"President, President, everything is ready!"
Upon receiving Chika's red string message, Natsuki immediately quickened his pace and headed straight for the warehouse.
Today's park was completely different from usual.
Quiet.
Incredibly quiet.
On a normal day, the park at this time would be bustling with countless stooges rushing towards the cafeteria after work, those who hadn't met their quotas wailing under the whip, and enforcers patrolling everywhere.
But today, the park had become eerily empty at some point. Not only were the stooges gone, but even the usually rabid Evil Spirit guards had completely vanished, leaving it desolate and chilly, like a ghost realm.
A moment later.
Natsuki arrived at the warehouse door, exhaled lightly, and pushed the door open.
The next second.
An atmosphere of excitement and celebration immediately rushed out.
All the stooges and guards in the park had gathered together to celebrate the grand event.
"President! President!"
Chika stood not far from behind the door. Seeing Natsuki enter, she waved happily.
Natsuki stepped over and asked in a low voice, "Is everything ready?"
Kaguya nodded lightly and said, "We were just waiting for the President to arrive."
"Leave the rest to me," Natsuki nodded. "You all go ahead with the operation."
Hayasaka slightly pursed her lips and softly said, "President, alone... will he be okay?"
"If it were a life-and-death cage match, I probably wouldn't be," Natsuki gave a thumbs-up. "But giving out benefits to employees? That's no problem at all."
"Tsk."
"Then be careful, President," Chika waved her hand and quietly instructed, "We'll go ahead with the operation. President, wait for my signal."
"..."
Bang.
The warehouse door gently closed, completely cutting off all outside sounds.
As for the warehouse windows, they had been firmly sealed during the day to ensure not a single whisper of information would leak out.
As the girls left, the warehouse immediately became a secluded secret room—this was the location Chika had chosen for the party.
Isolation.
Containment.
All requirements met.
"Phew..."
Natsuki exhaled lightly, walked to the middle of the warehouse, ascended the makeshift stage the girls had set up, then took out a prop microphone. His voice boomed throughout the entire warehouse:
"With everyone's concerted efforts, the park's performance has been soaring. I am deeply gratified. After discussing with my wife yesterday, I decided to hold a gratitude feedback event... I'm sure everyone knows the content of the celebration, right?"
"We know!"
"Long live the manager!"
"Hoo hoo hoo!"
The atmosphere below the stage was exceptionally lively. Whether they were stooges or Evil Spirit guards, they all cheered wildly, truly a scene of rampant demons.
Only Natsuki, with his vast experience, could remain unfazed and calmly host the party. If it were an ordinary person, they would likely have wet their pants on the spot.
Natsuki nodded, looked at the two Evil Spirit guards closest to the stage, and beckoned, "You two, come up."
The two Evil Spirit guards immediately stepped forward, obediently awaiting orders.
Natsuki instructed, "You two, together, pour all the sin coins into the fish tank."
"Yes!"
The two small leaders bowed, picked up the black cloth bags containing the sin coins, cut them open directly, and then tilted them into the fish tank.
This was a large, transparent glass fish tank that the girls had simply cleaned and moved over to serve as a temporary prop, the purpose of which was to make it impossible for people to look away.
Whoosh!
As the cloth bags were opened, countless blood-stained sin coins poured out, splashing into the fish tank.
The sound of the coins clinking against the fish tank was exceptionally crisp, pushing the party's atmosphere to a new peak.
Whoosh!
As bag after bag of sin coins continuously poured in, the fish tank was eventually filled more than halfway. Countless sin coins piled together, their sinful and bloody aura colliding, even forming a distorted black-red mist above the fish tank.
Natsuki held the microphone, his voice echoing through the warehouse:
"To prevent any of you from forgetting the rules of the party, I will repeat them... Today's party is a thank you to all employees, so everyone is treated equally. Whether you are a guard or an employee, you all have the right to come forward and receive a share. I assume no one is unaware of this news, right?"
"Everyone knows!"
The atmosphere below the stage was exceptionally enthusiastic.
While Natsuki was serving Hachishakusama, Kaguya and the others were naturally not idle. Besides setting up the warehouse and preparing props, they also informed all employees about the 'Park Party' news.
