Just Say Yes or No!

The other two outside heard the argument too, and their faces darkened. They turned to Song Weishi for direction, only to see her slowly pulling that familiar dagger out of the backpack behind her.

Song Weishi was already gripping the windowsill, ready to climb up.

The shock on their faces was unmistakable. Wang Jie started pleading, "Hey! Xiao Song, calm down! Watch your step... don't fall!"

Xiao Li stood frozen, staring at them, words of protest dying on his lips. "Sister Song, step on my back."

Wang Jie shot him an approving look, and together they boosted her up to the windowsill.

The window wasn't locked. One pull, and it slid open.

The heated argument inside died the instant they saw her.

Song Weishi crouched on the windowsill, backlit, the cold glint of the dagger casting a pallor over her face. The more timid souls in the room saw her icy expression and felt their legs go weak.

Manager Zhao, who'd been standing at the front with her hands on her hips, hurling insults, sensed something wrong. She turned slowly—and found Song Weishi right behind her.

She yelped, biting her tongue, nearly screaming. Fortunately, the girl beside her clamped a hand over her mouth in time, saving her from embarrassing herself.

Song Weishi jumped down from the window and walked up to them, blade in hand. "Who said we couldn't come in?"

Manager Guo, the ringleader, finally got a good look at her face. His anger surged—it was that woman who'd slapped him with her shoe yesterday.

She wasn't tall, with a friendly, approachable face that made her look like easy prey, which only emboldened him.

His face was still swollen. When he heard her words, he itched to charge forward and teach her a lesson.

Yesterday he'd been careless, but today he was prepared. He had plenty of ways to make someone's life miserable. He spat out a stream of filth, "I said it, so what? You little bitch, I've given you more face than you deserve! Get the hell out!"

Song Weishi didn't waste a word. She lunged and drove the knife into his belly. The crowd that had been holding him back stared in disbelief.

She pulled the blade out. Blood dripped in steady plops. Just like Zhong Xiaomin before him, Manager Guo's face went pale in no time.

"I... you..."

"K-kill... murder! Murder!!"

The rabble behind him did exactly what they'd done yesterday—they abandoned him and scurried back inside.

The corridor, packed moments ago, emptied by half. Those people had come prepared, weapons in hand.

Anyone who'd dared to come out wasn't worth a damn. Why should they get to stay while others were turned away, or worse, driven out of their own refuge?

In this biting cold, going outside meant certain death. Did those people not know that? No—it was precisely because they knew that they wanted to drive Song Weishi and her two companions out first, then slowly pick apart the group that was just beginning to take shape.

Most of those in Manager Zhao's camp were hardworking, capable women who'd taken the lead, clearing out the lower floors through sheer grit.

Now it was the same upstairs—they'd put in the labor, and these parasites who'd contributed nothing wanted to claim the fruits for themselves. Not a chance.

Song Weishi felt no pity for these bullies, these vicious bastards who would rather see her dead. When someone puts a knife to your throat, only a fool doesn't fight back.

Manager Guo was sturdier than Zhong Xiaomin had been, so besides the stab wound, Song Weishi had also opened a long gash across him.

He clutched his belly and knelt on the ground in agony, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He was truly a disgusting man—disgusting enough that even with his life slipping away, he crawled over and grabbed Manager Zhao's leg.

"Zhao Fang, save me... you... you have to save me..."

Song Weishi turned away guiltily, ready to gauge the others' reactions. She didn't know how they'd see her. After all, this place had been a law-abiding society barely a week and a half ago—they might not accept murder.

Maybe the people behind her would be afraid, disgusted, or something else entirely. Whatever it was, she was prepared to face it, as long as she could rest here one more night.

Song Weishi took a deep breath and turned—only to find the group had surrounded Manager Guo, each one driving a kick into him.

The moment she turned, Manager Guo let out a miserable scream: "Stop hitting me! Stop!"

Song Weishi: ...

She'd overestimated their restraint. Especially Manager Zhao—if she'd had a knife in her hand, Manager Guo would've been Swiss cheese by now.

Bullies pick on the weak. All of them had been squeezed by Manager Guo one way or another, Manager Zhao most of all. She poured every ounce of fear and rage from the past few days into that beating.

Song Weishi walked to the window and hauled up the two who'd been jumping and watching from below.

They'd tied ropes to the cart, and she pulled that up too.

She glanced back to see Manager Zhao's red-rimmed eyes. Manager Guo on the floor had already passed out cold, kicked senseless.

Wang Jie stepped forward and patted Manager Zhao on the shoulder, then, with practiced ease, she and Xiao Li tossed Manager Guo out the window.

This wasn't their first time doing something like this. Second time around, the fear didn't bite as hard.

Of course, there were some who were scared, but they stayed at the back and kept their mouths shut. In conditions this harsh, even those who disagreed didn't dare speak up.

Nearly two weeks had passed with no sign of rescue, and the weather showed no sign of letting up. Anyone who stepped outside turned into a block of ice within minutes.

Song Weishi felt the chill creep in through the window and quickly shut it. The group hurried back into the room.

The commotion outside died down completely, and everyone in the hotel maintained this eerie silence by unspoken agreement.

Tired from the day, Song Weishi returned to her admittedly warm bed. The wind picked up outside, and the sky darkened fully before evening even fell.

Heavy snowflakes rustled down, tapping against the window with soft thumps.

In ordinary times, Song Weishi might have enjoyed the view. But now, all she felt was tension. The weather was getting worse by the day; she had to speed up her departure. No way she was staying here.

She watched the snow for a while, then lay down and opened the system panel to check today's earnings.

Her shop had refreshed today. She tapped the little triangle icon and revealed a golden card.

Today's Offering (Newbie Special): [Golden Legend] Space Expansion*1

Quality: SSS+

Price (Newbie Special): 5 Points

Song Weishi rolled over excitedly in her bed, wanting to scream. She quickly checked her points—the system's notification showed that Manager Guo's death had just earned her 100 energy points, bringing her to 4 Points total.

Why is it still one short?!

She tossed and turned anxiously under the covers. The shop's timer had less than an hour left, and a Golden Legend like this was a once-in-a-lifetime deal.

Killing innocent people didn't earn points, so where was she supposed to find another monster now?

Her head spun with frustration. Why did she have to meet the thing she wanted most at the most helpless moment of her life?

After running through everyone she knew, she reread the system's point rules. Energy points could only be accumulated if they were tied to her personally.

What about those three from the Garden of a Hundred Herbs?

"System, are Director Zhang and the others dead?"

Even though the system's reports were real-time, she remembered it had a history of hiding things, so she asked anyway.

Only deaths related to her got recorded by the system. The things she'd done before leaving should count for something, right?

The system hesitated, then answered honestly, "Host, the responsibility for two deaths has been split evenly between you and the other two. In principle, it's hard to apportion, so you cannot earn energy points for now."

Song Weishi: "Just tell me—does it have anything to do with me or not?"

System: ...

Song Weishi: "Fifty points per person. I'm not greedy. Split the responsibility in half—fifty points!"

System: "Host, you're really putting me in a bind!"

Song Weishi: "Sixty!"

System: "This really isn't possible, Host!"

Song Weishi: "Seventy!"

System: ...

Song Weishi: "If you don't agree by the time I reach eighty, without me you'll never get out of here. I'll survive without killing anyone, and you can rot here with me."

System: "QAQ"

Song Weishi gritted her teeth. "Ninety. Ninety per person!"

System: "Congratulations, Host! 100 energy points have been credited."

Song Weishi, thoroughly satisfied, bought the Golden Legend.