles to make people feel refreshed