The image alteration of the 【Mist Mask】 is quite interesting; it essentially transforms Gao Yi into another person entirely.
Not only are the face and body different, but even the clothing changes directly.
His current appearance seems to be that of a lady in her mid-twenties, probably under 1.7 meters tall, with a well-proportioned figure.
Although Gao Yi doesn't know much about fashion, his current outfit looks quite refined.
He's wearing a pair of slim-fit trousers and a black long-sleeved cotton jacket, with a stylish necklace around his neck.
It's worth mentioning that the shoulder bag even contained the items Gao Yi was carrying, which just goes to show how user-friendly the 【Mist Mask】 is.
Looking down, it was a good thing this lady wasn't wearing high heels; otherwise, Gao Yi probably wouldn't have been able to walk.
However, such a significant difference in physiological structure certainly requires adaptation.
Gao Yi jumped twice in place inside the toilet stall and felt a sudden heaviness in his chest.
“Hiss...”
It's hard to describe this strange sensation; the body he was controlling suddenly felt unfamiliar.
Gao Yi looked down, then looked up at his hands, then looked down again.
He sighed deeply.
Never mind, let's focus on the main task.
After waiting for a moment and hearing no movement outside the door, Gao Yi quickly ran out of the toilet and blended into the mall crowd.
The fourth floor of the mall seemed to be the dining area, surrounded by various styles of restaurants, and with it being dinnertime, there were quite a few people.
Several popular establishments had plastic stools lined up outside, all filled with people waiting in line.
Looking towards the resting area beside the escalator, with the observation boost from 【Armchair Detective】, Gao Yi spotted his target at a glance.
To be honest, it didn't require much observation skill.
The preparations made by the seller, known as 【Graduate Student】, were almost the complete opposite of Gao Yi's.
Wearing sunglasses late at night, a scarf covering half his face, and a trench coat tightly wrapped around his upper body, he nervously glanced around from his seat every now and then.
Not to mention Gao Yi, even the mall's security guards noticed something amiss; two of them were pointing at him from another side.
Too amateurish. If this kind of person were to get involved in the underworld, he'd probably be double-crossed and crippled on the first day.
Never mind, it would be troublesome if the security guards came to question him.
Gao Yi tried his best to adapt to his new body and walked quickly towards the nervous man.
When he was about twenty meters away, the familiar palpitation appeared in his heart.
An extremely strong sensation emerged in his mind, clearly revealing the fact that the other party was a player.
This feeling had also appeared when Gao Yi met Zhao Qian this morning.
It was clear that "players" could sense each other.
Under the man's startled gaze, Gao Yi sat down beside him and spoke with a slight smile:
“Are you 【Graduate Student】?”
The young man was clearly startled by Gao Yi's words, his hands momentarily unsure where to go, and after a long while, he mumbled:
“You're that... Investigation...”
“Yes, that's me. Where's the item?”
Gao Yi decisively interrupted him, revealing another smile.
“But, the sensation... player... you...”
The man's words were completely incoherent, perhaps shocked that Gao Yi dared to come for the transaction so openly, or perhaps shocked by her direct words.
Or...
Gao Yi instantly realized: did this 【Graduate Student】 not sense that he was a player?
That is to say, the effect of the 【Mist Mask】 can also block this mutual sensing between players.
If this was true, the operational versatility of this equipment would increase by another level.
Gao Yi could use it to quietly approach other players, which would be very convenient for both sneak attacks and intelligence gathering.
After all, in the subconscious of most players, whether another person is a player is a very clear matter.
His thoughts raced, but Gao Yi's words didn't stop:
“Where's the item?”
“Oh, oh, it's here.”
The man seemed to finally return from his state of shock, abruptly lifting his trench coat to reveal the belt around his waist.
This person actually tied the traded goods to his body...
Well, it's not entirely incomprehensible, after all, this 【Acrobatic Belt】 is indeed a "belt," and wearing it daily can also increase agility.
“The money, where's the money!”
【Graduate Student】's face turned red, as if he had barely managed to muster a hint of courage to ask.
Gao Yi scrutinized the other party, and a guess formed in his mind.
This kid looks to be in his early twenties; could it be... he's really bad at interacting with the opposite sex?
With a chuckle, Gao Yi took out the game coins he had already prepared and placed them in front of the other party:
“299, check it.”
“No... no need, I trust you!”
What on earth? Do we even know each other for you to trust me?
Gao Yi couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.
It seemed that the selection of "players" truly had no bias; it wasn't that only more capable people would become players.
For example, this 【Graduate Student】 clearly wasn't good at interacting with people.
Never mind, perhaps he had strengths in other areas, but that was none of his business.
While the other party was unbuckling his belt, Gao Yi casually looked up to his right.
The two security guards who had been pointing earlier were no longer paying attention to this side.
It seemed that his arrival as a beautiful woman had dispelled much of their suspicion.
This was also an advantage of a female body, naturally being perceived as "low threat."
This is why female agents of the same level are often more lethal and terrifying than male agents.
The number of people who die by being deceived by appearances could circle the earth in a year.
Gao Yi warned himself again.
As he thought, the observation boost from 【Armchair Detective】 once again showed its power.
Gao Yi suddenly discovered that someone in the crowd, who was looking at their phone, was constantly staring at their side.
This gaze wasn't curious observation, but rather... some kind of surveillance?
No, it wasn't just him.
Slowly turning his head, Gao Yi found four people who were monitoring them.
Their surveillance wasn't particularly sophisticated, but it was still sufficiently discreet in the crowded mall.
If Gao Yi hadn't been on guard himself, it was highly likely he wouldn't have noticed.
At this moment, 【Graduate Student】 had also removed the belt and was handing it to Gao Yi.
“Here, this is the 【Acrobatic Belt】...”
But Gao Yi showed no politeness whatsoever, grabbing the belt, leaning forward, and lowering his voice:
“Hey, what do you want to do? Are those your people?!”
“What... what people?”
The man's panic was evident, and Gao Yi could even hear his heart suddenly beating faster.
He didn't know if he was scared by the questioning or by the opposite sex being so close.
This reaction didn't seem feigned; it looked like those people should be a third-party force.
With his disguise from the 【Mist Mask】, it was unlikely he was being tracked, so it was most likely this kid...
“Did you mention having this belt to anyone else?” Gao Yi asked in a deep voice.
“Uh, it's all posted on the forum...”
“I mean in real life!”
【Graduate Student】 showed a thoughtful expression, and after a long while, he slapped his thigh:
“I think I mentioned it to a brother I met in a dungeon last time, but he said he didn't have enough money...”
Gao Yi couldn't help but sigh, pressing his hand to his head.
Seriously, he was only thinking about the seller not being too dangerous, but he didn't expect that a seller being too stupid could also cause trouble.
He casually took the belt and wrapped it around his waist.
Gao Yi stood up and bid farewell to this 【Graduate Student】 without looking back:
“Alright, hurry up and go. Be careful walking alone at night.”
“Huh?”
【Graduate Student】 was utterly bewildered, watching Gao Yi walk towards the escalator and descend to the lower floor.
After a long moment of not understanding what had happened, he touched his neck, feeling his inexplicably accelerated heartbeat.
Finally, he shook his head, put away the game coins, and stood up, intending to leave.
Meanwhile, in Gao Yi's ear, the system notification sound, which had been silent for a long time, rang out again.
【Special Mission Triggered: Escape the pursuit of suspicious players and the Investigation Bureau, and ensure your true identity is not discovered】
【Reward: Common Trait * 1, Rare Item Lottery Chance * 1】
【Time Limit: Forty-two minutes】
....................