Weird Rules: Start by playing God in Bikini Bottom!

Chapter 18 Brothers, isn't the author very talented?

In the end, he fell awkwardly back onto the damp ground outside the door, saving his life, but the tentacle that had been hooked on the door crack was completely charred and necrotic, and a section of it was broken off. The excruciating pain almost made him faint.

The scene in the live stream was shocking, and the chat was filled with expressions of lingering fear: "So close! Just a hair's breadth away!"

The live chat was instantly flooded with expressions of terror:

"Oh my god! It dried out completely?!"

"There's no water in that house! It's a terrestrial environment!"

"Sandy? Who is Sandy? Why would there be customers underwater who need a terrestrial environment?!"

"This is a trap! That voice was intentional!"

"What about the Chinese player? Is he also...?"

Everyone turned their apprehension to the Dragon Kingdom's live stream room.

In the scene, after hearing Sandy say "Just push the door open and come in," Jiang Xiu did not make any move to push the door open.

Instead, he curled his lip, his bulging eyes revealing an expression of "I knew it" and "What a hassle".

"Go straight in?"

He spoke into the communicator in a complaining tone.

"Sandy, are you busy fiddling with those exploding acorns or new karate moves in your 'land playground' again, forgetting about the 'small thing' that we normal sea creatures need to stay in the water? I don't want to go in and become your next scientific experiment specimen—'Dried Octopus Slice Observation'."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the communicator, followed by Sandy's voice, which sounded a little embarrassed but still somewhat suppressed:

"Oh! Right! My memory is terrible, I always forget when I get busy. Sorry, Squidward. Wait a minute, I'll get you a temporary water shield, it's in the storage box by the door, you should be able to see it."

Sure enough, Jiang Xiu found a folded, fairly transparent portable water shield device in an inconspicuous metal box next to the door.

He skillfully unfolded it, put it on his head, and turned it on.

A thin film of water instantly enveloped him, providing the necessary humid environment.

"Is this alright now? It was really unnecessary."

He continued complaining before finally reaching out and pushing open the door.

The live stream footage from the Dragon Kingdom became clear as Jiang Xiu entered the Oak House.

The audience finally saw the scene inside the door, and also saw the "recipient" standing not far away by the worktable, fiddling with a sophisticated instrument.

That was a... squirrel?

A squirrel wearing a slightly worn white spacesuit and a huge round helmet!

She turned her head and looked at the doorway through her mask. Her hairy face seemed to be smiling, but under the live broadcast camera and the eerie filter, the smile looked a little stiff, and her eyes seemed too focused.

"..."

The chat in the Dragon Kingdom's live stream went completely blank for a few seconds after the image became clear.

Immediately, it was like an explosion:

"???squirrel???"

"In the sea! On the seabed! There's a squirrel wearing a spacesuit?!"

"What the hell is this dungeon's setting?! How come there are land animals? And they live in the ocean, in places without water?"

"My CPU burned out! Is that even possible?!"

"That's why Jiang Xiu wore a water mask! Because he knew it was a dry, land-based environment inside! He knew there was a squirrel inside!"

"He found out again! How does he even know this?!"

"This Sandy... doesn't look like a normal squirrel either, those eyes..."

International audiences were completely dumbfounded; they were utterly unable to comprehend what they were seeing.

"What the...?A squirrel? In the sea? In a Christmas-themed horror delivery game?"

(What...? A squirrel? In the sea? In a Christmas-themed horror delivery game?)

(Guys, isn't the author incredibly talented? He can even translate.)

"The Dragon Kingdom's contestant prepared water shields in advance! He clearly anticipated this!"

"The intelligence gap is too huge! Our player died without any explanation!"

"Is this 'Sandy' friend or foe? Will the Chinese athlete be able to deliver the food safely?"

Jiang Xiu, wearing a water shield and carrying an insulated box, went inside.

He glanced around at the familiar yet strangely quiet surroundings, then looked at Sandy:

"Here's your Christmas feast: a crab burger and seaweed salad. Hope it suits your 'underwater holiday taste' as a land squirrel."

Sandy walked over and took the incubator; her movements seemed somewhat slow.

She opened the box, checked it, and nodded.

"Thank you, Squidward. Same as always, I don't like trouble, but I always manage to get things done." Her voice came through the mask, sounding a little muffled.

"I've already had enough trouble," Jiang Xiu said, turning to leave. "If there's nothing else, I'm leaving. I still have several deliveries to make. Staying in this dry jar of yours is making my skin feel tight."

"Wait a minute," Sandy suddenly called out to him.

Jiang Xiu paused, a slight chill running through him.

Sandy picked up a small object carefully wrapped in a smooth seashell from the worktable and handed it to him.

"Merry Christmas, Squidward. This is a 'resonant acorn' I made myself; it's said to... stabilize the frequency of your surroundings. You always complain that Bikini Bottom is too noisy or too quiet, maybe this will help. Consider it... a takeout tip?"

Through her mask, she seemed to give Jiang Xiu a deep look.

Rule number four mentions that "dreams need nourishment," and musical instruments are the link. This "resonance acorn" seems somewhat relevant? Jiang Xiu quickly weighed the options internally, but outwardly accepted it with a look of disdain: "Another space-consuming little gadget. Oh well, better than nothing. Thanks, Sandy. Happy holidays—though I don't feel happy at all."

He didn't linger; he went straight to the door, took off the water cover, and left the oak treehouse.

Jiang Xiu only breathed a slight sigh of relief after walking quite a distance and disappearing back into the gray fog of Bikini Bottom streets.

He looked at the "Resonance Acorn" wrapped in a seashell in his hand, and then reviewed the details of his contact with Sandy just now.

"Sandy's condition...is a bit off. She's more subdued than usual, and the sounds from the equipment in that room...seem too regular, too regular to be an experiment." He pondered to himself, "And this acorn...'stable frequency'?"

He had a feeling that this Christmas delivery job was more than just delivering food.

Each "customer" who collects the food seems to be conveying some kind of message, or perhaps is part of a mystery themselves.

His familiarity with these "customers" became his most crucial advantage in solving the mystery and avoiding danger.

There's only one order left in the insulated box.

Jiang Xiu, carrying the insulated box with only one takeout order left, turned into a path leading to the rocky area by the sea, referring to the last address on the order.

The order stated:

[Order: Christmas Special Krabby Patties x2, Seaweed Milkshake x2]

[Address: Echo Caves, East Coast of Bikini Bottom]

[Recipients: Mr. Hai and Mr. Yang]

[Note: Holiday greetings to two regular customers.]

"Echo Cave... Mr. Hai and Mr. Yang?"

Jiang Xiu quickly searched his memory, and the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

"It's those two... retired and living in a cave, spending their days thinking about taking advantage of others and reminiscing about their former glory as 'Sea Superman' and 'Ocean Ranger'."

He knew in his heart that the difficulty of this deal probably lay not in the dangerous environment, but in the "needs" of these two old children.