Perhaps there were one or two stragglers, but it didn't matter.
"Very good," Natsuki took out a shovel and announced loudly, "Each employee gets only one chance. Use this shovel to scoop from the prize pool yourself. Scoop as much as you can!"
This item was a kitchen utensil found in the cafeteria, just an ordinary shovel. Because of its unappealing appearance, Chika had specially painted it, and now it had become a sparkling golden shovel.
Last night, there was a debate about what tool to use for the party—the 'dividend' tool chosen had to be fair and also capable of delaying for enough time.
Initially, someone suggested using hands to grab, but the Evil Spirit guards' size far exceeded that of ordinary stooges, and their hand sizes were completely different, making it very unfair.
Later, someone suggested using chopsticks, but not every evil spirit had arms or knew how to use chopsticks.
After much discussion, they finally settled on the golden shovel.
How much this thing could scoop depended entirely on skill, ensuring fairness. By setting an order, requiring people to come forward one by one, it could delay for enough time.
The scene of last night's discussion flashed through Natsuki's mind as he continued, "Everyone, line up, one by one."
"No pushing or shoving."
"You only get one chance, so it's best not to have shaky hands."
"..."
A burst of excited laughter erupted from below the stage.
"If you still have shaky hands at a time like this, you might as well chop them off and feed them to the dogs!"
"Exactly! Exactly!"
Natsuki continued, "Also, after you've scooped your share, don't rush to leave. We've also set up special grand prizes. Prizes will be drawn according to the number tags you received when you scooped your share. The third prize is two hundred sin coins, the second prize is five hundred sin coins, the first prize is one thousand sin coins, and there's also the ultimate special lucky prize..."
Natsuki paused for two seconds before announcing, "The special prize is ten thousand sin coins!"
In fact, the Evil Spirit guards had already known this news during the day, but hearing it again now, they still howled with excitement, the fervent atmosphere almost bursting through the warehouse roof.
If one could win the ultimate special lucky prize, they could live luxuriously and spend lavishly in the park from then on. No Evil Spirit guard could refuse that.
Natsuki took a deep breath and announced loudly, "Now I declare the park Party officially open!"
"...Long live the manager!"
Amidst the cheers of countless stooges and Evil Spirit guards, the park Party officially began.
All under heaven come for profit, and all under heaven go for profit.
And it was a park Party that required no effort at all. Just a flick of the right hand, a swing of the shovel, and one could get a decent share. No one could refuse.
Enforcers, stooges, beautiful casino dealers, cafeteria chefs, special chat hosts, park bosses... No one could resist this temptation, and they all gathered in the warehouse.
Why did they come to work in the park?
Of course, it was for wealth.
Otherwise, were they coveting being treated like cattle, being insulted at will, and being ordered around?
Even if the other party was a twelve-year-old white-haired, red-eyed loli, few people would truly be willing to be trampled underfoot and insulted.
Natsuki stood on the stage, leaving the task of maintaining order to the small leaders, then seized the opportunity to slack off amidst the busyness.
Time passed by minute by minute.
Evil Spirit guards constantly went up and down, holding shovels and scooping in the fish tank. Those with good luck were happy themselves, while the unlucky ones or those with shaky hands made everyone else happy.
Unbeknownst to them, the sin coins in the fish tank had quietly been emptied by more than half.
Natsuki stood to the side, still thinking about how he would host the lottery drawing, when his right pinky finger suddenly trembled.
"Tsk~"
Natsuki felt quite regretful: "It seems I won't be able to host the drawing."
His finger did not tremble for no reason. It was a signal transmitted by Chika through the red string, indicating that the park destruction plan had officially begun.
Moving his feet, Natsuki quietly walked to a corner. Since he had been directing the small leaders from the start, his quiet movements at this moment were not noticed by the other Evil Spirit guards.
Upon reaching the corner, Natsuki directly vanished into the shadows, using his shadow form to quietly leave the warehouse.
A moment later.
The darkness gently rippled, and Natsuki's figure appeared out of thin air outside the warehouse.
