In those days of Plants vs. Zombies

Chapter 651 The Gamblers of the Masked Society

Mo Chen remained highly vigilant, his sharp gaze sweeping across the silent clock tower hall like that of a hawk.

He loaded the revolver with bullets, gripped the Morning Star in his other hand, released his plant spirit power, and explored the surroundings.

It is certain that the hall is empty at this moment, with only the huge clock standing silently without making a sound.

Mo Chen glanced down at his personal terminal; the time displayed on the screen was exactly midnight, the time they had agreed to meet.

But no one appeared in the clock tower, and not even a whisper could be heard; the deathly silence was unsettling.

"Hey, friend from the Masked Society, you invited me here to meet you. What's wrong? The guest has arrived, but you, the one who invited me, aren't coming out to greet me?"

Mo Chen's voice echoed through the empty hall, but no one answered him.

He frowned, not acting rashly, but staying where he was, listening intently to the sounds coming from all directions.

A few minutes later, a series of unhurried footsteps suddenly came from the depths of the clock tower and rang in Mo Chen's ears.

The voice wasn't hurried; instead, it sounded leisurely, making Mo Chen feel that it was somewhat familiar.

Although he had not yet made contact with the other party, Mo Chen felt that he had heard such footsteps somewhere before.

The rhythm was unique, a pace only those who spent years lingering deep within the ruined city could possess.

Every step the opponent took was both light and precise, perfectly avoiding anything that might make an unusual sound.

Not long after, a figure emerged from the shadows and stood before Mo Chen.

However, when Mo Chen saw the other person's face clearly, he showed a very shocked expression.

"It's you!"

Mo Chen's breath caught in his throat for a moment. His fingers, gripping Chen Xing tightly, turned white from the force. He subconsciously moved the gun he was about to aim at the other man's gun a few inches away.

The reason was simple: the person who appeared in front of Mo Chen was none other than "Old Jin," whom he had met once before!

The weed spirit who called himself Lao Jin was once a gold prospector in the auto repair shop area and a "kind person" who guided the exploration team to the area.

Mo Chen could never forget that shrewd and mercenary face.

He was the one who acted as a go-between, leading the exploration team to visit General Odin.

It was also at a crucial moment that he provided everyone with important information about Claura's whereabouts.

It's fair to say that without Lao Jin's encouragement, Courtyard No. 5905 wouldn't have been able to successfully bring everyone in the community under its wing.

But his sudden disappearance, and the fact that no one else remembered him, left an indelible cloud of doubt in Mo Chen's mind.

Old Jin seemed to be just a passerby, disappearing without a trace after completing his task.

That eerie feeling still sends chills down Mo Chen's spine whenever he thinks about it.

Looking back on my experience at that auto repair shop, everything seemed too coincidental and too smooth.

It's as if some unseen hand is manipulating the threads of fate, silently guiding all the chance encounters towards a precise future.

"It is a pleasure to meet you again, Mr. Mo Chen, the owner of courtyard number 5905."

Old Jin's voice became clear and magnetic, completely different from his previous voice.

He bowed slightly, performing a standard aristocratic greeting. The elegance and composure he displayed in his every gesture were something that could never be found in an ordinary vagrant.

"who are you?"

Mo Chen forced himself to calm down, his voice low and deep, as if squeezed from the depths of his throat: "Are they gold prospectors from the settlement? Or actors from the masked troupe?"

"People like us wear masks for so long that sometimes we can't even tell which face is real and which is fake."

Old Jin shook his head and chuckled softly: "But Lord Mo Chen, you should know that I have always been helping you, and that is a fact you cannot deny."

"You were indeed helping me, helping Courtyard 5905, but what was your purpose in doing so? Or rather, what did you gain from it? Or did you want to get something from me?"

Mo Chen's tone remained cold. He raised the muzzle of his revolver again, aiming it at Lao Jin, making no attempt to hide his wariness.

The smile on Lao Jin's face did not fade; instead, it deepened.

His eyes, which once sparkled with shrewd calculation, were now like two bottomless pools of water, calm and still.

"My purpose? It's very simple. It's just to pave the way for a grand drama, and you, Lord Mo Chen, are a crucial protagonist in this drama."

"drama?"

Mo Chen blinked, seemingly incredulous: "You bunch of weirdos, do you really think you're actors?"

"Believe it or not, it's up to you. As for my opinion, that's irrelevant."

Old Jin gently raised his hand, revealing a chip held between two fingers.

The chips twirled deftly between Lao Jin's fingers, shimmering with a captivating golden light under the moonlight.

"The script for the fool has already been written. As an actor, I am merely following the arrangement of fate, playing a cameo role, and performing the story."

Under Mo Chen's gaze, the face that belonged to Lao Jin suddenly became violently distorted.

The other person's figure gradually became illusory and blurred, and then transformed into another figure.

The person who appeared where Lao Jin had been standing was a gentlemanly young man with light gray, tousled hair and dressed in a suit.

Beneath that unremarkable top hat was a piece of white paper with the "East Wind" logo pasted on her face, obscuring her features.

"Old Jin's face is still too vulgar. Wearing it for too long makes you even start to talk petty. It's more comfortable to switch back to your true self."

He fiddled with the chips in his hand while complaining about his other side.

This ability to perfectly disguise oneself as someone else can undoubtedly only be achieved by the Transformation Potato Spirit.

"My name is Yingyu. As you can see, I am a transformed potato plant spirit. I currently work as an actor in the Masked Society, and they also call me 'Gambler'."

The transformed potato plant spirit named Yingyu snapped its fingers with its free hand, causing itself and Mo Chen to simultaneously fall into a completely pure white space.

In the pure white space, there was no distinction between up, down, left, or right; it was as if the entire world consisted only of Mo Chen and the "gambler" before him.

Mo Chen was startled, but he quickly realized that his body had not suffered any real damage; only the surrounding environment had undergone a dramatic change.

He put away his revolver, turned Morning Star to protect himself, and stared at Yingyu with great vigilance: "Is this your chosen technique?"

"Bingo, you got it right! It's a pity I have no reward for you."

Yingyu revealed a mocking smile, twirling the chip in his hand between his fingers.

He tilted his head slightly, and the Dongfeng mask looked particularly eerie against the pure white background.

"Of course, I have no ill intentions towards you. Before we can have a formal conversation, we need to find a place where we won't be disturbed, don't we?"

"Stop playing riddles with me, Mr. Winfish."

Mo Chen snorted coldly and hoisted Chen Xing onto his shoulder: "You went to great lengths to lure me here, and then pulled this stunt. So, what exactly do you want to talk to me about?"

"You've come here to meet me, isn't it for that nun you can only meet in your dreams?"

With a flick of her wrist, Yingyu caused the chips to fall silently back into her sleeve: "I can tell you where that nun is now."