Weird Rules: Start by playing God in Bikini Bottom!

Chapter 22 Zhenzhen: "You guys are so slow!"

He quickly put the money away, then looked up at Squidward, a radiant smile (even brighter than the sun) slowly spreading across his face, while large tears rolled down his cheeks at the same time.

"Squidward... thank you! I knew it! You're my best friend!"

SpongeBob pounced on him for a hug, but Jiang Xiu pushed him away with his tentacles, pressing them against his forehead with a look of disgust.

"Who said you're best friend?! Don't give me that! Go back now, Mr. Krabs is about to lose his temper!"

Jiang Xiu turned around and walked back, his pace still unhurried, but the corners of his mouth seemed to curve upwards almost imperceptibly before quickly straightening.

SpongeBob stopped crying and started laughing, nodding vigorously. He carried the empty box on his back and followed happily behind him, humming that off-key but much more cheerful Christmas carol again.

The live stream chat was once again flooded with comments like "arrogant," "protective," and "textbook-perfect response."

Meanwhile, the international live stream was filled with a silent shock and lingering fear—they finally understood that in the face of this situation, standing by and watching might be safe, but it was of no use.

Blindly intervening will lead to death. Only by acting like the Chinese player, who takes on the role of "Octopus Brother" and intervenes forcefully in a way that aligns with the character's logic and interpersonal relationships, can one succeed.

This way, you can solve the problem while avoiding triggering SpongeBob's bizarre behavior, and might even improve your relationship with key NPCs.

Squidward and SpongeBob walked back to the Krusty Krab, one after the other.

The gray fog on Christmas Eve seemed to be thicker, but SpongeBob's off-key singing seemed to dispel some of the chill that shrouded Jiang Xiu's heart.

When Jiang Xiu and SpongeBob returned to the Krusty Krab one after the other, it was already completely dark. Only a few dim lights were on in the restaurant, making the Christmas decorations look even more bizarre in the shadows.

The crab shop owner was leaning over the cash register, using a magnifying glass to carefully examine something under the light of a small lamp, while muttering to himself.

Hearing the door open, Mr. Krabs looked up and saw the two of them return. Especially when he saw the empty suitcase SpongeBob was carrying and Jiang Xiu's "finally free" expression, a twisted smile that could barely be called "satisfaction" appeared on his face.

"Oh! My golden delivery duo is back!"

The crab owner put down his magnifying glass, rubbed his claws, and walked over.

"All orders have been delivered? Customers... are they all 'satisfied'?"

He emphasized the word "satisfied," his small eyes gleaming with an evaluative light.

"Of course, Mr. Crab!"

SpongeBob immediately straightened his back, and although his eyes were still a little red, his spirits had returned to their usual high.

"I delivered Christmas joy and delicious Krabby Patties to every customer! Although Mr. Baker..."

He glanced at Squidward, his voice lowered, "...There was a small misunderstanding, but Squidward resolved it for me! Squidward is super—amazing!"

Jiang Xiu looked exhausted and disgusted.

"Delivered it. I'm exhausted. My tentacles are about to develop arthritis from carrying that lousy box. Can I go home now? My clarinet has been crying all day."

"Off work? Heh..."

The crab shop owner's laughter echoed like metal scraping.

"In theory, yes, your hard work for today is over. You can leave the store now."

Jiang Xiu immediately felt an alarm go off in his mind.

The crab owner speaks in this tone; it's definitely not a good thing!

"Theoretically"? "You can leave the store"? That doesn't mean "You can go home and rest"!

Sure enough, the crab owner suddenly changed his tone, his small eyes gleaming: "But! Don't think that just because you're out of the shop, you're free to do nothing, or... get money for free!"

He brandished his pincers. "I, Crab King, never do business at a loss! Especially on this... um... 'special' day."

He pointed to the thick, seemingly alive, slowly flowing gray fog outside the door.

"My darling daughter Zhenzhen, didn't you miss out on the money for your necklace this afternoon? She just contacted me again, saying the 'Christmas Midnight Horror Sale' at Coral Shopping Center is about to start! It's a rare opportunity!"

The crab owner's expression suggested a mixture of pain and reluctance to compromise.

"As her dear father, I 'agreed' for her to go shopping. But—"

He turned his gaze back to Jiang Xiu and SpongeBob, revealing a standard capitalist smile.

"She can't carry that much stuff by herself, and Bikini Bottom at night... needs someone to look after her, right? So, the two of you, your next 'task' is to accompany Zhenzhen shopping, help her carry her things, make sure she buys what she wants, and... come back safely."

"certainly!"

The crab owner added, his tone turning sinister.

"This isn't overtime, it's... an employee perk! Accompanying the boss's daughter on 'necessary' social shopping trips! No extra pay! But if you mess it up, upset Zhenzhen, or something gets lost or broken... your pay will be deducted! At least ten times the normal rate!"

Shopping with Zhenzhen? Being her porter? Or perhaps at Bikini Bottom at midnight on Christmas?

Jiang Xiu was speechless with frustration. He knew it wouldn't be that simple!

From "Silent Christmas" to "Midnight Horror Sale," the malice of this instance is layered upon layer, giving no one a chance to breathe.

Shopping with that spoiled and terrifying whale girl?

It's a double test of mental pollution and physical danger!

SpongeBob got excited again.

"Going shopping with Zhenzhen? That's awesome! I can pick out the shiniest jewelry for her! And I can experience the excitement of a midnight clearance sale! I'm all set!"

"Lively? Hopefully, it's not just another kind of 'lively'."

Jiang Xiu muttered under his breath, then looked at the crab boss and said in an extremely reluctant tone.

"Shopping? Carrying big bags of groceries at night? That would damage my artistic image even more than dancing in a vat of boiling oil. Besides, Miss Zhenzhen's 'shopping enthusiasm' is probably beyond what the two of us can handle."

"You have to endure it even if you can't bear it!"

The crab boss is beyond question.

"Zhenzhen is already waiting at the intersection. Hurry up! Remember, make her happy, grab your things, and then come back. Don't even think about slacking off or sneaking away early, otherwise..."

He shook his huge, gleaming pincers, the meaning of which was self-evident.

Helpless, Jiang Xiu and SpongeBob had no choice but to leave the Krusty Krab again.

The cold fog outside immediately enveloped them, reducing visibility to a minimum. Only a few scattered, distorted neon lights in the distance indicated the direction of the so-called "Coral Shopping Center".

Under the nearest streetlight, a tall figure was stomping her feet—it was Zhenzhen.

"You two are so slow!"

As soon as Zhenzhen saw them, she started to complain in a shrill voice.

"The big sale is about to start! Let's go! I'm going to buy everything I need today!"

Without even glancing at them, she turned and strode quickly toward the neon lights, her tail swishing in the mist.