48 Hours a Day

A second later, he received a system notification.

(Bought licorice candy at the grocery store. Game points: +3. Visit your character panel for more information...)

Zhang Heng was getting more and more confused by this unique achievement system. Earlier, he had been given some tobacco to chew. Besides being curious about how the famous chewing tobacco tasted, he wanted to see if he could earn game points from this unique experience.

As a result, nothing happened. In retrospect, he unwittingly obtained three points from purchasing a can of licorice candy and bullets from the grocery store. The randomness was unexpected-it was no wonder those guilds still failed to decipher the game-point system even after studying it for so long. “What’s the matter?” Wendy, standing beside him, asked.

“It’s nothing; eat your licorice.” Zhang Heng handed her half a jar of candy, then told the shop’s owner, “Do you know where the people in the farmhouses outside of town have gone to?”

The latter’s hand began to tremble involuntarily when he heard Zhang Heng’s question, the bag of flour he held almost fell to the ground. Luckily Zhang Heng managed to catch it before it landed.

With a brief thanks, the boss took the bag of flour from him.

“The plague broke out in the town some time ago, and the infected were quarantined.”

“It seems we did guess it right. It really is a plague. How bad is it?” Wendy asked. “Everything is under control for now.”

“Is there a doctor in the town? Where are the sick taken to?” asked Zhang Heng.

“The church in the town. They are temporarily quarantined there, and the doctor is taking care of them. You better stay away from that

place.”

“Don’t worry. We want to live a lot longer than this,” Wendy chuckled. “May God bless you.”

“Much obliged, ma’am.”

After Zhang Heng paid for the stuff, the two left the grocery store. Not too long after commencing their journey, Wendy felt that her boots were uncomfortable, and she was about to squat down to fix them when Zhang Heng suddenly spoke up. “There’s no need to do it now. Let’s walk a little longer.”

“Why?”

“The boss still spies on us from the store. Don’t look back, and don’t make any unnecessary moves.”

“He’s watching us?” Wendy was dumbfounded.

“To be precise, he is observing our movements and reactions,” Zhang Heng said. “If you had just told a lie, you would pay special attention to the audience’s reaction as well.”

“Lie? Are you talking about the plague?” “Well, it’s interesting. It seems the people in this town are attempting to hide something,” Zhang Heng frowned. “I don’t know what the role of the sheriff in this hoax is.”

Five minutes later, Zhang Heng and Wendy arrived at the police station in the town. In broad daylight, the thick-bearded sheriff was flirting with a woman in his office. Wendy was startled when she walked into the police station. The woman was lying on the bearded sheriff’s chest, and they looked like they were about to do something really intimate.

“Let’s get up. Here comes somebody. I’ll have to start work now, babe,” the bearded sheriff cooed, proceeding to pinch the woman’s thigh. The latter giggled, got up, and gave a flying kiss to the bearded sheriff.

The sheriff then patted his dirty uniform and wiped the badge on his chest. “Is there anything I can do for you two?” he asked.

He was also the first average person that Zhang Heng encountered after he came to this small town. He was different from the residents that he saw earlier. Other than the fact that the sheriff must’ve not showered for god-knows-how-long, he looked pretty unspectacular. As for his little hobby, there was nothing wrong with that. After all, being a sheriff was a 24-hour job in this era. Considering how he was the de-facto person in charge of the town, the concept of working hours did not apply to him.

“Could you be Sheriff Harper? I heard a sheriff is a short man,” Wendy said.

“You have good eyes, ma’am. I am not Sheriff Harper. Sheriff Harper is too old and has retired. I am his successor. You can call me Loew.”

“Sheriff Harper is retired? But I just sent him a telegraph a week ago,” Wendy’s eyes widened. “Yes, I didn’t expect this to happen as well. He was the first group of residents to settle in this town. He has contributed a lot to this place, and those who live here shall always remember his dedication. So, what brings you to the fine town of Bliss?”

“Actually, we are here to find someone, Sheriff Loew.”

“Really, who?”

Wendy glanced at Zhang Heng, and the latter nodded. So, she continued, “We’ve come to find my father. He’s been away from home for a long time. Before he left, he told us he would come here to discuss business with someone.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. Perhaps you could tell me his name, and I will see what I can do for you.”

“My father’s name is Matthew Robbins, a rancher from Lincoln County. He wears a gray shirt and has a pair of old-looking boots. He is about thirty-five years old. And he has a scar on the right of his belly.”

“I wrote everything down, and I will investigate this matter right away. You can rest in the hotel and wait for news. I should be able to get back to you tomorrow morning,” replied Sheriff Loew as he winked at Wendy. “Can I ask you one more question? What’s wrong with the people here?” Wendy could not help but ask.

“Oh, don’t take it to heart. They are just a little xenophobic. Just wait until they know you more. After all, something terrible just happened in town.”

“I heard about the plague. It’s really unfortunate.”

“We will get better. We always do. Those who thrive on these lands are courageous.”

“Even without your observation prowess, I can tell he’s lying.” In the room, Wendy quietly asked Zhang Heng, “How could Sheriff Harper retire at this time.”

10

“Hmm.”

Zhang Heng cleaned the barrel of the Winchester rifle, not looking up as he spoke.

><M”What should we do next? You know that there is something wrong with the sheriff. So, why would you tell him about your father.”

“We can’t hide it from him. After all, I have sent them a telegram before. Our purpose here is not a secret, but telling him would give him a false sense of security. Even though we have doubts about the town’s situation, we should continue to pretend that we trust the fake sheriff. And by the way, we get to see who his accomplices are.” “What do you think?” Wendy frowned.

“If I’m right, they will come to us tonight,” Zhang Heng said. “For your safety, I should let you leave first. However, if I do that, they will be suspicious of us. If Sergeant Dolan did not lie, they should know your father and not harm you. Just get ready. If things go south, you should leave the town with Lightning right away. I will stay behind to deal with them.”