You said you would make games by yourself, but how did you become the richest man by doing nothing?

#518 - The wolf is coming?!

As the sun set, a group of villagers surrounded Tang Yin and his motorcycle in the square of Mist Village. The air was thick with the smell of motor oil, mixed with the aroma of food wafting from the cafeteria. Tang Yin squatted on the ground, wrench in hand, fine beads of sweat dotting his forehead.

Qin Yi's question was like a sharp knife aimed straight at Tang Yin's heart. Tang Yin took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm as he replied, "It's a new bike, probably around fifty thousand."

Qin Yi's eyes widened, his mouth forming an "O" shape. "So expensive, huh?! So expensive! No way!? Where did you get all that money?" His voice was full of suspicion and disbelief.

Tang Yin felt a pang of guilt, lowering his head to avoid Qin Yi's probing gaze, instinctively saying with a wince, "Well... I earned it myself working."

Wang Lina stood nearby, holding the side dish Chen Xiang had given her, eating while thoughtfully observing Tang Yin and the motorcycle. Suddenly, as if struck by a realization, she exclaimed in surprise, "This was originally a new bike? Tang Yin, my condolences."

Tang Yin looked up at Wang Lina, noticing a grain of rice stuck to the corner of her mouth. He couldn't help but retort, "Sister Lina, can I ask you a question? Why don't I get any of the food?"

Wang Lina blinked, a sly smile appearing on her face. "Huh? I accidentally ate it all! Tang Yin, my condolences!"

Tang Yin thought to himself: 'My condolences' is the least suitable line for the perpetrator, right? She's definitely doing this on purpose!

With this resentment, Tang Yin continued to bury himself in repairing the motorcycle. He grumbled as he removed the tire, his movements becoming more and more practiced. Finally, with a "pop," the tire was successfully removed. Tang Yin wiped the sweat from his forehead, thinking: 'It really is true that things always work out in the end.'

Even though he had only bought it for less than a month, the bond formed through repairing it himself deepened Tang Yin's affection for his beloved vehicle. He stroked the body of the bike, secretly resolving in his heart: 'Once it's fixed, I'm definitely restarting it and riding to my heart's content!'

Just then, the sound of an engine suddenly roared behind him, as if mocking him. Tang Yin was startled, a thought flashing through his mind: 'An engine sound? In this place?'

He stopped what he was doing and slowly turned around. He saw an unfamiliar large van slowly driving into the square. This was the first time Tang Yin had seen a vehicle in this village – even in the Qian Corporation's factory garage, there was only a dilapidated antique car.

A sense of unease washed over him. Mist Village shouldn't have any vehicles, which meant...

Wang Lina's voice interrupted Tang Yin's thoughts: "The reporter I told you about is here!"

The van stopped in the corner of the square, and the door slowly opened. A woman gracefully stepped out of the car, her appearance instantly attracting everyone's attention.

This young female reporter looked to be in her early twenties, tall and slender, wearing a fashionable beige suit that accentuated her figure. Her long hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall, shimmering with a golden glow in the evening sun. Her face was adorned with delicate makeup, her large eyes bright and expressive, her nose high and straight, and her lips painted with a light pink lipstick.

In her right hand, she carried a delicate leather briefcase, while her left hand held a recording pen. Every movement exuded professionalism and confidence, as if carrying an urban aura that contrasted sharply with the simple rural environment.

...

"Hello."

The sunlight outlined the female reporter's perfect profile, her long hair gently swaying in the breeze, like a moving oil painting.

Oh, a beauty! Tang Yin sighed inwardly.

"Hello!" Wang Lina responded enthusiastically.

The female reporter looked around, her gaze finally landing on Tang Yin, who was repairing the car. "Excuse me, I'm bothering you again. Oh, this gentleman repairing the car, I don't think I've ever seen him before?"

Tang Yin quickly stood up, dusted off his hands, and extended his right hand. "Um, hello, I'm the victim, Tang Yin."

"Is there really such a self-deprecating self-introduction?" Wang Lina couldn't help but giggle.

The female reporter's expression instantly turned puzzled, "?????????"

Tang Yin was startled, realizing that the female reporter didn't know the meme. He quickly explained, "Actually, it's like this. I had an accident near here and I'm taking refuge in the village now."

After listening to the explanation, the female reporter breathed a sigh of relief. "I see. You're a student, right? It must be tough to encounter something like this. Oh, this is my business card." She took out a business card from her delicate leather briefcase and handed it to Tang Yin.