A sea of flames filled his vision.
Natsuki looked around, only to see raging flames illuminating the night. The park, filled with blood and sin, was crumbling and disintegrating bit by bit in the fire.
The casino.
The dormitories.
The cafeteria.
The work area.
The entertainment area.
Except for the warehouse, all other places had already turned into a sea of fire.
The Evil Spirit guards who should have been fighting the fire were still obediently staying in the warehouse, completely unaware of everything outside.
"Phew..."
Natsuki took a deep breath. The previously dead-silent air of the park now carried a burnt smell. It wasn't pleasant, but compared to the previous bloody and putrid odor, it was undoubtedly much more refreshing.
Indeed.
This kind of park, built upon blood and sin, should be set ablaze, leaving nothing but a clean slate.
Natsuki simply put on his clothes and walked towards the park gate.
"President! We're here!"
At the park entrance, the girls were standing together, waving at him.
Natsuki quickened his pace and arrived in front of the young ladies.
"President, President." Chika looked up, hands on her hips, and said proudly, "We didn't stop for a moment and finally managed to light up the entire park."
Natsuki reached out and ruffled Chika's little head, naturally not stingy with praise:
"Well done."
"Hmph hmph."
Chika's eyes curved into crescent moons, and she hummed softly with pride.
Hayasaka crossed her arms and said:
"The side quest has not been completed."
"No rush." Natsuki looked at Hayasaka, reaching out to pat her head, "Let the flames burn a little longer."
Slap.
Natsuki's right hand was mercilessly slapped away.
Hayasaka's eyes showed disdain:
"President, don't touch me."
"Um..." The female player clasped her hands in front of her chest and nervously asked, "Will those Evil Spirits in the warehouse hear the commotion and come out?"
Natsuki retorted:
"The final special lucky prize hasn't been opened yet; they definitely won't come out unless the flames burn their butts."
...
Everyone stood at the park entrance, chatting and waiting for the game's notification.
During this time, not a single Evil Spirit came out of the warehouse, as expected.
Another ten minutes passed, and as a dilapidated park building collapsed with a roar, the game's notification finally arrived late:
[Side Quest 'Demise of the park' has been completed]
"Oh, I got the notification!"
"I got it too!"
"It's already done?"
Several the passerby players were still a bit dazed; even after receiving the game notification, they still found it hard to believe, as if they were dreaming.
They had never even considered the side quest of destroying the entire park, yet they simply ran a few errands and completed it with ease?
The instances everyone was playing felt like they weren't on the same difficulty level...
"There's one last side quest left." Natsuki turned around and looked at the park gate behind him. "Let's all open the gate together."
"Coming!"
Chika was the first to raise her hand and respond.
To prevent the dog handlers from escaping, the park's defenses could be said to be quite strict. There were blood-colored man-eating vines on the walls, killer insects hidden in the soil, and countless Evil Spirit guards patrolling with evil dogs.
The only safe passage was the park gate, but normally, entering or exiting was a pipe dream.
But at this moment, all the Evil Spirit guards were in the warehouse, and the evil dogs were locked in their kennels. The park gate, which normally wouldn't even let a fly in or out, had now become an undefended backyard, where anyone could enter and exit freely.
Everyone worked together to open the gate, then took a step out, leaving the park's sphere of influence.
The game notification popped up on time:
[Side Quest 'Escape from the park' has been completed. Side quest rewards will be issued together during the clearance settlement.]
"Tsk ~"
Natsuki clicked his tongue, his tone regretful:
"The quest required us to escape, but we ended up walking out openly. I feel like it lacked some tension and excitement."
Hayasaka rolled her eyes upon hearing this and retorted:
"President, you can go back and find tension and excitement. I choose to walk out openly."
"Me, me, me." Chika followed, "I also choose to walk out openly."
As they spoke, a new notification popped up in front of the players:
[You have successfully escaped the park. The instance is about to end. Please prepare yourselves, players.]
Immediately, the familiar countdown began to appear.
"It's, it's finally going to end!"
As the countdown appeared, the several the passerby players, who had been very nervous, finally completely relaxed, and then they thanked Natsuki and the others.
