Weird Rules: Start by playing God in Bikini Bottom!

Chapter 19 Sea Superman and Ocean Ranger

The cave entrance was well hidden, and there was even a crooked "Christmas wreath" made of seaweed and seashells hanging at the entrance.

Jiang Xiu tapped on the rock at the entrance of the cave.

"Who is it? Is it the food delivery person?"

A slightly aged but weak voice came through, carrying a deliberately suppressed sense of "authority".

"Krusty Krab delivery, Squidward."

Jiang Xiu answered lazily.

A stone slab at the entrance of the cave was moved aside, revealing two figures.

It was indeed Superman and Ocean Ranger, but they were not the imposing Supermen of memory at all. Instead, they were two old men wearing faded, ill-fitting hero costumes, with wrinkled faces and cloudy eyes.

They crowded at the entrance of the cave, eyeing Jiang Xiu and the insulated box in his hand.

Hai Chao cleared his throat, puffed out his not-so-broad chest, and spoke in a tone that said, "We know our stuff."

"Oh, it's the Krusty Krab. Um... Big Nose, it's Christmas today, do you have any... holiday discounts?"

"Look, we're regular customers! We patronized your store a lot back when we were maintaining peace in Bikini Bottom!"

As he spoke, he nudged the silent, staring Krabby Patty with his elbow.

"Can you give me a discount?"

To the other surviving chosen ones who were also delivered here, this question was nothing short of another trap.

Rule number three emphasizes "protecting the Krabs' coins," and the Krabs' stinginess and sensitivity towards money have long been deeply ingrained in people's minds through previous punishments.

Unauthorized discounting?

What's the difference between that and "stealing" his gold coins?

Besides, the price is clearly marked on the order!

So, in those players' live streams:

Dayingguo Live Room

Lu Han immediately tensed up, recalling the terror of the crab boss, and decisively shook his head, answering in as official a tone as possible:

"Excuse me, gentlemen. The Krusty Krab has fixed prices and there are no discounts. This is a Christmas special set meal, and the price is fixed."

He gripped the insulated box tightly, bracing himself for possible dissatisfaction.

Heading straight to the national live stream:

Sunny was already exhausted from the previous deliveries, and upon hearing the word "discount," his first reaction was panic; he waved his hands repeatedly.

"No, no! No discount! The boss will kill me!" Her voice was trembling with tears.

Faced with these contestants' rejections, Hai Chaoren and Ocean Ranger's reactions were unexpected... calm, even somewhat "as expected" and bland.

Hai Chaoren curled his lip and muttered, "Tsk, these young people nowadays have no humanity at all. Back in our day..."

Before he could finish speaking, he exchanged a glance with the Ocean Ranger, and the two of them slowly pulled out exactly the amount of slightly worn coins from their crumpled uniform pockets and handed them over.

"Alright, alright, fine, don't give it to me then. Just give me the stuff."

The contestants nervously completed the transaction and handed over the takeout.

The two elderly people took the food, said nothing, and retreated back into the cave, closing the stone slab with a "bang".

There were no strange events, no punishments, and no extra gifts during the entire process.

The contestants stood there, stunned. On one hand, they were relieved that they were safe and sound, but on the other hand, they had a vague feeling that... they might have missed something.

Their live stream chat was also buzzing with discussion:

"It's that simple?"

"It's okay if you don't give me a discount?"

"These two old men don't seem like bad people, but something's off about them."

Let's shift our perspective back to Jiang Xiu.

Hearing Hai Chaoren's familiar opening line, which was an attempt to use his seniority to bargain, Jiang Xiu felt nothing, and even wanted to laugh a little.

He knew all too well the character of these two retired supermen—they might still have some strength left, but most of the time they were stubborn, greedy for small advantages, and obsessed with their past heroic dreams.

The important thing is that he knows they are not inherently bad, and they might actually be able to play a role in crucial moments.

Using a small amount of money to do someone a favor might be more advantageous than rigidly adhering to the rules.

Thus, under the watchful eyes of a global audience in the Dragon Kingdom's live broadcast room, Jiang Xiu made a completely different reaction.

He gave a Squidward-esque look to his face, a mixture of impatience and "I just can't do anything with you guys," and sighed.

"Discount? If that tightwad Krabs owner knew I was giving discounts, he'd turn me into takoyaki and sell me to customers."

He abruptly changed the subject, glancing at the two old men with his bulging eyes, and lowered his voice as if sharing a secret.

"However... for the sake of you two seniors, it's Christmas today, so I'll treat you to milkshakes. The Krabby Patties will still be paid for, and the milkshakes... I'll deduct them from my paycheck for today. Anyway, I won't have many coins left."

As he spoke, he quoted a price slightly lower than the original price, and then added.

"Just give me the money, don't make a fuss. I don't want to be turned into Christmas decorations by the Krabs owner because of 'unauthorized discounts'."

Sea Superman and Ocean Ranger were clearly stunned!

Two pairs of old eyes widened, staring at Squidward in disbelief.

Hai Chao even picked at his ear: "You...you're serious? Big Nose? You're willing to give us a discount? To cover it with your own money?"

"Hurry up, I still have to deliver to the next customer. If you dawdle any longer, I'll change my mind."

Jiang Xiu deliberately acted impatient and urged him on.

The two elderly people's faces immediately blossomed into smiles like chrysanthemums, a mixture of surprise, gratitude, and a little bit of secret joy at "getting something for nothing."

They hurriedly took out the exact amount of coins, stuffed them into Jiang Xiu's hand, and then eagerly took the insulated box.

"Good lad! You're a true friend!"

Superman patted his chest and said, "I, Superman... uh, Mr. Sea, remember this! In the future, if anyone causes you trouble in Bikini Bottom, just say my name! Although... it might not be of much use right now."

He added somewhat awkwardly.

The Ocean Ranger, who hadn't said much until now, gave Jiang Xiu a deep look, then silently took something out of the inner pocket of his old uniform and handed it over.

It was a small, somewhat old conch shell with natural spiral patterns on its surface and a warm, pearly luster, making it stand out in the dim environment.

"this,"

Ocean Ranger's voice was hoarse but clear.

"Echo shell. We're too old for it. Take it, consider it... a return gift for the milkshake."

His words were quite meaningful.

Jiang Xiu looked at the conch shell and a thought struck him.

This is clearly not an ordinary object; it likely possesses some kind of rule-based effect, perhaps related to sound, frequency, or even combating the supernatural.

He didn't refuse, taking it with his tentacles and feeling the conch shell's slight warmth. "Thanks. Although I think I need a conch shell that can double my salary more."

He still spoke with that disdainful yet accepting tone.

The transaction was completed, the favor was sold, and I even got a suspected prop.

Jiang Xiu didn't linger and turned to leave. Behind him, he heard two elderly people eagerly opening their packaging and arguing in hushed tones, "My hamburger is bigger."