Tang Yin took the business card, and saw the words "Xia Hui" printed on it, followed by the title "Freelance Writer."

"By the way, have you read my articles?" Xia Hui asked.

"Um... sorry," Tang Yin replied awkwardly.

"...It's nothing, after all, I'm not very famous. Besides, the magazines that publish my articles are either aimed at housewives or middle-aged and elderly people."

"Actually, those kinds of articles must be very difficult to write. By the way, what kind of articles do you write?" Tang Yin tried to find a topic.

"Food reviews, limited to bizarre and exotic foods."

"Like, the world's most heavy-flavored canned food, surströmming?"

Xia Hui nodded. "Yes, yes, but bizarre and exotic foods aren't popular anymore. I'm thinking of trying to write about little-known rare dishes. If you have any information about unique folk cuisine, be sure to contact me, no matter where it is in the country."

Tang Yin pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered something from the past. "Um, I had a junior classmate who used mushrooms he picked on campus to make pork soup, and it caused us to have a collective hallucination."

"Speculation and poisonous substances don't count," Xia Hui replied helplessly.

As the conversation progressed, the atmosphere in the square became relaxed and pleasant. Tang Yin and Xia Hui chatted back and forth, as if they had forgotten everything around them, immersed in this topic of food and adventure.

Wang Lina silently observed from the side, a hint of inscrutable expression in her eyes. In the distance, the villagers gathered in small groups, whispering about this suddenly appearing strange woman, their eyes full of curiosity and wariness.

Just then, a breeze blew past, carrying the scent of green grass from the distant fields. Xia Hui took a deep breath, as if trying to remember this fresh rural air. Her gaze swept across the square and returned to Tang Yin.

...

Tang Yin felt uncomfortable under her gaze and continued to ask, "By the way, I heard there's another person coming here for an interview?"

Xia Hui smiled slightly, a glint of cunning in her eyes. "Yes, there is someone, but it's a little inconvenient for him to get out of the car..." Before she could finish speaking, her eyes suddenly focused. "Ah, here he comes."

The car door was suddenly pushed open. A huge figure squeezed out of the car, causing the entire vehicle to shake violently. Tang Yin's eyes widened in disbelief at what he was seeing.

It was a tall man, who was also trying to appear fat. His figure was like a small mountain, his round belly almost bursting the buttons of his shirt. His face was as round as a full moon, the flesh on his cheeks jiggling slightly as he walked. Despite his enormous size, his eyes were exceptionally sharp, as if they could see through people's hearts.

Tang Yin couldn't help but gasp. In his memory, Zhao Gang in the village was already very strong, but the person in front of him completely redefined his understanding. This body fat percentage probably made even foreign sumo wrestlers pale in comparison.

When this giant's body completely left the driver's seat, the entire car trembled, as if finally relieved of a thousand pounds of weight. Tang Yin even worried that the wheels would bounce up due to the sudden weight loss.

Seeing Tang Yin's stunned expression, Xia Hui couldn't help but introduce him with a smile: "He is the photographer Zhou Zhengxiong, much more famous than me. He is the legendary all-rounder photographer, who can unknowingly take many good photos."

Although Tang Yin was a layman when it came to photography, Xia Hui's words inexplicably made him feel very convincing. Because, one thing could be confirmed without a doubt – Mr. Zhou Zhengxiong was definitely a heavyweight, both literally and figuratively.

Zhou Zhengxiong slowly approached, his face wearing an impassive expression, as if indifferent to everything around him. Tang Yin mustered his courage and tried to break the silence: "Nice to meet you, I'm Tang Yin."

However, Zhou Zhengxiong remained silent, like a silent mountain. Tang Yin couldn't help but mutter to himself: 'Is this guy even alive?'

Just as the atmosphere was becoming increasingly awkward, Zhou Zhengxiong finally slowly opened his mouth: "...Hello." His voice was surprisingly light, a stark contrast to his massive frame.

A few seconds later, Zhou Zhengxiong suddenly bowed slightly to Tang Yin. This simple action made Tang Yin instantly understand what "earth-shattering" meant. He even felt the ground beneath his feet trembling slightly, as if a giant elephant was bowing to him.

Tang Yin forced a smile, but secretly muttered in his heart: 'This Mr. Zhou doesn't seem very approachable.' His eyes inadvertently met Xia Hui's, who winked at him, as if saying, "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

In the distance, the villagers gathered in small groups, curiously sizing up this strange combination – the elegant female reporter, the silent giant photographer, and a young man who looked a little uneasy.