After clearing an instance, players would only appear at the place where they logged into the instance; they would not be grouped together.
Mitsui quickly instructed:
"After everyone returns to reality, don't forget to report to the Strange Tales Management Bureau to receive the welfare subsidy for new players."
The so-called welfare subsidy was actually something like unemployment insurance. After many players cleared an instance, they would activate their true vision, able to see various Evil Spirits in reality, and their spirits would become tense and stimulated. Most people would lose the desire to work and live.
To appease players and prevent them from going down the path of illegal activities, the Strange Tales Management Bureau launched the player welfare subsidy... simply put, it was giving them money.
"Understood!" Several the passerby players nodded one after another. "After we return to reality, we'll go to the Strange Tales Management Bureau to register!"
...
The next second.
Darkness enveloped them.
Natsuki felt a slight dizziness in his head, and when his vision returned, he was in the hotel.
Bright sunlight streamed in through the window, and outside, cars bustled and crowds clamored.
"Cleared! Cleared!" Chika's cheer rang out, "Finally cleared! We must have a big feast today!"
"I need to take a shower." Kaguya's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "I feel so uncomfortable."
The dorms in the park didn't have bathrooms at all, and even if they did, the water flowing out wouldn't be trustworthy; they simply didn't want to get it on themselves. So they could only simply wipe their bodies with wet wipes or similar items in the dorm.
Yukino picked up her phone and said softly:
"Everyone, send a message to your family and friends first."
Mitsui's smile was bright, clearly in a great mood, and she said with a smile:
"Everyone, tidy up simply first, and I'll arrange the rest."
...
Natsuki checked the time on his phone and found that it was already the afternoon of the next day.
Opening his chat app, many messages popped up with ding-dong sounds.
Natsuki quickly scanned them, directly reading and not replying to unimportant messages. As for important messages, they were naturally from Marin and the others.
"Miko, Marin, Tsubame, Sayu, Juju, Shoko... and send a message to Haruno-nee too."
"What about Moeha?"
"A mere junior high student, let's just forget about it."
...
After sending out the messages, almost all of them received replies immediately.
Marin: "Natsuki is finally out! I'm coming to find you!"
Sayu: "Master~ Master Master Master~ I've prepared a surprise for Master."
Senpai: "It's good that Junior is out. Is everyone safe?"
Juju: "Tch, got it."
Shoko: "Um, um... Natsuki-kun, are you injured?"
After replying to a round of messages, Natsuki followed the girls to the hot springs for a bath.
Walking along the way, he casually opened his game panel and was surprised to find that the clearance rewards had already been issued.
[Instance 'Sinful park' has been cleared]
[Main Quest: Survive seven days in the park, Completed]
[Side Quest: Escape with your life, You successfully escaped the park area, method not limited, Completed]
[Side Quest: Demise of Sin, The park was destroyed, method not limited, Completed]
[Side Quest: Daydreamer, You successfully achieved your initial dream of getting rich overnight, daily income of sin coins exceeded one thousand, Completed]
[Side Quest: I want to be the boss, That year I was eighteen, standing in the park like a nobody, but one cannot be without dreams, You want to climb up step by step, striving to become a manager, Vice manager, Deputy Supervisor, etc. in the park, Completed]
[Side Quest: My hands are stained with sin, You obtained over one hundred sin coins through sinful methods such as fraud, coercion, kidnapping, and extortion, Completed]
[Side Quest: This place is fun, I don't miss home, You individually enjoyed five special chat services, Completed]
[Side Quest: God of Gamblers Legend, In the park's casino, you won a total of one thousand sin coins, Completed]
The reward for the main quest was seventy game coins, while the rewards for side quests were not fixed, varying from low to high. The reward for 'This place is fun, I don't miss home' was only fifty game coins, but the reward for 'Demise of the park' was surprisingly as high as four hundred game coins.
Adding up all the main and side quest rewards, the instance's total income exceeded a thousand.
His gaze shifted downwards, skipping the instance MVP reward for now, when Natsuki suddenly raised an eyebrow in surprise:
"What? The instance crashed?"