...

In the square, the shadows of Tang Yin, Xia Hui, and Zhou Zhengxiong were stretched long, like tentacles extending from another world. Just then, Wang Lina's voice broke the silence, her words carrying a hint of subtle teasing:

The latest novels are first published on Liu Jiu Shu Ba!

"Today is the last day of your interview, right?"

Hearing this, Xia Hui's eyes lit up, as excited as a child getting candy. She nodded vigorously, her voice full of anticipation: "Yes, I can finally eat the marinated beast meat secretly stored by Boss Chen Xiang."

Wang Lina raised an eyebrow, a meaningful smile on her face. "Foreigners probably can't stand that taste, right?"

Xia Hui didn't think so, confidently saying: "Hehehe, I brought stomach medicine, so I'll be fine." As she spoke, she patted her small bag, from which came the sound of medicine bottles colliding.

Afterwards, Xia Hui led Zhou Zhengxiong towards the cafeteria. Zhou Zhengxiong still remained silent, but his massive body was surprisingly light, like a feather floating in the wind.

Tang Yin watched the backs of the two as they left, and couldn't help but sigh: 'A beauty and a rare cuisine hunter, this kind of contrast is really my thing.' But he quickly came back to his senses, the pressure of reality leaving him no time to care about these interesting things. He shook his head and prepared to continue repairing the dilapidated van.

Just as Tang Yin bent down to pick up his tools, a strange sound suddenly rang out beside him:

"Oowa!"

Tang Yin turned around abruptly, only to see a strange-looking old man standing behind him at some point.

The old man's appearance made Tang Yin gasp – his face was like a piece of old bark carved by time and suffering, deep wrinkles crisscrossing, like ravines.

His eyes were sunken in their sockets, as turbid as two pools of stagnant water. His mouth was crooked, revealing a few yellowed teeth. The old man was hunched over, his body twisted like a question mark, reminiscent of the grotesque gargoyles on Gothic architecture.

Tang Yin suppressed his discomfort and politely greeted, "Hello?"

The old man didn't respond, just stared blankly at Tang Yin with his turbid eyes.

Tang Yin took a closer look at the old man, thinking that he might be a senile old man. He slowed down his speech and asked in a gentle tone, "Do you need something?"

The old man still didn't respond, standing there like a statue.

Tang Yin was silent for a moment, and just as he was about to continue repairing the car, the old man suddenly spoke in that strange voice:

"It's coming..."

Tang Yin was stunned. Coming? What's coming?

The old man still had a blank expression, standing there blankly. His eyeballs were like two cloudy glass beads, staring blankly at the sky. A trace of glistening saliva hung from his half-open mouth, shimmering with a strange light in the evening sun.

"It's coming..." the old man said again, his voice sounding like it was coming from a distant place.

Tang Yin couldn't help but ask curiously, "What's coming?"

The old man's voice was so weak that it was almost inaudible, like a breeze passing through the leaves.

Tang Yin frowned. "What do you mean?"

He pointed to his ear, signaling the old man to speak louder.

As if understanding Tang Yin's intention, the old man slowly raised his thin, withered hand, first pointing to his mouth, then pointing to Tang Yin's ear.

Tang Yin's heart stirred. He squatted down and brought his ear close to the old man's mouth.

Just then, the old man suddenly shouted loudly in that strange voice:

"The wolf—is—coming!"

The voice sounded like it was coming from the depths of hell, shrill and piercing. Tang Yin felt a sharp pain in his eardrums, as if someone had shattered glass next to his ear. He instinctively took a few steps back, cold sweat instantly soaking his back.

The old man's eyes suddenly became bright, like two balls of ghostly blue fire burning. His mouth was wide open, revealing a mouthful of black teeth. His wrinkled face was now twisted like a demon's mask.

"The wolf is coming! The wolf is coming!" The old man kept repeating this sentence, his voice getting louder and louder, sharper and sharper.

Tang Yin felt dizzy, his vision began to blur, and the surrounding scenery seemed to be twisting and rotating. The old man's voice echoed in his ears, like a terrible curse.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew past, and Tang Yin shivered. He began to hallucinate—

The square was deserted, with only a blood-red full moon hanging high in the sky, casting an eerie light. A wolf howled in the distance, mournful and long.

Tang Yin stood there, trembling. Although he knew it was an illusion, one thing he could be sure of—the night in Hidden Mist Village was far more terrifying than he had imagined!